Author: Matt Saccaro

UFC News: Greg Jackson to Train Frank Mir for His Fight Against Daniel Cormier

Famed, yet controversial, MMA coach Greg Jackson has a new star pupil: Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Mir will be employing Jackson’s services for his fight against the upsurging Daniel Cormier at UFC on FOX 7. The Las Vegas native cit…

Famed, yet controversial, MMA coach Greg Jackson has a new star pupil: Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. 

Mir will be employing Jackson’s services for his fight against the upsurging Daniel Cormier at UFC on FOX 7. The Las Vegas native cited Jackson’s fabled game-planning ability as one of the primary reasons for moving his training camp out Vegas for the first time in his career. 

“I’ve always been impressed with Greg Jackson’s game planning,” said Mir to ESPN. I figured, before I retire, I want to be a part of that and see what makes this guy so successful.”

But that isn’t to deride his former digs at Sin City. Mir doesn’t doubt the abilities of his long-time trainers and gym; he just wants to shake things up. 

“I’ve always felt I have great trainers so there was no reason to leave, but my wife and I were talking about how I needed to change things up,” he said. “One of the things was maybe I should get out of town and get more focused.” 

Whether Mir’s most recent loss—a trouncing at the hands of then-UFC heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146—was caused by a lack of focus rather than a lack of raw abilities is debatable. Mir couldn’t take Dos Santos down to apply his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and his striking was light years, nay parsecs, behind that of his Brazilian foe.

But when you hear that some of Mir’s workouts were in his garage, it’s tempting to lead towards the side of Mir not being ready; steel can’t be sharpened by tin. 

“I ended up working out in the garage with dumbbells,” Mir said. “I still got something in, but was it the same quality as if I went to the gym? No.” 

That won’t happen in Mir’s eight-week training camp for Daniel Cormier. It’s easy for a fighter to say that their rededicated to fighting but Mir, by moving his operations out to Albuquerque for this fight, has shown it. 

Will Jackson be able to work his magic on Mir? We’ll have to wait until UFC on FOX 7 in April to find out.

 

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UFC Prez Dana White Has No Interest in Stripping Dominick Cruz of His UFC Title

The UFC was still doing shows on Versus the last time Dominick Cruz was in the Octagon.Cruz, battling two back-to-back ACL injuries, hasn’t fought since UFC on Versus 6 in October of 2011. That’s 16 months that the champ hasn’t been able to defend his …

The UFC was still doing shows on Versus the last time Dominick Cruz was in the Octagon.

Cruz, battling two back-to-back ACL injuries, hasn’t fought since UFC on Versus 6 in October of 2011. That’s 16 months that the champ hasn’t been able to defend his title. 

Despite this massive, injury-related furlough from the sport, UFC president Dana White has no interest in stripping the UFC bantamweight champ of his title. White gave a figurative shrug at Cruz’s absence from the scene, and said that he’d only strip Cruz of the title if the 27-year-old’s chronic knee problems forced him to retire. 

“If he starts training again and gets another injury that’s going to take him out for a year—and I hate to even say this about the kid since he’s a really good kid—but he should seriously probably look at retiring,” he told MMAjunkie.com. “But I’m not taking something like [the title] from somebody.”

Fortunately for the bantamweight division, the interim champ—Renan Barao—hasn’t logjammed the division by refusing to defend his interim belt like Carlos Condit did when he became the interim welterweight champion.

Barao is facing the 15-1 Michael “Mayday” McDonald on FUEL TV on February 16th so the division can keep moving, thankfully. 

But if Dana White’s words ring true, then both men will have to wait until Cruz returns—or retires—until they can become the real UFC bantamweight champion.

“The way that it works in the fight business is you beat the man who beat the man. Obviously, though, if he had to retire, then [the interim titleholder] would automatically become the champion,” said White. 

The timing of Cruz’s forced leave of absence couldn’t have been worse. The lighter weight classes were finally getting more recognition, the UFC was about to take its massive leap to FOX and the champ was on a 10-fight winning streak.

Now, he’s been practically forgotten by the MMA world—a relic of a simpler time that’s long gone. Babies have been conceived and born in the time between his last fight and now. 

For Cruz’s sake, hopefully the situation doesn’t come to White having to strip him of the title, lest Dominick Cruz, the first-ever UFC bantamweight champion, becomes one of MMA’s great cautionary tales.

 

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UFC 157 Fighter Josh Koscheck: ‘I’m Not a Fan of Nick Diaz’

Josh Koscheck’s upcoming fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 157 hasn’t stopped him from thinking about perennial welterweight bad boy, Nick Diaz. “Did you say a fan of Nick Diaz? No, I’m not a fan,” Koscheck told MMAHeat’s Karyn Bryant when she asked…

Josh Koscheck‘s upcoming fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 157 hasn’t stopped him from thinking about perennial welterweight bad boy, Nick Diaz. 

“Did you say a fan of Nick Diaz? No, I’m not a fan,” Koscheck told MMAHeat’s Karyn Bryant when she asked for his thoughts on the Stockton Brawler. 

Why the hate? Part of it relates to Diaz’s well-known habit of marijuana use, a habit that earned Diaz a year-long suspension after his fight with Carlos Condit when he tested positive for marijuana metabolites.

“His values and my values are way different,” Koscheck said. “He does things that I don’t do. The smoking the pot and things like that, I don’t associate with things like that. I’m not saying it’s wrong. That’s just what he does. It’s just not my thing. I’m not a fan of Nick Diaz.”

However, Koscheck’s dislike of the elder Diaz brother owes its existence to more reasons than just pot smoking. Koscheck, a fighter who is almost always “in the mix” at welterweight, has become dejected with the way that title shots are gifted to undeserving fighters. He gave Diaz’s title shot as one such example.

“It seems like now in the UFC, if you can talk a good game, you might be able to get a light heavyweight title shot,” he said in reference to Chael Sonnen being matched up against UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

“And if you get suspended for a year, and then you come right back after losing a fight, you get to fight [UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre] for the title,” said Koscheck concerning Nick Diaz’s title shot. “Maybe I’ll just take another couple months off and do some things I shouldn’t do and fight for title!”

Furthermore, Koscheck doesn’t respect Diaz’s skills as much as he respects those of other fighters, specifically GSP. According to Koscheck, GSP should run through Diaz at UFC 158 without much trouble. 

“It’s just gonna be an easy fight for St-Pierre, I believe. He’ll just take [Diaz] down and wrestle him and just control him like he does anyone else,” he said. 

Koscheck is coming off a loss to Johny Hendricks and will be facing former UFC fighter and recent Strikeforce import Robbie Lawler at UFC 157. If Koscheck bests Lawler and Diaz loses to GSP, perhaps a Koscheck-Diaz match would be waiting in the wings? 

Both men have a tendency to generate controversy and both men are names in the division. A fight between them only seems natural, given the right circumstances. 

 

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UFC News: Former Strikeforce Heavyweight Josh Barnett Turns Down UFC Contract

Enigmatic heavyweight Josh Barnett isn’t headed to the UFC after all, according to a report by MMAJunkie.com. Barnett’s manager told MMAjunkie that his client and the UFC had reached a “sticking point” in their negotiations, and that he …

Enigmatic heavyweight Josh Barnett isn’t headed to the UFC after all, according to a report by MMAJunkie.com. 

Barnett’s manager told MMAjunkie that his client and the UFC had reached a “sticking point” in their negotiations, and that he and Barnett have now pursued “a discussion with every major organization you’ve heard of and some you haven’t.”

Barnett has long been considered one of the best heavyweights in the world—and one of the few truly great fighters outside of the UFC. His presence in the Strikeforce heavyweight division helped to legitimize the now-defunct organization. 

Once it was announced that Zuffa, the UFC’s parent company which purchased Strikeforce in March 2011, was finally shutting down Strikeforce, rampant speculation began as to Barnett’s fate. 

Barnett once fought in the UFC, where he defeated Randy Couture for the organization’s heavyweight championship. However, this bout was overturned when Barnett tested positive for banned substances.

Barnett subsequently left to pursue MMA and professional wrestling in Japan, becoming a star in Pride and in various pro wrestling promotions. 

But the banned substances weren’t part of why the UFC was out of the Josh Barnett business for so many years. UFC president Dana White wasn’t particularly fond of the catch wrestling star. 

In 2007, White said the following about Barnett: 

[Barnett]’s just a punk. You know what? The thing is I don’t want to even talk about Josh Barnett. Nobody even cares about Josh Barnett…I’m not interested in Josh Barnett at all as far as who he is as a person or as a fighter or how he represents the sport. I don’t like anything about him. 

If he’s that talented and that great, then great, let Bodog or IFL or EliteProXC or whatever the hell the name of the rest of those companies — let one of them sign him. If he’s that great — they’re always trying to get a leg up on me, sign Josh Barnett you guys! He’ll do wonders for your business. 

Six years later, the cooler side of White’s bald head had apparently prevailed. There was talk of Barnett finally back in the UFC. The heavyweight division would get a shot in the arm. 

Now, the outlook is doubtful. Where Barnett will go now is a mystery.

The resurgent Bellator seems likely at first, but Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney already nixed that idea. Perhaps Barnett will end up at the newly created World Series of Fighting—the winner of Andrei Arlovski vs. Anthony Johnson will need someone to fight, after all. 

Time will tell what happens to Josh Barnett. Either he’ll finally have another chance to test himself against the world’s best heavyweights, or he’ll fade away into old age and obscurity while crushing Japanese pro wrestlers. 

 

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To Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal, MMA Is ‘Easy Compared to Wrestling’

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal isn’t daunted at making his Bellator debut at Bellator 86 on Spike TV. To him, MMA is a veritable cakewalk compared to what he’s been through on the wrestling mat. “I’ve been preparing mentally for all these big…

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal isn’t daunted at making his Bellator debut at Bellator 86 on Spike TV. 

To him, MMA is a veritable cakewalk compared to what he’s been through on the wrestling mat. 

“I’ve been preparing mentally for all these big moments through every wrestling match I’ve had before I even got to MMA,” Lawal told Bleacher Report on a media conference call.

“That’s why when people talk about MMA being hard, to me it’s easy compared to wrestling,” he said.

Lawal elaborated on the specific difficulties that made wrestling so gruesome and difficult. “Going overseas, wrestling guys from Russia and Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. You gotta deal with the fact that in order to get paid you gotta win, and then you gotta deal with the referees cheating you.”

These experiences have seemingly galvanized “King Mo” against all the pressures and trials of the MMA world: the nerves, daily grind, etc.

Another aspect of the fight game to be apprehensive about is an unlikely upset, especially in light of this past Thursday’s Bellator event, where favorites Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Seth Petruzelli were both resoundingly beaten by their unheralded opponents. Lawal was cavalier regarding the chance of a possible loss to his opponent, Poland’s Przemyslaw Mysiala. 

“I’m not worried about no upsets,” said Lawal. “I’m just worried about me executing my game plan and winning these fights.”

Those are remarkably calm words for a man who nearly had his career cut short due to a debilitating knee surgery and subsequent infection—an infection that has since subsided and a knee that, according to Lawal, is 100 percent healthy. 

“I went to Holland and made sure that [the knee injury] was all straight. I went there to strictly test myself against topflight kickboxers and strikers. That’s why I went there, to see if my knee could hold up, and I left with no injuries,” he said.

Lawal didn’t have too much to say about his opponent, save for a peculiar nickname that he bestowed upon his Polish foe. 

“I know Przemyslaw—I call him ‘coleslaw’—I know he’s tough, has good submissions…I just gotta worry about myself being healthy for the next round. That’s all I’m worried about,” he said.

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs. Przemyslaw Mysiala will take place at Bellator 86 on Spike TV on Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET. It will be the first fight for “King Mo” outside of Strikeforce since 2009.

 

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Bellator Welterweight Champ Ben Askren: “I’m Never Gonna Change My Style”

Bellator Welterweight champion Ben Askren doesn’t care what the fans think about the allegedly boring way he fights.”I’m never gonna change my style. I am who I am,” Askren told the media at a conference call at which Bleacher Report was present….

Bellator Welterweight champion Ben Askren doesn’t care what the fans think about the allegedly boring way he fights.

“I’m never gonna change my style. I am who I am,” Askren told the media at a conference call at which Bleacher Report was present.

Askren’s style emphasizes wrestling and control. Askren takes his opponent down, and smothers them to the point of extreme exhaustion and frustration. While effective, the style doesn’t win the fans over. In fact, it turns them against Askren in droves.

These angry fans often cite the fact that Askren hasn’t finished an opponent since 2010 as proof that Askren is a boring point fighter. Askren gave a metaphorical shrug in response to a question about these concerns at the media call.

“I’m not afraid to be that guy,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of time since my last fight and I have made serious improvements in a lot of areas. Nevertheless, I’ll never be as good at anything else as I am at wrestling. That’s always been my base. I’m not shy to admit that. And I’m actually proud that I grew up a wrestler.”

The Bellator welterweight champ will have a chance at Bellator 86 to put his skills to the test against the challenger to his title: French judoka Karl Amoussou. 

Amoussou is on a four-fight winning streak in Bellator and is a talented fighter, but has had conditioning problems in the past. In Askren’s opinion, these cardio problems will be Amoussou’s undoing. 

“From what I’ve watched, Karl has problems with any fight that goes past the first round,” he said. “I really hoped he’d have done a little more cardio but after watching, and he has a long history of fighting, I’m not sure that’s gonna be the case.”

If Amoussou does come into the fight with poor conditioning, a hustler like Askren will exploit it. This will inevitably lead to the typical Ben Askren fight: A grueling MMA-style wrestling match where Askren dominates his opponent for 25 minutes. 

The fans won’t be happy. Not at all. When Askren’s hand is raised, he’ll likely be met by a deluge of boos.

Askren’s relationship with the fans is an interesting one. His style upsets the fans but, according to him, the fans only attack him with their vicious verbal barbs because they’re trying to get him off his game. 

“People want to see me lose for whatever reason, my attitude, my style, I don’t know it is,” said Askren. “When I do get on top—and I get on top fast and frequently—they know that the bottom guy has zero chance to escape and zero chance to submit me. So it’s a very boring fight for them because what they want to see is they want to see me lose, but they know it’s not gonna happen in their hearts. They gotta sit there disappointed for 25 minutes because they don’t get to see what they want.”

This upcoming Thursday, Jan. 24 at 10 pm, the MMA world will get to see if the fans get what they want. Bellator 86—the promotion’s second show on Spike TV —will reveal if Askren will finally be toppled, or if he’ll grind his way to yet another victory and title defense. 

 

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