Yet another season of The Ultimate Fighter is in the books, and this season saw featherweight Diego Brandao and bantamweight John Dodson both come out victorious. For winning the show they are given a lucrative contract with the UFC and given the title…
Yet another season of The Ultimate Fighter is in the books, and this season saw featherweight Diego Brandao and bantamweight John Dodson both come out victorious. For winning the show they are given a lucrative contract with the UFC and given the title of the “ultimate fighter.”
We all know that neither of these guys are truly the “ultimate fighter,” they’re really just the guys that were able to win all the fights in this particular season and win their respective fights at the finale.
The truth is, the ultimate fighter doesn’t really exist.
The interesting thing about the sport of MMA is that anyone can be beaten. Even the best in the sport can be caught on any given night.
Anderson Silva, undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters of all time, has been beaten by Ryo Chonan and Daiju Takase. He has also looked very human on occasion, most notably in his UFC 117 victory over Chael Sonnen.
Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be untouchable for nearly a decade, now holds a 1-3 record in his last four fights.
Even current “untouchable” fighter Jon Jones could be beaten on any given night, perhaps even by a flying kick by Lyoto Machida in their upcoming bout.
So what would the “ultimate fighter” look like? What traits would an unbeatable fighter have?
Filed under: UFCAfter beating Bryan Caraway to advance to Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter Finale, Diego Brandao says he’s ready to prove that he’s a rising star in the UFC.
In an interview with MMAFighting.com, Brandao said he’s been training hard f…
After beating Bryan Caraway to advance to Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter Finale, Diego Brandao says he’s ready to prove that he’s a rising star in the UFC.
In an interview with MMAFighting.com, Brandao said he’s been training hard for his fight with Dennis Bermudez on Saturday night, and that he views it as a step toward his ultimate goal in the sport, of being a UFC champion some day.
But Brandao’s more immediate goal is to provide for his family in Brazil, and he especially wants to be able to buy his mother a house. Brandao said that if he earns a UFC contract with a victory against Bermudez on Saturday night, that goal is well within his reach.
Our interview is below.
Michael David Smith: In your win over Bryan Caraway, I really thought that as soon as the flying knee landed, it was over. Did you feel like that too? No, I was ready for war, and I knew Bryan Caraway is very tough, so I knew I wasn’t going to finish him easily.
I was surprised how much punishment Caraway was able to withstand. Were you surprised? Did you think the ref let it go on too long? I think it did go on pretty long. He could have stopped the fight earlier. But I also tell referees, “Don’t stop my fights until I’m out.” I want to get every chance to win the fight so I know why Bryan Caraway wanted every chance to win the fight.
Now you’ll fight Dennis Bermudez on Saturday night at the Finale. What do you think of him? I don’t think anything of him. He’s a great fighter but I think the guys I beat in the house are better than him.
What’s your prediction for the bantamweight fight at the Finale, T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Dodson? T.J. is good but he only has four fights. Dodson has like 20 pro fights. Little John is going to knock him out.
Although viewers at home only saw your fight with Caraway on Wednesday night, it happened months ago and you’ve had the fall to train for the Finale. What has your preparation been like for the fight with Bermudez?
I’ve been training with Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn, I’ve been working on my Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I’ve just been training very hard in New Mexico — 505 in the house. I’m in great shape. My coaches tell me I’m in shape. At Greg Jackson’s gym I have great people here — Jon Jones has been helping me so much. I think Jon Jones is the best there is. He can take anybody down and so he has helped me with my takedowns and takedown defense.
What would it mean to you to become this year’s winner of The Ultimate Fighter?
It would mean I could make my mom’s dream come true, that she could own a house. She works so hard to pay her rent. I’ve been working here for three years for a reason and that’s to try to make money to help my family and people in Brazil. I don’t want to be a superstar — if you want to be a superstar you go to Hollywood — but I do want to make money by fighting. I want to buy a house for my mom. And I also want to be proud of myself, and that will come with winning in the UFC.
Do you view yourself as a future UFC featherweight champion?
I definitely want to have a chance to fight for the belt some day. Jose Aldo is my friend and he’s making my country very proud. He’s the best in my weight class and I would have a lot of business to take care of before I’d be able to fight him. But I want to become a UFC champion.
(Smiling in the presence of a woman? Automatic one-point deduction. / Photo via Sherdog)
As sort-of hazily defined by Nick Diaz back in January 2010, the Unified Rules of Stockton is an alternate MMA scoring system in which the winner of the fight is the guy who would have won if the match had continued indefinitely, and the loser is the guy who looks more fucked up afterwards. Under Stockton Rules, only the final round is scored, and holding onto top position without doing damage actually counts for negative points.
The more commonly used ten-point-must system keeps things nice and uniform, and doesn’t require judges to predict the future. But as we’ve seen time and time again, the fighter who has more points on the scorecards isn’t always who you would call the “winner.” So which notable UFC fights would have different results if the scoring system was a little more gangster? Let’s get an obvious one out of the way first…
DAN HENDERSON vs. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA UFC 139, 11/19/11
(Smiling in the presence of a woman? Automatic one-point deduction. / Photo via Sherdog)
As sort-of hazily defined by Nick Diaz back in January 2010, the Unified Rules of Stockton is an alternate MMA scoring system in which the winner of the fight is the guy who would have won if the match had continued indefinitely, and the loser is the guy who looks more fucked up afterwards. Under Stockton Rules, only the final round is scored, and holding onto top position without doing damage actually counts for negative points.
The more commonly used ten-point-must system keeps things nice and uniform, and doesn’t require judges to predict the future. But as we’ve seen time and time again, the fighter who has more points on the scorecards isn’t always who you would call the “winner.” So which notable UFC fights would have different results if the scoring system was a little more gangster? Let’s get an obvious one out of the way first…
DAN HENDERSON vs. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA UFC 139, 11/19/11
According to the scorecards: Henderson wins by unanimous decision, 48-47 across the board.
What really happened: Shogun got thoroughly handled in the first three rounds, but managed to get some momentum back in the fourth, and spent much of the last round in mount, slugging the crap out of a helpless Hendo who clearly had nothing left. Henderson was saved by the bell, and had fortunately built up enough of a lead early in the fight to clinch the judges’ decision.
According to Stockton Rules: Rua would be awarded a pre-emptive TKO victory, based on the likelihood that he would have finished the fight by round seven.
According to the scorecards: Penn and Fitch fought to a majority draw, with two out of the three judges scoring it 28-28.
What really happened: Penn vs. Fitch is a perfect showcase of the shortcomings of the ten-point-must system. The Prodigy was awarded the first two rounds 10-9, for edging out Fitch by the narrowest of margins. Then, Fitch comes back in round three and beats the living hell out of Penn. Add it all up, and the fight is…dead even? Maybe by the numbers, but in no way was that fight a “tie.”
According to Stockton Rules: An obvious decision victory for Fitch, who would still be punching BJ Penn right now if time limits were removed.
According to the scorecards: Aldo by unanimous decision (48–45, 48–46, 49–46).
What really happened: Just like Dan Henderson’s fight against Shogun, Aldo built up an unsurmountable lead in the early going of this five-rounder. But due to a horrible weight cut and a mysterious infection, the featherweight champ’s body failed him in the fifth round, which allowed Hominick to come back and pour on a heap of abuse which nearly finished the fight.
According to Stockton Rules: It’s a draw. Hominick probably would have won if the fight were allowed to continue to additional rounds, but when you add in the “more fucked-up-looking” criteria, Aldo evens the score by making Hominick’s head look like a damn parade float. Raise both of their hands and make them fight again the next day. (Also known as “Stockton Scheduling.”)
According to the scorecards: The fight never went to the judges. Silva won by triangle-armbar submission in round five.
What really happened: Chael Sonnen spent four and a half rounds taking Silva down at will and smashing him from the top. Hell, he was even getting the better of the standup exchanges somehow. And then, as has happened many times before in his pro career, Sonnen fell into the unforgiving crotch of a Brazilian and got choked out.
According to Stockton Rules: Sonnen by split-decision. Look, I know what you’re thinking — how could the guy who tapped out be considered the winner of a fight? Well, you clearly haven’t read the Stockton Rules fine print. As Nick Diaz explains at the 10:50 mark of his interview with Ariel, “I say, even if you tapped the guy out and you got your ass beat, you still got your ass beat, you know what I mean?”
Or, as Sonnen himself put it later, “In what parallel universe can you punch a man 300 times, he wraps his legs around your head for eight seconds and they declare him the winner? On the streets of West Linn, Oregon, if you lay on your back with your legs wrapped around a man’s head for eight seconds, that does not make you a winner. That makes…not a winner.” The man’s got a point — and it’s pretty obvious that Chael Sonnen is a Stocktonite at heart.
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, BellatorFighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
Fighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
Many of those selfless efforts go undocumented and under the radar, but in the spirit of the holiday season, we’ve dug up some of the kind works undertaken by the men and women of the MMA world.
This list is by no means meant to be comprehensive; rather, it is a sampling of some of the acts of generosity that often get lost in the shuffle of the everyday news cycle. And it is a chance to say, Thanks.
Enson Inoue
In the wake of the devastating March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Inoue — a Japanese-American with long roots in the sport — was a one-man effort, traveling through the hardest-hit areas and offering assistance to the region’s residents in the form of clothing, food and supplies, as well as toys to children. Inoue reportedly drained his own personal savings in an effort to bring relief to every person he could reach.
The UFC/Dana White
The UFC‘s charitable causes are many, though they often go unseen by the public and media. But in January, the promotion ran an event on a US military base for the second time in its history, with all seats free to base personnel, and proceeds from a corresponding online auction as well as donations benefiting wounded veterans through the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The event ended up raising $4.1 million for the fund.
Brian Stann
The president of Hire Heroes USA, a non-profit group that offers job search and placement assistance to US military veterans, Stann — a former US Marine and current UFC middleweight — helps run an organization with crucial importance during a time of economic hardship for many. The group has a special focus on the two demographics statistically most likely to be unemployed: young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as wounded or disabled veterans.
Alex Davis, Dan Lambert, Joe Mullings
In early January, the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was hit hard by torrential rains that caused landslides and killed over 800 people. Among the hardest-hit communities was Nova Friburgo, the hometown of well-known MMA manager Alex Davis, along with UFC lightweight Edson Barboza, and others. Davis was in Nova Friburgo at the time and volunteered his time and resources to help, while Lambert and Mullings, gym owners of American Top Team and The Armory, respectively, started Combat Athlete Charities in order to support his relief efforts.
Brendan Schaub
When UFC heavyweight Schaub first visited Brazil in June, he was able to see some of the impoverished parts of the country, and he promised to return with some help when he came back to fight in August. True to his word, Schaub delivered several duffel bags worth of training equipment to a local gym in the underprivileged part of Tijuquinha, Brazil just days before his fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134.
American Kickboxing Academy
Many gyms have long roots in their communities and take part in volunteering, and San Jose, California-based AKA is among the more active ones. Among the groups the team benefits is Turning Wheels for Kids, a local organization that provides bicycles to underprivileged kids. Fighters including Cain Velasquez, Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, Daniel Cormier and “King” Muhammed Lawal have offered up their time to the cause. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the gym’s fighters also recently volunteered time at Martha’s Kitchen in San Jose, helping to feed the hungry.
Jon Jones
By now, everyone has heard the story of Jones helping to stop a robbery just hours before he won the UFC light-heavyweight champion. But that wasn’t his only charitable act of the day. Indeed, he donated his substantial after-party appearance fee to a charity designed to combat children’s cancers.
Jose Aldo
After every one of his fights, the UFC featherweight champion autographs and auctions off his fight gear to benefit his team’s Nova Uniao community program, which is designed to assist underprivileged youth.
Ben Askren
After visiting tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri, earlier this year, the Bellator welterweight champion secured 300 tickets to Bellator 53 for Joplin residents to give them one night of enjoyment. “It’s not a huge gesture. It’s not like we’re rebuilding their houses, but every small thing helps,” Askren said.
Freestyle Cage Fighting & BlackEye Promotions
In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, both Freestyle Cage Fighting (FCF) and BlackEye Promotions ran events on January 1 with proceeds going towards cancer research. FCF’s event, titled “Fight Strong for the Cure” ran a nine-fight card featuring all women, while BlackEye’s 16-fight card was subtitled “Breast Cancer Beatdown.”
Dan Henderson/Clinch Gear
The UFC light-heavyweight gave fans a thrill with his recent fight with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a fight which was quickly named as one of the best all-time scraps. But Henderson and his Clinch Gear company were also giving back in other ways, pledging to provide a Thanksgiving Day meal to a family of four for every official walkout T-shirt purchased through his website. On Thanksgiving, the company expects to feed over 2,000 families (8,000 people) through the Denver Rescue Mission and San Diego Rescue Mission, and the promotion has been extended through Christmas with additional donations to be made at that time.
The Fans
Few sports have a community as tight-knit and passionate as MMA, and even when you argue, you come together when it matters. Fans have generously donated to a countless number of causes. Among the most recent is the Daniel James Miller Foundation. The son of UFC fighter Dan Miller is in need of a kidney transplant and insurance does not pay for the entire procedure. The Foundation was set up in order to fund his treatment, and the family recently released a statement saying they were left “speechless” following the overwhelming support they have received.
On Jan. 14, 2012, the UFC will make it’s return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 142. Thus far, the event is headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo taking on Chad Mendes. Also featured on the event are former champion Vitor Belfort, A…
On Jan. 14, 2012, the UFC will make it’s return to Rio deJaneiro, Brazil for UFC 142.
Thus far, the event is headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo taking on Chad Mendes.
Also featured on the event are former champion VitorBelfort, Anthony Johnson, rising stars Edson Barboza and Terry Etim and the always exciting Sam Stout.
Although UFC 142 may see like a lesser card, anything can happen in MMA.
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has chosen a somewhat curious opponent for Yushin Okami for his next fight, considering that the only losses he’s had in the past three years came against arguably the number one and number two middleweights in the world.
The promotion announced today that Okami will lock horns with Tim Boetsch when the Octagon returns to “The Land of the Rising Sun” for UFC 144 on February 26.
(Tim who?)
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has chosen a somewhat curious opponent for Yushin Okami for his next fight, considering that the only losses he’s had in the past three years came against arguably the number one and number two middleweights in the world.
The promotion announced today that Okami will lock horns with Tim Boetsch when the Octagon returns to “The Land of the Rising Sun” for UFC 144 on February 26.
In his last five bouts, “Thunder” only losses came against Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva. During that span, he also beat Mark Munoz, Nate Marquardt and Lino Linhares.
Having beaten Kendall Grove and Nick Ring — both by decision — in his last two outings since dropping to middleweight, Boetsch has not faced the level of competition that Okami has at 185. Prior to his latest two-fight win streak, “The Barbarian” was stopped by Phil Davis’ patented “Philmura” at UFC 123.
UFC 144 will also feature a main event featherweight championship bout between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
———-
UFC 144 Saitama Super Arena Saitama, Japan February 26, 2011
Lightweight Championship Bout
Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson
After beating 
Fighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
