There is an elevation that has taken place across the sport of mixed martial arts. That elevation has come with the understanding of what it not only once took to attain the highest peaks—not simply what it now takes to aspire to such heights&mda…
There is an elevation that has taken place across the sport of mixed martial arts. That elevation has come with the understanding of what it not only once took to attain the highest peaks—not simply what it now takes to aspire to such heights—but also what it will take tomorrow to hold one’s ground once the pinnacle is reached.
The sexy names include unrivaled champions like Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. They exemplify the type of greatness that has now and forever will raise the bar for expectations when it comes to chasing the glory of domination in this sport.
What is overlooked when we bask in the light of their greatness is what it took to push them to the heights they roam. Being the king places one in the unenviable position of carrying that backpack with the large red target at all times. Everyone wants what they have, few will ever get the chance and fewer still may ever take what they wish for from these pound-for-pound kings.
When a Jon Jones dominates in such decisive fashion, it is easy to credit he and he alone with that greatness. But more so than his own actions, it is the light heavyweight division and how competitive it actually is that makes Jon Jones so great.
When names like Ryan Bader, Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson echo across Jones’s resume, that is what truly defines his greatness. It is not just because he is a natural phenom. It is not just because he is a Greg Jackson prospect. It is not just because he wins them all with ridiculous ease.
It is the fact that when the bar was raised by Chuck Liddell, then Rampage, then Suga, then The Dragon, Jones somehow found a way to raise it even higher.
If these challenges had not been met and exceeded before he arrived, the entire division would still be at the mercy of one of the most devastating strikers the sport has ever seen and Chuck Liddell would still be cracking skulls once every three months.
The evolution of the sport has demanded that these athletes rise to the occasion—and they are rising at an alarming pace.
Before we know it, Rory MacDonald will be breathing down the neck of Georges St-Pierre and we will be watching another glaring example of what exactly greatness is or what it can become.
Either GSP will stand his ground and educate a young, rising star and maintain his dominance, or a torch will be passed (such as it was when Rua lost his momentum to that of Jones). Who in their right mind would have picked Frankie Edgar over the greatest lightweight in the history of the sport, The Prodigy B.J. Penn?
Hindsight is indeed 20/20.
That hindsight gives us the foresight to look forward with great anticipation to where this thing is headed. Where it is headed is an indescribable greatness that none of us can honestly fathom. As the UFC leads the charge into uncharted waters—with deals on FOX, with the deepest stable in the sport—it will become the platform for the true stars, the athletes, to steal the show.
There was a time when the heavyweight championship of the sweet science would shut the world down. When Ali or Tyson fought, the sidewalks were rolled up and everyone lost their mind for one night as they tuned in to see their champions do the work.
In November, the UFC heavyweight division will see the most competitive fight in the history of the division take place live on FOX—free for anyone willing to take a look.
It could very well signify the start of a new era in this sport. When the world gets a good look at Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos and the war they carry into the Octagon with them, they may not be able to look away again.
MMA is on a roll and shows zero signs of slowing down. In a time where the two greatest boxers on the planet can’t seem to find a way into the ring with one another, it would seem MMA can’t miss.
The sport may not be batting 1,000, but it damn sure is in the MVP hunt and the sky truly is the limit.
In the game of mixed martial arts, there are veterans and then there are veterans. Not many fighters are as young in life and as well seasoned as the man known as Ed “Wild” West.At 27 years old, West carries a pro record of 16-5 over a career spent fi…
In the game of mixed martial arts, there are veterans and then there are veterans. Not many fighters are as young in life and as well seasoned as the man known as Ed “Wild” West.
At 27 years old, West carries a pro record of 16-5 over a career spent fighting for seven various organizations. Those organizations include Rage In The Cage, Desert Rage, Cage Fury, The IFL and Bellator.
West was recently the runner-up in the inaugural Bellator Bantamweight tournament, falling to current champ Zack Makovsky. This was West’s only loss in over three years, with the previous loss coming twenty pounds heavier than his natural fighting weight.
He has trained under legends like Don “The Predator” Frye, and currently calls Apex MMA home in Tucson Arizona where he trains under rising star Joey Rivera and with his close friend UFC fighter George Roop, among many others.
The man has been around the block more than a few times and continues to grow as an athlete and as a staple in the Bellator bantamweight division. His first run down a Bellator bracket showed fight fans what a dynamic and capable fighter he truly is.
Those performances no doubt were very much the reason Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney invited West back for a second helping of tournament action for their fifth season to be showcased on MTV 2. Ed West was kind enough to share his take on his ambitions of becoming a Bellator champion.
The rise of a Bellator star is incredibly unique, given the tournament aspect of the competition. Whereas many top names in the sport are given anywhere from three to four months to prepare for one opponent, a Bellator champion may fight as many as four unknown opponents in a shorter frame of time.
Ed is no stranger to this challenge and discussed that angle in depth. West stated, “I’m going to have one month between my first fight and my second fight. I have already been told that round two of the bantamweight tournament is going to be on October 22nd. So that gives me about a month in between the fights.”
He went on to explain, “That is much better than the previous tournament in which they only gave me three weeks. I fought three times in six weeks for the last tournament and that was a lot of stress on my body. It was very difficult to maintain my peak without getting hurt.”
West added, “I found it more difficult to continue to make the weight every time. The first time I made weight to fight Bryan Goldsby, it was one of the easiest cuts I’ve ever had. I felt great, I felt healthy, I put on good weight afterward. Then three weeks later, I had to do it all again. It seemed like my body held on to the weight more that time.”
By the final bout in the tournament, the cuts were weighing on him. “Then when I got to Kansas City to fight Makovsky, I found it very difficult to make the weight. It was like my body was put on a roller coaster, and it was rather upset with me for putting it through that. So making the weight back to back like that was a little more difficult.”
That previous experience has become a weapon for West as he knows what to expect and plans on taking advantage of prior lessons. “This time around, I have a much better idea of how I need to do things. I know how to maintain my body, and how to stay healthy for the tournament. I plan on doing things a little better this time around.”
Having fought for so many organizations, it appears West has found a home under the Bellator flag. He spoke of the appeal regardless of one minor critique he has of the organization. “I really like Bellator. The only thing I don’t like about Bellator is the fact that I got shelved for a whole year. I fought Zack Makovsky at the end of October and that was my last Bellator.”
He went on to say, “But Bellator has always treated me real good. They have always told me how much they liked me, and that they wanted me back. That shows in the fact that I’m the only one from the 135 pound tournament that they did bring back. All the other guys are not in this tournament.”
West’s return to the second season speaks volumes about the credibility he has developed among the brass in the Bellator front office.
West added, “The owner Bjorn Rebney has always been so super cool with me. He’s like the nicest dude on the planet. He has always told me how much he enjoys watching me fight.”
Well, Rebney will get his next chance to watch “Wild” West do his thing at Bellator 51 when he takes his first steps in the tournament against Luis Nogueira, a touted Brazilian wrestling champion. But don’t ask West if he is concerned with the wrestling prowess of his first opponent of the tournament.
West stated, “Well yeah, but that’s Brazilian wrestling. Everyone has been telling me about that, Brazilian national wrestling champion. Come on dude, if I told you I was the best Jiu Jitsu guy in France would you be impressed? Or what if I was the best Capoeira guy in Sweden?”
He went on to explain his position. “The Brazilians are not necessarily known for their wrestling. I just know his wrestling is not going to be on the level of a Makovsky, or a Joe Warren, that’s just a given. I think every single dude I have ever fought has probably been a better wrestler than me.”
West added, “Luis Nogueira, everybody that knows me knows I’m a very cerebral type of guy. I’m really big on watching video tape, I study my opponents a lot. I really believe that styles dictate fights and the way you fight any given opponent can dictate outcomes. I’m real big on watching a guy, seeing what his habits are, how he responds to pressure. I have watched this guy’s fights so many times that I almost fall asleep watching them now.”
As always his confidence is high. “I have a pretty good idea of how I want to play this fight, and the things that I want to do that I think are going to be really effective.”
Other than the Brazilian wrestler, West has his eye on a few other threats in the field. “Obviously you never can count out Joe Warren. Even when the guy goes in there and just gets murdered he always finds a way to win. He is a very physically strong individual, and has got that mental attitude where he doesn’t believe he can be beat.”
He also added, “It shows in his fights, how many times have you seen that guy fight and the first round is a 10-8 or a 10-7 and he still manages to get the guy down and grind him out and somehow he gets the win. He did it to Pitbull, he did it with Soto, he did it with Marcos Galvao. So you never can really count out Joe Warren.”
Another fighter he hold highly is Chase Beebe. “Obviously Chase Beebe is a very skilled competitor, with really good submission skills, and a good wrestling background. He has fought a lot of top guys with real good experience.” West also included one final note, “The other guy I’m looking at, although I think he might be slightly overrated, is Eduardo Dantes.”
With all that being said, the ultimate goal is current Bellator bantamweight champion Zack Makovsky, a man who has defeated West before.
When asked what he might like to see differently if he reaches that goal, West offered a very humble answer.
There was a multitude of things that happened leading up to that fight that just resulted in my poor performance. For one I just had a really bad game plan. I figured there was no way he could spend a half hour in my guard and not get submitted, and I turned out to be wrong. So I just gave up more takedowns than I should.
He closed out the humble statement with one final claim of confidence that reflects the drive and desire that has followed West throughout his impressive MMA career. “If I fought him again, I just think there are some things I would do differently, or rather I should say when I fight him again.”
If his previous run in the Bellator tournament is any indication of the platform he has used to improve over the course of the last year, there is no reason whatsoever to believe it will be anything other than “when” he faces Makovsky again.
Tune in to MTV 2 every Saturday night to see how this and other Bellator tournaments will play out.
There are very few mixed martial artists walking this planet who are considered not only one of the best active fighters in the sport today, but one of the best fighters ever. With so many amazing competitors scattered across the history of MMA, it is …
There are very few mixed martial artists walking this planet who are considered not only one of the best active fighters in the sport today, but one of the best fighters ever.
With so many amazing competitors scattered across the history of MMA, it is quite amazing to consider that two of the best fighters ever are currently active at this present time.
These two fighters are not only considered top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but history will reflect them as two athletes who clearly changed the course of the sport forever through their quality of hand-to-hand combat.
Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva are unique fingerprints that many have and will emulate—but never duplicate. The reason for this emulation and desire to duplicate is simply motivated by the reflection of their tremendous success.
It is not a success that simply implies superiority, it is the kind of success that implies all-time greatness. Over the escalation of their careers, the paths they have followed clearly outline them as unstoppable forces in their respective divisions.
Quite simply, neither man can be touched.
Scores of No. 1 competitors have tried—and every single last one has fallen since the time these two men began their historic runs as UFC champions. It is quite unbelievable given the level of talent roaming the UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions.
With the understanding that they have exercised their domination a mere 15 pounds removed from one another, it is equally astonishing that they have not yet met in a super-fight. They have not avoided one another for lack of interest in that fight by the MMA community; more so that their agendas have led them down different paths.
The idea of a super-fight between “Rush” and “The Spider” is not a new idea. It has been discussed and clamored over for going on three years now. When two men are unbeatable, the only logical answer is to have them fight each other, right?
Not necessarily. A lot of things have happened since the first time this idea came to light. Most notably, the definition of what type of fighters these two men are. It is easy to imagine some type of historic mega-match between two historically untouchable warriors.
What is not so easy is to clearly look at what might actually happen if these two men were locked in a cage together. What it takes to look through the cloud of what if and how, is to once again look at the fighters as individuals—not as a super-fight duo.
Georges St-Pierre, a decent sized welterweight champion who has made a living of perfecting every aspect and angle of MMA that he can possibly define. He has found a way to stop every potential contender flat in their tracks; more often than not beating them so badly that is is quite simply an embarrassment to the losers.
He is a true mosaic of combat arts, and not just a representative of each and every aspect of the fight game. He is an expert, a clinical perfectionist at every turn. If the MMA gods were to handcraft the perfect fighter, the blueprint is without a doubt GSP.
Even with all his success, Rush is a very specific type of fighter. Knowing what type of fighter he is has not been enough to give any opponent an advantage, but he is clearly a cautious, calculated and extremely technical fighter.
There are many things Georges St-Pierre is; one thing he is not is a finisher.
There was a time when he had all the makings of a devastating finisher. There was a time when he cut through opponents like butter. That all changed when he lost his UFC title to a most unexpected TKO at the hands of one of the biggest underdogs this sport has ever known—Matt Serra.
The MMA community saw a change in GSP there after that watched him transform from an aggressive finisher to a more calculated surgeon. He no longer found the fastest way out of a fight more so than he found a way to systematically dismantle his opponents in such a decisive fashion that there could be no doubt as to who the superior fighter may be.
He is an exciting fighter, not a boring decision chaser, but a grinder who stays active and pursues his opponents relentlessly more often than not for 25 minutes. But he is cautious in doing so, and takes few risks when pursuing his victory.
Even by his own admission, it is a desire of his to finish fights, yet the finish remains elusive. This is not an insult to a great champion, it is a clear and present fact about his legacy.
Anderson Silva is a large middleweight champion who has roamed not only his own division but also one 20 pounds north at light heavyweight, with great success. Not simply success but devastating success that left a wake of destroyed fighters in his path.
His frame is large enough to even consider a possible fight at heavyweight given that he walks around at the required weight to compete there. Point being, fighting at middleweight is a tremendous advantage to the Spider, which clearly reflects in the devastation he places on his victims time and time again.
Like GSP, Silva is a calculated and surgical warrior who dissects his opponents with relative ease and leaves them embarrassed and dominated as he raises his hand in victory. Both GSP and Silva share many similar qualities; one clear edge that Silva carries over GSP is the quality of a finisher.
Silva has never suffered that devastating loss that could put a shadow of doubt into his psyche. The closest he came was a 24-minute beating at the hands of a PED-enhanced Chael Sonnen. It ended with Sonnen tapping out to a unsuspected triangle choke, once again leaving Silva a champion after a stunning finish.
Simply put, Silva is a relentless aggressor who taunts and toys with opponents before destroying them.
So getting back to a super-fight between the two top pound-for-pound fighters in the world—is it a fight that anyone really needs to see? Is there any real benefit to watching a tremendous welterweight move up to fight a tremendous middleweight/light heavyweight?
Is there any real benefit to seeing a smaller, more cautious, surgical warrior square off with a significantly larger, equally surgical, but clearly more devastating and aggressive fighter?
For GSP to beat Silva it would more than likely require his survival for 25 minutes inside a cage with a larger, more dangerous opponent, all the while finding a way to penetrate his armor. For Silva to beat GSP it would take nothing more than what he has been doing for years with relative ease against much larger and dangerous opponents than GSP.
Would making this fight even be responsible on the part of the fighters’ camps or the UFC? The romantic aspect of this super-fight is extremely appealing. The idea of two of the sport’s greatest warriors doing battle is an amazing and tantalizing angle to a growing sport that has not seen this opportunity presented as often as it should have been.
At the end of the day though, it is a fight that simply does not need to happen. After seeing very clearly the approach and actions of both the UFC welterweight and middleweight champions are, it is very clear that the outcome of this fight is much easier to diagnose than those calling for it would have us believe.
A back-and-forth battle between GSP and Silva would be an amazing thing. But the sad truth is, what would most likely happen would be more devastation than many would like to admit.
This journalist, for one, has no interest in watching the legacy of an amazing champion like GSP tarnished by squaring off with a destroyer who walks around at least 30 pounds heavier than GSP.
The allure is there, but the math simply does not add up. How about we start focusing on a super-fight that makes much more sense—and that is a fight between Anderson Silva and Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title.
GSP and Silva just does not make sense when diagnosed with a logical approach.
As the sport of mixed martial arts continues to evolve and grow, its fans grow along with it. MMA has transformed from its open weight bare knuckle roots to the UFC now talking about adding an eighth weight class. The transformation has been nothing sh…
As the sport of mixed martial arts continues to evolve and grow, its fans grow along with it. MMA has transformed from its open weight bare knuckle roots to the UFC now talking about adding an eighth weight class.
The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing. One of the huge reasons the UFC can even consider adding a 125 pound weight class is due to the success Zuffa has found incorporating smaller weight divisions into the UFC.
Obviously, that success gained traction under Zuffa’s WEC banner. The level of talent and competition that was bred inside that bright blue Octagon often rivaled, and at times exceeded, UFC events. Simply put, the smaller fighters can scrap and have proven more than capable of captivating the MMA community.
It is fighters like Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz that exemplify exactly why the community has embraced these lighter but equally as entertaining combatants. Their fierce combination of precision, aggression, showmanship and their championship pedigrees make them alluring superstars for fans to follow.
The first time these two met, few fight fans were even aware of anything outside the UFC as far as mainstream MMA goes. Urijah Faber defeated Dominick Cruz over four years ago. This was a time when he was developing as one of the single most influential sub 155 pound fighters this sport had ever known. At this same time, Dom Cruz was just getting his feet wet at such a high level in this sport.
For an undefeated fighter making his mainstream MMA debut for a WEC title, Dom handled himself well against the “California Kid,” but when he strayed from a game plan that seemed to be working on Faber, Cruz found himself deep in the business end of a world class guillotine choke.
Now, four years later, much has changed. The smaller weight divisions have earned the respect they always deserved. Mainstream fans have begun to recognize and support the Cruzes and Fabers of the world for what they are, and that would be some of the most exciting athletes in the sport.
And these two who met so long ago are not even close to the same fighters they were then. The sport has changed, the fans have changed and most importantly, the fighters have changed.
Now, Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz will settle the score, along with quite a bit of bad blood. And the MMA world is watching very closely. The rivalries in this sport have been well documented with names like Liddell and Ortiz (or Couture; take your pick). On the other hand, we have Penn and GSP or Big Nog and Fedor, just to name a couple.
The bottom line is, certain fighters are destined for one another. Certain fighters are so elite they can rarely find the types of challenges they find with their most respected or in some cases most bitter rivals. Cruz and Faber are somewhere on that spectrum.
Having only battled once, there is still more than enough history between these two and their camps. They are not unfamiliar with each other at all. In some way, shape or form, they have been in opposite corners on many occasions, with various outcomes leaving them both craving further competition.
So now the top dog of Team Alpha Male will face Alliance MMA’s most celebrated fighter. These two camps have been doing battle for some time now, with Alliance MMA coming out on top as of late. Faber’s protege Joseph Benavidez has lost twice under dominant performances of Cruz.
Obviously, for a teacher to see his student lose one sided affairs to a man he once beat, Faber has found a little discontent for Cruz. And Cruz is not preparing any Christmas cards for the Alpha Male team, either.
So of course, whenever there is bad blood, the fans huddle around to drink in the drama. Oh, how drama herds the sheep. What is most amazing about all of this is one simple thing. Faber and Cruz are no dummies; they are promoting this fight to the moon and back. They talk a hard game, but they can more than back it up.
If they can get the world to pay attention to the left hand all the while holding in their right hand the keys to what could potentially become one of the greatest fights this sport has ever seen, well, what harm can a little extra trash talk do?
But unlike the masses, these two wizards of their craft understand the talk only goes skin deep. Their level of discontent with one another may blossom on the big stage, but its roots are found in what can only be defined as a deep respect for each other.
No man looks across the cage at his most heated adversary and thinks, “I’m gong to whip this punk’s ass.” The fact of the matter is if that man across the cage had not earned his deepest respect, he would not be worthy of even being considered a rival in the first place.
The difference between a mark and a rival is a mark is hunted and used; a rival is always on the radar lest they become the hunter.
Make no mistake, while they may not be pen pals, these two are fully aware of what is at stake Saturday night and what the risks involved are when they enter that Octagon together. Pride may veil it with a curtain of disrespect or trash talk, but rest assured there is a mutual level of respect here that can not be overlooked by either man or their fans.
What is most amazing about this fight is the attention it has received, the buzz it has created within the MMA community, the media attention it has lured. Because again, what is about to happen Saturday night is going to change the bantamweight division forever.
Urijah Faber has long been considered one of the faces of this sport; he earned that distinguished honor as an elite competitor with lightning pumping through his veins. Win or lose, this guy is never ever in a boring fight. He is an amazing competitor and crucial component to the sport. He defended the WEC featherweight title five times.
His name will go down in MMA history.
Dominick Cruz has proved to be one of the sport’s most influential fighters as a top pound for pound contender and a unique style that is now appearing in regional MMA cages across the country. His one of a kind approach is both effective and entertaining and people are paying attention. His talents made him the final WEC and first ever UFC bantamweight champion.
His name will go down in MMA history.
It just so happens that these two gentlemen are scheduled for a five round title fight at UFC 132, and what will happen when those cage doors close is anyone’s guess. Outcomes are one thing, but one guarantee is this: When it is over, nobody who sees this will ever forget it.
These two have a role to play in the history of this sport and this division. What they do in that cage Saturday night will represent the pure potential for what this sport can become. It will take the greatest Urijah Faber we have ever seen to beat Cruz and nothing less than the most impressive Dom Cruz ever can defeat Faber.
Not one person should expect anything less than either of those two versions appearing on fight night. It is inconceivable to consider how this actually might go down, and equally inconceivable why anyone in their right mind would miss this fight.
As the sport of mixed martial arts continues to evolve and grow, its fans grow along with it. MMA has transformed from its open weight bare knuckle roots to the UFC now talking about adding an eighth weight class. The transformation has been nothing sh…
As the sport of mixed martial arts continues to evolve and grow, its fans grow along with it. MMA has transformed from its open weight bare knuckle roots to the UFC now talking about adding an eighth weight class.
The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing. One of the huge reasons the UFC can even consider adding a 125 pound weight class is due to the success Zuffa has found incorporating smaller weight divisions into the UFC.
Obviously, that success gained traction under Zuffa’s WEC banner. The level of talent and competition that was bred inside that bright blue Octagon often rivaled, and at times exceeded, UFC events. Simply put, the smaller fighters can scrap and have proven more than capable of captivating the MMA community.
It is fighters like Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz that exemplify exactly why the community has embraced these lighter but equally as entertaining combatants. Their fierce combination of precision, aggression, showmanship and their championship pedigrees make them alluring superstars for fans to follow.
The first time these two met, few fight fans were even aware of anything outside the UFC as far as mainstream MMA goes. Urijah Faber defeated Dominick Cruz over four years ago. This was a time when he was developing as one of the single most influential sub 155 pound fighters this sport had ever known. At this same time, Dom Cruz was just getting his feet wet at such a high level in this sport.
For an undefeated fighter making his mainstream MMA debut for a WEC title, Dom handled himself well against the “California Kid,” but when he strayed from a game plan that seemed to be working on Faber, Cruz found himself deep in the business end of a world class guillotine choke.
Now, four years later, much has changed. The smaller weight divisions have earned the respect they always deserved. Mainstream fans have begun to recognize and support the Cruzes and Fabers of the world for what they are, and that would be some of the most exciting athletes in the sport.
And these two who met so long ago are not even close to the same fighters they were then. The sport has changed, the fans have changed and most importantly, the fighters have changed.
Now, Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz will settle the score, along with quite a bit of bad blood. And the MMA world is watching very closely. The rivalries in this sport have been well documented with names like Liddell and Ortiz (or Couture; take your pick). On the other hand, we have Penn and GSP or Big Nog and Fedor, just to name a couple.
The bottom line is, certain fighters are destined for one another. Certain fighters are so elite they can rarely find the types of challenges they find with their most respected or in some cases most bitter rivals. Cruz and Faber are somewhere on that spectrum.
Having only battled once, there is still more than enough history between these two and their camps. They are not unfamiliar with each other at all. In some way, shape or form, they have been in opposite corners on many occasions, with various outcomes leaving them both craving further competition.
So now the top dog of Team Alpha Male will face Alliance MMA’s most celebrated fighter. These two camps have been doing battle for some time now, with Alliance MMA coming out on top as of late. Faber’s protege Joseph Benavidez has lost twice under dominant performances of Cruz.
Obviously, for a teacher to see his student lose one sided affairs to a man he once beat, Faber has found a little discontent for Cruz. And Cruz is not preparing any Christmas cards for the Alpha Male team, either.
So of course, whenever there is bad blood, the fans huddle around to drink in the drama. Oh, how drama herds the sheep. What is most amazing about all of this is one simple thing. Faber and Cruz are no dummies; they are promoting this fight to the moon and back. They talk a hard game, but they can more than back it up.
If they can get the world to pay attention to the left hand all the while holding in their right hand the keys to what could potentially become one of the greatest fights this sport has ever seen, well, what harm can a little extra trash talk do?
But unlike the masses, these two wizards of their craft understand the talk only goes skin deep. Their level of discontent with one another may blossom on the big stage, but its roots are found in what can only be defined as a deep respect for each other.
No man looks across the cage at his most heated adversary and thinks, “I’m gong to whip this punk’s ass.” The fact of the matter is if that man across the cage had not earned his deepest respect, he would not be worthy of even being considered a rival in the first place.
The difference between a mark and a rival is a mark is hunted and used; a rival is always on the radar lest they become the hunter.
Make no mistake, while they may not be pen pals, these two are fully aware of what is at stake Saturday night and what the risks involved are when they enter that Octagon together. Pride may veil it with a curtain of disrespect or trash talk, but rest assured there is a mutual level of respect here that can not be overlooked by either man or their fans.
What is most amazing about this fight is the attention it has received, the buzz it has created within the MMA community, the media attention it has lured. Because again, what is about to happen Saturday night is going to change the bantamweight division forever.
Urijah Faber has long been considered one of the faces of this sport; he earned that distinguished honor as an elite competitor with lightning pumping through his veins. Win or lose, this guy is never ever in a boring fight. He is an amazing competitor and crucial component to the sport. He defended the WEC featherweight title five times.
His name will go down in MMA history.
Dominick Cruz has proved to be one of the sport’s most influential fighters as a top pound for pound contender and a unique style that is now appearing in regional MMA cages across the country. His one of a kind approach is both effective and entertaining and people are paying attention. His talents made him the final WEC and first ever UFC bantamweight champion.
His name will go down in MMA history.
It just so happens that these two gentlemen are scheduled for a five round title fight at UFC 132, and what will happen when those cage doors close is anyone’s guess. Outcomes are one thing, but one guarantee is this: When it is over, nobody who sees this will ever forget it.
These two have a role to play in the history of this sport and this division. What they do in that cage Saturday night will represent the pure potential for what this sport can become. It will take the greatest Urijah Faber we have ever seen to beat Cruz and nothing less than the most impressive Dom Cruz ever can defeat Faber.
Not one person should expect anything less than either of those two versions appearing on fight night. It is inconceivable to consider how this actually might go down, and equally inconceivable why anyone in their right mind would miss this fight.
Ryan Bader saw his unblemished mixed martial arts career tarnished when his path crossed with another rising star Jon Jones. For the first time ever, Bader found himself on the wrong end of a dominating performance. He understands how it happened,…
Ryan Bader saw his unblemished mixed martial arts career tarnished when his path crossed with another rising star Jon Jones. For the first time ever, Bader found himself on the wrong end of a dominating performance.
He understands how it happened, and more importantly why, and now looks to the future when he will hopefully find the opportunity to chase redemption against the one man ever to beat him. The path back to a man many consider the future of the sport starts this weekend.
Ironically, Bader’s first steps towards avenging that loss lies in battle with a man considered one of the pioneers of the sport and the UFC light heavyweight division. To chase the future, Bader will have to defeat the past.
Tito Ortiz has long been one of the iconic figures throughout the entire sport of MMA. Many athletes are superstars in this sport, few actually transcend the sport and become the model for what people think of when they think MMA or UFC. Guys like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz are those types of legends.
Like him or not, and everyone falls on one side or the other, Tito Ortiz is forever entrenched in the history of the sport as not only one of its greats but also a vital component to its very success.
So it comes as no surprise that Bader is very excited to have an opportunity to test himself against a legend. Perhaps Ortiz is not the same fighter he once was, but Bader has great respect for both the fighter Tito was and who he is today. He speaks highly of this chance the UFC has given him.
Leading up to his bout with Ortiz at UFC 132, Hurtsbad MMA was able to touch base with “Darth” Bader. He shared his perspective on how this match was made and his overall thoughts on fighting a legend.
Bader told Hurtsbad MMA, “I always wanted to fight one of those guys, like a Randy Couture, a Chuck Liddell, or a Tito Ortiz. Chuck is done and retired, Randy is at the tail end of his career, and Tito is still going. I grew up watching those guys. Those guys come from a similar background as I come from with wrestling.”
“So those are the guys I watched and I rooted for when I was in high school and when I was in college. So just to get the opportunity to fight one of them is an honor. As a fighter, it’s great for my career and resume. As a fan it’s awesome because I get to go in there and be a part of his legacy.”
Bader was sure to add, “And build my own.”
He went on to explain, “So when Joe Silva called and we got the name Tito Ortiz, we jumped all over it. It’s one of those fights that I definitely want for my career and before he is gone or retires, I want to fight a guy like that. Here the opportunity was, and I took it.”
If Bader can capitalize and defeat Tito it would prove a great starting point for him to get him back on track for a shot at the title, and/or Jones. Time will tell, but the first steps start when Bader and Ortiz take their walks to the Octagon at UFC 132.
Before Bader can look forward, he will have to face this man who has made a career out of grinding down opponents and sapping them of their will. Again, Tito is not the lion he once was, but his reputation wasn’t built on accident.
And it is no secret that type of talent Bader brings to the table. He has been one of the most successful light heavyweights not named Jon Jones since Chuck Liddell was on top.
He was on a five-fight win streak in under two years with names like Lil Nog and Jardine at the top of the list. That was before Jones. So there is no reason to expect anything less than a resilient and fresh Ryan Bader who is looking to turn the page to a new chapter in his career.
The bittersweet symphony for Bader may become his role in potentially retiring Ortiz. For a man Bader has seen as a fighter he respected and looked up to, it may add some weight to an already compelling match up between two fighters who represent different eras of the sport.
With Ortiz losing four of his last five, another misstep will most definitely signal the end of a historic run in the game. If that happens, look no further than Ryan Bader for a candidate to pick up that torch and continue on.
This fight could signify the end of an era, but it also could mean the beginning of another. This division was built with the blood, sweat, and tears of men like Ortiz, Liddell, and Couture. Now tomorrow’s legends, Bader, Evans, and Jones will take it further than it has ever been.
Win, lose, or draw Ortiz and Bader can both take pride in that.
There is an elevation that has taken place across the sport of mixed martial arts. That elevation has come with the understanding of what it not only once took to attain the highest peaks—not simply what it now takes to aspire to such heights—but also what it will take tomorrow to hold one’s ground once the pinnacle is reached.