If you’re like me, you are a YouTube Genghis Con subscriber, and you have a fondness for the theater of Japanese MMA. Also, you write rebuttal articles completely off the cuff, you’re not getting any younger, and you’re frustrated at the extra weight you’re putting on. And you’ve also been known to cry over Disney movies and those damn Pedigree commercials. Long story short, you’re a pretty cool person, and we should probably hang out and share some Ben & Jerry’s Americone Dream and talk about fighters with heart.
Ok, you’re probably not like me, and that’s probably just fine with you. But if you don’t enjoy a good scrap from the land of PRIDE, Shooto, and DREAM, then we probably shouldn’t hang out, because chances are we’re going to have less in common than Miley Cyrus and Emanuel Yarbrough. By the way, Ben says that picture is a celebrity with a random-ass fighter, which is totally different.
If you do dig JMMA and Genghis Con, go ahead and enjoy his latest effort, “Honor Among Champs”. Then you can rag on me for being a fifteen year old girl in the comments.
[RX]
If you’re like me, you are a YouTube Genghis Con subscriber, and you have a fondness for the theater of Japanese MMA. Also, you write rebuttal articles completely off the cuff, you’re not getting any younger, and you’re frustrated at the extra weight you’re putting on. And you’ve also been known to cry over Disney movies and those damn Pedigree commercials. Long story short, you’re a pretty cool person, and we should probably hang out and share some Ben & Jerry’s Americone Dream and talk about fighters with heart.
Ok, you’re probably not like me, and that’s probably just fine with you. But if you don’t enjoy a good scrap from the land of PRIDE, Shooto, and DREAM, then we probably shouldn’t hang out, because chances are we’re going to have less in common than Miley Cyrus and Emanuel Yarbrough. By the way, Ben says that picture is a celebrity with a random-ass fighter, which is totally different.
If you do dig JMMA and Genghis Con, go ahead and enjoy his latest effort, “Honor Among Champs”. Then you can rag on me for being a fifteen year old girl in the comments.
So”heart of a champion” is just a meaningless phrase? PicProps: Esther Lin
Heart is awesome. Guts are more important to cage fighting than Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Balls sell more tickets than Olympic medals. Heart is an intangible, an ethereal quality that fighters seem to either have in abundance, or sorely lack. And while intangibles may offend the sensibilities of those who would analyze fights like they’re backward engineering a damn nuclear centrifuge, it’s that very quality that motivates fans to buy tickets, buy shirts, buy pay per views, buy hotel rooms. It isn’t simply some writer’s trope that we use to fill space; this is an attribute that, however hard to pin down, has a demonstrable effect.
There is something about competition in sports that speaks directly to primal emotions in all of us. Ok, apparently not all of us, but still. Fans tend to be emotional people, and not always rational. So a non-tangible quality like “heart” is important, if for nothing but a fighter’s popularity.
Guys like Ox Wheeler or Leonard Garcia or Scott Smith that seem to just go out there and wing it, wind up getting in a war with some guy and they beat the piss out of one another and everybody in the crowd goes bonkers and throws their hotdogs in the air and the collective cry is a noise like the damn building is yelling–that’s why that happens. And everyone goes home horny and it’s generally a good time had by all. It’s a purely emotional response, and base, and uneducated…and it’s totally valid.
So”heart of a champion” is just a meaningless phrase? PicProps: Esther Lin
Heart is awesome. Guts are more important to cage fighting than Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Balls sell more tickets than Olympic medals. Heart is an intangible, an ethereal quality that fighters seem to either have in abundance, or sorely lack. And while intangibles may offend the sensibilities of those who would analyze fights like they’re backward engineering a damn nuclear centrifuge, it’s that very quality that motivates fans to buy tickets, buy shirts, buy pay per views, buy hotel rooms. It isn’t simply some writer’s trope that we use to fill space; this is an attribute that, however hard to pin down, has a demonstrable effect.
There is something about competition in sports that speaks directly to primal emotions in all of us. Ok, apparently not all of us, but still. Fans tend to be emotional people, and not always rational. So a non-tangible quality like “heart” is important, if for nothing but a fighter’s popularity.
Guys like Ox Wheeler or Leonard Garcia or Scott Smith that seem to just go out there and wing it, wind up getting in a war with some guy and they beat the piss out of one another and everybody in the crowd goes bonkers and throws their hotdogs in the air and the collective cry is a noise like the damn building is yelling–that’s why that happens. And everyone goes home horny and it’s generally a good time had by all. It’s a purely emotional response, and base, and uneducated…and it’s totally valid.
Keep in mind, without those newbs and meatheads who come in droves and fall in love with “sloppy” fights and “gutsy” fighters, there is no growth to the sport. Yes, new fans can be can be annoying, so you’d do well to help them learn, rather than piss on their parade about what a shitty fight that was that they just enjoyed so much.
Note to MMA hipsters: yes, your knowledge of obscure brazilian fight leagues and Russian grappling tourneys is impressive. But it’s not wise to demand that a fan have a certain level of knowledge before they’re allowed to enjoy the sport alongside you. Just sayin’.
***
If you’ve seen Jared Hess fight, you’ve probably gotten a pretty good look at what heart looks like. Like Shane Carwin, Hess took a pretty nasty beat down, a seventeen-minute session from Hector Lombard in the first Bellator middleweight finals, almost exactly two years ago. Doctors stopped the fight, but Hess never quit. Did he, like Carwin, have very little chance of winning that fight? Yes, very small chance indeed. And heart is what carries a fighter through, holding on to that very small chance.
Heart is what made Hess sign on for another tournament, and another potential shot at the man who had beaten him so thoroughly. Foolhardy? Perhaps, but his resolve is admirable. Hess won his way back to the finals the next season, and faced the Russian hurricane, Alexander Shlemenko. Hess dominated the fight for two rounds. In the third, he continued to dominate, until he landed awkwardly and a everloving cataclysm happened inside his knee. He dislocated pretty much everything from the knee down — and he continued to dominate the fight. It was two minutes later, with Hess close to taking an easy decision win, that the ref noticed that Hess couldn’t stand on his leg because it was no longer functional and called the fight. And Hess had the balls to argue with him. He showed heart.
Heart makes you do awesome things, it just doesn‘t always go the fighter‘s way. Diego Sanchez’s Traveling Slam of Positivity? That came from heart. Anyone can pick a guy up and slam him on his back with enough training. It takes guts to hoist a grown man on your shoulders and jog him back to your corner while you roar like a silverback gorilla. I guess ‘roids could do it, too.
No, heart is something that you can’t quantify, or test for, or even train for. Statisticians and odds-makers be damned, but fighters will continue to show heart, and hoards of fans will continue to love them for it. Everyone loves an underdog, and fans will still love him when he loses, because he went down swinging. No one is denying the loss, or masking some truth: sometimes fighters are outgunned and overmatched, but he gutted it out anyway. He showed heart.
Heart is awesome. And hating on heart? That’s just some cynical bullshit. Screw that. I’m going to go watch Huerta-Garcia.
It’s no Ghengis Con joint, but it’s something. VidProps: ShoSports
Nation, amongst all the large names and ginormous dudes fighting this weekend, you may have overlooked Daniel Cormier. This weekend’s bout with heavyweight submission grappler/anarchist/tattoo enthusiast Jeff Monson will be Cormier’s fifth fight for Strikeforce since his debut in September of 2009 under the Challengers banner. Perhaps it’s no shock that Cormier isn’t a household name, considering the lack of promotion from his, uh, promotion, but he’s nonetheless a dude you should know.
Come on in past the jump and better know Daniel Cormier, so you’ll have something intelligent to say at the bar while his fight is on.
It’s no Ghengis Con joint, but it’s something. VidProps: ShoSports
Nation, amongst all the large names and ginormous dudes fighting this weekend, you may have overlooked Daniel Cormier. This weekend’s bout with heavyweight submission grappler/anarchist/tattoo enthusiast Jeff Monson will be Cormier’s fifth fight for Strikeforce since his debut in September of 2009 under the Challengers banner. Perhaps it’s no shock that Cormier isn’t a household name, considering the lack of promotion from his, uh, promotion, but he’s nonetheless a dude you should know.
Come on in past the jump and better know Daniel Cormier, so you’ll have something intelligent to say at the bar while his fight is on.
He’s got mad wrestling cred.
Who is the best pure wrestler in MMA? Daniel Cormier’s resume is the definition of world class: high school champ and All-American, ju-co champ, Oklahoma State alum, member of the US Olympic wrestling team in 2004 and 2008. (Sadly, Cormier could not compete at the 2008 games.) Perhaps the most interesting wrestling experience is his time in the now-defunct Real Pro Wrestling league, where Cormier was a champion. Amateur wrestling rules were tweaked for the RPW, giving Cormier some experience with hybrid grappling and a bridge to MMA competition.
He’s got a great camp.
Cormier hooked up with the people at AKA in San Jose, where he trains with some of the best wrestlers-turned-fighters on the planet: Cain Velasquez, King Mo, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Kyle Kingsbury… we could go on, but we think you’ve probably heard of this team. Training with smaller guys has kept Cormier quick and sharp, and he can match power with the big heavyweights as well. The team has shown that they can teach wrestlers how to strike, and Cormier is a quick study.
He’s not a lay and pray kind of guy.
Cormier is deceptively quick for a heavyweight, and he mixes strikes and takedowns extremely well. He has gone to decision just once, in his last fight versus Devin Cole; his six other victories are split evenly between subs and TKO wins. Only one of those sub wins was actually a sub win in the usual sense: Soa Palelei and Jason Riley both tapped to strikes. Cormier’s powerful ground and pound should continue to rack up victories for him.
He’s already gone golden.
Cormier was just 2-0 when Xtreme MMA out of Sydney, Australia offered him a fight for the XMMA heavyweight championship. Cormier claimed the gold with a TKO victory over Lucas Browne in the first round. (He went on to successfully defend that title as well.) King of the Cage offered him a fight with newly crowned champ Tony Johnson Jr last August, and he dominated Johnson for an RNC win in just two and a half minutes. (Full fight can be found here.)
He seems like a good guy.
Cormier comes off as a class act in interviews, whether he’s talking about his own progression as a fighter or the enmity between his bro-dog King Mo and Rampage Jackson. He seems thoughtful and humble, and have a very strong grasp of what he does well, and what he needs to improve upon. It’s this introspection that puts Cormier’s potential so high.
He’s small for a heavyweight…
…but don’t sweat it. Cormier gets dinged for being undersized at 265, at only 5’11″ (74 inch reach), but he’s powerfully built. Against wrestlers, Cormier’s lower center of gravity is actually an advantage. Against submission artists, his short limbs make for difficult taps. Against pure strikers, his ability to change levels quickly and mix up strikes and shoots can keep kickboxers from pulling the trigger on big strikes and combos. Put simply, it’s going to take a complete fighter to hand Cormier his first loss.
Cormier will face a big test this weekend against Monson, and this could be his coming-out party, with a large expected audience for the heavyweight GP. And if the winner of the tournament vacates the title and moves over to the UFC, don’t be surprised if Cormier claims the Strikeforce belt quickly. If, that is, he doesn’t join up with the big show himself. And that’s the word.
If you are a child of the 80s, Richard Dean Anderson will probably forever hold a special place in your heart as one of the coolest heroes ever. Why there isn’t still a show running in which a non-violent genius improvs helpful gadgets and kludges with a few innocuous articles from his lady friend’s purse is beyond us. Luckily, the spirit of MacGyver lives on in us all, and that includes Mr Josh Barnett.
The Babyface Assassin was having interview funtime with Karyn Bryant of MMA HEAT when a mishap with free weights put a damper on some dude’s day, leaving him with a dinged schnoz. Weightlifter guy is doing the whole routine: yeah, this is like the other times I broke it, nah, it don’t hurt that bad, yeah, I’m ok, nah, I ain’t got time to bleed.
Barnett springs into action! Using a couple of ballpoint pens, our buddy Josh manages to open and straighten Mr Bad Snatch’s nasal passages. It’s no field tracheotomy, but still probably a handy bit of knowledge to have, especially if people punch you in the face a lot.
Weightlifter dude walks away to cry off-camera, Josh does his PSA about bad snatch, end scene. While you probably didn’t learn anything, we at least distracted you for three minutes, so you’re welcome. If you’ve ever performed some oddball first aid using the field medic training you received in ‘Nam, tell us about it in the comments. (No need to share your own stories of snatch encounters, thanks.)
[RX]
If you are a child of the 80s, Richard Dean Anderson will probably forever hold a special place in your heart as one of the coolest heroes ever. Why there isn’t still a show running in which a non-violent genius improvs helpful gadgets and kludges with a few innocuous articles from his lady friend’s purse is beyond us. Luckily, the spirit of MacGyver lives on in us all, and that includes Mr Josh Barnett.
The Babyface Assassin was having interview funtime with Karyn Bryant of MMA HEAT when a mishap with free weights put a damper on some dude’s day, leaving him with a dinged schnoz. Weightlifter guy is doing the whole routine: yeah, this is like the other times I broke it doing tough guy stuff, nah, it don’t hurt that bad, yeah, I’m all good, nah, I ain’t got time to bleed.
Barnett springs into action! Using a couple of ballpoint pens, our buddy Josh manages to open and straighten Mr Bad Snatch’s nasal passages. It’s no field tracheotomy, but still probably a handy bit of knowledge to have, especially if people punch you in the face a lot.
Weightlifter dude walks away to cry off-camera, Josh does his PSA about bad snatch, end scene. While you probably didn’t learn anything, we at least distracted you for three minutes, so you’re welcome. If you’ve ever performed some oddball first aid using the field medic training you received in ‘Nam, tell us about it in the comments. (No need to share your own stories of snatch encounters, thanks.)
This should not be Florian’s stiffest test before Aldo. Just saying. PicProps: Examiner.com
Dana White has all but made official the next featherweight championship fight, saying that Kenny Florian “pretty much” is next in line for Jose Aldo, and we’ve kind of grumbled about it. It’s not the we don’t like Ken-Flo — we do — but we’re not entirely sold on Florian as the number one contender in the featherweight division.
Being brand new to the weight class, most reasonable people would expect Florian to get two or three good wins before they throw him in against the Brazilian destroyer of legs and faces. It’s not like we’re asking him to go on an eight fight win streak before he gets a title shot, just spend more than fifteen minutes in the weight class.
Being the kind and helpful people we are, we decided to share our own ideas about who Florian could fight next to strengthen his case for a shot at the belt. If Florian wins, then by all means slate him for the Aldo fight. If he loses, he probably wasn’t ready anyway, right?
This should not be Florian’s stiffest test before Aldo. Just saying. PicProps: Examiner.com
Dana White has all but made official the next featherweight championship fight, saying that Kenny Florian “pretty much” is next in line for Jose Aldo, and we’ve kind of grumbled about it. It’s not that we don’t like Ken-Flo — we do — but we’re not entirely sold on Florian as the number one contender in the featherweight division.
Being brand new to the weight class, most reasonable people would expect Florian to get two or three good wins before they throw him in against the Brazilian destroyer of legs and faces. It’s not like we’re asking him to go on an eight fight win streak before he gets a title shot, just spend more than fifteen minutes in the weight class.
Being the kind and helpful people we are, we decided to share our own ideas about who Florian could fight next to strengthen his case for a shot at the belt. If Florian wins, then by all means slate him for the Aldo fight. If he loses, he probably wasn’t ready anyway, right?
vs. Chad Mendes
Money Mendes would be a perfect test for Florian, who had difficulty with Gray Maynard’s wrestling at UFC 118. Florian has worked to improve his wrestling, but Diego Nunes was not going to test that — Mendes would test the shit out of Florian’s TDD and scrambling. If Florian beats Mendes, he’ll make a clear statement that he belongs in the title picture at 145. The catch here is that Mendes already has a fight scheduled for UFC 133 on 6 August, against Rani Yahya. Against Rani Yahya. Rani Yahya. Yeah, they could totally scratch that fight.
vs. Mark Hominick
Hominick came up short against Jose Aldo, but did it in the most impressive manner possible. Clearly a top five talent, Hominick is dealing with postpartum depression after giving birth to that forehead alien Aldo gave him, and has a clear schedule. As soon as he’s medically cleared and ready to fight, we’d love to see him return to challenge Florian. While the Canadian striker wouldn’t necessarily test Florian’s ground game, he should be a good litmus test for Florian’s striking at 145, and we know there will be no shortage of heart when Hominick enters the cage.
vs Dustin Poirier
If you want to sound like a New Orleans native, that city should be properly pronounced “Nawluns”. Draw out that first syllable a little bit. Similarly, Dustin the Diamond’s surname would be “Pwawyay”. In general, just go slowly and cut down on enunciation, and the locals will at least think you’re from somewhere nearby, rather than another damn tourist. Anywho, Josh Grispi would be in this slot, except he’s now lost two in a row, one of those courtesy of our young friend from Lafayette. Poirier has one loss at 155, and he’s looked great as an undefeated featherweight. While admittedly this is a very dangerous fight for Florian — Poirier is no name opponent — we’d like to see someone test Florian’s cardio and resolve at 145. Poirier should administer that test capably.
vs Chan Sung Jung
There are few fighters in the UFC’s featherweight division more well-known than The Korean Zombie, so this would be a big-name matchup worthy of a main event five rounder. Like Florian, Jung is long and tall at 145, and dangerous both standing and on the ground. While it debatable if a win over Jung would bolster Florian’s claim to contendership, who cares? It would be plenty of fun to watch. Jung’s dance card is clear after his redemption win over Leonard Garcia, so can we pencil this one in at the end of the summer?
vs Hatsu Hioki
The Sengoku champ and much-ballyhooed potential pickup will need a test of his own when he signs with the UFC, and a Hioki-Florian matchup sounds like a great chance to take the temperature on both fighters. Hioki looked like a complete fighter in his victory over Marlon Sandro, showing better striking to complement his already tight ground game. That victory earned Hioki nods as a top five talent from pretty much everyone, so a victory puts Florian as a legitimate championship contender, something we haven’t been completely convinced of quite yet. Again, Hioki hasn’t been officially signed yet, but when he is, Florian would be a blockbuster first fight for him.
What you got, Nation? Is Ken-Flo ready for Aldo, or should he take another fight first?
Ariel is *still* asking fighters about beefs. Some guys never learn. VidProps: Ariel Helwani
Donald Cerrone is one of those guys that will apologize for not kicking a guy’s ass thoroughly enough, even when no drunk frat guys are booing in the crowd. After failing to put away a one-legged Vagner Rocha, Cerrone was visibly disappointed with his performance. Knowing Cowboy, though, no one is in a hurry to give him a hard time about it, including our boy Ariel Helwani.
Helwani caught up with Cerrone to ask him about the fight, his feuds with Mac Danzig and Cole Miller, and who he’d like to fight next. Pretty standard stuff that we’ve covered before, until they start talking matchups. Cerrone hasn’t forgotten about Danzig, whom Cowboy had previously insinuated faked an injury to get out of fighting him. “I’m just talking shit, that’s what I do.” Cerrone says of Danzig. “I hope he’s not injured, I hope he can fight.”
Ariel is *still* asking fighters about beefs. Some guys never learn. VidProps: Ariel Helwani
Donald Cerrone is one of those guys that will apologize for not kicking a guy’s ass thoroughly enough, even when no drunk frat guys are booing in the crowd. After failing to put away a one-legged Vagner Rocha, Cerrone was visibly disappointed with his performance. Knowing Cowboy, though, no one is in a hurry to give him a hard time about it, including our boy Ariel Helwani.
Helwani caught up with Cerrone to ask him about the fight, his feuds with Mac Danzig and Cole Miller, and who he’d like to fight next. Pretty standard stuff that we’ve covered before, until they start talking matchups. Cerrone hasn’t forgotten about Danzig, whom Cowboy had previously insinuated faked an injury to get out of fighting him. “I’m just talking shit, that’s what I do.” Cerrone says of Danzig. “I hope he’s not injured, I hope he can fight.”
If the vegan/shutterbug/fighter Danzig can’t accept a date for Muay Thai foreplay and a consummating chokehold, ol’ Cowboy here will be stoked to fight that Sam Stout fella. You can see how excited he gets talking about a possible Stout fight. While we fully believe that Cerrone enjoys a good scrap and is looking forward to the possibility of a crowd-pleasing stand-and-bang with the Hands of Stone, you gotta think that Cerrone is probably counting his FotN bonus in his head as he talks about it, and mentally calculating how many tractor tires and heavy bags he can buy for the ranch with 70 grand. (We’re guessing A LOT.)
What do you think, Nation? Who should Cowboy get next?
