Author: ReX13

UFC 132: Five Things to Take Away

No caption needed, really.

Well people, hopefully you are enjoying a day off with some barbecued animal carcass and a nice cold beer (or some grilled zucchini and tofu scramble, whatever scratches your itch).  Join us as we look back on the action from UFC 132 and what we can take away from a card that as wild and unpredictable as this one.  If a story comes out that some guy hit an eleven fight parley, we’re going to track him down and burn him as a sorcerer.  Seriously, there’s playing a hunch, and then there’s invoking demons to influence the reality on our plane of existence.

First, some things must not be spoken of.

Like Wanderlei Silva losing, or Tito Ortiz winning.  Sometimes, great reflection is required to glean the lessons of life from events that at first seem incomprehensible.  Sometimes, understanding must elude us forever.

Come on in and let’s talk five things.

No caption needed, really.

Well people, hopefully you are enjoying a day off with some barbecued animal carcass and a nice cold beer (or some grilled zucchini and tofu scramble, whatever scratches your itch).  Join us as we look back on the action from UFC 132 and what we can take away from a card that as wild and unpredictable as this one.  If a story comes out that some guy hit an eleven fight parley, we’re going to track him down and burn him as a sorcerer.  Seriously, there’s playing a hunch, and then there’s invoking demons to influence the reality on our plane of existence.

First, some things must not be spoken of.

Like Wanderlei Silva losing, or Tito Ortiz winning.  Sometimes, great reflection is required to glean the lessons of life from events that at first seem incomprehensible.  Sometimes, understanding must elude us forever.

Come on in and let’s talk five things.

1.  Best card EVAR?

Well, no — probably not.  Wanderlei lost, so it can’t be best card ever.  We might have to do some research to decide which ones were better, though.  The card was ludicrously stacked on paper; even the undercard fights were charged up with  guys like Anthony Njokuani, Melvin Guillard, and George Sotiropoulos ready for action, plus Bowles-Mizugaki was an opportunity for someone to claim dibs on the next bantamweight title shot.  And holydamnshitwow it delivered.  If you were one of those people that complains about lackluster shows before anyone gets their hands wrapped, slap yourself.  Now do it again, but harder.  Between UFC 132 and UFC Live: Kongo vs Barry, we hope you’ve learned not to try to play jaded psychic MMA fan anymore.  Seriously, you look like a tool.

2. Hey, these WEC guys are pretty alright.

Both in terms of carrying the marquee, and in terms of how they stack up in the UFC. Anthony Njokuani got bumped up to the Spike broadcast for Tekkenizing Andre Winner, which we were happy to see.  One-time WEC middleweight champ Chris Leben is working to carve out a top five spot for himself in the division, despite being written off pretty much always.  Aaron Simpson is a WEC vet; he was exciting there.  Plus this Condit fellow with the knee is pretty outstanding.  If MMA followed BJ Penn’s rules, Carlos Condit would be 26-3 and in the GOAT conversation.  Ok, Shane Roller had a rough fight, but he’ll be back.

3. MMA Judging is …. whatever, man these guys might as well flip coins.

We as much as anyone are willing to complain hysterically about bad decisions, but really, with fights as close as Cruz-Faber or Siver-Wiman, we’re willing to concede that it is possible that judges can turn in scores that are diametrically opposed to our own, without being under the influence of blindness, insanity, mental incompetence, or cash money.  Tiny differences in how individuals see a fight account for total disagreement in who won the bout, and we’re just going to have to resign ourselves to that under the current judging criteria.  (More liberal use of 10-8 and 10-10 rounds could be a relatively low impact experiment, though, right?)

4.  What’s up with Brian Bowles?

People from West Virginia are crazy.  All of ‘em, crazier than Khaos War Machine von Datsik on whatever it was that Rampage was drinking.  Yet even fueled by what we assume to be reality-altering powers of psychoenergy, Bowles didn’t impress with his anything Saturday night.  The former champ is going to need the eye of the tiger to get back to title contention.  Plus, player, did you break your hand again? Someone never took their kung fu movies seriously.  Calcium supplements aren’t on the banned list, are they?

5.  Cue up Cruz-Faber 3.

The casual crowd is still catching on to these lighter weight classes, and chances are they enjoyed the bout.  Why not go ahead and finish the best of three series?  Cruz and Faber are so evenly-matched and so exhaustingly energetic that we’d sign on to watch those two fight three times a year.  The dislike between the two doesn’t hurt either.  Yes, Sean Shelby is talking about maybe Mighty Mouse, who we like, but the rubber match would generate way more interest.  Strike when the iron is hot, people.

[RX]

Quick Hit: Dana White Says Japan Show May Happen “This Year”

Well, the marketing people are ready. ImageSource: UFCStore.com

In the week leading up to pay per views, there’s a good chance that Dana drops an interesting tidbit either at a press conference or during a conversation with one of the few members of the MMA media that he can stomach being around. (For those of you who are just joining us, CagePotato is not in that exclusive club.)

The PPV this week is UFC 132 (which you should really be stoked for, by the way), and the interesting tidbit is BigDaddyWhite saying that a show in Japan could be right around the corner.

“The rumor is true. We’re going to come to Japan, and probably soon.” White did not include any detail of where the event could take place, and when pressed for details on when, he simply said, “This year.”

Japan has long been a target for Dana and the UFC, and he’s spoken before about the difficulty of breaking into the Japanese scene. With the major promotions in Japan floundering, American promotions have poached quite a bit of top talent, which could help give them an in when putting a show together. [Insert Yakuza joke here]

(via MMAJunkie)

[RX]

Well, the marketing people are ready. ImageSource: UFCStore.com

In the week leading up to pay per views, there’s a good chance that Dana drops an interesting tidbit either at a press conference or during a conversation with one of the few members of the MMA media that he can stomach being around.  (For those of you who are just joining us, CagePotato is not in that exclusive club.)

The PPV this week is UFC 132 (which you should really be stoked for, by the way), and the interesting tidbit is BigDaddyWhite saying that a show in Japan could be right around the corner.

“The rumor is true. We’re going to come to Japan, and probably soon.” White did not include any detail of where the event could take place, and when pressed for details on when, he simply said, “This year.”

Japan has long been a target for Dana and the UFC, and he’s spoken before about the difficulty of breaking into the Japanese scene. With the major promotions in Japan floundering, American promotions have poached quite a bit of top talent, which could help give them an in when putting a show together.  [Insert Yakuza joke here]

(via MMAJunkie)

[RX]

It’s Official: Oliveira – Lentz Declared No Contest

Don’t tell him yet.  He just looks so happy…

Hey, just a quick follow up on that other story from UFC Live: Versus vs Spike. We told you earlier about how the Oliveira – Lentz fight ended somewhat controversially, and that we were happy to see the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission step in and let everyone know that, yes, they saw that shit too, and they were going to sit down and watch that shit again, on tape, in a very official manner. Plus they were going to force the referee to watch that shit, on tape, in a very serious manner, and possibly whack him in the back of the head with a newspaper whenever a foul occurs on his watch.  Not really hard, just enough to get his attention.  (That last part might have been part of our own fantasy world.  Welcome; we hope you like our hats.)

We also passed along Greg Nelson’s Facebook message saying that the fight was ruled a No Contest, his boy Lentz had picked up a crisp new check for 50K for fighting like he wanted to be a fucking fighter, and all was right with the world. Nelson’s statement was premature, but the PSAC comfirmed yesterday that they had in fact reviewed the tape and consulted with the referee (meaning: “whacked him in the head with a newspaper”) and have ruled that the fight will be overturned to an NC.

Don’t tell him yet.  He just looks so happy…

Hey, just a quick follow up on that other story from UFC Live: Versus vs Spike. We told you earlier about how the Oliveira – Lentz fight ended somewhat controversially, and that we were happy to see the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission step in and let everyone know that, yes, they saw that shit too, and they were going to sit down and watch that shit again, on tape, in a very official manner. Plus they were going to force the referee to watch that shit, on tape, in a very serious manner, and possibly whack him in the back of the head with a newspaper whenever a foul occurs on his watch.  Not really hard, just enough to get his attention.  (That last part might have been part of our own fantasy world.  Welcome; we hope you like our hats.)

We also passed along Greg Nelson’s Facebook message saying that the fight was ruled a No Contest, his boy Lentz had picked up a crisp new check for 50K for fighting like he wanted to be a fucking fighter, and all was right with the world. Nelson’s statement was premature, but the PSAC comfirmed yesterday that they had in fact reviewed the tape and consulted with the referee (meaning: “whacked him in the head with a newspaper”) and have ruled that the fight will be overturned to an NC.

So, it’s all good, like the fight never happened — just don’t anybody tell Nik’s ocular-brainial complex, since he’ll be out for a couple of months because his pussy-ass eye can’t handle an occasional kneecap:

Still, he got that sweet bonus and Joe Silva has another matchup that comes prepackaged for hype. Wins all around, right?

[RX]

Rampage & Suga: Keyboard Warriors IRL

…and that was the moment that they realized that your momma jokes would no longer suffice.

While I was busy spending six hours with Twitter yesterday, I saw that Rampage and Rashad were jawing at one another again.

(That’s right, i spotted this completely on my own, and CP regular MyFightWiffaCheeto had nothing to do with it. If he says different, i’ll feud with him on Twitter until the whole internet takes sides and someone is embarrassed for life. Your move, Cheeto.)

While most of us assumed that much of the trash talking between these two in the leadup to their fight at UFC 114 was manufactured for The Ultimate Fighter and the pay per view main event, i tend to believe that these two really don’t like one another.

Read on to find out something about Rashad you probably didn’t know (and now will never forget), witness his attempt at squashing the beef with Rampage in order to focus on common enemy Jon Jones, and watch how quickly things go downhill.

Once you’re done snickering, leave us a comment: who had their feeling hurt first?

**NOTE: I DID NOT MAKE ANY OF THIS UP. This is an actual conversation that pretty much illustrates that you can’t make up things that are funnier than real life.**

[RX]

…and that was the moment that they realized that your momma jokes would no longer suffice.

While I was busy spending six hours with Twitter yesterday, I saw that Rampage and Rashad were jawing at one another again.

(That’s right, i spotted this completely on my own, and CP regular MyFightWiffaCheeto had nothing to do with it.  If he says different, i’ll feud with him on Twitter until the whole internet takes sides and someone is embarrassed for life.  Your move, Cheeto.)

While most of us assumed that much of the trash talking between these two in the leadup to their fight at UFC 114 was manufactured for The Ultimate Fighter and the pay per view main event, i tend to believe that these two really don’t like one another.

Read on to find out something about Rashad you probably didn’t know (and now will never forget), witness his attempt at squashing the beef with Rampage in order to focus on common enemy Jon Jones, and watch how quickly things go downhill.

Once you’re done snickering, leave us a comment:  who had their feeling hurt first?

**NOTE:  I DID NOT MAKE ANY OF THIS UP.  This is an actual conversation that pretty much illustrates that you can’t make up things that are funnier than real life.**

[RX]

Helwani Interviews Marquardt, Twitter Asplodes

“Doc comes back and says, ‘Nate, you have the testosterone levels of a 35 year old man,’ and I just broke down. ‘Doc,’ I told him, ‘I’m only 32! Is there anything you can do to help me?’”

You have to hand it to the team at MMAFighting for nailing down the exclusive with Nate Marquardt yesterday. Everybody wanted to talk to him, but it was Ariel Helwani who welcomed Marquardt and manager Lex McMahon to the microphone for a heart to heart. Mike Chiappetta provided the Cliff’s Notes version of the interview to get the ball rolling on Twitter, and the discussion quickly took off.

The short interview was dissected and commented upon in real time on Twitter, and the reactions continued throughout the evening. What follows is only a *small* sampling of Twitter’s response to Nate’s release and the subject of Hormone Replacement in MMA. Keep in mind that Marquardt already has a Twitter dedicated to getting him back in the UFC, and a matching hashtag #BringNateBack that saw plenty of use yesterday as well.

It was also interesting to note that a lot of Zuffa fighters were unwilling to touch the subject. Usual Tweeting suspects were strangely silent on the hot topic; take from that what you will. On the other hand, there were a few fighters who had some choice words on the subject, and they did not beat around the bush.

Go ahead and wade through this collection of Tweets from yesterday, and then share your expert analysis and vital opinion in the comments. Is Nate a good guy that has made some bad choices? Is he a nefarious schemer looking to get any advantage he can? What about the larger issue of HRT/TRT/PEDs in MMA? Should Dana continue to clean house until fighters learn to stay away from anything questionable? Should athletic commissions just legalize everything from horse steroids to heroin?

After all, PRIDE was awesome, right?

[RX]

“Doc comes back and says, ‘Nate, you have the testosterone levels of a 35 year old man,’ and I just broke down.  ‘Doc,’ I told him, ‘I’m only 32!  Is there anything you can do to help me?’”

You have to hand it to the team at MMAFighting for nailing down the exclusive with Nate Marquardt yesterday. Everybody wanted to talk to him, but it was Ariel Helwani who welcomed Marquardt and manager Lex McMahon to the microphone for a heart to heart. Mike Chiappetta provided the Cliff’s Notes version of the interview to get the ball rolling on Twitter, and the discussion quickly took off.

The short interview was dissected and commented upon in real time on Twitter, and the reactions continued throughout the evening. What follows is only a *small* sampling of Twitter’s response to Nate’s release and the subject of Hormone Replacement in MMA. Keep in mind that Marquardt already has a Twitter dedicated to getting him back in the UFC, and a matching hashtag #BringNateBack that saw plenty of use yesterday as well.

It was also interesting to note that a lot of Zuffa fighters were unwilling to touch the subject.  Usual Tweeting suspects were strangely silent on the hot topic; take from that what you will.  On the other hand, there were a few fighters who had some choice words on the subject, and they did not beat around the bush.

Go ahead and wade through this collection of Tweets from yesterday, and then share your expert analysis and vital opinion in the comments.  Is Nate a good guy that has made some bad choices?  Is he a nefarious schemer looking to get any advantage he can?   What about the larger issue of HRT/TRT/PEDs in MMA?  Should Dana continue to clean house until fighters learn to stay away from anything questionable?  Should athletic commissions just legalize everything from horse steroids to heroin?

After all, PRIDE was awesome, right?

[RX]

Versus and Spike Go Head to Head — Who Won?

Still can’t touch those clowns on the networks, though…

The ratings reports are in, and it’s interesting (if you’re into numbers, equations, audience measurement, and assorted MMA nerditry). We’re not particularly mathletic, so bear with us here…

UFC on Versus 4 drew 744,000 households, according to MMAWeekly, which is up slightly from the last Versus show (681,000) headlined by Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann.

But those ratings are down significantly from the UFC debut on Versus (1.24 million), and even the second card on the network (991,000), which you’ll need to look up before you can remember anything other than Jon Jones was on it and he steamrolled somebody.

Still can’t touch those clowns on the networks, though…

The ratings reports are in, and it’s interesting (if you’re into numbers, equations, audience measurement, and assorted MMA nerditry).  We’re not particularly mathletic, so bear with us here…

UFC on Versus 4 drew 744,000 households, according to MMAWeekly, which is up slightly from the last Versus show (681,000) headlined by Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann.

But those ratings are down significantly from the UFC debut on Versus (1.24 million), and even the second card on the network (991,000), which you’ll need to look up before you can remember anything other than Jon Jones was on it and he steamrolled somebody.

To recap: UFC broadcasts on the Versus network draw inconsistent ratings, and there’s no clear relationship between the fighters on the card and the level of interest from viewers.

But wait, the plot thickens:  remember when we told you that Spike was planning a little UFC action of their own?  Well, they went through with it, airing Nate the Great all effing day (man, we bet Dana White is really tired of hearing about this Nate Marquardt guy) and finishing it off with a rebroadcast of UFC Fight Night 22, which was headlined by Marquardt’s bizarre bout with Rousimar Palhares.

You ready for this?  The Spike rebroadcast pulled 793,000 viewers, which (according to some quick math on this Taco Bell wrapper) is greater than (>) the 744,000 reported for a live event that hadn’t already happened.  Even figuring in that Spike is in more homes (about 99 million) than Versus (75 million), that’s just wacky.

Lesson learned:  when you have an established audience, identity, and timeslot, you’re halfway home.  A network can air a year-old fight card and still get eyeballs and advertisers as long as people expect that network to have the programming.  Meanwhile, out in the cable hinterlands, you can put on a live event with a fair amount of drama and still only draw even with your new BFF’s ex.

Ok, sorry for all the words and numbers.  As a consolation, here’s a picture of the human soul.  It’s the luminous body you see flying out of Pat Barry’s head when Kongo decked him into a short time traveling session.  Props to Ms Tracy Lee for catching this rarely-seen phenomenon.

[RX]