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Should the UFC Hold a Lightweight Grand Prix to Decide the Next Title Contender?

The UFC lightweight division is at a standstill. With champion Frankie Edgar and top contender Gray Maynard sidelined with injuries, there is no clear direction for some of the division’s brightest stars. Most would agree that Jim Miller is currently a…

The UFC lightweight division is at a standstill.

With champion Frankie Edgar and top contender Gray Maynard sidelined with injuries, there is no clear direction for some of the division’s brightest stars.

Most would agree that Jim Miller is currently ahead of the herd. He is set to face former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson on August 14 in a possible title eliminator bout.

With no timeline set for Edgar or Maynard’s return, the future remains uncertain. Even if Miller defeated Henderson, he would likely be forced to choose between taking a fight or going on an extended hiatus and waiting for a title shot.

What can the UFC do to sort out the excessively stacked and talented 155-pound division? UFC lightweight contender Melvin Guillard has an idea.

“Edgar and Maynard still haven’t fought again, so right now, everybody’s at a standstill,” Guillard told ESPN.com. “The only solution I see is them doing a 155-pound grand prix tournament, and putting everybody in brackets and weeding the losers to giving a true No. 1 contender a fight here in the next year or so.”

With the success of the ongoing Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, UFC President Dana White could entertain the idea. The lightweight division is arguably the most stacked in the entire sport. With Strikeforce onboard and their partnership with Dream, fans can also hope for cross-promotional entries of upper-echelon talent like Gilbert Melendez and Shinya Aoki.

What about a B.J. Penn return?

A lightweight tourney would probably peak the Hawaiian’s interest. Former two-time title contender Kenny Florian would be another name to consider, but he is apparently next in line to challenge Jose Aldo for the featherweight title.

“I honestly felt after the [Evan] Dunham fight that it was going to move me a lot higher,” Guillard said. “But they’re still ranking guys like Dennis Siver ahead of me, and I knocked this chump out in less than two minutes. He even called me out again, trying to fight me again.”

Siver entered the title mix after securing major victories over George Sotiropoulos and Spencer Fisher. Guillard doesn’t mind fighting guys like Siver and his upcoming opponent Shane Roller, but he is looking for fights that will further his position in the lightweight division.

“Honestly, you guys and all the fans are going to be like, ‘well, we kind of knew that was going to happen…why was Shane Roller even in the cage with Melvin?’ So, it’s just one of those fights where, for me, it doesn’t make sense…but it always makes sense when you’re in there to make a paycheck,” said Guillard.

“As far as I’m concerned, that’s all it’s going to do for me is bless me with another paycheck. But as far as moving me up the rankings and making me more elite? I don’t think that’s going to do anything.”

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Frankie Edgar’s Corner Nearly Threw in the Towel at UFC 125

UFC light champion Frankie Edgar had a war with No. 1 contender Gray Maynard at UFC 125, surviving a vicious first round onslaught and battling back for a draw. In a very captivating piece of news, Couch Potato reports that Mike Straka, the hosts of Ta…

UFC light champion Frankie Edgar had a war with No. 1 contender Gray Maynard at UFC 125, surviving a vicious first round onslaught and battling back for a draw.

In a very captivating piece of news, Couch Potato reports that Mike Straka, the hosts of TapouT Radio, let fans know that one of Edgar’s cornermen was ready to throw in the towel during this epic showdown at 155 pounds.

Straka pointed out that by watching the fight on UFC.com, it could clearly be heard that Mark Henry, Edgar’s boxing coach, was calling for the towel to be thrown in as Maynard was unleashing a serious hurting on the champ in the first round.

Edgar did not try denying this claim, and actually addressed the issue head on.

“Yeah, I think that he was just getting a little overwhelmed, a little excited. You know, out of everybody else in my corner, no one felt that it was the issue.”

The assistant coach of the Rutgers University wrestling team added, “I don’t think anyone else was callin’ for that. I think Mark, he just puts so much into us and he’s so passionate that it kinda got a hold of him for that one round.”

When Straka jokingly asked “The Answer” if he “would have kicked his (Henry’s) ass” for throwing in the towel, Edgar did not seem to be in a joking mood.

“I would have. I told him afterwards when I heard he was calling for the towel, which I don’t think you can throw the towel in the UFC, which is a good thing. But I told him, ‘Dude, don’t you ever, ever throw the towel in.’”

This news is not very astonishing to hear from a champion that has as much heart as Frankie Edgar.

One interesting piece of discussion here comes from the official rules regarding to throwing in the towel.

UFC rules state that “the towel throw (or corner stoppage) is a foul that is usually punishable by the opposing fighter being awarded the win due to disqualification or a point deduction at the discretion of the referee.”

Given the rarity of the towel throw these days, it is highly unlikely any referee would award a fighter a disqualification victory as his opponent’s corner threw in the towel.

However, a point deduction does seem pretty reasonable, and that would have given Maynard an unprecedented 10-7 round at UFC 125.

This easily would have been the difference maker in whether or not a new UFC lightweight champion was crowned on New Year’s Day.

Bloody Elbow adds more food for thought when they point out that the Association of Boxing Commissions eliminated the towel throw as a foul in 2009.

This means a towel throw is again a legitimate corner stoppage in the sport of boxing.

While obviously MMA and boxing are two different animals, it is no secret that MMA organizations follow a lot of the same rules that boxing does.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Interesting Tidbit of the Day: Frankie Edgar’s Corner Nearly Threw In the Towel in the First Round Against Gray Maynard at UFC 125

(Video courtesy of YouTube/TapouTNews)

TapouT’s Mike Straka recently caught up with Frankie Edgar to see how the UFC lightweight champ’s back rehab is coming along and an interesting nugget came out of the conversation. Apparently Edgar’s New Jersey-based boxing trainer Mark Henry was calling for the towel to be thrown in during the trouncing Edgar took in his January 1 UFC 125 bout with Gray Maynard.

Edgar said that Henry’s emotions got the best of him, and he mistakenly says it wouldn’t have mattered had he thrown in the towel as it isn’t a recognized gesture in the UFC. I guess “The Answer” never saw Royce Gracie’s corner throw in the towel prior to the start of his bout with Harold Howard at UFC 3.

Technically, the towel throw is a foul that is usually punishable by the opposing fighter being awarded the win due to disqualification.

Here’s the list of fouls under UFC rules:

1. Butting with the head.
2. Eye gouging of any kind.
3. Biting.
4. Hair pulling.
5. Fish hooking.
6. Groin attacks of any kind.
7. Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
8. Small joint manipulation.
9. Striking to the spine or the back of the head.
10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow.
11. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
12. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
13. Grabbing the clavicle.
14. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
15. Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
16. Stomping a grounded opponent.
17. Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
19. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.
20. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
21. Spitting at an opponent.
22. Engaging in an unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
23. Holding the ropes or the fence.
24. Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
25. Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
26. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
27. Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.
28. Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
29. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
30. Interference by the corner.
31. Throwing in the towel during competition.

In other words, Edgar lucked out that Henry didn’t have a towel, or he may have lost his belt. Instead, he roared back to eke out a draw against Maynard and ensured a rematch.

The transcript of the interview is after the jump for those who can’t watch the video.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/TapouTNews)

Technically, the towel throw (or corner stoppage) is a foul that is usually punishable by the opposing fighter being awarded the win due to disqualification or a point deduction at the discretion of the referee, which would have seen Maynard take the round by a 10-7 margin.

Here’s the list of fouls under UFC rules:

In other words, Edgar lucked out that Henry didn’t have a towel, or he may have lost his belt. Instead, he roared back to eke out a draw against Maynard and ensured a rematch.

Here’s transcript of the interview for those who can’t watch the video:

Mike Straka: Watching the fight, I don’t know if you know this, but watching the fight — your second fight with Gray on January 1 this year, on UFC.com when you have the multiple angles and multiple audio feeds, did you know that Mark Henry was calling to throw in the towel?

Frankie Edgar: Yeah, I think that he was getting a little overwhelmed — a little excited. Out of everybody in my corner who knows enough stuff, I don’t think it was an issue. I don’t think anyone else was calling for that. I think Mark, he just puts so much into us and he’s so passionate that it kinda got ahold of him for that one round.

Mike Straka: When you hear that though, you know he’s coming from a place of really a big heart and he loves you like a little brother, but if that had happened, you would have kicked his ass, wouldn’t you have?

Frankie Edgar: I would have. I told him afterwards when I heard he was calling for the towel, which I don’t think you can throw the towel in in the UFC, which is a good thing. But I told him, “Dude, don’t you EVER throw the towel in.

All 7 UFC Belts Could Be on the Line During Second Half of 2011

With the surge in the amount of UFC events over the last few years, one downside is that less and less PPV events are being anchored with a title fight. While the UFC usually does a good job putting together PPV cards worth the price of admission, many…

With that said, fans of title fights may be in store for an embarrassment or riches during the second half of 2011 where, if the stars all align, we could bear witness to all seven UFC belts being defended. Four title fights are already on the books, with one being tentatively booked, while three others are likely to happen as long as all the fighters in question heal from their respective injuries.

Lets take a look shall we.

Begin Slideshow

The Chaos Continues: What the #@%! Is Going On At 155?

Don’t drink and: drive, dial, text, facebook, or photoshop. -Anonymous

Let’s face it, Nation. The lightweight field in the UFC is a hopeless clusterfoxtrot. Half of the names in the top ten last summer are either not at 155 anymore, or suddenly non-factors. Six months ago, the WEC-UFC roster merger was supposed to clear up, once and for all, who the best fighters were.

Well….

The UFC title fight between Gray Maynard and champ Frankie Edgar was supposed to coincide nicely with the WEC’s own lightweight title fight at the December 16th event, the last by the promotion. Anthony “Showtime Kick” Pettis defeated champion Ben Henderson by a close (but stupifyingly impressive) decision, something you would assume gives Henderson some legitimate claim to a title shot, or at least a number to get in line.

Two weeks later, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar go have themselves a fun little match in which they both manage to kick the other’s ass, but nobody wins. Seriously, it’s a draw.

Don’t drink and: drive, dial, text, facebook, or photoshop. -Anonymous

Well….

Two weeks later, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar go have themselves a fun little match in which they both manage to kick the other’s ass, but nobody wins. Seriously, it’s a draw.

So now Showtime is bumped back. And so is Bendo. Kenny Florian, the fighter’s union VP in charge of Runner-Upism and Bridesmaidery, is a smart guy, so he announces he’s going to featherweight. (That’s forty pounds lighter than he was when he was second place to Diego Sanchez on the first season of TUF, for those who lost track at home.)

Sean Sherk has been out rehabbing injuries so long that we’ll just pretend he’s walking the earth, being a hero and solving crimes. And BJ Penn has long since announced his intention to carefully diet his way to welterweight, so he can enjoy his adult years without working so hard, brah.

Maynard and Edgar need to beat each other up again, except they can’t because they both have broken or torn something, and while no, it’s totally not serious, they both need to rehab. (And hey, good for them. Come in healthy and fight like that again, fellas. Just — one of you please win next time?)

So WEC-champ-but-not-really Pettis takes a fight with Clay Guida, and Ben Henderson draws a tough matchup with Jim Miller. Pettis feels like if he can’t beat Guida, he doesn’t deserve the shot, and everyone nods and goes along. Guida doesn’t like the presumption, so The Carpenter Dude goes out there and grinds out a win and spoils everything.

So…Guida is the new WEC lightweight champ, right? Which is cool and all, except it’s pretty fresh in everyone’s mind how Guida got handled by Kenny Florian, the guy that just up and bounced from the division altogether.

On top of that, Dana White is saying that Jim Miller is next in line for a shot at the UFC 155 strap, and not the sorta-WEC-champion. Of course, that shot is itself contingent on Miller winning over Ben Henderson, a guy that has to be in the top 10 fighters that WILL! NOT! TAP! (Note to self: not a bad idea…) So that couldn’t possibly go wrong.

So Miller and Henderson will play Combat Twister at UFC Live: Lytle vs Hardy on August 14, which will hopefully get us a contender. That’s not even taking into account who Guida will defend his WEC not-there belt against. Melvin Guillard could make a case for himself on July 2nd … or perhaps Jeremy Stephens will get a shot. Or Evan Dunham. Hell, Sherk could show back up.

Who knows? This division is nuts.

Fingers crossed, we’ll get a UFC championship fight sometime in September or October. After that, we’ll start sorting this mess out. We’re way past the point of suggesting that they have a battle royale. Give us six more months, and we’ll be ready to endorse steroids and one-night tournaments.

Not that we’re complaining, you understand. Just keep them fights coming, fellas.

[RX]

TUF 13 Finale Results: Jeremy Stephens Brutalizes Danny Downes In Victory

The Ultimate Fighter 13 finale on Spike TV was the introduction of some fighters, such as Anthony Pettis, to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts as they battled their way into the hearts of millions of Americans. Conversely, fighters who are skille…

Conversely, fighters who are skilled veterans continued to make their mark within the UFC with impressive victories. Cue Clay Guida.

One fighter who seems to rack up victories under the radar is Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens. This past Saturday, the lightweight competitor continued to dominate in his matchup in a silent demeanor.

How can the words “dominate” and “silent” be utilized in the same sentence?

Stephens’ performances within the Octagon are full of explosiveness, fireworks, power, and brutality; however the Des Moines, Iowa native continues to navigate the lightweight waters unnoticed within division.

Stephens defeated Daniel Downes, sweeping the judges’ scorecards en route to a unanimous decision victory at TUF 13.

In classic “Lil’ Heathen” style, Stephens was violent, aggressive, and relied on his in-cage experience to dominate the Duke Rufus protege.

Drawing Downes’ blood in the third round, Stephens may have tallied a submission victory to add to his highlight reel of knockouts if it was not for the saving bell prior to the tapout.

Could it be possible that Stephens is a victim of his most valuable asset, the knockout?

With 11 fights within the UFC, Stephens has secured six victories, of which he has earned three Knockout of the Night honors.

Fourteen total knockouts grace Stephens’ overall MMA record.

Potentially lacking a complete fight game necessary to be in the title talk with the names of Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard and Clay Guida, “Lil” Heathen may now have the reputation as a “one-trick pony” with only the ability to earn a victory from a KO.

Couple that possible moniker with the fact that Stephens has lost a few competitive fights against top-tier lightweights including Melvin Guillard and Joe Lauzon, and these two facts may be the reason for Jeremy Stephens’ knockout prowess to go virtually unpublicized by media and fans, and his current ranking outside of the championship discussion within the division.

The future for Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens is somewhat unclear within the UFC lightweight division. What is evident, however, is the Stephens needs to earn victories over the upper echelon of the division.

The talent that resides at 155 pounds could arguably be the best within all of mixed martial arts.

Stephens is scheduled to face another hard-hitting lightweight who enjoys exchanging in the center of the cage in the wiley veteran, Takanori Gomi, on September 17th.

A victory over this Japanese star may elevate Stephens into the top 10 of the UFC lightweight division.

Or he may continue to exist relatively benign, except for periods of adoration and bonus money from the UFC for his extremely dangerous knockout power.