Author: McKinley Noble

UFC 153: Did Anderson Silva Make the Right Decision to Fight Stephan Bonnar?

Anderson Silva has nothing to gain and everything to lose at UFC 153.But can we really complain about him saving an entire fight card?For a short while, UFC 153 was on the verge of suffering the same fate as the ravaged UFC 147 card and even might have…

Anderson Silva has nothing to gain and everything to lose at UFC 153.

But can we really complain about him saving an entire fight card?

For a short while, UFC 153 was on the verge of suffering the same fate as the ravaged UFC 147 card and even might have ended up like the infamous UFC 151 event “killed” by Jon Jones and Greg Jackson.

Originally, the main event featured a featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Erik Koch, a showcase fight for one of Brazil’s favorite sons—then the dreaded domino effect happened.

Koch went down to injury just a little over a month away from fight week and Frankie Edgar stepped in as a last-minute—and much better—replacement.

Aldo went down with a foot injury not even two weeks afterward.

To make matters worse, Quinton Jackson pulled out of his fight with Glover Teixeira due to a rather convenient elbow injury and Vitor Belfort left the card to face Jon Jones at UFC 152.

Just weeks away from canceling UFC 151, Dana White and Zuffa were looking at another nightmare situation. How badly would their stock have fallen with another canceled card?

Enter Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar.

In one of the most unlikely announcements in MMA this year, “The Spider” accepted a fight with “The American Psycho”—saving the Rio de Janeiro card and earning a lot of brownie points with his employers (most likely to the tune of a massive paycheck).

But did Silva make the right decision? Is any of this in his best interests?

Fighting an opponent like Bonnar has few upsides. As the greatest MMA fighter in history, Silva’s stock and ranking in the sport won’t rise with a victory over Bonnar.

Even though his title isn’t on the line, a loss here will also undo everything his legacy stands for. It would be an even worse career blow than Fedor Emelianenko suffered after losing to Fabricio Werdum in the first round of the Strikeforce Grand Prix.

Plus, Bonnar‘s not such an easy opponent.

At 6’4″ with an 80-inch reach, Bonnar is both the tallest and rangiest fighter that Silva has ever faced. He’s arguably the toughest as well, having never been stopped by strikes, knockout or submission.

It’s also a three-round main event. That works tremendously in Bonnar‘s favor, as he doesn’t even have to beat Silva to win. He just needs to steal two rounds on the judge’s scorecards and snag a split decision.

In short, Bonnar is the perfect fighter in just the right circumstance for an upset.

But regardless of all that, Anderson Silva made the right call.

Dana White will crow about UFC 153 being saved by “old-school” fighters, but the reality is that salvaging this card endears both men to their fans and sponsors and to the sport at large, even if Silva loses a controversial decision—or actually gets finished on some ridiculous stoppage.

Don’t forget, Brazil is arguably the hottest property for the UFC and Silva is one of the country’s biggest stars.

He’ll be paid handsomely for the fight, he’s getting the most beatable “big-name” opponent in the light heavyweight division and the narrative of “anyone, anytime, any weight” lives on, adding to Silva’s legendary reputation.

Until he beats Chael Sonnen, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will continue to be defined for ducking that fight, letting down fans of the sport and being a selfish diva.

Silva is no Florence Nightingale himself—and arguably a bigger diva than Jones—but this time he deserves his credit.

UFC 153 will either be another chapter in the history of the world’s greatest fighter or one of the biggest upsets in combat sports. Anderson Silva made a stupid, risky, cocky choice—but it was still the right decision to make.

[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jacob Volkmann vs. Shane Roller Results: Is Volkmann a Top-10 Lightweight?

Jacob Volkmann just won’t go away.Despite toiling on the undercard ever since UFC 108, the politically outspoken Minnesota native continues to win in what is arguably the promotion’s most densely talented division.In fact, Volkmann’s gone 6-1 in the UF…

Jacob Volkmann just won’t go away.

Despite toiling on the undercard ever since UFC 108, the politically outspoken Minnesota native continues to win in what is arguably the promotion’s most densely talented division.

In fact, Volkmann’s gone 6-1 in the UFC ever since dropping from welterweight to lightweight. But does that make him one of the division’s top fighters?

No, not by a country mile.

In fact, Volkmann’s not a top-10 lightweight by two country miles.

See, the problem with calling Volkmann an elite UFC fighter is that you have to quantify such a statement based on who he’s beaten, not just the winning streak alone.

Yes, it’s impressive that he’s only lost once in 30 months and seven fights—but just look at caliber of opponents he’s fighting.

Out of the six men Volkmann has defeated, only three of them are still with the UFC.

Ronys Torres and Antonio McKee were also dropped from the company right after losses to Volkmann. That’s never a good sign for any preliminary fighter, since it usually means they could’ve been on the chopping block with a loss.

(Side note: Ronys Torres has gone on a 10-fight winning streak in the regional circuit. For a 26-year-old fighter, that’s not bad. Some of those guys were decent, too. He even beat Drew Fickett.)

Moreover, all six of the men Volkmann defeated have a combined UFC record of 14-17, with the most high-profile opponent being either Danny Castillo or Efrain Escudero.

Not exactly a pair of world beaters.

Even though he’s winning most of his fights, Volkmann hasn’t beaten the kind of opponents that should elevate him into the top 10 at lightweight.

At the very minimum, he’ll have to beat a much more valuable opponent like Matt Wiman, TJ Grant or Jim Miller.

Heck, I’ll eat my hat if “Christmas” can beat someone like Melvin Guillard.

Jacob Volkmann’s not anywhere close to the top of the 155-pound division yet. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva will have to stop feeding him the lower end of the food chain first.

[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FX 5: Is Michael Johnson the Best Hope for the Blackzilians?

Are the Blackzilians ever going to win UFC gold? As one of the most talent-heavy “super-camps” in mixed martial arts, the successes and failures of the Florida-based team (operated and represented by Authentic Sports Management) have been interesting s…

Are the Blackzilians ever going to win UFC gold?

As one of the most talent-heavy “super-camps” in mixed martial arts, the successes and failures of the Florida-based team (operated and represented by Authentic Sports Management) have been interesting subjects during the last two years.

Out of that entire talented group, only Ultimate Fighter-winner Michael Johnson happens to be riding a 3-0 winning streak in the UFC this year.

According to MMA Decisions, that streak currently places the young Blackzilians member in an extremely small group with the unlikely Matt Brown, Cub Swanson and Stefan Struve.

But does that mean that Johnson is his team’s best hope for the next year?

Hardly.

Sure, the Blackzilians‘ top fighters have collectively posted a losing record since the inception of the team. At a glance, their win-loss tally actually seems very mediocre.

Here’s how the Blackzillans‘ founders fared since starting the camp in March 2011:

• Rashad Evans: 2 wins, 1 loss
• Jorge Santiago: 2 wins, 2 losses
• Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante: 1 win, 2 losses, 1 no-contest
• Danillo Villefort: 1 win, 1 loss
• Yuri Villefort: 1 loss

Combined record: 6 wins, 7 losses, 1 no-contest

Other Blackzilians haven’t been much more effective, save a few notable standouts. As it stands, the biggest thing swaying the numbers is the fact that most new members of the Jaco Hybrid Training Center haven’t actually competed since they joined the team.

For added context, here’s how other Blackzilians have performed since signing up:

• Vitor Belfort: August 2012; 1 loss
• Michael Johnson: Summer 2012 (after UFC on FOX 3); 1 win
• Melvin Guillard: January 2012; 1 win, 2 losses
• Eddie Alvarez: January 2012; 1 win
• Miguel Torres: January 2012; 1 loss
• Anthony Johnson: Early 2011 (after UFC Fight Night 24); 4 wins, 1 loss

Combined record: 8 wins, 5 losses

But as usual, numbers never tell the whole story, and this group is simply far too new to be judged by the last couple of years as a team.

During the rest of the year and before the end of 2013, the UFC will see the return of several Blackzilians such as Alistair Overeem, Thiago Silva, Siyar Bahadurzada, Claude Patrick and Matt Mitrione.

To suggest that the team’s biggest success rides on Michael Johnson isn’t fair to the still-evolving lightweight, especially since he came within inches of losing to Danny Castillo.

Looking at it critically, Alistair Overeem will likely bring the most success to the Blackzilians, provided he is able to regain a license and rejoin the heavyweight title hunt.

By far, Overeem and Rashad Evans should be considered the Blackzilians‘ best chances for winning a UFC championship. Not only are they two of the most dangerous fighters in their respective divisions, but they’re also the two members of the team closest to title shots.

UFC welterweight Siyar Bahadurzada shouldn’t be overlooked either, as he’ll return from injury amid a seven-fight winning streak.

Plus, if Anthony Johnson gets his weight issues under control, settles in at light heavyweight and makes his way back into the UFC’s good graces, the entire division should be on notice.

Michael Johnson is definitely improving. If he’s brought along with sensible matchmaking, his youth and athleticism will help him rise through the lightweight ranks at a steady pace. But let’s not suggest that the entire hopes of the Blackzilians are riding on his shoulders alone.

[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Invicta FC 3 Results: Nine Thoughts About This Weekend’s All-Women MMA Card

Even though it shared a crowded weekend with the UFC, ONE FC, and former WWE star Dave Bautista, the Kansas City-based Invicta FC kept itself from getting lost in the shuffle.Throughout the night, the action was punctuated with quick finishes, all-out …

Even though it shared a crowded weekend with the UFC, ONE FC, and former WWE star Dave Bautista, the Kansas City-based Invicta FC kept itself from getting lost in the shuffle.

Throughout the night, the action was punctuated with quick finishes, all-out brawls, and some great displays of skill between world-ranked fighters.

Altogether, there were a few major upsets, the crowning of a new pound-for-pound champion, and the appearance of a particularly frightening potential bantamweight dark horse. 

If you missed it, here are a few thoughts, highlights, and general notes plucked from the 14-fight regional card.

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UFC: Should They Abandon Facebook and Show All Fights on FOX Channels?

Is it finally time for the UFC to stop showing preliminary bouts on Facebook?Ever since signing with the FOX Network last year, there’s been a huge surge in the number of UFC bouts airing on cable and network television. However, the promotion is still…

Is it finally time for the UFC to stop showing preliminary bouts on Facebook?

Ever since signing with the FOX Network last year, there’s been a huge surge in the number of UFC bouts airing on cable and network television. However, the promotion is still stubbornly holding onto the idea of showing a small handful of fights on Facebook.

Even in the early days with Spike TV, the UFC never really committed properly to the idea of showing free fights on the popular social network. More often than not, only one or two fights are aired online, forcing fans to jump from computer to television channels to PPV broadcasts in a single night.

But even with the FOX deal giving the UFC access to three different TV channels, they don’t necessarily need to take Facebook out of the mix.

Dana White consistently says that the company needs more fights on TV and more fighters to fill those airtime hours. If that’s the case, there’s no better method than to funnel all your prelim fights through FX and Fuel TV.

From a company standpoint, that’s more TV exposure for fighters, more advertising, and more chances to build up familiarity with casual viewers.

But what’s the real problem with showing fights on Facebook? Stretching out fight cards for no reason, making things inconvenient and confusing.

UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot was a perfect example of why one-fight (or two-fight) Facebook video streams are unnecessary.

Asking fans to have laptop or tablet access for such a small portion of the card is a time-waster, and in an event like the Jeremy Stephens controversy, a single cancellation makes the whole exercise pointless.

In a perfect world, the UFC could air a three-hour preliminary special for every fight night on FX or Fuel TV, ensuring that viewers at home or fans out in sports pubs are able to get the exposure of a full fight card with minimal hassle.

Not every fan can count on prelim cards getting “bumped” up to TV or PPV. Putting everything on TV at the bare minimum eliminates that conflict.

But if the UFC wants to give people some real value for tuning in through Facebook, either have a sizable five-fight lineup or just save the whole thing for TV.

In the future, the UFC needs to go all in or just do nothing—stop dangling a single fight in front of the Facebook crowds in some half-assed attempt to cover extra bases. It’s not worth the hassle.

[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FX 5 Results: Ellenberger vs. Hieron: What Went Right for Ellenberger?

Jake Ellenberger is back to his winning ways, but his fight against Jay Hieron wasn’t the barn burner that we’ve come to expect from “The Juggernaut” lately.Still, you can’t knock him for the tepid victory.An opponent like Hieron should give Ellenberge…

Jake Ellenberger is back to his winning ways, but his fight against Jay Hieron wasn’t the barn burner that we’ve come to expect from “The Juggernaut” lately.

Still, you can’t knock him for the tepid victory.

An opponent like Hieron should give Ellenberger a small boost in the welterweight rankings, especially since he’s now avenged his first professional loss. Plus, as the old adage goes, it takes two to tango and Hieron wasn’t dancing.

Instead of focusing on the negatives, what were the keys to Ellenberger‘s victory at UFC on FX 5, and how did he put everything together? Let’s break down everything he did right.

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