UFC 167 headliner Georges St-Pierre knows what fans are thinking. That he’s gone soft. That he fights safe. That he’s willing to trade excitement for routine. That the man once known as “Rush” never bothers to shift out of second gear anymore. That he never finishes a fight. He’s heard all the whispers. And the […]
UFC 167 headliner Georges St-Pierre knows what fans are thinking. That he’s gone soft. That he fights safe. That he’s willing to trade excitement for routine. That the man once known as “Rush” never bothers to shift out of second gear anymore. That he never finishes a fight. He’s heard all the whispers. And the […]
Those who have forgotten may soon remember why Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was a former UFC champion and one of the most feared light heavyweights in the world. In speaking Monday with Jackson in an exclusive interview, it was tough initially getting him to open up. Longtime fans of MMA know Jackson to be a fun, […]
Those who have forgotten may soon remember why Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was a former UFC champion and one of the most feared light heavyweights in the world. In speaking Monday with Jackson in an exclusive interview, it was tough initially getting him to open up. Longtime fans of MMA know Jackson to be a fun, […]
Bellator light heavyweight Muhammed Lawal remembers the moment when the switch flipped for him regarding Emanuel Newton. Before they fought this past February at Bellator 90, the former training partners were respectful of one another in public statements.
After Newton shocked Lawal and the world with a spinning backfist KO in the first round, however, “The Hardcore Kid” began to suggest that Lawal had simply received his comeuppance for being cocky. To Lawal, who says he made an effort to not trash talk Newton because of their mutual friend Antonio McKee, it was a criticism that came out of nowhere and it created harder feelings than simply losing had engendered.
“A friend told me that [Newton] had said I was cocky and got what I deserved in an interview and I was like, ‘what?'” Newton remembers. (Ed note: I’d like to think it was one of those extended, overly-dramatic “Say WHAAAAAAAAT?” kind of whats. I’m not even here. -Danga)
It’s not that Lawal is unaware of how he comes off when he saunters into the ring or cage wearing a crown and a cape, it’s just that he didn’t expect to be called that after a fight where he’d made a special effort to not do much trash-talking.
“I don’t know what he’s doing. Maybe he’s trying to play to the media so they can write about him, but I didn’t go into that fight cocky and I didn’t fight cocky. I know the mistake I made in that fight and it was a mistake I’d made before and was working on.”
Bellator light heavyweight Muhammed Lawal remembers the moment when the switch flipped for him regarding Emanuel Newton. Before they fought this past February at Bellator 90, the former training partners were respectful of one another in public statements.
After Newton shocked Lawal and the world with a spinning backfist KO in the first round, however, “The Hardcore Kid” began to suggest that Lawal had simply received his comeuppance for being cocky. To Lawal, who says he made an effort to not trash talk Newton because of their mutual friend Antonio McKee, it was a criticism that came out of nowhere and it created harder feelings than simply losing had engendered.
“A friend told me that [Newton] had said I was cocky and got what I deserved in an interview and I was like, ‘what?’” Newton remembers. (Ed note: I’d like to think it was one of those extended, overly-dramatic “Say WHAAAAAAAAT?” kind of whats. I’m not even here. -Danga)
It’s not that Lawal is unaware of how he comes off when he saunters into the ring or cage wearing a crown and a cape, it’s just that he didn’t expect to be called that after a fight where he’d made a special effort to not do much trash-talking.
“I don’t know what he’s doing. Maybe he’s trying to play to the media so they can write about him, but I didn’t go into that fight cocky and I didn’t fight cocky. I know the mistake I made in that fight and it was a mistake I’d made before and was working on,” Lawal continues.
Contrary to popular opinion, “King Mo” says that did not have his hands low as the result of an over-reliance on Mayweather-taught boxing or arrogance or any combination of the two. “Watch the whole sequence,” he maintains, “I had my hands up. But I drop them when I load up. I have to stop loading up on punches.”
As he heads into a rematch with Newton this Saturday, Lawal clearly feels that he’s improved and will be ready to avenge the loss. Mo has notched two straight knockout wins since the loss to Newton in February and on Saturday he will vie for the Bellator interim light heavyweight title.
It is interesting to consider how much any fighter can truly improve their skills when they are as busy and competing as often as Lawal has. Not only has Mo already fought four times in 2013, he’s also been balancing that with professional wrestling development work.
Pro Wrestling
When we spoke with Lawal some time ago, shortly after he had signed with both Bellator and TNA Wrestling, he was confident that he could handle simultaneous careers in the physically and emotionally demanding fields. Mo is still enthusiastic about wrestling but admits that the MMA/wrasslin’ balance is harder than he thought it would be.
“Yeah, it is,” he says.
“I feel like every time I take a step forward in my development in pro wrestling, I fall two steps backwards because I have to do a fight. Wrestling is definitely hard on the body. I remember one day we had a two hour practice led by Al Snow and then I had to go do a match that night. It is incredible how these guys do this every day and do four or more matches a week and travel. I enjoy doing it and I’m getting better. I’m good at the moves and taking bumps but there’s so much to learn about match psychology. I don’t want to just go do appearances out there, I want to be good at it and put on great matches. I’m still excited to do it it is just hard to find the time to improve the way I want to. I might take extra time after this next fight to focus on wrestling practice.”
The road back
Lawal says that it wasn’t hard for him to recover from his loss to Newton and get focus on winning again. “Not really,” he says flatly.
It wasn’t that he had been knocked out. It wasn’t that a fluke type of shot put him out. Lawal is a competitor. He’s been doing it in amateur wrestling at the highest levels since he was a kid and he knows how to get ready for a competition. Losses are not welcome but they don’t get into his head.
“A loss is always bad but it didn’t affect me psychologically,” he explains. “It just isn’t hard to get back in there and train and get ready for the next one. That’s what I did and I’m ready for this next one.”
Mo doesn’t offer any detailed or boasting predictions for his rematch with Newton but it’s clear that he feels superior to his opponent in more ways than one.
“He’s so cheesy isn’t he?” he asks, having his own answer.
“He’s corny and boring.”
And really, how can a king lose to someone like that?
In a world of barbarous blitzkriegs and surreptitious submissions, seasoned referee Mario Yamasaki is the epitome of thinking on your feet. Having reffed over 400 fights in the UFC, Strikeforce, WEC, EliteXC and Pride Fighting Championships, Yamasaki has been in the cage with the best fighters the world has to offer – and tried to keep them safe in the controlled carnage that is professional cage fighting. CagePotato caught up with Yamasaki earlier this week and we asked him about everything from controversial stoppages to being accosted by Joe Rogan. Here’s what one of MMA’s best referees had to say.
CagePotato: How long have you been an MMA referee?
Mario Yamasaki: I started around 1992 at local shows in Brazil.
CP: What first captivated you about MMA and is that what lead you to your current profession?
MY: I started doing Judo back in 1968, so the mat was my home. My father had 14 studios in São Paulo and when I was either 19 or 20 years old I thought that I was a great fighter because I use to train with the Brazilian National team in Judo and could kick a lot of people’s butt. When I met Marcelo Behring I got controlled on the ground like I never had before, so I was intrigued with that situation and instead of walking away I said, “Let me learn that so I can become even better than I am.”
From the beginning, I had an advantage against other students because of my background in Judo so I became one of the best students he had. So was my brother, so we started helping him in his private classes so we could learn more and faster. As far as the refereeing part, my father & uncle went to 5 Olympic games as referees and I learned from them.
(Not only does Yamasaki officiate MMA bouts, he also resurrects blunt force trauma victims. Photo Credit: Esther Lin)
In a world of barbarous blitzkriegs and surreptitious submissions, seasoned referee Mario Yamasaki is the epitome of thinking on your feet. Having reffed over 400 fights in the UFC, Strikeforce, WEC, EliteXC and Pride Fighting Championships, Yamasaki has been in the cage with the best fighters the world has to offer – and tried to keep them safe in the controlled carnage that is professional cage fighting. CagePotato caught up with Yamasaki earlier this week and we asked him about everything from controversial stoppages to being accosted by Joe Rogan. Here’s what one of MMA’s best referees had to say.
CagePotato: How long have you been an MMA referee?
Mario Yamasaki: I started around 1992 at local shows in Brazil.
CP: What first captivated you about MMA and is that what lead you to your current profession?
MY: I started doing Judo back in 1968, so the mat was my home. My father had 14 studios in São Paulo and when I was either 19 or 20 years old I thought that I was a great fighter because I use to train with the Brazilian National team in Judo and could kick a lot of people’s butt. When I met Marcelo Behring I got controlled on the ground like I never had before, so I was intrigued with that situation and instead of walking away I said, “Let me learn that so I can become even better than I am.”
From the beginning, I had an advantage against other students because of my background in Judo so I became one of the best students he had. So was my brother, so we started helping him in his private classes so we could learn more and faster. As far as the refereeing part, my father & uncle went to 5 Olympic games as referees and I learned from them.
CP: What is the most important thing a referee should always remember about their job?
MY: That they are there to protect the fighter’s integrity. [Ed. Note: You hear that Winslow?]
CP: What is your philosophy towards MMA refereeing?
MY: To be correct, impartial and honest.
CP:At UFC Fight Night 26 you reffed the Travis Browne/Alistair Overeem fight – one that could have arguably been stopped sooner in favor of Overeem. What was your thought process letting the fight continue when Overeem was hovering over a turtled Browne?
MY: This fight was a good example about when and when not to stop a fight. When Overeem knocked the wind out of Travis I heard him grind, making some noise and I knew he was having some difficulties breathing. But I also knew that he was conscious and trying to stay in the fight. And Overeem’s punches were [landing] on his arms and shoulder – good knees too, but not well enough to make him drop. Then he stood up, recovered, and Overeem caught a kick to the face and went down semi-conscious. I gave him the chance to recuperate, but Travis came down with 2 punches to his head that he couldn’t defend intelligently and I had to stop it.
CP: How often are referees forced to chose a side in the battle between the Letter of the Law and the Spirit of the Law? How difficult is it to be consistent in your judgement?
MY: Well, as a referee, we can’t choose sides even if one is more friendly than the other. When we get up there it’s to prevent accidents, [keep things safe] and to make sure all fighters and camps follow the rules. The biggest difficulty is to be consistent. We don’t want to make mistakes, but we are human and every fight is a different fight.
CP: Should referees take into account each fighter’s history (wins, losses, fighting style, past concussions, etc.) when determining whether or not to stop the fight or let it play out?
MY: No, we can never go by that but I always recommend that the referees learn about who they are and their styles. But as I said before, every fight is a different fight, so we can never predict what is going to happen there.
CP: Do refs ever approach one another after an event and tell them when they think someone messed up?
MY: We do some meetings to exchange thoughts and to discuss some things, constructively! It’s always good.
CP: MMA is a lightening-fast sport that forces referees to make equally fast decisions. MMA refs are arguably the most scrutinized of all sports, in fact, you were put on the spot by UFC commentator Joe Rogan after the controversial fight between Erik Silva and Carlo Prater at UFC 142. That being said, what do you consider to be your biggest career regret?
MY: Hmmm… That makes the top of the list, but not for what I did in the fight, but what I did after. I should never wait there to try to explain myself. A decision is a decision, if you follow the rules. I acted correctly, but if you follow the facts and your heart, I could give a no-contest because later Erick came to me and said that he didn’t understand English and didn’t understand my warnings. So based on that, if we were to use our hearts… and Velasquez vs. Pezão (AKA Bigfoot Silva), I should’ve let Velasquez punch him more so [Bigfoot] would not have anyone to blame but himself.
Whether or not he’ll admit it, Clay Guida hates being an underdog. It isn’t that the featherweight doesn’t enjoy proving people wrong – he does.
It’s the underestimation that bothers him. Most of his UFC wins have come over opponents who were favored over him before he broke them down and beat them. Even before his UFC career began back in 2006, Guida’s opponents were regularly favored over him.
The assumption that he is an “over-achiever” that has to defy our low expectations just to win smacks Guida like a backhanded compliment time and time again. He’s too polite to get visibly angry when the term has been brought up but in the past, but he’s made it clear to this writer that he doesn’t think of himself in that way. After about a decade of “over-achieving,” Clay would prefer if we simply started referring to him as the elite MMA fighter he truly is. On Saturday, Guida will once again be considered the underdog when he fights former featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes.
Like Guida, Mendes is a wrestler, but he is a more decorated amateur one. Like Guida, Mendes is happy to go wild and throw strikes on the feet, but the Californian has been putting people out with his shots. Both men are obviously in the same weight class, but Mendes would appear to be the more physically imposing, stronger fighter.
Mendes’ only career loss was a shocking one to division champion Jose Aldo. Since that fight, Mendes has won three straight fights by knockout. At some point, in some way, every successful fighter must be a giant in his or her own mind. And in his mind, Guida is the clear favorite in his UFC 164 match up with Mendes.
“Chad is a great wrestler,” Clay admits to me one afternoon a month ago from his New Mexico training camp.
“But we are going to show him what Midwest wrestling is all about. It is a whole different beast. It is just scraping, driving non-stop, relentless and winning scrambles.”
Whether or not he’ll admit it, Clay Guida hates being an underdog. It isn’t that the featherweight doesn’t enjoy proving people wrong – he does.
It’s the underestimation that bothers him. Most of his UFC wins have come over opponents who were favored over him before he broke them down and beat them. Even before his UFC career began back in 2006, Guida’s opponents were regularly favored over him.
The assumption that he is an “over-achiever” that has to defy our low expectations just to win smacks Guida like a backhanded compliment time and time again. He’s too polite to get visibly angry when the term has been brought up but in the past, but he’s made it clear to this writer that he doesn’t think of himself in that way. After about a decade of “over-achieving,” Clay would prefer if we simply started referring to him as the elite MMA fighter he truly is. On Saturday, Guida will once again be considered the underdog when he fights former featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes.
Like Guida, Mendes is a wrestler, but he is a more decorated amateur one. Like Guida, Mendes is happy to go wild and throw strikes on the feet, but the Californian has been putting people out with his shots. Both men are obviously in the same weight class, but Mendes would appear to be the more physically imposing, stronger fighter.
Mendes’ only career loss was a shocking one to division champion Jose Aldo. Since that fight, Mendes has won three straight fights by knockout. At some point, in some way, every successful fighter must be a giant in his or her own mind. And in his mind, Guida is the clear favorite in his UFC 164 match up with Mendes.
“Chad is a great wrestler,” Clay admits to me one afternoon a month ago from his New Mexico training camp.
“But we are going to show him what Midwest wrestling is all about. It is a whole different beast. It is just scraping, driving non-stop, relentless and winning scrambles.”
As for Mendes’ new found punching power and impressive streak of recent knockouts? Guida gives credit to Chad, whom he counts as a friend, but isn’t as impressed with Mendes’ recent opponents.
“Lately he has shown power but we are going to show him what it is like to fight a top fighter,” the Team Jackson/Winkeljohn stable member says.
Toughness. Toughness to grit out tiring scrambles on the mat, toughness to withstand shots on the feet and the toughness to stand up and fight effectively against the best – the Gray Maynards, Benson Hendersons and Nate Diazs of the world.
When it comes down to it, Guida’s confidence always seems to stem directly from the idea that he is simply tougher than his opponent and gone through tougher tests. That he was tougher in the training room, went to lengths that his opponent would not and so that, even though on paper his foe might hold multiple advantages, come game time, “The Carpenter” will out work and beat him.
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said that “Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” There’s little doubt that Guida would agree with the Bulldog there.
Pundits are always talking about the talents of his opponents and Guida’s workman-like effort, as if a commitment to the latter couldn’t be an example of the former. Guida will fight in what will likely essentially be a hometown crowd in Milwaukee this Saturday at UFC 164, which has only motivated him all the more.
The leader of the “Guida Mafia” says he can’t wait to fight in front of his friends and family as he did last January in Chicago’s United Center. In his mind, Guida is the heavy favorite over Mendes and he’s sure to put forward a winning effort for his fans.
“I can’t wait. This is a great opportunity for me to climb the ladder. That’s the only reason I’m here – to win the featherweight championship,” he says.
The ability to push oneself mentally and physically, the ability to outwork everyone in the gym and cage, is a talent to Clay Guida. When it comes down to it, it is the only talent that he respects.
So, despite being a perpetual underdog to the rest of the world, in his mind, Guida is the most talented fighter in the world. And with talent like that, it is little wonder that he believes he’ll eventually become the best fighter in his division.
One week ago, UFC light heavyweight Chael Sonnen appeared on The Jim Rome Show on the cable network Showtime. During the show, Sonnen gave his candid opinions on Miami Heat superstar and four-time MVP LeBron James. I think LeBron’s a dork. He won one world championship, and that was in the Olympic Games. It’s so […]
One week ago, UFC light heavyweight Chael Sonnen appeared on The Jim Rome Show on the cable network Showtime. During the show, Sonnen gave his candid opinions on Miami Heat superstar and four-time MVP LeBron James. I think LeBron’s a dork. He won one world championship, and that was in the Olympic Games. It’s so […]
