Tag: Interview

Michael Bisping Already Planning to Blame Coaches if He Loses to Alan Belcher


(“Are you not entertained?” Rest assured, Mike, we most certainly are. / Photo via Getty Images)

Jack Brown has been turning out consistently interesting question and answer sessions for our friends over at MixedMartialArts.com recently and his latest, with Michael Bisping, is definitely worth a read. Brown has the British superstar discuss everything from past opponents and performances, to his childhood and his own young family.

For the most part, Bisping seems to open himself up, remove himself from his usual shtick, ie. the finest in British dickishness, and reveal himself as interesting. There is one particular moment in the conversation that Bisping becomes the Mike we’ve all grown to love, ie. the finest in British dickishness.

No, we’re not talking about when Bisping continues to bash the man – Vitor Belfort – who just crushed him with ease, as a “boring bastard.” That’s funny, Michael, because your head kick KO loss to Belfort was pretty exciting to watch for everyone else…

In any case, the part of Brown’s excellent interview with Bisping that stands out the most is when the middleweight discusses his next opponent, Alan Belcher. Apparently not aware that Belcher has a better record at middleweight than he, and that Bisping himself has lost two out of his last three while Belcher has won four out of his last five fights, the Brit does not think his American foe is any good.

Belcher is so horrible, in fact, that Bisping already knows who he will blame should he lose to him. No, he won’t blame himself – that would be too easy and make too much sense.

“If I lose, there is something seriously wrong. I’ve told my coaches that if I don’t win, you’re all f__ing fired because you’re doing something wrong,” Bisping said.


(“Are you not entertained?” Rest assured, Mike, we most certainly are. / Photo via Getty Images)

Jack Brown has been turning out consistently interesting question and answer sessions for our friends over at MixedMartialArts.com recently and his latest, with Michael Bisping, is definitely worth a read. Brown has the British superstar discuss everything from past opponents and performances, to his childhood and his own young family.

For the most part, Bisping seems to open himself up, remove himself from his usual shtick, ie. the finest in British dickishness, and reveal himself as interesting. There is one particular moment in the conversation that Bisping becomes the Mike we’ve all grown to love, ie. the finest in British dickishness.

No, we’re not talking about when Bisping continues to bash the man – Vitor Belfort – who just crushed him with ease, as a “boring bastard.” That’s funny, Michael, because your head kick KO loss to Belfort was pretty exciting to watch for everyone else…

In any case, the part of Brown’s excellent interview with Bisping that stands out the most is when the middleweight discusses his next opponent, Alan Belcher. Apparently not aware that Belcher has a better record at middleweight than he, and that Bisping himself has lost two out of his last three while Belcher has won four out of his last five fights, the Brit does not think his American foe is any good.

Belcher is so horrible, in fact, that Bisping already knows who he will blame should he lose to him. No, he won’t blame himself – that would be too easy and make too much sense.

“If I lose, there is something seriously wrong. I’ve told my coaches that if I don’t win, you’re all f__ing fired because you’re doing something wrong,” Bisping said.

That must have lit a motivating fire under the collective ass of Bisping’s miserable coaches. Talk to a hundred MMA fighters, and you’ll probably get 85-90 of them saying one of the reasons they love participating in this particular sport is because winning or losing is all on you. You’re success and failure doesn’t depend on a teammate botching a pass from you or committing a foul or going off sides, this writer has been told countless times.

If you win, you can enjoy the fruit of your hard work, and if you lose, you have no one to blame but yourself. Bisping’s attitude is an interesting inversion of that healthy attitude.

Mike would remind those fighters that, sure, it is all up to you, except for, you know, TRT, science, judges, the moon’s position in the sky, etc.

Point is, there is always someone to blame when you’re not good enough to beat the guy in front of you, according to Bisping. For his sake, we hope that Bisping’s advance excuse-making and underestimating of Belcher isn’t getting in the way of his training for the fight. Can’t imagine how it could be.

– Elias Cepeda

So, GSP Is Considering Fighting Anderson Silva Next, According to Coach


(Yup. We’re bringing this wishful thinking image out again. Read on, and you’ll see why)

Remember a few weeks ago when Georges St. Pierre’s former manager, Stephane Patry published the UFC welterweight champ’s supposed “secret plan” to retire after a fight with middleweight G.O.A.T. Anderson Silva and then St. Pierre and his head coach Firas Zahabi did a horrible job of lying and totally denied that GSP had made such a plan while focusing so intensely on his coming fight with Nick Diaz? Yeah, well, the ruse is pretty much over now.

Zahabi was on Sherdog Radio recently and spilled the beans on the record regarding tentative possibilities (I know, be still your hearts!) for St. Pierre’s career. After the champ returns from vacation, Zahabi says that the fighter, coach and management will listen to what the UFC wants and discuss their options.

According to the coach, Anderson Silva and number one welterweight contender Johny Hendricks are both possible. “I think Georges would do either fight, to be honest with you,” Zahabi told Sherdog.


(Yup. We’re bringing this wishful thinking image out again. Read on, and you’ll see why)

Remember a few weeks ago when Georges St. Pierre’s former manager, Stephane Patry published the UFC welterweight champ’s supposed “secret plan” to retire after a fight with middleweight G.O.A.T. Anderson Silva and then St. Pierre and his head coach Firas Zahabi did a horrible job of lying and totally denied that GSP had made such a plan while focusing so intensely on his coming fight with Nick Diaz? Yeah, well, the ruse is pretty much over now.

Zahabi was on Sherdog Radio recently and spilled the beans on the record regarding tentative possibilities (I know, be still your hearts!) for St. Pierre’s career. After the champ returns from vacation, Zahabi says that the fighter, coach and management will listen to what the UFC wants and discuss their options.

According to the coach, Anderson Silva and number one welterweight contender Johny Hendricks are both possible. “I think Georges would do either fight, to be honest with you,” Zahabi told Sherdog.

“If he fights Hendricks, I think he could fight for longer. He could have more fights after that. If he fights Anderson Silva, I could really see that being his last fight. He’ll retire after that because there won’t be a bigger fight for him to do, I think, anymore in his career.

“Win or lose, I think he’ll probably end on that note, on Anderson Silva. Maybe that’s why it’s been pushed back a little bit, but I think when it does happen, it’ll be the last one because once he goes up a weight class, he’s never coming back down.”

Yeah, so Patry is looking like a pretty credible source right about now. What do you say, nation? Do you want to see St. Pierre fight Silva next in a super fight we’ve been wanting for the last 3-5 years? Or, are you the only person not named Johny Hendricks that would rather see St. Pierre fight Johny Hendricks next, instead?

There’s always the chance that Chris Weidman beats Silva in July, however, and just absolutely ruins every freaking thing. How about Weidman and Hendricks fight one another, next?

Doesn’t really matter where – an arena, the loading dock of an arena, their front lawns – just so long as they are occupied and stay out of the way of St. Pierre and Silva fighting. No one has been lobbying harder for Weidman’s shot but sorry, Chris. St. Pierre no longer ducking Silva changes everything.

– Elias Cepeda

Chris Weidman: “I’m ready to put all my eggs in one basket and put my money where my mouth is.”

We all knew that number one middleweight contender Chris Weidman, like, really wanted to fight champion Anderson Silva. Alot.

Now that he’s got his wish, he’s also apparently not interested in the potential security of a new contract until after he fights Silva, either. The young challenger recently told MMA Junkie Radio that he may not sign a new contract with the UFC before fighting Silva.

“I think we’re just going to keep the contract,” he told Junkie.

“I’m definitely OK with making what I was making. I think I was making $24,000 (to show) and $24,000 (as a win bonus). I want to do that because then after I beat Anderson like I plan on doing, then obviously the contract will jump up more than if I was to rip up the contract now. I’m ready to put all my eggs in one basket and put my money where my mouth is.”

There’s a chance Weidman might have a shot at getting a raise if he were to sign a new contract with the UFC before fighting the champion but it appears as if he wants the jackpot or nothing at all. Weidman seems so confident that he’ll be the new 185 pound champion after his next fight that he’d like to delay negotiating with the UFC until after he’s wearing the gold.

Ballsy move, Chris.

Or, an impossible move. That will likely depend on how many fights he’s got on his contract and what the UFC’s current policy about these types of things currently are.

 

We all knew that number one middleweight contender Chris Weidman, like, really wanted to fight champion Anderson Silva. A lot.

Now that he’s got his wish, he’s also apparently not interested in the potential security of a new contract until after he fights Silva, either. The young challenger recently told MMA Junkie Radio that he may not sign a new contract with the UFC before fighting Silva.

“I think we’re just going to keep the contract,” he told Junkie.

“I’m definitely OK with making what I was making. I think I was making $24,000 (to show) and $24,000 (as a win bonus). I want to do that because then after I beat Anderson like I plan on doing, then obviously the contract will jump up more than if I was to rip up the contract now. I’m ready to put all my eggs in one basket and put my money where my mouth is.”

There’s a chance Weidman might have a shot at getting a raise if he were to sign a new contract with the UFC before fighting the champion but it appears as if he wants the jackpot or nothing at all. Weidman seems so confident that he’ll be the new 185 pound champion after his next fight that he’d like to delay negotiating with the UFC until after he’s wearing the gold.

Ballsy move, Chris.

Or, an impossible move. That will likely depend on how many fights he’s got on his contract and what the UFC’s current policy about these types of things currently are.

If Weidman only has one fight left on his contract, it is unlikely that the UFC would let him contend for a title unless he signed a new, multi-fight deal with them. The organization seemed to learn their lesson years ago when they saw champions like Murilo Bustamante and Jens Pulver walk away with their belts after failing to come to terms with them in contract negotiations after title fights.

That type of situation is embarrassing for an organization, creates a whole host of complications for them moving forward with divisions and is almost entirely preventable. So, we’re betting that either Weidman already has more than one fight left on his existing contract or, if he has just the one, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about here and the UFC will make him an offer that he will feel is worth signing an extension for.

According to MMA Junkie, Weidman has also promised Silva a rematch should he dethrone the long-time champion. Make no mistake, though, Weidman isn’t cocky.

“When people hear that, it’s almost like I’m talking smack,” Weidman said. “But I’m just confident, and I really believe I can win the fight. I think it’s a fight that people want to see.”

Well, we sure do and we’re glad that shiz is finally scheduled to happen.

–Elias Cepeda

Fresh Off His Knockout Of ‘King Mo’, Emanuel Newton Believes Bellator LHW Title Will Be His


(Photo via Bellator.com)

By Elias Cepeda

Last month, former Strikeforce champion Muhammad Lawal was scheduled to take his next academic step towards the Bellator light-heavyweight tournament title. Sure, he had to fight someone, but no one seemed to give much credit to his opponent, Emanuel Newton.

The two had traveled and trained in the same circles, even together, but their careers couldn’t have been more different. Lawal was a former top international wrestler that entered high-level MMA with great fanfare and quickly became one of the most dangerous 205-pound fighters in the world.

Newton, instead, had toiled on mostly the regional circuits for nearly ten years. He had fought, and sometimes beaten, guys who would go on to fight and win in the UFC, but Newton’s own shot at the big time had yet to come.

Fighting in the Bellator tournament, however, gave him his chance. Both Newton and Lawal won their first-round fights in January and advanced to face one another. All the attention, including from this writer and site, was on Lawal.

With his pedigree, brash public persona, and world class skills, “King Mo” was the story. The world took for granted that he had taken a step down to fight in Bellator after being fired by Zuffa (the parent company of Strikeforce and the UFC) and that Lawal would easily stomp through every one of his opponents in the tournament, Newton included.


(Photo via Bellator.com)

By Elias Cepeda

Last month, former Strikeforce champion Muhammad Lawal was scheduled to take his next academic step towards the Bellator light-heavyweight tournament title. Sure, he had to fight someone, but no one seemed to give much credit to his opponent, Emanuel Newton.

The two had traveled and trained in the same circles, even together, but their careers couldn’t have been more different. Lawal was a former top international wrestler that entered high-level MMA with great fanfare and quickly became one of the most dangerous 205-pound fighters in the world.

Newton, instead, had toiled on mostly the regional circuits for nearly ten years. He had fought, and sometimes beaten, guys who would go on to fight and win in the UFC, but Newton’s own shot at the big time had yet to come.

Fighting in the Bellator tournament, however, gave him his chance. Both Newton and Lawal won their first-round fights in January and advanced to face one another. All the attention, including from this writer and site, was on Lawal.

With his pedigree, brash public persona, and world class skills, “King Mo” was the story. The world took for granted that he had taken a step down to fight in Bellator after being fired by Zuffa (the parent company of Strikeforce and the UFC) and that Lawal would easily stomp through every one of his opponents in the tournament, Newton included.

For his part, Lawal insisted to us that Newton was a real fighter who posed real danger, but no one really listened. Fighting is intrinsically meritocratic when left to its own devices, however, and our expectations and prejudices have no bearing on what happens in the ring.

On February 21st, Emanuel Newton cut Muhammed Lawal’s Bellator coronation short by knocking him out cold in the first round with a spinning back fist. The punch, like Newton himself, looked to be an afterthought. But both packed more power and surprising timing than was expected, and tonight Newton finds himself in the finals of Bellator’s Season 8 light-heavyweight tournament against Mikhail Zayats.

The day before weighing in for the fight this week, Newton insisted to CagePotato that Lawal’s hype didn’t faze him leading up to their bout last month. “I didn’t feel too much, man. I didn’t let the hype, the attention for my opponent, anything, affect me. I had a fight in front of me and that was it,” he told us.

Not buying into your opponent’s hype is one thing, but being such an overlooked underdog had to have motivated “The Hardcore Kid.” Still, the plain-speaking Newton insists that he didn’t feel slighted. Rather, he was too busy training to worry about being insulted by being dismissed. He does allow that winning was sweet, though.

“Afterwards it was definitely sweet,” he said. “I  liked showing what I can do.”

Predictably, Newton didn’t let his surprise KO of Bellator’s biggest star distract him from his next task — fighting Zayats in about a month’s time. “I had to move forward,” he said. “I have a tough guy in front of me.”

Indeed he does. Zayats has won his past seven fights, including a TKO over former UFC title challenger, Renato “Babalu” Sobral.

Newton may not talk trash, but his confidence is unmistakable. It is also clear that much of it comes from his faith.

“I feel like I’ve got God with me and so there’s nothing I can’t do,” Newton told us.

He doesn’t seem to mean that God wants him to win and not Zayats, necessarily. Newton just seems to believe that the higher power he believes in makes anything possible for him, if he reaches out and grabs it.

“I think Mikhail is a God-fearing man as well,” Newton ended.

“But it’s just my time, now.”

In Wake of Recent Criticism, Anthony Johnson Stands by The Blackzilians, Melvin Guillard Not So Much


(“When I first started The Blackzilian Reverse Diet, I was just a scrawny welterweight fighting in the sport’s highest promotion. But just LOOK AT ME NOW!) 

It would be no hyperbole to say that The Blackzilians are less a training camp and more a black hole (PUNS!) of suckitude that is slowly draining the last remaining scraps of talent from its fighters before it inevitably spits them out as empty, dry husks void of any discernible skills whatsoever. Alright, there may be a little hyperbole in that statement, but to say that the members of The Blackzilians have been underperforming since the camp was established in 2011 is no exaggeration. Alistair Overeem just had his head treated like a speed bag at UFC 156, Rashad Evans just put on his worst performance in years (at the same event, no less), and Melvin Guillard has dropped 4 of his past 5 fights including an inexplicably timid performance in what was supposed to be a grudge match against Jamie Varner at UFC 155. 

That’s not to say that The Blackzilians are doing everything wrong, it just appears that they are relying on the pure talent of their fighters to lead them rather than a team of disciplined coaches. But in light of the recent criticisms aimed at the camp from news outlets across the MMA blogosphere, whateverweight Anthony Johnson — fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Andrei Arlovski at WSoF 2 — told MMAJunkie that said criticisms are “unfair.” Here’s why:

Every team has losses. Losses don’t define who you are.

People always want to talk about the losses, not the wins. Everybody talks about Rashad’s loss. Everybody talks about Alistair’s loss. But Vitor Belfort is one of my training partners. He just high-kicked Michael Bisping (for a knockout win). You all talked about that for five minutes. You’re all still talking about the losses we had. What about the wins we had? 

True, Anthony, we should be talking more about the wins you guys had. The problem is that those wins are coming fewer and farther between than with the guys over at Team Hammer House.


(“When I first started The Blackzilian Reverse Diet, I was just a scrawny welterweight fighting in the sport’s highest promotion. But just LOOK AT ME NOW!) 

It would be no hyperbole to say that The Blackzilians are less a training camp and more a black hole (PUNS!) of suckitude that is slowly draining the last remaining scraps of talent from its fighters before it inevitably spits them out as empty, dry husks void of any discernible skills whatsoever. Alright, there may be a little hyperbole in that statement, but to say that the members of The Blackzilians have been underperforming since the camp was established in 2011 is no exaggeration. Alistair Overeem just had his head treated like a speed bag at UFC 156, Rashad Evans just put on his worst performance in years (at the same event, no less), and Melvin Guillard has dropped 4 of his past 5 fights including an inexplicably timid performance in what was supposed to be a grudge match against Jamie Varner at UFC 155. 

That’s not to say that The Blackzilians are doing everything wrong, it just appears that they are relying on the pure talent of their fighters to lead them rather than a team of disciplined coaches. But in light of the recent criticisms aimed at the camp from news outlets across the MMA blogosphere, whateverweight Anthony Johnson — fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Andrei Arlovski at WSoF 2 – told MMAJunkie that said criticisms are “unfair.” Here’s why:

Every team has losses. Losses don’t define who you are.

People always want to talk about the losses, not the wins. Everybody talks about Rashad’s loss. Everybody talks about Alistair’s loss. But Vitor Belfort is one of my training partners. He just high-kicked Michael Bisping (for a knockout win). You all talked about that for five minutes. You’re all still talking about the losses we had. What about the wins we had? 

True, Anthony, we should be talking more about the wins you guys had. The problem is that those wins are coming fewer and farther between than with the guys over at Team Hammer House. With the exception of Johnson, only two guys in the camp are currently above .500 since joining. And while Belfort’s recent success can be partially attributed to his new camp — if they were the ones who suggested he get on TRT, we guess — some of The Blackzilians’ hottest prospects (Ryan Jimmo, Siyar Bahadurzada, etc.) are all coming of losses that came after they joined the camp. A simple inconvenience or a sign of things to come?

In either case, it appears that at least one member of The Blackzilians, UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard, is fed up with the lack of results, as he recently announced that he will be returning to Team Jackson, whom he compiled a 5-0 record with during his stint with the team in 2010-early 2011. Guillard tweeted the news yesterday:

Im no longer a blackzillian I went back to where I belong Jackson’s:-):-):-):-):-)  

During his time with Team Jackson (whom he joined prior to his UFC 109 bout with Ronys Torres), Guillard showcased a newfound grappling prowess and an overall smarter approach to the game that he had in years past. The fact that he can’t even spell the name of his now former camp correctly just goes to show where Guillard’s heart is truly at.

There’s only one problem: Team Jackson doesn’t want him back.

So, Potato Nation, are we not giving The Blackzilians the respect they deserve, or does Guillard’s departure signify that the camp is truly not up to the standard set by that of its fellow camps?

–J. Jones

Potential Superfight Alert: Cris Cyborg Is Willing to Fight Fallon Fox

If George Shunick’s piece on Fallox Fox and transgender athletes in MMA proved anything to me, it’s that – regardless of whether you agree with Joe Rogan’s stance on the issue (or how he chose to express that stance) – Fallon Fox vs. Cris Cyborg is a fight that FANS NEED TO SEE DAMMIT. One fighter is arguably the most devastating female in MMA, yet is also constantly accused of being a man. The other fighter is undefeated, used to literally be a man, and now calls herself “The Queen of Swords” because of course she calls herself that. In fact, I’m willing to write that Fallon Fax vs. Cris Cyborg – if it were to happen – would go down as the single greatest superfight in the history of MMA, because hyperbole is a pretty rad figure of speech that we don’t use nearly enough around here.

Well, good news, fight fans: Cyborg took a break from preparing to sacrifice Fiona Muxlow to ensure a good harvest and delivering completely pointless trash talk against Ronda Rousey to offer her two cents on Fallon Fox. As ESPN’s Josh Gross recently wrote:

“She wants to be a girl. I don’t agree,” said Santos, who for the first time in almost a year and half will return to fighting on April 5. “I think you’re born a girl, you’re a girl. You’re born a guy, you’re a guy. But I don’t choose opponents. The commission needs to check and make sure she doesn’t have testosterone.

If George Shunick’s piece on Fallox Fox and transgender athletes in MMA proved anything to me, it’s that – regardless of whether you agree with Joe Rogan’s stance on the issue (or how he chose to express that stance) – Cris Cyborg vs. Fallon Fox is a fight that FANS NEED TO SEE DAMMIT. One fighter is arguably the most devastating female in MMA, yet is also constantly accused of being a man. The other fighter is undefeated, used to literally be a man, and now calls herself “The Queen of Swords” because of course she calls herself that. In fact, I’m willing to write that Cris Cyborg vs. Fallon Fox – if it were to happen – would go down as the single greatest superfight in the history of MMA, because hyperbole is a pretty rad figure of speech that we don’t use nearly enough around here.

Well, good news, fight fans: Cyborg took a break from preparing to sacrifice Fiona Muxlow to ensure a good harvest and delivering completely pointless trash talk against Ronda Rousey to offer her two cents on Fallon Fox. As ESPN’s Josh Gross recently wrote:

“She wants to be a girl. I don’t agree,” said Santos, who for the first time in almost a year and half will return to fighting on April 5. “I think you’re born a girl, you’re a girl. You’re born a guy, you’re a guy. But I don’t choose opponents. The commission needs to check and make sure she doesn’t have testosterone.

“I’m not going to judge other people. If the commission says she can fight, why not?”

The 27-year-old Strikeforce champion tested positive for steroids following her 16-second demolition of Hiroko Yamanaka in December 2011, so that quote will inspire contempt in some people. But that’s nothing new for Santos. Because of her muscular build and aggressive fighting style, she’s been subjected to cruel, crude name calling throughout her career. She said she understands what Fox must be going through in a world in which everyone with an opinion can have access to the people they’re opining about via social media.

“People tell me on Twitter: ‘I think you have a d—.’ A lot of bad things, they say. I think people have a small mind,” Santos said.

“They don’t think a girl can punch hard like a man. I think people are ignorant. People are stupid. I don’t want to be the same as people who do that.”

Far be it from me to try to make sense out of the “make sure she doesn’t have testosterone” comment. My small mind was blown at the very notion that Cris Cyborg vs. Fallon Fox may totally happen, provided that everyone can agree on a weight class. Considering that they both fight at featherweight, this shouldn’t be too hard.

Naturally, once Cyborg expressed her willingness to fight The Queen of Swords, she returned to her regular schedule of wrestling, sparring and accusing Ronda Rousey of being protected from her by the powers that be. As she told Bleacher Report:

“I don’t want to talk trash about somebody, I want to prove it inside the cage. When she was in my weight class she said ‘I want to fight Cris Cyborg’ and when I had my last fight against Hiroko (Yamanaka) I talked to Sean Shelby, the matchmaker at Strikeforce, and I said ‘I want Ronda next.’ He said ‘no, she’s not ready for you’ and after that fight she’s talking bad about me but you guys protected her,” Santos revealed in an interview with Bleacher Report

“Because after my fight I told them I want to fight her and they said no she’s not ready for you.”

…

“She fought at 154 (pounds) in Judo, and I think who is running? It’s not me. I fight at 145, she fought at 145, who’s running from this fight? Not me,” said Cyborg. “People need to see the fact to see who’s running.”

The woman who refused to sign with the UFC is the person not running from this fight. Sure, why not? Normally, I’d mean that in the most sarcastic way possible, but since Cyborg vs. Fox would never, ever happen in the UFC, I’ll just accept those comments at face value and move on.

Now the only question is whether or not Fox is willing to step up and fight Cyborg. Will that happen or not, Potato Nation? And who would win this hypothetical superfight?

@SethFalvo