It’s always fun when a fight goes from an athletic competition to something more. Rivalries are what make sports so amazing to watch. Think the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens going after it hard on a Sunday afternoon. Think Roy Williams and C…
It’s always fun when a fight goes from an athletic competition to something more. Rivalries are what make sports so amazing to watch. Think the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens going after it hard on a Sunday afternoon. Think Roy Williams and Coach K exchanging dueling glares in a North Carolina-Duke Showdown.
Think Rashad Evans and Jon Jones going toe-to-toe inside the UFC Octagon. Make no mistake—there is no love lost between these two former teammates. How did their relationship go so wrong? Bleacher Report is on the case.
Despite only winning one UFC fight in the last five years, Tito Ortiz has developed a pretty good career. He’s one of the biggest superstars in UFC history and one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time.Granted, he was in his prime during an er…
Despite only winning one UFC fight in the last five years, Tito Ortiz has developed a pretty good career. He’s one of the biggest superstars in UFC history and one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time.
Granted, he was in his prime during an era that didn’t include Jon Jones or Lyoto Machida or Rashad Evans, but he’s still a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame as long as his relationship with Dana White is stable.
Ortiz has his wacky moments, to be sure, but when he speaks out about controversial topics like testosterone replacement therapy, I’m going to listen. Ortiz told John Joe O’Regan of Fighters Only Magazine:
And I have – for fifteen years I’ve competed and taken my drug tests, random drug tests, and passed everything because I am a true athlete. A lot of these guys are taking these supplements to make themselves more impressive or whatever, to become the fighters they want to be.
That’s their choice – my recommendation is don’t do it. If its against the law or against the sport, don’t do it and if you do have to do it, don’t fight anymore. That’s just my take on it… I will leave it there, I wont go into it any further.
I agree with Ortiz. As just about any legitimate medical doctor will tell you, there are no scenarios in which a man in his 20s or early 30s will need testosterone replacement therapy.
It’s just not medically necessary.
Someone like Todd Duffee, a hulking beast of a man who has yet to reach his 27th birthday, shouldn’t need his testosterone levels artificially boosted. Unless, of course, he’s damaged his body enough through using steroids that his levels are low to begin with.
But if you need a heavy cycle of TRT to bring your natural testosterone levels back to normal, you shouldn’t be fighting.
End of story.
I understand the need for older fighters to go on a TRT regimen, and you’ll never hear me begrudge someone like Dan Henderson the right to TRT usage. Henderson isn’t using testosterone to achieve an advantage in training; he’s simply using the drug to help him get back to normal levels. That’s a real explanation.
What I don’t understand—and never will understand—are fighters, still in the prime of their careers, who claim that they need testosterone to help them fight.
They don’t need it. They’re looking for an advantage. And if they truly need it, then their bodies are damaged past the point where they should be fighting.
UFC 146 was set to be the biggest heavyweight card in UFC history. With a PPV card comprised of only heavyweight fights, it was the UFC’s chance to showcase their vastly improved and deep heavyweight division. The logic is obvious really; fight fans lo…
UFC 146 was set to be the biggest heavyweight card in UFC history. With a PPV card comprised of only heavyweight fights, it was the UFC’s chance to showcase their vastly improved and deep heavyweight division. The logic is obvious really; fight fans love heavyweights. And in the case of fights there is no such thing as “less is more.”
But then the Nevada State Athletic Commission decides to be sneaky. At the UFC 146 pre-fight press conference the commission tested the fighters in attendance. Among those tested were Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem.
Of the six fighters tested, five came back totally clean. Unfortunately the one positive test was from Alistair Overeem who’s scheduled to face Junior Dos Santos for the heavyweight title in the main event.
Overeem has previously held titles in Strikeforce, Dream, and was the last winner of the K-1 Grand Prix. Unfortunately, since joining the UFC roster he’s had nothing but issues with the NSAC regarding drug tests.
UFC 141 was supposed to be his coming out party for the UFC audience. At the top of the biggest card of the year, Overeem was set to face Brock Lesnar in the main event of the evening. However, issues with his pre-fight drug test put the fight in jeopardy. Alistair left the United States to look after his sick mother and made several mistakes with choosing a lab to conduct his blood work.
After much confusion the blood was taken, and the fight went off without a hitch. Overeem defeated Lesnar with a vicious combination of knees and punches, retiring the former champion in the process. The win also earned Alistair a shot at the heavyweight strap.
However, the failed drug test now means that the proposed bout may never happen. There have always been doubts about Overeem from a vocal minority who always questioned the means used to attain his superhero-like physique. Now they have even more reason to believe that Alistair has taken shortcuts in his career.
Which brings us back to the original question: Can the UFC actually trust Alistair Overeem to hold the UFC heavyweight title?
It seems like a simple question. He’s extremely marketable and represents himself well at media appearances, so of course they should trust him with a title. However, it’s far more complicated than it seems.
A UFC champion will always be viewed as the face of the promotion. They represent the UFC inside and outside of the cage, and everything they do will be scrutinized. They also have to defend their title whenever Joe Silva comes calling, save for a serious injury.
At this point the UFC is still going forward with the proposed bout between Dos Santos and Overeem, and in my opinion, they are making a huge mistake.
With both of his fights in the UFC already surrounded with controversy from pre-fight drug tests, Alistair Overeem is a liability. Even if his B sample comes back negative for elevated levels of testosterone, there isn’t any reason to believe that in the future there won’t be more controversy.
There’s the other issue that should Overeem win and test positive in his post-fight drug test, the UFC would have to strip their champion of a title and return it to previous champion. But that’s not the only issue. If Dos Santos loses in devastating fashion, will the UFC be able to rebuild the brand of their monster heavyweight champion?
Zuffa has had to deal with this exact situation in the past when Josh Barnett defeated Randy Couture for the heavyweight belt back in 2002 at UFC 33. Barnett had already tested positive in Nevade during a “fact finding” mission by the commission regarding PEDs. The UFC knew about the positive test and went ahead with the proposed fight anyway.
Barnett became the youngest heavyweight champion in history and then was stripped of the title when his tests came back positive for banned substances. It would also be the last time Josh Barnett would fight in the UFC.
Until Alistair Overeem can prove that he can take and pass drug tests without issue, the UFC would be best served at keeping him as far away from the title as possible. Their branding and reputation depends on it.
Earlier this week, I defended Ben Askren’s win over Douglas Lima on my Bellator 64 report card. Askren’s win wasn’t the most exciting title fight in history—that much is certainly true—but I tried to shift perspectives and point out that th…
Earlier this week, I defended Ben Askren‘s win over Douglas Lima on my Bellator 64 report card. Askren’s win wasn’t the most exciting title fight in history—that much is certainly true—but I tried to shift perspectives and point out that the responsibility for having an exciting fight falls on Askren’s opponent, because you already know what he’s going to do when you step in the cage with him.
If you can’t get out from underneath him, well, that’s just too bad. Askren doesn’t care about pleasing the fans.
My dude Ariel Helwani, on the most recent edition of the MMA Hour, pointed out that Askren’s win at Bellator 64 was fairly boring. Ariel was actually being nice. What he should’ve said, and didn’t, is that Askren’s win was one of the most boring fights in the history of the sport. Because it was.
Hey @arielhelwani I am still waiting on your expert advice. What strategy would have helped me finish the fight?
well I invite you to go in a cage with me. When you do that I will do your show. Otherwise kiss my ass.
Yes, Ben Askren challenged Ariel—a mixed martial arts journalist and a real reporter—to a fight.
I don’t know why the “well, you’ve never fought anyone so you can’t possibly have a valid opinion” response is so much more prevalent in MMA than in any other sport.
Is it because the MMA culture is filled with dudes who put on T-shirts with skulls, crosses and wings and instantly become tough guys? There’s a troubling subculture involved with this sport that isn’t just dangerous—it’s also ludicrous and a serious damper on the UFC’s attempts to be seen as a legitimate sport.
Guys like Askren don’t help, either.
It’s rare to see athletes from other sports claiming that journalists don’t know what they’re talking about because they’ve never thrown a touchdown in a Super Bowl or scored the game-winning shot in the NCAA tournament. Kevin Iole is a fantastic boxing journalist, and to the best of my knowledge, Kevin has never been heavyweight champion of the world, or even boxed in a professional fight.
Ariel is one of the best journalists in the sport, and he doesn’t just flippantly criticize fighters on their performances. He’s measured and thoughtful, so when he says publicly that you were in a boring fight, well, the chances are pretty good that you were actually in a boring fight.
Yeah, I’m tired of this argument. If you don’t want the fans or media calling you boring, don’t fight a boring style. I figured Askren was the one guy who truly didn’t care what the fans or media thought of his style, but I guess I was wrong.
I guess he’s just as sensitive as the rest of them.
These are trying times for MMA fans, what with huge main events being potentially canceled due to the usage of performance-enhancing drugs.Thank goodness for men like Kenny Florian, then.Florian may not go into the UFC Hall of Fame, but few others can …
These are trying times for MMA fans, what with huge main events being potentially canceled due to the usage of performance-enhancing drugs.
Florian may not go into the UFC Hall of Fame, but few others can match his output at such high levels of competition. Did he ever win a UFC championship? No, but it doesn’t really matter. The fact remains that Florian has served as a championship contender while also being a flag-bearer for the actual sport.
In a time when a decent interview or a hulking physique can get you a title shot, Florian did things the right way. He never cheated and never became something he wasn’t. And now, he’s taking things one step further by calling out those who do cheat their way to the top on this week’s episode of UFC Tonight:
As a clean fighter, the whole issue of performance-enhancing drugs in MMA really pisses me off. This sport is about honor, technique and discipline. As a fighter, if you use PEDs, how does it feel good knowing that you won using them? Don’t do it, dummies!
I don’t know if Florian will ever fight again. I’d say the odds are pretty good that you’ll see him back in the lightweight division at some point this year, but it’s not a certainty.
What I can tell you, though, is that Kenny Florian should be respected for taking a hard stance against a very sensitive subject.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar continued to make a splash on WWE Raw last night. My dude Jonathan Snowden has a nifty recap of Brock’s antics on the show, which included a moment when Lesnar punched John Cena in the mouth with a much bett…
Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar continued to make a splash on WWE Raw last night. My dude Jonathan Snowden has a nifty recap of Brock’s antics on the show, which included a moment when Lesnar punched John Cena in the mouth with a much better strike than any he’s landed since mauling Frank Mir at UFC 100.
While that was an awesome moment that brought back a tint of realism that professional wrestling has been mostly missing for the past eight years, I wanted to instead focus on a different moment. This happened later in the show, when Lesnar was asked during a backstage interview if he was proud to return to the WWE:
“Proud? I’m proud of everything I do.
Let me tell you a little story. Eight years ago I left this company. I was a WWE champion. I took this company to heights it had never seen before. I left the company, went to the UFC and became UFC heavyweight champion of the world. Their success was on my blood, sweat and tears.”
The last part is the important one. I tweeted Lesnar’s comment last night, and was completely shocked at the backlash from MMA fans toward Lesnar. They were FURIOUS at Lesnar for saying such a dastardly thing.
It’s important to remember the context of Lesnar’s comments. They were made during a scripted interview on a scripted television show featuring fake fighting. Lesnar is being positioned as a cocky, wrecking machine bad guy on the show, so of course he’s going to say things like this. You’re supposed to hate the things that come out of his mouth. I guess it worked swimmingly.
But here’s the real point: Lesnar was mostly correct. There are plenty of people responsible for the UFC’s success over the past ten years, but none of them can be attributed with the kind of fame Lesnar brought to the UFC. When he jumped into the Octagon, it gave the UFC access to millions of current and former WWE fans who were dismayed with the direction of the wrestling product.
I’m not just making this up. He’s the biggest-drawing card in the history of the UFC, and it’s not even close.
There will never, ever be another Brock Lesnar. He was a superstar from another sport who jumped directly into the Octagon and immediately competed, and defeated, the best fighters in his division. He had a huge hand in making the UFC what it is today.
But let’s keep in mind that he’s now part of a scripted show. He’s gone from the UFC. You don’t really have a reason to get your panties in a wad when he says something you may not like.
