Author: Matthew Hemphill

Why Gilbert Melendez Shouldn’t Overlook Jorge Masvidal or Risk Losing His Title

Fans and journalists both thought that the Strikeforce event in December was going to be the company’s last and that whoever left with one of their championship belts was going immediately to the top of the UFC.Instead, Strikeforce is going to live on …

Fans and journalists both thought that the Strikeforce event in December was going to be the company’s last and that whoever left with one of their championship belts was going immediately to the top of the UFC.

Instead, Strikeforce is going to live on into 2012, even though it has lost most of its champions.  That means that Melendez might have a place to still collect a paycheck if he keeps winning.

At one point, many fans thought he was close to getting faced with UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar, but a trilogy with Gray Maynard and a backlog of challengers for Edgar’s title has put that on ice.

So Melendez may be stuck as the Strikeforce champion for a little while longer.

Of course, he will only stay that way if he gets past Jorge Masvidal this Saturday.

On paper, the fight is a bit of a mismatch.  Masvidal has lost to fighters like Luis Palomino and Toby Imada.

But a closer look at Masvidal’s recent fights and even his losses tells fans something else.

The loss to Palomino was via split decision and the loss to Imada was by inverted triangle choke which hadn’t really been seen before.

Masvidal’s only other recent loss was to welterweight Paul Daley and he was able to go the distance.  

Considering the weight difference between the two and Daley’s natural punching power, it means that Masvidal has a great chin.

After the Daley fight, Masvidal returned to lightweight and is undefeated in his last two fights against Billy Evangelista and KJ Noons.  It is the fight against Noons which Masvidal won by unanimous decision that shows he could be a threat to Melendez.

Noons is an accomplished boxer in the world of MMA and also has participated in some kickboxing, yet Masvidal was able to handle him by grappling him and even knocking him to the ground with a kick.

Melendez is able to win most of his fights by knockout, but it comes either from standing but from a wrestling position.  He may have some power, but most of the KO’s on his record have come from multiple blows while he has his opponent subdued and on the ground.

Masvidal might not have trouble handling those punches, though, as he was able to find ways around being knocked out by a powerful welterweight and a decent lightweight striker.  Melendez won’t be able to finish him when they couldn’t.

As for when the fight hits the ground?

It would be easy to say that Melendez has the edge because he is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and trains with fighters like Jake Shields.

But Masvidal has dabbled as a boxer and has some power, which he’s used in the past to knock out fighters such as Yves Edwards and Joe Lauzon.  He may not have the same grappling skill as Melendez, but he probably has enough skill to stop from being completely dominated.

More importantly, he knows how to strike and to not get knocked out.  That means he has a puncher’s chance.

It is slim and it doesn’t give Masvidal much, but if Melendez starts thinking about UFC gold while in the cage with him, it could end up being Masvidal’s night to shine.

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Why Boxing Going Head to Head with MMA on TV Is an Awful Idea

Not every boxing fan is an MMA fan.  Some just enjoy watching a fight where the combatants can only use their fists, while others want to see multiple styles mixed together.  It just comes down to a matter of preference, and some choose one s…

Not every boxing fan is an MMA fan.  Some just enjoy watching a fight where the combatants can only use their fists, while others want to see multiple styles mixed together.  It just comes down to a matter of preference, and some choose one sport over the other.

However, many of those who enjoy MMA or boxing just enjoy combat sports, which means that they like to watch both.  In theory, that is the best of both worlds.  They get to watch boxing when there is no MMA on TV and when boxing is taking a hiatus, there is always MMA to watch.

In practice, it gets a little murky.

Boxing is usually its own enemy.  After all, there are times it not only ends up pitted against mixed martial arts, but against other boxing programs.  The best example is how HBO and Showtime counter-program each other.  

Many times if there is a boxing match on one station, expect that the other station will also have some kind of boxing program set up across the street.

Boxing itself is disorganized and that has led to a fracturing in its fanbase.  Considering that most fans of MMA associate it with the UFC, it goes from MMA to the UFC vs. boxing.

That dynamic doesn’t help anyone. 

At this point in time the UFC is a huge conglomerate that only seems to be growing rapidly.  When boxing, which has become a niche sport, tries to put something on the same day, it is usually bound to fail.  

There are some exceptions, such as when the UFC put on its first card on FOX, which coincided with the Manny Pacquiao fight.

Even then, fight fans could safely tune in to watch the UFC heavyweight title be fought for on network TV and safely buy the pay-per-view that night after it to see Pacquiao compete.  There wasn’t any real conflict between the two.  In fact, it showed that both can coexist together.

But imagine that the UFC fight card had been a little later.  It might have made a portion of fans struggle between choosing a free fight on TV or ordering a PPV.  

Many fans might have chosen the free fight considering the kind of economy we live in.

But most of the time, boxing doesn’t have an A-list superstar in the main event.  Most of the time it is only a star that boxing fans know.  And most of the time they are on HBO or Showtime and not PPV.  

When the UFC PPV events are on, most fans can go to their local pub and watch the fight for the expense of a slightly overpriced meal.

Fans who want to watch boxing on premium cable usually have to order it themselves and stay at home.  

Not only does that end up costing boxing fans almost as much as MMA fans who get a high-level PPV event, but they lose out on the atmosphere that watching a big fight with a crowd creates.

It doesn’t help to alienate fans from another sport that they love.  Especially when they get to see fewer fights, some of which are horrible mismatches, and that most of their friends won’t even be there.

If boxing overhauled its image and turned quality in boxing on every single event, they still would lose in the ratings because they have built a certain image in fans’ minds for so long.

Boxing is corrupt.

Boxing doesn’t care about its fans.

Most fights are boring.

MMA has done the opposite.

There will be great fights tonight.

Most will end in exciting finishes.

There will be a lot of people watching and having fun.

Boxing can’t just put on a great event the same day as an MMA card and wash these imprinted ideas out of fans’ heads.  It isn’t going to happen.  Instead, fans will just ignore the boxing matches and put their attention towards the MMA bouts.

First, boxing needs to heal itself.  Then it needs to market itself on weekends where fight fans won’t instinctively turn to MMA.

And after a while, it might want to stay that way, because fans who don’t have to choose between boxing and MMA will gladly give their money to both.

And revenue gained is worth more than bloated pride lost.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 140 Results: Is the Old Frank Mir Back?

Frank Mir was at one point the heavyweight version of Jon Jones. He was a young fighter just coming into his mid-20s and had just snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm to win the heavyweight title back in 2004.Then he ended up getting into a horrible motorcycle acc…

Frank Mir was at one point the heavyweight version of Jon Jones. He was a young fighter just coming into his mid-20s and had just snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm to win the heavyweight title back in 2004.

Then he ended up getting into a horrible motorcycle accident that year and had to vacate his belt. It was a terrible thing that happened, but Mir had the ability to bounce back and reclaim the title like he once had.

When he finally returned in 2006 after being gone for two years, fans didn’t see a man who had that on his mind. Instead, they saw an out-of-shape Mir who was doing his best Roy Nelson impression.

He didn’t seem like the brilliant Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter who had won the company’s title prior.

Instead of punctuating his return to the UFC, he lost to Marcio Cruz, a fighter who lost his next two fights in the UFC and was cut, by TKO.

Even after getting a win over Dan Christison which went the distance, Mir still seemed to not have found the fire that had once motivated him. It led him to losing to then heavyweight contender Brandon Vera, who was also able to beat him by TKO.

Mir’s career might have ended there, but he fought back, getting a win over Antoni Hardonk and then reigniting fans’ interest in him with a submission victory over Brock Lesnar.

Through it all, though, Mir didn’t have the same cocky attitude that had agitated some fans and won him others. It was the inherent confidence that had made him top dog in the UFC’s largest weight class and it was missing.

After his first victory over Nogueira, he even admitted that he didn’t think that he was going to win the fight coming in. That should have been a warning sign for those close to Mir that he hadn’t recovered from the motorcycle accident and that he still harbored demons.Instead he fought on, losing a rematch to Brock Lesnar and a fight with Shane Carwin. Mir believed that bulking up would help him against Carwin and instead it cost him the fight. After finally slimming down, he started picking up victories again.

After beating Cro Cop and Nelson, Mir finally had recovered what he lost back in 2004.

He was able to believe in himself again and he used that belief to make a rematch with Nogueira, who blamed a staph infection for his 2008 loss against Mir.

Mir refused to believe that this was true and took another fight against Nogueira to prove that not only was he capable of beating the great fighter, but that he could do it again.

It was a complete 180 from the fighter who had been shocked to beat the talented Brazilian the first time.

And it was what Mir needed.

Now as a possible rematch with Lesnar looms, the question is: Can Mir prove that he is the fighter of old or will he prove that he still has the same old mentality?

 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 140 Results: Is the Old Frank Mir Back?

Frank Mir was at one point the heavyweight version of Jon Jones. He was a young fighter just coming into his mid-20s and had just snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm to win the heavyweight title back in 2004.Then he ended up getting into a horrible motorcycle acc…

Frank Mir was at one point the heavyweight version of Jon Jones. He was a young fighter just coming into his mid-20s and had just snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm to win the heavyweight title back in 2004.

Then he ended up getting into a horrible motorcycle accident that year and had to vacate his belt. It was a terrible thing that happened, but Mir had the ability to bounce back and reclaim the title like he once had.

When he finally returned in 2006 after being gone for two years, fans didn’t see a man who had that on his mind. Instead, they saw an out-of-shape Mir who was doing his best Roy Nelson impression.

He didn’t seem like the brilliant Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter who had won the company’s title prior.

Instead of punctuating his return to the UFC, he lost to Marcio Cruz, a fighter who lost his next two fights in the UFC and was cut, by TKO.

Even after getting a win over Dan Christison which went the distance, Mir still seemed to not have found the fire that had once motivated him. It led him to losing to then heavyweight contender Brandon Vera, who was also able to beat him by TKO.

Mir’s career might have ended there, but he fought back, getting a win over Antoni Hardonk and then reigniting fans’ interest in him with a submission victory over Brock Lesnar.

Through it all, though, Mir didn’t have the same cocky attitude that had agitated some fans and won him others. It was the inherent confidence that had made him top dog in the UFC’s largest weight class and it was missing.

After his first victory over Nogueira, he even admitted that he didn’t think that he was going to win the fight coming in. That should have been a warning sign for those close to Mir that he hadn’t recovered from the motorcycle accident and that he still harbored demons.Instead he fought on, losing a rematch to Brock Lesnar and a fight with Shane Carwin. Mir believed that bulking up would help him against Carwin and instead it cost him the fight. After finally slimming down, he started picking up victories again.

After beating Cro Cop and Nelson, Mir finally had recovered what he lost back in 2004.

He was able to believe in himself again and he used that belief to make a rematch with Nogueira, who blamed a staph infection for his 2008 loss against Mir.

Mir refused to believe that this was true and took another fight against Nogueira to prove that not only was he capable of beating the great fighter, but that he could do it again.

It was a complete 180 from the fighter who had been shocked to beat the talented Brazilian the first time.

And it was what Mir needed.

Now as a possible rematch with Lesnar looms, the question is: Can Mir prove that he is the fighter of old or will he prove that he still has the same old mentality?

 

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 140 Results: Lyoto Machdia Needs to Evolve His Game

As a Shotokan Karateka it is devastating to write this.  Machida is a favorite and this writer is honest enough to admit his bias.But if Machida wants to win his title back, he is going to have to evolve.  His striking is great and he proved …

As a Shotokan Karateka it is devastating to write this.  Machida is a favorite and this writer is honest enough to admit his bias.

But if Machida wants to win his title back, he is going to have to evolve.  His striking is great and he proved on Saturday that it might be the best one to give Jones fits.  Unfortunately, after Jones figured out what Machida was doing he was able to counter it.

Machida, who has trained predominantly in one style all of his life, couldn’t adapt like Jones could because the moves he has practiced for three decades are hardwired into his brain at this point on a subconscious level.

Machida can’t just change his style.  It’s not possible and would only lead to him losing more fights if he did it.

He can add to his skill set, though.

Machida is a master at using range to set up kicks and punches.  His real problem is his underused Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and, more importantly, his lack of knees and elbows.

Knees and elbows might have helped Machida in the match if he had been able to use them more effectively.  Using punches and kicks worked for him, but it kept him only slightly inside of Jones’ range. If he had used knees and elbows he would have been able to bury himself deep inside the light heavyweight champion’s guard and done some real damage.

It is something that isn’t completely removed from Shotokan, but the knees and elbows used in that style and in its forms isn’t the same as the ones used in MMA and the UFC.  In Shotokan, the hands grip an opponent’s ears so that when the knee lands the ears are ripped from the head.  The elbows are driven in at a 12-6 angle and straight to the chest to break the sternum.

The only problem is that none of these moves are cage legal.  If Machida had tried using them he probably would have been disqualified.

So, the only way to improve upon this is to practice Muy Thai.  Luckily he lives in Brazil, where there are plenty of schools and training camps to learn and polish those techniques.

The only thing that might keep him from doing so is pride.  It’s understandable, as he was raised by his father in a traditional style of martial arts.  His MMA career has been a way of proving that that school of martial arts is dominant and deserves to be shown respect.  To go and learn another style of fighting would almost be like an admission that Shotokan is not capable of winning fights.

But that isn’t true.  Shotokan alone is capable of winning different battles and scrapes.  Just not the ones that take place in the Octagon.

In the original UFC, Machida might have been able to win with his style alone, but there are rules now.  It isn’t always the best martial artist who wins, but the better fighter who knows what moves are allowed in the cage and can implement them.

That might have been the case with Jon Jones this last Saturday.

No matter if it was or wasn’t, Machida lost.

Now if he wants to win he will have to face a decision.

Accept that MMA and traditional martial arts have some similarities but are also different, or possibly end his career years later not having done half of what he could have.

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 140 Results: Power Ranking Jon Jones’ 4 2011 Fights

Jon Jones seems to be on a roll.  Like an unstoppable force of nature, he just doesn’t seem to be able to slow down on his rise to the top of the UFC.  It’s hard envisioning someone giving him a tougher fight than Machida did.But how has Jone…

Jon Jones seems to be on a roll.  Like an unstoppable force of nature, he just doesn’t seem to be able to slow down on his rise to the top of the UFC.  It’s hard envisioning someone giving him a tougher fight than Machida did.

But how has Jones done in his last four fights as he has risen to the top of the heap and become champion?

It’s worth a look to see if Jones has been as destructive each time out. Since most fans see him as such a natural disaster rather than a human being, instead of power ranking his fights by the standard 1-to-10 scale we’ll use the Richter Scale.

The Richter Scale is used to measure earthquakes and goes from 2.0, which is micro, all the way to 10.0-plus, which is extremely rare and may not even be possible.

Now that the ranking system has been explained, let’s take a look at the last four UFC fights that Jones has taken place in, all the way from a fight with Bader to his impromptu title fight to Saturday’s main event.

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