Author: Ben Fowlkes

Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC 115

Filed under: UFCSunday afternoon I was sitting at my desk, staring at my computer screen in the hopes that words would magically appear on their own, and my dog barked right behind me. It was a bit startling, so I swiveled around expecting to see eithe…

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Sunday afternoon I was sitting at my desk, staring at my computer screen in the hopes that words would magically appear on their own, and my dog barked right behind me. It was a bit startling, so I swiveled around expecting to see either a burglar or a rabbit in the house, and that’s when I banged my knee against what turned out to be a really solid desk drawer.

I won’t lie: it hurt. It hurt a lot. Naturally, I began swearing. A lot. Then I limped around my office for a minute or two, wondering out loud what I’d ever done to my dog or the universe to deserve this.

That’s when I remembered Rich Franklin’s performance at UFC 115.

The MMA Wrap-Up: UFC 115

Filed under: UFCHardly a day goes by where I don’t get an e-mail from some poor soul who complains that while he loves getting commentary on the prior weekend’s MMA action, he absolutely hates being forced to read in order to get it. ‘What about semi-i…

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Pat BarryHardly a day goes by where I don’t get an e-mail from some poor soul who complains that while he loves getting commentary on the prior weekend’s MMA action, he absolutely hates being forced to read in order to get it. ‘What about semi-illiterate brutes like me?’ he asks. ‘Isn’t there any way for us to get our MMA fix?’

Okay, so I don’t really get those emails, but I assume it’s only because the people who might write them can’t figure out how to send them. Regardless, now there’s a solution. In just a few minutes time you can get all the pithy commentary you need, and the only price you’ll pay is being forced to look at my face in between the photos. Not a bad trade, eh?

In the first episode, join me for a look back at the UFC 115 main event, as well as a couple of thoughts on Pat Barry and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. Or don’t. Just go back to reading words like some sucker. Your call.

Chuck Liddell Falls in a Finish Worthy of a Champion

Filed under: UFCThere’s a funny thing that happens when you see a legend like Chuck Liddell knocked out cold.

One minute, he’s larger than life, a hero to millions, marching down to the cage like a lion headed for his evening meal. A few minutes late…

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There’s a funny thing that happens when you see a legend like Chuck Liddell knocked out cold.

One minute, he’s larger than life, a hero to millions, marching down to the cage like a lion headed for his evening meal. A few minutes later, he goes shuffling back to the locker room with his trainer holding a bloody cloth to his face, and it’s like he’s somehow shrunk to half his previous size. He almost disappears into the crowd, just another guy trying to get out of the arena and beat the traffic.

The punch from Rich Franklin that ended Liddell’s night – and most likely his career – at UFC 115 on Saturday night wasn’t exactly a fierce one. It was nowhere near as bad as the blistering right hand from Rashad Evans that began Liddell’s three-fight losing streak at UFC 88, but it was enough.

Fighter vs. Writer: UFC 115 Predictions

Filed under: UFCIn the first installment of Writer vs. Fighter, Cain Velasquez narrowly defeated me after we predicted almost exactly the same results for UFC 114. In an effort to distract attention from my loss, allow me to point out that we were both…

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In the first installment of Writer vs. Fighter, Cain Velasquez narrowly defeated me after we predicted almost exactly the same results for UFC 114. In an effort to distract attention from my loss, allow me to point out that we were both spot on when it came to the main event, even if we also both missed a few on the undercard (yeah, like you picked Mike Russow to knock out Todd Duffee, smart guy).

For UFC 115 this weekend, I challenged Army Ranger and Strikeforce middleweight Tim Kennedy to square off against me in one of the only MMA-related activities I actually stand somewhat of a chance at beating him in. And even though Tim has a real fight to worry about against Trevor Prangley at next Wednesday’s Strikeforce event in Los Angeles, he was gracious enough to accept.

Now I must put his kindness out of my mind and focus on destroying him. As they say in both prison and reality TV, I didn’t come here to make friends.

UFC 115: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCI can’t recall any fighter in recent memory who’s gotten as much praise as Chuck Liddell has simply for getting in shape prior to UFC 115.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s impressive to see the brand new body he’s built for himself at age 40….

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I can’t recall any fighter in recent memory who’s gotten as much praise as Chuck Liddell has simply for getting in shape prior to UFC 115.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s impressive to see the brand new body he’s built for himself at age 40. At the same time, this is a pro athlete we’re talking about. Getting himself in good shape is part of the job requirements, and abs alone have never won a fight.

It’s tempting to think that there’s a fountain of youth to be found in the gym, but the question for Liddell is whether he can still take a shot and keep coming. There was a time when that was a given. More recently, it almost seems as if any clean shot will drop him.

Chuck Liddell Faces a Problem as Old as Prizefighting Itself at UFC 115

Filed under: UFC
In retrospect, maybe Dana White jumped the gun.

When the UFC president stood up in front of the media after UFC 97 last April and declared that his old friend and employee Chuck Liddell was done fighting forever after his TKO loss to…

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In retrospect, maybe Dana White jumped the gun.

When the UFC president stood up in front of the media after UFC 97 last April and declared that his old friend and employee Chuck Liddell was done fighting forever after his TKO loss to “Shogun” Rua, it’s possible he was overestimating his own ability to make life choices for other people.

You can see how that might be a problem for a powerful man like White. Most of the time, when he makes a statement about a fighter’s career the mere fact of him saying it out loud is enough to make it so. If he wanted Liddell to hang up the gloves and turn his focus toward spending the mountain of money he’d already earned with his fists, then that’s what would happen.