You know what I’m getting really tired of? Injuries. Mainly because I hate being the bearer of bad news, and I’ve got more to deliver right now.On Saturday, the Wrestling Observer reported Jon Fitch must withdraw from his fight at UFC on Fuel 4 with Aa…
You know what I’m getting really tired of? Injuries. Mainly because I hate being the bearer of bad news, and I’ve got more to deliver right now.
There is still no word on who is expected to step in as a replacement.
Jon Fitch was looking to get back in the win column after suffering the most devastating loss of his career at the hands of Johny Hendricks at UFC 141. The knockout was the one that Josh Koscheck referenced when building his fight with Hendricks at UFC on FOX 3.
I know that if I’m getting tired of hearing about all these injuries, then Joe Silva and Dana White are losing their collective minds. The summer has turned into a nightmare with how many fighters have been bitten by the injury bug.
Hopefully, this will be the end of it. I don’t want to create any kind of conspiracy theory that the fighter insurance is the cause for all these fighters dropping out. That’s not a theory I wish to pursue.
UFC on Fuel 4 is scheduled for this summer in San Jose, California. The card is headlined by Chris Weidman and Mark Munoz.
We’ve all heard the jokes about Jon Fitch. How watching Fitch fight is something like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. Dana White even gets in on the jokes from time to time, needling the welterweight for his dry fighting style on Twitter.It’…
We’ve all heard the jokes about Jon Fitch. How watching Fitch fight is something like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. Dana White even gets in on the jokes from time to time, needling the welterweight for his dry fighting style on Twitter.
It’s all a bunch of nonsense, of course. I love exciting fights as much as the next guy, and I think they’re a valid thing when you’re trying to bring in new fans. But there’s one thing more important than being exciting or cutting Chael Sonnen promos or wearing outlandish clothes during your walkout: winning.
That’s the bottom line, really. You can be the most exciting fighter in the world, and it might buy you a few extra losses in the UFC before they send you packing. But it’s not going to help you stick around forever as you rack up loss after loss. Winning is the only thing that keeps you employed, and it doesn’t matter what it looks like.
“I haven’t been paying enough attention to the sport to know what other guys are doing or if, in fact, the squeaky wheel is getting the grease,” Fitch said. “I don’t know who is squeaking or not. My daily life consists of me training my ass off and spending time with my family. I don’t go outside that bubble. Going to the UFC in New Jersey was the first time I had done anything like that in a while. I’m in the fight environment if I’m fighting or if I have a teammate fighting. Otherwise, I don’t pay much attention.
“If people think that I’m not beating people up in there, all they have to do is look at my opponent’s face after the fight. If I’m not doing work in there, then how did their face get so f***ed up?”
Fitch has a point. He’s got a style that doesn’t endear itself to meathead audiences, but it’s effective. And think about it this way: Randy Couture has been using the same style for years, only it’s a stand-up version that’s heavily based on wrestling, and he’s lauded as a hero while Fitch gets booed out of the building every time he steps in the cage. How is that fair?
After UFC 145, most of the fans of the sport are familiar with the hot-button topic that is the catalyst for what is sure to be more bad-blood drama in the future: teammate vs. teammate. It’s nothing new, to be sure. After Tito Ortiz held the UFC…
After UFC 145, most of the fans of the sport are familiar with the hot-button topic that is the catalyst for what is sure to be more bad-blood drama in the future: teammate vs. teammate.
It’s nothing new, to be sure.
After Tito Ortiz held the UFC light heavyweight belt hostage after defeating Ken Shamrock at UFC 40, Dana White and Zuffa have been working hard to make sure fighters know and accept the fact that business comes before pleasure or friendship.
During the very first season of The Ultimate Fighter, teammate was forced to fight teammate, all to illustrate what is a hard truth in the fight game: competition comes first and all else can be reassembled once the dust settles.
But no matter what White tries to do, he is still forced to listen to fighters who say they’d never fight this teammate or that teammate, and that is not good news.
In a world where one fight team can assemble so much talent, often is the time when top contenders in the same weight class train side-by-side, and inevitably, friendships are made as they make each other better fighters.
Take for instance the case of Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. Both are good friends who spent many years training together and have often said they would never fight each other.
Now, as both men reel from recent losses, they are basically at the same level; skirting the outer limits of the top five or seven in their weight class. Should they both work their way up the ladder, they could once again be near the very top of the division with a title bout within their grasp.
Normally, two contenders in a situation like this would fight in order to decide who gets the title shot. But according to both Koscheck and Fitch, they wouldn’t fight. One would bow out and let the other proceed.
It’s a heart warming, noble and loyal thing to do.
It also doesn’t serve the best interests of the sport in any way, shape or form.
It’s a hard line to draw, but the truth is, it has to be drawn. And it needs to be drawn in bad blood if necessary.
Many fans who are outraged over the topic think the fighters should be allowed to choose if they fight a teammate or not, mainly based on the belief that there are plenty of other fighters and weight classes out there.
The truth is anything but.
The teammate vs. teammate situation usually comes up when fighters keep winning and rising toward what should be their ultimate goal: a championship.
When you consider what the title stands for, it becomes clear: the man who holds the belt is the best that division has to offer.
What the title doesn’t stand for is the notion that the man who holds it is the best in the division—except for his friend who didn’t want to fight him so he moved either up or down a weight class.
If that happens, then the belt for that division is rendered hollow, and when that situation happens, the belt is looked at with as much question as the man who holds it, because everyone is wondering if his bosom buddy is really better.
And if there is one thing that must never be questioned, it is the validity of the title.
Everyone who gets into the sport of MMA should honestly know, by now, that if they are as good as they dream, there may very well come a day when they have to fight a training partner and teammate. This isn’t some secret in the fine print of their contracts that sends Dana White into a storm of hand-rubbing glee because he gets to spring it on them.
In fact, about the only time when training partners shouldn’t ever be asked to fight is when they are actually family members, like the Diaz brothers and the Millers.
Titles need to be worn by the best in the division, and if the two best fighters in the division are from the same camp, then they must fight.
But to make it clear, the UFC should put it into their contracts, large and unavoidable. It needs to be more than just a stipulation; it needs to be a code.
The fight game is all about conflict. This is not a Jane Austen garden party, it’s a fight sport. The men and women who freely enter into this as their chosen profession are supposedly doing so because they love it more than anything else.
No one is holding a gun to their head, making them choose the sport. There are much easier ways to earn a living, after all, then getting your clock cleaned in front of millions.
But like any other job, there are unpleasant obligations that come along with it. Keeping the title on a pedestal is one of those obligations, because it is ultimately what is best for the sport.
And if you are a fighter, your sole ambition should be to win that belt. If you win that belt, you should defend its interests jealously, because that is in the best traditions and interests of that position as the best in the division.
If the friendships formed during training cause you to doubt if you would fight your friend, then you shouldn’t be fighting any more.
Of course, one needn’t look very far to see just how rocky a road it would be if fighters got to pick and choose who they did and did not fight. Boxing is rife with examples of this, and from that came a slew of fabricated title belts from this alphabet organization.
In fact, there are so many belts in boxing that they are essentially equal in their worthlessness. Tomorrow may see a boxer with a record of 17 wins and 14 losses crowned the new Heavyweight Champion of the World by the World Gardening Commission.
Thankfully, the sport of MMA doesn’t have that problem. There are title belts for different organizations, but UFC gold is the only real gold.
That could change, however, if fighters from the UFC begin defecting to lesser organizations in order to avoid fighting their friends; should the better fighter leave, then the problems start.
Being a champion isn’t a privilege, it’s a responsibility. If you are true to it, defending it against all comers will be very difficult, to be sure, but it should also be a labor of love.
And when you finally acknowledge that simple fact, then a code of competition is the most honest admission of the true responsibility of being a fighter and a champion.
Such a Code, fully read and signed and witnessed (by the coach ideally) along with the main contract would also help to ease the tension in the camps when and if those situations arise. They can all blame it on “Uncle Dana” and then go about their business, even if it is temporarily unpleasant.
When you look at the fight game, it is about many wonderful things (including friendships), but above all else, it’s about the fight.
(Sadly, the fight between Penn and Jon Fitch was ruled a draw and the puppy was left without a home)
UFC President Dana White continues to say that future hall of famerBJ Penn will indeed return to the Octagon, despite Penn’s coyness. But Thursday, White provided more details to MMA Junkie on what weight the pound for pound great will fight at, and revealed that Penn declined a bout with Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez.
“I tried to do [Melendez vs. Penn], but it was at the time when B.J. was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not fighting for a while,'” White told Junkie.
Apparently, he didn’t say if that match up would have meant Penn going to Strikeforce or Melendez going to the UFC.
(Sadly, the fight between Penn and Jon Fitch was ruled a draw and the puppy was left without a home)
UFC President Dana Whitecontinues to say that future hall of famerBJ Penn will indeed return to the Octagon, despite Penn’s coyness. But Thursday, White provided more details to MMA Junkie on what weight the pound for pound great will fight at, and revealed that Penn declined a bout with Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez.
“I tried to do [Melendez vs. Penn], but it was at the time when B.J. was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not fighting for a while,’” White told Junkie.
Apparently, he didn’t say if that match up would have meant Penn going to Strikeforce or Melendez going to the UFC.
White seems to think that Penn will be back at welterweight. “I’m done with telling him where to go as far as weight goes,” White said. “The guy’s handled himself in both weight divisions, and if he wants to come back at 170 – plus you get to an age where cutting down to 155 just doesn’t make sense anymore.”
Penn announced that he was retiring after losing to Nick Diaz last October. While White is certain that Penn will return, he says he isn’t rushing the former champ.
“Whenever he’s ready,” White said. “That’s up to him. Whenever he’s ready. I don’t ever push guys. Guys know when they’re ready. Guys know when they want to come back.”
Read the full article here. What do you guys think? Should Penn return? Should it happen at welterweight, and when will Melendez stop getting the Strikeforce shaft?
Last year ended with a bang when UFC welterweight contender Johny Hendricks (12-1) knocked out his upcoming opponent’s former teammate in just 12 seconds at UFC 141. Going into his fight with former title challenger Jon Fitch, many thought Hendricks wa…
Last year ended with a bang when UFC welterweight contender Johny Hendricks (12-1) knocked out his upcoming opponent’s former teammate in just 12 seconds at UFC 141.
Going into his fight with former title challenger Jon Fitch, many thought Hendricks was taking too big of a step up in competition from his previous opponents, which included fighters like Mike Pierce, T.J. Waldburger, Rick Story and Charlie Brenneman.
With a knockout set on his mind, the former NCAA Division I wrestler unloaded a left hand that put his opponent down and out in the opening seconds of the fight. Some follow-up punches were landed, but not needed.
It was the first Fitch fight to end before the final bell in his last nine fights, and was only his second loss in the UFC with the other having come against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Now, Hendricks will take on another former title challenger in Josh Koscheck (17-5), who is also known for his one-punch knockout power and wrestling ability. His wins include those over Pierce, Matt Hughes, Paul Daley, Anthony Johnson and Chris Lytle.
Even if a title shot with GSP isn’t on the line, a top contender’s match is.
UFC on FOX 3 goes down this Saturday and features a four-bout main card with Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, Koscheck vs. Hendricks, Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher and Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
Other bouts on Fuel TV include Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson, John Dodson vs. Tim Elliot and John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss.
Hello MMA fans and fighters; it has been too long since I last wrote. It is so good to be back to writing about the sport I love. Today’s topic of discussion is about UFC Welterweight Rory “Ares” MacDonald.Last night at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Ga., Philips…
Hello MMA fans and fighters; it has been too long since I last wrote. It is so good to be back to writing about the sport I love. Today’s topic of discussion is about UFC Welterweight Rory “Ares” MacDonald.
Last night at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Ga., Philips Arena witnessed MacDonald displaying a very impressive performance. He completely dominated former Cage Rage Welterweight Champion Che Mills.
The media could have given Mills more credit than he what he got before the fight. Mills is no joke. He entered the Octagon with a five-fight winning streak a feat that is hard to come by, especially in the welterweight division.
MacDonald’s mentor, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges “Rush” St-Pierre, even noted that MacDonald is a future welterweight champion and the next GSP. For that to be said by the champ is a huge honor.
But which GSP was St-Pierre referring to?
Don’t get me wrong, Georges St-Pierre is one of my favorite fighters both inside and outside the Octagon. It is just that St-Pierre hasn’t finished off an opponent since 2008, when he beat B.J. Penn at UFC 94. Where did that GSP go?
After the Mills fight, what I saw in MacDonald was not the GSP of now, but the GSP that finishes fights. MacDonald’s fight last night reminded me of the GSP that dismantled Frank Trigg back in 2005 at UFC 54, in which St-Pierre made Trigg look like an amateur rather than a pro.
I do believe that MacDonald shows potential of being even more impressive than his mentor.
With 11 of his 12 victories coming by either submission or knockout, MacDonald clearly demonstrates that he is a finisher. He already has tied St-Pierre in fights finished (12) and really shows no weaknesses in his game.
MacDonald’s striking is superb and very accurate. The way he cuts angles is even more impressive, making it hard for his opponent to predict. His ground-and-pound is slick and powerful. His submission game is solid and his stand-up is superb.
Another impressive fact is that MacDonald is only 24 years old, which means he will only get better. The sky’s the limit for this kid and his future looks very promising.
That being said, are we looking at the future of what is to come for the welterweight division? Who should be next for MacDonald? Could it be Jake Ellenberger, or maybe Jon Fitch? Or take out another Diaz in Nick Diaz? Let me know what you think.
After UFC 145, most of the fans of the sport are familiar with the hot-button topic that is the catalyst for what is sure to be more bad-blood drama in the future: teammate vs. teammate.