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New York MMA Bill on Life Support in Final Scheduled Day of Legislative Session

Filed under: Fighting, UFC, Strikeforce, News, Sports Business and MediaThe possibility of sanctioned mixed martial arts in New York in 2011 is effectively on life support after the state Assembly’s Ways and Means committee left a bill which would regu…

Filed under: Fighting, UFC, Strikeforce, News, Sports Business and Media

The possibility of sanctioned mixed martial arts in New York in 2011 is effectively on life support after the state Assembly’s Ways and Means committee left a bill which would regulate the sport off its agenda for its last scheduled session.

Monday is the final day of the Assembly’s 2011 legislative calendar, and the committee filed a full listing of 26 bills it intends to vote on, but Bill No. A04146 authorizing mixed martial arts events is not one of them.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has indicated the possibility of extending the legislative session past Monday, but that would likely be to handle legislation of major importance such as tax issues and rent control. MMA would not be expected to be included in any special session.

Despite easily passing through votes in the state senate, the Assembly’s Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development committee as well as the Codes committee, the bill’s chances to make it into law have looked bleak since early June, when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said there does not appear to be “widespread support” for the legislation.

Assemblyman Dean Murray, a co-sponsor of the bill, showed that wasn’t entirely accurate by producing a letter of support signed by 60 members of the Assembly.

There are currently 146 members in the Assembly, so an MMA bill would need 74 “Yes” votes to pass into law in an up-and-down vote. MMA Fighting has identified 66 total members that have voiced support for the bill, meaning only eight more members would have to join the group to legalize the sport.

But the bill never made it that far, stalling in the Ways and Means committee. It faced an uphill climb there as well, after its chairman Herman Farrell voiced his own personal distaste for the sport.

“I don’t think very much of the sport,” he recently said. “Next we’ll give them clubs with spikes on the end; that will be good.”

At least 12 members of Farrell’s Ways and Means committee have disagreed with him and indicated support for the bill. The UFC also sent executives and athletes to the state capitol in an attempt to educate and influence the vote, but seemingly to no avail. Barring any last-second miracles, the process will begin all over again in 2012.

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Jon Jones: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Reveals His Biggest Weakness

Speaking with Sergio Non from the USA Today, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was candid with his current skill-set, admiration by MMA experts and his future within the sport.Humbled and flattered that he is considered one of the top po…

Speaking with Sergio Non from the USA Today, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was candid with his current skill-set, admiration by MMA experts and his future within the sport.

Humbled and flattered that he is considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, Jones stated that his one weakness is his jiu-jitsu game.

“I think jiu-jitsu is my biggest flaw,” Jones said, “and it’s something I’m attacking everyday to become the pound-for-pound best.”

A recent rivalry with “Suga” Rashad Evans has spawned since Jones captured the UFC championship on March 19, 2011 with a crushing defeat of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

“I practiced against Rashad on many days and in practice I always felt like I had the upper hand technically and strength wise and all facets of the sport,” Jones said.

The Jones-Evans rivalry will continue to build as both fighters are scheduled to compete against separate competition prior to possibly facing each other inside the Octagon.

On September 24, Jones will challenge Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 135.

Prior to the “Bones” – “Rampage” duel, Evans will square off against Phil Davis on August 6 at UFC 133.

If both Jones and Evans are victorious in their matchups, a future contest between these two former teammates is inevitable.

At just 23 years old, Jones is the youngest title-holder ever within the UFC.

Not only is “Bones” a dynamic fighter inside the Octagon and a tremendous fan favorite, he also receives accolades from fellow UFC competitors for his talents.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite fighter to watch of the young, up-and-coming crowd is Jon Jones,” UFC heavyweight Junior dos Santos said. “I think Jon Jones surprised the whole world with his talent and his excellent fighting execution.”

Pioneering offensive moves inside the cage has become a forte of Jon Jones. Whether it be spinning back kicks, spinning back elbows, knee strikes from about every angle and any position, Jones is quickly becoming the inventor of a myriad of movies copied by others.

“Seeing guys like Anthony Pettis throwing that kick off the cage, seeing guys do spinning back fists or spinning back kicks and stuff, it’s just opening up people’s minds. They’re realizing, ‘Hey, why don’t I work on a cool, special move or a signature move?’ I think in the future it won’t even be mentioned in interviews. Everyone’s going to be having real cool tricks that they do,” Jones stated to Non.

Jon Jones’ creativity inside the Octagon is second-to-none. He has exploded onto the UFC scene and risen to the top faster than any champion in history. A humble and gracious fighter, “Bones” will continue to mitigate his holes in his game.

I look forward to watching this young superstar continuing to grow as he proudly adorns the UFC light heavyweight championship.

I welcome your comments.

“Like” me on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter @toddseyler

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Strikeforce Results: Josh Barnett and the 15 Best Showmen in MMA Today

Mixed martial arts has always been a sport full of interesting and entertaining showmen. Last night in Strikeforce’s Overeem vs. Werdum fight card, we got a chance to see one of those personalities shine when one of the sport’s all-time legends, Josh Barnett, defeated Brett Rogers in the quarterfinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament.

Barnett owned the fight from the opening bell to the final stoppage, but it was his antics after the fight that may be remembered most by some fans.

While most fighters just stand in the cage after their fights and uncomfortably respond to usually-pointless questions from the person interviewing them, Josh Barnett snatched the microphone from Gus Johnson and began to cut a pro wrestling-like promo.

It was an entertaining finish to an already impressive performance in the cage for the “Baby-faced Assassin.”

But Barnett isn’t alone as being one of the best showmen in the sport. Here are 15 of the best showmen in mixed martial arts today.

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Strikeforce Results: Power Ranking Alistair Overeem & the Grand Prix Final Four

With Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett putting the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix to rest, there are now four fighters remaining in the tournament.One semifinal matchup will see Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Overeem face off a…

With Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett putting the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix to rest, there are now four fighters remaining in the tournament.

One semifinal matchup will see Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Overeem face off against former EliteXC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Silva. Meanwhile, the other semifinal will see former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett meet up with dangerous striker Sergei Kharitonov.

However, for the purposes of this article, we are going to be looking at the remaining field as a whole rather than breaking down each semifinal matchup.

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Strikeforce Results: Josh Barnett Surpasses Overeem as the Tournament Favorite

Josh Barnett’s Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout against Brett Rogers was just another day at the office. The former UFC champion warmed up prior to the fight backstage in a mini wrestling bout, which involved some vintage Ric Flair …

Josh Barnett’s Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout against Brett Rogers was just another day at the office.

The former UFC champion warmed up prior to the fight backstage in a mini wrestling bout, which involved some vintage Ric Flair chops and a backbreaker finish.

After the warmup, Barnett entered the cage to compete on North American soil for the first time in over two years. His return didn’t disappoint as eager fans watched him put on a technical clinic and pick up the second-round submission victory Rogers.

While many will always criticize Barnett for testing positive for banned substances on three separate outings, it would be incredibly foolish to dismiss his skills. There aren’t many world-class wrestlers in the heavyweight division, and Barnett is one of the few fighters that fits that bill.

He has the ability to take down and control any fighter in the entire tournament. The only fighter with the ability to seriously threaten from his back is Fabricio Werdum, but he was ousted by Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in Saturday’s main event.

With the semifinal bouts finally set, who should be the favorite to win the Grand Prix?

Overeem walked into the American Airlines Center on Saturday night with that honor, but after his performance against Werdum, it’s hard not to like Barnett’s chances.

It’s definitely understandable why some may disagree with that statement. Werdum is a much better fighter than Rogers. With Overeem defeating the tougher opponent, how can Barnett surpass him as a tournament favorite?

There isn’t a single easy bout in this tournament, but Barnett is on the most favorable side of the bracket. After an incredibly tough bout against Werdum, Overeem now faces an even stiffer challenge stylistically in Antonio Silva.

Meanwhile, Barnett coasted through Rogers and slid into the semifinals slot against Sergei Kharitonov. There are a plethora of media outlets deeming Kharitonov as the dark horse of the tournament. The Russian Kickboxer is an attractive pick, and he certainly has the skills to make waves in the tournament.

Still, Kharitonov has shown his struggles against strong grapplers, most recently in his April 2009 submission loss to Jeff Monson.

It isn’t far-fetched to think Barnett gets the fight to the ground and locks up another submission or grinds out a unanimous decision.

Overeem is still one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the world, but he doesn’t have the same aura he did before he fought Werdum. As fans watched “Ubereem” dominate all comers, his problems in past fights somehow disappeared without ever being tested, until now.

Overeem still showed cardio issues and a tendency to fade as a fight goes into deeper waters. He also showed some major holes in his striking defense. Barnett most likely wouldn’t be able to exploit Overeem on the feet, but he should be able to take the fight to the floor and wear the big man down.

Silva could pose problems for Barnett, but he already showed that he was susceptible to being put on his back in his bout with Werdum back in November 2009.

Barnett isn’t the popular choice. Despite his extended WWE-like post-fight promo, most fans will continue to root against him. He has definitely talked the talk. Can he finally walk the walk?

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Strikeforce Results: Win over Werdum Puts Overeem Behind Velasquez and JDS

To those riding the Alistair Overeem hype train, are you still on board?Surely, a few “faithful” fans tiptoed off the bandwagon after watching his lackluster performance on Saturday night in his Strikeforce Grand Prix quarterfinals bout with Fabricio W…

To those riding the Alistair Overeem hype train, are you still on board?

Surely, a few “faithful” fans tiptoed off the bandwagon after watching his lackluster performance on Saturday night in his Strikeforce Grand Prix quarterfinals bout with Fabricio Werdum.

The highly anticipated bout turned out to be a back and forth slop fest that invalidated Josh Barnett’s claims that the best heavyweight in the world would come out of the Strikeforce tournament.

It was still a major victory for Overeem, who avenged a May 2006 loss and picked up his first win over a ranked heavyweight. The win vaults “The Demolition Man” up the heavyweight ranks, but it won’t be as high as some presumed.

Before the fight against Werdum, Overeem was pretty much the uncrowned king of the heavyweight division. He hadn’t defeated a ranked heavyweight, but the added size and incredible winning streak propelled the faith in most fans.

Despite victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Silva and Overeem, Werdum came into the bout as a huge underdog. The majority of the media were calling for Overeem to walk through Werdum and pick up the first-round knockout.

Instead, fans were grounded by the slow battle between two cardio-depraved heavyweights. For those that have watched Overeem compete over the years, the bout against Werdum had a few sprinkles of déjà vu.

Overeem’s gas tank only held up a little over a round, and we started to see him fade as he has many times in the past.

He should definitely get props for hanging tough and earning the decision. The Overeem of the past would’ve looked for a way out.

Werdum’s performance was just plain awkward. He actually looked like the more efficient striker in the standup exchanges, but instead of working his strikes and capitalizing on a fading Overeem, the majority of his time was spent on his back smiling and pleading for Overeem to haplessly jump in his guard.

Plenty of fans have put Overeem on a pedestal as the best striker in the heavyweight division, but he was almost bested in the exchanges by a submission specialist. Werdum’s hands are definitely underrated, but he isn’t necessarily considered a world class striker.

What about guys like Junior dos Santos?

It only took Dos Santos a little over a minute to sing Werdum his lullaby at UFC 90. Overeem showed major defensive holes in his ability to block punches and effectively counter. Power is an incredible equalizer, but it can also work against you if you can’t land that fight-ending shot.

Overeem’s win puts him behind Cain Velasquez and Dos Santos in the heavyweight rankings. Die-hard Overeem fans will likely disagree, but the entire heavyweight division runs through Dos Santos and Velasquez, who have both consistently fought the tougher opposition.

Where does Overeem go from here?

He’s going to have a major task on his hands in dealing with “Bigfoot” Silva in the semifinals. Silva is another elite level striker that will capitalize on any lingering holes in Overeem’s standup.

It would be nice to see Overeem pump out a jab or utilize smaller strikes to setup bigger ones. He tends to wear himself out by only throwing power punches.

Regardless of his performance, Overeem 2.0 still has the potential to do big things in the sport.

If you’re still on the bandwagon, you may want to buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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