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Examining UFC Fans’ Right to Expression

There is a great deal of discussion today regarding people’s reaction to the flyweights. People are criticizing those who boo during fights. This polarizing topic has been concentrated on the flyweight division and the impetus was the inaugural ch…

Dana White recently ripped fans who expressed their discontent during that match.

At the UFC 152 post-fight press conference in Toronto, he said (from MMA Weekly):

I was reading Twitter tonight and these people were ripping on the flyweights. If you didn’t like that flyweight fight, please, and I’m begging you, don’t buy another UFC pay-per-view again. Don’t ever buy another one again; I don’t want your money. You’re a moron, you don’t like fighting and you don’t appreciate great talent or heart if you didn’t like that flyweight fight.

The disgruntled were expressive again at UFC on FX 5 on Friday night, concerning flyweight John Dodson’s No. 1 contender bout with Jussier da Silva.

They cheered, however, when Dodson knocked him out. In the past, Joe Rogan has referred to the jeers as the “meathead factor” and many others have labeled these people as “not true fans” or people “ignorant” of the technical aspect of the sport.

Dodson himself, according to The Toronto Sun’s Neil Springer, reacted to the booing at UFC 152 harshly by stating:

I think it was just drunken idiots being drunken idiots. It’s not going to hurt us at all. As flyweights, we understand — if they’re going to be idiots, fine. We’re just going to let them be idiots — because why? We’re awesome. We’re going to make sure the sport keeps on prospering and making us look even better than before.

While the focus is currently on the flyweight division, the truth is that fans have consistently booed bouts across all divisions when there is what they deem to be a lack of action or a lackluster performance.

Are the fans entitled to let the performers know of their displeasure?

Living in Toronto, I am witness to one of the most anemic professional sport towns on the planet. Fans here have limited their expectations considerably and still are left disappointed. It is not unusual to hear the Maple Leafs being booed loudly when they under-perform.

This is not unique to Toronto.

In the old WWF days, fans at Maple Leaf Gardens would chant “Boring, boring, boring!” In the NFL, if the home team has not done well in the first half, it is not uncommon for the team to hear catcalls on their way to the dressing room.

When fans do not agree with a punt decision or if the offense is not producing points, the fans express their displeasure. This is ubiquitous across all mainstream professional sports. Are they not entitled to their negative expression?

Back to the flyweights, John Dodson is a very exciting fighter. The TUF 14 season that featured the flyweights was very exciting and I am a fan of the lighter divisions. However, I did not enjoy his fight with da Silva. I am also a massive Benavidez and Team Alpha Male fan, but did not enjoy the Johnson-Benavidez fight either.

Despite Mighty Mouse’s impressive fight stats, many people did not enjoy the match.

The level of intensity and the passion to win exuded did not resonate with the audience. Does that qualify the disgruntled viewer to be a “meathead,” “moron” or a “drunken idiot?” I would disagree.

The paying fans are there because they respect the sport and the athletes. Most fans idolize these athletes. They buy their clothing, beg for a photo and copy their tattoos. They arrive gleefully and do not capriciously transform into malcontents. What gives anyone the right to define what a true fan is and declare what the criteria for an exciting match is?

Fighters often lose their jobs with a pair of losses. Therefore, many competitors develop a game plan to simply score enough points in order to win rounds to get a decision. Those are the fights that usually bring out the boo-birds: fighters that excessively circle or clinch with no intent on aggression.

I appreciate the technical aspect of the sport; however, I am not convinced that fighters do not simply rest or “play safe” in certain situations.

I understand the fighters’ reasoning. They need a win for the sake of their careers. I can appreciate that; however, that does not mean that I need to enjoy watching it. Football fans understand why a team kneels going into halftime instead of aggressively seeking an unlikely score but they might still boo because they prefer to see action.

That does not make them morons.

Booing does not mean they hate the fighter or the sport, just that particular performance at that moment. Some fighters game-plan to conservatively win a decision and fight for their career, not for their fans, so why should the fans be obligated to support them?

At UFC 129 in Toronto, the fans raucously came to see GSP. He is adored and massively supported. Due to his massive fanbase, he has been given numerous lucrative endorsements. He was loudly cheered and welcomed with one of the greatest levels of emotional support the city ever saw. By the fourth round, he was being vociferously denounced. They still love him and will support him again at UFC 154.

There are fighters who fight for the fans (Chris Leben, the Diaz brothers, Rich Franklin, Wanderlei Silva) and others (Dominick Cruz) who fight for their personal record. The fans have the right to express their appreciation for those who seek to entertain them.

Furthermore, a fan has the right to express their opinion that the performance that they have paid to see does not meet their expectation without being an idiot. It is not amateur sport, if one charges admission, the performers should be held to a higher standard and the paying public has a right to be satisfied.

If the fan does not believe that the fighter is trying their level best to win the fight, why can’t they protest? That is what they were sold. The marketing and pre-fight hype told them to expect more than what they are seeing.

The pay-per-view icon, Oscar De La Hoya, was booed in the final rounds against Tito Trinidad for what fans perceived as running. It did not mean that they did not support him nor that they were not “real” boxing fans. They were just demonstrating that they did not pay to watch him box like that.

Fans who like to see action are not necessarily bloodthirsty savages who have no understanding of the sport. Dana White himself has been critical of fights that lacked aggression: Silva-Maia, Guida-Maynard etc.

Most fans recognize that at the UFC level, these are the best athletes on the planet and obtaining a submission or knockout is extremely challenging. A stoppage is not expected in every fight, but fans should expect that the fighters are performing to the best of their ability and that includes advancing their position and engaging their opponent.

The flyweights are exciting and fans will come around.

When the UFC heavyweight division began, the fights were terrible. They have improved and now the division is popular. I expect the same trend to occur with the flyweights. There are already great fighters in the division producing great shows.

The UFC does not have too many events. Almost always, they produce great cards that deliver excitement and drama for their fans but the audience is not obligated to love every moment of every fight.

There are fighters who will excessively stall, circle and clinch and it is not always done with such technical expertise that is above the fans’ heads and beyond their comprehension. Fighters on the fence who are not pummeling or fighting for head position, fighters from closed guard who are not trying to sweep nor attempt a sub, fighters circling to be out of range without ever engaging are transparent.

Fighters have reached the UFC by being determined, motivated, intelligent and athletic. They put so much on the line and they deserve respect and appreciation. Fans are paying to watch them fight and to exercise effective aggression and as long as they do that, people will continue to love and support the greatest sport on Earth.

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Jon Jones’ Kryptonite: His Own Youth

Jon Jones is a blue-chip talent. He is a rapidly rising megastar who has already compiled an amazing anthology of highlight moves. Legends such as Quinton Jackson and Shogun Rua have been completely dismantled by the youngest champion of all-time.
Howe…

However, the most exciting MMA fighter on the planet is quickly becoming the least popular one. Despite his prodigious talent, he cannot overcome his youth.

His immaturity was once again exposed as he tried to defend himself for not accepting the now infamous non-fight with Chael Sonnen at the cancelled UFC 151.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, he befuddled fans with non sequiturs and misinformation that were certain to exacerbate his lack of popularity. The link for that interview is provided below.

The electric champ should not be lambasted for turning down a fight on eight days notice. It would have been noble if he had taken the contest, but he deserves an opportunity to properly prepare to defend his title. While a champion is obliged to defend his title, they should be given time to prepare for a different fighter. Contrary to Dana White‘s analysis, Jones is correct in that Chael and Henderson are much different opponents.

Dan has a powerful right hand, and Chael has limited power in his hands and is a southpaw. Sonnen prefers to attack with power double-leg takedowns, while Dan prefers the clinch. “Hendo” will often allow an opponent to get back to their feet where Sonnen loves to smother from top guard position. J.J.’s refusal of the fight may be forgiven, it did seem hypocritical though as Jones had posted this message on his Twitter account in May of 2012.

Jones further cited a reason for not taking the fight that seemed curious at best. He believed that Chael is not deserving of a fight with him and he, Jones, would not be anyone’s “jackpot.” Being a belt-holder automatically makes one a “jackpot” and that is an inherent responsibility of being a champion. One cannot refuse a fight for spite.

The champion, by definition, is one who defends the belt against whomever the organization chooses. It is, after all, the UFC belt and not the “Jon Jones ” title. Jon should not be hubristic enough to refuse a fight because he feels the challenger beneath him. The esteem of the title is the “jackpot”- not Jones. This is especially true if this opponent is a last-ditch effort to save the show and no other viable option exists.

An ensuing argument seemed to contradict itself when he rated Chael as a dangerous top-five fighter but still deemed him unworthy. Jones went on to discredit Sonnen’s UFC record (6-5) and falsely stated that Chael lost his last two fights.

Chael has not lost consecutive fights since 2004. In fact, he is 5-2 in his last seven fights, and in the two fights he lost against Anderson Silva, he won five of seven rounds. On one hand, he won’t fight him because he is unworthy yet he regards him as a top-five fighter. Sound like convincing logic to you or more like the petulant rationalization of a spoiled brat?

With eight days to go, the promotion is warranted some flexibility in finding an opponent. The importance of filling the main event slot should be paramount over Jones’ personal indignity to facing someone whom he deems to have not merited an opportunity to compete for his “jackpot.”

Admittedly, Jon is correct in that Chael is not a ranked 205 fighter, as his recent fights have been at 185, but this speaks to the necessity of the situation. This would not have been a precedent. For example, Frankie Edgar’s first fight at 145 is for a title, also due to an injury. Should Anderson Silva drop to 170, he would have an instant title shot verse GSP. This makes for great fights not the opposite.

Jon also accused Chael of being a racist because of his pejorative comments about Brazil. The inhabitants of Brazil are not their own race. They are compatriots. According to Wikipedia, over 48 percent of the population is white, which is the same ethnic group as Chael. Sonnen could be accused of xenophobia or cultural insensitivity, but just as Americans are not a race, nor are Brazilians. Taking the moral high ground by labeling one a racist seems to lack conviction.

Jones says that the UFC cannot ask him to put his livelihood on the line. Asking a fighter to fight seems rather commonplace, especially when the person is the champion and is officially sponsored by the promotion. They were not asking him to risk his livelihood by competing in a spelling bee. They asked the champ to defend his belt on the same night he had been contracted to compete under identical conditions but with a different opponent. Seems rational to me.

On Vitor Belfort, Jones’ opponent for UFC 152, Jones states that he is honoured to fight him. This is Belfort’s return to the UFC after competing in various other organizations. As a 19-year-old, he was the UFC Heavyweight Tournament winner. His return to the UFC has seen him go 3-1 and having never fought at 205.

It seems incongruent that Vitor, in Jones’ mind, is a legitimate contender worthy of a title shot without having recently competed in this division, while Chael was an unacceptable last-minute replacement for the same reason.

“Bones” will amaze fans and be a massive PPV draw because of his fighting ability. No one can deny the entertainment value in watching him perform his art.

At 25, he has many more highlights to wow the world with. While many will watch to see him lose, no true fan will want to miss his shows. There is no true threat to the young lion’s throne on the horizon. It appears, for the time being, that his toughest obstacle to overcome is his age.

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The Score Fighting Series 5: The Score Is Very High

The Score Fighting Series’ commitment to MMA in Canada yielded prosperous dividends, as their organization delivered a great show from Hamilton, Ontario.
The Score Fighting Series (TSFS) 5 proved that Canada has a rich talent base that is capable …

The Score Fighting Series’ commitment to MMA in Canada yielded prosperous dividends, as their organization delivered a great show from Hamilton, Ontario.

The Score Fighting Series (TSFS) 5 proved that Canada has a rich talent base that is capable of producing a high quality show at the Hamilton Place Theatre.

There were 10 fights and 19 of the combatants were Canadian. The action was scintillating and the talent undeniable.

Fans and fighters alike benefited from the event. TSFS broadcasted their fifth card last night for free on live cable television and through live steaming from The Score’s website: http://video.thescore.com/channels/score-fighting-series.

Free works for fans.

This is especially beneficial as many pay-per-view buyers have been let down with recent UFC shows, such as UFC 149 Calgary. The audience receives excellent commentary from veteran Mauro Ranallo.

TSFS recently reached an agreement to run six or more shows over the next 12 months on the American cable network station AXS TV.

These are the steps that will help edge MMA closer to mainstream recognition and make being a full-time professional MMA fighter a reachable dream for Canadians.

This will allow for the fighters to be seen on television internationally and online across the globe—an obvious benefit for their marketability.

While traditionally combat sports organizations strive to protect their most marketable bannerman, a refreshing aspect of TSFS is how they groom Ontario fighters, but do not protect them.

TSFS is developing fighters and rewarding fans, without jeopardizing the integrity of athletic competition.

For example, Alex Ricci battled the very dangerous Jesse Ronson in the co-main event. Ricci, who was 5-0 going into the match lost an exciting bout to Jesse Ronson (11-2).

Ricci had won all of his previous bouts with knockouts in highlight fashion. Despite being their poster boy (it was Ricci’s fourth fight on a TSFS card) and losing his undefeated record, the company proved that the show comes first.

The two produced an amazing fight and displayed excellent all-around skills, highlighted with elite striking. There were no losers.

This match-up is an exemplification of the company’s mandate of promoting quality action and helping promote Canadian talent. Ricci and Ronson are blue-chip prospects that are earmarked for the UFC and their stock values were enhanced, and not diminished by their performances.

Tristan Johnson has also been groomed by the company, but was never given “set-up” matches to boost his record.

The only non-Canadian, Rick Glenn (11-2), who trains with Duke Rufus and had undefeated Bellator champ Ben Asren in his corner was never going to be a carpet for Johnson. Rufus is credited for teaching Anthony Pettis the amazing “Showtime” kick that wowed the world. Although the fans were pleased with the action, the result fell in the American’s favour .This again proves how TSFS works for the show and not to provide “set-up” fights for those under their banner.

This is a testament to the company’s matchmaker, Alex Caporicci, and his aim to produce the best fights possible and not simply stack records. Having an undefeated fighter with five knockouts under one’s banner is a prize for any company, so having him tested with high caliber opponents speaks volumes for the spirit of TSFS.

In the main event, Josh Hill (fighting on his third TSFS card), improved his record to 9-0 by defeating John Fraser. Fraser was unable to continue his seven-fight win streak as he succumbed to Hill’s takedowns and aggressive top game.

Fraser should be becoming close to the UFC’s radar with his continued dominance of top competition. He proved he could handle the main event stage.

The night was a success because the fans saw great fights due to the card’s design, which pits the best against the best. The level of action was quality enough to make the argument that TSFS is the best non-Zuffa show in the world.

TSFS is more than just a forum for Canadians to compete professionally. It is a legitimate organization that produces real fighters and promotes the sport holistically. The night’s success made professional MMA fighting that much more of a plausible career option for Canadian fighters. It is also very successful as the fans have free access. The fighters are not only given a chance to compete in front of their friends, family, teammates and fan base but a chance to be the best they can be.

The next card will take place on Oct. 19 in Sarnia, Ontario, and will be broadcast for free and live on

the Score and AXS-TV.

The main event will feature London, Ontario’s Chris Horodecki. Chris is a WEC veteran and trains with the famed Team Adrenaline and is known for his penchant for pleasing fans. His opponent might be Rick Glenn who called him out after his win over Johnson.

Here is a summary of the event results:

Josh Hill defeats John Fraser via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Jesse Ronson defeats Alex Ricci via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Rick Glenn defeats Tristan Johnson via TKO (punches), 4:26 of round two
Kyle Prepolec defeats Jason Meisel via submission (triangle choke), 2:58 of round two
Elias Theodorou defeats Simon Marini via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Jason Saggo defeats Eric Attard via submission (rear-naked choke), 3:24 of round one
Ryan Dickson defeats Chris St. Jean via TKO (Punches), 2:42 of round one
Adam Assenza defeats Taylor Solomon via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Eric Montgomery defeats Frank Marques via TKO (Doctor Stoppage), 4:20 of round one
Jeff Sharkey defeats Robert Thomas via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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Anderson Silva: Were His Ribs a Factor at UFC 117?

Chael Sonnen was too slow, too undeveloped as a striker and too one-dimensional to legitimately challenge Anderson Silva at UFC 117 in 2010. Silva’s striking was devastatingly dynamic and would not allow the challenger to get into range…

Or so I thought.

In fact, Sonnen was the more effective striker and the champion had no answer for the former NCAA Division I wrestler.

Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter of all time. He is also one of the most dominant athletes of all time. There must be an explanation as to why Sonnen outclassed him. Rib injuries are terribly debilitating and hinder many angles of body movements. With a deeply bruised or fractured rib, any single movement can produce a sharp, stabbing pain that can cause shortness of breath and intense discomfort.

This would definitely explain why the underdog was so successful for over 22 minutes.

In order to understand how differently the champion fought that night compared to his usual self, I analyzed the fight thoroughly on a round-by-round basis. Specifically, looking for instances of where Anderson was holding back or obviously unable to perform certain movements.

My goal is to understand how different the champ was that night as a result of his rib injury. What can UFC 148 Anderson Silva do that UFC 117 Silva could not?

Can the brash challenger’s success at UFC be explained by the rib injury?

Round One

Pre-fight, the Spider inhales deeply and stretches with no visible repercussions from any strain on his ribs. As the show starts, he moves very well—and as per usual—is throwing punches and blocking kicks. He sprawls cleanly on the first shot attempt. He throws punches and a perfect low leg kick.

At 4:13, the champ gets caught with a straight left. He recovers and even attempts a throw and secures a takedown. Later, he is taken down and plays bottom very well. He recovers guard and is often actively using his legs in open guard to attempt to keep Sonnen at a distance.

There was nothing evident from this first stanza to demonstrate that any area of his arsenal was unable to be utilized.

Round Two

The 29-4 (at the time) legend starts the round well by moving dexterously, throwing a hard low leg kick and gets caught trying what might have been an aborted flying knee. After being taken down, he has wrist and head control and even tries a few heel strikes to Sonnen’s sides from closed guard.

Silva ttempted a few arm bars and had his feet on Sonnen’s hips while rotating well. He transitions nicely from kimura to heel hook attempts all with excellent swift hips. While he could have been more actively trying to escape that could be explained by his fighting style.

In past fights, Silva has played bottom in the same fashion. Sonnen’s top dominance or limited lateral strength due to his rib injury could also have explained why he was never able to escape from bottom.

Round Three

Silva lights up Sonnen with an electric spinning back kick. It is executed perfectly and forcefully. There is no hesitance or lack of confidence in the striker. The fight quickly ends up on the ground with the American Gangster on top.

Silva takes heavy direct shots to his left ribs with no terrible reaction nor even a defensive game plan to protect his ribs. From the bottom, he applies a body triangle and is content to lay there with occasional movement and attacks with good hip movement.

Round Four

The man who now has a 15-fight win streak starts the fourth strong. The sensational striker is throwing perfect punches and kicks with heavy power. His attack is fast and furious. He utilizes kicks and various punches.

He looks very similar to himself in the Forrest Griffin fight, minus the head movement. He sprawls exceptionally well and stuffs Sonnen’s takedown and gets on top. After being swept soon after, he spends the rest of the round on the bottom.

Silva tries a body triangle and attempts to play some butterfly guard briefly. He throws numerous elbows but mostly is content to sit in open guard.

Round Five

Anderson comes out and shows good footwork and head movement and avoids a takedown. He then falls over after throwing an unbalanced shot. While this may be the first obvious example that there may be something physically different from Silva tonight—because he has sublime balance and never just falls—this also could have been from fatigue as he was smothered and beaten for four rounds.

Sonnen again dominates from top position. Silva uses good hip movements and regains his guard when Sonnen obtains side control. With 2:04 remaining in the final round, Silva controlled the Oregon star’s right hand and catches the challenger in the triangle that will haunt the American to his dying day.

This climatic submission requires explosive core power and hip thrust to close it out.

At the end of the fight, the Brazilian begins wincing and looking as if he was in great discomfort. He tells Joe Rogan: “desculpe nenhuma” (no excuses) and credits Sonnen for being a great fighter. He then follows that up with another statement. It is again prefaced with a declaration of no excuses…but…last week he hurt his rib.

It is difficult to find overt examples of how Andreson’s rib was a detriment to his performance.

Travis Lutter and Dan Henderson, who have similar fight styles and backgrounds to Sonnen, each had their moments of success with the Brazilian as well. There were no rib injuries on those occasions. Lutter won the first round by eating shots to get in shot-range and scoring takedowns. He worked from closed-guard top position very similarly to Sonnen. Travis even mounted and was landing punches and then transitioned to an armbar that he could not procure. He was subsequently submitted in the next round.

Dan also won the first round by closing the distance with strikes and taking the champ down via body lock and scoring with strikes from half-guard, but he too was submitted in the second.

The way Anderson played bottom closed-guard in these fights did not differ much from the way he fought against Sonnen.

It is possible that he is capable of controlling his countenance and does not reveal the pain that he feels. This is essential for all great fighters. His ability to kick, punch, sprawl and hit submissions despite a fractured rib could be a testament to his ability to rise above pain and deliver.

These theories are more than plausible for one crowned the greatest fighter of all time. Only Anderson Silva really knows how badly his rib was injured but his actual fighting did not vary greatly as a result. He still was able to execute, more or less, his typical fight plan, but Sonnen executed his plan better.

The challenger’s ability to find his striking range and land significant punches allowed him to hit his shots and obtain that dominant top position. Shooting from distance rarely works with Silva as he is too athletic. Demian Maia and Thales Leites can testify to that. Sonnen would land with serious punches, close the distance and then get in deep on his shots and secure the takedown.

The times when he shot without setting it up with a punch were easily stuffed. I suspect his ability to find his striking range gain will reveal if he has a chance to repeat his incredible, but losing, performance.

What will happen when one of the most anticipated rematches in MMA history unfolds July 7, 2012?

Odds are that the anomaly that perplexed the world two years ago will not be repeated. In addition to being undefeated in the UFC, the champ has been working on his wrestling with Mark Munoz. Munoz is a high level MMA fighter and holds a wrestling win over Sonnen from their college days.This may play an important factor in keeping the fight on its feet.

However, one should not surmise that there existed a dramatic difference between the performance of Silva in the first encounter and his other fights. We will all need to watch to see if Sonnen is the matchup nightmare for Silva or if the incredible footwork and fighting style of Silva will crush the spirit of the plodding wrestler.

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Dan Miragliotta: Too Passive Again

The UFC has a very clear rule against running in a fight: the passivity rule. As posted on the UFC website, here it is: “Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.” This is exactly what Clay Guida did for almost the entire 25 minutes of scheduled action last night in Atlantic City.

The referee, Dan Miragliotta, allowed Guida to avoid contact with Gray Maynard until there was only a minute and fifty-three seconds remaining in the five-round bout. He then decided to issue a flaccid warning: a warning that would have been pertinent had it been issued fifteen minutes sooner.

Sport is about trying to score more points than your opponent in order to win; sport is not about trying to manipulate the rules to win via not-scoring.

Basketball implemented shot clocks for this very purpose; football has timeouts, the two minute warning and a shot clock; hockey has the icing rule and penalties for intentionally shooting the puck over the glass. These rules work to solve the problem of athletes holding on to a lead, stalling and no longer actively seeking to fulfill the intent of the game.

When Clay Guida decided to turn away from his opponent and sprint, he was not utilizing footwork. He was avoiding contact. The golden rule of footwork is “Don’t cross your feet.” Crossing one’s feet leaves one out of position to fight, throw and take strikes.

Clay often crossed his feet in order to turn and run once Gray managed to close him down and cut him off. The punches that Clay was throwing were well off their mark and were intended more to keep Maynard from entering range than to actually hit him. He was in violation of this rule several times throughout the fight but particularly in rounds 2,3,4 and 5. According to Fightmetric stats, Guida landed 49 of 327 total strikes.(To put these numbers in perspective, Edgar landed 95 and Maynard landed 71 at UFC 125.)

Gray did his part. He cut off angles and pressed the action. When he finally managed to have “The Carpenter” cut off and pressed against the cage, Guida turned and ran.

The lone highlight of the bout was when “The Bully” created a Ricardo Mayorga moment in the forth round. Gray dropped his hands and encouraged Clay to take free shots. He ate them cleanly and even turned that into a near-submission via guillotine. Well done, Maynard.

While Clay was running, for some unusual reason, commentators (Jon Anik and Kenny Florian) were praising Clay for his impressive footwork and elusive head movement. Strangely, in the fifth round, Clay was praised for burning up the clock. They did not have one disparaging thing to say about his tactics nor about the quality of the fight being languished as a result. They even had the audacity to thank God and Dana White for making this a five round bout.

What was good about that fight being five rounds? The commentators’ job is to call the fight and they should be more honest with their audience—and give their audience’s fight I.Q. more credit—but the onus is on the referees to do their job: implement the already present tools. Commentators should only call the action, not create it. When the fighters do not fight, that is the job of the person in stripes.

Credit Dana White for saying: ” I think Gray Maynard won that fight easily. Nobody can win or lose a fight when the guy is running around in circles. He was literally running. I had some guys who are fans on Twitter saying “Great footwork.” This isn’t f**kin dancing with the stars. You can’t win a fight by running around in circles—that’s not how fights are won.”

The truth is, the fight was a debacle and not a legitimate main even. Dana is absolutely right and his comments help create a sports culture that is conducive to entertainment and promotes the growth of the sport.

However, where Dana and I disagree is on his comment about Dan’s warning: ” “That’s what they’re supposed to do.” I would suggest that referees should do more than that. That is what they should do when it commences and not when the fight is virtually over (1:50 remaining) and the damage has already been done. I feel Dana should have higher expectations of the referees especially considering the ramifications on the integrity of the sport.

Some might attempt to mitigate the lousiness—as is often Dana’s mantra—by saying it was free. The last time I checked my cable bill, I pay for that channel. Yet, the finger cannot be pointed at White’s direction, and hopefully his words ring out to others known for employing this same strategy.

Should blame be placed at the feet of Guida—literally and figuratively—and those of his coach, Greg Jackson? Absolutely. The Jackson camp is notorious for having their fighters utilize this exact blueprint to win either controversial or lackluster decisions. (See Carlos Condit-Nick Diaz or any of G.S.P.’s last fights.) However, they are not unilaterally culpable.

The truth is, the system already has a built in mechanism to counter this strategy: the timidity rule. It is incumbent upon the referee to take a point from the fighter engaging in passivity.The referee’s failure to do so creates this opportunity for manipulation. Consider that Maynard was a single round on one judge’s card from losing the split-decision that he won.

Consider the safety of residents who live in a neighborhood where the police never arrest anyone, or the classroom environment of a teacher who never issues detention. The same principle follows for the health of a sport in which a referee never holds athletes accountable to the rules. This is often seen in hockey and basketball games when the play’s chippiness gets out of control and players get hurt.

Dan has done this before. Prior to this, what was the worst main event in the history of the UFC? If you chose UFC 112 (Silva v Maia), we are on the same page.

Miragliotta enacted the same method. He allowed Anderson to dance, run and clown until time had virtually expired and then issued a warning against inactivity. No point deduction, just a warning. Silva still did not engage and the fight ended without any points being taken away. However, he should have issued a warning sooner—not with 50 seconds remaining—and followed through on it.

Warning someone for a foul right at the end of the fight after allowing them to continuously commit the same infraction is an empty gesture. It serves to placate restless and frustrated fans and gives the false impression of doing one’s job without having to stand behind any definitive action. It is perfunctory. It is akin to “having enough” and threatening to take the screaming impudent kids out of the restaurant and straight home- conveniently after dessert is over and the bill is on the way.

For the record, according to Fightmetric, Silva landed eight total strikes in the fifth round and eleven in the fourth. For those who know the fight, you will recall him actually running behind Miragliotta and using the referee as a shield: Miragliotta found this amusing and laughed. Dan was complicit in the Guida and Silva bouts, allowing the fighters to break the rules and creating a fight that never should have been exhibited before a paying crowd nor a viewing audience.

Truthfully, this scenario is better than one at the opposite end of the spectrum. Referees who determine the outcome of a fight by capriciously deducting points is a far more bleak paradigm. Yes, the fighters should determine who the winner is- not the referee.

The athletes should be the main focal point of an outcome. However, the officials are tasked with the duty of ensuring the rules are followed. When one participant is not affording the other competitor an opportunity to compete, the referee is compelled to do his job.

Warnings should be issued once a fighter’s game-plan is revealed to be avoiding contact. These warnings should be supported by point reductions.

Not considering five round fights, what was the worst example of timidity in any combat fight…ever? Surpassing even the Hopkins-Hakkar match (boxing), the worst example of passivity—if it was not Maia-Silva—has to be Khalib Starnes-Nate Quarry at UFC 83. Who was the referee for that fight? How many points did he deduct? Zero. He never even gave an official warning for a point reduction.

I think the matchmakers did a good job and we should have expected a great main event at UFC on FX 4. Dana also said the right things and voiced the general sentiment of most fans. The judges delivered by not awarding the running session as a “W” to the violator. Yet, the worst offender of all was the referee. He is there to do a job and not be a fan.

Being a referee is very difficult and I praise-and never fault- a referee who chooses fighter-safety first. However, timidity is an easy call to make. Hopefully, referees will simply do their job in the future.

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The UFC Heavyweight Title: The Most Prestigious in Combat Sports?

I am a massive fan of MMA and the UFC. I have watched every UFC event and attended live shows. I substantiate Dana’s claim that a live UFC show is the greatest sporting event on the planet. Dana and his organization—and others—are doin…

I am a massive fan of MMA and the UFC. I have watched every UFC event and attended live shows. I substantiate Dana’s claim that a live UFC show is the greatest sporting event on the planet.

Dana and his organization—and others—are doing excellent work and deserve a lot of credit. The UFC deserves to be in the upper echelon of all mainstream sports.

However, people are trespassing beyond absurdity in their claims as to how far the sport has come. UFC Central, an excellent program broadcast on Sportsnet, recently claimed in the Mir-JDS preview that the UFC heavyweight crown is the most prestigious title in all of combat sports.

This seemed worth analysis.

The UFC heavyweight division adorned their first champion on February 7, 1997. Mark Coleman became the inaugural winner that night and to date, 15 other occasions have transpired where the title has been won.

In many cases, the winner was a previous champion. Considering a division that has only existed for fifteen years as the most prestigious of combat sports appears at the very least hyperbolic.

The 16 occasions when the title was won have never produced a truly dominant champion. No champion has ever reigned for two consecutive years. One would think the owner of such a heralded title would be able to maintain their lofty status.

The title has been won by defeating dubious challengers such as Tank Abbott, Gan McGee, Justin Eilers, Pedro Rizzo, Jeff Monson and Paul Buentello. Defeating this calibre of opponents, who had less-than-glorious MMA careers and fell into relative obscurity, does not warrant the achievement to be exalted as the greatest in the combat sport universe.

The title winners who themselves had pedestrian career achievements in MMA are numerous: Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovksi and Brock Lesnar.

These were tremendous athletes that usually excelled in one skill set and were far from true mixed martial artists. They benefited from the fact that they competed in a fledgling sport that had few high-level competitors. The argument for parity being the reason for the high turnover rate is nullified by the subsequent careers of challengers and champions.

Randy Couture is a legend. One of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. He held the title three times and collectively for over 1000 days. He is a truly great champion. Frank Mir is a successful former champion as well. However, do their achievements speak so loudly that their crown should be recognized as the greatest of them all?

Frankly, I would suggest that GSP and Anderson Silva deserve more stature as champions for their dominance in their divisions than the big fellas in the over-205-pound category. The welterweight and middleweight divisions are more respected and competitive than the mercurial heavyweight division.

Becoming a champion is a laudable accolade, and these gentlemen deserve praise for what they accomplished. However, in these instances, it is difficult to surmise that their actions merited their place on the throne as the most illustrious athlete in the martial arts dimension.

In delving into this claim assiduously, one sees a division that is but 15 years young with a penchant for a rapid change of winners with limited longevity in the UFC. Furthermore, title challengers are difficult to grade as elite, and the division is the most anemic of all in the history of the flagship MMA organization.

Realistically, would one have been able to produce a legitimate top-ten MMA heavyweight list five years ago? How thin would a top-20 list be today?

When we suggest that the UFC heavyweight belt is more prestigious than all others, which titles are being subjugated?

Is Ali’s WBC world heavyweight boxing title is less important? The same title worn by Frazier, Foreman and Holmes and defended against the best in the world is realistically not beneath the UFC title, which represents a sport not even sanctioned in many countries.

That is simply an irrational assessment void of logic and sound reasoning.

In a more modern context, many aficionados would grant the authority to Ring Magazine and their pound-for-pound greatest list to pass the sceptre.

Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and the Klitschko brothers have been more consistent against better competition in a more legitimate sport for over a decade. Their claims to be the king of combat sports carry far greater validity.

Floyd is undefeated in a career that began before the UFC heavyweight division had ever named a champion; His amateur career culminated with a bronze Olympic medal. Manny has lost once since 1999. Vitali has one loss since 2001, and his brother Wladimir has been undefeated from 2005 to the present date.

These are examples of dominating a sport. It would sincerely perplex me for one to purport these accomplishments as inferior to winning the UFC heavyweight title.

I am very excited to see the Mir-JDS bout. These are two high-level athletes rich in skill and amazing capabilities. It would be JDS’s first defense if he wins. Regardless of the winner, they, along with every fighter that competes, demand the respect and admiration of the public.

Yet the one strapped with the coveted UFC belt will not be the greatest champion in combat sports. The sport is too young, the division too weak, the champions too ephemeral and the tradition of boxing too glorious to yield to over-enthusiastic absurdity.

In the future, this may very well come true. Today, in 2012, the UFC heavyweight title is not even in the conversation for the most prestigious title in combat sports.

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