Author: Levi Nile

Is GSP a Fighter or a Fraud?

GSP: an acronym for a man (Georges St-Pierre) with a list of achievements so impressive that he is all but guaranteed an induction to the UFC Hall of Fame.  He’s a pound-for-pound great, with six consecutive welterweight title defenses and v…

GSP: an acronym for a man (Georges St-Pierre) with a list of achievements so impressive that he is all but guaranteed an induction to the UFC Hall of Fame. 

He’s a pound-for-pound great, with six consecutive welterweight title defenses and victories over some of the best fighters the sport has ever known: such as Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Jake Shields.

If all of that is not enough, he is a PPV sensation and easily one of the top three draws for the UFC; so much so that with his rise has come millions of fans—many from his home country of Canada.

The UFC plans to hold three shows in Canada in 2012, and a great deal of this is thanks to GSP and his legions of devoted followers.

But as befitting any superstar, he has legions of detractors who all seem to claim but a single thing.

That is, that GSP is no longer the fighter he once was, and that this man who wears the belt is nothing but a faded shadow of his former self—a pretender who fights not to win, but not to lose.

In short, they claim he is a fraud.

Of course, that is a dramatic way of putting it, and even his staunchest critics would be hesitant to be so blunt.

When GSP made his way up the ranks, you would have been hard pressed to find another fighter in the welterweight division who was so explosive and dynamic. He went out hard, and it seemed that openings appeared for him almost magically.

And he took advantage of those openings, and the results were stoppages usually so one-sided that it almost looked as if his opponents did not belong in the cage with him.

Then, after finally claiming that coveted belt (and let’s be honest, all fighters covet the belt), it looked like no one possessed the tools to beat him.

All that changed after Matt Serra, playing the huge underdog, knocked GSP from pillar to post, raining down punches on his head and face until the fight was called.

Of course, we all know he bounced back, but no one will debate he was a different man, and thus a different fighter.

A knockout loss is psychologically devastating for many fighters. In MMA, tapping out due to a submission is one thing, but being knocked out is quite another.

A submission is a testimony to the mental aspect of the game, much like chess. There is really no shame to be found by losing this way, because it is not so much about the man who lost as it is about the man who won.

It is the winner’s achievement, not the losers mistake, that is raised high. Frank Mir will forever be remembered as the man who broke Nogueira’s arm, but no one will ever think less of Nogueira or what he accomplished.

Being knocked out seems to be the exact opposite.

A bad knockout loss seems to forever be attached to a fighters name, because a knockout is forced upon someone. It speaks to the most brutal aspects of the fight game.

You didn’t lose, you got knocked out.

Since he regained his title, GSP has employed a kind of defense-first style that relies on his incredible grappling game, stifling his opponents and maintaining as much control as he can in what is an uncontrollable situation.

The cost has been great: He has not finished a fight since he defeated BJ Penn at UFC 94.

We all know GSP has the ability to finish fights. He has power in his strikes, a highly underrated submission game and the rare ability to control where the fight ends up.

But none of those things are an end unto themselves. He must make the conscious decision to go about the business of ending fights and taking the risks that come with it.

Until he does, he and his fans (of which I am one, to be sure) must be ready for the backlash that comes with fighting conservatively.

Perhaps GSP would be better served by simply acknowledging the fact that he is taking a great risk every time he steps into the cage. By playing it safe, he only gives his opponents more time to end his reign.

It’s a lesson he should know well by now. It took Matt Serra less then 90 seconds to finish their fight once that first punch had been landed; giving an opponent 25 minutes to accomplish the same aim is a gift.

In the theater, epic dramas and long, drawn-out sagas of daring and danger are a benchmark of both writers and actors.

But in the UFC, where the drama is found in the danger and the blood is so very real, GSP might want to revisit an old classic: that of a young fighter who was quick to tear through the competition with a passion that was in stark contrast to his kind nature and amiable smile.

His name was Georges St-Pierre, and he was no actor nor fraud.

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Dana White Is Right: In MMA, Teammates Must Be Ready and Willing to Fight

It is no surprise that in the world’s most demanding combat sport, friendships are formed within the walls of the hotboxes known as fight camps. These fighters spend more time with each other than they do their own families. They train together, …

It is no surprise that in the world’s most demanding combat sport, friendships are formed within the walls of the hotboxes known as fight camps.

These fighters spend more time with each other than they do their own families. They train together, travel together, bunk together and eat together, laughing and crying all the way.

They also associate based upon the rightly acknowledged fact that iron sharpens iron, and thus a better fighter is going to make another better, like birds of a feather.

All of this is to be expected, and still, none of it is reason enough why training partners and teammates should not fight.

Yes, I am talking about Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen. I’m also talking about Nick Diaz and Jake Shields, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch and so on.

It’s a hot topic as of late, and everyone seems to think it’s because Dana White just doesn’t understand the value of friendship, especially friendships formed in fight camps.

This is dead wrong. He totally understands it, and in no small way sympathizes with it.

He simply will not allow it to burn him and the UFC a second time, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the way it should be.

When Tito Ortiz backed out of a fight with No. 1 contender Chuck Liddell, he basically held the light heavyweight title hostage for a good amount of time, all under the umbrella of “friendship.”

Sooner or later, a line has to be drawn. If you are going to fight in MMA, then anyone you befriend in your weight class or the weight classes above or below you can be a potential future opponent, and you had better be ready for it.

After all, that is your job.

To think anything to the contrary is to totally ignore the horrible precedent it sets, and the ramifications of that kind of thinking on down the line.

If fighters are given a “pass” on fighting their teammates (if divisional rankings call for it), then before you know it, a shocking portion of the MMA fighting community is going to be requiring a “pass” on fighting their friends, especially during title elimination bouts and title defenses.

These friendships will not be real, but formed for the sake of avoiding those fights that need to come to pass. After all, sometimes the best way to defeat a dangerous enemy is to make him your friend, and the sport is not served by this kind of thinking.

Combative sports are very demanding by their very nature. No one is disputing that teammate vs. teammate isn’t a hard situation to deal with, not only for the fighters but for the camp as well.

But it is also a necessary evil, and everyone should know it by now. It’s simply the cost of doing business in the fight game. This is especially true these days, when a head trainer may attract so many talented fighters that it seems like he’s collecting them.

Well, if he is, he should be collecting them to fight, not to posture.

As tightly knit as the MMA community is, the truth is still plain for all to see: Fighters fight with an eye toward becoming champion; the title must be contested honestly by the best available, friends or no.

People like to say that Dana White isn’t consistent, but in this area, he has never wavered.

Why else do you think he loves Chuck Liddell so much?

Because Liddell has had many good friends in the fight game, and he would not hesitate to fight any of them because it’s really nothing personal, no matter how much defeat might sting.

And that is just the way it has to be. 

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The Best of UFC 2011 Review: 2-Disc Set Fails to Impress

Once again, the powers that be at Zuffa (Dana White in particular) have given us their offering of The Best Of for 2011.Unlike previous offerings, “UFC Best of 2011” seems to be a stunning bonanza of the best fights of the year, all on two …

Once again, the powers that be at Zuffa (Dana White in particular) have given us their offering of The Best Of for 2011.

Unlike previous offerings, “UFC Best of 2011” seems to be a stunning bonanza of the best fights of the year, all on two discs. I was all smiles when I opened this, because such releases are how I help spread the word.

After all, we paid for it in the past and are willing to pay again to spread the word, aren’t we?

When I opened up the set, I was simply floored by all the available fights and quickly proclaimed it “The Best Of The Best Of, then quickly sat down to devour.

I should have known better.

This is nothing more than a sampling of “clips” of great fights, period. On the first disc, which is where 75 percent of the fights are listed, almost none of them are the full fights, unlike years past, when The Best Of were perhaps fewer fights, but total in their running time.

And to think Dana White wants to wage a war against video piracy.

This is a con, a sleight of hand, based on the value of past releases. Upon opening this release, the only mention of the “work” going on is that on disc one, all fights are listed as “main features,” whereas on disc 2, they are listed as “bonus fights.”

Somewhere along the way, Dana White left out the fight. I guess he decided to keep it for the standard definition DVD releases only, and he should have made mention of that fact publicly.

Granted, the counter argument is “just buy the actual events when they come out.” This is all well and good, but when you consider what previous The Best Of offerings have given us, this is nothing but a pale imitation. Indeed, if that is their thinking at Zuffa, then why release The Best Of for 2011 at all?

You are better off not wasting your money. UFC The Best Of 2011 isn’t even suitable for a gift set, as anyone can get what is delivered on the first disc via the Internet, and they can get more of it.

From now on, fans of The Best Of should keep their eyes peeled and their receipt in hand. If this is the new trend of the FOX era of the UFC (and no, I don’t think this is the fault of FOX), then you would be well served to save your money.

Because it looks like “Uncle Dana” is making more and more decisions about what you and I like in The Best Of series, and the quality is going right down the drain.

I’m starting to think less and less of the notion of Dana White as a man who is still a “fan,” because this release is nothing but a poor substitution based on past expectations.

I guess all that extra money the UFC is making is starting to go elsewhere, because it sure isn’t in this release.

RATING: Two fat thumbs down.

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UFC on Blu-Ray: The Fans Deserve More Than Just "The Best Of"

Once upon a time, fans of a new and exciting sport would watch the shelves of their local video store, eyes peeled for a VHS copy of the latest available event. Of course, there were not many copies available, as it was more a matter of supply and dema…

Once upon a time, fans of a new and exciting sport would watch the shelves of their local video store, eyes peeled for a VHS copy of the latest available event.

Of course, there were not many copies available, as it was more a matter of supply and demand, and back then, circa 1996 through 2003, the demand simply was not that great.

Call it one of the disadvantages of being a devotee of a fringe sport.

But for the devoted, there was no choice. Waiting is what we did; we waited, and in the downtime between releases, we did our level best to spread the word.

The day when a new event (or two if you were very lucky, and those were glory days indeed) arrived, the act of gorging would begin.

There would be food and drink (much drink, usually) and combat of the most pure form available, between the best athletes in the world.

In many ways, it was easier to be a fan back then, to be honest. You knew you were going to get to see the events, and if you were lucky, you could even buy a copy and start your own fight library.

Now, the sport is so huge that it is all but impossible to see all the fights. That is both a good and bad thing, but one the true fans don’t waste their time worrying about. There is never such a thing as too many fights.

But there is such a thing as not enough.

When Blu-ray first arrived, it was coupled with HD, and to be honest, I did not expect much.

Then I saw how incredible Blu-ray could look, and suddenly I changed my mind. All I could think about is stopping my standard DVD MMA collection and get ready to begin the transition to Blu-ray, because for sure Dana White and the egg heads at Zuffa could see the writing on the wall.

And it looked like they had, to be honest.

It began with the gradual disappearance of the VHS copies they had for sale in their store.  It continued with the gradual disappearance of events (UFC 39-42, and others) in standard DVD format.

For the optimist, it looked as if all our dedication and stalwart support to the sport was about to be rewarded: singular UFC events on Blu-ray, released on a timely schedule, coming soon to a retail outlet near you.

Evidentially, this type of optimism and hopeful thinking is a goofball move according to Dana White.

When asked about the topic during a post fight press conference (h/t MMAFighting.com), he brushed it off as if he knows the desires of the people so well that he can speak on their behalf.

Then he dismissed the notion outright. Clearly he thought the numbers of those interested were so small that he offered to burn them HD copies of older UFC events. 

But with all due respect, I am a bit more demanding. I campaigned endlessly, tirelessly and happily for the sport, as did many others, during those times when it seemed all but dead.

That, and after seeing how quick Dana White was to omit some seriously incredible fights from the “Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights” just because he didn’t like the fighters involved…well let’s just say I don’t trust Dana White’s judgment on what I want and don’t want.

Because I am a die-hard fan, and part of having die-hard fans is accepting that they want it all, none of this should be surprising.

I want UFC 1 on Blu-ray, and what’s more, I want optional commentary of the whole event by some of the fighters of that show, and those currently fighting in the UFC. In short, I’d like the special features to be special.

I want UFC’s 1 – 44 to be released on Blu-ray first, so my collection can have a strong foundation without that gaping hole spanning through UFC 23 – UFC 29.

After that, I want the UFC to begin catching up with events 45 and on, while at the same time releasing all current events in Blu-ray as well as standard DVD, so fans have the option to chose what they want.

And that’s not all. I also want all seasons of The Ultimate Fighter to be in Blu-ray, past, present and future.

And I want the whole back library of Pride on Blu-ray as well, especially the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix.

And if that sounds like I am bitching, well remember, I am willing to pay high dollar for it. Want to charge me $25.00 for UFC 1 on Blu-ray? I’ll pay it, as long as the transfer is good.

Want me to pay $45 to $50.00 for the Blu-ray version of The Ultimate Fighter season 1? I’ll be there with money in hand, ready and willing.

I want my fight library, and it must include the UFC on Blu-ray. Standard DVD’s will be obsolete soon enough as it is, so why not make the transfer now? Several releases have both the standard DVD and the Blu-ray version all in one package; the UFC could do the same thing until everyone has caught up to the HD revolution.

Dana White used to talk about how far the sport has come, and as a point of reference, he mentions that porn was allowed on PPV while the UFC was not.

Now that Blu-ray is here to stay, I hope he doesn’t let the adult industry come in ahead of him in the technology race.

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Haven’t MMA Fighters Learned That Waiting for a Fight Is a Mistake?

Now that Carlos Condit has the interim welterweight title, he is not going to chance losing it to anyone other than GSP. Recently, Condit said he would be willing to wait until GSP has rehabilitated his knee to fight the Canadian sensation and unify th…

Now that Carlos Condit has the interim welterweight title, he is not going to chance losing it to anyone other than GSP.

Recently, Condit said he would be willing to wait until GSP has rehabilitated his knee to fight the Canadian sensation and unify the titles once more.

It seems like a great many fighters mistake waiting for the virtue of patience. They are not the same thing.

Throughout the history of the fight game, activity has been the key ingredient in keeping a fighter sharp. Those skills which are vital to combative sports are quick to gather rust in the face of inactivity because training is one thing, fighting another.

A case in point is Fedor Emelianenko.

When Fedor was fighting in Pride, he was at his best when he kept active. During the height of his glory, Fedor was fighting at least three times a year. In 2003, after capturing the Pride heavyweight title, he fought four more times. He fought five more times in 2004.

After the fall of Pride, Fedor began to fight less and less, and a decline in his skills followed—clear for all to see. He fought just twice in 2009, having difficulty in both fights (against Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers), and then just once in 2010, suffering his first loss in many years.

The rest of Fedor’s story is well known: two more defeats in 2011 and then the release from Strikeforce.

But Fedor is now atop a two-fight win streak, with both fights happening in the last two months of 2011.

Of course, there have always been exceptions to any given notion. Rashad Evans managed to come back from a 13-month layoff to lay a beating on Tito Ortiz, and he looked better than ever.

But more often than not, the longer a fighter stays on the shelf, the worse-for-wear his skills become.

While it is hard to fault a fighter for wanting to play it safe and step away in order to save a favorable position in ranking and standing, time on the sidelines also means a timeout period—as in out of sight, out of mind.

And if there is one thing Dana White has nailed, it is this: why sit it out and wait; you’re going to have to fight them all anyway.

Or, to put it another way: sometimes you fight the fights where you find them; other times, you fight them where they find you.

Why wait, indeed.

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The UFC’s Rogan and Goldberg: No Lampley and Merchant, but Getting There

People often debate the need for good commentary when it comes to the fight game. It seems to be a point of contention that unless the commentary is deadly accurate, then it is nothing more than a hindrance.This kind of thinking is further amplified by…

People often debate the need for good commentary when it comes to the fight game. It seems to be a point of contention that unless the commentary is deadly accurate, then it is nothing more than a hindrance.

This kind of thinking is further amplified by those fighters who are contesting what they feel to be a bad call from the judges. “Watch the fight with the sound off!” they cry to the public, “Then tell me who won.”

The idea behind this thinking is obvious: the commentary has influenced the viewing public in the wrong way.

When it comes to the UFC, Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan have experienced this kind of backlash before. Countless times the viewing public has declared their disgust with Rogan and his bias towards one fighter or the other.

If anything, Rogan can take comfort in the fact that he is not alone.

Two of the best commentators in the business, Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant, have also felt the sting of public scorn for perceived bias or the style of their commentary on a given night.

It’s simply going to happen, no matter how good you are.

Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant have been the voices behind some of the biggest boxing matches for over the past twenty years. In the past, both of them have shown they can go fact-for-fact in the sport of boxing history with any boxer or trainer, and they do it with a verve that makes both sides look good.

It’s a treat to listen to experts talk as if they are alone at a corner table, and Lampley and Merchant have the knowledge and background that allows such brilliant boxing minds as Emmanuel Stewart to do that very thing.

If Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao somehow manage to find their way into the ring at the same time, you can bet it will be Lampley and Merchant that end up calling the action.

And still, no matter how hard they try, some people are never pleased with the job they do.

Well, for the sake of argument, I’ve tried watching the fights with the volume turned down.

It sucks.

So, yeah, maybe Goldie and Rogan are no Lampley and Merchant, but they’re getting there. Goldberg provides a sounding board that manages to keep the ship on course, while Rogan provides a depth of knowledge in the game that comes from actually training in Jiu-Jitsu and talking to countless fighters, who give him access to their world.

But I would really love to see them bring in Jeff Blatnick as a third.

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