Author: Randall Woo

Stephan Bonnar Deserves One More Big Fight in the UFC

On April 9, 2005, the landscape of mixed martial arts was changed forever. That was the night that Stephan Bonnar fought Forrest Griffin in the TUF season 1 finale.In one of the greatest displays of human determination ever witnessed inside the cage, t…

On April 9, 2005, the landscape of mixed martial arts was changed forever. That was the night that Stephan Bonnar fought Forrest Griffin in the TUF season 1 finale.

In one of the greatest displays of human determination ever witnessed inside the cage, the two men gave everything they had and put on a spectacle for the world to see.

Stephan Bonnar came up short, and Forrest Griffin was declared the winner, but both fighters were given UFC contracts.

Their careers have continued on a similar note. Griffin has gone on to win (and lose) the UFC light heavyweight championship, while Bonnar has never even challenged.

Bonnar has fought the best of the best, but it seems that he just couldn’t quite reach that elite level. His losses consist mostly of current/former champions (Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida and Jon Jones).  

At this point in his career, Bonnar is 35 and isn’t getting any younger. It’s fair to say that his best days are behind him.

However, he’s put together a nice three-fight winning streak, albeit against middling competition (Kyle Kingsbury, Igor Pokrajac and Krzysztof Soszynski).

Although he was never the most physically gifted fighter, he makes up for what he lacks in grit and determination. He’s earned his nickname “The American Psycho,” and fans know that he will never shy away from a good old fashioned brawl.

His counterpart, Forrest Griffin, is currently scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 155. Although Griffin is coming off a win against Tito Ortiz, his career has taken a bit of a slide. (His exit of the cage and post-fight interview with Tito was just bizarre.) If Griffin loses against Sonnen (which I think is likely), it would be great to see Griffin and Bonnar go at it one more time.

Would the rematch live up to the first fight? Not likely. However, the world seems to love trilogies, and it just seems fitting that these two fight one last time to wrap everything up.

For all he’s done, and all that he’s given to the sport, Bonnar is owed at least one more big fight.

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UFC 154: Does Carlos Condit Have a Shot at GSP?

On November 17, Carlos Condit will be stepping into enemy territory in Montreal to face Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title.Both fighters have received their fair shares of criticism—Condit for implementing a predominantly defensive …

On November 17, Carlos Condit will be stepping into enemy territory in Montreal to face Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title.

Both fighters have received their fair shares of criticism—Condit for implementing a predominantly defensive game plan against Nick Diaz and for choosing to wait to fight GSP, and GSP for his history of fights ending by decision (five of last six) and his long layoff (last fought on April 30, 2011).

The criticism directed toward Condit is a bit unfair.

Against Nick Diaz, he stuck to the game plan that he felt gave him the best shot to win. The FightMetric report shows that he out-struck Diaz in both total strikes and significant strikes.

He didn’t fight the most fan-friendly fight, but it’s not as though the judges handed him the victory. He won the fight.

Most of the criticism directed towards him stem from this one fight. If you look at his record, you’ll see that he’s gone to decision an absurd four times in 33 fights.

His nickname is “The Natural Born Killer,” and for good reason.

GSP is the obvious favorite, as the defending champion. He is a great all-around fighter with superb conditioning. The questions surrounding him are how he will respond after so much time away from the cage and how his injuries have healed.

St-Pierre is criticized for not taking many risks in his fights. Now this is pure speculation, but perhaps this stems from UFC 69, where huge underdog Matt Serra stopped him in the first round by TKO. Maybe GSP took him lightly or found himself to be a little careless.

Regardless of the reason, St-Pierre has cruised through all of his opponents since. Why take needless risks when you have everything to lose? He wins decisively, though not spectacularly. 

Condit is a much different fighter than those that GSP has faced recently. Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Jake Shields are primarily grapplers, though of that bunch Koscheck poses a legitimate threat on the feet.

Dan Hardy and Thiago Alves are the strikers GSP has faced, and since losing to him, they have both hit major rough patches in their careers.

I feel that St-Pierre hasn’t really been challenged in quite a while. However, it may be a case of him clearing out the division and making his opponents look bad.

Condit is a very dangerous fighter, though the key for him will be his striking game. He is comfortable in all areas and will seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

Just to show you how well-rounded Condit is, he has 13 wins by KO/TKO and 13 by submission. He has lost only once in his last 14 fights (a split decision to top contender Martin Kampmann in 2009) and seems to have really found his stride.

Condit definitely has a shot, and it is a better one than any of GSP’s opponents have had in a long time.

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Which Upcoming Season of TUF Will Be Better?

Two new seasons of the UFC’s iconic show The Ultimate Fighter are on the way. An international version, featuring Brits and Aussies titled “The Smashes” will feature former TUF alums George Sotiropoulos and Ross Pearson as coaches. The name is apparent…

Two new seasons of the UFC’s iconic show The Ultimate Fighter are on the way. An international version, featuring Brits and Aussies titled “The Smashes” will feature former TUF alums George Sotiropoulos and Ross Pearson as coaches. The name is apparently a play on a 130-year-old cricket rivalry. This season will feature lightweights and welterweights.

Also announced is the standard U.S. version which will feature welterweights. The coaches will be former TUF alum Roy Nelson and fellow heavyweight Shane Carwin.

When it comes to weight classes, I think “The Smashes” holds more promise. By now, MMA is so popular that most of the really talented fighters have found their way to the UFC or other large promotions without going the reality TV route.

The most recent welterweight winner was Tony Ferguson, with the runner up being Ramsey Nijem on TUF 13. Before TUF: Live, the most recent lightweight winner was Jonathan Brookins, with the runner up being Michael Johnson on TUF 12.

It’s safe to say that these aren’t exactly household names yet, but the reason that I believe “The Smashes” holds more promise is because there is potentially more undiscovered talent in the U.K. and in Australia than in the U.S.

Now when it comes to coaches and overall premise, I’m much more looking forward to the U.S. version of the show. The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom was probably my least favorite of all the TUF seasons. The rivalry between the coaches was good (Henderson vs. Bisping) but I found the rivalry between the two teams to be lacking, as well as the cast just overall lacking much personality.

Interestingly enough, new coach Ross Pearson was one of the winners of this season. He’s grown on me as a fighter since his days on the show, but I still can’t say I’m truly a fan. However, I am a fan of fellow coach George Sotiropolous. What’s funny is that his no-nonsense attitude is what I found to be endearing during his time on the show (Season 6). 

Roy Nelson is an obvious fan favorite, although I didn’t find him very likeable during his time as a cast member on the show (Season 10). He seemed to think too highly of himself, and didn’t fully believe in the coaching staff. I felt his performances weren’t very impressive, but he still managed to win the season pretty handily.

He doesn’t seem to take anything too seriously (including himself) so it will be interesting to see how he interacts with Shane Carwin, who seems like a pretty serious dude.

I also think the American coaches pose a more interesting matchup. It’ll be interesting to see Carwin back in action after a long layoff.

So, overall, “The Smashes” seems to offer something a little more fresh, while the tried and true U.S. version offers an intriguing coaching matchup. In terms of overall impact, “The Smashes” has more potential in creating stars and expanding the UFC’s brand overseas.

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Is Dan Henderson the One to End Jon Jones’ Run?

At UFC 151, we will see two warriors meeting in the cage at opposite ends of their careers.Jon Jones is the young (recently turned 25) seemingly invincible champion, while Dan Henderson, now at 41, has had a long and storied career (and hasn’t shown an…

At UFC 151, we will see two warriors meeting in the cage at opposite ends of their careers.

Jon Jones is the young (recently turned 25) seemingly invincible champion, while Dan Henderson, now at 41, has had a long and storied career (and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down).

Does Henderson have what it takes to stop the young phenom?

He’s currently riding a four-fight win streak, including a decision win over Shogun Rua, in what can be considered one of the most exciting fights of 2011. He also defeated the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.

As impressive as that win was, Hendo was not fighting the dominant fighter Fedor once was. Fedor was coming off a two-fight losing streak, and is now retired.

Shogun Rua is the former UFC light heavyweight champ, and is still one of the top contenders in the division. Hendo won a decision over him, while Jon Jones dominated Rua with a TKO victory (and took his title).

Jones’ title run started with Rua, and he’s since defeated three other former champs—Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans. The only one to even remotely pose a threat to him was Machida.

The edge when it comes to previous competition faced has to go to Jones.

When it comes to skill set, Henderson brings a strong wrestling game along with knockout power in his hands.

Jones also has a wrestling background (much less decorated than Henderson’s), but he also brings a much more dynamic striking attack.

Jones will also hold a significant reach advantage (84.5″ to Hendo’s 71″).

Jones has dominated numerous wrestlers, Matt Hamill, Ryan Bader and Rashad Evans to name a few, and I don’t really see anything new that Henderson brings to the table. He has a Greco-Roman wrestling base, but I think he’ll find it hard to get on the inside against Jones. In addition to his wingspan, Jones has very long legs.

With that said, this was the right time for Henderson to receive his title shot. I know better than to count him out. However, come September, the Jones hype train will keep on rolling.

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Is UFC’s Kenny Florian Cut out for the Commentating Job?

Earlier this year, Kenny Florian was announced as a commentator for the UFC. It’s been a few months now, and if you’ve been watching the lower profile shows (UFC on FX, UFC on Fuel) you’re probably familiar with Florian and his booth buddy Jon Anik.So …

Earlier this year, Kenny Florian was announced as a commentator for the UFC. It’s been a few months now, and if you’ve been watching the lower profile shows (UFC on FX, UFC on Fuel) you’re probably familiar with Florian and his booth buddy Jon Anik.

So what’s the verdict on his performance so far?

He’s been stellar, much like his UFC career has been. 

I always lend more credence to commentary made by fighters, and it’s interesting to hear his perspective on things that are happening in the cage since he’s actually been there. Florian and Anik are quietly sneaking up as my favoring MMA commentary team.

Don’t get me wrong, it’ll be a long time before they dethrone Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg—the premier MMA commentary team. Rogan and Goldberg have great chemistry, and I love Rogan’s personality and knowledge of the sport. He’s not afraid to call things like he sees them.

Goldberg also grew on me over time as the company man who always finds time to plug the latest thing the UFC wants to sell.

However, after watching them call probably more than 80 events (I’ve been watching since about UFC 60), the act is beginning to grow old. You always know what you’re going to get with Rogan and Goldie. That’s why it’s nice to get some fresh blood in the commentary booth.

Florian and Anik have a laid-back, intelligent style that I find quite enjoyable. They don’t exaggerate a whole lot, and pretty much call things straight-up.

Rogan has a tendency to get carried away sometimes, but that’s fine with me—that’s how Rogan is. However, by comparison the commentary in Strikeforce is awful.

Gus Johnson sounds like he’s yelling 100 percent of the time, and Mauro Ranallo is no stranger to hyperbole. I feel he bears a few similarities to the WWE’s Jim Ross. I know he’s been around since the Pride days, but I’m still not a fan.

Knowing the alternatives that are out there makes me that much more grateful for Florian and Anik. So, now that Florian is officially retired from MMA, here’s to many more broadcasts featuring KenFlo.  

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Defining What Makes a Fighter a UFC Superstar

The UFC can be a tough place. It takes years of training and physical conditioning to make it to the big show. The UFC is the grandest stage for mixed martial arts combat. Just reaching the UFC is an accomplishment in and of itself.Therefore, it just g…

The UFC can be a tough place. It takes years of training and physical conditioning to make it to the big show. The UFC is the grandest stage for mixed martial arts combat. Just reaching the UFC is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Therefore, it just goes to show the truly elite nature of the fighters that are worthy of the title “superstar.” 

It’s more than being an exciting fighter.

Fan favorites like Paul Buentello always come to fight and put on a show for the fans. However, you know that if they are matched up against a serious contender that they wouldn’t hold up so well.

It takes more than just being a good fighter.

Guys like Kenny Florian and Jon Fitch have had amazing careers, but could never quite get over the hump. They’d defeat everyone on their way to a title fight, but couldn’t really hang with the champ.

Not even being champ is enough.

The lighter weight classes are relatively new, so even amazing fighters like Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz aren’t superstars.

So what does it take to be considered a superstar?

It means you’ve got to have the total package: Marketable, charismatic, exciting both in and out of the ring and most important of all, damn good at what they do.

They transcend the world of MMA and are recognized by the mainstream media. The regular Joe knows his name.

Anderson Silva is a superstar. So are GSP and Jon Jones.

Who’s next?

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