When you get into these retrospectives, the inclination is always to start with “what an amazing year it was” and “this one will live in our memories forever,” and so on. Then you put it on a shelf and turn back to the present, which will in time becom…
When you get into these retrospectives, the inclination is always to start with “what an amazing year it was” and “this one will live in our memories forever,” and so on. Then you put it on a shelf and turn back to the present, which will in time become The Most Amazing Year Ever. It’s just the way it goes these days.
But I do actually think 2011 was a banner year for mixed martial arts. New frontiers were opened and settled. The sport changed in ways expected and unexpected. Good fighters became great. Great fighters became champions. Champions became stars. Stars faded, and said goodbye.
And there were some pretty good fights in there, too.
Now that we’ve had a few weeks to digest it all, submitted here for your consideration are the 50 biggest stories and lessons the sport and its principals taught the MMA public in 2011.
As Joe Rogan pointed out recently, it’s understandable that it might be incredibly hard for fighters to walk away from MMA. Especially when all you’ve got to show for your time in the cage are two bad shoulders and a tough case of cauliflower ear.Never…
As Joe Rogan pointed out recently, it’s understandable that it might be incredibly hard for fighters to walk away from MMA. Especially when all you’ve got to show for your time in the cage are two bad shoulders and a tough case of cauliflower ear.
Nevertheless, some fighters simply hold on too long. Hey, it happens everywhere; it’s not like it’s exclusive to MMA. And it’s not only because they’re past the point of putting on a good fight, but because they endanger themselves.
Here’s the top 25 list of those guys I think have stayed on too long.
There’s not much difference between the political chambers and the MMA cage. One is just a little more figurative than the other.But that doesn’t mean there can’t be some cross-pollination there. Usually you hear more about athletes entering the lawmak…
There’s not much difference between the political chambers and the MMA cage. One is just a little more figurative than the other.
But that doesn’t mean there can’t be some cross-pollination there. Usually you hear more about athletes entering the lawmaking realm (Chael Sonnen comes to mind, as do guys like Tom Osborne and Bill Bradley outside the MMA world). But why can’t it work both ways, at least in my mind?
Here are 13 politicians I’d personally really like to see in the UFC Octagon. This has little if anything to do with political views or, what’s the word, reality, and more to do with them having personalities or backgrounds that would seem to suit a turn in combat sports.
Also, these are all relatively modern political figures. So no Genghis Khan or King Arthur or whatever. Anyway, please enjoy.
There’s no question the UFC has a stranglehold on MMA competition. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for others.Strikeforce is a good starting place. Though they are owned by UFC parent company Zuffa, they are not (yet, anyway) one and the same wi…
There’s no question the UFC has a stranglehold on MMA competition. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for others.
Strikeforce is a good starting place. Though they are owned by UFC parent company Zuffa, they are not (yet, anyway) one and the same with the larger promotion.
Bellator and overseas outfits like DREAM and Shooto also have a few tasty fighters lingering in their cupboards.
Here are the 25 best fighters orbiting on the outer reaches of that octagonal center of the MMA galaxy.
For the record, some on the list have fought previously in the UFC, but don’t currently. So, you know, don’t freak out when you see one of those.
Welcome. Welcome, one and all, to the prestigious 2011 Chael Sonnen Awards for Oustanding Achievement in the Field of Trash Talking.Yeah, I know the top spot is a little anticlimactic. Good thing, then, that there’s a lot of trash out there to choose f…
Welcome. Welcome, one and all, to the prestigious 2011 Chael Sonnen Awards for Oustanding Achievement in the Field of Trash Talking.
Yeah, I know the top spot is a little anticlimactic. Good thing, then, that there’s a lot of trash out there to choose from. With the fighting and the testosterone and the YouTubing and tweeting and press conferences, well, it’s a fertile trash-talkin world out there right now. Time to reap the harvest.
In his first fight in the UFC’s featherweight division, Ross Pearson chased down and outfought jiu-jitsu ace Junior Assuncao to win by unanimous decision.The winner of season nine of The Ultimate Fighter, the hard-charging Pearson presented an interest…
In his first fight in the UFC’s featherweight division, Ross Pearson chased down and outfought jiu-jitsu ace Junior Assuncao to win by unanimous decision.
The winner of season nine of The Ultimate Fighter, the hard-charging Pearson presented an interesting contrast to the evasive and very defensive-minded Assuncao. Plenty of the fight passed with minimal action, with Assuncao circling away from Pearson’s advances, or the two fighters spending time in the clinch.
Pearson finally got off when he landed a left jab about halfway through the second round. He was able to do moderate damage on Assuncao from that point on. Here’s what we learned.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Booooring. I don’t make any personal judgements about the fighters involved; hey, they’re just fighters trying to win a fight. Assuncao knows himself and fought respectably well. But still. The sky is blue, the sun rises in the east, and this fight was pretty boring.
What We Learned About Ross Pearson
That he’s persistent. Pearson stayed within himself and kept pressing forward, despite a game plan that seemed tailor made to frustrate him.
What We Learned About Junior Assuncao
That he needs more boxing. Or aggression. Or something.
Though he is a BJJ expert, Assuncao spent most of the fight on his feet. He wasn’t able to score takedowns with any regularity and, once the fight did hit the mat, he was unable to get Pearson in serious trouble. He’ll have to operate effectively on different levels to find consistent success in the UFC. Though he is a very respectable 13-5 overall, he is a combined 2-3 in the UFC, and now 1-1 in his second stint with the promotion.
What’s Next for Pearson?
A spot on the featherweight map. I’d like to see him fight Tyson Griffin, another rock-solid featherweight.
What’s next for Assuncao?
The aforementioned boxing lessons, and the loser of Mike Brown and Vagner Rocha.
In his first fight in the UFC’s featherweight division, Ross Pearson chased down and outfought jiu-jitsu ace Junior Assuncao to win by unanimous decision.