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UFC 136 Edgar vs. Maynard: Everyman’s Fight

Googling Edgar vs. Maynard yields thousands of news articles from across the globe. Every conceivable detail of the fighters and their careers is expounded upon.Their previous two bouts are dissected under a microscope. Pundits and fighters give their …

Googling Edgar vs. Maynard yields thousands of news articles from across the globe. Every conceivable detail of the fighters and their careers is expounded upon.

Their previous two bouts are dissected under a microscope. Pundits and fighters give their opinions about who will win this third fight and why. Videotaped interviews with Maynard and Edgar abound on MMA Internet sites. The UFC produced a one-hour Countdown show on Spike TV and the fighters sat down for a pre-fight presser.

The two dedicated competitors earned this widespread attention because of the grit they displayed in their previous draw. The anticipation to finally obtain resolution is compelling, but the reason for the interest in this bout goes deeper.

In the absence of braggadocio and fight hyping—a la Rampage and Chael Sonnen—Frankie and Gray come across as down-to-earth athletes trying to achieve greatness. It’s an everyman’s struggle we relate to on a visceral level. It’s the battle against fear you had as a kid, crossing the schoolyard in front of the neighborhood bully. Maynard’s nickname fits the script perfectly.

This fight represents a clash of wills more captivating than most MMA championship matchups. These are not huge terrifying fighters with a swath of KOs in their past. These are not invincible superheroes. These are not flamboyant, colorful or loud attention seekers.

We are enraptured by this fight because Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are “real” people doing what we all quietly wish to do—fight the good fight and win. We can see ourselves in the humble Edgar: unassuming and vulnerable. His nickname, “The Answer” leads us to ask, what is the question?

We can also relate to the hard-nosed Maynard: single-minded and resolute, a simple man of few words striving to overcome the one obstacle in his journey to the top.

Edgar is often referred to as a small lightweight who could easily compete at 145 or even 135 pounds against men of equal stature. Instead, he chooses to slay dragons at 155 pounds like the legendary BJ Penn, who he beat twice.

Maynard will walk into the cage at UFC 136 somewhere near 170 pounds. In taking on larger opponents, Edgar dons the cloak of David against Goliath, and bears the burden of Atlas carrying the world on his back. He symbolizes the quest of everyman to take on the giant obstacles in life.

I’m glad there is a Frankie Edgar out there to show the way, to set an example that hard work and dedication can yield the impossible. He is a man unafraid to tilt at windmills, to fight the seemingly unwinnable battles, and a man who will lay it all on the line for what he believes.

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Dana White Shocker: Jon Jones’ Next Bout Against Machida, Not Evans

Hopes for the eagerly anticipated match between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his former teammate and friend turned foe, Rashad Evans, have been dashed. Today Dana White made the shocking announcement for the main event of UFC 140 i…

Hopes for the eagerly anticipated match between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his former teammate and friend turned foe, Rashad Evans, have been dashed.

Today Dana White made the shocking announcement for the main event of UFC 140 in Toronto—Evans is out, Machida is in.

Rashad previously lost his first opportunity to meet Jones at UFC 133 in August of this year, when Jones dropped out due to a lingering hand injury.

Evans then fought replacement Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 and won via TKO in the second round. With the victory Evans was once again next in line for a shot at Jones and the title.

Timing and injury conspired against Evans. Nursing a broken hand, Evans recently had pins removed and was cleared to start training in three weeks.

The UFC needed a big name marquee event for the Toronto event on December 10, and it was ruled that Evans would not have sufficient time to prepare. Lyoto “Anderson Money” Machida has been given the slot.

Machida won the UFC light heavyweight crown from Evans via KO at UFC 98 on May 23 2009, before losing it to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua a year later.

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Dave Herman Suspension: Is Marijuana Really a Performance-Enhancing Drug?

The recent removal of Dave Herman from a scheduled UFC heavyweight main-card bout after testing positive for Marijuana is not something new. Although Herman denies he used the drug, other well-known fighters have also tested positive for marijua…

In 2007, after beating Takanori Gomi at Pride 33, Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana. The fight was eventually ruled a no-contest as a result. That same year, Diego Sanchez tested positive for marijuana after a KO of Joe Riggs at UFC Fight Night 7. Sanchez was given a three-month suspension, paid a $500 fine and, on the bright side, the fight remained a win for Diego.

I’m surprised no one has used a variation of the Chael Sonnen defense. Something like, “I was found to have low levels of THC in my blood, so a California doctor prescribed me some marijuana.” FYI, it is legal to buy pot from state-sanctioned marijuana dispensaries in California with a doctor’s prescription.

Testing fighters for marijuana hinges on the question, “is pot a PED” or “is it banned because it is an illegal substance?” Alcohol, which is legal, causes more damaging physical side effects than marijuana. However, booze is perfectly okay for a fighter to consume as far as the MMA and boxing commissions are concerned, it is not deemed a PED or a banned substance and it is not tested for.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory.” This certainly doesn’t sound like good consequences for a fighter. Like whoa, am I supposed to hit someone?

A fighter would clearly be at a great disadvantage coming into a bout while high on grass. This isn’t the issue. The question is whether or not marijuana imparts some unfair advantage if used while the athlete is preparing for a bout.

Also according to the NIDA, “Marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.” This surely can’t be good for an athlete. They go on to report, “Marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections.”

Clearly, weed is not going to help an elite fighter train for a bout or improve his cardio. Also on the downside, pot makes people hungry – it’s called the munchies. In fact, ghanja is prescribed by doctors in California to help cancer patients regain their appetite after receiving chemotherapy. This side-effect can’t be good at all for a fighter trying to maintain his weight. Don’t smoke that spliff Man, or you’ll be fighting an irresistible Twinkie binge.

So, why would a fighter smoke marijuana? Let’s be honest, the NIDA is not about to say anything good about pot, so maybe the drug’s benefits haven’t been looked at objectively.

Perhaps the most compelling reason a fighter would light up; numerous studies have determined that cannabinoids (the active ingredients in marijuana) actually help reduce pain.

Hitting heavy bags, sparring and wrestling result in bruising, soreness and pain. It’s a fact of life for fighters. Maybe a few tokes can help with muscle recovery by reducing pain, but is this possible benefit worth the downside effects?

Another reason for a fighter to smoke grass is to relax. Successful fighters are obsessed with training and winning, and sometimes need to chill out. Pot may be the lesser of many evils to choose from when some form of escape from reality is needed.

Nick Diaz summed up the whole tempest in a teapot issue when he said, “People say that marijuana is going to hurt my career. On the contrary, my fight career is getting in the way of my marijuana smoking.”

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UFC 136: Why Frankie Edgar Will Defeat Gray Maynard in the ‘Three-Peat’

The stage is set for reigning UFC lightweight champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (13-1-1) to finally get closure in his trilogy against Gray “The Bully” Maynard (11-0-1 with one no contest). The fight takes place at UFC 1…

Their initial meeting occurred in the rarefied mile-high air of Broomfield, Colorado. In front of 6,742 fans at the Broomfield Event Center, Gray handed Frankie his first and only loss via a unanimous 30-27 on all three judges’ cards. Maynard simply out-wrestled and out-muscled the smaller Edgar.

A no-nonsense fighter, Frankie never made any excuses for that fight, so I am going to make some for him—he didn’t prepare properly for that fight. First off, the fight took place ten days before Edgar’s wedding. How can one focus on a fight when a life-changing commitment like marriage is looming? Do you have any idea how demanding it can be to marry a girl from Jersey? How can a fighter not be distracted from his training when tablecloths, seating arrangements and flowers need to be decided upon? Manicotti or lasagna?

Furthermore, the contest took place at high altitude (the fight not the wedding!) and Frankie evidently didn’t have two-weeks to spend in Colorado to acclimate properly.

After the disappointing loss, Frankie has gone on to beat Hermes Franca, Matt Veach, former UFC lightweight title-holder Sean Sherk and former UFC lightweight champion and UFC welterweight champion B.J. Penn, twice. Edgar won the UFC lightweight title via unanimous decision against B.J. in their first fight and successfully defended the title by beating Penn even more convincingly in their second meeting. Frankie beat the legend not once but twice, something no other fighter except Georges St-Pierre has done.

At UFC 125 on Jan. 1, 2011 in Las Vegas, Edgar met Maynard for the second time. The UFC lightweight championship belt was at stake as Frankie looked to avenge his only loss in the octagon. It wasn’t going to happen the way anyone imagined.

In a ferocious first round Maynard caught Edgar with a perfectly timed left hook that sent Edgar backwards and somersaulting across the ring in miraculous attempt to avoid being finished. In spite of being hit by 25 solid shots according to FightMetric, and spending the majority of the round a hair’s breadth away from being KO’ed—on sheer heart and instinct Frankie survived.

In the second round Maynard was gassed from an adrenaline dump in throwing so many shots in the first round, thus giving the amazingly recovered Edgar a chance to make a comeback. In an incredible display of conditioning and willpower, Frankie came back to win all four remaining rounds on a least two judges’ scorecards, making the fight a draw.

Both fighters were disappointed by the outcome and newly refocused on resolving the issue of who will ultimately hold the Championship belt.

Injuries to both fighters saw the “three-peat” at UFC 128 in May, get postponed. Since then, both men have had plenty of time to train, strategize and mentally condition themselves for a war.

Through two fights, both warriors have seen all of what the other has. Even though Edgar is the more effective striker as evidenced in his out-boxing and out-classing B.J. Penn over ten rounds, Maynard landed the more telling blows. But, can Gray do it again after Edgar’s camp has had so much time to make adjustments? Maynard may have the edge in size and strength, but the margin is slim. Frankie is more agile, faster and has arguably better Jiu Jitsu.

At UFC 136,it’s going to come down to who wants it most. I predict Frankie Edgar submits Gray Maynard in Round 3 with a rear naked choke to retain his lightweight title and in doing so, finally puts “The Bully” behind him.

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UFC 135 Jon Jones vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson: Main Card Weigh-in Results

Weigh-ins for “UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage” took place this afternoon 9/23/2011, at the spectacular 5,000-seat Wells Fargo Theatre in Denver at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. All the fighters on the main card made weight. Who looked ready to rock and who loo…

Weigh-ins for “UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage” took place this afternoon 9/23/2011, at the spectacular 5,000-seat Wells Fargo Theatre in Denver at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

All the fighters on the main card made weight.

Who looked ready to rock and who looked the worse for wear from cutting weight?

Look inside to learn who had the advantage one day before tomorrow night’s UFC battle at Denver’s Pepsi Center.

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UFC 135: Will Rampage Jackson Be Able to Deal with Jon Jones’ Athleticism?"

In order to determine whether or not Quinton Jackson can handle Jon Jones’ athleticism at UFC 135, we must first define athleticism.Athleticism is the ability to use a variety of motor skills: strength, balance, speed, agility, endurance, coordin…

In order to determine whether or not Quinton Jackson can handle Jon Jones’ athleticism at UFC 135, we must first define athleticism.

Athleticism is the ability to use a variety of motor skills: strength, balance, speed, agility, endurance, coordination and leverage, to effectively perform a broad variety of sporting actions.

In other words, a superior athlete requires a variety of physical motor skills and the ability to use them effectively.

Using those criteria, let’s compare the two fighters and rate them on a scale of 1 to 10 to determine an overall AQ (athleticism quotient) for each fighter.

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