Author: Matthew Goldstein

Strikeforce Grand Prix: With Alistair Overeem Out, Who Is the Favorite to Win?

The withdrawal of Alistair Overeem raises an obvious question for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, “Who is the favorite to win it all?” The better question, however, may be, “Does anyone still care?”
After a lackluster quarterfinals, in which th…

The withdrawal of Alistair Overeem raises an obvious question for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, “Who is the favorite to win it all?” The better question, however, may be, “Does anyone still care?”

After a lackluster quarterfinals, in which the biggest highlights were Fedor Emelianenko being squished by Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Alistair Overeem beating Fabricio Werdum by way of standing in place, the four remaining fighters will face off this Saturday, September 10th in Cincinnati, OH.

Though the Grand Prix’s penultimate round, featuring Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov, and Silva vs Daniel Cormier, should prove to be a hard-fought affair, one fighter stands head and shoulders above the rest. No, Bigfoot fans, I don’t mean that literally.

With a 30-5 record, Barnett is far and away the most experienced fighter remaining in the Grand Prix. With a UFC heavyweight championship, and King of Pancrase Openweight Grand Prix championship to his name, not to mention being the 2006 Pride Openweight Grand Prix Championship runner-up, “The Baby-Faced Assassin” is a seasoned veteran with some miles left in the tank.

Though the notable catch-wrestler is neither the best pure wrestler nor the best pure striker, he is easily the most well-rounded fighter of the bunch. He matches up well against the other three remaining fighters, though he may be facing his toughest challenge next.

Against Kharitonov, Barnett will be facing a strong boxer/kickboxer with great takedown defense and a perfectly serviceable ground game should he need it. Though I don’t see Kharitonov being able to totally pick Barnett apart on the feet, expect Barnett to close the distance and put the Russian up against the cage or on his back where his striking advantage will be negated.

I anticipate that Barnett will be able to control from the top and damage Kharitonov en route to a decision victory.

Against either Cormier or Silva, Barnett should have an easier time.

Cormier, a two-time Olympic wrestler, is undersized and should be fighting at light heavyweight; listed at a generous 5’11” and carrying around a significant amount of flab, Cormier easily gives up four inches and 15 pounds to Barnett. Though Barnett may not be able to bring Cormier to the ground—or want to for that matter—his skill and experience ultimately bests Cormier’s anywhere. Barnett has too many ways to threaten Cormier not to win this one.

Though Silva is certainly an imposing physical presence, I agree with Barnett himself that, “being a big guy is probably [Silva’s] greatest asset.” I wouldn’t be surprised if Silva were able to ground-and-pound his way to a victory, but I’m not sure that he can take Barnett down or beat him standing.

He isn’t vastly larger than Barnett and, in my opinion, not nearly as skilled. I see Barnett winning by an intelligently fought decision here as well.

While the remaining path to the grand prix title is no cake walk, I believe that Josh Barnett has the best combination of skills and experience to impose his will on any of the other remaining fighters. Look for him to constantly pressure, threaten with takedowns, and work for submissions.

At the end of the day, I expect to see Barnett with his hand raised, adding Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner to his resume. We can only hope he cuts a few good promos on the way. 

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UFC on FOX: Will The Ultimate Fighter’s New Format Revitalize the Show?

What’s the saying I’m looking for? Better late than never?Given the current lull in MMA activity, I thought now would be as good a time as any to revisit a few UFC on FOX particulars in a bit more detail.As was recently announced by FOX and UFC executi…

What’s the saying I’m looking for? Better late than never?

Given the current lull in MMA activity, I thought now would be as good a time as any to revisit a few UFC on FOX particulars in a bit more detail.

As was recently announced by FOX and UFC executives, The Ultimate Fighter will be moving to FX as part of the UFC’s larger broadcast deal with FOX, and will see several significant changes in an effort to revitalize the struggling TV property.

Unlike in the prior 14 seasons of TUF (the 14th season premieres at 9pm ET on Spike, September 21st), the new seasons on FX will air, to quote Dana White, “jive live” over the course of 13 weeks, starting with a two-hour premiere showcasing 16 elimination fights. Each subsequent Friday night episode will show what has happened in the prior six days leading up to that week’s fight (the Saturday prior to Thursday), with a fan-chosen fight airing completely live.  

What I found to be the most interesting change is that each TUF finale will also be live on FX, and will include the TUF coaches, whose training camps will now take place during the TUF season alongside the show competitors.

Given the recent slide in viewership and ratings (viewership dropped an average of 500,000 viewers per episode from Season 12 to Season 13) changes are no doubt needed to keep TUF an interesting and engaging TV property for the UFC.

The question is, are these the changes needed to breath new life into The Ultimate Fighter?

I think they are…but maybe not for the reasons one would expect.

Allow me to explain.

The key to success for TUF is, and always has been, fan sentiment surrounding the coaches and competitors. One of the major recent criticisms of the show has been that the competitors aren’t as skilled as in years past, and that fight quality has suffered for it. 

If the skills of the 16 competitors aren’t up to snuff, or if they don’t put on exciting fights, just airing everything live won’t fix the problem. It could do just the opposite, by further exposing competitors’ glaring weaknesses.

What TUF needs, first and foremost, is skilled competitors that come ready to fight, and both competitors and coaches with TV-ready personalities, which isn’t always synonymous with a big PPV draw. Brock Lesnar, the UFC was surely surprised to find out, wasn’t a great coach for TUF. He was relatively quiet and talked about chicken salad a lot. Michael Bisping, on the other hand, was a great coach for TUF. He ran his mouth and kept things interesting. It’s no coincidence that he’s coaching again for this coming season.

Unfortunately, the skills of people who try out for TUF are out of the UFC’s hands. As MMA becomes a larger, more popular sport, there are less and less “diamonds in the rough” to be found at TUF tryouts. Dana White and Joe Silva need to keep on picking the cream of the crop and hoping for the best.

What they can control, however, is the coaches. And here is where I think the recent changes will best serve TUF. By including the coaches’ training camps and fight in the 13-week season, each new season will have an immediate hook with which to attract viewers.

The reason why people like shows such as HBO’s 24/7, and UFC’s Primetime and Countdown is because they like getting a behind-the-scenes look and seeing their favorite athletes at work. It unveils a totally different side of the sport that you don’t get to see every day.

By putting the coaches on display as much as the competitors, viewers will immediately be drawn in by the allure of seeing their favorite UFC fighters train for a big fight…and then can slowly get attached to the competitors if they are so inclined.

Assuming that the UFC can bring in talented and exciting competitors, which, frankly, is a big assumption, the programming changes will certainly help revitalize the show. In today’s society, everything is better live and “real” after all. But, I think that improved competitors would ultimately help bring life back to the show regardless of how it’s edited.

What will really serve as the new lifeblood for TUF will be, whether live or not, the inclusion of the coaches’ training camps and fights as part of the regular programming.

Chael Sonnen, anyone?

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UFC 134 Results: Is Anderson Silva Worth Paying For?

If it wasn’t already obvious, Anderson Silva has cemented his status as the best fighter in mixed martial arts history.Silva’s dismantling of Yushin Okami at UFC 134 came as a surprise to exactly no one, except for possibly Chael Sonnen. Even Okam…

If it wasn’t already obvious, Anderson Silva has cemented his status as the best fighter in mixed martial arts history.

Silva’s dismantling of Yushin Okami at UFC 134 came as a surprise to exactly no one, except for possibly Chael Sonnen. Even Okami himself seemed to know it was the beginning of the end as Silva lowered his hands and ever so slightly stuck out his chin, imploring Okami to take his best shot.

A slipped punch and lightning-fast counter-jab later, Okami was on his back, doing practically nothing to stop the punches raining down on him with laser-like precision.

Rewind six months to UFC 126. After trading several blows in the opening of the first round, Silva stood in the center of the cage, just barely within range of Vitor Belfort. With nary a warning, Silva whipped his rear leg forward and shot his foot expertly into Belfort’s jaw, dropping him like a rag doll. The two punches that preceded the stoppage were all but a formality.

Even as Sonnen relentlessly took the champion down and beat him up for 23 minutes at UFC 117, I found myself thinking, “I don’t believe it, he can’t possibly lose.”

Well, we all know how that went.

Time and time again—14 times, to be exact—Anderson Silva has demonstrated his dominance in the UFC Octagon.  Now, more than ever, there can be no doubt. He is unstoppable.

And that seems to be a problem for some.

As I took to the Internet to express my awe in 140 characters or less, I saw a rather surprising tweet:

I don’t think I’m going to pay for another Anderson Silva card again. It’s just too predictable. No doubt he’s the best…and that’s the problem. Why should hard working Americans pay $60 to watch him beat up yet another wannabee?

I have honestly never thought of it like that before.  Sure, you hear “predictable” being thrown around for a guy like Jon Fitch, Dominick Cruz, or even Georges St-Pierre.  But what was predictable about what I had just witnessed? About a devastating front kick? About a miracle triangle choke?

The result is what’s predictable. The case that this particular individual made is that if the outcome of the fight is so reasonably certain, why bother paying to see it when you can catch a highlight online? Isn’t it a better use of money to buy a card full of closely contested, unpredictable fights?

Through 50 or so tweets back and forth, I tried to explain that people are willing to pay to see Silva fight simply because he is the best, because, for all we know, there may never be another fighter like him. And, even though you can watch Silva’s fights assuming his pending victory, it’s endlessly entertaining to watch him get there.

Like it or not, nothing can beat witnessing the seemingly impossible.

Much like Harry Potter fans go to theaters in droves to watch a story unfold as they knew it would, true MMA fans will continue to pay to see Anderson Silva show us what we already know.

He is the best. He will win. And, if you blink, you might just miss it. 

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Why Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Makes Sense for UFC on FOX 1

As reported by MMAJunkie.com, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and Ben “Smooth” Henderson have expressed an interest in facing one another on Nov. 12’s UFC on FOX 1.Though John Fosco and Malki Kawa, Guida’s and Henderson’s managers, respectively, believe the…

As reported by MMAJunkie.com, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and Ben “Smooth” Henderson have expressed an interest in facing one another on Nov. 12’s UFC on FOX 1.

Though John Fosco and Malki Kawa, Guida’s and Henderson’s managers, respectively, believe their clients have each done enough to warrant the next Lightweight title shot, they welcome the opportunity to have the fighters make their case on network television.

The question is, does this fight make sense, not only for fans, but for the UFC?

Let’s take this one point at a time:

 

Guida vs. Henderson is a meaningful fight  

The UFC Lightweight division is currently a jumbled mess.  Anthony Pettis defeated Ben Henderson to become the final WEC Lightweight champ, with a guarantee to fight the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 125.

Edgar and Maynard fought to a thrilling draw, causing Dana White to immediately announce a rematch.

Rather than stay on the sidelines, Pettis decided to stay active and accepted a fight against Guida, losing in a one-sided decision and becoming Guida’s fourth straight victim.

Meanwhile, Jim Miller quietly put together a seven-fight win streak against solid competition and positioned himself as a legitimate Lightweight contender.  Henderson won his UFC debut against a game Mark Bocek, and was then given a significant challenge in Miller, who he completely dismantled.

Get all that?

A fight between Guida and Henderson would pit “the guy who beat the guy” against “the guy who beat the other guy,” thus clearing up the current Lightweight imbroglio.  The winner would clearly deserve a title shot against the eventual winner of Edgar vs. Maynard 3.

 

Guida and Henderson are both marketable fighters

There are few fighters in the UFC as likable as Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.  

Guida is the ultimate workhorse, a non-stop whirlwind with a never-say-die attitude and a tenacious in-your-face style.  He literally lives in a van by the river while he trains, and pays homage to his blue-collar background with his nickname, “The Carpenter.”

Ben Henderson is equal parts tenacity, energy and humility.  He embarks into arenas bouncing to gospel music, is an absolute pitbull in the cage, and after winning the biggest fight of his career, drops to his knees and begs Dana White, not to give him a title shot, but to give his lesser-known teammates a shot at the big time.

And, oh yeah…did I forget to mention that they both have manes of hair that a Pantene model would kill for?

If the UFC and FOX can’t market these guys during episodes of House, then we should all probably just pack our bags and go home.  Though they don’t have the name recognition of a Brock Lesnar or Georges St. Pierre, they are certainly compelling characters that can draw in a viewer.

 

Guida vs. Henderson is something a true fight fan can look forward to

Last, but certainly not least, this would not only be an important and marketable fight, it would be a good fight.

This would be a great stylistic match up—both fighters have relentless wrestling, each averaging over 4 takedowns per 15 minutes, and both are active strikers, on their feet, and on the ground.  Say what you want about wrestling in MMA, neither Guida nor Henderson can be accused of “laying and praying.”

Though Henderson is the better striker, Guida is incredibly durable and has never been knocked out. Likewise, Guida has won by submission 15 times out of 29 wins, but Henderson has only been submitted once thanks to his Gumby-like limbs and seemingly nonexistent veins.

Pitting two active, pressure fighters against one another will make for a sure-fire thriller.  Wherever this fight may go, on the ground, to the clinch, or at a distance on their feet, Guida and Henderson are guaranteed to go for each other’s throats at 100 mph for 15 straight minutes.

 

Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson is a must-make fight for UFC on FOX 1.

Dana White and Joe Silva can’t pass up the opportunity to make this meaningful, compelling fight between marketable and well-matched fighters.

It is a perfect way to drum up future PPV interest for a championship fight against the winner of Edgar vs. Maynard 3, and is sure to please casual and hardcore fans alike. 

I’ll leave my fight prediction for a later date, but no matter the outcome, both fans and the UFC are guaranteed to win.

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Georges St. Pierre at Middleweight: How Does He Stack Up?

Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, the current UFC Welterweight champion, is 22-2 in his professional MMA career and has gone 9-0 since his loss to Matt Serra in 2007, defending his Welterweight title six times.Though he’s been criticized recently as over…

Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, the current UFC Welterweight champion, is 22-2 in his professional MMA career and has gone 9-0 since his loss to Matt Serra in 2007, defending his Welterweight title six times.

Though he’s been criticized recently as overly cautious, there can be no denying St. Pierre’s dominance—since regaining the Welterweight belt in 2008 he has won 23 out of 25 rounds, not including his TKO victory over BJ Penn.  Whether by using his vaunted wrestling or newly dominant boxing, St. Pierre has proven that he has what it takes to defeat all challengers at Welterweight. 

While there are still fights to be had at Welterweight, Nick Diaz at UFC 137 and potentially Carlos Condit after that, St. Pierre is coming as close to “cleaning out” a division as we’ve ever seen.  Add to this the talk that St. Pierre will eventually step-up in weight for a superfight against Middleweight champion Anderson Silva, and the question has to be asked…    

How would Georges St. Pierre fare against the UFC’s top Middleweights?

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