Author: Shaun Al-Shatti

In today’s instant-access, Twitter-driven media sphere, it’s relatively hard to keep a story under the cracks. So when word dribbled out over the weekend that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal was caught in a medical crisis, with an ACL tear and extreme bout of staph threatening his health to a point where amputation entered the conversation, it was alarming to say the least.

Now on the mend, King Mo adressed the rumors while recounting the chilling experience that changed his life. Catch up with Lawal’s story, along with all the other MMA you may have missed on the Morning Report.

5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY

‘King’ Mo Lawal discusses ACL surgery and staph infection. Lawal, for the first time, opened up about the past few weeks, during which an ACL tear and severe staph infection nearly resulted in amputation.

Nate Marquardt signs with Strikeforce. The UFC castoff surprisingly inked a deal to join Strikeforce’s welterweight division.

After Almost Two Years As Champ, Why Does Edgar Still Have To Prove Himself To Us? Frankie Edgar examined his role as the perennial underdog and the reason he is overlooked by fans and fighters alike.

Anderson Silva injury update. Silva revealed he will remain in physical therapy for the foreseeable future as lingering injuries continue to hamper him.

Dana White calls out Floyd Mayweather. The UFC president is far from pleased with Floyd Mayweather’s tweet about Knicks star Jeremy Lin (watch video below).

MEDIA STEW

Joe Rogan extensively addresses Rampage Jackson’s criticisms on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. (NSFW, ample profanity)

Check this newly released footage of Rousimar Palhares’ MMA debut. Bet you can’t guess how it ends. (HT: Middle Easy)

Some generous individual decided to animate Bas Rutten’s notorious Swedish barfight story.

A host of UFC fighters give their honest opinion of Nick Diaz.

Dana White unleashes on “racist” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in Tuesday’s Presidential Address.

Unfortunate, but somewhat expected news for Dustin Jacoby after two straight losses.

I have recently been released from the UFC, however my career is far from over. Thanks @ufc for giving me a shot so early in my career.

— Dustin Jacoby (@dustinjacobyDJ) February 21, 2012

Derek Brunson explains his side of the failed medicals.

Failed medicals = eye exam lol . I’m blind mf-ers .

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012

Ok here’s the deal … I’ve been fighting with contacts for 11 fights (9pro,2ams) never was an issue.Ohio won’t pass my eye exam.

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012

and btw im bummed . I had a month to prepare for the Jacare fight . Was working a lot of stand up & td defense. Was certain to tko or ko

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012

Stevie Wonder can play a piano blind & blind people can drive cars , but i can’t fight with contacts #doesntmakesense

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012

Meanwhile, Luke Rockhold has no sympathy.

SO SURPRISING! The only male cheerleader in MMA backs out of his toughest fight! @DerekBrunsonMMA put down the gloves and pick ur pom pom’s!

— Luke Rockhold (@rockholdMMA) February 21, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012):

– UFC 146: Jacob Volkmann (14-2) vs. Paul Sass (12-0)

– Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey: Derek Brunson (9-0) out against Jacare Souza (14-3)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today’s Fanpost of the Day goes to BE reader Chris Groves: Breaking Down Paths to Victory for Edgar vs Henderson.

To Win a Decision

Benson Henderson has shown a lot of toughness when it comes to surviving submissions and recovering quickly after being rocked or dropped. Given Edgar’s higher decision rate and Henderson’s durability, a decision victory for Edgar is likely. To pull it off he essentially has to do what he always does. He needs to use his excellent footwork, his ability to sneak in sharp punches, and his talent for mixing in unexpected takedowns when his opponents are least expecting it.

He has to ‘Do what Frankie does’ for five rounds. I would suggest keeping it standing and at a distance all costs, I wouldn’t suggest trying to find out who can outmuscle who in the clinch with ‘Smooth’. Circle, punch, kick, occasional takedown, slick combination, rinse and repeat is the name of the game here.

Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just send it to @shaunalshatti and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s post.

To say Josh Thomson has had a rough go of late would be putting things mildly.

For years the former king of Strikeforce’s lightweight division could do nothing but watch as his stock plummeted under a cascade of injuries and fatigue, relegating him to the sidelines and slashing precious seconds out of the small window of his career.

Now, just ten days out from Thomson’s first appearance in 14 months, a co-headlining bout against K.J. Noons at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, he revealed that the ingredients for his physical breakdown started simmering far earlier than anyone could have imagined.

“In my (Pat) Healy fight, in my JZ (Cavalcante) fight, and obviously with the (Tatsuya) Kawajiri fight, I just felt flat,” he confessed on Tuesday’s conference call. “Sure, I had the conditioning, the muscle endurance, all that stuff to go, but I didn’t feel strong. I didn’t feel at my top game like I did when I was on my eight-fight win streak.”

So when yet another injury forced Thomson out of a match-up with Maximo Blanco in September, the 33-year-old knew it was time to reexamine his process. There had to be a reason behind this. Something as drastic as four fights since September 2008 doesn’t just happen.

As it turned out, Thomson had been his own worst enemy.

“I was doing … four workouts a day, three days a week, and I just noticed I was getting hurt and injured a lot, and my body was just breaking down,” he explained.

“I just kind of weaned back on a couple of the things I felt weren’t as important in this camp.”

If Thomson’s presence in Tuesday’s conference was any indication, the revamped training program has thus far proven to be successful. By his own admission, the Californian looks and feels better than he has in years.

Still, the athletic world is bathed in superstition, and even the smallest change in regimen can raise doubt. In Thomson’s case, however, the prospect of a revitalized career left him with little choice.

“I’m a little nervous in doing something this different against somebody like K.J., given all his experience — you know he’s been in the cage with some top guys — but we felt like it was something that had to be done,” he finished.

“Obviously I’ve spent half my career on the shelf because of injuries, so we really cut back on the workload … and hopefully that pays off.”

K.J. Noons is well aware of your expectations. Win or lose, the mixed martial arts industry is fundamentally about entertainment, and few in Strikeforce have entertained as consistently as the polarizing 29-year-old.

So as he prepares to battle former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson in the co-main event of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey on March 3rd, don’t be shocked if Noons channels the spirit of Macho Man Randy Savage to help him get that point across.

“My fight is always the fight of the night,” he boasted on Tuesday’s Strikeforce conference call. “K.J. Noons is definitely stealing the show. Always. Look at my track record.”

Strikeforce doesn’t award Fight of Night bonuses, and if they did, Noons’ bankroll probably would feel the difference. But by all accounts, this isn’t an act. His high-pressure, blitzing style just comes naturally, and he would be doing this even if it wasn’t expected of him.

“It’s just something that’s in your blood,” Noons explained.

“I’ve had almost 45 pro fights in boxing, kickboxing, MMA. Every single fight I’ve had has always been fight of the night. So I know Josh is ready. This is the most I’ve ever trained. And it’s not whether I’m trying to make it the fight of the night. It’s just going to be the fight of the night.”

Though don’t mistake his confidence for something it’s not. The last time Noons was this close to the title picture, he fell victim to MMA’s key death knell, calling out Gilbert Melendez before stepping into the cage to take care of prior business in the form of Jorge Masvidal.

Everybody knows the story that came next. A surprisingly game Masvidal pulled the upset in decisive fashion, Strikeforce was left to market a headlining tilt that became the third least-watched Showtime event of last year, and Noons was relegated back to the drawing board. After all that, it’s hard to blame the Hawaiian if his talk scaled back for Thomson.

“I kind of put my foot in my mouth,” he admitted. “Last time I said I was pushing to get a title shot, I lost. So I’m kind of superstitious.

“I just want to concentrate on the fight ahead of me.”

If you count yourself among those growing queasy with UFC 144 fever, yesterday probably didn’t do you any favors. But that’s not to say it was uneventful.

Between a late release of the first UFC 144 video blog, an abrupt Rampage Jackson-Joe Rogan beef, and Carlos Condit’s latest return timetable, there were plenty of morsels to whet your appetite. So while we await the gear-up to Japan, catch up with all the MMA you may have missed on the Morning Report.

5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani and The MMA Hour return with a quartet of interviews featuring lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, broadcaster Mauro Ranallo, snakebitten UFC fighter Sean Loeffler, and journalist Daniel Herbertson.

Ian McCall: ‘I’m on borrowed time, I shouldn’t be here.’ McCall, a contender for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight championship, candidly recounted the drug overdose that nearly killed him.

Carlos Condit unsure of St. Pierre’s schedule, ‘would like to stay busy.’ Condit gave a timetable for his return and revealed what it would take to get him back in the cage against an opponent not named Georges St-Pierre.

Loss to Anthony Pettis might have been the best, most painful thing to happen to Ben Henderson. Henderson discussed in painful detail the moment that, even now, can bring tears to his eyes.

Jon Jones named ‘Honorary Race Official’ for Daytona 500. In a strange melding of worlds, Jones will take part in the pre-race ceremonies for NASCAR’s biggest race.

MEDIA STEW

The first UFC 144 video blog, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at Nick Diaz post-fight at UFC 143, Roy Nelson’s destroyed face, and Alex Caceres forgetting he landed a second ballshot on Edwin Figueroa.

Rampage Jackson lambasts Joe Rogan when asked about the term “one-dimensional.” More on this later.

Another nugget from a weekend that won’t stop giving. This time a regional fight turns gruesome when Kenneth Crowder rips off Shane Tyner’s ear around the 15:00 mark. Yes, you read that right. (NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH. Cannot cap-lock that enough.)

And now something a little more lighthearted, unless you happen to be the poor blue-gloved man whose switch kick goes so horribly, horribly wrong. (HT: Middle Easy)

We present you with a ridiculous manga-style fanmade trailer for UFC 144, courtesy of Dana White.

Brendan Schaub must’ve been the scariest janitor in the world.

I use to work at a carwash so I know how far a good tip goes..however, my 1st job I was a janitor..beat that! #truestory

— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) February 21, 2012

And of course, the completely anticlimactic conclusion to Rampage Jackson vs. Joe Rogan.

I’m the 1 fighting n front of millions,I have the right 2 get mad if someone is dogging my style,non fighters won’t understand. 2da lamefans

— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) February 20, 2012

For the record I love @Rampage4real, regardless of what he said. He’s a sensitive guy with the toughest job in the world.

— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) February 20, 2012

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today’s Fanpost of the Day goes to MMA Mania reader unambig: What a difference a year makes: UFC injuries and opportunities.

UFC Sanchez vs. Kampmann, March 3

When the door closes for one fighter opportunity knocks for another. Brazilian middleweight Miquel Falcao was coming off his debut win over Gerald Harris and was set to fight Alessio Sakara. But Falcao was injured, leading to a replacement with Rafael Natal. But just 19 days before the fight Natal injured his knee, making way for the debut of unknown fighter Chris Weidman. The two-time All-American wrestler won the fight against Sakara 30-27 unanimously, launching his four fight winning streak into the echelon of the Middleweight division.

…

UFC 130, May 28

Brazilian phenom Renan Barao was set to battle Demetrious Johnson in his UFC debut. Brad Pickett, however, was forced from the card with an injury, changing the matchup to Cole Escovedo against Barao, while Mighty Mouse went on to battle Miguel Torres. What’s interesting about this change of plans is that Johnson’s win over Torres granted him his bantamweight title fight against Dominick Cruz. Considering how good Barao has looked, what would have happened if the two had fought on this card?

Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just send it to @shaunalshatti and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s post.

Ask Joe Lauzon about the last time he was the favorite in a big fight and you’d probably be met with silence. At least, if it did happen, he doesn’t remember.

Somehow, after thundering through eight stoppage wins in over half a decade with the UFC, Lauzon remains the quintessential underdog. A congenial assassin trapped in a computer technician’s frame. So ask him about facing Anthony Pettis as a 2-to-1 dog at UFC 144, and he’ll tell you, any other way just wouldn’t be his style.

“I like flying under the radar,” Lauzon said to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I’m not really the guy that’s looking to get all kinds of respect and appreciation, and all that kind of stuff. I like to go and have good fights. I like to have exciting fights. I have no problem being the underdog.”

Though the title of perennial dark horse comes at a price, and even in victory, a lack of respect often lets its presence be known. Lauzon discovered as much in the aftermath of the biggest, and most stunning, win of his career — a 47-second shellacking of Melvin Guillard at UFC 136, where, by the way, he was pegged as a 3-to-1 dog.

“I keep seeing all these interviews where (Guillard) is like, ‘Oh, Joe didn’t beat me. I beat myself,'” Lauzon testily said. “No, I smacked you in the face with my fist, and you went down and I choked you. I’m pretty sure I’m taking credit for that.”

Even now, after a triumph so dominant in its result, respect seems hard to come by. Following the upset, Guillard went on to lose to Jim Miller in bizarrely similar fashion — “How do you lose two fights the exact same way?” Lauzon offhandedly mused — and now Miller has a date with Nate Diaz as the headlining attraction of UFC on Fox 3.

Many assume the bout will determine the lightweight division’s next number-one contender, but with the help of a little inside information, “J-Lau” isn’t sleeping on his own chances.

“[Because of] the timing of (Miller vs. Diaz), I think that still puts me and Pettis as the No. 1 contender fight,” Lauzon explained. “Just because I don’t think that Frankie (Edgar) or Ben (Henderson) are going to want to wait six or seven months before they actually fight again.

“From talking to Joe Silva, he kind of led me to believe a little bit that part of the reason why me and Pettis were going out there was because if something happened with Ben, then one of us would step up and fight for the title. He didn’t completely come out and say it, but he was like, ‘it would be a really good thing to have two top-ranked guys out there in case something happened with Ben.'”

The merit of Lauzon’s statements can be left to be debated by fans, but there remains one irrefutable backer of his point. The man comes to fight. From the moment the cage doors swing shut, to the moment Bruce Buffer tallies the official results, Lauzon has never left his employers unhappy, and his ridiculous collection of eight ‘Fight Night’ bonuses can attest to that.

The weird thing is, no one ever suspects it either. With teenage features and a Twitter account populated with video game references, it’s easy to assume the kid from Massachusetts with the funny nickname is out of his league. But underneath Lauzon’s affable demeanor lies a slumbering lion just waiting to be awoken, sometimes even to a fault.

“I catch a lot of crap sometimes about gassing and cardio and things like that,” Lauzon said. “But I come out and I push hard. I can be in great shape, but when you push as hard as I push, it’s tough to maintain that pace.”

“On one hand I could … be like everyone else and have great cardio and never finish fights, but I would rather push and try to finish people. And you know what, if I get tired because I was trying to finish guys? I can deal with that. I don’t ever want to be a guy that never finishes anyone but is known for having great cardio.”

The words are likely music to Dana White’s ears, and with another decisive win it would be hard to deny Lauzon’s credentials for title contention. But could history repeat itself? The 27-year-old is once again a significant long shot heading into Sunday’s event, but at this point it would almost seem odd if he wasn’t.

The real question is, will Anthony Pettis be able to succeed where so many others have failed?

“We’re just going to put it on him. I’m sure his gameplan is going to be to kind of ride out the pressure, pace in the first, and then take it to me in the second. But,” Lauzon finished matter-of-factly, “A lot of other guys have had that same gameplan and I’ve still overwhelmed them in the first.”

“Like I said, it’s easy to have great cardio when you’re not really doing a whole lot of work.”

To put it bluntly, this weekend was a mixed bag for combat sports. While the boxing world reignited due to Dereck Chisora’s bizarre post-fight brawl with David Haye, mixed martial arts found itself alone in the corner, whispering sweet nothings to its crinkled UFC 144 flyer.

But like most non-fight weekends, we still somehow wound up with plenty of noteworthy morsels to pour over, from Georges St-Pierre’s latest injury update and Brian Stann’s Fox gig, to murmurs of Hendo vs. Machida and Jon Jones invoking Muhammad Ali comparisons. So catch up on all the MMA you may have missed with Monday’s edition of the Morning Report.

5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY

Georges St-Pierre injury update. GSP announced he is “ahead of schedule” in his efforts to return to the Octagon.

Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway set for UFC 146. Mayhem finally has his next UFC fight booked for May 26 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Dereck Chisora brawls with David Haye after Chisora vs. Klitschko. Following Dereck Chisora’s decision loss to Vitali Klitschko on Saturday, Chisora and David Haye erupted into a violent brawl that was captured on video and eventually led to both men’s arrest.

Greg Jackson will corner Jon Jones against Rashad Evans. After much debate, Evans’ former trainer, Greg Jackson, has decided to corner Jon Jones at UFC 145.

For Anthony Pettis, one spectacular kick changed everything. Pettis reflected back to the moment that changed his life, for better or worse.

MEDIA STEW

Get your Monday morning violence fix with Bellator’s Top 10 Knockouts.

Bas Rutten brutalizes a Larper as only Bas Rutten can.

Relive the dominant finish that earned Frankie Edgar a shot at B.J. Penn and the UFC lightweight title.

About what you’d expect from a Japanese UFC 144 commercial. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

Rashad Evans goes for the jugular after Jon Jones compares himself to Muhammad Ali. (Check out Part 2 of the joint interview here.)

Another thing Pat Barry hates? Lasers shot into his eyeball.

The plot thickens. Any fight fans interested in Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida?

Was never offered machida. And even though he has lost 3 out of his last 4, I’m sure it would be (cont) tl.gd/fvf4kn

— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) February 17, 2012

Chandella Powell releases her first public statement since the discovery of her alleged pornographic past.

When you are young, you often don’t realize that your actions have consequences. I made a bad decision about ten (cont) tl.gd/fvq5q0

— Chandella Powell (@chandellapowell) February 18, 2012

Looks like Brian Stann found himself a new gig.

Huge thanks to all the fans who have supported me after the Fuel broadcast, looks like I will be doing the Live Fox shows now, power of fans

— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) February 18, 2012

Greg Jackson confirmed today he will be in my corner for UFC 145

— Jon Bones Jones (@Jonnybones) February 19, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, Feb. 17, 2012 – Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012):

– UFC on Fox 3: Dennis Bermudez (7-3) vs. Pablo Garza (11-2)

– UFC on Fox 3: Nick Denis (11-2) vs. Johnny Bedford (18-9-1)

– UFC 146: Edson Barboza (10-0) vs. Evan Dunham (13-2)

– UFC 146: Jason “Mayhem” Miller (24-8) vs. C.B. Dollaway (11-4)

– UFC on FUEL 2: Yoislandy Izquierdo (6-0) vs. Reza Madadi (11-2)

– UFC on FUEL 2: Jason Young (8-5) vs. Eric Wisely (19-7)

– Bellator 64: Chris Horodecki (18-3-1) vs. Mike Richman (11-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today’s Fanpost of the Day goes to BE reader sun yue: The LINSANITY: The Ignored BENSATION – Parallels Between NBA’s Jeremy Lin and UFC’s Ben Henderson

With just days away from his contract expiring, Lin looked to be out of a job again. But fortunately for Lin, Baron Davis’ recovery was going slower than planned, Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas were inept, and with an 8-15 record coach Mike D’Antoni was dangerously close to being fired. The Knicks’ superstar Carmelo Anthony suggested giving Jeremy Lin a chance. Desperate for an answer, D’Antoni put him in. 25 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and a win over all-world point guard Deron Williams. Jeremy Lin had arrived.

While Anthony Petits was fast-tracked to the top of the division with a main event against Clay Guida, Henderson had to work his way back up in a PPV opener against Mark Bocek, a tough fighter with slick BJJ and deceptively good stand-up. As per usual, Henderson beat Bocek in thrilling fashion, with his demi-god-like submission defense on full display. Passing his first test with flying colors, Henderson was ready for his biggest challenge yet – Jim Miller.

Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just send it to @shaunalshatti and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s post.