Morning Report: Dana White UFC video blog; Pros predict Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit

If it seems like a while since the last time we’ve seen one of Dana White’s popular backstage video blogs, well, that’s because it has been. 46 days to be exact.
But fear no more, gentle MMA fan. In advance of the UFC’s upcoming debut…

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If it seems like a while since the last time we’ve seen one of Dana White’s popular backstage video blogs, well, that’s because it has been. 46 days to be exact.

But fear no more, gentle MMA fan. In advance of the UFC’s upcoming debut in China, White’s vlogs have made an unexpected return, and there’s a ton of ground to make up for since the last time. Check out behind-the-scenes footage from as far back as the bizarre Jeremy Stephens situation, to as recent as a “you’re not f—ing human” post-fight rant in the afterglow of Anderson Silva’s ridiculous four-minute performance piece. But first, some headlines.

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6 MUST-READ STORIES

Silva to attend St-Pierre fight. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will be sitting cageside for Georges St-Pierre’s comeback fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 154, Silva’s manager Jorge Guimaraes told our own Ariel Helwani on UFC Tonight. Silva, who rarely attends events, is expected to call out St-Pierre if he successfully defends his belt.

Invicta’s Knapp calls out managers. Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp posted a fiery statement on Facebook warning female fighters against fraudulent managers who claim to have an “in with Invicta FC” and “the only way female athletes will fight for Invicta FC is if the athlete signs with them.”

Velasquez eyeing revenge. Nearly a year later, former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez’s 64-second loss to Junior dos Santos still eats away at him, and with a rematch now scheduled for UFC 155, the time for revenge is drawing near.

FOX bookings. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will make his first title defense against John Dodson in the main event of UFC on FOX 6. In addition, a long-awaited contenders match-up pitting Donald Cerrone against former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis is being targeted for the FOX-televised main card, as is Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira, according to Jackson’s Twitter.

Bonnar, Herman handed down suspensions. Despite retiring, Stephan Bonnar received a one-year suspension from the UFC after testing positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone in the wake of his UFC 153 loss to Anderson Silva. A suspension for Dave Herman, who tested positive for marijuana metabolites, was not finalized, but UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner expects Herman to be sidelined for a shorter time period than Bonnar, while also completing a rehab program.

Ratings report. Weekend ratings rose for the The Ultimate Fighter and Bellator, as each drew a season-high 1,061,000 viewers and 220,000 viewers, respectively. Meanwhile, World Series of Fighting’s debut drew just 198,000 viewers on the NBC Sports Network, marking a significantly lower figure than past averages for WEC and UFC events on the same channel.

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MEDIA STEW

Top three moments of the latest Dana White video blog, in no specific order: 1.) Dana’s mocking, girlish impersonation of the new era of fighter, 2.) “PUKE!!”, and 3.) The chilling chorus of “It’s time!” that echoed across the HSBC Arena, followed just minutes later by “You’re not human. You’re not f—ing human.”

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Pros picking GSP: 5. Pros picking Condit: 3. I can’t lie, that’s a lot closer than I anticipated.

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You guys remember when Sheila Bird nearly killed Kim Couture? Well, she almost did it again. (For the lazy, fight starts at 6:00.)

(HT: MiddleEasy)

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Just in case you forget to set your alarms this weekend, Rashad Evans is here to help you out. (And yes, there’s a Chael Sonnen version.)

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We like to cover the hard-hitting issues here at the Morning Report, and there’s no issue harder hitting than the age-old debate about abstaining from sex before a fight. Luckily, Freddie Roach is somewhat of an authority on the subject.

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IT’S ON

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LET THE MAN KNOW

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SOUNDS LEGIT

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THE AMERICAN WAY

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, November 6, 2012):

  • UFC on FOX 6: Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1) vs. John Dodson (14-5) booked for main event
  • UFC on FOX 6: Donald Cerrone (19-4, 1 NC) vs. Anthony Pettis (15-2) booked for main card
  • UFC on FOX 6: Rampage Jackson (32-10) vs. Glover Teixeira (19-2)

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FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today’s Fanpost of the Day sees Steve Borchardt err on the side of pessimism with: MMA startups a bad bet nearly every time

Let’s say you wake up to tomorrow and find yourself the lucky owner of a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket. Then let’s make the further supposition you aren’t the practical type and you decide starting a mixed martial arts promotion is the best way to use your winnings. You’re ready to forgo the McMansion, trophy spouse, and fleet of European luxury cars in order to devote your millions to building your own personal MMA empire. Well my impetuous friend, there are a few things you might want to consider before staking your newfound fortune on what has historically been a bad bet.

First off, you’re going to need fighters. One would think that should be the easy part. In fact you might start to feel like a Maxim cover girl in a bar full of single guys at closing time when you think of all the unsigned fighters out there looking for a payday, but therein lies the problem. Almost everyone with an established name who currently isn’t under contract to the UFC is a free agent for a reason – either he was cut because he couldn’t hang at the UFC level, he’s a relic from the past who doesn’t know when to give up the ghost, or he has more baggage than the underbelly of a 747. There may be a large potential talent pool of former stars to draw from, but by and large these types will make your promotion look like the Island of Misfit Toys in the eyes of fans.

For an example of this type of hand me down card look no further than this past Saturday’s premiere World Series of Fighting event on NBC Sports. This show had it all, well if by “it all” you mean a main card consisting primarily of UFC rejects and over the hill stars of yesteryear that is. Look at the star attractions in the top three fights on the card: Anthony Johnson – cut from the UFC for missing weight a mind boggling three times; Miguel Torres – committed career suicide when somehow he failed to learn from his first UFC firing that tweeting rape jokes isn’t the best way to remain employed with the company; Andrei Arlovski – hasn’t been relevant since before current UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones began his career. I don’t know about you, but I would hardly call this an auspicious debut.

Some upstart promotions are able do a better job than the WSOF at striking a balance between up and comers and fading stars. This past Friday’s Resurrection Fighting Alliance 4 card was main evented by former UFC lightweights Tyson Griffin and Efrain Escudero, but there were a number of younger fighters with potential upside on the card as well like Chidi Njokuani and Sergio Pettis. RFA seem to understand the best way to utilize names from the past is to use whatever star power they have left to draw in viewers who will then in turn hopefully become fans of the younger fighters. You simply can’t build a brand on hand me downs from the dominant industry leader.

Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.