UFC heavyweight contender Frank Mir may be in line for a title shot in his next bout. The former champion came back from the brink of defeat in his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and broke Nogueira’s arm in what is sure to be one of the top UFC vid…
UFC heavyweight contender Frank Mir may be in line for a title shot in his next bout. The former champion came back from the brink of defeat in his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and broke Nogueira’s arm in what is sure to be one of the top UFC videos on YouTube this year.
Another way Mir could be put in front of fans’ eyes is by doing some commentating during his off time for the UFC.
I know there’s a strong anti-Mir group of fans, but if you’ve taken five minutes to listen to the guy talk about the sport, it’s very clear he knows what he’s talking about.
Sure he’s likely to ruffle some feathers along the way, given his arrogant ways at times, but that would be a positive for him as well.
Anyone can read a book about jiu-jitsu or take some boxing classes at the local YMCA and tell you useless facts about what you’re watching. It takes something very special to deliver informative information and entertain your audience at the same time.
In the journalism world, the word “info-tainment” was created in an effort to get journalists to realize they couldn’t simply present facts, but they had to entertain their audiences as well.
Mir has already done some work for the WEC as a commentator, and it’s clear that he can speak in an articulate manner about the sport. He knows how to combine the intricacies that few people can see into common language that any MMA fan can pick up on.
Besides showing an ability to speak about the sport, Mir also provides first-hand knowledge due to him fighting in the Octagon.
As much as we love to hear Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg talk about what it means to fight in the UFC, neither man can give an accurate depiction of what it’s like to be in the cage and against the opponents Mir has faced.
And he’s faced quite a lot of opponents. Most people forget just how long Mir has been in the UFC. The horrific motorcycle accident took years off his career, but Mir’s been in the game for a while now.
But being a mainstay in the UFC doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a fan or company favorite.
It’s pretty clear Mir isn’t too high on Dana White’s “In the Mix” list and he will likely have to go through another opponent before he sees a title shot. If he doesn’t want to call it a career just yet, providing some solid commentary would probably get him out of White’s doghouse a little.
Perhaps he could even find his true calling as an announcer and sway public opinion back into his favor. We saw Tito Ortiz go from being an arrogant, hated fighter into “The People’s Champion” following his coaching stints on The Ultimate Fighter.
If Mir does lose in his next bout, the UFC should begin warming up a seat next to Rogan in the booth because another loss would likely end any title aspirations Mir has.
When FUEL TV stated that it will be dedicating a lion’s share of its programming to UFC-related shows as a result of its parent company Fox’s new multi-year contract with the promotion, most of us wondered what the quality of said shows would be like.
If this UFC Champions Roundtable special is any indication, it’s going to be pretty decent.
Hosted by Jay Glazer, the half-hour program that debuted during FUEL’s 24-hour New Year’s UFC marathon, featured a handful of UFC champs — past and present — who reflected on the early days in the sport and how far it’s come since Bonnar fought Griffin on SPIKE TV back in 2006.
Some highlights after the jump.
(Video courtesy of IronForgesIron)
When FUEL TV stated that it will be dedicating a lion’s share of its programming to UFC-related shows as a result of its parent company Fox’s new multi-year contract with the promotion, most of us wondered what the quality of said shows would be like.
If this UFC Champion’s Roundtable special is any indication, it’s going to be pretty decent.
Hosted by Jay Glazer, the half-hour program that debuted during FUEL’s 24-hour New Year’s UFC marathon, featured a handful of UFC champs — past and present — who reflected on the early days in the sport and how far it’s come since Bonnar fought Griffin on SPIKE TV back in 2006.
Some highlights:
• Before TUF Chuck Liddell was barely recognized while he was out
• Forrest Griffin thought UFC was stupid when he first watched it
• Frank Mir still had to work full time when he was a UFC champ for the first time
• Jon Jones points to Chuck as one of the fighters who influenced him to fight
• Chuck explains that being a fighter also means changing your sleep schedule to have you at your peak come fight time at 10:00 pm
• Mir criticizes every performance including his title wins
• Chuck called everyone who helped him when he won the strap from high school wrestling coaches and youth karate coaches to family members
Alistair Overeem has been a wrecking machine for the last few years, winning eight straight MMA fights and five straight kickboxing fights without really even being threatened. Overeem doesn’t just win, he wins in dominant fashion.
So after his most recent dominant win, over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, Overeem has climbed another rung up the ladder of our heavyweight rankings, moving into the No. 2 position, behind only UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about Overeem: How will he react to fighting dos Santos, an opponent who hits just as hard as he does? How would he do if a good wrestler put him on his back? Does he have a good enough gas tank to last deep into a five-round title fight?
But what we do know about Overeem is that he has just concluded a 2011 in which he beat Fabricio Werdum and Brock Lesnar. Among heavyweights, only dos Santos beat better opponents than that last year, and only dos Santos ranks ahead of Overeem in our newest Top 10, after the jump.
Top 10 heavyweights in mixed martial arts (Editor’s note: The individual fighter’s ranking the last time we did heavyweights are in parentheses.) 1. Junior dos Santos (1): As great a striker as Overeem is, I favor dos Santos in their eventual heavyweight title fight because I think dos Santos will prove to be quicker to the punch and capable of out-landing Overeem. I don’t think Overeem is the man to take the title from dos Santos.
2. Alistair Overeem (3): The last time Overeem lost an MMA fight, it was to Sergei Kharitonov in 2007. Overeem is a completely different fighter now than he was then — physically he has undergone a transformation that has seen him put on about 30 pounds of muscle, and he’s a much more effective striker now. It’s remarkable how far Overeem has come.
3. Cain Velasquez (2): Although dos Santos quickly dispatched Velasquez in their November fight, Velasquez has the combination of wrestling pedigree, athletic ability and heavy hands that makes him a threat to take the title back from dos Santos, something I could easily see him doing in the coming year.
4. Frank Mir (8): After getting knocked around by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira early in their fight, Mir did a great job of holding on, waiting for his opportunity and finding the winning submission. A fight with Velasquez next would make a lot of sense for Mir, and if he wins that he’d be next in line for a title shot.
5. Fabricio Werdum (5): Werdum will make his UFC debut against Roy Nelson at UFC 143, in a fight I expect him to dominate. Werdum is better in every phase of the sport than Nelson.
6. Daniel Cormier (6): Cormier will fight Josh Barnett, likely in the spring of 2012, in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix final. Barnett will be Cormier’s toughest test to date, but I expect Cormier to pass that test with flying colors.
7. Brock Lesnar (4): If Lesnar is really retired I’ll remove him from the heavyweight rankings, but I’ll keep ranking him for now while we see if he changes his mind. It would be easy to view Lesnar’s MMA career as a disappointment considering how his losses to Overeem and Velasquez went down, but it was a lot of fun to watch this incredible physical specimen could dominate good opponents like Heath Herring, Randy Couture and Frank Mir, and I’ll never forget the heart he showed in his comeback victory over Shane Carwin. He’s been great for the sport.
8. Shane Carwin (7): Back injuries have taken a toll on Carwin’s career. He’s expected to return in mid-2012, but athletes in their late-30s with bad backs don’t often return to top form.
9. Josh Barnett (9): Barnett has a huge opportunity to show against Cormier that he still deserves to be considered among the truly elite heavyweights in the world — which he always was until his third failed drug test made him persona non grata in American MMA. Although the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix hasn’t gone quite as planned, the Barnett-Cormier final is a great, great matchup.
10. Antonio Silva (10): Bigfoot has been inactive since his knockout loss to Cormier, but he should be a great addition to the UFC heavyweight division. He’s currently recovering from shoulder surgery, and if the timing works out it would make a lot of sense to have him make his UFC debut against Carwin.
Alistair Overeem has been a wrecking machine for the last few years, winning eight straight MMA fights and five straight kickboxing fights without really even being threatened. Overeem doesn’t just win, he wins in dominant fashion.
So after his most recent dominant win, over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, Overeem has climbed another rung up the ladder of our heavyweight rankings, moving into the No. 2 position, behind only UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about Overeem: How will he react to fighting dos Santos, an opponent who hits just as hard as he does? How would he do if a good wrestler put him on his back? Does he have a good enough gas tank to last deep into a five-round title fight?
But what we do know about Overeem is that he has just concluded a 2011 in which he beat Fabricio Werdum and Brock Lesnar. Among heavyweights, only dos Santos beat better opponents than that last year, and only dos Santos ranks ahead of Overeem in our newest Top 10, after the jump.
Top 10 heavyweights in mixed martial arts (Editor’s note: The individual fighter’s ranking the last time we did heavyweights are in parentheses.) 1. Junior dos Santos (1): As great a striker as Overeem is, I favor dos Santos in their eventual heavyweight title fight because I think dos Santos will prove to be quicker to the punch and capable of out-landing Overeem. I don’t think Overeem is the man to take the title from dos Santos.
2. Alistair Overeem (3): The last time Overeem lost an MMA fight, it was to Sergei Kharitonov in 2007. Overeem is a completely different fighter now than he was then — physically he has undergone a transformation that has seen him put on about 30 pounds of muscle, and he’s a much more effective striker now. It’s remarkable how far Overeem has come.
3. Cain Velasquez (2): Although dos Santos quickly dispatched Velasquez in their November fight, Velasquez has the combination of wrestling pedigree, athletic ability and heavy hands that makes him a threat to take the title back from dos Santos, something I could easily see him doing in the coming year.
4. Frank Mir (8): After getting knocked around by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira early in their fight, Mir did a great job of holding on, waiting for his opportunity and finding the winning submission. A fight with Velasquez next would make a lot of sense for Mir, and if he wins that he’d be next in line for a title shot.
5. Fabricio Werdum (5): Werdum will make his UFC debut against Roy Nelson at UFC 143, in a fight I expect him to dominate. Werdum is better in every phase of the sport than Nelson.
6. Daniel Cormier (6): Cormier will fight Josh Barnett, likely in the spring of 2012, in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix final. Barnett will be Cormier’s toughest test to date, but I expect Cormier to pass that test with flying colors.
7. Brock Lesnar (4): If Lesnar is really retired I’ll remove him from the heavyweight rankings, but I’ll keep ranking him for now while we see if he changes his mind. It would be easy to view Lesnar’s MMA career as a disappointment considering how his losses to Overeem and Velasquez went down, but it was a lot of fun to watch this incredible physical specimen could dominate good opponents like Heath Herring, Randy Couture and Frank Mir, and I’ll never forget the heart he showed in his comeback victory over Shane Carwin. He’s been great for the sport.
8. Shane Carwin (7): Back injuries have taken a toll on Carwin’s career. He’s expected to return in mid-2012, but athletes in their late-30s with bad backs don’t often return to top form.
9. Josh Barnett (9): Barnett has a huge opportunity to show against Cormier that he still deserves to be considered among the truly elite heavyweights in the world — which he always was until his third failed drug test made him persona non grata in American MMA. Although the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix hasn’t gone quite as planned, the Barnett-Cormier final is a great, great matchup.
10. Antonio Silva (10): Bigfoot has been inactive since his knockout loss to Cormier, but he should be a great addition to the UFC heavyweight division. He’s currently recovering from shoulder surgery, and if the timing works out it would make a lot of sense to have him make his UFC debut against Carwin.
In a matchup between two of the UFC Heavyweight division’s most physically imposing competitors, fans have been animate with anticipation at the thought of having Brock Lesnar square off with Alistair Overeem inside of the Octagon. …
In a matchup between two of the UFC Heavyweight division’s most physically imposing competitors, fans have been animate with anticipation at the thought of having Brock Lesnar square off with Alistair Overeem inside of the Octagon. Not only is there going to a combined weight of 500 pounds smashing into each other, both individuals are highly decorated athletes allowing most fans to think that this would be a true clash of titans. Just taking a brief view of past accomplishments might encourage one to believe it.
Brock Lesnar, a former NCAA Division I Collegiate Wrestling Champion, a former World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar, a former Minnesota Vikings try-out and a former UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Alistair Overeem, a former Dream Heavyweight Champion, a former K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and the last Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion.
With the belief that these two are both top-five competitors, there isn’t many out there who could think this fight would be anything but exciting. But I am one who believes that this will be one of the worst fights of the year.
My opinion is not based off of my personal thought of either fighter but more the plain factual evidence that lies before everybody.
Lesnar has been a pleasant surprise since entering the UFC, bringing over large amounts of new fans and actually reaching the top of the UFC’s Heavyweight division. He has notable wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. So what could be the problem?
Lesnar’s Chin– It’s no secret that in Lesnar’s last three fights, he was rocked by Mir and Carwin and knocked out by Cain Velasquez.
Surgeries – Not only has Lesnar’s multiple surgeries left him spending the majority of his time recovering, it will more than likely have an effect on both his strength and stamina.
Time Off – Ring rust is a real element in MMA. Lesnar hasn’t fought in nearly one and a half years and has only fought three times since July of 2009.
Aura – When Lesnar first entered the UFC he seemed almost invincible, rolling through his competition with his mammoth size and wrestling but looked less than stellar in his last return. He nearly lost to Shane Carwin in a bout that would 99 percent of the time be stopped then he looked like an amateur against Velasquez, scattering about the Octagon until the fight was called to a stop.
Improvement – Seriously, with his time being spent recovering how can this man improve when time lost is not recoverable. Skills, strength and stamina deteriorate rapidly over time so I find it hard to believe that any improvement has been made.
Age – Let’s face it, Lesnar is 34 years of age and will be 35 years of age in 2012. His body has been through a lot of punishment in his lifetime. At his age, his body reacts differently and it is hard to believe that time has worked in reverse.
Ground and Pound – Lesnar has been praised for his ground-and-pound offense, but who has he dominated other than Frank Mir with it? Mir himself is known for letting a guy pound on him while on the ground as he searches for better position of a submission opening.
Overeem has also been a pleasant surprise since turning into a full-time heavyweight. One cannot argue with a 11-fight unbeaten streak and an overall record of 11-1-1 since doing so. He also held the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship for four full years. That is quite an impressive record so what could be wrong?
Quality of Opponents – Other than Fabricio Werdum, can you think of a single top-10 opponent who Overeem has faced since becoming a heavyweight? Not only that, but Overeem only defended his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship one time in four years.
Cardio – In Round 3 of a three-round fight against Fabricio Werdum, it appeared that Overeem was gassing. Notably this is a very slow-paced fight where Werdum constantly was attempting to pull guard. Muscles require oxygen and this is a five-round fight.
Footwork – In that same fight, Werdum constantly was able to get in close to Overeem and attempt a takedown. Footwork and speed will be important to react to a Lesnar takedown.
How good is his striking – Unable to dominate Werdum, is his striking as good as advertised? With his attention focused on preventing a takedown, will his striking even factor in?
11 Losses – This should be a concern to any fighter, who has lacked top competition because the majority of his losses have came when he attempted to step up.
Ground Avoidance, Ground Offense, and Ground Defense – The footwork isn’t there. There is no wrestling game. He isn’t a BJJ black belt. If he finds himself on his back, will he be able to get a dominant wrestler off of him?
UFC – This is his first fight in the UFC. Pressure to perform will be at its peak.
Though a heavyweight fight has more potential to end in the first round, I just see the questionable factors in this fight prevailing, making this fight a candidate for Worst Fight of the Year.
In a typical striker-versus-wrestler matchup, you usually see the striker being very wary of opening up his offensive arsenal and attack. I fully expect this to happen when it comes to Overeem. Just as he didn’t want to find himself in Werdum’s guard, he does not want to find himself underneath Lesnar.
Personally, I find this fight being dominated by Lesnar’s wrestling for five full rounds. I do not expect a stoppage. I do not expect much offense from either fighter. I expect a single takedown per round and for Lesnar to lay on top of a gassed Overeem winning a 50-45 decision.
(And now, two useless MMA commentators miss a fantastic standing heel-hook finish while trying to figure out how to pronounce “Vovchanchyn.” Props: EliteMMA)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…
(And now, two useless MMA commentators miss a fantastic standing heel-hook finish while trying to figure out how to pronounce “Vovchanchyn.” Props: EliteMMA)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…
The introduction of the Twister to the UFC hangs on as our choice for the top Submission of the Year.
In March, “The Korean Zombie” Chan-Sung Yung utilized a Twister to submit Leonard Garcia, demonstrating that there are still new submissions to mast…
The introduction of the Twister to the UFC hangs on as our choice for the top Submission of the Year.
In March, “The Korean Zombie” Chan-Sung Yung utilized a Twister to submit Leonard Garcia, demonstrating that there are still new submissions to master in this ever-evolving game of MMA 17-plus years after the inaugural UFC.
Since the Twister has already been covered in our Half-Year awards, let’s take a closer look at a recent submission that’s just as worthy as being called the Submission of the Year. No. 2: Frank Mir breaks Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s arm (UFC 140 on Dec. 10)
Long considered as one of the best heavyweight Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira went over 12 years and 42 fights before he finally fell prey to a submission maneuver.
It all went down in a rematch earlier this month against Frank Mir at UFC 140. Nogueira had Mir rocked and was seemingly close to finishing Mir on the ground with punches. However, Nogueira took the risk to attempt a guillotine choke (giving up position in the process) rather than maintain control on top with punches.
Mir escaped, and that was all he needed to turn the fight around. Nogueira tried to hit the switch to take Mir’s back but Mir held on to stay on top. Mir then applied a kimura and hopped over to side mount. Nogueira tried rolling as an escape but Mir followed him, holding onto the move, breaking the Brazilian great’s right arm and forcing him to tap.
It wasn’t inconceivable that Nogueira would lose by submission. All the best grapplers are likely to submit at some point when fighting top flight competition. And Mir is no slouch on the ground. He’s been tapping out BJJ black belts since his UFC debut 10 years ago at UFC 34.
The distinguishing characteristic of this finish comes from Nogueira’s unwillingness to tap until his arm had already been broken. In a sport with no shortage of punishing sights, the image of Nogueira’s bent arm went above disturbing, and into cringe-worthy.
No. 3: Richard Hale repeats Toby Imada’s inverted triangle choke (Bellator 58 on March 26)
In March, Richard Hale made his Bellator debut with a submission as if he were a fighter 50 pounds lighter. The Bellator light heavyweight performed the 2009 Submission of the Year popularized by Toby Imada. While hanging upside down, resting on top of opponent Nik Fekete’s shoulders, Hale locked in a triangle choke to render Fekete unconscious. Hale put himself on the map by making the best out of an atypical, undesirable position.
In line with Mir’s finish against Nogueira, Jon Jones’ modified guillotine came after trailing against his opponent and produced an impressive win with a brutal finish. After knocking down Lyoto Machida in the second round and with Machida trying for the takedown to reset, Jones grabbed a front headlock and drove Machida standing against the fence. Jones then applied a modified guillotine (a guillotine with a different grip), the same finish he used to defeat Ryan Bader earlier this year but in this instance pressed Machida against the cage for additional pressure. Machida, refusing to tap, went limp and the bout was called off by referee “Big” John McCarthy. Rather than guide Machida gently to the floor, Jones released the hold sending a bloodied and unconscious Machida crashing to the mat. A definitive conclusion to perhaps the best year of an individual in the history of MMA.
No. 5: Diego Brandao’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it armbar over Dennis Bermudez (TUF 14 Finale on Dec. 3)
In one of the best fights of the year, Diego Brandao submitted Dennis Bermudez with an armbar to clinch his first UFC win and the TUF 14 featherweight title. Known for his aggressive striking style, Brandao was on his way to winning the first round before walking into a right hand. In pursuit of a TKO or at least stealing the round, Bermudez stayed on top of Brandao, actively throwing down punches. But all of a sudden, Brandao threw up his legs for an armbar and in seconds rolled Burmudez over for the win. The submission came out of nowhere in what had already been an explosive round of fighting.
UFC heavyweight contender Frank Mir may be in line for a title shot in his next bout. The former champion came back from the brink of defeat in his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and broke Nogueira’s arm in what is sure to be one of the top UFC videos on YouTube this year.
The introduction of the Twister to the 
It all went down in a rematch earlier this month against Frank Mir at 
No. 4: 
No. 5: Diego Brandao’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it armbar over Dennis Bermudez (TUF 14 Finale on Dec. 3)