Tag: Main Event Channel

‘UFC 143: Diaz vs Condit’ Aftermath Part I–Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

“Come on, Nick. Tell us how you *really* feel.” (Video: ZombieProphet)

Though he fought in a cage only ten yards wide, Nick Diaz must have felt like he was fighting on a football field last night. For five rounds he stalked Carlos Condit but was unable able to pin him in any of the Octagon’s eight corners. In true Stockton fashion, he never stopped pressing forward and was always the aggressor, but did he exhibit ‘Octagon Control’? As we generally define the term, yes. As it’s actually defined, no. Diaz didn’t want to keep circling and chasing Condit; he wanted to trap him against the cage and unload merciless combinations–basically, to fight him in a phone booth. The reason he didn’t was because Condit executed his game plan perfectly and dictated the flow of the fight. Even if that wasn’t the case and Diaz was in full control of the bout, let’s not start pretending that we love nothing more than a fight full of ‘Octagon Control’. As fans we value effective striking and grappling above position and pace. So too should the judges.

“Come on, Nick. Tell us how you *really* feel.” (Video: ZombieProphet)

Though he fought in a cage only ten yards wide, Nick Diaz must have felt like he was fighting on a football field last night. For five rounds he stalked Carlos Condit but was unable able to pin him in any of the Octagon’s eight corners. In true Stockton fashion, he never stopped pressing forward and was always the aggressor, but did he exhibit ‘Octagon Control’? As we generally define the term, yes. As it’s actually defined, no. Diaz didn’t want to keep circling and chasing Condit; he wanted to trap him against the cage and unload merciless combinations–basically, to fight him in a phone booth. The reason he didn’t was because Condit executed his game plan perfectly and dictated the flow of the fight. Even if that wasn’t the case and Diaz was in full control of the bout, let’s not start pretending that we love nothing more than a fight full of ‘Octagon Control’. As fans we value effective striking and grappling above position and pace. So too should the judges.

Some of you will undoubtedly feel that you can’t win a fight moving backwards. You may be right, but there are a host of other things that you can do in retreat. You can set a record for leg kicks landed in a UFC fight (not that those count, right?). You can out-strike your opponent in both total strikes and significant strikes by a 30% margin. You can land more power shots to the head.

There’s a good reason last night’s main event is so controversial—it was a damn close fight. Despite what I’ve written, I’m not actually here to convince you that Condit deserves the interim belt or his shiny new hog. If you think that Diaz won the fight, I won’t tell you that you’re wrong (again, stats never tell the whole tale, and it was a really close fight). That being said, let’s not confuse “The Natural Born Killer” with Kaleb Starnes. Condit picked his shots wisely and got the hell out of dodge. It wasn’t the balls-to-the-wall throwdown I’d hoped for, but it was an entertaining fight.

For the time being at least, Diaz says he’s had enough. He may be as tough and as talented as they come, but he’s only happy fighting his kind of fight. His bouts would be vastly more entertaining if everyone limited their offense and defense to match his strengths, but I don’t see that happening in the upper-tiers of the division. His distaste for wrestling, specifically lay and pray, is understandable, but to respond to a flashy Condit elbow with, “We’re throwing spinning shit now?” makes me think that he’ll never adjust his game to deal with those who won’t play it. If he sticks around, we can expect plenty more wars and plenty more victories, but his record will be spotted with losses he refuses to accept.

Diaz is one of the most entertaining fighters out there and I pray he doesn’t call it quits, but he’s clearly had his fill of this sport. In no uncertain words, the Stockton native expressed his disillusion with MMA’s scoring system and proclaimed that he doesn’t “need this shit.”

Straight forward, to the point, and no punches pulled. That’s Nick Diaz.

 

– Chris Colemon

 

Last Second Video Hype: NFL Players Make Their Predictions for Diaz vs. Condit

Props: Youtube.com/UFC

With only a few hours until the main card of UFC 142, and only one day until Super Bowl XLVI, we’re killing two birds with one stone with this video of current (and former) NFL players making their predictions for tonight’s main event. In yet another example of how far our sport has come towards gaining mainstream acceptance, the seven players interviewed genuinely seem to be fans of mixed martial arts as they pick Nick Diaz over Carlos Condit, five votes to two.

Obviously, FOX Football Analyst Michael Strahan seems to deliver the most informed, thought out opinion on the fight as he explains his reasoning behind picking Nick Diaz to win. However, the rest of those interviewed aren’t too far behind him. Well, maybe not Eli Manning- though his stoic, soft spoken personality makes him hard to figure out.


Props: Youtube.com/UFC

With only a few hours until the main card of UFC 143, and only one day until Super Bowl XLVI, we’re killing two birds with one stone with this video of current (and former) NFL players making their predictions for tonight’s main event. In yet another example of how far our sport has come towards gaining mainstream acceptance, the seven players interviewed genuinely seem to be fans of mixed martial arts as they pick Nick Diaz over Carlos Condit, five votes to two.  

Obviously, FOX Football Analyst Michael Strahan seems to deliver the most informed, thought out opinion on the fight as he explains his reasoning behind picking Nick Diaz to win. However, the rest of those interviewed aren’t too far behind him. Well, maybe not Eli Manning- though his stoic, soft spoken personality makes him hard to figure out.

There’s just one complaint that we’re sure sports fans everywhere will have with this video: At the fifty seven second mark, former NFL defensive great Warren Sapp instructs Nick Diaz to “do what [he] does to the quarterback, kill him!”. Come on, bro. If Frank Mir taught us anything, an athlete wishing death on an opponent is a sign that football is immoral and should be banned in this country. Expect Bob Reilly, who is not an oblivious hypocrite, to start a campaign to make football illegal in New York.

 

Video: ‘UFC Primetime–Diaz vs Condit’ Episode 3

(Vid Props to YouTube/MixedMartialArts)

Last night marked the end of a great run for the Primetime series as it followed the two fighters headlining tonight’s pay per view card. We’ve learned a lot more about Carlos Condit, the wayward youth turned loving father and professional fighter, while playing armchair psychologist to Nick Diaz along the way. The crews shadowing these two 24/7 did the heavy lifting, so we’ll just pop the video up above and make our little jokes after the jump.

(Vid Props to YouTube/MixedMartialArts)

Last night marked the end of a great run for the Primetime series as it followed the two fighters headlining tonight’s pay per view card. We’ve learned a lot more about Carlos Condit, the wayward youth turned loving father and professional fighter, while playing armchair psychologist to Nick Diaz along the way. The crews shadowing these two 24/7 did the heavy lifting, so we’ll just pop the video up above and make our little jokes after the jump.

 

Condit’s watching plenty of footage of Nick Diaz, including his post-UFC 137 call-out of champion GSP (“Where you at, Georges? Where you at?”). Although he feels like he’s being overlooked and counted out, Condit takes the high road by not calling Diaz out for ending his sentence in a preposition.

 

“He tends to be training at weird hours, for sure. When you think about the fight, you can’t get it out of your head and you want to train and you know the other guy’s not doing it, that’s a big mental edge. I love the guy; if he needs help and wants to train at midnight, you know, let’s do this.” Diaz’s training partner Joe Schiling. If only poor Diaz could find some way to unwind?

 

“I figured that this is the better opponent than any of these other guys that are out there. You fight the way this guy fights and it’s a dangerous fight. I think I’ve gotten a taste of both worlds: guys trying to take your head off and guys trying to hold you, and I think this guy’s definitely more so trying to take your head off.” Diaz, fully expecting this battle to be contested under ‘Stockton Rules‘.

 

“I don’t really see anything in Carlos Condit’s game that is more dangerous than the things that we’ve been throwing at Nick throughout this training camp. I’ve hit Nick with some really hard shots, shots that I’ve dropped other people with, and not only does it not faze him, but it doesn’t move him back an inch, it doesn’t slow him down, he doesn’t seem to even care about it. He’s a fighter, and there’s not too many guys like Nick Diaz. You can’t stop crazy.” Joe Schiling. Add “getting punched” alongside “drug tests”, “smiling”, and “Ariel Helwani” on the ever-growing list of things Nick Diaz doesn’t care about.

 

“I would be happy with just going home without any missing teeth.” Diaz, maybe he does care about smiling after all?

 

“He’s been the underdog all his life, where people wanted to bully him when he was younger. They wanted to portray him as something he’s not. They want to write a script for his life, and that’s not the script that he wants and he’s fighting against that. And I think as fight time approaches all of that starts to merge. It’s a focused rage; it’s not chaotic anger. There’s a focused rage there.” Cesar Gracie, on what could be the greatest MMA movie to date. Get cracking, Hollywood.

 

“I’ve been the underdog my entire career. People have always counted me out. I don’t pay much mind to that. I’m ready. I’m ready for this shit.” Carlos Condit, trying to out-underdog Diaz. Jesus, people, can’t anyone come in as the favorite anymore?

 

“I think ol’ boy’s gonna try to take me down. What are his guard passes?” Condit speaking with Greg Jackson, predicting a very un-gangster-like strategy from his opponent.

 

“Fight week I put on the game face. I just get ready to go do battle. Finally get to go in there and not hold back and just let it go. Really I just tell myself to keep my hands up and my chin down and go out there and bury this mother fucker.” Condit, all but promising to stand and bang. I want to believe they will, but I’ve been fooled too many times before.

 

Hold up. Diaz missed three flights in one day before finally making it to Vegas for one of the biggest fights of his career? Then he skips the UFC’s prearranged ride to take a cab? I know you’re a busy guy, Nick, but life is not this difficult.

 

“The exercise is easier [during fight week], but a lot of the other stuff is harder. You know, I’m not used to training to deal with everything that they’re asking of me. I’m not training for that all month, you know, all leading up, I’m just training to fight. A lot of that other stuff is kind of hard for me to deal with, but I am ready to do whatever we gotta to do.” Diaz, who is now officially untrained as a home buyer, travel agent, and conversationalist.

 

Media week is a stressful time for both men, but particularly Nick Diaz. Though he often comes across as guarded, he’s easily the most open and honest of all fighters. You may not relate to what he’s saying, but you know that he means every word of it.

 

“That would be crazy to start believing in myself and think, ‘Oh yeah, I’m the biggest part of the show’, and ‘oh happy me’, and ‘everyone loves me’, and ‘I’m the superstar’. That’s crazy. That’s some bullshit right there. That’s the last thing I want to believe. All I’m going to believe is that I’m coming to whoop some ass.” Diaz, keeping it Stockton.

 

“Who makes these questions up? These questions are bullshit. Seriously? This is not, like, what are these? These are all tricks. This is all like bullshit. I’m low on water, I’m low on calories, I’m low on food, I’m low on energy, and I’m more so than anything low on patience with anything that takes patience. If you ask me something stupid then I’m going to answer it with something stupid and if I hear myself talk something stupid and I’m really pissed off, depressed, and bent out of shape about, then I’m going to throw a fucking really serious fit for no fucking reason.” Diaz, perhaps the toughest man on Earth to threaten throwing a hissy fit.

 

– Chris Colemon

 

‘UFC 143: Diaz vs Condit’– Weigh-In Results & Video

Don’t blink- someone’s getting their ass motorboated tonight. (Video: YouTube/UFC)

Though reported to have gone down in Las Vegas, last night’s weigh-ins clearly took place in Bizarro World. How else could you explain a slim(mer) Roy Nelson, Josh Koscheck being the victim of bullying, and Nick Diaz comporting himself like a true gentleman?

We were denied a glimpse of “Big Medium Country” at the memorable UFC 137 weigh-ins back in October, but last night he tipped the scales some fourteen pounds lighter than he did when squaring off against Frank Mir last May. Could it be he’s serious about that drop to light heavyweight?

Koscheck hasn’t had much to say about his foe—aside from having to look him up after the fight was signed—but Mike Pierce provoked him further by donning a pretty accurate wig during their staredown. Considering that Pierce called him out in the first place, he either knows something we don’t or is setting himself up for a lesson in humility this evening.

And as for Diaz, there’s not much to say beyond how civilized he looked. No, he didn’t bro hug ‘Conduit‘ after the face-off, but the ruffian we know and love was nowhere to be seen. First a handshake at the presser, and now no mean mug? Could it be that the ‘Pride of Stockton’ has failed to muster up the hatred for his opponent that usually fuels his fights, and if so, does it even matter?

Full weigh-in results, and a closer look at the Diaz-Condit stare-down after the jump.


Don’t blink- someone’s getting their ass motorboated tonight. (Video: YouTube/UFC)

Though reported to have gone down in Las Vegas, last night’s weigh-ins clearly took place in Bizarro World. How else could you explain a slim(mer) Roy Nelson, Josh Koscheck being the victim of bullying, and Nick Diaz comporting himself like a true gentleman?

We were denied a glimpse of “Big Medium Country” at the memorable UFC 137 weigh-ins back in October, but last night he tipped the scales some fourteen pounds lighter than he did when squaring off against Frank Mir last May. Could it be he’s serious about that drop to light heavyweight?

Koscheck hasn’t had much to say about his foe—aside from having to look him up after the fight was signed—but Mike Pierce provoked him further by donning a pretty accurate wig during their staredown. Considering that Pierce called him out in the first place, he either knows something we don’t or is setting himself up for a lesson in humility this evening.

And as for Diaz, there’s not much to say beyond how civilized he looked. No, he didn’t bro hug ‘Conduit‘ after the face-off, but the ruffian we know and love was nowhere to be seen. First a handshake at the presser, and now no mean mug? Could it be that the ‘Pride of Stockton’ has failed to muster up the hatred for his opponent that usually fuels his fights, and if so, does it even matter?

 


Diaz-Condit stare-down, courtesy of YouTube/UFC.

 

Full Results: (via MMAJunkie.com)

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

  • Carlos Condit (169) vs. Nick Diaz (169)
  • Roy Nelson (246) vs. Fabricio Werdum (246)
  • Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Mike Pierce (170)
  • Renan Barao (136) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135)
  • Ed Herman (185) vs. Clifford Starks (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)

  • Max Holloway (144) vs. Dustin Poirier (146)
  • Alex Caceres (136) vs. Edwin Figueroa (135)
  • Matt Brown (171) vs. Chris Cope (171)
  • Henry Martinez (169) vs. Matt Riddle (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

  • Rafael Natal (186) vs. Michael Kuiper (183)
  • Dan Stittgen (170) vs. Stephen Thompson (171)

 

GIF Party: ‘UFC on FOX 2: Evans vs. Davis’ edition


Swanson vs. Roop provided an early candidate for Side-Punchface of the Year. Props: UFC.com

Remember how last night, you invited your non-MMA fan friends over to introduce them to our sport? You spent the past week talking about how Chael Sonnen is one of the best trash talkers in professional sports, and how technical and talented these fighters were. You figured that after three fights that were guaranteed to be exceptional, your friends would be won over to MMA fandom. Then you’d continue to drink and be merry all night, and we’d all meet up here today for our traditional post-UFC event GIF party where we all high five over how awesome the fights were.

Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, you found yourself doing damage control as you watched three fights worth of sloppy brawling, wall and stall and Chael Sonnen’s blatant swaggerjacking of homage to “Superstar” Billy Graham. You tried to convince them that the fights are usually nothing like this, and that these guys gassing out and the end of the first round are world class athletes. Eventually, one of your friends said “I bet Pacquiao would destroy ANY of these guys” as the rest of your friends grabbed their coats and said they’d call you next time they wanted to watch the fights.

Okay, so last night sucked. But we’ve been planning this party all week, and we’ll be damned if we cancel it at this point. So grab an alcoholic beverage, put on your gaudiest Affliction shirt and join us for our traditional post-UFC event GIF Party.

As always, praise be to Zombie Prophet at IronForgesIron.com for the GIFS.


Swanson vs. Roop provided an early candidate for Side-Punchface of the Year. Props: UFC.com

Remember how last night, you invited your non-MMA fan friends over to introduce them to our sport? You spent the past week talking about how Chael Sonnen is one of the best trash talkers in professional sports, and how technical and talented these fighters were. You figured that after three fights that were guaranteed to be exceptional, your friends would be won over to MMA fandom. Then you’d continue to drink and be merry all night, and we’d all meet up here today for our traditional post-UFC event GIF party where we all high five over how awesome the fights were. 

Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, you found yourself doing damage control as you watched three fights worth of sloppy brawling, wall and stall and Chael Sonnen’s blatant swaggerjacking of homage to “Superstar” Billy Graham. You tried to convince them that the fights are usually nothing like this, and that these fighters gassing out and the end of the first round are world class athletes. Eventually, one of your friends said “I bet Pacquiao would destroy ANY of these guys” as the rest of your friends grabbed their coats and promised they’d call you next time they wanted to watch the fights.

Okay, so last night sucked. But we’ve been planning this party all week, and we’ll be damned if we cancel it at this point. So grab an alcoholic beverage, put on your gaudiest Affliction shirt and join us for our traditional post-UFC event GIF Party.

As always, praise be to Zombie Prophet at IronForgesIron.com for the GIFS.  

Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson

Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller

Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely

 

‘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