A light heavyweight bout between Anthony Johnson and Mike Kyle will serve as the main event for WSOF 5, officials confirmed in a press release earlier today.
WSOF 5 will take place on Sept. 14 at the Revel in Atlantic City, N.J.—making that the s…
A light heavyweight bout between Anthony Johnson and Mike Kyle will serve as the main event for WSOF 5, officials confirmed in a press release earlier today.
WSOF 5 will take place on Sept. 14 at the Revel in Atlantic City, N.J.—making that the second trip to the Garden State for the upstart promotion.
Johnson has won his first two fights for WSOF and his last five overall. In his most recent victory, the Blackzilian team member moved up to heavyweight and won a unanimous decision victory over Andrei Arlovski at WSOF 2 in March.
The one-time welterweight won his last fight at 205 by knocking out D.J. Linderman at WSOF 1 last November.
Kyle—who also has experience fighting at heavyweight—picked up his most recent victory at CFA 11 on May 24 by knocking out Travis Wiuff in just 21 seconds.
That was a return to the win column for the AKA fighter after losing by rear-naked choke to Gegard Mousasi in his final fight for Strikeforce. Kyle is 2-2 with 1 no-contest in his last five contests.
Between the two fighters, they have over 20 knockouts in 36 career wins.
WSOF will feature a five-fight main card, with other matchups being announced in the coming weeks.
The event will again be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network, beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The prelims will stream live and free on the WSOF website WSOF.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Michael Stets is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
If we weren’t supposed to be talking about Fallon Fox until her next fight took place, then today the unofficial ban has been lifted. Last night, Fox defeated then 2-1 fighter Allana Jones by way of modified north-south choke at CFA 11. Fox improved her record to 3-0 with the victory, and will now fight Ashlee Evans-Smith for the CFA featherweight tournament championship.
Other than that, there really isn’t much to see here. Believe it or not, a bout between two inexperienced minor-leaguers that was bumped to co-main event status due to the transgender status of one of the participants didn’t produce a memorable scrap.
The video of the fight and commentary are available after the jump.
Video after the jump.
If we weren’t supposed to be talking about Fallon Fox until her next fight took place, then today the unofficial ban has been lifted. Last night, Fox defeated then 2-1 fighter Allana Jones by way of modified north-south choke at CFA 11. Fox improved her record to 3-0 with the victory, and will now fight Ashlee Evans-Smith for the CFA featherweight tournament championship.
Other than that, there really isn’t much to see here. Believe it or not, a bout between two inexperienced minor-leaguers that was bumped to co-main event status due to the transgender status of one of the participants didn’t produce a memorable scrap.
The video of the fight and commentary are available after the jump.
– If Allana Jones was a significant step up in competition for Fallon Fox, then I can only imagine how hapless the first two cans she fought were. Jones can take a punch – and opted to take many throughout the fight – but has little else to work with at this point in her career. Make no mistake, just because you can be a professional fighter doesn’t mean that you should be.
– After watching Fallon Fox fight, it’s impossible to disagree with Peggy Morgan when she wrote that Fox “definitely didn’t display the sort of technical mastery she claims to possess.” While Fox – a jiu-jitsu purple belt – looked comfortable on the ground, her stand-up left a lot to be desired. From constantly leaving her chin up and hands down to the lack of head movement she displayed, her striking needs a lot of work.
– Whether or not Fox holds a competitive advantage over the women she is competing against is still open for debate, but it’s safe to officially kill the idea that Fox is at a disadvantage competing against women for the two, maybe three people who actually believed it. If Allana Jones looked timid throughout the fight, it was out of respect for Fox’s strength. And yes, I’m well aware that this entire paragraph may be one of the most “No shit, Sherlock” moments in CagePotato.com’s history.
– Did anybody tell the referee that he’s supposed to be watching for eye pokes? I counted three that went completely ignored.
– Speaking of which, the fans booed Fox in the first round when she attacked Jones after Jones appeared to be poked in the eye. While there is absolutely nothing cheap about continuing to fight when the referee doesn’t stop the fight (also known as that thing you’re supposed to be doing in the first place), Fox goes on to throw a punch at Jones in the second round when Jones tries to touch gloves with her. Not exactly a great way to earn fans when there are already whispers that you’re kind of an asshole.
– Heading into the bout, Fox felt that a victory would put her “only four or five fights away from the UFC.” No comment.
Based solely on her skills and opponents, should we go back to not talking about Fallon Fox after her fight against Ashlee Evans-Smith? Let us know how you feel. Keep it civil.
(Yeah, we’d miss this kind of thing too. Photo via Getty Images.)
Alright, this is getting ri-goddamn-diculous.
Less than a fortnight ago, we dropped the official ban hammer on fighters announcing their retirement from the sport, then immediately unretiring. Aside from the fact that most of these so-called “retirements” last less time than the average hangover, the fighters who usually pull this bait-and-switch tend to look anything but “revitalized” or “renewed” upon returning. In most cases, it is quite the opposite.
And the latest offender of our ban? Former Strikeforce light heavyweight and semi-rehabilitated former bastard Mike Kyle, who announced his retirement from the sport following a first round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi in January. As in January of this year. One would think it would take a mighty fine offer against a well known opponent to draw Kyle out of retirement so quickly. One would be wrong, as it was announced recently that Kyle will be squaring off against fellow Strikeforce vet Valentijn Overeem in a heavyweight contest in May. Details via MMAJunkie:
A heavyweight bout between former Strikeforce fighters Mike Kyle (19-9-1) and Valentijn Overeem (32-30) is set for Championship Fighting Alliance’s 11th event, which is slated for May 24 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
(Yeah, we’d miss this kind of thing too. Photo via Getty Images.)
Alright, this is getting ri-goddamn-diculous.
Less than a fortnight ago, we dropped the official ban hammer on fighters announcing their retirement from the sport, then immediately unretiring. Aside from the fact that most of these so-called “retirements” last less time than the average hangover, the fighters who usually pull this bait-and-switch tend to look anything but “revitalized” or “renewed” upon returning. In most cases, it is quite the opposite.
And the latest offender of our ban? Former Strikeforce light heavyweight and semi-rehabilitated former bastard Mike Kyle, who announced his retirement from the sport following a first round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi in January. As in January of this year. One would think it would take a mighty fine offer against a well known opponent to draw Kyle out of retirement so quickly. One would be wrong, as it was announced recently that Kyle will be squaring off against fellow Strikeforce vet Valentijn Overeem in a heavyweight contest in May. Details via MMAJunkie:
A heavyweight bout between former Strikeforce fighters Mike Kyle (19-9-1) and Valentijn Overeem (32-30) is set for Championship Fighting Alliance’s 11th event, which is slated for May 24 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
Although Kyle’s decision is a little frustrating from a fan’s perspective at first, it’s not hard to see what “MAK’s” endgame is here. In case you lack the astute observational skills of the average MMA blogger, it goes like this: Kyle never really wanted to retire, but realized following his loss to Mousasi (and given his general reputation in the MMA community) that he would not be heading (back) to the UFC with some of his fellow Strikeforce cohorts. Not wanting to be left standing out in the rain, so to speak, Kyle figured he would save his dignity and retire, then unretire, crush a total can, and declare that “he is back” before starting a #RallyforKyle campaign to finally get back in the UFC.
Nice try, you snake in the grass.
But if you ask us, the real shame here is that — barring the possibility that Kyle has been training at Jackson’s MMA, Black House, and Tristar simultaneously since retiring — there is zero chance that we will see a better version of the 33 year-old in his next appearance. Then again, he will be fighting the other Overeem known for turtling at the first signs of resistance in Valentijn, who is just 1-3 in his last 4 fights including a loss in Russia last December that has yet to even be acknowledged by his Sherdog profile…
(“No way! You were the completely innocent victim of a vast conspiracy aimed at soiling your reputation TOO?! Somebody call Lance, we’ve got some work to do.”)
You know, just once I would like to hear an athlete take full responsibility for their actions without needing an hour-long Oprah special to do so. I realize that as fans, we often refuse to acknowledge that the people we falsely idolize are capable of wrongdoing, but if the athletes that continue to get busted for banned substances/steroids/stevia were truly concerned about their fanbase, they probably wouldn’t be trying to cheat the system in the first place.
So you’ll excuse my rush to judgement, but suffice it to say, I ain’t buying the conspiracy theory that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante laid out in a recent interview with Globo Esporte. As you might recall, Cavalcante tested positive for Stanozolol in the aftermath of his win over Mike Kyle last May, and was subsequently denied an appeal by the California State Athletic Commission in the months that followed. Although if you were to ask Rafael, he would tell you that the blood — or rather, the urine — is on the CSAC’s hands:
The organizers wanted to harm me. I had conducted a test in Brazil a week before the fight. I would not be so stupid to take any banned substance, the type of anabolic they claimed I took in fact makes a person gain weight. I’m already a heavyweight, would not take that.
The urine sample was manipulated. When the form was submitted, it was dated on May 18, 2012, but in reality the sample was collected a day later on may 19. When we checked the form more carefully, we saw that there was another mistake. The collection was made at the HP Pavilion, where the event was held, but in the form it says collection was made at the hotel where we were staying.
(“No way! You were the completely innocent victim of a vast conspiracy aimed at soiling your reputation TOO?! Somebody call Lance, we’ve got some work to do.”)
You know, just once I would like to hear an athlete take full responsibility for their actions without needing an hour-long Oprah special to do so. I realize that as fans, we often refuse to acknowledge that the people we falsely idolize are capable of wrongdoing, but if the athletes that continue to get busted for banned substances/steroids/stevia were truly concerned about their fanbase, they probably wouldn’t be trying to cheat the system in the first place.
So you’ll excuse my rush to judgement, but suffice it to say, I ain’t buying the conspiracy theory that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante laid out in a recent interview with Globo Esporte. As you might recall, Cavalcante tested positive for Stanozolol in the aftermath of his win over Mike Kyle last May, and was subsequently denied an appeal by the California State Athletic Commission in the months that followed. Although if you were to ask Rafael, he would tell you that the blood — or rather, the urine — is on the CSAC’s hands:
The organizers wanted to harm me. I had conducted a test in Brazil a week before the fight. I would not be so stupid to take any banned substance, the type of anabolic they claimed I took in fact makes a person gain weight. I’m already a heavyweight, would not take that.
The urine sample was manipulated. When the form was submitted, it was dated on May 18, 2012, but in reality the sample was collected a day later on may 19. When we checked the form more carefully, we saw that there was another mistake. The collection was made at the HP Pavilion, where the event was held, but in the form it says collection was made at the hotel where we were staying.
Now, it’s a well known fact that CSAC has bungled a drug test or two in their day — most notoriously in the case of Sean Sherk — to the point that they vowed to completely revamp their drug-testing system in the past. But like we said, that was years ago, and unless CSAC is still going around using dirty vials to take their samples, Cavalcante is probably just bullshitting us here.
In either case, Cavalcante continued to lob accusations at the members of the athletic committee like it was going out of style:
You filed a lawsuit against the CSAC? Went in and managed to dissolve the committee. The chief inspector of the commission, Che Guevara, lied in front of the judge. He said that it was he who collected my urine, and was the inspector of the commission Roy Fahri. Until the documents were signed with different people.
Why do you think they did this? Tough talk, do not want to accuse anyone (Author’s note: Yeah, except you just did.), but they did not accept the defeat of Mike, big star of the event.
Let’s back the truck up here for a second: The chief inspector’s name was Che Guevara? CHE FREAKING GUEVARA?! Either Cavalcante actually was the victim of some dirty shit last May or he is some kind of Verbal Kint/Keyser Soze evil genius who crafted a completely fictional story based on book titles and stray papers that littered the interviewer’s office in order to cover his tracks. Or Google translate sucks donkey rectum. Based on my past experience uncovering conspiracy theories, I’m going to go with option #2. There’s no way that you’re going to convince me that Mike Kyle was the big star of any MMA event.
Following his first-round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi at Saturday’s Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine event, Mike Kylereportedly told Ariel Helwani that he was throwing in the towel on his MMA career: “It’s not in me anymore. That was my last one,” Kyle said. Assuming that the 32-year-old AKA product keeps his word, Kyle’s overall record ends at 19-9-1 with 2 no-contests, competing as a heavyweight and light-heavyweight over the last 12 years.
How you react to this news will probably depend on how long you’ve been following the sport. If you’re a relatively new fan, you probably think of Kyle — if you think of him at all — as one of Strikeforce’s dependable space-fillers, who was always there when a guy like Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva or Fabricio Werdum needed an opponent. Kyle’s single greatest accomplishment over the last three years was his upset knockout of Rafael “Feijao” Cavlacante in June 2009; their rematch last year ended in a 33-second submission loss for Kyle, but the result was overturned due to the Brazilian slugger failing a drug test.
But if you’ve been an MMA fan for a long time, you might still think of Mike Kyle as a scumbag, a shameful black mark on an already nasty business. Here’s how we summarized Kyle’s greatest hits in our “10 Most Despicable People in MMA” list from April 2008, where we stuck Kyle at #3, between Nazi fighter Melvin Costa (#4) and UFC president Dana White (#2):
Bit Wes Sims‘s chest during their fight at UFC 47. Repeatedly kneed Justin Eilers in the balls during their fight at UFC 49. Poked Tsuyoshi Kosaka in the eye during a Pancrase match in October 2005. Poked Krzysztof Soszynski in the eye during a Strikeforce match in March 2006. Two months later, he illegally soccer kicked Brian Olsen during a WEC match, knocking him out, then punched him several times while he was unconscious, despite the ref’s efforts to pull Kyle off…
Following his first-round submission loss to Gegard Mousasi at Saturday’s Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine event, Mike Kylereportedly told Ariel Helwani that he was throwing in the towel on his MMA career: “It’s not in me anymore. That was my last one,” Kyle said. Assuming that the 32-year-old AKA product keeps his word, Kyle’s overall record ends at 19-9-1 with 2 no-contests, competing as a heavyweight and light-heavyweight over the last 12 years.
How you react to this news will probably depend on how long you’ve been following the sport. If you’re a relatively new fan, you probably think of Kyle — if you think of him at all — as one of Strikeforce’s dependable space-fillers, who was always there when a guy like Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva or Fabricio Werdum needed an opponent. Kyle’s single greatest accomplishment over the last three years was his upset knockout of Rafael “Feijao” Cavlacante in June 2009; their rematch last year ended in a 33-second submission loss for Kyle, but the result was overturned due to the Brazilian slugger failing a drug test.
But if you’ve been an MMA fan for a long time, you might still think of Mike Kyle as a scumbag, a shameful black mark on an already nasty business. Here’s how we summarized Kyle’s greatest hits in our “10 Most Despicable People in MMA” list from April 2008, where we stuck Kyle at #3, between Nazi fighter Melvin Costa (#4) and UFC president Dana White (#2):
Bit Wes Sims‘s chest during their fight at UFC 47. Repeatedly kneed Justin Eilers in the balls during their fight at UFC 49. Poked Tsuyoshi Kosaka in the eye during a Pancrase match in October 2005. Poked Krzysztof Soszynski in the eye during a Strikeforce match in March 2006. Two months later, he illegally soccer kicked Brian Olsen during a WEC match, knocking him out, then punched him several times while he was unconscious, despite the ref’s efforts to pull Kyle off…
The awful incident — which also earned a spot on our Black Eyes: MMA’s 13 Most Shameful Moments of All Time list — can be seen here. In an interview with ADCC News the following week, Olsen discussed the extent of his injuries (“I have fractured the zygomatic and maxillary bones on the left side of my face. I also broke my nose and ruptured a sinus cavity in my nose…I will have plates and screws in my face permanently”), and called for Mike Kyle to be banned from the sport:
“You are only creating problems by booking Mike Kyle. He has solidified his position as the dirtiest fighter in the world. Who is to say he would not do this again?…After my surgery, I will consider any legal action possible that I can pursue against Kyle and anyone associated with him being a fighter.”
The California State Athletic Commission suspended Mike Kyle indefinitely, and he wouldn’t compete until two years later, when he was armbarred by Wayne Cole in 45 seconds at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le. In a way, it was the best possible result. Nobody wanted to see Kyle triumph in his comeback fight. He needed to do his penance.
But the narrative changed after that night. Kyle won eight out of his next ten fights and did his best to come across as a reformed human being. Following his win over Abongo Humphrey in July 2010, Strikeforce broadcaster Mauro Ranallo announced that the victory signaled “the resurrection of a career once thought ruined.” Sure, Kyle caught a no-contest in February 2010 for maybe-accidentally knocking out Travis Wiuff after the bell, and yeah, there was that time that he started head-butting Bigfoot in the chest for no apparent reason, but for the most part Mike Kyle remained on his best behavior during the second half of his career. Who knows what kind of self-control that required?
Officially, Mike Kyle leaves the sport on a one-fight losing streak, but the loss to Mousasi was symbolic: He’d already been blown out by Strikeforce’s top heavyweights, and if he couldn’t handle a Gegard Mousasi who was coming back from a year-long injury layoff, his future at light-heavyweight was limited as well. Kyle knew that. Like he said, it wasn’t in him anymore.
In the end, what’s most disappointing about Kyle’s career is that it had the potential to be an incredible redemption story, but his inconsistent performances prevented him from achieving his happy ending. If Kyle had won Strikeforce’s light-heavyweight belt, even once, we might remember him more for that, instead of for the night he destroyed Brian Olsen’s face with a frenzy of illegal blows, and had to be restrained by a mob of referees and officials. Was it a temporary (and forgivable) moment of adrenaline-fueled insanity, or a glimpse of his sociopathic character? Either way, it permanently established Mike Kyle’s reputation, and he’ll have to live with that forever.
I’ll be completely honest: I didn’t watch Strikeforce’s farewell card live last night. I recorded it, and watched it when I was done watching football. Am I just that dedicated of a 49ers/Packers fan? Not quite; last night was the first time I watched either team play all season. Rather, my mentality was that I haven’t been changing my schedule to accommodate Strikeforce events for the past two years now [Author Note: Damn, was the buyout really two years ago already? Time flies when you’re watching something die.], so why start now for the promotion’s grand finale.
Reading through the collection of Strikeforce tributes online, it’s obvious that I’m not the only one feeling this way. Articles and tweets about the demise of Strikeforce have been respectful, but not overly-sentimental, and the comments sections of various liveblogs covering the event didn’t exactly blow up for the occasion. There were none of the regrets, what-nows and what-could-have-beens that usually come along with failed business ventures – just a few awkward goodbyes as Zuffa prepared to pull the plug on the machine that no longer served any purpose.
And honestly, why would anyone other than Strikeforce’s employees, fighters and Scott Coker feel any differently? The death of Strikeforce doesn’t mark the end of a promotion that has been pumping out relevant fights for the past two years. It isn’t the death of an alternative option for fighters not wanting to sign with Zuffa. It isn’t the even the end of free MMA on basic cable.
I guess it would be different if this card was stacked with the fighters who made Strikeforce Strikeforce, such as Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Alistair Overeem, Ronda Rousey, Gilbert Melendez and Luke Rockhold, but they’ve either been assimilated into the UFC by now or they’ve pulled out of the event due to injury/apathy. Instead, this card served as one final night of squash fights – one of which actually ended differently than you may have expected.
I’ll be completely honest: I didn’t watch Strikeforce’s farewell card live last night. I recorded it, and watched it when I was done watching football. Am I just that dedicated of a 49ers/Packers fan? Not quite; last night was the first time I watched either team play all season. Rather, my mentality was that I haven’t been changing my schedule to accommodate Strikeforce events for the past two years now [Author Note: Damn, was the buyout really two years ago already? Time flies when you’re watching something die.], so why start now for the promotion’s grand finale.
Reading through the collection of Strikeforce tributes online, it’s obvious that I’m not the only one feeling this way. Articles and tweets about the demise of Strikeforce have been respectful, but not overly-sentimental, and the comments sections of various liveblogs covering the event didn’t exactly blow up for the occasion. There were none of the regrets, what-nows and what-could-have-beens that usually come along with failed business ventures – just a few awkward goodbyes as Zuffa prepared to pull the plug on the machine that no longer served any purpose.
And honestly, why would anyone other than Strikeforce’s employees, fighters and Scott Coker feel any differently? The death of Strikeforce doesn’t mark the end of a promotion that has been pumping out relevant fights for the past two years. It isn’t the death of an alternative option for fighters not wanting to sign with Zuffa. It isn’t the even the end of free MMA on basic cable.
I guess it would be different if this card was stacked with the fighters who made Strikeforce Strikeforce, such as Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Alistair Overeem, Ronda Rousey, Gilbert Melendez and Luke Rockhold, but they’ve either been assimilated into the UFC by now or they’ve pulled out of the event due to injury/apathy. Instead, this card served as one final night of squash fights – one of which actually ended differently than you may have expected.
So let’s talk about the upset on the main card. Tarec Saffiedine shocked us all not simply by defeating Nate Marquardt, but rather, by how easily he managed to do so. Saffiedine made effective usage of his crisp striking by absolutely battering Nate the Great throughout the bout, peppering Marquardt with leg kicks until his leg resembled Junior Dos Santos’ face. Saffiedine felt he needed to win in order to get an offer from the UFC, and it showed in his effort. Saffiedine’s conditioning, game plan and overall performance was far more convincing than Marquardt’s output last night, plain and simple.
And for those of you preparing for MMA Jeopardy, yes, Tarec Saffiedine is officially the final welterweight champion in Strikeforce history.
As for the rest of the card, there isn’t much to honestly say. We knew Cormier was going destroy what’s his name, and he did. Cormier may have been too ambitious with his callouts of both Frank Mir and Jon Jones after the fight, but if he gets past Frank Mir, I know I’m not the only person who is curious to see how he would do at 205. The fact that Josh Barnett was sick throughout fight week, yet still utterly dominated the big, scary-looking Nandor Guelmino was a testament to both Barnett’s skills and the lopsided nature of this matchup. Don’t get too excited about seeing Barnett back in the UFC though; it doesn’t sound like he’s in a rush to sign back on. Gegard Mousasi choked Mike Kyle into retirement in a little over four minutes, while Jacare Souza kicked off the night by locking UFC-loaned jobber Ed Herman in a kimura in just three minutes and ten seconds.
It wasn’t exactly the most glamorous way for Strikeforce to have gone out – and it certainly wasn’t the preferable way – but Strikeforce went out on the highest possible low note. The fights may have been squash matches of little significance, but damn it, they were at least fun to watch, so that has to count for something. Fun fights that don’t really matter in the long run – if that’s not Zuffa-owned Strikeforce in a nutshell, then what is?
Farewell, Strikeforce. You did what you could with what you had to work with, for the few people who still cared in the end. Now, back to business as usual.
Full Results
Main Card:
Tarec Saffiedine def. Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision
Daniel Cormier def. Dion Staring via TKO (punches), 4:02 of Round Two
Josh Barnett def. Nandor Guelmino via submission (arm-triangle), 2:11 of Round One
Gegard Mousasi def. Mike Kyle via submission (rear-naked choke), 4:09 of Round One
Ronaldo Souza def. Ed Herman via submission (Kimura), 3:10 of Round One
Preliminary Card:
Pat Healy def. Kurt Holobaugh via unanimous decision
Roger Gracie def. Anthony Smith via submission (arm-triangle), 3:16 of Round Two
Tim Kennedy def. Trevor Smith via sumission (guillotine), 1:36 of Round Three
Ryan Couture def. K.J. Noons via split decision
Adriano Martins def. Jorge Gurgel vie unanimous decision
Estevan Payan def. Mike Bravo via TKO (strikes), 4:01 in Round Two
