Author: Levi Nile

Michael Johnson vs. Nate Diaz: Make It Happen, UFC

As a fighter coming off three straight wins, Michael Johnson still finds himself working hard to push the boulder of public opinion uphill.
It’s not that he isn’t good, but instead that he hasn’t been as consistent as fans would like….

As a fighter coming off three straight wins, Michael Johnson still finds himself working hard to push the boulder of public opinion uphill.

It’s not that he isn’t good, but instead that he hasn’t been as consistent as fans would like.

Oddly enough, consistency doesn’t have to be found in victory. Nate Diaz has just one win out of his last three fights, but he’s consistent in his attitude and brawling style, and his fans still treat him like the uncrowned champion of the lightweight division.

But given how fickle fan opinion is, the only thing that matters is the fight itself—or in this case, the next fight. Both fighters need another bout that will see them tested and their careers reinvigorated if they are victorious.

Johnson vs. Diaz is the answer both men need.

Johnson is improving with every outing, and he looks like he is headed in the right direction and towards title contention. He is taking his job seriously, working with an excellent team. More importantly, he’s willing to take a chance to prove himself because he’s hungry.

As for Diaz, I don’t know if he’s hungry anymore—anyone taking to Twitter and asking for his or her release from the UFC doesn’t exactly conform to the standard of a “hungry” fighter.

But Diaz doesn’t really need that—all he really needs is to feel disrespected. Given the animosity that has been brewing lately between himself and the UFC, Diaz should be in proper form to take his anger out on a suitable opponent.

Diaz would probably jump at the chance to fight Johnson should it be offered to him. Johnson would likely offer Diaz a greater chance for a stand-up fight than Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Johnson is one of the few exciting fights left for Diaz in the division.

There is also another reason why this fight should be made: It could be excellent.

Johnson is turning into a thinking man’s kind of fighter. He’s not as reckless as he used to be, and he doesn’t abandon strategy when things start going wrong.

But, as usual, what makes this fight compelling is that both men are strong where the other is weak.

Johnson has much more power in his punches, but he doesn’t string his shots together as good as Diaz. When it comes to grappling, Johnson is much better at wrestling and takedowns, but Diaz has a large advantage in submissions.

Both men are laudable for many good reasons, but they make for a great fight in this circumstance due to their failings and the disadvantages they would have to overcome in order to win.

For instance, if Johnson got into a good rhythm, Diaz would be forced to pursue a good counterpuncher with power, which is a desperation situation that is very viewable. You don’t want to follow a power puncher around because you run the risk of running headlong into that power.

But if Diaz finds his range early and is landing with both hands, Johnson could be forced to try to take the fight to the ground, which is an area where Diaz is very dangerous. While Johnson is a strong wrestler (and only getting better at his current camp), he has lost six fights via submission. Getting stuck in a scramble against Diaz is living life very dangerously for anyone with such vulnerabilities.

And if both men are at the top of their game, Johnson will be landing very hard counterpunches (in addition to hooks and uppercuts) while Diaz will be taunting and landing punches in bunches. It’s hard to imagine a fight like that not winning some bonus or perhaps even a Fight of the Year nomination.

Right now, Diaz is somewhere between No. 6 and No. 10 in the rankings depending on where you look. While a fight with Johnson may not seem to do much for his standings from a mathematical standpoint, it could still see his cause advanced if the fight turns out to be as good as it looks on paper.

And on paper, this looks similar to Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz—heavy-handed slugger-wrestler vs. high-volume puncher and submission specialist.

That was a pretty good fight, wasn’t it?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Johnson vs. Nate Diaz: Make It Happen, UFC

As a fighter coming off three straight wins, Michael Johnson still finds himself working hard to push the boulder of public opinion uphill.
It’s not that he isn’t good, but instead that he hasn’t been as consistent as fans would like….

As a fighter coming off three straight wins, Michael Johnson still finds himself working hard to push the boulder of public opinion uphill.

It’s not that he isn’t good, but instead that he hasn’t been as consistent as fans would like.

Oddly enough, consistency doesn’t have to be found in victory. Nate Diaz has just one win out of his last three fights, but he’s consistent in his attitude and brawling style, and his fans still treat him like the uncrowned champion of the lightweight division.

But given how fickle fan opinion is, the only thing that matters is the fight itself—or in this case, the next fight. Both fighters need another bout that will see them tested and their careers reinvigorated if they are victorious.

Johnson vs. Diaz is the answer both men need.

Johnson is improving with every outing, and he looks like he is headed in the right direction and towards title contention. He is taking his job seriously, working with an excellent team. More importantly, he’s willing to take a chance to prove himself because he’s hungry.

As for Diaz, I don’t know if he’s hungry anymore—anyone taking to Twitter and asking for his or her release from the UFC doesn’t exactly conform to the standard of a “hungry” fighter.

But Diaz doesn’t really need that—all he really needs is to feel disrespected. Given the animosity that has been brewing lately between himself and the UFC, Diaz should be in proper form to take his anger out on a suitable opponent.

Diaz would probably jump at the chance to fight Johnson should it be offered to him. Johnson would likely offer Diaz a greater chance for a stand-up fight than Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Johnson is one of the few exciting fights left for Diaz in the division.

There is also another reason why this fight should be made: It could be excellent.

Johnson is turning into a thinking man’s kind of fighter. He’s not as reckless as he used to be, and he doesn’t abandon strategy when things start going wrong.

But, as usual, what makes this fight compelling is that both men are strong where the other is weak.

Johnson has much more power in his punches, but he doesn’t string his shots together as good as Diaz. When it comes to grappling, Johnson is much better at wrestling and takedowns, but Diaz has a large advantage in submissions.

Both men are laudable for many good reasons, but they make for a great fight in this circumstance due to their failings and the disadvantages they would have to overcome in order to win.

For instance, if Johnson got into a good rhythm, Diaz would be forced to pursue a good counterpuncher with power, which is a desperation situation that is very viewable. You don’t want to follow a power puncher around because you run the risk of running headlong into that power.

But if Diaz finds his range early and is landing with both hands, Johnson could be forced to try to take the fight to the ground, which is an area where Diaz is very dangerous. While Johnson is a strong wrestler (and only getting better at his current camp), he has lost six fights via submission. Getting stuck in a scramble against Diaz is living life very dangerously for anyone with such vulnerabilities.

And if both men are at the top of their game, Johnson will be landing very hard counterpunches (in addition to hooks and uppercuts) while Diaz will be taunting and landing punches in bunches. It’s hard to imagine a fight like that not winning some bonus or perhaps even a Fight of the Year nomination.

Right now, Diaz is somewhere between No. 6 and No. 10 in the rankings depending on where you look. While a fight with Johnson may not seem to do much for his standings from a mathematical standpoint, it could still see his cause advanced if the fight turns out to be as good as it looks on paper.

And on paper, this looks similar to Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz—heavy-handed slugger-wrestler vs. high-volume puncher and submission specialist.

That was a pretty good fight, wasn’t it?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Tito Ortiz: Why His Time in Bellator Could See Him Rebuilt

Even for older fans of the sport who had been following when the UFC was owned by SEG and only available on VHS, the idea that Tito Ortiz was going to go on an epic losing skid seemed highly improbable.
He started the sport young, fighting for free at …

Even for older fans of the sport who had been following when the UFC was owned by SEG and only available on VHS, the idea that Tito Ortiz was going to go on an epic losing skid seemed highly improbable.

He started the sport young, fighting for free at UFC 13, and to be honest he just seemed too powerful and rude to suffer any kind of serious derailment. In combative sports, many a black hat has enjoyed a fruitful career, usually at the expense of others, and Ortiz seemed to fit that bill perfectly.

It seemed that we as fans would just have to get used to his disrespectful post-fight shirts, his overblown ego and so on. But by now we have grown accustomed to the fact that Ortiz is but a shadow of his former self.

After his second loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 66, we watched the slow but undeniable decline of Ortiz, fight by fight. Where he used to be explosive, he became pondering; what used to be a sure takedown via a powerful double-leg shot became a predictable and easily avoidable movement that looked desperate.

And as much as he wanted to be the man feared for the power in his fists, he was never really all that great with is stand-up to begin with. In fact, he looked better with his hands in the early days because he attacked with the conviction that comes when you think you’re unbeatable.

As soon as he got his chin checked, things changed and he adapted as best he could, which turned out to be pretty damn good in his younger years.

But after UFC 66, nothing was ever the same.

Ironically, for many older fans, Ortiz became one of the last links between our era of the sport and the current post-The Ultimate Fighter landscape. Both are equally excellent, but when fighters of a certain generation begin to falter and retire, the remaining threads to older times and events that we anticipated and enjoyed—just as much as newer fans will the upcoming UFC 175 card—are severed.

Those who used to dislike Ortiz for his post-fight antics suddenly found themselves rooting for him simply because he was one of the last remaining fighters of the early days.

But it became very clear in his bouts against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and his rematch with Rashad Evans that time waits for no one. When he announced his retirement, it was honestly long overdue, even if he had shown signs of life in his upset victory over Ryan Bader.

But then he signed with Bellator and seemed to have something to prove, even if only to himself. Perhaps it really is nothing more than a fighter unable to accept that his time has come and gone; growing old gracefully is not a virtue seized by everyone, no matter how much we may wish it so.

But there may be a positive to be had for Ortiz in Bellator if he honestly decides to make an earnest run at being a fighter one last time.

Ortiz is clearly not ready for the level of fighter that competes under the UFC banner, at least not now. But he may be ready to utilize his experience and remaining natural gifts to their greatest advantage against opponents who are a step down in experience, training and athleticism.

Before Arturo Gatti engaged in his first epic war with Micky Ward, his managers had recognized that he was beginning to show all the signs of a fighter nearing the end. Since his competitive fire was still there, they began to give him easier fights while his trainers went about the job of rebuilding him for the final stage of his career.

This stratagem could work just as well for Ortiz, if he works with the kind of camp that can build a new style that utilizes his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses. While all of this is far easier said than done, should Ortiz manage to get a few wins under his belt, his confidence may empower his training and vice versa, allowing him to go forward with a newer understanding of what he needs to do to compete with the newer class of fighters in today’s landscape.

Additionally, if Ortiz continues to taste defeat at this level, then it should leave no doubt within him that his days as a fighter of note are honestly over.

For every fighter who enjoys great success, the time when it ends cannot be anything but bittersweet at best. Recognizing that the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long is no doubt a struggle, but if Ortiz does indeed learn his days as a fighter are over, he can do so knowing that he exhausted all options.

And during his time, his candle did burn very brightly.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Turning the Corner: Remembering When Frank Shamrock Was the P4P Best

Being a fight fan is a funny thing.
As fans, our tools are two parts statistics, one part favoritism and the rest is faith. We are usually drawn to those fighters who are consistent and exciting; everyone loves a winner, but they love them even more wh…

Being a fight fan is a funny thing.

As fans, our tools are two parts statistics, one part favoritism and the rest is faith. We are usually drawn to those fighters who are consistent and exciting; everyone loves a winner, but they love them even more when they win in exciting fashion.

Predicting which fighter will be successful over the long haul has never been easy in a sport with so many ways to lose, but predicting who is going to lose is an endeavor most fans seem eager to participate in.

Perhaps it is just human nature to expect failure, and it is certainly easy to do when a fighter has shown a tendency to falter at one point or another. To think such fighters are going to “grow taller” than their previous shortcomings seems like too much fancy and not enough fact.

But it does happen.

Perhaps the most compelling example of this is Frank Shamrock.

Many older fans of the sport were surprised when it was announced that Shamrock would be facing Olympic gold medalist Kevin Jackson for the first-ever UFC middleweight title. It’s not that we didn’t get the fact that the UFC was trying to capitalize on a known name; we just thought there had to be a bit more to it than that.

Up until the Jackson fight, Shamrock had a 3-3 record in his last six fights, including a KO loss at the hands of Yuki Kondo. His career in Japan had been a tale of a daring personality struggling to escape the gravity of a middling fighter.

In fact, his most notable fights had been losses to Bas Rutten, Masakatsu Funaki and Kondo. Then, in his first fight outside of Japan, he took a pretty good thumping at the hands of John Lober at SuperBrawl 3, losing by a split decision that in truth was a pretty one-sided thumping.

The younger Shamrock was a valiant, tough gamer, but a world-beater? In truth, his career to that point had looked like anything but.

But if we had been watching closely and had seen his performance against the uber–tough Enson Inoue, we would have noticed that something had changed. Shamrock was not the same middling fighter we were used to.

He had turned a corner in his training, philosophy or some combination of the two. He wasn’t just fighting to make a good accounting of himself anymore, but he was fighting to win and to that end he had suitably armed himself.

To think he had managed to reinvent himself into the image of a man who would become the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of his generation, in less than a single year—that was quite simply beyond our grasp. It was shocking enough that he had been tapped to face the heavily favored Jackson; to think he actually had a chance to win was pushing the envelope of even the most optimistic Shamrock fans.

In his first foray into competition, Jackson had faced the last man to hand Shamrock a loss—John Lober—and had savaged him. Jackson then won the UFC 14 middleweight tournament without breaking a sweat, announcing himself as the top dog at middleweight in all of MMA.

Or so most of us thought.

When Jackson ran Shamrock up against the cage and ripped his legs out from under him, it looked like it was going to be a very short night. Then Shamrock snatched an armbar out of thin air and Jackson was tapping out.

From there, Shamrock would go on to defend his title four times, culminating in a come-from-behind victory over Lion’s Den rival Tito Ortiz.

For two years, Shamrock was the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, a prototype for the fighters of the future. He was excellent on the ground, and his striking was vastly improved under the tutelage of Maurice Smith.

His reign as the best may not have been long, but it was as significant as it was surprising.

Shamrock proved it was never too late for a fighter to reinvent himself if he had a mind to improve and the necessary training partners to achieve that end. It’s a lesson we should remember anytime we brazenly declare that a fighter is finished or has no chance.

There is always a chance that we can be surprised by the men and women of this sport, who toil behind closed doors and share great ambition.

And that is something we should be thankful for.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks: New King or Steward?

Now that the dust from UFC 171 has settled, Johny Hendricks stands atop the welterweight heap as the new UFC champion.
His fight with Robbie Lawler saw him seriously tested, and the judges awarded him the same belt they denied him at UFC 167 when he lo…

Now that the dust from UFC 171 has settled, Johny Hendricks stands atop the welterweight heap as the new UFC champion.

His fight with Robbie Lawler saw him seriously tested, and the judges awarded him the same belt they denied him at UFC 167 when he lost via split decision to Georges St-Pierre. But now that he has what he’s always wanted, is it all he always thought it would be?

In a sport that is based on action, one could argue that perceptions mean little, but sometimes perception is based on fact—and the fans are not the only ones watching.

Throughout the history of the UFC welterweight title, the men who took the throne with authority—via stoppage—have been the men who were granted absolute ownership in the eyes of the fans.

Pat Miletich had a hard time being accepted by some fans, given that he won the belt via split decision over Mikey Burnett. Conversely, Carlos Newton suffered no questions as to his legitimacy when he choked Miletich out for the crown at UFC 31.

When Matt Hughes won the title from Newton at UFC 34, many fans questioned his position as champion, given the way that fight ended. Hughes seemed to succumb to a triangle leg choke from an elevated Newton, who in turn was knocked out when Hughes fell and slammed Newton down to the mat.

It was only after Hughes stopped Newton in their rematch at UFC 38 that the masses finally agreed that Hughes was the true champion.

After Hughes, it was Penn and then Hughes again; both men won the title by stoppage in the first round, and both were fully recognized as champion.

Of course, St-Pierre entered the picture next, stopping Hughes at UFC 65 and leaving no question as to his place as top dog in the division. It wasn’t until he lost to heavy underdog Matt Serra at UFC 69 that the questions began to arise.

He wiped away all those questions when he stopped Serra in their rematch at UFC 83.

When Hendricks lost to St-Pierre, some questioned the decision, but many did not. St-Pierre had been sitting atop the throne for so long that his dominance had been unquestioned up to that night, and by proxy, the decision represented more of the same.

The fight saw Hendricks damage St-Pierre in ways that were surprising, but St-Pierre had more than his fair share of success as well. Additionally, an adage states that in order to win the belt, you have to take it from the champion, leaving no question.

In short, if you don’t stop him, you have to dominate him in convincing fashion—something Hendricks simply did not do.

After St-Pierre vacated the belt, Hendricks found himself in an excellent position; there was no champion to defeat, no legacy to overcome. All he had to do was defeat another contender, and the title would be his.

At UFC 171, Hendricks managed to do this, but many viewers thought that Lawler won the bout. Hendricks saw his face bloodied and battered, clearly losing Rounds 3 and 4. The majority of the dispute seems to revolve around who won the opening frame.

And so now Hendricks wears the belt, but he does so without the authority of past champions who took the title by stoppage.

During St-Pierre’s reign, many fans clamored for a new champion who would fight for the finish; Hendricks seemed to fit the bill, given his one-punch knockouts of Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann.

But he has not finished a fighter since November of 2012, which seems to speak to the depth of the division at hand. He landed his vaunted left hand on more than one occasion against both St-Pierre and Lawler, and both men took it well.

When Hendricks began to eat the hard shots from Lawler, it looked like he was the one in danger of being knocked out. He gutted it out and won the fight, but no matter who you favored after the final bell, it was a very close bout that could have gone either way.

It also made one point very clear—Hendricks is not invincible.

When St-Pierre began his true title reign, he possessed an enviable skill set that allowed him to decide where the fight was fought nearly without fail. He was in excellent condition and sharpening his overall game, showing improvements every time out.

And he could always take the fight to the floor at any time he wanted.

Going into the fight with Lawler, it looked like Hendricks had a similar advantage. As a very strong wrestler, it seemed to reason that he could take the fight to the ground anytime he wanted.

Yet Lawler stuffed eight of 10 takedown attempts, and Hendricks was forced to slug it out, effectively fighting where his opponent was strongest. This almost cost him the fight and could pose serious problems for his reign when you consider the depth in the division.

Fighters like Hector Lombard and Tyron Woodley, who are powerful and athletic, may now be much bolder, given the success of Lawler. The perception might be that Hendricks is not as complete a fighter as St-Pierre proved to be.

Given that fighting is just as much a mental battle as a physical one, Hendricks’ inability to stop Lawler could leave many fans and more than a few fighters with the impression that the welterweight throne is still vacant.

One of the things that made a prime Mike Tyson such a dangerous opponent was that his power was not in question; if he hit you cleanly, he hurt you, and from there, the end was nearly academic. His opponents knew this and were wary of the fact in ways that could not be trained out of them.

Intimidation is rooted in the basest of human frailty and becomes a huge asset in the hands of those who have fight-ending power.

Hendricks came close to achieving this kind of respect for his left hand, and with that would have come a mental edge that further enabled other aspects of his game, especially the takedowns. Now, after Lawler ate his best punches and smiled, any idea of superiority is no longer certain.

Hendricks is a great fighter who is suffering the same undue criticism that Larry Holmes endured after taking up the throne after Muhammad Ali. Like Holmes, Hendricks is doomed to toil under a large shadow that will demand his very best at all times, not just 70 percent, as he noted after his losing effort against St-Pierre at UFC 167.

Until he starts to defend his title with the same kind of authority that men such as Hughes and St-Pierre used to earn it, Hendricks may be seen as nothing more than a steward who is keeping the belt warm for the next true champion.

But possession is still nine-tenths of the law, and with the belt firmly around his waist, Hendricks has a chance to solidify his standing as the true king.

To do so, he must begin to win convincingly, leaving no doubt.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Takanori Gomi: Is He Facing a Must-Win Situation at UFC 172?

When former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi steps foot into the Octagon at UFC 172, he may very well be at a crossroads in his career.
Firstly, he has lost three of his last five fights, a fact that does not bode well for any fighter in the or…

When former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi steps foot into the Octagon at UFC 172, he may very well be at a crossroads in his career.

Firstly, he has lost three of his last five fights, a fact that does not bode well for any fighter in the organization. Gomi‘s last loss was a controversial decision to Diego Sanchez, and he may very well have some wiggle room if he loses his next bout to Isaac Vallie-Flagg.

In addition to that, the promotion may be hesitant to let go of such a known name as Gomi as they look to expand into Asia, especially Japan. Gomi is a star in his homeland, and the UFC would like nothing more than to see him get back to his winning ways.

But nothing is set in stone when it comes to MMA. The UFC surprised many when they released Jon Fitch, one of the more consistent fighters the welterweight division ever had.

While Gomi’s style is arguably more exciting than that of Fitch, the simple fact remains that Gomi is not doing as well as many thought he would. Since signing with the UFC, Gomi has lost more fights than he has won, and he needs to turn that around.

The pairing of Gomi and Flagg might make some think that the Japanese fighter is being given every chance to turn things around. While Flagg does have power in his hands and a fair ground game, he simply doesn’t have the experience or one-shot power of Gomi. Even though Flagg trains with Greg Jackson, Gomi looks to have a sizable advantage.

If he cannot defeat Flagg, not only will it raise eyebrows within Zuffa, but it should make him take a serious look at his career.

Gomi is 35 and cannot spend needless time and energy chasing his dream of UFC gold up dead-end roads. If he wins, then he may be on the right track—but if he loses, he needs to make a serious change.

Obviously, anything can happen in MMA. Fighters often endure the ebb and flow of victory and defeat, especially as they get older. Once upon a time, Gomi went two full years unbeaten, defeating six of ten opponents by KO/TKO in 2004-2005.

He is now in the largest organization in the world at a time when the sport is bigger than it’s ever been. The chance for Gomi to see his name grow (along with his bank account) has never been greater than it is now.

Consider this: If the UFC decides to take The Ultimate Fighter to Japan, Gomi would doubtless be one of the chosen coaches. There really isn’t any other Japanese fighter that the UFC would choose in his stead; Gomi’s name and accomplishments make him the perfect fit for the job.

But that possibility only exists if he can stay with the company. To do that, he needs to start winning some fights.

Gomi has long been an exciting fighter to watch. He’s durable, throws incredibly heavy punches, loves to win and doesn’t mind getting bloody and battered in pursuit of victory. It’s amazing to think he’s never been knocked out before.

His penchant for being involved with exciting fights is obviously something the UFC knows it can bank on; they’ve kept other fighters around far longer than most would have thought possible based on this. Dan Hardy lost four fights in a row and remained employed due to his exciting style so Gomi may not have his back to the wall just yet.

But Hardy was much younger during his skid than Gomi. Does Gomi really want to take the chance that the UFC won’t see him as a spent fighter if he loses at UFC 172? In a situation with so many unfavorable outcomes based on so many variables, there seems no doubt that victory alone will see him go forward.

Gomi has always been a game competitor who fought to win. But now, more than ever, he needs to fight to survive.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com