Author: Matt Molgaard

MMA Stock Report for February: Who Rose, Who Fell, Who Stayed the Same

We were gifted a trio of UFC cards in addition to four Bellator events last month. That’s quite the dosage of hand-to-hand combat. The MMA community stayed abuzz as some scintillating action was broadcast each and every weekend of the month.We wi…

We were gifted a trio of UFC cards in addition to four Bellator events last month. That’s quite the dosage of hand-to-hand combat. The MMA community stayed abuzz as some scintillating action was broadcast each and every weekend of the month.

We witnessed some insanely brutal knockouts, a couple slick submissions and a few savage wars. In short, it was a fine month to be a fan of mixed martial arts.

For some it was a time to remind fans and promotions that their name and talent merits big pay and marquee card positioning. For others it was a time of extreme struggle.

Whose stock fell last month? Who has emerged a surprising commodity? Who simply stays afloat? Read on for the answers!

Begin Slideshow

Full Historical UFC on Fuel TV 1-8 Numbers Breakdown

After being told that Fuel TV seems to feature some of the worst UFC cards, I found myself wondering if there was any validity in that statement.I can recall being a bit underwhelmed by UFC on Fuel TV 6 and 7, but outside of that I don’t immediat…

After being told that Fuel TV seems to feature some of the worst UFC cards, I found myself wondering if there was any validity in that statement.

I can recall being a bit underwhelmed by UFC on Fuel TV 6 and 7, but outside of that I don’t immediately recall any overtly miserable events.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself gazing at statistical numbers provided by Sherdog.com. After some research, I’m not entirely certain I agree with my buddy (who will remain nameless out of simple respect) and his harsh assessment.

That said, his statement isn’t completely outlandish. Fuel TV has had a few lackluster cards that produced far more drawn-out distance fights than dynamic finishes.

In fact, When combined, the first eight UFC on Fuel TV events have yielded a total of 49 decisions (50 excluding the categorization of a “no contest” in this article’s instance) in 87 matches. That’s a 56.3 percent decision rate, 57.4 if you categorize UFC on Fuel 7’s no contest between Matt Riddle and Che Mills a decision.

That’s a lot of fights landing in the ever-unreliable judges’ hands.

UFC on Fuel TV 3, 7 and 8 make up for a sizable chunk of that figure, as the three events combined produced a total of 24 decisions for 27.5 percent, or 28.7 if you work Riddle’s no contest against Mills into the equation.

In contrast, a total of 20 fights (for a 22.9 percentage) have ended via technical knockout or knockout.

16 total fights (18.3 percent) ended by way of submission.

Check out an individual event breakdown as well as total number breakdown and a few fun facts from the first eight UFC on Fuel TV events.

Individual Event Breakdowns

Fuel 1: 9 Fights – 5 Decision, 3 (T)KO, 1 Submission
Fuel 2: 12 Fights – 4 Decision, 2 (T)KO, 6 Submission
Fuel 3: 12 Fights – 8 Decision, 1 (T)KO, 3 Submission
Fuel 4: 11 Fights – 5 Decision, 3 (T)KO, 3 Submission
Fuel 5: 11 Fights – 4 Decision, 5 (T)KO, 2 Submission
Fuel 6: 9 Fights – 7 Decision, 1 (T)KO, 0 Submission, 1 No Contest (no contest was stoppage)
Fuel 7: 12 Fights – 8 Decision, 2 (T)KO, 1 Submission, 1 No Contest (no contest was decision)
Fuel 8: 11 Fights –  8 Decision, 3 (T)KO, 0 Submission

Total Figures

Total Fights: 87
Total Decisions: 49 (56.3 percent)
Total (T)KOs: 20 (22.9 percent)
Total Submissions: 16 (18.3 percent)
Total No Contest: 2 (2.2 percent)

Random Facts

Brad Tavares has fought on three Fuel events. He’s undefeated in the process (3-0). All three fights went the distance.

Of the eight Fuel events broadcast thus far, four main events (UFC on Fuel TV 3, 5, 6 and 8) have ended in upset victories.

All four of those upsets came via stoppage. Chan Sung Jung submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fuel TV 3, Stefan Struve TKOd Stipe Miocic at UFC on Fuel TV 5, Cung Le knocked Rich Franklin out at UFC on Fuel TV 6 and tonight Wanderlei Silva rendered Brian Stann unconscious with strikes.

UFC on Fuel TV 8 gave way to the first defeat for Stefan Struve in three Fuel TV appearances. The defeat also brought a four-fight winning streak to a sudden and violent halt.

Wanderlei’s third win in five fights was also his third consecutive upset victory. In addition to tonight’s upset, he also shocked Cung Le at UFC 139 and Michael Bisping at UFC 110.

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How High Can New Bellator Champ Attila Vegh Climb?

Attila Vegh is Bellator’s official light heavyweight champion today after handily out-hustling Christian M’Pumbu for five rounds last night in the main event of Bellator 91. Vegh used aggression and a varied offense to grind M’Pumbu down fo…

Attila Vegh is Bellator’s official light heavyweight champion today after handily out-hustling Christian M’Pumbu for five rounds last night in the main event of Bellator 91.

Vegh used aggression and a varied offense to grind M’Pumbu down for 25 minutes.

It was an impressive win for the Slovakia-born light heavyweight, who moves his Bellator record to 5-0. Vegh now boasts 29 total professional victories against only four defeats and a pair of draws.

Having already secured victories against the likes of M’Pumbu, Travis Wiuff, Emanuel Newton and Zelg Galesic, Vegh has made a statement: tough competition doesn’t intimidate him.

His next challenger likely comes in the form of the current tournament victor. Mikhail Zayats and Emanuel Newton have punched their tickets to the tourney final and will meet sometime in the weeks to come. Both men propose different weapons and strengths. Both are very experienced.

Newton has already battled Vegh. The two met at Bellator 72, where Vegh eked out a razor-thin split decision win. Despite having failed to earn a W in that fight, the experience alone should prove a confidence booster for “The Hardcore Kid.”

He knows exactly what to expect of the current champion. He’s taken him to the brink and (in the eyes of some) arguably deserved the nod in doing so.

Zayats isn’t quite as explosive as Newton, but he’s crafty. He knows how to win, where to win and when to be there to capitalize on the opening. That’s instinctual, you don’t just learn that, you’re born with it, you develop and master it.

Zayats can dethrone Vegh with strikes, and he can use some underrated submission skills to end the fight. He’s got options. The question is, does he have the physical fortitude to stand up to the heavy hands of Vegh?

Some of the proposed questions will be answered in the months to come. But plenty of questions still hang in the balance.

What if Vegh manages to beat the season 8 light heavyweight tournament winner? Who gets thrown to the lion?

There’s no doubt the promotion had hoped to continue building Muhammed Lawal as an outspoken and always-dangerous superstar.

Newton threw a monkey wrench right at those plans at Bellator 90 when he left Lawal a half-conscious, crumpled up mess on the canvas after a perfectly placed spinning back-fist stiffened the former Strikeforce champion in the first round.

Renato “Babalu” Sobral currently competes for Bellator, but he too is coming off a first-round stoppage defeat administered by Mikhail Zayats.

Having already beaten a handful of the promotion’s best light heavyweights, Vegh has few options as light heavyweight champion.

If he blasts his way through his next challenger, he’ll already sit in a shaky seat with little in the way of clearly-defined challengers waiting in the wings.

It may be time for Bjorn Rebney to do a little extra talent scouting.

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Brian Stann and the Elusive Signature Win

Current middleweight contender Brian Stann has beaten some quality opposition over the course of his seven-year career as a mixed martial artist. The unpredictable but always dangerous Chris Leben fell at the hands of the Silver Star recipient, as did …

Current middleweight contender Brian Stann has beaten some quality opposition over the course of his seven-year career as a mixed martial artist.

The unpredictable but always dangerous Chris Leben fell at the hands of the Silver Star recipient, as did Alessio Sakara and Jorge Santiago—who while not world-beaters—are tough guys who come up short of greatness, but have earned the right to be recognized as good, solid fighters.

This is a tough Marine right here. He’s proven it on more than a single occasion.

But that really big marquee victory has eluded Stann on more than a single occasion.

Stann’s taken a marked step up in competition a few times, meeting Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping (at UFC 136 and UFC 152, respectively). But Sonnen was able to exploit Stann’s grappling deficiencies and Bisping managed to do just enough to walk away a winner after their encounter.

Although his showing against Sonnen left a lot to be desired, his recent fight with Michael Bisping offered a look at a new and improved Stann. Version 2.0 if you will. He’s been working hard in the gym, and while Bisping didn’t subject him to a grappling assault, he forced him to dig deep and prove his place inside the cage.
   
A sizable portion of the MMA community believed Stann would emerge victorious over Bisping in the buildup to their fight. Bisping’s experience, however, carried him to success.

Stann will be afforded another chance at securing a marquee victory this weekend when he meets Wanderlei Silva in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 8. The match also presents an opportunity to topple a legend of the sport, as Silva brings an amazing resume to the cage.

The fight with Stann will mark Silva’s 49th professional bout. Stann, in contrast, has just 17 fights.

Will Brian Stann finally grab the evasive “big win” that’s escaped his grasp in the past? My gut says yes. The brain is in agreement. Stann has age and general career momentum in his favor, and he’s now been in a few big fights.

Expect Stann to capitalize on a stylistically favorable matchup this weekend. He should be able to use his sharp jabs and quick straights to beat the Brazilian to the punch. He could find himself in some danger if Silva lands a flush shot, but he’s a durable fighter who hasn’t been put in too much danger when engaging in the pugilistic aspect of combat.

Stann’s fight for the career-defining moment ends this weekend when he batters Silva into submission midway through Round 2.  

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Seven Deaths That Rocked the MMA Community

The sport of mixed martial arts is dangerous. Two men compete, utilizing every physical and mental tool they have, hoping to render the other defenseless.Some men endure, overcome, thrive. Some break mentally, some break physically. A few have even die…

The sport of mixed martial arts is dangerous. Two men compete, utilizing every physical and mental tool they have, hoping to render the other defenseless.

Some men endure, overcome, thrive. Some break mentally, some break physically. A few have even died as a direct result of competition.

There’s no skirting the realities of the sport.

It takes a legitimately tough guy to enter a cage prepared to fight another trained professional. If you don’t have it, you don’t have it. Whether it is physical or mental—or both—it doesn’t matter. The mixed martial artist is a special breed.

Competing in one of the most challenging sports doesn’t come without its risks. That’s the beginning and the end of the line.

If your goal is to compete in the world of professional MMA, be prepared to sweat, cry, bleed and sadly, perhaps even die.

We’ve lost some promising talents and colorful characters over the years. Promising upstart Tyrone Mimms passed away last year after experiencing extreme fatigue during a fight and collapsing later backstage. Dustin Jenson watched two bouts following his own at a RingWars event last year only to head backstage and have a seizure. Sadly, he died soon after.

There are plenty of examples, and the deaths linked to MMA aren’t specifically cage related. UFC veteran Gilbert Aldana drowned in an unfortunate accident in 2007. Chris Smith didn’t have the chance to get his career moving before a car careened head-first into his vehicle last year.

Fighters compete in a wildly dangerous sport, but they’re human beings. All life meets an end.

MMA doesn’t necessarily kill people, but the sport has and will continue to experience untimely departures and unfortunate losses. That’s not just the name of the game—that’s the name of life.   

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The Proper Sendoff for B.J. Penn: Penn Versus Gomi 2

After an embarrassingly one-sided beating delivered by Rory MacDonald at UFC on FOX 5, many MMA pundits have declared the career of B.J. Penn officially deceased.Given the fact that Penn had all but made his retirement official prior to the bout with M…

After an embarrassingly one-sided beating delivered by Rory MacDonald at UFC on FOX 5, many MMA pundits have declared the career of B.J. Penn officially deceased.

Given the fact that Penn had all but made his retirement official prior to the bout with MacDonald, the assumption that the legendary Hawaiian is finished in the sport isn’t exactly mind numbing.

There’s no mistaking the fact that Penn has lost a step over the last few years. The former lightweight champion has won just one of his last six bouts, a 21 second knockout over fellow fading stud, Matt Hughes at UFC 123.

Those aren’t the kind of statistics that point to a prime fighter fit to tangle with today’s elite mixed martial artists. But when you take a close look at the majority of those six fights, one must admit that Penn’s not only been subjected to questionable judging (take a look at Fightmetric’s scoring for the first Penn versus Edgar bout at UFC 112), but he’s been competing in a weight class he’s never been built for.

B.J. Penn is and always has been a natural lightweight. Yet four of his last six outings have taken place at welterweight, where he’s noticeably out-sized, and has suffered subsequent abuse that really isn’t necessary.

The fact of the matter is, if Penn opted to return to lightweight, he may (conceivably) still be a viable threat to the division’s top contenders.

However, Penn’s motivation in recent years appears a little suspicious. The former champion rarely looks as though he’s trained enough to duke it out—full force—for 15 minutes, let alone 25, and the growing versatility of MMA’s “new breed” of fighter may be a bit too much for the 34-year-old to overcome.

All that said, watching Penn walk away from MMA after such a demoralizing defeat to MacDonald seems highly inappropriate. This is a true pioneer of the sport, and one of the first marquee figures to compete at 155 pounds. How about one final sendoff at his natural weight class?

10 years ago Penn and rising Japanese star, Takanori Gomi met in Honolulu, Hawaii at Rumble on the Rock 4. Penn earned a third-round submission victory and went on to begin his strange and random weight class fluctuations. Meanwhile, Gomi positioned himself comfortably at lightweight and reached a career peak, entering the Pride ranks and amassing an impressive 13-1-0-1 record.

Gomi’s success catapulted him to the top of the lightweight food chain, but by the time Pride had gone defunct and Gomi had made his way to the UFC. The physicality of “The Fireball Kid” seemed to diminish.

Gomi has assembled a 3-3 record for the powerhouse promotion. But he’s still a dangerous man to toe the line with, even if he has slowed considerably over the last six years.

In truth, these two share some amazing career parallels. Both are astoundingly durable fighters who have earned a reputation for being able to take a wealth of punishment before returning fire and ending competitions in sudden and violent fashion. Both held titles and “invincible auras” for the two most recognizable promotions in MMA history. Both have experienced similar career declines.

A rematch between these two won’t do much in terms of divisional relevancy, but at this point, neither man is all too likely—it’s not entirely out of the question I should note—to rise to title contention. Both have seen their best days come and go.

If Penn is dedicated to departing the sport, he should do so on a high-note. A rematch with Gomi, now 10 years in the making, could be the perfect exit for the former champion.

Diminished skills accounted for, these two likely match up quite well in 2013. Both men are 34 years old, both are still able to perform at lightweight, and I’m sure Penn would love to ride off into the sunset with a final victory under his belt, while Gomi would certainly find some measure of redemption should he defeat Penn.

It’s time to offer Penn one final chance to shine inside the cage. I doubt Gomi would object to such match-making, and both men stand to gain big notoriety and one more sizable paycheck with a victory.

Don’t hang ’em up just yet Mr. Penn, lobby for a date with Gomi, and give yourself as well as the fans the proper departure!

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