Author: Ben Fowlkes

Falling Action: Best and Worst from UFC 123

Filed under: UFCIf nothing else, you have to respect “Rampage” Jackson’s honesty at UFC 123. He thought he took something resembling a butt-whoopin’ from Lyoto Machida, at least in the final round, and he had no problem saying so.

That’s refreshing, I…

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If nothing else, you have to respect “Rampage” Jackson’s honesty at UFC 123. He thought he took something resembling a butt-whoopin’ from Lyoto Machida, at least in the final round, and he had no problem saying so.

That’s refreshing, I have to admit. The suggestion that the two should have an immediate rematch? That just makes my head hurt.

The fight was interesting, in a way, though not exactly thrilling. Seeing them do it again wouldn’t help pay-per-view sales or the crowded light heavyweight division, which is probably why UFC president Dana White mercifully intervened with other ideas. It just goes to show that sometimes it’s a good thing to have an opinionated guy at the top with veto power and the will to use it. Sometimes.

Now on to the winners, losers, and everything else in between after UFC 123.

Fighter vs. Writer: UFC 123 Picks With ‘Mr. International’

Filed under: UFCWhen last we left the Fighter vs. Writer series, Gerald Harris came out looking like an absolute genius when he refused to pick a winner in the Jorge Rivera-Alessio Sakara fight. At the time it seemed like a tactical error, but then the…

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When last we left the Fighter vs. Writer series, Gerald Harris came out looking like an absolute genius when he refused to pick a winner in the Jorge Rivera-Alessio Sakara fight. At the time it seemed like a tactical error, but then the fight was called off, Harris got the point and the victory, and I became very sad.

This week I match wits with Shonie Carter, a longtime MMA veteran who recently announced he was hanging up the gloves (more on that soon). “Mr. International” has forgotten more about the fight game than most people will ever know, but can he predict the future?

Find out below, as Shonie and I go head-to-head with our UFC 123 picks.

UFC 123: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCIn at least one way, UFC 123 is already a disappointment. To me, anyway.

I would have thought that when you put Lyoto Machida – a fighter known for drinking his own urine – together with “Rampage” Jackson – a fighter known for his pla…

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In at least one way, UFC 123 is already a disappointment. To me, anyway.

I would have thought that when you put Lyoto Machida – a fighter known for drinking his own urine – together with “Rampage” Jackson – a fighter known for his played out bad breath jokes – we would have had comedy gold by now. I would have thought the combination of necessity and opportunity would help break some new ground in the field of bad breath jokes. Sort of like the polio vaccine, only much, much less helpful to society.

No such luck so far. Guess that means we’ll have to put our hopes in the fights themselves to entertain us. Let’s start with a look at how oddsmakers think Saturday night’s event will play out, along with some suggestions on where they might be wrong.

Lyoto Machida (-280) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (+220)

My First Fight: Dennis Hallman

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveThis Saturday at UFC 123 in Detroit, welterweight Dennis Hallman faces Karo Parisyan in a battle of two MMA veterans who have 25 years worth of experience between them. For the 34-year-old Hallman, it will be his 62n…

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This Saturday at UFC 123 in Detroit, welterweight Dennis Hallman faces Karo Parisyan in a battle of two MMA veterans who have 25 years worth of experience between them. For the 34-year-old Hallman, it will be his 62nd pro fight, at least according to one version of his record, though the true number is a little tougher to pin down, even for Hallman. Now, in the second installment of MMA Fighting’s new feature “My First Fight“), Hallman looks back at his initial foray into the sport that would one day become his career.

In the winter of 1995 Dennis Hallman got a strange phone call. He didn’t know what to make of it at first, though in retrospect it probably changed the course of his life.

“There was a kid named Bobby Jacobsen who was a couple years older than me, and he was sending videotapes into [MMA organization] Battlecade of himself sparring and fighting and stuff,” Hallman remembers. “He got my number from someone in our high school and he called me up and said, ‘I want to fight you on tape.’ I was like, what? You want to fight me? For what? I don’t even know you.”

The Cut List: Who Desperately Needs a Win at UFC 123?

Filed under: UFCThe main event at UFC 123 may feature two former champs battling it out for another shot at glory, but the undercard includes several fighters who are just struggling to stay employed.

Let’s face it, with the WEC fighters being brought…

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The main event at UFC 123 may feature two former champs battling it out for another shot at glory, but the undercard includes several fighters who are just struggling to stay employed.

Let’s face it, with the WEC fighters being brought into the fold, the UFC is bound to trim a little of the fat off the roster soon, jettisoning some of the guys who have underperformed of late. The good news is, the fighters on the chopping block probably know who they are and what they have to do to keep the paychecks coming.

At least most of the time, that adds up to exciting fights. And after the yawn-inducing display at UFC 122, the UFC needs an adrenaline boost like “Rampage” Jackson needs new bad breath jokes. Below, a detailed look at who might spend Thanksgiving looking over the want ads if they can’t pull out a victory on Saturday.

Phil Davis: I Don’t Want Fans to Think I’m Another Lay-and-Pray Fighter

Filed under: UFCBecoming an NCAA wrestling champ and four-time All-American at Penn State prepared Phil Davis (7-0) well for a career in mixed martial arts, but there is one thing that surprised him when he went from the wrestling mats to the cage.

“W…

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Becoming an NCAA wrestling champ and four-time All-American at Penn State prepared Phil Davis (7-0) well for a career in mixed martial arts, but there is one thing that surprised him when he went from the wrestling mats to the cage.

“When you’re at home watching the UFC and you see a guy get elbowed in the face, you think, Oooh, that poor guy, he just got elbowed in the face,” Davis told MMA Fighting. “But I’m here to tell you, that hurts your elbow. You don’t think it would, but it hurts your elbow. When you calm down, stop sweating, get your shower and change, you will think, Man, my elbow really hurts. I’m telling you. It’s surprising.”

In his two years as a pro, the undefeated Davis has had plenty of experience with being the one who delivers those elbows.

Being on the receiving end is still something he’s mostly unfamiliar with during his time in the cage, which might help explain his answer when you ask if he ever stops to consider what his opponents’ faces must feel like when he’s busy icing his elbow.