Author: Dwight Wakabayashi

Matt Hughes’ UFC Legacy: His Early Fights Hooked Me and Many on MMA

The UFC era following shortly after the tournament era faded was a tumultuous and unstable time with many on the outside trying to ensure the failure of the promotion. The UFC was holding on for dear life and needed fighters and names to at l…

The UFC era following shortly after the tournament era faded was a tumultuous and unstable time with many on the outside trying to ensure the failure of the promotion. The UFC was holding on for dear life and needed fighters and names to at least drive demand and interest.

In the pre-TUF era between 1999 and 2005, Matt Hughes was that name, and the most dominant champion the UFC had ever seen. Fans were still getting used to the different weight classes and different champions from each weight, and Hughes was knocking them all down at 170 pounds. 

In the dark days of the UFC, when they kicked and clawed to stay alive, Hughes sticks out front and center in my mind as someone who kept me and many coming back form more.

When I reflect on watching his great career, two fights of his really hooked me completely on the sport and the skill and determination it takes to step inside the Octagon.

Matt Hughes vs Carlos Newton I – UFC 34 November 2, 2001

I always tuned in to Hughes’ fights at the time, and this one in particular because it was for the title, and against one of my country’s  best in Carlos The Ronin Newton. Newton had shocked many earlier that year when he choked out Hughes’ teacher and heavily favored, Pat Miletich, for the win and the title.

Hughes was evenly matched in the early going of the fight and got caught in a very bad spot early in the second round. Newton got Hughes in a triangle choke near the cage and things looked bleak for the challenger.

 

This was where that real rush of the early UFC was born as Hughes picked up Newton as a last resort and slammed him hard down on the canvas, knocking Newton out in the process and taking the victory. The fans went wild.

The referee called the bout over, and after Newton went out and let go of his hold, Hughes also slithered to the ground, seemingly out from the choke. It was an incredible, movie-like finish to a title fight. Both fighters out, but Newton being called out the second before.

I was personally disappointed for the Canadian Newton, but was in awe of the heart and power of the new champion Hughes. With title fights like this, the division thing could be ok after all.

Matt Hughes vs Frank Trigg II – UFC 52 April 15, 2005

Matt Hughes had  just returned to being the champion a few months earlier and was defending it for the first time against flamboyant wrestler and former foe Frank Trigg when his next big moment came, and again made me in awe of the sport.

This fight with the loud and lippy Trigg (let’s say he was that era’s Chael Sonnen in a way)  was epic and remains my favorite fight in UFC history to this day.

The trash talk and hype was enormous coming into this one, and Hughes was hit early by an undetected low blow by Trigg. Trigg pounced on the hurt champion and fed him some punches to the head before the two went to the ground. The challenger quickly took the dazed Hughes’ back and the end seemed all but there for Hughes in this one.

After struggling in the position for nearly two minutes, Hughes was able to reverse position, pick up Trigg and carry him across the cage on his shoulder before slamming him down with the fury and force of a madman hell bent on revenge. He then did some ground and pound of his own before securing his own rear naked choke for the win. It was the greatest win the UFC had seen to date and an incredible come back from Hughes.

This fight was a week after the Ultimate Fighter One finale, and the lights would turn on bright for the sport for years to come.

Hughes would go on to defeat BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre but in my opinion, these were his two greatest moments and he hooked me on the UFC forever.

 

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter @wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dan Henderson: Will He Ever Get a Shot at Jon Jones?

They say that timing and the stars aligning are everything in this cruel world so, after one chance fell completely through the cracks, will Dan Henderson ever get his shot at Jon Jones?The answer to that question is made complex by the rumou…

They say that timing and the stars aligning are everything in this cruel world so, after one chance fell completely through the cracks, will Dan Henderson ever get his shot at Jon Jones?

The answer to that question is made complex by the rumours (via MMAFighting.com) of Henderson possibly having to fight Lyoto Machida in the very near future. If that fight is signed, it says here that Machida is a terrible stylistic match up for the veteran Henderson and could put an end to any future shot at Jones.

I just feel that Machida‘s in and out style would win a decision over Hendo, and the loss would be the end of his shot at the title. Obviously UFC matchmakers hold the big stick, but Henderson and his management should think long and hard about taking that fight right now.

Henderson is already the number one contender to Jones’ title in many people’s eyes, and he earned it with a Fight of The Year against Shogun Rua.

The 42-year-old, future Hall of Famer is one of the few men who has earned the status to hold firm against the brass of UFC should they want him to take a fight with Machida. Henderson is never one to back down from a fight, but there is no benefit for him to go chasing Lyoto Machida around all night while eating strikes when he tries to engage.

If Henderson wants his shot at Jones, he should wait for TUF 17 and Jones vs. Sonnen to play out, heal up his knee to the extreme and challenge Jones after he stomps Sonnen. If Henderson can’t hold off the UFC, who will want him to fight again, he should ask for another opponent other than the fleet of foot Machida, and work to get the shot with a win.

There are other fights out there for him like Rashad Evans or even Daniel Cormier since he wants a piece of Jones.

My guess is that Henderson will be forced to take the Machida fight, and all bets are off at him getting his shot at that point. Machida‘s style is kryptonite for Henderson, and there is no way he will get a shot at Jones after a loss. Jones already destroyed Machida once so what would he do to Henderson if Machida beat him in a decision? The interest that Jones versus Henderson has now would be lost.

 

There is still a demand for Jones versus Henderson and Hendo has nothing to gain from fighting again before he gets his one final shot at wearing UFC gold.

A man with the career of Dan Henderson has earned the right to turn down a risky match up like Machida.

He has earned his right to wait for Jones. If he waits, he will get his shot.

 

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter @wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Title Shot Controversy: BJ Penn Says It Best in "Why I Fight"

With Chael Sonnen getting his light heavyweight shot at the champ Jon Jones following the season of TUF 17, there is fury and rage over the proper path and etiquette towards getting a shot at UFC gold.We all know the story with Sonnen, his&nb…

With Chael Sonnen getting his light heavyweight shot at the champ Jon Jones following the season of TUF 17, there is fury and rage over the proper path and etiquette towards getting a shot at UFC gold.

We all know the story with Sonnen, his losses and words, but nailing down who should and shouldn’t get a shot is never an exact science.

There are some that think that a shot at the UFC title has never been earned on merit—the proof is in men like Randy Couture and Urijah Faber getting ill-timed shots in the past. There are those on the other side that say that the UFC has always held high the legitimacy and path to the title.

Should title shots be given only after a long and grueling climb to contender? Should they be given based on name and money value?

Should it always be a mix of both when the UFC puts title shots together, and have they crossed the line in parachuting Sonnen in as Jones’ next foe? Dan Henderson says hell yes. So does Daniel Cormier.

I think aging veteran BJ Penn nails it on this topic in his book “Why I Fight” (pg 253).

While a fighter has to be talented and successful to earn the opportunities he gets, the UFC’s match-making is not based on rankings, statistics, or who deserves a title shot. It’s based on how much money a match will generate for the UFC. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Who fights who is based on whether they can market the fight to a large audience, and generate cash flow, not on who really deserves a specific opportunity. I have no idea if I was the best fighter in the world when I  entered the UFC. It is their company and they can do with it what they want, but let’s not act like there’s some sort of merit system in place which allows fighters to get to the top like there is in all of the other major sports.

The bottom line is there is no independent ranking system which clarifies who is the best and which fighters have earned the opportunity to fight the top guys. It should not be about your looks, what language you speak, where you live, the colour of your skin, your personality or any of those things. It should be about your abilities inside the cage.

 

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter @wakafightermma

 

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SFS 6 Results: Glenn Soars, Horodecki-Cardinal Ruled No Contest

Monster featherweight Rick The Gladiator Glenn showed a relentless and highly skilled game tonight in eventually taking out Hamilton’s Lyndon Whitlock in an all-out war and fight of the night. Glenn used brutal body kicks to soften Whitlock up and then…

Monster featherweight Rick The Gladiator Glenn showed a relentless and highly skilled game tonight in eventually taking out Hamilton’s Lyndon Whitlock in an all-out war and fight of the night. Glenn used brutal body kicks to soften Whitlock up and then landed a big head kick to set up the finish in the third round. Despite the loss, Whitlock proved he belongs in the top tier of his division and his game has surpassed that of former foe Tristan Johnson.

Glenn clearly wants Chris Horodecki next. He called him out for the second time in a row in his postfight interview. He is a tough matchup for anyone, and not just in SFS.

In a disappointing end to the evening, an accidental headbutt by Cardinal in an exchange in the first round opened a severe cut on the brow of Horodecki. After the cut was checked by the doctor after the first round, the fight was called off and ruled a no contest.

Jesse “The Ghost 2.0” Gross dominated grappler Seiji Sugiman-Marangos tonight in the opening bout of the main card, and it was just the performance that Gross needed in his career. He used his power and movement to overwhelm the smaller opponent and got the stoppage at 4:59 of the second round. The power and efficiency in Gross’ hands were vintage Adrenaline Training Center. The sacred gym in London, Ontario houses some of the best strikers in Canada in Jesse Ronson, Sam Stout, Chris Clements, Mark Hominick, Chris Horodecki and Chad Laprise.

 Gross could be in line for his dream rematch with Brad Cardinal very soon.

John “Haggis Basher” Fraser took a gritty bounce-back victory over Tyler Toner using his superior takedowns to stay in dominant position for most  of the night. The striking in this one appeared in the second round, and though there were shifts and opportunities for Toner, Fraser was in control all night. He went north-south position on Toner a few times and had arm bar and kimura opportunities. He delivered a nice war for his hometown fans.

“This is what I wanted, I wanted a war and this was a war. Every punch hurt, it was awesome. Thank you Tyler Toner for coming this far to fight me.”

It is a nice bounce back for Fraser, and it keeps him in the top tier of the division in the SFS.

Tony Hervey should go grab a Lotto Max ticket because luck seems to be on his side. Hervey was getting dominated for much of the fight with Jorge Britto before an injury to Britto‘s arm halted the bout after the second round. Hervey got the gift win. There is no question that Hervey earns the win by hanging in there, but who knows who could be next for him after that performance.

Sergej Juskevic was just a bit too much for Gerald Meerschaert on this night as he took him out with a slick kneebar submission at the end of the first round. Juskevic was the better fighter from the get-go and seized his opportunity to put a quick end to his night.

It’s time for an SFS big name for Juskevic as Forrest Petz is headlining the next card. This guy deserves to be near the top of cards as well.

 

Dwight Wakabayashi is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA, and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter @wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Anderson Silva and the 10 Most Accomplished Fighters in UFC History

Since November of 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championships has had some of the most entertaining and dominant athletes that sport has ever seen. Mixed martial arts is a young sport—it certainly doesn’t have the history or sports significance of …

Since November of 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championships has had some of the most entertaining and dominant athletes that sport has ever seen. Mixed martial arts is a young sport—it certainly doesn’t have the history or sports significance of the big three in football, baseball or basketball—but it is building a strong combat sport history of its own.

Who are the most accomplished fighters in UFC history? Based on fights, wins championships and career accomplishments, the candidate list goes about 15 to 17 fighters deep. The divisions under lightweight are certainly not noted in this list; it is a UFC list and lightweight and up have ruled the day.

Here are the 10 most accomplished fighters in UFC history.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 152: Jones and White Go Back and Forth over Key UFC 151 Fact

Jon Jones has been vilified by MMA fans and media across all parts of the world over the last month for the fallout over UFC 151. I supported Jones shortly after the event was canceled, and made a few points in the process.My article questioned whether…

Jon Jones has been vilified by MMA fans and media across all parts of the world over the last month for the fallout over UFC 151. I supported Jones shortly after the event was canceled, and made a few points in the process.

My article questioned whether Jones actually knew that if he turned down the Sonnen fight that the whole event would be scrapped. One single fighter is never supposed to make or break an event and is never bigger and better than the organization as a whole. I’m sure Jones felt the same way when making his own selfish decision to turn down the fight.

I was hit with criticism from readers and people saying that Dana White said that Jones knew and so the credibility of my article is out the window. I had heard Dana say this, yes, but does one man’s take always speak the truth?

I’m not calling anyone a liar in this situation, but there are always two sides to every story, and at the time, I had yet to hear any explanation, reason or comment from Jones. I like to hear it directly from the mouth of the participants, and Thursday was a chance to do that with both men in town.

During the UFC 152 press conference, Jones clearly stated that he was not told that the whole event would be canceled if he said no to the Sonnen fight. Dana White was not in attendance and could not dispute the claim, but has since come out and stated that what Jones said is not true.

Who do you believe in this debacle of sport megastar vs. league commissioner and president? My take is that it probably is somewhere right in the middle, in that White probably said off the cuff to Jones that he was costing them the whole show, and Jones took it to mean the fall of the numbers at the gate and PPV. I am absolutely speculating off the cuff, but we can never know how it went down inside that UFC 151 war room.

All I know is that no fighter has ever had that type of pressure heaped onto his shoulders before, not Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar or Dan Henderson. A UFC event has never been canceled before because one fight fell through, so why should Jones believe it would now?

He also stated in the conference that if he were another fighter on that card, he would be more insulted and angry at the UFC for not thinking they could pull it off, and I agree with Jones. I would have been like, “Screw him if he doesn’t want to fight, move me up on the card and let’s roll!”

Not every card will be a gold standard or a total bust, but you can never tell which fights or cards are going to shine from the way they look on paper.

The truth of the matter is that fights and fighters should never be picked based on the quality or quantity of one’s mouth; there has always been title climb integrity in the UFC. Jones is as qualified and as entitled as anyone to make the decision as to who he fights, whether Dana or any of us agree, it’s his life and limb on the line. Surely, Sonnen is much more than just a mouth, but I agree with Jones that at this time, he should not get a shot at the light heavyweight belt.

Jones will beat Vitor Belfort tonight in Toronto, and it is one of the brighter things to result from the UFC 151 fallout. Toronto got a second Jon Jones fight in less than a year against one of the greatest fighters of all time, and surefire HOF’er, Vitor Belfort.

There have been mild-to-medium boos for Jones all week here at UFC 152 events, but let’s move on and have some perspective on a 25-year-old young man finding his way.

 

Dwight Wakabayashi is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter @wakafightermma

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com