You know the deal by now, Potato Nation. Dana White’s first video blog for UFC 144 takes a look back at the aftermath of UFC 143, as has become the norm. So we’re going to skip the fancy introduction and get right into it.
(1:43) – Matt Riddle has to be one of the nicest guys in the UFC, bar none. Talk about a guy that loves his job. And a metaphorical fist bump is due to Henry Martinez for putting on a hell of a fight on such short notice. DW states that he originally thought this match-up was “the worst mismatch in UFC History.” How quickly we all forgot Silva/Leites.
(2:44) – Apparently Bruce Leroy kicked Figueroa so hard in the balls that he forgot how many times he kicked Figueroa in the balls. Irony? Either way, we agree that a two point deduction seemed a little harsh. Then again, Caceres likely destroyed any of Figueroa’s future plans to have children, so we’ll call it even.
You know the deal by now, Potato Nation. Dana White’s first video blog for UFC 144 takes a look back at the aftermath of UFC 143, as has become the norm. So we’re going to skip the fancy introduction and get right into it.
(1:43) – Matt Riddle has to be one of the nicest guys in the UFC, bar none. Talk about a guy that loves his job. And a metaphorical fist bump is due to Henry Martinez for putting on a hell of a fight on such short notice. DW states that he originally thought this match-up was “the worst mismatch in UFC History.” How quickly we all forgot Silva/Leites.
(2:44) – Apparently Bruce Leroy kicked Figueroa so hard in the balls that he forgot how many times he kicked Figueroa in the balls. Irony? Either way, we agree that a two point deduction seemed a little harsh. Then again, Caceres likely destroyed any of Figueroa’s future plans to have children, so we’ll call it even.
(4:26) – The doctors felt the wound on Mike Pierce‘s head was bad enough to warrant staples. Pierce, on the other hand, simply doesn’t have time to bleed. Little did they know who would be next in line…
(5:30) – It appears that temporary amnesia ran rampant at UFC 143, because Nelson must have blacked out during his entrance to believe he won two rounds against Fabricio Werdum. He did share a locker room with Nick Diaz, so perhaps something was in the air.
(6:00) – Has anyone read the transcript of Nick Diaz’s corner during UFC 143? It is without a doubt the most incoherent collection of boisterous claims wrapped in obscenities you will ever read. It’s also the funniest thing you’ll ever read at BloodyElbow.
(7:00) – Diaz thinks that he lost the fourth round. Maybe.
(7:49) – Nelson’s cut, all stitched up.
(9:00) – Nelson, pleading his case to Lorenzo Fertitta, who can only smile at the notion that Nelson won two rounds. I feel you, Big Country. You totally got robbed in the Junior Dos Santos fight as well.
“Where I come from, people who lose close fights retire.” Props: UFC.com
While watching UFC 143 from the comfort of my favorite dive bar last night, I knew that MMA fans would be waging war on the internet over the fights that went the distance. Between the two point deduction that cost “Bruce Leroy” his fight against Edwin Figueroa and Josh Koscheck’s close fight with the “undeserving” Mike Pierce, I knew that I could expect a long-winded, philosophical debate over what constitutes a fight and what doesn’t- whether abstract concepts like “control” and “aggression” mean more than punches thrown, and whether takedowns earned and stuffed negate an inferior striking display. Naturally, this debate would include a lot of ad hominems and off topic ranting, because that’s just par for the course online.
And that was beforethe main event of the evening, which saw Carlos Condit earn a close decision over Nick Diaz. Carlos Condit used backward and lateral footwork while outstriking Nick Diaz, yet many fans felt that Nick Diaz should have won the fight. Before the fight even ended, the debate already began on whether “Octagon control” necessarily means “the guy moving forward”, and whether counter-punchers should automatically be considered less aggressive than their opponents. Judging from the comments sections of today’s articles, that debate won’t be ending any time soon.
Benjamin Disraeli once said that there are three types of lies: Lies, damned lies and statistics. For the time being, let’s move our arguments about last night’s fights past the first two. Let’s now turn our focus towards the statistics from last night’s close decisions. FightMetric’s breakdowns of Riddle vs. Martinez, Figueroa vs. Caceres, Koscheck vs. Pierce and, of course, Diaz vs. Condit have been published, and are available after the jump.
“Where I come from, people who lose close fights retire.” Props: UFC.com
While watching UFC 143 from the comfort of my favorite dive bar last night, I knew that MMA fans would be waging war on the internet over the fights that went the distance. Between the two point deduction that cost “Bruce Leroy” his fight against Edwin Figueroa and Josh Koscheck’s close fight with the “undeserving” Mike Pierce, I knew that I could expect a long-winded, philosophical debate over what constitutes a fight and what doesn’t- whether abstract concepts like “control” and “aggression” mean more than punches thrown, and whether takedowns earned and stuffed negate an inferior striking display. Naturally, this debate would include a lot of ad hominems and off topic ranting, because that’s just par for the course online.
And that was beforethe main event of the evening, which saw Carlos Condit earn a close decision over Nick Diaz. Carlos Condit used backward and lateral footwork while outstriking Nick Diaz, yet many fans felt that Nick Diaz should have won the fight. Before the fight even ended, the debate already began on whether “Octagon control” necessarily means “the guy moving forward”, and whether counter-punchers should automatically be considered less aggressive than their opponents. Judging from the comments sections of today’s articles, that debate won’t be ending any time soon.
Benjamin Disraeli once said that there are three types of lies: Lies, damned lies and statistics. For the time being, let’s move our arguments about last night’s fights past the first two. Let’s now turn our focus towards the statistics from last night’s close decisions. FightMetric’s breakdowns of Riddle vs. Martinez, Figueroa vs. Caceres, Koscheck vs. Pierce and, of course, Diaz vs. Condit have been published, and are available after the jump.
Keep in mind that according to FightMetric, Werdum should have won his fight against Overeem. Statistics don’t always tell the whole story, but they at least deserve some consideration. Have they supported your argument that the right/wrong people won last night, or do they just demonstrate the flaws in MMA judging? Let the battle continue.
Two kicks + two mangled testes = two points?(Photo: UFC.com)
Controversial decisions weren’t limited to the feature bout at UFC 143, my friends. From scrotum to scorecard, there’s much to break down from the undercard action.
Fabricio Werdum put on a striking clinic against the slightly less-hefty Roy Nelson. Werdum put together crisp, powerful combinations and launched a torrent of knees from the clinch to bloody “Big Country” up. It was a welcome rebound from his performance against Overeem and a promising re-introduction to the Octagon. Nelson has an incredibly tough chin—proven by the sheer number of bombs he takes fight after fight—and a heart as big as they come—what else could pump that much blood out of his face?–but that’s not enough to make it in the UFC’s heavyweight division. He’s served as a very game punching bag for much of his post-TUF career, and it’s not a good look. On the positive side, his refusal to die in the cage did help the duo score the evening’s $65k ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.
Two kicks + two mangled testes = two points?(Photo: UFC.com)
Controversial decisions weren’t limited to the feature bout at UFC 143, my friends. From scrotum to scorecard, there’s much to break down from the undercard action.
Fabricio Werdum put on a striking clinic against the slightly less-hefty Roy Nelson. Werdum put together crisp, powerful combinations and launched a torrent of knees from the clinch to bloody “Big Country” up. It was a welcome rebound from his performance against Overeem and a promising re-introduction to the Octagon. Nelson has an incredibly tough chin—proven by the sheer number of bombs he takes fight after fight—and a heart as big as they come—what else could pump that much blood out of his face?–but that’s not enough to make it in the UFC’s heavyweight division. He’s served as a very game punching bag for much of his post-TUF career, and it’s not a good look. On the positive side, his refusal to die in the cage did help the duo score the evening’s $65k ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.
Josh Koshcheck managed to eek out an incredibly close split decision over Mike Pierce. Not only was this bout a big step up for Pierce, it was one that he publicly campaigned for. He worked his jab and out-struck the now-former AKA product throughout the fight as Koscheck shopped around for a home for his big right hand. It was the sort of dirty, grueling bout that Pierce typically employees, but it wasn’t enough to take home the ‘W’ in the judges’ eyes. Still, it was a solid showing against a highly ranked opponent. We don’t know what prompted Koscheck’s post-fight departure from AKA or how that may have effected his performance, but time will tell. As for those boos from the crowd, was it just me or did they actually seem to bother the happiest heel in the sport?
Renan Pegado proved what didn’t need proving: a 27-fight win streak is not just a run of good luck. “Barao” used an arsenal of kicks to punish Scott Jorgensen and keep him at bay. Coupled with his outstanding takedown defense, the Brazilian was in full control of this bout from the opening bell until the unanimous decision win was announced. It was a lopsided win over a tough opponent, and you can bet his fellow bantamweights took notice.
Ed Herman and Clifford Starks showed up to bang, but it was the ground game that mattered most. Herman threw uppercuts like they were going out of style, but Starks showed impressive power as he crowded “Short Fuse” against the cage and connected with a spate of worrisome right hands. Round one was a back and forth of heavy exchanges until Herman took Starks down to end the frame. Round two saw more reserved striking before Herman executed a trip takedown from the clinch and promply sunk in the rear naked choke. This marked Starks’ first loss and Herman’s third straight victory since his return to action in 2011.
In typical fashion, the evening’s prelim fighters put on quite the show, netting both of the evening’s fight-ending bonuses. UFC newcomer Stephen Thompson put on a karate clinic is his memorable ‘Knock Out of the Night’ win over Daniel Stittgen. With his sideways stance and unorthodox kicks, “Wonderboy” kept Stittgen guessing until finding a home for his highlight reel kick in the final minute of the first round. In a battle of young guns, Featherweights Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway came out swinging. Poirier landed heavy shots and his 20-year-old opponent was game to return fire, but once Poirier slammed him to the mat it was game over. “The Diamond” quickly took mount and attempted an armbar then a triangle before returning to mount and securing both in the evening’s ‘Submission of the Night’.
While both Thompson and Poirier’s victories increased their purses, Edwin Figueroa saw his mashed and mangled in route to a controversial decision win. He went toe-to-toe with Alex Caceras standing, but found himself in constant defensive mode on the ground. What could have been a clear victory for “Bruce Leeroy” was tarnished by a pair of accidental ball-breaking kicks to the groin. Twice Figueroa doubled over in pain, leaving us to wonder if he’d return from the five minute hiatus. Caceras was first warned by Herb Dean for the unintended low blow, but was docked two points on the second infraction. While Herb Dean has taken two points for low blows once before, it is far outside the norm. The kicks had to take a major toll on “El Feroz” and hamper his performance, but at the end of the day I don’t think the better fighter got his hand raised.
(“I’m here to pick up your daughter. Or your son. Whoever’s free.”)
After a woefully shitty performance against Edwin Figueroa at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle, Jason Reinhardt has officially been released by the UFC. It was Reinhardt’s third loss in the Octagon — in three different weight classes. At 41, he was the oldest active fighter in the UFC.
Reinhardt began his career as a wrecking ball in midwestern regional promotions, racking up an astounding 18-0 record with all wins by stoppage. (It should be noted that only five of his opponents had winning records, and about half were making their MMA debuts.) Though Reinhardt was originally signed to fight Roger Huerta at UFC 63 in 2006, a neck injury delayed his debut until the following year, where he was quickly choked out by Joe Lauzon at UFC 78.
Reinhardt returned to the midwest to beat up a couple more nobodies in local shows, and was inactive for a couple years nursing injuries. In February 2011, the UFC had Jason back as a featherweight, throwing him against Tiequan Zhang. Reinhardt lost by submission (again), this time in just 48 seconds. The UFC gave him one more chance earlier this month, this time at bantamweight against Edwin Figueroa. Reinhardt ran around the cage until Figueroa finally caught up to him and TKO’d him in the second round.
Also, he gave his parents crabs once. For real. That charming little story is after the jump, as told by Jason himself while wearing a coon-skin cap.
(“I’m here to pick up your daughter. Or your son. Whoever’s free.”)
After a woefully shitty performance against Edwin Figueroa at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle, Jason Reinhardt has officially been released by the UFC. It was Reinhardt’s third loss in the Octagon — in three different weight classes. At 41, he was the oldest active fighter in the UFC.
Reinhardt began his career as a wrecking ball in midwestern regional promotions, racking up an astounding 18-0 record with all wins by stoppage. (It should be noted that only five of his opponents had winning records, and about half were making their MMA debuts.) Though Reinhardt was originally signed to fight Roger Huerta at UFC 63 in 2006, a neck injury delayed his debut until the following year, where he was quickly choked out by Joe Lauzon at UFC 78.
Reinhardt returned to the midwest to beat up a couple more nobodies in local shows, and was inactive for a couple years nursing injuries. In February 2011, the UFC had Jason back as a featherweight, throwing him against Tiequan Zhang. Reinhardt lost by submission (again), this time in just 48 seconds. The UFC gave him one more chance earlier this month, this time at bantamweight against Edwin Figueroa. Reinhardt ran around the cage until Figueroa finally caught up to him and TKO’d him in the second round.
Also, he gave his parents crabs once. For real. That charming little story is after the jump, as told by Jason himself while wearing a coon-skin cap.
Jason Reinhardt hoped to reinvigorate himself by dropping down to bantamweight for his last fight.
He may have done that, but his loss to Edwin Figueroa at UFC on Versus 5 10 days ago was enough for the promotion to hand him his walking papers. Sources close to Reinhardt told MMA Fighting on Tuesday that Reinhardt has been released by the UFC.
Reinhardt, who was the oldest active fighter in the UFC, was in his second stint with the promotion. All three of his career losses came in UFC fights.
Reinhardt (20-3, 0-3 UFC) first fought in the UFC at UFC 78 in November 2007. After starting his career 18-0 fighting mostly in his native Illinois, as well as Iowa and Indiana, Reinhardt was picked up by the UFC for a fight against Joe Lauzon. Lauzon submitted him just 1:14 into the first round.
After picking up two more wins on regional shows, Reinhardt again got the call from Zuffa, this time to fight Tiequan Zhang at WEC 51 in a lightweight fight on short notice. But he had to withdraw from the bout when he failed his eye exam.
Reinhardt got his shot at Zhang several months later at UFC 127 in February – with both he and Zhang dropping to featherweight for the fight. Zhang submitted him 48 seconds into the first round.
But despite another quick UFC loss, Reinhardt got another shot – and reportedly at the urging of matchmaker Joe Silva, dropped to bantamweight. Against Figueroa at UFC on Versus 5 earlier this month, Reinhardt heard the boo-birds when he circled around the outside of the cage for more than a minute without engaging, then taunted Figueroa to engage him and was seen telling him, “I can do this all night.” Once Figueroa caught him, Reinhardt needed to be saved by the bell in the first round. And in the second round, Figueroa ended things quickly with a TKO.
In Reinhardt’s three UFC fights, he competed in three weight classes for a total of just 7:52 in the Octagon. Reinhardt’s fight against Figueroa was just the third time in his career he had seen the second round. Eighteen of his 20 wins have been first-round stoppages, and he has 16 career submission wins. But his success outside the UFC – as what critics have called a can crusher – didn’t translate to success in the UFC.
Reinhardt recently began training in Las Vegas with Wanderlei Silva‘s Wand Fight Team, and he has said his plan is to move to Las Vegas permanently to continue training.
On his Facebook page, Reinhardt said he plans on getting back to the UFC: “I’m staying positive, recovering, and I will have my (butt) back in the gym ASAP,” Reinhardt said. “I love the UFC and how they treated me … All I have to do is win a couple fights in another organization and I will be back.”
Filed under: UFCThe UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they’re free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn’t compl…
The UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they’re free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn’t completely hogged by superstars.
That also makes UFC on Versus 5 a last-chance go-round for several fighters on the roster, so it’s either win or go home when the UFC rolls into Milwaukee.
Who’s on the hot seat this time around, and who’s most likely to get scorched before the night is over? Find out below.
Dan Hardy (23-9, 1 NC; 4-3 UFC) Who he’s facing:Chris Lytle Why he’s in danger: Hardy managed to avoid the UFC’s informal three strikes policy based primarily on his popularity and his fighting style. If he was a bland, decision-prone wrestler with a buzz cut, he’d be long gone by now. But even the UFC would have trouble overlooking four straight losses, so Hardy needs to pull it together against Lytle. He’s a smart chap, so he knows that, which is why he called out Lytle to begin with. As much as he can’t afford to lose another one, he really can’t afford to get out-wrestled in another snoozer. In Lytle, he’s found an opponent who will probably choose not to exploit his weak takedown defense, opting instead to fling leather at one another’s faces until someone falls down. That’s exactly what Hardy needs right now. Of course, he also needs to be the one who doesn’t fall down. If you lose a hand-picked fight like this, then what hope is there for you? Odds of getting cut: 3-1. It’s a winnable fight for Hardy, and one that’ll probably produce enough fireworks to please the bosses. If he gets KO’d, however, he’s almost certainly done in the UFC…at least for now.
Duane Ludwig (20-11; 3-2 UFC) Who he’s facing:Amir Sadollah Why he’s in danger: His current run in the UFC started with two straight losses, followed by a somewhat lucky split decision win over Nick Osipczak at UFC 122. Lucky not because he didn’t deserve it, mind you, but rather because he was pretty clearly losing until Osipczak ran out of gas and tried to coast to the finish, allowing “Bang” to finish strong. With close to 90 fights on the books between MMA and kickboxing, Ludwig is a savvy, yet battered journeyman of combat sports. He’s been in some battles and has more miles on the odometer than most 33-year-old fighters. If he gets beat by Sadollah, the UFC might start to do the math on him and decide it doesn’t need another tailspinning welterweight who’s doing good to pull off a 1-3 run against four mid-level opponents. Then again, he’ll fight whoever you’ve got and he doesn’t cause trouble, and there’s something to be said for an employee like that. Odds of getting cut: Even. Without a memorable showing, a defeat here — which is likely, to say the least — probably results in Ludwig getting his walking papers.
Alex Caceres (5-3; 0-1 UFC) Who he’s facing:Jim Hettes Why he’s in danger: At least so far, Caceres seems more suited for reality TV than for the Octagon. He’s a character, and every season of TUF needs at least one of those. Once the show’s over, however, you’ve got to earn your keep with your fists. Caceres seemed out of his depth against Mackens Semerzier in his first UFC fight. On paper, he seems to be headed for another defeat against the undefeated submissions artist Hettes. It was the Bruce Leeroy gimmick and the glimmer of raw talent that got Caceres this far in the UFC, but that shine wears off quickly. We know Caceres has personality. Now he needs to show he has skills, as well. Odds of getting cut: 2-5. Caceres is still young, so maybe he could use the time to get some experience on the small circuit. My guess is he’s going to get that chance after Sunday.
Jason Reinhardt (20-2; 0-2 UFC) Who he’s facing:Edwin Figueroa Why he’s in danger: What does it tell you when a guy’s undefeated outside of the UFC and winless in it? Either he hasn’t fought the toughest competition in the local shows or else he gets a killer case of nerves inside the Octagon. Neither is a particularly good sign. In two UFC fights, Reinhardt has lasted a total of 2:02. It’s somewhat surprising that he didn’t get cut after being mauled by Tiequan Zhang at UFC 127, but his role in the curtain-jerker on a UFC Live show should definitely tell him that this is the last stop on the express train out of the organization. Only a win will keep the 41-year-old Reinhardt on the UFC roster, and his opponent is a 3-1 betting favorite. If Reinhardt’s going to turn out to be the UFC’s answer to Rudy, he’d better start on Sunday. Odds of getting cut: 1-5. Get a good look at him while you can, because Reinhardt is headed for the door.
The