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Erick Silva: Why MMA Needs to Institute Instant Replay Now

MMA needs to institute instant replay, not in the near future but now, because the debacle surrounding fights ended via the say so of the referee regarding illegal blows, elbows and so on to an opponent will never be par for the course, and if anything…

Most recently, at UFC 142 Brazil, we were privy to how badly instant replay should be a prerequisite at all major MMA events—Erick “ĺndio” Silva was on the brink of certain victory, only for Mario Yamasaki, who was officiating the matchup, to end proceedings via disqualification, thus handing the win to Carlo Prater.

Silva’s transgression was the fact that he’d allegedly rained several blows to the back of Prater’s head, though on closer observation and with the benefit of replay later on, it was found out that only one of the Brazilian’s punches had connected to the head of his opponent.

That, however, was no consolation for Silva, who was not only fighting in front of his countrymen, but up until then had been on a nine-fight unbeaten streak.

No one, not the fighters nor the fans, want to see a bout ended in controversy let alone via disqualification.

People pay good money to watch these fights, either through ticket or pay-per-view buys and the fighters on the receiving end of such dubious decisions end up with a loss that shouldn’t be and one which could easily have a detrimental effect on their psyche as well as future earnings.

The solution to the problem is simple—if an infraction takes place during a match, the instant replay will show whether or not the assumed perpetrator was in fact culpable of the infringement.

And if, however, he’s deemed guilty of said crime, then a point or two deducted would suffice and the bout could continue as normal, with the fighter in question aware of what might befall him if there is a repeat of his actions.

What this does, it not only gives the referee ample time to assess the situation and then make his call, but it also benefits MMA in the long run—more importantly the fans and the fighters.

For such scenarios to be a thing of the past, instant replay is the way and only way forward.

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UFC 143 Fight Card: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Breakdown

In the main event at UFC 143, Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit contend for the Interim welterweight championship en route to an eventual clash with the division’s elected 170-lb titlist Georges St. Pierre who is currently convalescing following a knee…

St. Pierre’s coveted crown is really what’s at stake here—the chance to upend the seemingly indomitable Canadian and wear UFC gold looms ever-large.

However, first they have to prove that they’ve earned that shot.

Though both combatants have almost similar skill sets at hand, the question is who will come out victorious on fight night?

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UFC 143 Fight Card: Which Fight Will Steal the Show?

This weekend, the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., plays host to UFC 143, which will feature the eagerly-anticipated clash between main eventers Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. After almost three-plus years away from the Octagon following hi…

This weekend, the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., plays host to UFC 143, which will feature the eagerly-anticipated clash between main eventers Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.

After almost three-plus years away from the Octagon following his loss to Junior Dos Santos at UFC 90, Fabricio Werdum makes his return in the co-main event, where he’ll lock horns with Roy Nelson.

Even though there is an array of talent on display that could end up winning fight of the night honors—Josh Koscheck and most notably, Renan Barão, whom at present is riding a 27-fight winning streak, the fight that will definitely steal the show has to be the interim welterweight title bout between Diaz and Condit.

Both fighters were on the cusp of vying for the coveted belt, currently held by the recuperating Georges St-Pierre, only to have their title aspirations dashed due to foreseen (Diaz) and unforeseen circumstances.

Now that an opportunity presents itself in the guise of the interim belt, it’s all to play for, and the stakes are massively high.

Diaz whose most recent victory was a near enough one-sided beatdown of “The Prodigy,” BJ Penn, relinquished his Strikeforce welterweight crown for pastures anew at the Zuffa-based promotion and with the sole intention of usurping St. Pierre as the division’s kingpin.

Conversely, Condit is coming off two knock out of the night wins against Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim and has ambitions of his own regarding the title.

Both combatants possess great striking ability and some serious submissions skills to boot.

A loss for the Stockton native “The Natural-Born Killer,” Condit, will be a huge fail in every sense of the word—it will more or less have proven that neither fighter was a title contender in the first place.

With everything on the line, expect this matchup to be a war of attrition—a state of the art bagarre.

UFC 143 is scheduled for Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

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UFC on Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Takes Chicago By Storm and Waxes Lyrical

Once the Chael Sonnen storm hit Chicago ahead of his UFC on Fox 2 co-main event with Michael “The Count” Bisping, the “Windy City” almost instantaneously felt his presence. If that wasn’t enough, Uncle Chael resorted to wa…

Parading his replica UFC belt, the Oregon native did what he does best—he held court.

Sonnen first took a swipe at the reigning middleweight titleist Anderson Silva, insinuating that he’d taken the belt from “The Spider” and therefore had absolute ownership.

Well, for those of you who can’t see, this is the championship belt that I took from Anderson Silva. In this country, possession is nine tenths of the law. Finders keepers, losers weepers. If he wants it back, he knows where he can find it.

Next, he serenaded those in attendance with his poetry skills—he was kicking rhymes.

You’re looking at the reflection of perfection. You’re looking at the man who gets all your attention. You’re looking at the man with the biggest arm. At the man, with the greatest charm, the man in Chicago who will do harm to the guy three doors down.

Whatcha gonna do, when you know who? How ya gonna deal, with the man of steel? How ya gonna react to Sonnen’s attack? Tune in on the 28th! 8 p.m. Eastern Time! You’ll find out who the real champion is.

At the United Centre on Saturday night, Sonnen will be attempting to book his flight to Brazil for an eventual summer clash with Silva. However, his opponent Bisping has designs on the 185-pound title as well, which could make for an intriguing matchup.

Either way, Sonnen is in dire need of a win. Otherwise, not only will he lose out on a much sought after rematch with the Brazilian, but it’s more than likely that he’ll slide down the pecking order and out of title contention for a while.

UFC on Fox 2 is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

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Chael Sonnen and His 10 Best Quotes Leading Up to UFC on FOX 2

The Chael Sonnen show has been gathering pace in the lead-up to his co-main-event clash with Michael Bisping at UFC on FOX 2 this Saturday. Though by Sonnen-esque standards the trash talking has been kept to a minimum, where there’s a Sonnen ther…

“Love him or hate him” is one the biggest clichés going, but it’s a cliché that will never become blasé whilst Uncle Chael’s oratory skills are on display.

Sonnen is the most intriguing combatant to have ever graced the MMA stage—his verbal magniloquence is par excellence.

Long story short: In the realm of MMA promotional expertise, Chael P. Sonnen is nonpareil.

Enough with the encomiums—here’s a look at those quotes.

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Which UFC Superfight Could Be the Equivalent of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao?

The most ardent fans of the sweet science are privy to the projected matchup between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao, an event that has been aptly named the “Fight of the Century.”If and when it…

If and when it does transpire, it will truly be that: the superfight of an era.

In comparison to boxing, MMA is still in its infancy, but as time goes by, the sport will exponentially attain the heights of and maybe even surpass the art of pugilism, to such a degree that the realm of the combatant will be synonymous with mixed martial arts.

Despite being relatively new to the public and the media’s spotlight, MMA still has several bouts which could assume the title of superfight.

The question is which one could ultimately stand alongside the aforementioned Money vs. Pac-Man as the superfight of the MMA world?

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