Mark Munoz will make a quick return to the Octagon at UFC: Manila, and according to the aging middleweight, this fight will be his last.
After Munoz was brutally choked unconscious in the first round at UFC 184 against Roan Carneiro, many fans an…
Mark Munoz will make a quick return to the Octagon at UFC: Manila, and according to the aging middleweight, this fight will be his last.
After Munoz was brutally choked unconscious in the first round at UFC 184 against Roan Carneiro, many fans and critics wondered where he would go. Was it the end? Should it be the end?
Despite his three-fight losing streak (all via first-round finishes, no less), Munoz is making one last run inside the cage. According to a news blast posted to the UFC’s website, Munoz will take on English middleweight Luke Barnatt on May 16 at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber in Manila.
Munoz, a Filipino-American, has long expressed his desire to fight in his family’s homeland, and now he looks to capitalize on that opportunity and finish his career on a winning note against Barnatt.
While this moment could translate nicely to the silver screen and paint an intimate, emotional scene, MMA doesn’t follow a script, and Munoz’s decision is perhaps a bit hasty.
His performances of late have been downright scary, and he’s lost four out of his last five bouts in brutal fashion, two via knockout and two via submission.
Still, it’s nice on some level to see him achieve his goal of fighting in the Philippines. Maybe this is what he needs to sit back, focus and squeeze out one more vintage Filipino Wrecking Machine victory via brutal ground-and-pound.
Or maybe this is where he gets wrecked for the last time. Maybe this final thrashing is the one that ends his career and severely affects his later years.
It’s a dramatic thought, sure, but there’s no doubt this potentially romantic and happy ending to Munoz’s career could turn into a horror story in an instant.
But Munoz is giving it one last shot. He’s seizing one more chance at glory in front of a packed crowd of adoring fans. Against a rangy, lanky, technical striker in Barnatt, Munoz will need to overcome a physical disadvantage and piece together a smart, safe game plan to secure victory, something he hasn’t come close to doing in his past three tries.
(Mark, are you giving up?! I need a sign Mark! Literally *any* sign! No? Well, fight on then!” via Getty.)
By CP Reader Steve Hand
It’s hard to believe that a night which saw five fighters finished inside of three minutes could feature so many late stoppages, but such is the incompetency of the modern MMA referee (second only to that of, you guessed it, Frank Stallone the MMA judge). Without using too much hyperbole, I feel comfortable saying that UFC 184 was the biggest reffing travesty since the 2007 NBA Betting Scandal, and maybe of all time. And with that, let’s take a look at just how bad the ball was dropped over the course of the night.
(Mark, are you giving up?! I need a sign Mark! Literally *any* sign! No? Well, fight on then!” via Getty.)
By CP Reader Steve Hand
It’s hard to believe that a night which saw five fighters finished inside of three minutes could feature so many late stoppages, but such is the incompetency of the modern MMA referee (second only to that of, you guessed it, Frank Stallone the MMA judge). Without using too much hyperbole, I feel comfortable saying that UFC 184 was the biggest reffing travesty since the 2007 NBA Betting Scandal, and maybe of all time. And with that, let’s take a look at just how bad the ball was dropped over the course of the night.
Ruan Potts might be the worst heavyweight to fight in the UFC since that guy Gabriel Gonzaga superman punched back in 06′ (and don’t even get me started on his nickname), yet even he almost managed to pull off a leglock of some sort in the early-going of his fight with “The Black Beast.” Once Lewis escaped, however, Potts had no answer for the bigger man’s striking, and even tried to quit in between rounds. His corner wouldn’t have it, and referee Jarin Valel, having apparently never been to an MMA fight before, stood by watching with almost giddy anticipation.
“I can’t wait to see my first murder up close,” he thought to himself. “You should have never slept with my wife, Ruan, you son of a bitch.”
A minute and a half after Joe Rogan verbally threw in the towel for Potts, Valel crouched down for an even closer look. Or maybe he lost a contact, because he definitely wasn’t watching what I was watching. Lewis continued to reign down shots on a clearly broken Potts while Valel did a J nearby, then passed out in a weed-induced haze. It wasn’t until the crunching sound of the South African’s face woke him up that the fight was finally called off.
For those of you who might’ve missed it: Jake Ellenberger locked in a modified north-south choke on Koscheck in the final minute of the second round. Roughly 25 seconds after Kos’ body began to twitch and squirm in an attempt for air, the legend JARIN VALEL decided to step in. Did you see the foam spewing from Koscheck’s face? The look in his eyes says it all: “It’s an honor to have my unconscious pleas ignored by you, the GREATEST REF working today.”
Let me be clear: Jarin Valel should never be allowed to referee another MMA fight again. He’s going to get someone killed, and then the NSAC will be up shit creek without a paddle.
This was actually an even fight for the 45 seconds it was on the feet. When it got to the ground however, Carneiro took Munoz’s back and tightened up a super deep RNC. Referee Jarin Valel, THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS, proceeded to tie his shoes as Munoz began to go towards the light. Even from such an up-close perspective, Valel simply could not see Munoz’s soul escaping his body, so Roan, the nice guy that he is, tells him the fight is over. Yup, the guy doing the choking had to submit for his opponent.
This was the real-life equivalent of the guy in South Park who declared “All right boys, break it up” following a five-minute cripple fight. Note to Valel: When the guy doing the strangling tells you he’s done, YOU’RE NOT DOING YOUR JOB!
But for all of Valel’s life-threatening guffaws, the worst stoppage of the night by far goes to…
1. Joe Rogan Interviews Cat Zingano Following Her Quick Loss to Ronda Rousey
18 months of anticipation lead to 14 seconds she’ll regret forever. There’s a sex joke to made somewhere in there, but I’m simply not prepared to make it in light of this interviewing travesty.
You can see Cat trying to make sense of her greatest opportunity slipping through her fingers when Joe Rogan tries to have a chat. He inquires a visibly uncomfortable Zingano about her strategy, and she’s got nothing but F bombs to drop. It’s ugly. There is no eye contact and no coherent sentences coming from the former challenger, and yet, Rogan lets it go on. Zingano is crushed, obviously, and all Joe wants is a sound bite and a handshake. Thanks Joe Rogan, for making her relive her greatest regret at a time when she shouldn’t be talking.
Ugh, I need a shower to wash off this filth. Better luck next time, MMA.
As Michael Bisping might say, Cat Zingano didn’t last as long as a virgin on prom night in her long-awaited title bid against Ronda Rousey last weekend, succumbing to an armbar in just 14 seconds of their UFC 184 main event tilt. “Alpha” let her emotions get the best of her, both in the fight itself and in her post-fight interview, and it cost her big time. My heart breaks for the poor woman.
Aside from it’s lightning-quick main event, UFC 184 also saw Josh Koscheck and Mark Munoz get choked within an inch of their lives, Holly Holm pick apart Raquel Pennington (sort of), and Alan Jouban announce his arrival to the welterweight division with a vicious standing hellbow. Join us after the jump for all the highlights from UFC 184, most of which totally aren’t in the form of illegal gifs. (*removes sunglasses*) (*winks*)
(via UFC on FOX)
As Michael Bisping might say, Cat Zingano didn’t last as long as a virgin on prom night in her long-awaited title bid against Ronda Rousey last weekend, succumbing to an armbar in just 14 seconds of their UFC 184 main event tilt. “Alpha” let her emotions get the best of her, both in the fight itself and in her post-fight interview, and it cost her big time. My heart breaks for the poor woman.
Aside from it’s lightning-quick main event, UFC 184 also saw Josh Koscheck and Mark Munoz get choked within an inch of their lives, Holly Holm pick apart Raquel Pennington (sort of), and Alan Jouban announce his arrival to the welterweight division with a vicious standing hellbow. Join us after the jump for all the highlights from UFC 184, most of which totally aren’t in the form of illegal gifs. (*removes sunglasses*) (*winks*)
(Here’s a full video of Rousey vs. Zingano that definitely won’t be taken down within the hour.)
There’s not much to take away from Rousey’s win, really, other than that she might actually be the most dangerous unarmed person on the planet. In less octagon time than Georges St. Pierre normally spends per fight, Rousey has managed to secure 11 professional wins and two promotional titles, with her past three title fights lasting a combined minute and thirty six seconds. My God. While Jessica Eye and Bethe Correia are chomping at the bit for their shot against Rousey, it’s become more obvious than ever that Cris Cyborg is the only woman left for the champ, and even the 175-pound Brazilian might be in over her head at this point (not that we’ll ever find out, because 175 pounds).
Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington
While not being nearly as dominant a victory as the hype she was riding would have predicted, Holly Holm no less managed to stay busy and outwork Raquel Pennington for the first two rounds of the co-main event, only getting briefly dropped in the third. This could only mean, of course, that one of the judges would inexplicably score the fight for Pennington. Honestly, we’re becoming convinced that MMA judges are under the impression that the losing fighter winning one round always equals a split decision.
Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck
In what was arguably a loser-leaves-town match for the struggling veterans, Jake Ellenberger pulled a rabbit out of his hat and scored the first submission win of his career over Josh Koscheck via a modified bulldog/north-south choke that literally left Kos foaming at the mouth. The slo-mo replay of Koscheck’s “Help Me God” face will almost certainly give you nightmares. Speaking of which…
Roan Carneiro vs. Mark Munoz
It was not a great night at the office for referee Jerin Valel, who not only allowed Derrick Lewis to continue beating on Ruan Potts for approximately 90 seconds after he had given up, but who watched on in silent awe as Roan Carneiro choked the soul out of Mark Munoz. How the fans in attendance, Kenny Florian in the booth, and everyone watching at home was able to see that Munoz was out before Valel did was truly the most mind-boggling takeaway from the night, and one that he will definitely not be held accountable for in this joke of a sport.
Meanwhile, Mark Munoz has been finished in three straight fights without landing a single significant strike. That is an actual statistic.
Alan Jouban vs. Richard Walsh
One referee who actually appeared to know what he was doing over the weekend was Herb Dean, who gracefully called an end to Alan Jouban’s standing elbow massacre of Richard Walsh before the latter took too much unnecessary damage. Walsh was clearly out on his feet at the time of the stoppage, which is why fans were of course complaining that the fight was called too early. Referees, man. They can’t win.
You won’t see the actual finish from the fight here, because the folks at UFC on FOX apparently believe that you will buy the UFC 184 pay-per-view after the fact to check out a sweet finish from the bottom half of the main card, but you can probably find a gif of it somewhere out there.
UFC 184 Results
Main card
Ronda Rousey def. Cat Zingano via submission (straight armlock)
Holly Holm def. Raquel Pennington via split decision
Jake Ellenberger def. Josh Koscheck via submission (north-south choke)
Alan Jouban def. Richard Walsh via first-round KO
Tony Ferguson def. Gleison Tibau via submission (rear-naked choke)
Undercard
Roan Carneiro def. Mark Munoz via submission (rear-naked choke)
Roman Salazar vs. Norifumi Yamamoto declared no-contest (doctor’s advice)
Tim Means def. Dhiego Lima via first-round TKO
Derrick Lewis def. Ruan Potts via second-round TKO
Valmir Lazaro def. James Krause via split decision
Masio Fullen def. Alexander Torres via split decision
Former Strikeforce star and current UFC middleweight Derek Brunson earned one of his most decisive victories to date by knocking out Team Quest’s Ed “Short Fuse” Herman at UFC 183.
Brunson faked a kick and floored the 34-year-old veteran with a series …
Former Strikeforce star and current UFC middleweight Derek Brunson earned one of his most decisive victories to date by knocking out Team Quest’s Ed “Short Fuse” Herman at UFC 183.
Brunson faked a kick and floored the 34-year-old veteran with a series of lefts. The victory, which was his fastest in the Octagon, improved his record to 4-1.
Brunson, a former NCAA Division II All-American wrestler, talked about fine-tuning his game plan ahead of the Herman fight.
“It was a long camp. I’m a wrestler by trade so just trying to change that mentality, you know going for the takedown real fast. Just really taking my time,” Brunsontold reporters after Saturday’s fight.
With a few wins against established names in the sport and a strong performance in defeat against dangerous Olympic wrestler Yoel Romero, Brunson‘s time to enter the Top 15 of his middleweight class is now. Here are a few opponents who could stand across from the 31-year-old in 2015.
Michael Bisping’s lengthy tenure as a top contender in the UFC’s middleweight division may finally be at its end. Having been convincingly bested by Luke Rockhold at UFC Fight Night 55, it’s hard to imagine the 35-year-old Brit re-est…
Michael Bisping’s lengthy tenure as a top contender in the UFC’s middleweight division may finally be at its end. Having been convincingly bested by Luke Rockhold at UFC Fight Night 55, it’s hard to imagine the 35-year-old Brit re-establishing himself as a viable title challenger.
It’s a sad fact that Bisping may be remembered as one of the sport’s great “nearly men,” his title aspirations having been frequently thwarted by opponents fueled by synthetic testosterone.
The TUF Season 3 winner was never quite good enough to actually claim a UFC title, but his ability should have at least earned him a shot at the gold.
The Mancunian is now approaching his late 30s and has lost four of his last seven fights. Bisping’s post-fight interview was characteristically defiant, but even he must be questioning his ability to compete with the elite of the middleweight division.
Where does he go from here? Let’s take a look at the Brit’s options.
For a fighter competing at the highest level of mixed martial arts, time for anything outside of his direct career path can be difficult to come by. Every showing inside the cage carries important implications; therefore, an athlete has to commit to a …
For a fighter competing at the highest level of mixed martial arts, time for anything outside of his direct career path can be difficult to come by. Every showing inside the cage carries important implications; therefore, an athlete has to commit to a rigorous training schedule to ensure he is in peak condition come fight night. With this process being consistently repeated, there isn’t a ton of room in a fighter’s life to take on many endeavors beyond his immediate career.
Mark Munoz is making the time, and he’s making it count.
While the veteran UFC middleweight is currently giving his body some additional time to heal from a rough 2014 campaign, The Filipino Wrecking Machine has invested his time and effort into bringing inspiration and education into avenues he’s long been passionate about. Munoz is a fighter through and through, and while the natural tendency to rush back into action is there, the husband and father of four is also aware how much good an extended break will do for his body.
“I’m giving my body time to heal up,” Munoz told Bleacher Report. “It just needed time, and I’ve been beating it up a lot over the years. People say I train like a madman and don’t give myself enough time to recover. I had to give my body time to rest, and that’s what I did. I’m feeling great right now and working on getting everything back to fighting again.
And while he allows the recovery process to repair him physically, the former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler is doing all he can to give back to things he believes were important elements of his personal development.
As a former standout at Oklahoma State University, the sport of wrestling has been a crucial element in Munoz’s life. A lifetime competing on wrestling mats has shaped him into the man he is today, and the 36-year-old Team Reign leader has found a way to give back to the sport with his “Series of Legends” clinics—a program where Munoz and a revolving cast of high-profile wrestling talents provide seminars at high schools in Southern California.
“Wrestling has always been a high priority in my life, and I definitely want to give back to the wrestling community,” Munoz said. “This is something I plan on doing for a very long time.
“We hold clinics once per month and bring in future and established legends of wrestling to do clinics. We have huge names in the sport of wrestling, and all 12 months are filled with Olympic, world and national champions. These guys are all amazing technicians, and I’m bringing them out to do these clinics. The equivalent would be like if it were the NBA and you had LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird doing clinics. There are a lot of amazing wrestlers on board, and we have rising stars as well as past legends. That’s what I’m doing right now, and it’s pretty awesome.”
While his monthly clinic series and MMA training are keeping him busy, Munoz has also committed to fighting the issue of bullying in schools throughout Orange County. The fighter has partnered up with the Orange County Department of Education to roll out an educational program that involves awareness training and anti-bullying seminars where Munoz addresses the topic directly with students.
He was passionate to take up the charge and believes the impact of the program is already being felt.
“I go to elementary, middle and high schools and talk about my experiences with being bullied and talk about statistics from those people who have gone through it,” Munoz said. “I talk about what bullying can lead to and how serious this problem is. I try to educate them and change the perspectives of those who are being bullied and those who are doing the bullying. I partnered up with the Orange County Department of Education, and the schools are doing training before I come in to talk to them. It’s pretty awesome, and we’ve had a lot of change here in Orange County. I want to be able to take it nationwide eventually.”
Although Munoz will spend the rest of 2014 continuing to explore outside endeavors, he has also started the necessary work to make his return to the Octagon possible. The Lake Forest, California, representative has yet to set anything in stone as far as a return date goes, but he is eyeing late February or early March to make his official comeback.
It just so happens the UFC will be returning to Los Angeles for UFC 184 on Feb. 28, and Munoz believes getting on the card would be the perfect alignment of timing and circumstances for him to step back into action.
“I would love to get on the card in Los Angeles,” Munoz said. “The event is being held at the Staples Center and taking place at the end of February, which is when I’m looking to get back inside the Octagon. That is the time frame and window I’m shooting for, but we’ll have to see how everything works out.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Mark Munoz will make a quick return to the Octagon at UFC: Manila, and according to the aging middleweight, this fight will be his last. 
