Author: Scott Harris

Strikeforce Grand Prix: Can Roger Gracie Put His Family Back on the MMA Map?

This Saturday at Strikeforce 36, Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Roger Gracie will take a big step forward in his mixed martial arts career when he tangles with former light heavyweight champion Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal. A second-degree BJJ bl…

This Saturday at Strikeforce 36, Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Roger Gracie will take a big step forward in his mixed martial arts career when he tangles with former light heavyweight champion Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal.

A second-degree BJJ black belt and 10-time jiu-jitsu world titlist, the 29-year-old Gracie is 4-0 in the MMA arena with all four wins, not surprisingly, coming by way of submission.

He is the most promising of the legendary Gracie family who is currently active in MMA. Those before him have not fared well in recent years with some observers claiming that the ever-evolving world of MMA has passed the Gracies by. For all their jiu-jitsu expertise, the Gracies do not have the well-rounded fighting games necessary to succeed today.

Rolles Gracie is 4-1, but lost his only UFC fight to Joey Beltran. Igor Gracie is 3-2. Gregor Gracie is 6-1 and currently competing in various minor league promotions around the world. Renzo, Ralph, Crosley, Rodrigo and Charles Gracie have all not fought in MMA for years. Kyra Gracie is a women’s BJJ world champion and appears poised to tackle the world of MMA, but to date has not yet signed with any MMA promotions.

That leaves Roger. So the question is, can he bring the Gracie name out of the MMA history books and back into living, breathing relevance?

To his credit, Roger seems to know that his black belt and his surname are not enough to succeed in MMA in 2011. That’s why he has been working heavily on his striking with some of the biggest names in the business, including Georges St-Pierre’s coach Firas Zahabi.

He’ll need that help against Lawal, a former college wrestler who is hard to take down and loves to throw heavy shots. If Gracie doesn’t have the all-around chops to make it in MMA, Lawal will expose that in short order.

My guess, however, is that Gracie will win the day. Though recapturing the titanic Gracie glory of yesteryear is a tall order, Gracie 2.0, in the form of Roger, will serve notice that MMA’s first family can still compete in modern times.

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UFC 138: Does a Win over Chris Leben Put Mark Munoz in Line for a Title Shot?

At UFC 138, middleweights Chris Leben and Mark Munoz will take part in the first five-round non-title fight in UFC history.But there’s more on the line than a chance to be the answer to an obscure trivia question.Depending on which ranking you look at,…

At UFC 138, middleweights Chris Leben and Mark Munoz will take part in the first five-round non-title fight in UFC history.

But there’s more on the line than a chance to be the answer to an obscure trivia question.

Depending on which ranking you look at, both men are in or very near the top 10 at 185. Leben is on the best roll of his career, having won four of five, including a huge knockout over Wanderlei Silva. Munoz, meanwhile, has won six of seven.

So what are the title implications here? What are the chances these men could, with a win, acquire the honor of being embarrassed by Anderson Silva some time in the relatively near future?

Leben would seem to be at least a couple of fights away. A New Year’s Day loss to Brian Stann—who faces Chael Sonnen at UFC 136—saw to that.

Of the two, Munoz is much closer to the title shot. Will he get it with a win over Leben?

The answer is no.

Munoz has defeated some nice names, most recently Demian Maia. But his hasn’t yet been raised when it would unequivocally vault him to the top of the heap. Leben would be an awesome win, but this fight has a far bigger upside for Leben than it does for Munoz, and as such, a Munoz win won’t quite get him to the promised land.

Back in August, 2010, he had a chance for that over-the-hump win against Yushin Okami but dropped a close split decision.

The real obstacles, though, are Stann and Sonnen. If Sonnen wins, it reinforces a position he probably already holds in the wake of UFC 134, that of No. 1 contender. If Stann can beat the No. 1-ish contender, that probably moves him to the title shot more quickly than would a Munoz win over the No. 10-ish Leben.

Make no mistake: Munoz is very good, and he is getting close.

In my opinion, the road doesn’t necessarily go through Stann or Sonnen, but he will need to defeat Leben and then get one more huge win—perhaps in a rematch with Okami—before he truly enters title shot consideration.

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The 15 Seminal Moments of Dana White’s Career

Whether you believe he’s the scourge of humanity, the savior of MMA or somewhere in the yawning middle, UFC President Dana White has carved his likeness into the face of MMA like he was Teddy Roosevelt in the South Dakota granite.Here are the most semi…

Whether you believe he’s the scourge of humanity, the savior of MMA or somewhere in the yawning middle, UFC President Dana White has carved his likeness into the face of MMA like he was Teddy Roosevelt in the South Dakota granite.

Here are the most seminal moments in White’s long-and-winding road to the throne of the UFC and the world of mixed martial arts. I’m not saying they were good. I’m not saying they were bad. I’m just saying they were influential.

Ranking someone’s most seminal decisions and achievements is a little like nailing pudding to a wall. To try and narrow it down a bit, I stayed away from individual fighter signings, instead homing in on White’s personal and business arcs.

How did he get where he is today? What are some of the specific actions, both deliberate and fortuitous, that shaped his career? How has White helped MMA explode in popularity, with the promotion he runs at the crest of the wave? 

Now, White is far from flawless, and I don’t want to sweep his warts under the rug or imply he can do no wrong. At the same time, though, history shows that, a lot of the time, he does get it right.

I can’t imagine a slideshow of this nature drawing any controversy, but given the highly subjective nature of this and the fact that there are probably more than 15 seminal moments, please add your voice in the comments if you care to do so.

Thanks for reading.

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The Top 30 MMA Fighters Under 30

There is a lot of great young talent in MMA today. Regardless of promotion, the sport’s growing popularity is attracting a wealth of new athletes into the fold.Some are in the UFC, some are not. Some have already hit the big time, and some are still wo…

There is a lot of great young talent in MMA today. Regardless of promotion, the sport’s growing popularity is attracting a wealth of new athletes into the fold.

Some are in the UFC, some are not. Some have already hit the big time, and some are still working their way up the sport’s minor leagues.

Here’s a ranking of the top 30 fighters in MMA today who are under age 30.

One thing that struck me as I put this together was just how many incredible fighters fit into this category. It meant a lot of great talents ended up on the cutting room floor, but it also illustrates just how much density there is in the younger end of the MMA talent pool. (The top 10, for example, is comprised entirely of current champions, former champions and No. 1 contenders.)

Thanks for reading.

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UFC 134 Results: What’s Next for the Losers

In winning 10 of the 11 fights they participated in at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilians showed that their nation is not only the birthplace, but quite possibly the epicenter of modern MMA.Many of the fights ended in quick and dominant fashion, wit…

In winning 10 of the 11 fights they participated in at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilians showed that their nation is not only the birthplace, but quite possibly the epicenter of modern MMA.

Many of the fights ended in quick and dominant fashion, with five knockouts or technical knockouts dotting the Brazilian contingent’s resume. Fight fans in Rio and around the world are probably still celebrating a fight card for the memory banks.

But on every carnival, a little rain must fall. And for every dramatic win, there was an equally dramatic loss.

Here are the possible next moves for those who came up short Saturday night.

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Anderson Silva and the Longest Active UFC Winning Streaks

In a previous column, we listed the shortest title reigns in UFC history. Consider this list its younger, smarter, handsomer cousin. Contained herein are the longest active winning streaks in the UFC today.With UFC 134 looming this weekend, the timing …

In a previous column, we listed the shortest title reigns in UFC history. Consider this list its younger, smarter, handsomer cousin. Contained herein are the longest active winning streaks in the UFC today.

With UFC 134 looming this weekend, the timing seems right to rank these models of competence and consistency. Why? Well, I don’t want to give away any surprises, but a certain headliner in Rio—let’s call him A. Silva—occupies a certain position of honor on this little list of ours.

The list is a bit awkward with only 14 rankings, because there’s about a 38-way tie for spot No. 15 (all the guys with three-fight win streaks).

One final caveat: all wins have to have occurred within the UFC. Hence, no Nick Diaz, Jose Aldo, etc. And with that, let’s get right to it.

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