Dana White spilled the beans to MMAWeekly, most likely because we were totally busy at the time. White stated that, despite the pair’s rough history, Ortiz had more than earned his place amongst the legends of the sport, due in part to his ability to generate interest in MMA during the UFC’s dark days:
He pound for pound was doing some of the most damage at a time when we were hurting. But it’s part of our history the way the storylines played out between me, Chuck and Tito. He’s definitely a part of the history of the sport.
As you can see by the header photo, the beef between White and Ortiz has long since been squashed. The beef between Ortiz and Griffin, on the other hand, has been elevated to levels we previously deemed impossible, as the TUF 1 winner recently went all Jason Miller in a recent interview and claimed that if he were to lose to Ortiz at UFC 148, he would more or less kill himself. At least that’s what we took away from it.
(Compromise: The key to any successful relationship.)
Dana White spilled the beans to MMAWeekly, most likely because we were totally busy at the time. White stated that, despite the pair’s rough history, Ortiz had more than earned his place amongst the legends of the sport, due in part to his ability to generate interest in MMA during the UFC’s dark days:
He pound for pound was doing some of the most damage at a time when we were hurting. But it’s part of our history the way the storylines played out between me, Chuck and Tito. He’s definitely a part of the history of the sport.
As you can see by the header photo, the beef between White and Ortiz has long since been squashed. The beef between Ortiz and Griffin, on the other hand, has been elevated to levels we previously deemed impossible, as the TUF 1 winner recently went all Jason Miller in a recent interview and claimed that if he were to lose to Ortiz at UFC 148, he would more or less kill himself. At least that’s what we took away from it.
I’ve got people asking me, they say, ‘Forrest, it’s Tito’s retirement fight. If you lose to Tito, are you going to retire?’ If I lose to Tito, I’m going to retire from life….seriously.
Although Griffin has hinted that his retirement from MMA is no too far off, retiring from life?! Who then will we have to entertain us after the inevitable apocalypse comes for us all? Please Forrest, we beg you to reconsider. Just in case, you know, this statement comes back to bite you in the ass.
And speaking of asses, former UFC Middleweight champion Frank Shamrock recently made an appearance on Rebellion MMA Radio to take a nostalgic look back at his career. Go figure, the man with the balls to nickname himself “The Legend” made the claim that the UFC Hall of Fame would not be “legit” until he was inducted into it. Modesty, folks, it’s how you succeed in life.
Here’s the whole interview, in which Shamrock discusses everything from the Pacquaio/Bradley travesty to his arm-breaking loss to Cung Le back in 2008, brought to you in astoundingly mediocre quality. The discussion begins around the 2:15 mark.
(God damn…Randy Couture is looking ROUGH these days.)
It’s kind of a shame that we’ve barely managed to touch upon the aftermath of what was a fantastic UFC on FUEL event this past weekend, but simply put, UFC 145 has so much more on the line in terms of hype, hatred, and championship gold that the Swedish card can’t help but be placed on the back burner. The light heavyweight championship bout pitting Jon Jones against Rashad Evans has torn fans, friends, and even training camps apart before our very eyes, and we are just a business week away from finally being treated to its conclusion.
And among those divided by this match-up are the very fighters who once ruled the 205 lb division with an iron fist. Everyone from Chuck Liddell to Vitor Belfort to even Frank Shamrock (who was king of the division back in its “middleweight” days) recently weighed-in on the fight, and needless to say, they have it a lot closer than the bookies do at this point.
Let’s start with the division’s very first champion, Frank Shamrock, who was finally able to speak without unknowingly blinding his audience with the illuminating power of his braces:
This fight has a tremendous story behind it, with it having grown out of a friendship that went sour back when these two were teammates. The drama that’s fueling this is incredible. Fans can expect a fight that, stylistically, will be extremely challenging for Jones to overcome, and he’ll have fits with Rashad’s wrestling if he’s able to put Jon on his back. But ultimately, I see Jones being able to inflict more damage and walk away with the belt still in hand. This will be a fight that will not end as easily and devastatingly as Jones’s others have, but rather one of those moments in his career where he’ll have to pull himself up and battle until the final bell. In the end, this fight will help Jon become a better fighter and a better champion, and will endear himself to fans for years to come.
Join us after the jump to hear what the rest of the light heavyweight elite have to say about Bones/Suga.
(God damn…Randy Couture is looking ROUGH these days.)
It’s kind of a shame that we’ve barely managed to touch upon the aftermath of what was a fantastic UFC on FUEL event this past weekend, but simply put, UFC 145 has so much more on the line in terms of hype, hatred, and championship gold that the Swedish card can’t help but be placed on the back burner. The light heavyweight championship bout pitting Jon Jones against Rashad Evans has torn fans, friends, and even training camps apart before our very eyes, and we are just a business week away from finally being treated to its conclusion.
And among those divided by this match-up are the very fighters who once ruled the 205 lb division with an iron fist. Everyone from Chuck Liddell to Vitor Belfort to even Frank Shamrock (who was king of the division back in its “middleweight” days) recently weighed-in on the fight, and needless to say, they have it a lot closer than the bookies do at this point.
Let’s start with the division’s very first champion, Frank Shamrock, who was finally able to speak without unknowingly blinding his audience with the illuminating power of his braces:
This fight has a tremendous story behind it, with it having grown out of a friendship that went sour back when these two were teammates. The drama that’s fueling this is incredible. Fans can expect a fight that, stylistically, will be extremely challenging for Jones to overcome, and he’ll have fits with Rashad’s wrestling if he’s able to put Jon on his back. But ultimately, I see Jones being able to inflict more damage and walk away with the belt still in hand. This will be a fight that will not end as easily and devastatingly as Jones’s others have, but rather one of those moments in his career where he’ll have to pull himself up and battle until the final bell. In the end, this fight will help Jon become a better fighter and a better champion, and will endear himself to fans for years to come.
Never a man of many words, at least not coherently put together in a sentence, Tito Ortiz’s analysis was much simpler:
Jones is looking very good. But Rashad is fast, man, and once he hurts you he’s on you. I’d like to see Rashad use his wrestling and takedowns and really mix it up. I think it will be a great fight.
As for the rest of the former champs…
Randy Couture: “I think it is going to be very interesting, Rashad has the speed and skills to win. Rashad has to avoid his propensity for standing up and just striking, which he has done in the past. He can’t just strike with Jones; if he does he will lose because Jon has more tools in the toolbox. Rashad has to take Jones down, not just once or twice but every single time he has any opportunity. If Jones is worried about getting taken down, that’s when Rashad can put his hands on him and do some damage. But he has to keep Jon guessing if it is a takedown or a strike that’s coming.
I think Jones is super-talented and he is clearly getting better in each fight. He could turn into a very special type of champion. He poses some very unique problems in the Octagon – and so far no one has solved too many of them. I think this is a huge fight for the division. “Bones” Jones is very hot right now and with the personalities and the back story, it all hypes this up into a very interesting fight.”
Vitor Belfort: “I think this fight will be great for the sport because Jones and Evans used to train together. That changes things, now they are going to fight against each other. We are in the new era of sport with these athletes like Jon Jones and the techniques they can do. Both guys have a chance to be the winner, and it could come down to who is better on that one night. I am looking forward to seeing this huge fight.”
Chuck Liddell: “Everyone is different but, I think, for most fighters getting into the Octagon with someone they don’t like is a great motivation in training. Every time you are tired or holding a little back, you think about losing to this guy you can’t stand and it helps you give 100%. That’s how I was with Tito, I couldn’t stand the idea of losing to him and so I trained harder.
“I’d love to know who really got the best of it when these guys trained together. You get a feeling for someone when you spar with them. That’s why I was so confident against Tito; I’d beat him up standing, wrestling and at BJJ when we trained together years before out fights and I knew I was in his head because of that. Listening to Rashad, it seems from watching the Primetime show that he feels he’s in Jon’s head a little. He sounds very confident and I think that’s based on experiences in the gym. I’m glad he is confident, because that’s something you have to have against Jones. If you don’t go after Jon you are in for a bad night.”
Quinton Jackson: “Rashad has to go for it right from the start, for real. Rashad can’t play on the outside, you can’t fight no Jon Jones on the outside, believe me. Rashad is fast and can surprise you. He surprised me by faking a takedown and hitting me with a right hand which kinda stunned me. I think he can do that to Jon Jones, but he has to do it right away because the more time you give Jones, the harder it is to set him up for a punch. I think Jon Jones will win, but I think Rashad has a chance.”
Forrest Griffin: “This is a great fight. I’m glad I’m not fighting Jon Jones anytime soon, but I think Rashad has the right style to give him problems. There are so many emotions between these guys going into the fight, and I know the Atlanta fans will be getting their money’s worth. Jones looks very nasty, but I’m not going to underestimate Rashad. I kinda did that before once…”
Lyoto Machida: “Jones vs Evans is a big fight for the fans and a big fight for the division. It is a very interesting fight; Jones is very unorthodox and is strong in all aspects of the game, but Rashad is a great wrestler and has the hand speed to catch Jones.”
Mauricio Rua: “They are two very smart, strategic athletes. Both of them fight thinking of their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and think about how to fight the best possible fight to win. But I think Jon Jones has an advantage, since he is very hard to reach. He is not only long (limbed) but also fast and he can react very quickly, I know this. So, I think it’s going to be Jones’ match. However, let’s not forget Rashad is also very strategic. I believe Rashad will have a good gameplan and I am very interested to see what he will try to do in this fight.”
Since we’ve already asked your opinion on who will emerge victorious from this one about a dozen times, let’s switch things up. How do you have this one ending? *prays for spinning elbow KO*
You know an intro is questionable at best when it has fans clamouring for more Stemm and a metrosexual gladiator.
Saturday night the UFC debuted its new “Evolution” video montage that will kick off every pay-per-view event for the unforeseeable future, or at least until fans bitch and moan enough that Dana White gets sick of hearing them and gives in and changes it. The concept was good, but superimposing classic UFC moments over top of an industrial CGI set made it look like the outtakes from a dime-a-dozen video game.
Fans have been split on whether or not they like the “upgrade,” but the ones who seem okay with it are the ones who never really cared one way or the other.
Dana revealed last week that the intro cost an obscene amount of money to make, but unfortunately the piece of avant-garde visual “art” ended up looking like a hot mess, rather than a Jackson Pollock. Money well spent.
You know an intro is questionable at best when it has fans clamouring for more Stemm and a metrosexual gladiator.
Saturday night the UFC debuted its new “Evolution” video montage that will kick off every pay-per-view event for the unforeseeable future, or at least until fans bitch and moan enough that Dana White gets sick of hearing them and gives in and changes it. The concept was good, but superimposing classic UFC moments over top of an industrial CGI set made it look like the outtakes from a dime-a-dozen video game.
Fans have been split on whether or not they like the “upgrade,” but the ones who seem okay with it are the ones who never really cared one way or the other.
Dana revealed last week that the intro cost “an obscene amount of money” to make, but unfortunately the piece of avant-garde visual “art” ended up looking like a hot mess, rather than a Jackson Pollock. Money well spent.
A few observations:
– I wonder how many veins popped out on Ken Shamrock’s head when he saw that he was used prominently in the promo, considering how he is basically living fight-to-fight and paycheck-to-paycheck after losing his lawsuit against Zuffa.
– No Shogun, no Machida, no Frank Shamrock, no Mark Coleman, no Dan Severn and no Dan Henderson, yet we have Lesnar in the video, twice? Seriously?
– Wouldn’t it have been less cheesy to have them appear to be fighting in a Roman colosseum?
– Couldn’t they have forgone Hans Zimmer in favor of someone under the age of 50 who may actually know what MMA is, like say the Dust Brothers.
– Does anyone else get a “Wide World of Sports/SportsCenter vibe from this?
As much as I wasn’t a big fan of the Gladiator, I much prefer the old intro to this new incarnation. Maybe it’s the Pavlovian response I have when I hear the opening bars of Optimus Bellum Domitor and I get pumped up to see fights. The new score just doesn’t have the same effect.
It reminds me of few years back when the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) decided to rewrite the theme for it’s historic landmark Saturday night staple, Hockey Night in Canada. Fans were pissed since the original had become a part of the sport’s culture, but they eventually got over it like they do with most things, except new Coke and Obama.
Nick Diaz is unquestionably the most gangster fighter in MMA history. This Saturday at UFC 143, Diaz will face Carlos Condit for the UFC’s interim welterweight title. It’s safe to assume that Condit will be body-shotted and called a “bitch” at least once. Here’s a tribute to some of Diaz’s most gangsterish moments, in animated GIF form. Enjoy.
Nick Diaz is unquestionably the most gangster fighter in MMA history. This Saturday at UFC 143, Diaz will face Carlos Condit for the UFC’s interim welterweight title. It’s safe to assume that Condit will be body-shotted and called a “bitch” at least once. Here’s a tribute to some of Diaz’s most gangsterish moments, in animated GIF form. Enjoy.
As co-host of the Opie & Anthony radio show on SiriusXM, comedian Jim Norton has become the designated punching bag for visiting MMA stars. He’s been choked, he’s been kicked, he’s had his foot twisted 180 degrees by Brock Lesnar. And considering what a sick, depraved bastard Norton is, you have to wonder if he enjoys it on some level. Here’s everything we could collect from Jim Norton’s MMA-related body of work. All videos courtesy of opieradio.
Guest:BJ Penn, 4/14/10 Technique: Armbar In Jim’s words: “That is fuckin’ horrible…Besides the fact that your arm is ready to be ripped out, it puts pressure on your fuckin’ — it stretches you both ways, I didn’t realize it did that.”
As co-host of the Opie & Anthony radio show on SiriusXM, comedian Jim Norton has become the designated punching bag for visiting MMA stars. He’s been choked, he’s been kicked, he’s had his foot twisted 180 degrees by Brock Lesnar. And considering what a sick, depraved bastard Norton is, you have to wonder if he enjoys it on some level. Here’s everything we could collect from Jim Norton’s MMA-related body of work. All videos courtesy of opieradio.
Guest:BJ Penn, 4/14/10 Technique: Armbar In Jim’s words: “That is fuckin’ horrible…Besides the fact that your arm is ready to be ripped out, it puts pressure on your fuckin’ — it stretches you both ways, I didn’t realize it did that.”
Guest:Randy Couture, 7/19/10 Technique: The rear-naked choke In Jim’s words: “Wow, that’s effective…There’s nothing you’re gonna do to get out of that, if you’re me.”
Guest:Cain Velasquez, 11/10/10 Technique: Guillotine choke In Jim’s words: “All you think is, ‘Please! Please stop this!’”
Guests:Fedor Emelianenko and Frank Shamrock, 2/8/11. Special appearance by Tanya. Techniques: Armlock, guillotine choke, rear-naked choke, arm-triangle choke Jim to Tanya after being armlocked: “What’s his favorite hold to put on somebody?” Fedor to Jim, via Tanya: ”Was this one not enough?
Guest: Brock Lesnar, 3/30/11 Techniques: Achilles lock, heel hook In Jim’s words: “AH, I don’t like the heel hook at all! Do you know how you knew that was gonna suck? Because as he’s explaining it, there’s no pressure being applied, I’m like ‘I don’t like this already’.”
