What would you do without Twitter? Without the immediate reminisces of thousands of fans who confirmed that they too remember watching Junior Seau play football? Ah, Twitter. It’s exasperating at times, but it keeps me in tune with the world of MMA. Wh…
What would you do without Twitter? Without the immediate reminisces of thousands of fans who confirmed that they too remember watching Junior Seau play football? Ah, Twitter. It’s exasperating at times, but it keeps me in tune with the world of MMA. Who is sponsoring whom? What fights does Joe Silva have lined up for us? What random scavenger hunts has Dana White set up today?
Keeping up with Twitter is a daunting task. It’s easy to miss things—and that’s why I’ll be here every evening, breaking down the day’s best and most important tweets.
Today, a fighter pays close attention to the rankings, reporters crack jokes and Josh Koscheck goes on the offensive.
Josh Koscheck says a lot of things. Some of them are designed to build up fights—Koscheck is, after all, one of the best heels in mixed martial arts. He’s found his niche and understands that the fans hating him with a passion is far better than …
Josh Koscheck says a lot of things. Some of them are designed to build up fights—Koscheck is, after all, one of the best heels in mixed martial arts. He’s found his niche and understands that the fans hating him with a passion is far better than the fans not caring at all.
And then there are the times when Koscheck is simply being a jerk.
Today was one of those days. Koscheck unloaded on the media attending the UFC on FOX open workouts—which Bleacher Report attended—taking them to task for stories highlighting Koscheck’s age as a factor in his upcoming fight with Johny Hendricks.
“A lot of you people write all these stories. ‘Youth versus age’. Bull[expletive]. You guys are all [expletive] retards. Retards.”
“Every one of you, counting me out, I love it. Keep counting me out. I’ll be fighting for four or five more years. Every time you write a story about me, just say I’m too old. Too washed up. Too many fights. Too many miles,” Koscheck said. “I like that. I’ve got a lot of people to prove wrong on Saturday night, and I’m looking at every one of you. You’re probably all writing that [expletive] about me.”
Well, then.
Koscheck has never been a media darling. Interviewing him is often a chore, as you’re more likely to get a sarcastic answer to a serious question than anything resembling a real response. He wasn’t always this way; I remember talking to him a few months after the completion of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Koscheck was courteous and gave honest answers to every question I had.
But time changes everything, and the Josh Koscheck of 2005 is far different than the Koscheck of 2012.
I understand that dealing with media is a chore. I’ve followed fighters as they’ve gone through media gauntlets during fight week, and it’s like Groundhog Day—a never-ending line of reporters asking the exact same questions. That has to get on a fighter’s nerves after awhile. Hell, it got on my nerves, and I wasn’t the one being forced to repeatedly answer the same question.
But dealing with the media is part of the job when you’re a public figure who is constantly in the limelight. All professional athletes go through the same thing. When you’re being paid millions of dollars and appearing on high-profile sporting events, it’s only natural that the public will want to know more about you, and getting to know you requires the media to ask questions.
Koscheck’s age is a very real angle in this fight. He’s 34 years old—not exactly a spring chicken when it comes to the fight game—and Hendricks is 28. The age difference becomes an even more appropriate storyline going into the fight because of the many similarities between Koscheck and Hendricks.
They’re not mirror images of each other, but they’re close. Both were outstanding collegiate wrestlers. Both have developed big power in their hands. But one of them is 34 and has been in far more battles than his younger, less-seasoned opponent.
How does that affect the fight? Will the knockouts Koscheck suffered in the past cause his chin to fail him against a guy who has never experienced a knockout blow in a fight? Does Koscheck lose his speed and response time as he gets older?
These are valid questions, no matter what Koscheck thinks.
Johny Hendricks has a fantastic beard.This cannot be denied. Hendricks has one of the manliest beards in sports, if not the entire world. It’s part of his fight-camp rituals, one of those quirks that only fighters can get away with. It is, I dare say, …
Johny Hendricks has a fantastic beard.
This cannot be denied. Hendricks has one of the manliest beards in sports, if not the entire world. It’s part of his fight-camp rituals, one of those quirks that only fighters can get away with. It is, I dare say, one of the things I enjoy most about mixed martial arts.
It’s not easy growing an epic beard. As Hendricks told me during a live chat on Wednesday afternoon, his wife plays a big part in the process.
“First off, you have to have a good wife that doesn’t care if you have facial hair,” Hendricks said. “And she does this oil treatment for her hair. If my beard starts feeling too rough for her, she puts the oil in it.
“It’s a little weird, but she does all she can to make sure it’s good for her.”
The biggest night of Hendricks’ (and his beard’s) professional mixed martial arts career comes this Saturday night when he faces Josh Koscheck in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 3.
And if the stakes weren’t already high enough—Koscheck is, after all, Hendricks’ most high-profile opponent to date, and by a wide margin—UFC president Dana White added a little fuel to the fire when he announced during a Wednesday conference call that Hendricks will be in line for a title shot if he beats Koscheck.
It’s thrilling news for Hendricks, who is understandably amped up for the fight.
“I think it’s awesome. It’s great news. You can’t get more excited than that,” Hendricks said. “I get to fight a tough dude like Koscheck, and then a title shot if I win? It’s great.”
Hendricks is focused squarely on Koscheck, and rightly so. Both men are former standout collegiate wrestlers who have developed excellent power in their hands. Hendricks and Koscheck are alike in so many ways, which is one of the many things that makes this fight so intriguing.
But if Hendricks does get past Koscheck, will he feel any pressure to call out interim champion Carlos Condit on live television?
“Sometimes you do have to make your stand if you really want something,” Hendricks said. “The UFC wants to put on shows that the fans want to see, and if the fans want to see you fight someone, that’s what’s going to happen.
“I never call anyone out because I have too much respect for everyone. It’s hard enough just getting in the Octagon. If you call somebody out and you end up losing, it looks worse. For example, say I win and I call out for a title shot, then that’s what I have to do. If not for a title shot situation, I don’t think you should. I let my managers do that.”
I can hear the excitement in Hendricks’ voice. He realizes that he’s finally reached a different level in the UFC, and that Saturday night represents a chance to establish himself near the top of the welterweight division.
The idea of fighting on network television—and being a featured star on that televised fight card—didn’t really settle in until Hendricks saw himself in a UFC on FOX commercial while watching NASCAR.
“I think the most excited I got was when I was watching NASCAR last week or the week before,” Hendricks said. “They showed my name on a commercial, that I would be fighting. I think that was the most excited I’ve been.”
To Hendricks, appearing on a NASCAR broadcast means he’s made it. Saturday night, he has a chance to prove to UFC fans that he’ll be sticking around for awhile.
So much attention as of late has been focused on Jon Jones, and rightly so. He’s the “in” thing in MMA at the moment, and he might be the “in” thing for many years to come.When all is said and done, Jones may ultimately be the greatest of all time.Hell…
So much attention as of late has been focused on Jon Jones, and rightly so. He’s the “in” thing in MMA at the moment, and he might be the “in” thing for many years to come.
When all is said and done, Jones may ultimately be the greatest of all time.
Hell, he might accomplish that feat in a few more years. But he’s not there yet.
So who, then, is the greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts? The general consensus falls between Fedor Emelianenko or Anderson Silva, with your actual answer depending on whether you were a PRIDE fanboy or someone who started watching the sport with the advent of The Ultimate Fighter. I know that sounds like a generality, but I’ve found it to be true more often than not.
There’s one name people tend to forget when having this discussion: Dan Henderson. I firmly believe that Henderson, not Randy Couture, is the greatest American fighter of all time.
There’s no possible way to look at their respective records and come to the conclusion that Couture is the best. I like Randy, and he’s a great ambassador for the sport, but his record was 19-11. That’s not terrible, but it’s far from the kind of ledger you need to be considered great.
Henderson’s current resume boasts 10 wins over big-show champions: Carlos Newton, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Murilo Bustamante, Kazuo Misaki, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Rafael Cavalcante, Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. That is victory against at least six future Hall of Famers. Comparatively, Anderson Silva, who’s generally the current consensus greatest fighter ever, has wins over six champions.
But what of Henderson’s losses?
Of the eight opponents to walk away victorious against Henderson, only Ricardo Arona (split decision) and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (armbar) have not held notable titles. Half (Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva) are surefire Hall of Famers.
Henderson has never put together the kind of winning streak that Silva or Emelianenko have. He’ll win four or five fights, then lose one. But let’s not forget, as Acosta points out, that six of Henderson’s eight losses have come against Hall of Fame-caliber fighters. And two of them—Arona and the younger Nogueira—were very good fighters with excellent records and reputations when Henderson faced them.
Is a winning streak that comes against often-subpar talent more notable than a collection of high-profile wins with a few losses to extraordinary talent? That’s how we measure Silva vs. Henderson vs. Emelianenko.
One thing is for sure: If Henderson is able to beat Jon Jones, there will be no question that he’s the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.
Floyd Mayweather Junior will tell you he’s the best boxer of his generation, arguably of all time. And, self-promotion and bombast aside, he might just be right. Mayweather has stood across the ring from 42 different opponents in professional bouts. On…
Floyd Mayweather Junior will tell you he’s the best boxer of his generation, arguably of all time. And, self-promotion and bombast aside, he might just be right.
Mayweather has stood across the ring from 42 different opponents in professional bouts. On 42 different occasions, from Mississippi to Idaho, he’s had his hand raised high. Nine major world titles have been strapped around his waist, and his list of victims reads like a list of future boxing Hall of Famers—Corrales, Castillo, Gatti, De La Hoya, Marquez and Mosley.
Saturday night in Las Vegas, at the MGM Grand where he’s competed on eight occasions, Mayweather will look to add Miguel Cotto to that list. But it’s far from a done deal. Mayweather may have never been beaten—but he’s not unbeatable.
Past opponents have laid the groundwork for how to beat him. There is a game plan that, if executed perfectly, that can lead an opponent to victory. I’m not saying Miguel Cotto is going to beat Floyd Mayweather. But if he does, this will be how.
I don’t know what I’d do without Twitter. It’s exasperating at times, but it keeps me in tune with the world of MMA. Who is spouting nonsense or random slurs? What fights does Joe Silva have lined up for us? Who is Dana White yelling at today?Keeping …
I don’t know what I’d do without Twitter. It’s exasperating at times, but it keeps me in tune with the world of MMA. Who is spouting nonsense or random slurs? What fights does Joe Silva have lined up for us? Who is Dana White yelling at today?
Keeping up with Twitter is a daunting task. It’s easy to miss things—and that’s why I’ll be here every evening, breaking down the day’s best and most important tweets.
Today Ronda Rousey rings a bell, Dana White releases a new vlog, and I get accused of being a hockey goon.
