Tag: main-event-campaign

‘UFC on FOX 2: Evans vs Davis’ Aftermath–The Cutting Room Floor

Totally illegal in NCAA competition. (Photo: UFC.com)

“It’s usually not like this.” With that text I found myself apologizing to a UFC-virgin for the first time in a long time. My friend had just told me that she was at home watching the the show on FOX, without any provocation from me mind you. “This is that fighting you like, right???”. I assured her that the event had yet to capture the energy and excitement indicative of the sport. “I’m going back and forth between this and figure skating,” she replied. I can’t really say I blame her, either.

While we expected plenty of grappling in the bouts themselves, the wrestling theme seemed to carry on throughout the production at large. The usually-charismatic Jon Jones wrestled with his notes, relying on them not just for in-depth fight analysis but for simple things like his thoughts on fighting Rashad. The opening act wrestled with fatigue, leading to a performance as exhausting for fans as it was for the competitors in the cage. And once again, FOX wrestled with an underwhelming broadcast that left the most exciting action behind in the prelims.

Enough belly aching about the show itself, let’s take a look at what made such a promising event so forgettable for the masses.

Totally illegal in NCAA competition. (Photo: UFC.com)

“It’s usually not like this.” With that text I found myself apologizing to a UFC-virgin for the first time in a long time. My friend had just told me that she was at home watching the the show on FOX, without any provocation from me mind you. “This is that fighting you like, right???”. I assured her that the event had yet to capture the energy and excitement indicative of the sport. “I’m going back and forth between this and figure skating,” she replied. I can’t really say I blame her, either.

While we expected plenty of grappling in the bouts themselves, the wrestling theme seemed to carry on throughout the production at large. The usually-charismatic Jon Jones wrestled with his notes, relying on them not just for in-depth fight analysis but for simple things like his thoughts on fighting Rashad. The opening act wrestled with fatigue, leading to a performance as exhausting for fans as it was for the competitors in the cage. And once again, FOX wrestled with an underwhelming broadcast that left the most exciting action behind in the prelims.

Enough belly aching about the show itself, let’s take a look at what made such a promising event so forgettable for the masses.

The first fight of the FOX broadcast was a dreadful match between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman. The All-American wrestler showed little fear of Maia’s proven BJJ, taking him down numerous times throughout the bout. Though he went down without much trouble, Maia impressively scrambled back to his feet more often than not. His striking, however, left much to be desired. The Brazilian showcased limited weapons in the stand-up, though neither man went for the kill, even when they had the stamina to do so. Weidman’s cardio woes are easily forgiven; he took this fight on eleven-days notice following Munoz’s departure from the card. Maia’s lethargy is a bit less understandable. The pair were beyond exhausted in round three, opting to forgo the opportunities they found themselves in simply because it was far less tiring to do nothing at all. Weidman took the split decision in a (hopefully) easily forgotten performance. As the lone lead-in for the co-main events, this bout really set the stage for a disappointing evening.

Perhaps it’s best that Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen had a scant eleven days to talk up their bout, as it didn’t live up to the hastened hype it received. It’s not their fault, really. They both fought their asses off, it’s just that each man made the other look bad. The opening seconds reflected what many expected from this bout, with Chael landing an instant takedown and going to work. A moment later, however, Bisping threw the script out of the Octagon and popped right back up to his feet. His defensive wrestling wasn’t limited to the ground, either. The Brit surprised many everyone by repeatedly circling off the fence, pinning Sonnen against the cage and controlling much of the action. Though not much happened in the clinch, he outworked “The American Gangster” in the center of the cage as well, finding a home for his hands. Round three was all Chael; the self-proclaimed Middleweight champion put “The Count” in peril while taking his back and mounting him. If Twitter is any indication, exactly 50% of you are outraged with Sonnen’s unanimous decision victory. If even industry experts can’t agree on who won and by what margin, what must new fans have thought of the outcome? A fist fight should be a relatively easy affair to judge, but a bout like this puts MMA’s nebulous scoring system in the spotlight. The UFC now has the momentous rematch with Anderson Silva that they’d hoped for, but Chael’s performance hardly commanded the second bite at the apple like his submission win over Stann did.

The main event pitted perennial #1 contender Rashad Evans against the undefeated Phil Davis. Evans insisted that he would out-wrestle “Mr. Wonderful” convincingly, collegiate pedigrees be damned, and was confident that the rising star would fade under the bright lights of a high-stakes bout. As the final seconds of round one ticked away, and he stared up at those bright lights with his back against the canvas and his arms pinned in a crucifix, Davis must have heard Rashad’s claims echoing in his mind. Davis’ stand-up, though vastly improved, was still too sluggish for Rashad’s fast hands, and he repeatedly found himself in compromising positions on the ground throughout the bout. At times Davis looked disillusioned, but he never stopped fighting, he never allowed Rashad to put him away. He’ll benefit from this loss and has ample time to develop his skills and grow as a fighter. Evans will find no such respite. Following his unanimous decision win, the UFC has once again dangled the Jon Jones carrot in front of him. Fortunately he has little time to question if the fight will actually take place. The former training partners and friends are slated to dance at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Georgia. Assuming Evans picked up no injuries in his five round battle, this gives him just enough time to recover and get in a full training camp for the April 21st bout.

You need look no further than last night’s bonus checks for proof that the best of last night’s tussles were left on the cutting room floor. Lavar Johnson hurt Joey Beltran early with body shots, but it was a torrent of brutal uppercuts that dropped “The Mexicutioner” late in first round. Johnson picked up $65k for the evening’s “Knock out of the Night” and the first win for a Strikeforce heavyweight since their formal assimilation into the Octagon. Eric Wisely’s UFC debut was short lived. Charles Oliveira welcomed the rookie to the cage with some hard leg kicks before taking him to the ground and raining down shots. The Brazilian quickly transitioned from leg lock to leg lock before catching a rare calf-slicer and drawing the tap in just 1:43 of the first round. A terrific debut at Featherweight for “Do Bronx” was made all the sweeter with a check for the “Submission of the Night”. In the evening’s “Fight of the Night”, Evan Dunham and Nick Lentz swung away early and often. There was little feeling out process as the two traded shots in close quarters throughout the first frame. Both fighters slowed in round two, but their assaults were just as spirited. Dunham battered Lentz on the ground, swelling and cutting the fighter just below his eye. The damage was serious enough to limit his vision and force cage-side physicians to halt the bout between the second and third frames.

 

Full results: (via MMAWeekly.com )

Main Bouts (on Fox at 8 p.m. ET on Fox):
-Rashad Evans def. Phil Davis by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45), R5
-Chael Sonnen def. Michael Bisping by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), R3
-Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), R3

Preliminary Bouts (on Fuel TV at 5 p.m. ET on Fuel TV):
-Evan Dunham def. Nick Lentz by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00, R2.
-Mike Russow def. Jon Olav Einemo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
-Cub Swanson def. George Roop by TKO (punches) at 2:22, R2
-Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission at 1:43, R1
-Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
-Lavar Johnson def. Joey Beltran by knockout (punches) at 4:24, R1
-Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby by submission (front choke) at 1:08, R3

 

– Chris Colemon

‘UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis’: Live Results and Commentary


“Is it too soon to talk about Sandusky, or should I wait ten years, like Paterno?” Props: MMAJunkie.com

“The House that Jordan Built” is sold out for the UFC’s return to Fox, which features three times as many televised fights as its Fox debut. Can Chris Weidman make a name for himself against Demian Maia? Will Chael Sonnen challenge Anderson Silva to a casket match after tonight’s fight? Does Phil Davis establish himself as a contender at light-heavyweight, or does Rashad Evans set himself up to get overlooked for yet another title shot? We’ll answer all this and more as it unfolds.

Handling liveblogging duties tonight is Seth Falvo, who will be watching the event with some old friends. Please direct all complaints about spelling and grammar, comments about the liveblogger’s sexual preference and unrelated conspiracy theories directly at him. Spoilers after the jump.


“Is it too soon to talk about Sandusky, or should I wait ten years, like Paterno?” Props: MMAJunkie.com

“The House that Jordan Built” is sold out for the UFC’s return to Fox, which features three times as many televised fights as its Fox debut. Can Chris Weidman make a name for himself against Demian Maia? Will Chael Sonnen challenge Anderson Silva to a casket match after tonight’s fight? Does Phil Davis establish himself as a contender at light-heavyweight, or does Rashad Evans set himself up to get overlooked for yet another title shot? We’ll answer all this and more as it unfolds.

Handling liveblogging duties tonight is Seth Falvo, who will be watching the event with some old friends. Please direct all complaints about spelling and grammar, comments about the liveblogger’s sexual preference and unrelated conspiracy theories directly at him. Spoilers after the jump.

Good evening, Potato Nation. Glad to see you all here. I’m about to cut to the chase and put my hands on the undercard results worse than Rashad Evans is about to put his hands on Phil Davis. What, where did you think I was going with that one?

Undercard Results:
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Mike Russow def. Jon Olav Einemo via unanimous decision
Cub Swanson def. George Roop via second-round TKO
Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission (calf-crusher)
Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller via unanimous decision
Lavar Johnson def. Joey Beltran via first-round KO
Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby via submission (guillotine choke)

And we are live! Don’t get me wrong, I’m very glad that I did not have to sit through that gladiator suiting up yet again. But if we’re replacing that with the robots that were cheesy when the NFL started using them, then I’m going to start tuning in two minutes late.

Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia

Round One: They touch gloves and we’re underway. After about thirty seconds of feeling out to begin the round, as Weidman rushes in with an overhand right and Maia trips. Weidman is doing a good job slipping Maia’s punches, but isn’t landing anything in return. Weidman lands a right hand, and Maia answers with a knee. Nice 1-2 from Weidman. He attempts a Superman punch, but Maia avoids it entirely. They briefly clinch, but Weidman pushes Maia away. Dear lord Maia is throwing some huge left hands, but none of them are connecting. Weidman gets a takedown with one minute left in the round, but Maia gets back to his feet. They clinch with thirty seconds left in the round, and Maia lands a knee. They are hesitant to exchange as the round ends.

Round Two: Weidman with a nice takedown early. Maia gets back up, and they’re back in the center of the cage. Weidman almost catches a kick from Maia, and answers with a leg kick of his own. Maia looks very stiff out there. Nice overhand left from Maia. And another. Weidman lands an inside leg kick, and the crowd starts to boo the lack of action. They clinch and exchange knees, and we’re back to both fighters treating the fight more like a sparring session. Head kick attempt from Weidman. Weidman goes for a double leg takedown, but Maia stuffs it. They clinch against the cage, and the crowd does not sound pleased. Weidman lands another takedown with twenty seconds remaining, and attempts a guillotine as the round comes to an end.

Round Three: Weidman looks gassed, but Maia doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to take advantage of this. Weidman with a takedown against the cage, but ends up in Maia’s guard. They stand and clinch, with Weidman attempting a takedown that Maia stuffs. A sloppy takedown attempt from Maia gets stuffed. Maia attempts yet another takedown, which Weidman stuffs, but lets Maia back to his feet. Rogan says, and I quote, “This fight has degenerated to a sloppy kickboxing competition”. The crowd is definitely not impressed, as both guys look too exhausted to capitalize. One minute remaining, as Weidman lands an overhand right. Maia is bleeding from his right eyebrow, and has his hands at his waist. Sorry, Mike Goldberg, but I don’t think he’s taunting Weidman so much as he’s downright gassed. This one mercifully comes to an end to a chorus of boos from the Chicago fans.

Sheesh. The casual fan viewing this “U.F.C. stuff” for the first time cannot be impressed. Let’s see how the judges saw it…

Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia via split decision.

We’ve got promos from Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen. Hopefully Bisping’s fight is closer than these promos. Sonnen absolutely crushed him.

Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping

We hear that this is “one of the few times when Chael Sonnen may have the crowd on his side” as Sonnen makes his way to the cage. Um, what? Eh, I’ll allow it after that questionable editing job during Bisping’s pre-fight hype video.

Round One: Sonnen immediately gets a takedown, but Bisping gets back to his feet. Bisping gets poked, but the fight continues, as Sonnen works for another takedown. Bisping is doing a good job stuffing it, as the first “USA! USA! USA!” chant of the fight breaks out. Sonnen eventually gets another takedown, but Bisping gets back up and they clinch against the cage. They break, but Sonnen blitzes Bisping and pins him against the cage. Nice reversal from Bisping, who now has Chael against the cage. They separate, and Bisping attempts a spinning back kick. Sonnen pins Bisping against the cage, as Bisping keeps grapping Sonnen’s shorts. Bisping pins Sonnen against the cage again (?!), as the two exchange knees. The two exchange in the center of the cage, with Bisping getting the better of the standup as the round comes to an end.

Round Two: Sonnen looks, dare I say, respectful of Bisping’s standup at the start of the round. Sonnen manages to pin Bisping against the cage, but Bisping reverses yet again. Bisping lands a knee from the clinch, as they are separated. Sonnen lands a double leg takedown, as Bisping tries to grab the cage to help himself back up. Bisping appears to be cut. They’re back on their feet, and Bisping lands a nice overhand right. Again, Bisping has Sonnen pinned against the cage. Bisping goes for a single leg takedown, but Sonnen stuffs it. Sonnen is completely out of his element, and is throwing short, all arm punches as Bisping keeps him against the cage. Sonnen escapes, and they trade punches as the round comes to an end.

Round Three: Sonnen lands a big overhand left and gets a double leg takedown as the round begins. Sonnen in in Bisping’s guard, but not really landing anything significant. Bisping grabs the cage yet again, and gives up his back as he tries to stand up. Sonnen gets both hooks in, and is looking for the rear-naked choke. Sonnen gets full mount, and is searching for the arm triangle. Bigping does a good job to escape, but Sonnen manages to keep him down and ends up in half-guard. With one minute left, Bisping has full guard and the crowd is starting to boo. Bisping attempts to wall walk his way up the cage, and manages to do so with twenty seconds left. Bisping gets a takedown (?!) as this round comes to an end.

Wow. Did not see that coming. Bisping was in total control throughout that one. Let’s see if the judges agree.

They don’t. Chael Sonnen defeats Michael Bisping by unanimous decision. Somewhere, Matt Hamill is smiling.

A controversial decision and two middleweights reenacting the third round of Hunt vs. Rothwell for fifteen minutes? Sheesh, good thing my aforementioned old friends are keeping me entertained.

I will say this much, the Rashad Evans pre-fight promo more than makes up for how bad Michael Bisping’s was. I genuinely liked watching that one.

Naturally, Jon Jones is asked for comment. He jokes about swaggerjacking Rashad’s training methods. His nervous laughter, however, implies that he’s totally not joking.
And now for our main event:

Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis

I really hope Phil Davis didn’t pick his own entrance music. I’d like to believe he doesn’t listen to the stuff I pretend to like at dance clubs to get himself ready for a fight. But I digress.

Round One: Nice leg kick by Phil Davis, followed up with a kick to the body. Another 1-2 from Davis, punctuated with a hard leg kick. Davis lands another leg kick and slips, as Rashad then clinches. They break, with neither guy landing anything of significance. Inside leg kick from Davis, as the two exchange punches, with Evans seemingly getting the better of the exchange. Is it just me, or did Goldberg just imply that if Davis wins, Hendo may get the next title shot? Huh. Evans with a takedown, landing in the half guard of Phil Davis. Rashad moves to side control, and gets the mounted crucifix with thirty seconds left in the round. Davis manages to escape, but Evans still has him on the ground as this round comes to an end.

Regardless of what happens, a Blackzilian will not lose to a first round rear-naked choke tonight. So there’s that, I guess.

Round Two: Davis looks for a head kick, but misses. Evans with a 1-2, but Davis manages to avoid the follow-up punches. They briefly clinch, as Davis lands a knee. Davis throws a kick, but Evans checks it. Rashad blitzes Davis, and pins him against the cage. Nice right hands from Evans, but Davis manages to circle away. Davis slips a punch from Evans, and misses with a haymaker of his own. Nice knee from Davis. With roughly thirty seconds remaining, Evans catches a kick and takes Davis down. Evans is in side control as this one comes to an end.

Round Three: Davis looks for a single leg takedown, but Evans stuffs it. Evans manages to break free, only to be pressed against the cage. Davis looks for a single leg against the cage, and eventually gets it. Evans works towards his feet, and reverses position on Davis. Evans takes Phil’s back, but Davis escapes. They’re back on their feet, clinching against the cage, with Evans controlling Davis. Davis desperately lunges for a takedown, which Evans avoids. Evans has Davis back against the cage. Davis tries to circle away, but Evans stays aggressive. Davis eventually gets the takedown, but Rashad scrambles back to his feet. Davis now has Evans pinned against the cage, and is landing knees to Rashad’s thigh. Davis is content to let this round end clinching against the cage with Evans.

Round Four: Nice kick by Davis. Double jab from Rashad, with Davis landing another body kick. Evans is using his jab nicely to keep Davis away. The crowd is starting to boo, as Rashad is outjabbing Phil Davis. Davis attempts a head kick, but Evans blocks it and pins Davis against the cage. Davis gets free, but he can’t get the takedown he’s looking for. Another takedown attempt from Davis sees Evans take Phil’s back, but Phil Davis is back on his feet. Evans keeps Davis against the cage with forty five seconds remaining in the round and attempts a takedown, but a nice sprawl from Davis sees both men back in the center of the cage. Evans lands a nice counter right hand as this round comes to an end.

Round Five: More kicks from Davis, but Evans is checking them well. The crowd boos, as Davis attempts a kick. Evans catches it, and takes Davis down. Phil Davis is bleeding from his mouth and his shin. Evans gets another crucifix. Davis escapes, but gives up his back to Evans. Davis manages to stand up, and the two exchange jabs in the center of the cage. Evans rocks Davis with an overhand right, causing him to lunge desperately for a takedown. They clinch against the cage as the crowd boos again. Davis breaks free and attempts a head kick. With thirty seconds left in the fight, Davis lands a body kick but seems hesitant to follow up with anything. Evans jabs at Davis as this one comes to an end.

Evans was too much for Davis tonight. If the judges don’t agree with me this time, I may have to make sure I’m watching the right channel.

Rashad Evans def. Phil Davis via unanimous decision.

Jon Jones seems happy with the outcome, even though he doesn’t “fight people’s names, [he] just fights people’s bodies”. I would offer more comments, but then Chris would have nothing to write about tomorrow. Enjoy your evenings, and come back tomorrow. We’ll have plenty to discuss.

Video: ‘UFC Primetime–Diaz vs Condit’ Episode 2

Part II after the jump (Video: YouTube/RandomCoolStuffHD)

We’ll be treated to a free night of exciting fights on FOX in just a few hours, but there’s still plenty of time to discuss next weekend’s battle for the interim Welterweight title. The second episode of ‘UFC Primetime: Diaz vs Condit‘ hit the air last night. As if the video wasn’t enough, we’ve got your breakdown of the show just after the jump.

Part II after the jump  (Video: YouTube/RandomCoolStuffHD)

We’ll be treated to a free night of exciting fights on FOX in just a few hours, but there’s still plenty of time to discuss next weekend’s battle for the interim Welterweight title. The second episode of ‘UFC Primetime: Diaz vs Condit‘ hit the air last night. As if the video wasn’t enough, we’ve got your breakdown of the show just after the jump.

 

Part II (Video: YouTube/RandomCoolStuffHD)
“Nick would take on anybody, anything, at any time. If he didn’t get the best of you, tomorrow you’d better be ready to do it again. He had some behavior problems, and also he had some gang problems. Gangs were trying to recruit him because he had a reputation of being tough and the gangs wanted to have him join up.” Tom Domench, Diaz’s 7th grade teacher. Sure, Tom, gang violence is a serious obstacle to overcome, but is it “fire alarm” serious?

 

“It’s an interesting connundrum that Nick is in, cause he truly doesn’t enjoy hurting people. He doesn’t want to be the guy that’s beating up other people. He doesn’t think it’s fun, but he does know that that’s his job, to win fights.” Cesar Gracie. We’ve heard from Diaz’s teachers, now where the fuck is his guidance counselor? It just sounds like he went into this whole ‘professional fighter’ gig without all of the relevant facts.

 

“I got fucking pinned. First by some dude with his older brothers were there. They were like, pinned me real quick. You know what I mean? His brothers were there, they were like, ‘Man, you animal!’ I was like, crying or something. I was like, not there, but I had to take a walk. I was angry. Wrestling was not working out well for me. I mean, I liked wrestling, I wanted to be good at it, I just was having a hard time learning.” Nick Diaz on the genesis of “Stockton Rules”. Rule #1: Wrestling is bullshit.

 

Diaz dropped out of school at the age of 16 to pursue an career in the face-punching biz. It looks like things worked out well for him, but what about the high school Math Team he left behind?

 

“If you go to his gym, you’re going to see him showing techniques to little kids. And you’ll never even think that he is that bad boy that people want to portray him [as].” Diaz trainer Val Ignatov, highlighting the need for parents to pay more attention to who is mentoring their children.

 

“People don’t understand, when it comes to mixed martial arts, Nick Diaz is a genius. They call BJ Penn “The Prodigy”; they call Vitor Belfort “The Phenom”. Those guys have off buttons. Nick Diaz doesn’t have an off switch.” Steve Heath, Diaz’s first MMA coach, explaining what countless hospital staff already know.

 

“The thing that hinders Nick Diaz in fighting is time limits. Stick Nick Diaz and GSP in a dark alley and see who comes out. We all know the answer. The only way you’re going to beat Nick Diaz is you’d better bring a gun in the ring.” Steve Heath, expounding upon Stockton Rules #2: Time limits are for pussies.

 

“I’ve been shooting probably since I was about maybe 15 or so. I learned to shoot from a friend of mine who’s an instructor with the National Guard. If I wasn’t a fighter I think I would be in the military. I’m a warrior; that’s what I am, and I always knew I was.” Carlos Condit, firing an arsenal of weapons in open defiance of the UFC’s new firearms ban.

 

“Early in Carlos’s career, after making the decision that he wanted to pursue Mixed Martial Arts as a profession, I was skeptical. But when I saw him living on the floor of the gym where he worked out, I knew that this guy had the determination to get somewhere.” Condit’s dad, artfully spinning the story of a penny-pinching father allowing his son to go homeless into a hero’s tale of hard-taught lessons in devotion and passion.

 

“As Carlos gets closer to fight time, when he’s working like a sled dog, the nice and friendly and easygoing Carlos you still see but less and less. And the focus and this place that he only goes to starts to emerge.” Condit’s dad, simultaneously describing his son’s transformation into the “Natural Born Killer” and how creepy we get when we start drinking again.

 

Please tell me that’s a bottle of apple juice that Nate’s carrying when he gets out of the driver’s seat of his car.

 

“Stockton got voted the ‘Most Miserable City’ in the United States. And, despite that, these guys are saying ‘we’re not miserable’. A lot of people in this area, when they make it, they leave, and they end up leaving here and they never look back cause it’s a tough town out here. These guys I can’t get them to move out of here. I’ve tried, and they just say, ‘no, we’re going to live where we’re from’. Despite all the hardships, they’re here to give back, and that’s the most impressive thing.” Cesar Gracie. Nick has been guilty of missing pre-fight media events, but this statement makes it clear that Cesar has skipped a few of the post-fight pressers himself.

 

“I go to him for advice on anything, you know. Sometimes he don’t even know I’m there for advice, [but] I’m standing there getting it out of him. He’s put me on paths and directions that I didn’t even know that he was putting me on, you know. Straight up, like I got a boxing coach and a jiu-jitsu coach, but Nick is my MMA-Life coach, straight up.” Nate Diaz, confirming that neither brother has a clue as to what the other is doing or saying.

 

“In order to love fighting, I have to hate it. There is no love in this, without hate. You have to love it so you want it so bad that you’re pushing yourself to those limits to where you just simply hate it. And if you’re not there to where you hate it, then good luck trying to love this shit.” Nick Diaz, with some of the most poignant MMA philosophy since “The InnerMe‘.

 

“A guy like him should not be champion. He’s going to be champion for a few months if he wins the fight, but as soon as I get back I’m going to be back, I’m going to to put my hands on him and he’s going to be done.” GSP, displaying some rare animosity toward an opponent.

 

– Chris Colemon

 

 

Chael Sonnen Better Hope He Doesn’t Run Into Mike Tyson Any Time Soon

Well, it’s official. Chael Sonnen’s smack talk has officially gotten dangerous for the West Linn, Oregon native outside of Brazil.

While making an appearance on the Dan Le Batard is… Highly Questionable show on ESPN today, complete with a UFC replica belt, “The Gangster from America” reiterated his claim that Mike Tyson was a fraud just like he asserts Anderson Silva is.

“[The first thing I think of when I think of Anderson is] fraud. Phony. Third thing that comes to mind: paint your face up like Mike Tyson, gain a hundred pounds, sit in the second row and talk about when you meant something to the world, ‘cos your time has passed,” Chael quipped. “Welcome to two thousand and Chael.”

Well, it’s official. Chael Sonnen’s smack talk has officially gotten dangerous for the West Linn, Oregon native outside of Brazil.

While making an appearance on the Dan Le Batard is… Highly Questionable show on ESPN today, complete with a UFC replica belt, “The Gangster from America” reiterated his claim that Mike Tyson was a fraud just like he asserts Anderson Silva is.

“[The first thing I think of when I think of Anderson is] fraud. Phony. Third thing that comes to mind: paint your face up like Mike Tyson, gain a hundred pounds, sit in the second row and talk about when you meant something to the world, ‘cos your time has passed,” Chael quipped. “Welcome to two thousand and Chael.”

Sonnen made a similar statement to the UK Telegraph’s Gareth Davies this week.

“Anderson Silva is as fake as Mike Tyson was. They called him the hardest, ‘the baddest man in the world’ but he wasn’t even the toughest guy in America and we had to sit through and listen to that over and over again as he fought lots of tomato cans,” Sonnen, who also claimed that Steven Seagal pays to be included in Black House’s entourage come fight night explained. “Anderson Silva has no interested in the fight with me and I don’t know what his deal is …”


(Video courtesy of YouTube/DLHQonESPN)

I’m guessing he wouldn’t be as loose-lipped about Tyson’s lack of skills if the former champ was within earshot. Something tells me Mike could still knock out most of us with a jab. Maybe he’ll claim it was a Mexican imposter if “Iron Mike” ever calls him on the snub.

If its any indication, he also claims that even if offered the second shot at Silva that he will instead take a fight with either UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre or light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones instead, so take what he says with a grain of salt.

“If I win this contest on Saturday I will become the number one contender and I intend to fight either GSP or Jon Jones,” Sonnen told Davies. “Don’t ask me whether the GSP fights will be at welterweight – just ask me on Sunday after the Bisping fight and I will answer that question for you then.”

If you can make it through Le Batard’s incessant bellowing and chuckling throughout the interview, it’s worth a watch is simply for its sheer entertainment value with gems like this:

“A lot of guys can be fighters, but only one can be champion. Maybe I’m wired a little bit differently, but that’s the way it goes. I will correct you. You are wrong [about Silva being the champ],” he said straight-faced. “Well whose [belt] do you propose it is? What do you think, I just woke up and went and took it from him? Of course it’s the belt. It says it right on there. You don’t think the belt would lie, do you? It says ‘UFC middleweight champion,’ on there. The real champion sits before you today, undefeated and undisputed.”

Video: ‘UFC Primetime–Diaz vs Condit’ Episode 1

(Video courtesy of Zombie Prophet)

Before the dust had even settled from the organization’s debut on FX, the push began for UFC 143‘s headliner. The battle for the interim Welterweight belt is getting the full “Primetime” treatment with an in depth, behind-the-scenes look at Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. If you were too busy to catch the first installment of the series, bully for you. We’ve got the video above and some notes after the jump for the soft-headed.

 (Video courtesy of Zombie Prophet)

Before the dust had even settled from the organization’s debut on FX, the push began for UFC 143‘s headliner. The battle for the interim Welterweight belt is getting the full “Primetime” treatment with an in depth, behind-the-scenes look at Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. If you were too busy to catch the first installment of the series, bully for you. We’ve got the video above and some notes after the jump for the soft-headed.

It looks like someone at the Zuffa office got a thesaurus for Christmas. “Enigmatic” is the early buzzword to describe Diaz and the sort of behavior that we’ve so lazily branded as “crazy”.
The narrator cites Lodi, California as Diaz’s home. Did the former Strikeforce champion finally take those community college courses on purchasing a house, move out of Stockton proper, and relocate to the “Zinfandel Capital of the World”? Don’t fret, readers—Lodi is still officially in the coveted 209 area code.
Having previously complained that no members of the media want to visit him and get to know him, how does Diaz welcome the all-access film crew to his gym? By literally shutting the door on them so he can meet with his coaches and train, of course.
“He doesn’t like the pretentiousness of what he has to do in the media, and he’d rather not do it. He doesn’t want himself opening up. He’s actually trying to close parts of himself, preparing himself for war. They’ll ask him to go do a press conference with his adversary, when in his mind he’s preparing himself to beat the hell out of that guy in the cage. And if you’re going to tell him to sit there and make nice with the guy, he has trouble coming to terms with that.” Cesar Gracie
“Nick understands something: the fight starts when you sign on dotted line. You see the staredowns and everything, and guys get a little crazy. You really can’t out-crazy Nick Diaz, you just can’t. He’s going to do things to cause a reaction from his opponent. It’s literally like he’s playing a high-power chess game.” Cesar Gracie, adding fuel to the rumors that the winner of Diaz-Condit will take on Garry Kasparov sometime in June.
“I don’t think he’s a bad guy at all. Is he trained to go and talk in front of the camera? No. He is not a speaker; he is not a poster boy; he is not a salesman. He just likes to do what we do. He likes to fight.” Val Ignatov, confirming our suspicions that Diaz hasn’t been formally groomed for dealing with the press.
“I think the things that brought Carlos to MMA are what brings a lot of young men to MMA. And that is you have this drive, this need, this testosterone, this anger, and it’s got to go somewhere.” Greg Jackson
“Nick definitely has holes in his game. He kind of makes up for that by just being tough, by being able to take a lot of punishment. The question is whether he’s going to be able to take as much punishment as I’m going to dish out.” Carlos Condit
“Carlos was never the fastest, he was never the strongest. He was never really the most technical. But what he had from a very, very young age is an incredible competitive spirit. He hated to lose.” Carlos Condit’s dad, who could easily fill in for “The Most Interesting Man in the World”.
“Back in the day, so this is 21 years ago when I had Nick in my class, it’s just the way he was. Nick was Nick, and Nick was going to do what he was going to do. And if he felt like doing that at that moment, that’s what he was going to do.” Diaz’s second grade teacher.
“I pulled the fire alarm in class. I don’t know why I did that. I was just standing by it, and I was screwing with it, and I knew it was a fire alarm or something. I was in second grade. I just didn’t really understand how a fire alarm worked, cause I would just kinda mess with it, and I kinda started, I didn’t mean to pull the fire alarm, but I was screwing with it too much. And I ended up pulling it, and I was like, ‘Oh no, I did not just do that!’ And I was the only one standing there. I’m like, ‘it went down’. I was like, she’s like, ‘you pulled it!’ And I was like, ‘oh.’ It was bad.” Diaz, reliving an event which, despite being a relatively common and innocent childhood prank, seems to have left deep emotional scars that haunt him till this day.
“It didn’t surprise me. I was like, ‘Oh, Nick!’ Since all of this I looked on YouTube and saw some videos of him because I haven’t seen him since he was a kid . He’s the exact same. He doesn’t make eye contact. He talks very slow and deliberate. He takes a breath between words. I mean when I saw him on that video he was the exact same kid.” Diaz’s second grade teacher, whose shocking refusal to use adverbs explains how Nick ended up fighting in a cage for a living.
“They had an issue with my attendance already, because I didn’t have good attendance anyways, because I didn’t want to show up at school and end up having to blast somebody. And you don’t know if you’re going to get shot or stabbed or jumped at school because that’s what happens to everybody else. It’s not like I’m, oh I’m paranoid or something. I’m not paranoid…” Nick Diaz, sounding just like every paranoid person we’ve ever known.
“Sometimes he gets upset. When you ask me why he gets upset, it’s his inability to express himself verbally. That’s why he’s a fighter. But when he gets in that ring he’s a poet. A poet in motion.” Steve Heath, Diaz’s last MMA coach, hitting the nail on the head.

 

 

‘UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller’ Aftermath: Bringing Back the Ban


Barry didn’t check on Morecraft, but it’s safe to say he got some fans. Props: UFC.com

Overall, the UFC’s fourth biggest debut on a television network, which showcased two of the best lightweights coming off of losses and the organization’s second best announcing team, was as successful as it could have been. Sure, there were some long pauses in between the fights, but that’s to be expected when you draw out 60 minutes of actual fighting into a five hour television broadcast. The rattling punches and tapping hands that signaled an early end to many of last night’s fights kept a perfect rhythm with a drum we’ve been beating on CagePotato for quite some time now: The key to victory in mixed martial arts is evolution, not regression. If a fighter wants to stay relevant- or even employed- within the UFC, he needs to develop himself into the most complete fighter he can.

For an example of this, look no further than Melvin Guillard. Both fans and pundits were calling his performance “Vintage Melvin” while the dynamic striker aggressively pursued Jim Miller, arguably coming closer to knocking out the submission specialist than anyone else has. However, after one flying knee attempt too many saw Miller putting Guillard on his back, “Vintage Melvin” demonstrated the same ground game that has always been his kryptonite. An impatient Melvin Guillard did everything he could to get back to his feet, which resulted in Jim Miller taking his back and sinking in the fight ending choke. “The Young Assassin” is now 10-6 in the UFC, with all of his losses coming by submission. While permanently relegating Guillard to the undercards may be a bit drastic, it’s obvious that Guillard will never be a contender unless he fixes those holes in his ground game- something far easier said than done at this point in his career.

Jim Miller did exactly what we knew he needed to do to win. He weathered the storm against Guillard’s attack, he was persistent with his takedown attempts and he kept the fight on the ground once it went there. While a quick submission wasn’t exactly unexpected, it was still impressive enough to earn him Submission of the Night honors.


Barry didn’t check on Morecraft, but it’s safe to say he got some fans. Props: UFC.com

Overall, the UFC’s fourth biggest debut on a television network, which showcased two of the best lightweights coming off of losses and the organization’s second best announcing team, was as successful as it could have been. Sure, there were some long pauses in between the fights, but that’s to be expected when you draw out 60 minutes of actual fighting into a five hour television broadcast. The rattling punches and tapping hands that signaled an early end to many of last night’s fights kept a perfect rhythm with a drum we’ve been beating on CagePotato for quite some time now: The key to victory in mixed martial arts is evolution, not regression. If a fighter wants to stay relevant- or even employed- within the UFC, he needs to develop himself into the most complete fighter he can.

For an example of this, look no further than Melvin Guillard. Both fans and pundits were calling his performance “Vintage Melvin” while the dynamic striker aggressively pursued Jim Miller, arguably coming closer to knocking out the submission specialist than anyone else has. However, after one flying knee attempt too many saw Miller putting Guillard on his back, “Vintage Melvin” demonstrated the same ground game that has always been his kryptonite. An impatient Melvin Guillard did everything he could to get back to his feet, which resulted in Jim Miller taking his back and sinking in the fight ending choke. “The Young Assassin” is now 10-6 in the UFC, with all of his losses coming by submission. While permanently relegating Guillard to the undercards may be a bit drastic, it’s obvious that Guillard will never be a contender unless he fixes those holes in his ground game- something far easier said than done at this point in his career.

Jim Miller did exactly what we knew he needed to do to win. He weathered the storm against Guillard’s attack, he was persistent with his takedown attempts and he kept the fight on the ground once it went there. While a quick submission wasn’t exactly unexpected, it was still impressive enough to earn him Submission of the Night honors.

The co-main event of the evening had knockout of the night written all over it, with both men known primarily for their standup games. As expected, Duane Ludwig got the better of Josh Neer on the feet. Yet Neer kept pushing forward against Ludwig’s crisp attack and managed to drag Duane “Bang” to the ground. Once there, Neer did what few anticipated and locked up a fight ending guillotine. “The Dentist” improves to 33-10 in his mixed martial arts career, picking up his twelfth victory by submission.

The evening’s Fight of the Night honors surprisingly did not go to Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian, but rather Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft. Pat Barry may have struggled to stop Morecraft’s takedowns, but “HD” displayed a much improved ground game- a testament to his time training with Team Deathclutch. Never mind that impressive roll out of the armbar attempt- as little as two fights ago, Pay Barry would have been choked out the first time Morecraft mounted him and began to work for the rear-naked choke. Yet Barry’s continued efforts to evolve as a fighter paid off, as he managed both times to get back to his feet and outstrike Morecraft. After dropping Morecraft with a left hook, Barry swarmed in with some vicious ground and pound to end the fight at the 3:38 mark of round one.

If you didn’t get to see Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian, you missed an excellent fight that has essentially become par for the course whenever the bantamweights step into the octagon. Both men displayed excellent conditioning in a quick paced fight, with Easton getting the better of Papazian in the standup exchanges throughout the fight. But don’t feel bad if you missed it- apparently one of the judges missed the fight as well, scoring it a 28-28 draw. Easton improves to 12-1 with the victory.

On a final note, Knockout of the Night honors went to Canadian prospect Nick “The Ninja of Love” Denis (seriously) for his brutal standing elbows knockout over Joseph “Not Dan Hardy” Sandoval (seriously). The impressive UFC debut for Denis improves his record to 11-2, with ten of those victories coming by knockout. All bonuses from the evening were worth $45k.

Undercard Results
-Nick Denis def. Joseph Sandoval via KO (standing elbows) 0:22 of Round 1
-Daniel Pineda def. Pat Schilling via submission (rear-naked choke) 1:37 of Round 1
-Fabricio Camoes def. Tommy Hayden via submission (rear-naked choke) 4:03 of Round 1
-Charlie Brenneman def. Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
-Habib “The Nurm” Nurmagomedov def. Kamal Shalorus via submission (rear-naked choke) 2:08 of Round 3
-Jorge Rivera def. Eric Schafer via TKO (punches) 1:31 of Round 2

Main Card Results

– Barry def. Morecraft via KO (punches) at 3:38 of Round 1
– Mike Easton def. Jared Papazian via majority decision
– Josh Neer def. Duane Ludwig via submission (guillotine) at 3:05 of Round 1
– Jim Miller def. Melvin Guillard via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:04 of Round 1

– @SethFalvo