Valentine’s Day 2012 is not a day that my wife wants to remember. Instead of roses and a box of chocolates on our kitchen counter, she found a Best Buy receipt for UFC Undisputed 3. Maybe I’m a terrible husband, but I simply couldn’t …
Valentine’s Day 2012 is not a day that my wife wants to remember. Instead of roses and a box of chocolates on our kitchen counter, she found a Best Buy receipt for UFC Undisputed 3. Maybe I’m a terrible husband, but I simply couldn’t wait any longer than necessary to rip open my fresh copy of the game and start soccer kicking all of my friends on Xbox Live.
PRIDE mode with Bas Rutten and The Fight Professor on commentary was an awesome touch that made me feel warm and nostalgic all at once. Playing multi-player mode on my couch was a blast until my buddy Jeff asked “Who is Bas Rutten?”
I understand that MMA didn’t break into the mainstream until the inaugural Ultimate Fighter Finale, and by that point, guys like Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock and Don Frye were well out of the spotlight. However, thinking about Bas Rutten’s premature retirement has always made me wonder about the fights that we could have seen if the last generation of fighters stepped into the cage of current MMA elite.
With that, I decided to let the fantasy bookings run wild. Could you imagine if fighters like Bas Rutten and Ken Shamrock could have avoided the sands of time, and competing in their physical primes against the best that MMA has to offer? What about fighters like Fedor Emelianenko and Wanderlei Silva, whose physical primes have passed them, but are still active?
Here is a look at 25 fights that the world will never see, but we wish we could.
UFC Undisputed 3 might just be the best fighting game ever made. It has updated graphics, a new submission system, a PRIDE mode that will make your face hurt with every soccer kick delivered and a roster of over 100 UFC fighters across seven weight cla…
UFC Undisputed 3 might just be the best fighting game ever made. It has updated graphics, a new submission system, a PRIDE mode that will make your face hurt with every soccer kick delivered and a roster of over 100 UFC fighters across seven weight classes.
Even with their impressive roster of fighters who were able to make the cut (no offense, Anthony Johnson), there are several UFC notables that aren’t included in the game. Let’s take a look at stars missing from the original roster, the downloadable content that is already available and future packs that are coming out.
The nagging rehabilitation of current welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre will put him out of action for approximately 18 months.By the time he steps back into the Octagon. UFC’s head honcho Dana White commented after last night’s UFC o…
The nagging rehabilitation of current welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre will put him out of action for approximately 18 months.
By the time he steps back into the Octagon. UFC’s head honcho Dana White commented after last night’s UFC on FUEL debut that he expects interim champion Carlos Condit to wait for GSP instead of having a rematch with the surging contender Jake Ellenberger.
With a six-fight win streak in the UFC and victories over two former contenders, a Condit/Ellenberger bout would have been the easy fight to make. Now that this bout is off the table (for now), let’s take a look at where the stars of last night should find themselves in their next bouts.
Nick Diaz is one of the most polarizing figures in all of MMA. Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that he draws an emotional response out of any audience. Not only is he cocky enough to fight with his hands at his waist while t…
Nick Diaz is one of the most polarizing figures in all of MMA. Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that he draws an emotional response out of any audience. Not only is he cocky enough to fight with his hands at his waist while taunting his opponent, but he has the skills to make them regret trying to make him pay for his arrogance. His fight style is reminiscent of a shark: aggressive, dangerous and he couldn’t move backwards if he tried. His fans praise him and his detractors can’t wait to see him get pummeled.
Due to a flawed system, Nick Diaz will not get to compete in the UFC again for what is anticipated to be at least one year. Fight fans were foaming at the mouth over the highly anticipated rematch between Nick Diaz and interim champion Carlos Condit. The contentious decision of their first bout would be rendered moot, as the two warriors would battle once again in order to prove themselves as the better fighter. But now, due to Nick’s failed drug test for marijuana metabolites, it won’t happen.
You can blame Nick Diaz for failing his test. He openly admits to smoking marijuana as a part of his lifestyle. He was aware that he would be drug tested before and after his fight. After all, his spectacular submission victory over Takanori Gomi was changed to a No Contest after Nick tested positive for marijuana back in 2007.
However, a fact that is commonly overlooked is that Nick Diaz has a license for medical marijuana. I’m going to state that again with a little more emphasis. Nick Diaz has a license for medical marijuana. No matter how you feel about marijuana dispensaries, Diaz has a prescription from a medical professional that allows him to legally smoke marijuana in his home state. On any public record, it is a medical treatment for whatever undisclosed condition he may have.
Similar to marijuana, testosterone is a drug which is illegal to possess or use without a prescription from a medical professional. It is used to aid medical conditions such as hypogonadism. Testosterone replacement therapy aids a fighter by boosting their testosterone levels above what his body naturally produces. As long as your testosterone level is within a clearly defined range the day before your fight, TRT is completely legal under current drug testing rules and regulations. It allows a fighter to train harder, recover faster and be stronger than he would otherwise be. Fighters like current light heavyweight title contender Dan Henderson and middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen both used TRT in their training regimens. Another TRT user is Todd Duffee, a young heavyweight with a physique that rivals Superman.
Major UFC stars like BJ Penn and Michael Bisping have openly spoken about the unfair advantages that TRT brings to the table. Penn has gone on record to point out that his testosterone levels are fine; however, he has been offered TRT multiple times in the past. The latter has gone as far as to brand TRT users as “f****** cheats”.
With TRT having such an effect on performance in the octagon, it seems unfair that marijuana, a drug devoid of performance enhancing benefits, wouldn’t be allowed with a legitimate prescription. Because an argument can be made for marijuana as a tool for pain management, fighters wouldn’t be allowed to show up to a fight with levels above a predetermined level.
Clearly, Nick Diaz wasn’t trying to cheat anyone, nor conceal his use of marijuana. Diaz’s manager Caesar Gracie speaks on the matter: “Everyone knows he smokes marijuana medicinally in California. He has a legal right to do it in this state.” “He was surprised he tested positive,” Gracie said. “He does the same ritual every fight for the last five years. He stops it in time and he cleanses his system, works out like crazy, drinks a lot of water and purges his system of it.”
Let’s see some consistency in our system. If a much more effective TRT program is allowed to treat a medical condition, medical marijuana users should be afforded the same rights.
There are many reasons that someone needs to win a fight. They might be fighting to save their job. They might be fighting to save their career. They might be fighting to prove that they are finally ready for a title shot…
There are many reasons that someone needs to win a fight. They might be fighting to save their job. They might be fighting to save their career. They might be fighting to prove that they are finally ready for a title shot. They might be fighting to prove that they truly belong in the UFC.
From the knockout artist, to the budding contender, to the rookie looking to cut his teeth, we all have our roles to play. This is a look at the fighters from this weeks’ UFC on FUEL: Sanchez vs Ellenberger event.
Nick Diaz is one of the most polarizing figures in all of