One of Dana White’s greatesttalents is burying fighters. When old, broke war dogs speak out against the UFC, White cuts them down with assertions that he “makes millionaires” and labels detractors as “goofs” and “dummies.”
But can White do that to Georges St-Pierre, who recently called out the UFC for their drug testing policies. Well, we’ve already had a small taste of White’s verbal stylings. He questioned GSP’s manhood, implying that GSP airing his grievances with the media was somehow cowardly. He also said GSP’s actions were “kooky,” and that his claims were ridiculous.
That was just the opening salvo. What’ll Dana White say about his former meal ticket six months from now, a year from now, two years from now, when GSP’s relevance fades and insulting him carries less risk?
One of Dana White’s greatesttalents is burying fighters. When old, broke war dogs speak out against the UFC, White cuts them down with assertions that he “makes millionaires” and labels detractors as “goofs” and “dummies.”
But can White do that to Georges St-Pierre, who recently called out the UFC for their drug testing policies. Well, we’ve already had a small taste of White’s verbal stylings. He questioned GSP’s manhood, implying that GSP airing his grievances with the media was somehow cowardly. He also said GSP’s actions were “kooky,” and that his claims were ridiculous.
That was just the opening salvo. What’ll Dana White say about his former meal ticket six months from now, a year from now, two years from now, when GSP’s relevance fades and insulting him carries less risk?
1. Dana will insult GSP’s character.
Bringing up a former fighter’s character flaws is a fantastic way to defuse any criticism against the UFC. The UFC is bad? Well the guy who said that is a horrible person, so their points, no matter how valid, don’t stand in light of their moral turpitude.
GSP—the greatest welterweight of all time—wasn’t that good, or at least that’s what Dana White might eventually argue. He’ll say that GSP was the champ during an era where the welterweight division was less-developed and lacked depth. [Insert champ at the time of this hypothetical conversation] is better than GSP because the division is stacked now. Back when GSP had the belt, it was older guys like Matt Hughes and BJ Penn, and non-factors like Dan Hardy and Thiago Alves. The “great” GSP was only great at stalling his way to decision victory after decision victory.
3. Dana will shut GSP out of the UFC Hall of Fame (and erase him from UFC history if things get bad enough).
Also known as the Frank Shamrock treatment. If Dana White doesn’t like you enough and you say enough bad things about the company, Zuffa will make sure you don’t exist, at least not in their “official” version of history.
Imagining a hypothetical future interview with Dana White about GSP.
Let’s imagine what White would say about GSP in the future, if the drug testing situation devolves and GSP becomes an enemy of the Zuffa state [Note: Dana white didn’t actually say any of this; it’s all hypothetical and just for fun]:
“GSP has this clean image and stuff like that, but he is not a good guy. He has never been a good guy. He is a greedy, sleazy guy. That bozo will put his name on anything for a few bucks. And he’s just a headache. All that legal bullshit he’s going through, it’s because he’s greedy and he’s not a good guy. I’m just happy that I never have to deal with GSP ever again.
And let’s talk about his fuckin’ “legacy” for a second. The guy beat an ancient Matt Hughes—who was the greatest welterweight ever but old by then—for the title. Then he fuckin’ loses it to MATT SERRA. Goofs on these fuckin’ message boards and on the Internet are always bitching about GSP and how we don’t honor him enough and how we don’t put him in our hall of fame. Guess what? GSP wasn’t that fuckin’ good. He never killed people like Jon Jones and Anderson Silva did. The only guys GSP killed were guys like Jon Fitch who couldn’t make it in the UFC. When GSP fought a real guy, he clinched them for five rounds because he was scared for his life. And that’s what GSP is, scared. He was too scared to fight real guys, he was too scared to go up in weight and fight Anderson Silva, and he was too scared to be a man and settle his problems with us like a man. He’s a coward, he’s not one of the greats. Yet all these “fans” on the fuckin’ Internet go on about it, bunch of fucking clowns. Next question…”
Media shills will agree, and if they don’t, their disagreement will only be tepid, and they’ll still praise White for “being real.” Fans who remember or who don’t listen to Zuffa will argue for GSP, but will be drowned out by “GSP sucks lol.”
Hopefully, this isn’t what’s in store for GSP and his legacy.
Sometime soon, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin will retire from the sport, passing as humbly and quietly as he entered.As a man who helped carry the company on his shoulders into the next era, Franklin was a sterling example of what a fi…
Sometime soon, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin will retire from the sport, passing as humbly and quietly as he entered.
As a man who helped carry the company on his shoulders into the next era, Franklin was a sterling example of what a fighter should be. He was poised, dedicated, passionate, upright, genuine and above all an honest competitor.
As a former school teacher, he transitioned into the sport as a serious student of MMA, learning as he went and teaching others by example. Franklin didn’t turn down fights nor did he make excuses—he owned his victories and defeats wholly and without regret.
He didn’t talk smack because he was a professional who had already signed his name and thus would fight to the very best of his ability, and for the fans of his time, that was all we needed to know.
There was a transparency about Franklin that made you feel good about being a fan of such a hard sport. There was an obvious dignity in him that was clear to all in his words and actions, both in and out of the cage.
As a foil for Matt Hughes in their coaching stint of the second season of The Ultimate Fighter, Franklin provided a stability and purpose to his fighters that at times made Hughes look like nothing more than a high school senior.
When his longtime friend and training partner, Jorge Gurgel, threw a water bottle in protest, Franklin was the first to confront him about it. He didn’t play favorites and had high expectations for everyone—they followed because he led by example.
In the role of spokesman for the sport, we really couldn’t have done any better than Franklin. Many felt that fighters in such a sport were simple, easily outwitted creatures who could be baited or confused. With Franklin, they discovered they were speaking to a lucid, learned man that represented the best qualities of competitive sport.
As a fighter, he was damn good. He came in shape and was willing to spend himself utterly toward an honest end and that end saw him beating some very good fighters.
Although his time as champion may have been short, he continued to fight with a champion’s desire and dignity long after he lost the title.
He was a gentleman in a rough sport that never let the trappings of success and growing fame go to his head. His honesty was as constant as his courage, his smile as reliable as his word and he was never false.
When he was knocked out by Cung Le in his last bout in November of 2012, the sight of him sprawled face-first on the canvas was shocking and heartbreaking. It’s not that he lost or got knocked out, it was simply a sign that his time in the sport was coming to an end.
While some expect professional fighters to linger in their sport far longer than their expiration date would advise, Franklin is not one of those men. For his fans, we knew he would take that loss, look at it critically and no doubt begin to prepare to exit the stage.
Everyone gets old, and this is not a sport for “old men.” However, Franklin proved it could be a sport for good men, and that is something that will be remembered for a very long time.
After taking the fight on less than a month’s notice, Urijah Faber will step into the main event of UFC 169 (February 1st, Newark) against Renan Barao, who took a definitive and dominant five-round decision over the former WEC stalwart at UFC 149, for what was then supposed to be an interim title in the bantamweight division. With Dominick Cruz vacating his title due to yet another injury, Faber will have his third opportunity to win UFC gold. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much time to prepare for Barao, who’s become one of the toughest outs in all of MMA.
Faber’s year-round commitment to being in near peak condition — a Team Alpha Male requirement, it seems — affords him this luxury of taking a fight on short notice. Over 18 months have passed since the California Kid walked out of the cage against Barao on the losing side, and what could have been Faber’s last UFC title fight has turned into something else entirely. With four wins (and three submission finishes) over highly ranked opponents marking a stellar 2013 campaign, Faber willed himself into title contention one more time by running roughshod over the UFC’s 135-pound division.
With the rematch set, and Faber looking ahead to what could (once again) be his last shot at a UFC belt, one imagines that the Duane “Bang” Ludwig-led Team Alpha Male squad has a much different game plan in mind for Faber against the Brazilian champion. Ludwig, who has spoke of his fondness for watching fight video in preparation, should have five UFC title rematches on his mind while preparing his fighter for next month’s bout. Each of these fights contain profound lessons that could help Faber become the first Team Alpha Male member to hold a UFC championship belt. Let’s begin…
After taking the fight on less than a month’s notice, Urijah Faber will step into the main event of UFC 169 (February 1st, Newark) against Renan Barao, who took a definitive and dominant five-round decision over the former WEC stalwart at UFC 149, for what was then supposed to be an interim title in the bantamweight division. With Dominick Cruz vacating his title due to yet another injury, Faber will have his third opportunity to win UFC gold. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much time to prepare for Barao, who’s become one of the toughest outs in all of MMA.
Faber’s year-round commitment to being in near peak condition — a Team Alpha Male requirement, it seems — affords him this luxury of taking a fight on short notice. Over 18 months have passed since the California Kid walked out of the cage against Barao on the losing side, and what could have been Faber’s last UFC title fight has turned into something else entirely. With four wins (and three submission finishes) over highly ranked opponents marking a stellar 2013 campaign, Faber willed himself into title contention one more time by running roughshod over the UFC’s 135-pound division.
With the rematch set, and Faber looking ahead to what could (once again) be his last shot at a UFC belt, one imagines that the Duane “Bang” Ludwig-led Team Alpha Male squad has a much different game plan in mind for Faber against the Brazilian champion. Ludwig, who has spoke of his fondness for watching fight video in preparation, should have five UFC title rematches on his mind while preparing his fighter for next month’s bout. Each of these fights contain profound lessons that could help Faber become the first Team Alpha Male member to hold a UFC championship belt. Let’s begin…
Considering he probably shouldn’t have been fighting anyway, it wasn’t all that much of a surprise that Cain Velasquez would come out wanting to exchange with Junior Dos Santos during their first meeting at UFC on FOX 1 in November 2011. JDS made him pay for it, giving the champion his first loss and taking his title.
In their rematch a year later, Velasquez came out and pushed a hard pace on Dos Santos from the first minute on. He never let Dos Santos get his footing square or push forward with his boxing-focused game. He kept the champion on his toes and then brutalized him for 25 minutes, imposing his will on the Brazilian and not giving him an inch.
How Faber can apply this: Barao thrives in space and the one thing Faber has to do is cut off the cage, make it close and make it ugly. He has to add a little bit of a grind to this fight, at a minimum, and refuse to give Barao space to utilize his leg kicking game. Faber is excellent in scrambles and grappling exchanges; this is where he’ll win the fight. His strength is on the mat and he needs to make Barao fight here, not on his feet where Barao’s striking ability will trump Faber’s. Faber suffered a broken rib from Barao the first time they fought and Faber is well aware of how hard he throws.
The one marked difference between the first Hughes/Penn fight at UFC 46 and their second fight is that Hughes came out significantly less tentative the second time around. Hughes was noticeably cautious in their first meeting because of Penn’s explosiveness and Penn was able to dictate the fight early. Hughes was on his heels, moving backward, and Penn exploited that into one of the biggest upsets in UFC history to that point. The 2006 rematch was marked by Hughes and his top-position mauling of Penn, which ended in a third-round TKO. Hughes was far more aggressive the second time around, and didn’t let BJ dictate the terms.
How Faber can apply this: Don’t let Barao dictate the striking exchanges. Faber was tentative in their first fight, as Barao pushed the pace and established the tenor of the fight. Faber needs to let his hands go and impose his will, not letting Barao set up his striking game. It’s why Faber lost; he couldn’t get off first and took a ton of damage in the process. He has to tighten up space and impose his skillset, making Barao counter and use movement. Faber’s at his best when he’s able to control where the fight goes, and that’ll be a factor in a Faber victory.
Lyoto Machida was a riddle no one had been able to solve until Shogun Rua. Their first fight at UFC 104, insanely controversial, necessitated an immediate rematch and Rua went from being one round away from a title win to an emphatic KO at UFC 113 because of the 25 minutes they spent together the first time.
Machida’s style is such that it’s nearly impossible to duplicate in training unless you have Machida himself to train with. Rua got the best possible primer for a fight with Machida the first time, having to figure out his movement and timing on the fly. When they fought for the second time, Rua knew how Machida moved and was able to adjust from the first minute on. He wasn’t going to be baffled or confused by Machida’s ability to counter.
Look at the way Rua’s movement changed from the middle of the first fight to the first round of the second. This is someone who has figured out the mystery and knows how to counter it. Rua knew he couldn’t rush in blind and over commit; he needed to cut the cage off and make Machida fight in a smaller area. It’s what led to the KO in the second fight as well.
Rua knew what to expect. The Dragon was no mystery the second time around.
How Faber can apply this: Barao doesn’t fight anything like Machida, but Faber spent 25 minutes with him. He knows how hard the Brazilian phenom punches, kicks, his instinctual movements when defending takedowns, the type of sprawl Barao used on him, etc., in a way that you can only learn from fighting another human being.
There won’t be anything Barao does that will be new to Faber. Faber and Barao know each other fairly well at this point, as 25 minutes locked inside a cage with another person gives you a familiarity with one another that most training experiences can’t provide. It may have been 18 months ago but we’re looking at improved versions of both fighters, not completely new versions of the same fighters. If Faber has an edge coming in it is that Barao has spent a training camp preparing for Dominick Cruz and has to change course with less than a month out.
You can change course this close to a fight and not miss a beat, but a completely different fighter will mean a different game plan, which will be tough to install this close to a fight. Barao may have fought Faber before but he’s spent a camp preparing to take on Cruz. That could mean something. Faber gets to come in and face someone who he’s prepared for once already. He has to cram his planning into a short window but it’s a familiar one.
On the next page: The Spider returns to devastating form, and Frankie Edgar proves it wasn’t a fluke.
We all have moments in time that stand out to us as great periods in our lives: when we had our first child, fell in love or, as the case usually is for fight fans, got to enjoy some truly excellent moments in combative sport.
Consider: 2003.
Outside o…
We all have moments in time that stand out to us as great periods in our lives: when we had our first child, fell in love or, as the case usually is for fight fans, got to enjoy some truly excellent moments in combative sport.
Consider: 2003.
Outside of all things having to do with the ring or cage, Metallica released St. Anger, Black Label Society released The Blessed Hellride, Nickelback was being jammed down our throats on the radio and Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were dominating movie theaters.
And in the world of MMA, Pride FC (and not the UFC) was the top promotion in the sport.
It really was a different world back then. You had two premier organizations fighting to get the best fighters under their respective banners while proving theirs were the only championship belts that mattered.
The competition between the UFC and Pride was fierce back then, and you would never have guessed in a million years that the UFC would actually buy Pride; the Japanese-based organization just seemed too large.
But here we stand, 10 years later, and I for one enjoy the view of what was a great year in MMA.
Here is a list of the events, from both the UFC and Pride, for 2003, along with the fighters of note. With it all will hopefully come a realization and appreciation for what once was, and what is.
UFC 167 produced one of the most controversial title fights in company history, as longtime champion Georges St-Pierre got bruised and bloodied up by challenger Johny Hendricks in the main event of the evening.
Two out of three judges still belie…
UFC 167 produced one of the most controversial title fights in company history, as longtime champion Georges St-Pierre got bruised and bloodied up by challenger Johny Hendricks in the main event of the evening.
Two out of three judges still believed that despite a massive difference in damage taken, GSP‘s takedowns and offensive striking were enough to earn a split decision.
That result isn’t sitting well with most fighters and fans, including UFC Hall of FamerMatt Hughes, who fought “Rush” three times during his nearly 14-year fight career.
Hughes strongly believed “Bigg Rigg” did more than enough to win a convincing decision, evidenced by this tweet he sent out Sunday morning:
With the decision last night I would have been less surprised if they gave Johny EVERY round. Will go down as worst decision in UFC history.
After several fans accused him of being biased against St-Pierre, Hughes clarified that the blame of the bad decision rests solely on the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
Guys I like GSP. He did NOTHING wrong. It’s the commission that screwed up. Look what this did to Johny. GSPs corner thought they last.
Hughes, who current serves as the vice president of athletic development and government relations for the UFC, defeated St-Pierre with an armbar the first time they met at UFC 50 in October 2004.
However, the French-Canadian superstar figured out his American counterpart in their subsequent meetings, scoring a TKO at their UFC 65 encounter and then locking up an armbar of his own at UFC 79 13 months later.
The immediate future for the UFC’s welterweight title picture is a bit of a question mark, as GSP said that he plans “to step away for a little bit,” though UFC President Dana White indicated that GSP vs. Hendricks II will happen sooner than later, per CBC Sports.
Does anyone outside of the Tristar Gym believe that St-Pierre truly did enough to retain his UFC gold against the heavy-handed Hendricks?
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.
Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes made such a lasting impression on the sport of MMA that he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame nearly three years before he retired from action.
Hughes is considered one of the greatest legends of the Oct…
Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes made such a lasting impression on the sport of MMA that he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame nearly three years before he retired from action.
Hughes is considered one of the greatest legends of the Octagon as a former two-time welterweight champion with seven title defenses to his record.
His second fight against Frank Trigg is considered one of the greatest fights and comebacks in MMA history, still remaining as a part of UFC highlight packages to this day.
And if not for one win years earlier, Hughes wouldn’t have been around for any of it.
Hughes claimed the UFC welterweight title for the first time in a bout against Carlos Newton at UFC 34 in 2001. The fight ended after Newton locked up Hughes in triangle choke, and, in return, the former college wrestler slammed him to the mat with an emphatic thud.
To this day there remains controversy about whether Hughes was asleep from the choke and just fell, or if he legitimately dropped Newton and slammed him on purpose. Either way, the result stays the same, and Hughes won the UFC welterweight title that night.
If the fight had swung the other way, however, Hughes was ready to call it a career.
“The Carlos Newton, the first fight, that was pretty pivotal for me. Because if I would have lost that fight, I was going to retire,” Hughes said. “I had made my mind up before that.”
Following that fight, Hughes went on to win five fights in a row, all successful welterweight title defenses.
Check out this entire interview with Matt Hughes to see what else the UFC Hall of Famer has to say about the look back on his career.
