Well, it seems that, despite missing weight for 25% of his UFC bouts, “Rumble” still has an outside chance of getting back into the sport’s highest promotion. When questioned about the issue following the UFC on Fox 2 press conference, White stated:
[Johnson] needs to go fight somewhere else, get some wins and come in on weight. He needs to prove to me that he can be a professional, show up on weight and do the things that he needs to do. [If] he gets a few fights under his belt and does that, we’ll talk.
(Jesus Christ Rumble, pull yourself together, will you?)
Well, it seems that, despite missing weight for 25% of his UFC bouts, “Rumble” still has an outside chance of getting back into the sport’s highest promotion. When questioned about the issue following the UFC on Fox 2 press conference, White stated:
[Johnson] needs to go fight somewhere else, get some wins and come in on weight. He needs to prove to me that he can be a professional, show up on weight and do the things that he needs to do. [If] he gets a few fights under his belt and does that, we’ll talk.
As we all know, DW has pulled this kind of maneuver before, and perhaps it is too early to discuss Johnson’s possible return, but it is still intriguing to see Dana switch gears on the issue just a couple of weeks after Johnson nearly cost him a co-main event, in Brazil nonetheless.
Love him or hate him, Johnson is a damn entertaining fighter, and if he can begin to take his weight cutting a LOT more seriously, it would be nice to see some more of his “handiwork” (see what I did there?) in the near to distant future. Then again, we hear Man v. Food is seeking a new host for a spin off, so he always has that to fall back on. What do you think of this, Potato Nation? Does Johnson deserve another shot, granted he can get his weight under control? Before you write him off altogether, consider the following:
(Skip to the 4 minute mark for the true trash talking, and give your prayers to the poor man that is apparently being sodomized off camera.)
It seems a day rarely goes by in the MMA blogosphere that doesn’t yield another hilarious, if somewhat polarizing quote from Ronda Rousey. She’s made dick jokes about her colleagues, she’s threatened to kill an entire audience with her bare hands, and now it seems she’s honed in on none other than that B-boying sonofabitch, Georges St. Pierre. About half way through the above interview, Rousey asks the reporter who his favorite fighter is, after declaring that hers is “The Last Emperor” himself, Fedor Emelianenko. When he states that his is GSP, Ronda reacts with a classic “Oh no you di-int” face before letting her feelings about the current welterweight champ be known:
I think [fighting] is about finishing your opponent. It’s about entertainment. It’s not the Olympics; it’s not about coming home and bringing a metal and just getting the win. It’s about pulling more fans in and be entertaining, and I think that fighters that just try to win by points and come away with a win are actually bad for the sport.
(Skip to the 4 minute mark for the true trash talking, and give your prayers to the poor man that is apparently being sodomized off camera.)
It seems a day rarely goes by in the MMA blogosphere that doesn’t yield another hilarious, if somewhat polarizing quote from Ronda Rousey. She’s made dick jokes about her colleagues, she’s threatened to kill an entire audience with her bare hands, and now it seems she’s honed in on none other than that B-boying sonofabitch, Georges St. Pierre. About half way through the above interview, Rousey asks the reporter who his favorite fighter is, after declaring that hers is “The Last Emperor” himself, Fedor Emelianenko. When he states that his is GSP, Ronda reacts with a classic “Oh no you di-int” face before letting her feelings about the current welterweight champ be known:
I think [fighting] is about finishing your opponent. It’s about entertainment. It’s not the Olympics; it’s not about coming home and bringing a medal and just getting the win. It’s about pulling more fans in and be entertaining, and I think that fighters that just try to win by points and come away with a win are actually bad for the sport.
If you never saw MMA before, and you walked in and you saw GSP and Koscheck, and all this jabbing out the whole time, it looks like a boring boxing match. And I don’t think you gain any fans with a fight like that. And so I really hope that Nick Diaz beats the crap out of him, because Nick Diaz is entertaining, and he’s an entertaining character in general. He might not be popular but I mean I can’t help but watch every video he puts out youtube. I think it’s funny as Hell. And every single one of his fights is a brawl. It’s not like a pitter pat match where afterwards he goes “Were friends, were all friends” and then okay let’s go home. I think that’s boring.
GSP was good for the sport for a while. He brought in some big sponsors like Gatorade and UnderArmor. But I think he’s done everything he can in a positive way and he needs to step aside and let Nick Diaz kick his ass.
Much has been said about the recent Zuffa ban on firearm, knife, and ammo sponsors from all UFC events since it was announced just a few days ago. Many believe that the ban is a result of the UFC’s desire to smooth out some edges in light of a major network deal, which makes sense, although a FOX representative has come out saying that the rule only applies to UFC broadcasts on their network.
And while it is a fair assessment that the UFC would want to avoid as much controversy as possible, many of us cynics are looking at the sponsor ban as the first loose thread that will eventually unwind the metaphorical Zuffa sweater. Simply put, when a network begins to control the content of the sport it is broadcasting, it’s only a matter of time before fights are being set up and determined by evil corporate executives with dollar signs and ratings numbers in their eyes. You know, like Rollerballpredicted all those years ago.
Luckily, we have former UFC middleweight title contender Nate Quarry here to weigh in on the issue, and as he is no longer under a Zuffa contract, it’s nice to get a perspective on the issue from a fighter who isn’t living in fear of DW’s wrath. Before you all go off the handle, that was a joke, Potato Nation. Anyway, Quarry had some interesting things to say in regards to the ban, stating the following on The UG:
(Let’s see you try and ban these babies.)
Much has been said about the recent Zuffa ban on firearm, knife, and ammo sponsors from all UFC events since it was announced just a few days ago. Many believe that the ban is a result of the UFC’s desire to smooth out some edges in light of a major network deal, which makes sense, although a FOX representative has come out saying that the rule only applies to UFC broadcasts on their network.
And while it is a fair assessment that the UFC would want to avoid as much controversy as possible, many of us cynics are looking at the sponsor ban as the first loose thread that will eventually unwind the metaphorical Zuffa sweater. Simply put, when a network begins to control the content of the sport it is broadcasting, it’s only a matter of time before fights are being set up and determined by evil corporate executives with dollar signs and ratings numbers in their eyes. You know, like Rollerballpredicted all those years ago.
Luckily, we have former UFC middleweight title contender Nate Quarry here to weigh in on the issue, and as he is no longer under a Zuffa contract, it’s nice to get a perspective on the issue from a fighter who isn’t living in fear of DW’s wrath. Before you all go off the handle, that was a joke, Potato Nation. Anyway, Quarry had some interesting things to say in regards to the ban, stating the following on The UG:
An MMA fighter has an agent that he pays, a team he fights for that he trains at, that he pays, if he’s good and has the money he has a muay thai coach, a Jits coach, a strength and conditioning coach, a diet coach and someone to help him cut weight. And if he just made it to the big shows he MAY make 30k for the year. Minus 20% for management and training at least then a third for taxes and you’re sitting at about 16k to live on for the entire year.
Sponsors have always been a huge source of income for fighters. I can’t tell you how many times a sponsor showed up at just the right time and gave me food money. Literally.
When I fought Pete Sell the second time I was sponsored by Toyo tires. For two fights I had their logo on my shorts. For what? A set of tires. That would be about $800. $400 for two fights on primetime that have been shown over and over. Why did I do it? Because I was driving around on my spare and one other tire was filled with fix a flat. The belts were showing on the other tires.
You want to see the best a fighter can be? Buy his gear. Support the brands that sponsor him and send the companies emails letting them know you’re buying their protein because they’re sponsoring someone.
What’s that you say? If you don’t like it then quit? I do like it. In fact, I love it. That’s why I lived in my buddies basement 2 nights a week to save on gas money. And I rode with other friends to practice to save on gas money. And I packed a lunch to practice. And I only wore clothes sponsors and other more successful fighters would give me. And I’d do it all over again.
If you got into fighting to be rich, you chose the wrong sport. Do it for the love and if you get rich that’s a nice bonus. But having those sponsors can sure make the ride easier.
Now just hold on a second, Mr. Quarry. You’re saying that fighters actually use the UG for purposes other than calling out their naysayers? Blasphemy.
On a serious note, Quarry makes several excellent points in this post, the first being that if you got into the mixed martial arts game for the money, then you’re in the wrong business. Because being an MMA fighter is kind of like being in a heavy metal band; no matter how successful you are, you’re never going to make as much money as Justin Bieber. But then again, you didn’t become a fighter, or the guitarist for Cannibal Corpse for that matter, under the guise that you would be accepted by mainstream audiences; you did it out of love for the game, so to speak. You did it because normally, you’d do it for free, and getting paid is just icing on the cake.
When one decides to make the leap into fighting as a profession however, as Quarry explains, the sponsorship money (as paltry as it may be), could mean the difference between eating or not on a given night. But like he says, a fighter’s life is all about sacrifice, and if you’re not willing to pay your dues to get that bread, then perhaps you should look into another line of work. And plus, you’ve got to imagine that there are plenty of sponsors willing to fill the gap left behind by weapons and ammo dealers knowing that their brand will now be advertised on network television.
Does this ban come across as another step in the, for lack of a better term, “wussification” of America? Perhaps (I say yes), but for now it seems there is little that can be done to protest, so we might as well look to the positive, whatever that may be.
Directed by Bobby Razak, whom you may know as the man behind the amazing Tapout short film, The Future of MMA (that video is after the jump), The History of MMA takes a nostalgic look back at the highs and lows of the sport we love oh so much, and includes commentary from several legends of the sport, including Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock, Mark Coleman, and referee Big John McCarthy among others. And as luck would have it, Mr. Razak decided to drop the trailer yesterday. We would advise that you check it out.
As you can see, the film touches on many of MMA’s most infamous moments; John McCain’s labeling of the sport as “human cockfighting,” its evolution through Pancrase, and the moment Tito Ortiz decided he had what it took to roc da mic right, yeah. On a side note, we bet Tank Abbott is gonna be pissed when he finds out that his name and photo appear whilst Bas Rutten describes how the UFC used to bring in “big guys with no skill.”
Anyway, join us after the jump to check out The Future of MMA, as well as an up close and personal excerpt from The History of MMA featuring Fred Ettish, a fighter whom, after getting obliterated in his only professional mixed martial arts contest at UFC 2, came back to claim his first win in 2009. At age 53.
Directed by Bobby Razak, whom you may know as the man behind the amazing Tapout short film, The Future of MMA (that video is after the jump), The History of MMA takes a nostalgic look back at the highs and lows of the sport we love oh so much, and includes commentary from several legends of the sport, including Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock, Mark Coleman, and referee Big John McCarthy among others. And as luck would have it, Mr. Razak decided to drop the trailer yesterday. We would advise that you check it out.
As you can see, the film touches on many of MMA’s most infamous moments; John McCain’s labeling of the sport as “human cockfighting,” its evolution through Pancrase, and the moment Tito Ortiz decided he had what it took to roc da mic right, yeah. On a side note, we bet Tank Abbott is gonna be pissed when he finds out that his name and photo appear whilst Bas Rutten describes how the UFC used to bring in “big guys with no skill.”
Anyway, join us after the jump to check out The Future of MMA, as well as an up close and personal excerpt from The History of MMA featuring Fred Ettish, a fighter whom, after getting obliterated in his only professional mixed martial arts contest at UFC 2, came back to claim his first win in 2009. At age 53.
The History of MMA
Fred Ettish Interview
Details remain sketchy about The History of MMA’s release date, but we will keep you updated on any developments as they transpire.
(And YOU get an unnecessarily long beatdown, and YOU get an unnecessarily long beatdown!)
Bellator recently announced the lineup and first round match-ups for its 6th season middleweight tournament, and it features more than its fair share of familiar faces. First off, after reportedly suffering a heart attack during training back in November, former UFC middleweight Maiquel Falcao will be returning to action against 10-1-1 Norman Paraisy. Paraisy, a Paris, France native, previously fell to a first round rear-naked choke at the hands of inaugural UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne in his last Bellator appearance, which took place back in April of 2009. Paraisy has gone 5-0-1 since the loss, picking up wins over Paulo Filho and Jack Mason among others. True to his fighting style, Falcao last picked up a first round TKO victory over Douglas Del Rio, a video of which is below.
(Falcao also strayed from his usual fighting style, however, as he actually managed to stop punching his opponent when the ref intervened.)
(And YOU get an unnecessarily long beatdown, and YOU get an unnecessarily long beatdown!)
Bellator recently announced the lineup and first round match-ups for its 6th season middleweight tournament, and it features more than its fair share of familiar faces. First off, after reportedly suffering a heart attack during training back in November, former UFC middleweight Maiquel Falcao will be returning to action against 10-1-1 Norman Paraisy. Paraisy, a Paris, France native, previously fell to a first round rear-naked choke at the hands of inaugural UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne in his last Bellator appearance, which took place back in April of 2009. Paraisy has gone 5-0-1 since the loss, picking up wins over Paulo Filho and Jack Mason among others. True to his fighting style, Falcao last picked up a first round TKO victory over Douglas Del Rio, a video of which is below.
(Falcao also strayed from his usual fighting style that night, as he actually managed to stop punching his opponent when the ref intervened.)
Also scheduled to throw down are Giva “The Arm Collector” Santana and undefeated Bruno Santos. Owning an incredible 13 wins by armbar in 17 victories, with all but one of those wins coming in the first round, Santana last picked up another first round armbar over Darryl Cobb at Bellator 53. Santos is perhaps Santana’s polar opposite, as ten of his twelve victories have gone the distance, so it will be interesting to see how things play out if this one drags into the later rounds. Our prediction, however, is that Santana collects yet another arm before, in Bryan Baker-esque fashion, proposing to Ronda Rousey and giving birth to the child that will eventually save the limbs of mankind from Rousimar Palhares. Fight fire with fire, Potato Nation.
Elsewhere on the card, season 5 runner-up Vitor Vianna will square off against Brian “The Predator” Rogers. Both men are coming off losses to eventual season winner Alexander Shlemenko; Rogers succumbed to a second round TKO at Bellator 54 and Vianna dropped a unanimous decision at Bellator 57.
And finally, submission specialist Vitor O’Donnell will lock horns with 15-1 Sambo practitioner Vyacheslav “Slava” Vasilevsky. For the love of Krzysztof Soszynski was that name hard to spell. O’Donnell’s last Bellator appearance was a quick one, a first round TKO via head kick at the hands of Brian Rogers in the season 5 quarterfinals.
Any of these names starting to sound familiar? Bjorn Rebney might want to consider adding a few more new faces to Bellator’s next middleweight tourney, because as much as we love rematches, we can only watch the same guys kick each other’s asses for so long. Unless those two happen to be Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.
Bellator’s sixth season is set to kick off on March 9th, and features CP lifer/steroid aficionado Sean McCorkle taking on Richard White, Joe Warren defending his featherweight title against Pat Curran, and the featherweight tournament quarterfinals.
So Ronda Rousey was on some program called Attack of the Showthe other night, and the first thing we gotta say is daaaaaaammmnnnn. We’ve been hearing blasphemous claims of Ronda being a 5 at best around here as of late, and it’s time to squash this beef. Anyone who claims this woman is below a 7 must either email us a photo of their current or previous girlfriend, or send one to our Twitter or Facebook page. Otherwise…LIFETIME BAN.
Now that we’ve moved past her body, perhaps we can discuss her mind, as it is beginning to look like the witty, boisterous apparition that once inhabited Chael Sonnen has chosen Ronda as its next victim. Rousey, despite never fighting at bantamweight, is currently listed as a 4-to-1 favorite over current champ Meisha Tate, and the hype might just be getting to her head. When asked on how dangerous she saw herself, Rousey responded:
I think I am the most dangerous unarmed woman on the planet. [Looks to audience] I could literally kill every single person in this room with my bare hands if I had them one at a time. I wouldn’t do that, but I’m just saying, I could do it.
So Ronda Rousey was on some program called Attack of the Showthe other night, and the first thing we gotta say is daaaaaaammmnnnn. We’ve been hearing blasphemous claims of Ronda being a 5 at best around here as of late, and it’s time to squash this beef. Anyone who claims this woman is a below a 7 must either email us a photo of their current or previous girlfriend, or send one to our Twitter or Facebook page. Otherwise…LIFETIME BAN.
Now that we’ve moved past her body, perhaps we can discuss her mind, as it is beginning to look like the witty, boisterous apparition that once inhabited Chael Sonnen has chosen Ronda as its next victim. Rousey, despite never fighting at bantamweight, is currently listed as a 4-to-1 favorite over current champ Meisha Tate, and the hype might just be getting to her head. When asked on how dangerous she saw herself, Rousey responded:
I think I am the most dangerous unarmed woman on the planet. [Looks to audience] I could literally kill every single person in this room with my bare hands if I had them one at a time. I wouldn’t do that, but I’m just saying, I could do it.
Look, it’s not that we doubt Ms. Rousey’s claims or anything, because just look at the bones, but does anyone think Rousey may be slightly overlooking Tate here? The woman has played the role of spoiler before, and if Ronda just happens to have an off night come March 3rd (she likely won’t), all these claims are really going to blow up in her face. Yes, we understand that we just used the phrase “blow up in her face.” Get your minds out of the gutter, Potato Nation.
Our fascination with this woman has officially reached a threat level of Peter Gabriel. There is no higher level.
Also of note from the interview, apparently Rousey was once jumped by a group of guys in a movie theater, and beat them up so badly that they later sued her for assault. Only in America. She then goes on to hip toss the show’s host in a very, very tight dress……I’m sorry, what were we talking about?
Oh yes, we were warning sweet, sweet Ronda to use caution, for hubris has its costs. That said, I’ve got her by armbar at 1:20 of round one.
