Tag: Mike Russow

Six Reasons to Be Sort-Of Interested in this Weekend’s Fights


(Props: @ewillphoto via ThePeoplesCecil)

Perhaps “cluttered” is the best word to describe this weekend’s action. After all, that’s the same word that you would also use for your bedroom floor: There’s a lot of stuff on it, but there’s not much there that you couldn’t live without. This weekend, we have a lot of MMA available to us, such as UFC on FX 4, UFC 147 and Bellator 71. But despite the quantity of the fights available to us, there seems to be very little in terms of fights with immediate significance. It’s one thing when ratings are slipping, it’s another thing when your promotion has to offer full refunds for an injury plagued card, and it’s yet another thing when the only attention your promotion gets for an upcoming card revolves around the wife beater you recently inked a deal with.

But have no fear; this floor isn’t entirely covered in dirty socks, empty bottles and condom wrappers. There are some interesting tussles worth watching (notice we didn’t say pay for), which we’ll make the argument for after the jump. Or you can just join us later for our liveblogs of UFC on FX 4 and UFC 147. That works, too.


(Props: @ewillphoto via ThePeoplesCecil)

Perhaps “cluttered” is the best word to describe this weekend’s action. After all, that’s the same word that you would also use for your bedroom floor: There’s a lot of stuff on it, but there’s not much there that you couldn’t live without. This weekend, we have a lot of MMA available to us, such as UFC on FX 4, UFC 147 and Bellator 71. But despite the quantity of the fights available to us, there seems to be very little in terms of fights with immediate significance. It’s one thing when ratings are slipping, it’s another thing when your promotion has to offer full refunds for an injury plagued card, and it’s yet another thing when the only attention your promotion gets for an upcoming card revolves around the wife beater you recently inked a deal with.

But have no fear; this floor isn’t entirely covered in dirty socks, empty bottles and condom wrappers. There are some interesting tussles worth watching (notice we didn’t say pay for), which we’ll make the argument for after the jump. Or you can just join us later for our liveblogs of UFC on FX 4 and UFC 147. That works, too.

#1: Let’s See How Gray Maynard’s Cardio Has Improved:

It seems odd to question the conditioning of a guy who has eight out of ten career victories coming by decision, but we can’t ignore Gray Maynard‘s last outings. When we last saw Gray, he was getting knocked out by then-lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 136. It was the first official loss of his career, coming in a rematch from a controversial draw from their earlier meeting at UFC 125. In both fights, Maynard started out strong, yet gassed out early, costing him what appeared to be a sure victory throughout the first two rounds of both fights.

Now, Maynard finds himself across the cage from Clay Guida, who is coming off of a loss himself. On paper, this is Maynard’s fight to lose. “The Bully” is the more powerful striker, a much better wrestler and should be able to outclass “The Carpenter” no matter where this fight ends up.

Yet if Gray Maynard’s conditioning is not up to par, he’ll be no match for Guida’s energetic attack. And before anyone mentions that Maynard’s last two efforts were five round fights, three rounds with Guida is comparable to five rounds with anyone, hair be damned. The bottom line here is simple: If we watch another dominant first round from Maynard followed by two rounds of wheezing, expect Clay Guida to walk away victorious and expect Maynard to return to the middle of the pack until his conditioning improves.

#2: Can Matt Brown Consistently Win The Fights He’s Supposed To?

As anyone who has ever placed a bet on a Matt Brown fight can tell you, “The Immortal” isn’t exactly the most consistent fighter out there. It seems like the fights that he’s supposed to win, he loses. After losing four out of five fights from 2010-2011, Brown has put together two straight victories in 2012; the most recent one being a very entertaining brawl with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson that he took by unanimous decision at UFC 145.

Brown now finds himself in familiar territory: A fight that he should win.  Sure, he hasn’t won three straight fights since 2009, but Luis Ramos didn’t exactly look unbeatable during the forty second thrashing he took from Erick Silva in his UFC debut. If Brown wins tonight, perhaps we can finally stop questioning whether or not he can execute his game plan on a consistent basis. At least until his next fight.

#3: Is It Enough For Werdum To Just Win To Be A Contender Again?

When Fabricio Werdum made his return to the UFC, he did so in devastating fashion with a victory over Roy Nelson. He looked extremely impressive, as “Big Country” was unable to mount any significant offense. Werdum looked better than he had seemingly in ages, and some fans felt that his name should be in the mix for a title shot in the near future.

In other groundbreaking news, it’s hot in Louisiana today.

Of course Werdum looked good against Roy Nelson: “Big Country” is a good test for an unproven prospect or an aging legend, but he’s also about as hand-picked of an opponent as it gets for top-tier heavyweights.  Nelson is pretty much the Aldo Montoya of the UFC heavyweight division.

Now Fabricio Werdum finds himself across the cage from Mike Russow, a fighter who has quietly won four straight fights in the UFC against mid-to-lower tier opposition. As the gambling lines indicate, Werdum is expected to crush Russow and earn a fight against a contender by the year’s end. But what happens if this fight actually goes to the judges? Does Werdum’s hype train get derailed if he doesn’t turn in another near-perfect performance, or will it just be a testament to how game Mike Russow actually is?

#4: Can Travis Wiuff Take The First Step Towards Claiming What Is Rightfully His?

Things got pretty awkward for Bellator back at Bellator 55. The promotion booked a “non-title superfight” with their newly-crowned light-heavyweight champion, Christian M’Pumbu, against veteran journeyman (and YAMMA Pit champion) Travis Wiuff. The fight was supposed to be another devastating knockout on the résumé of M’Pumbu, yet Wiuff managed to defeat the champion by unanimous decision.

Tonight, Wiuff takes the first step towards claiming the belt that we feel should already be his. Entering the Summer Series Light-Heavyweight Tournament, he has a pretty favorable matchup tonight in Chris Davis. If Wiuff is going to take the tournament and earn a rematch with M’Pumbu, it’ll start tonight in West Virginia.

#5: How does Tim Carpenter fair as a late replacement for Richard Hale?

In other Bellator tournament news, light-heavyweight standout Richard Hale has been forced out of the tournament at the last minute due to an illness. Replacing him against Beau Tribolet will be Philadelphia’s Tim Carpenter, who was originally scheduled to fight on the undercard of tonight’s event.

Carpenter is no slouch, having made a decent run in the Season Four Light-Heavyweight tournament before being knocked out by the eventual tournament winner Christian M’Pumbu. Since then, he has put together a first round TKO over Ryan Contaldi at Bellator 54. But will Beau Tribolet be too much for Carpenter, who came to yesterday’s weigh-ins expecting a much easier fight on the undercard?

#6: Babalu and Huerta return at ONE FC 4

The good thing about ONE FC is that even when their cards are light on recognizable names, the action is always good. Hell, even when they’re shamelessly plugging freak show fights or providing fans with graphic injuries, the rest of their cards more than make up for that.

The good news though is that there actually are some names you’ll recognize on their fourth installment tomorrow night: Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Roger Huerta. When we last saw Babalu, he was a consensus top ten light-heavyweight until Dan Henderson shut out his lights in December of 2010. The Brazilian submission specialist makes his return to the cage tonight against Tatsuya Mizuno, who enters the bout sporting an 11-7 record. On paper, it’s a PRIDE-era mismatch. But perhaps the Babalu’s time away from the sport will level the playing field a bit.

Likewise, in 2007, Roger Huerta was one of the baddest guys on the planet, having won six straight in the UFC and sporting a 20-1-1 (1 NC) record. Since that time, Huerta has been released by the UFC and lost five of his last six outings. His most recent loss was an all around tragic affair that ended in a TKO at the hands of the newly-released War Machine. If he loses to the 6-1 prospect Zorobabel Moreira, he may want to consider walking away for good from MMA.

@SethFalvo

UFC 147: Mike Russow Carries the Legacies of Steve Jennum and Sean Gannon

There have been few fighters in UFC history who have donned the badge and walked the thin blue line whilst trying to pursue a successful career in the world’s leading MMA promotion. Of those who have tried, nearly all have failed. Ninjitsu ex…

There have been few fighters in UFC history who have donned the badge and walked the thin blue line whilst trying to pursue a successful career in the world’s leading MMA promotion. 

Of those who have tried, nearly all have failed. 

Ninjitsu exponent Steve Jennum may have won UFC 3 due to a series of absurd events but ultimately, he was only 2-4 in his career. 

Sean Gannon—the man who felled legendary street fighter Kimbo Slice in an infamous YouTube brawl and was signed by the UFC for his efforts—had his UFC career begin and end in one fight—a TKO loss to the unremarkable Branden Lee Hinkle at UFC 55. 

Other officers have come and gone, none as notable as Jennum or Gannon (and to those who mention Forrest Griffin and Tim Sylvia, the former left the police before he went to the UFC and the latter joined the police force after he left the UFC), but UFC 147 co-main event fighter Mike Russow has a chance to carry their torch Saturday night, and make it burn brightly in the memories of all MMA fans.

He’s undaunted by the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master he is set to face, Fabricio Werdum, the man who truly defeated the legendary Fedor Emelianenko for the first time and is even more indifferent about the fact that he must face the Brazilian in his home country. 

“Honestly, it really doesn’t bother me,” said Russow at the UFC 147 media conference call, at which Bleacher Report was present.

“I’m the underdog, all the pressure is on [Werdum]. It really doesn’t bother me, what the fans are doing. I really don’t hear them anyway. Especially once the referee says ‘go.’ I really don’t even hear my coaches, so it that’s not gonna bother me at all.”

Russow’s background as a Chicago police officer might be responsible for his calmness in the face of such duress and adversity, but surely the act of being both a police officer and full-time fighter must be exhausting both mentally and physically, no?

On that topic, Russow gives some ground and admits that he’s no superman; it’s tough to perform well at two demanding professions. 

“It’s very tough working both jobs, but I’ve been doing this since like ’07 or ’08 so I’m used to it now with two careers,” he said.

“[O]bviously, the competition is getting a lot harder. But our camps our pretty much the same. Train in Chicago, I got great coaches…It really is the conditioning I think. I know fighters say each time…but I really believe that my conditioning is the best for this fight coming up Saturday.”

Such a remark about conditioning might garner sneers from some of the more cynical MMA fans out there, since Russow is notoriously…corpulent for a man who fights in the Octagon. Granted, he’s no Roy Nelson, but he’s not a chiseled work of art, either. 

However, that’s part of Russow’s appeal as a fighter and why he’s carrying the torch first picked up by Steve Jennum and later carried by Sean Gannon—two men who didn’t exactly have body builder physiques themselves. 

Mike Russow is the average man, and the average police officer trying to make his way through the sport—the same way Jennum and Gannon were. 

Yeah, there have been (and are) other lawmen who’ve graced the Octagon such as Paulo Thiago, Forrest Griffin, Andrei Arlovski and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, but they were both muscular and didn’t have the everyman appeal that Russow does. 

When people looked at a prime Andrei Arlovski (ripped to shreds, bearded, with fangs) or a prime “Cro Cop” (massively muscular), it was a given that they were tough and could smash people. 

But when people saw the doughy Russow against better-looking fighters like Todd Duffee, it was almost laughable. Yet Russow managed to win 15 fights and lose only one!

Most recently, he beat former ADCC champion Jon Olav Einemo, a feat which Russow said did wonders for him psychologically, especially since he’s facing another fearsome Jiu-Jitsu fighter and ADCC champion in Werdum.

“I think it really boosted my confidence going against a guy like Jon Einemo…I know [Werdum], he’s a lot more active and is very good, but I definitely think it helped my confidence,” he said.

Still, it’d be wrong to typecast Werdum as just a Jiu-Jitsu fighter. In Werdum’s first UFC run, such a statement might have carried more weight. But more recently, Werdum has sharpened his striking skills, a fact which Russow is aware of. 

“From watching film on him, especially his last fight with Roy Nelson, I think his stand-up is a lot better, very good with the Muay Thai and the clinch, going for knees. He’s gonna be a tough guy,” said Russow.

If Russow can defeat a fighter of Werdum’s caliber, it could do wonders for his career. It would be his 11th straight win and his UFC record would stand at 4-0. Russow would make himself the best of the brave yet physically less than impressive, and he might be only a fight or two away from a title shot!

But lofty notions do little to the mind of Mike Russow.

“I’m really just focused on the fight. I really don’t want to look past anything. I just wanna get through Saturday and shock everybody. ” he said. 

And shock everybody he might—the same way Jennum shocked the world at UFC 3, the same Gannon shocked Youtube by beating Kimbo Slice and the same way Russow has already been shocking the uninformed UFC fans by racking up win after win, proving that it’s not the muscles that make the man.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

‘UFC 147: Silva vs Franklin 2? Extended Video Preview

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

UFC 147’s replacement main event may seem like a re-tread of an old classic, but it’s the little differences, y’know? First off, Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva will be fighting a five-rounder this time, which could affect their pace and game-plans, and allows each man more time to secure a finish.

Second, unlike their first meeting at 195 pounds, this one will happen slightly lower down the catchweight scale at 190. While that won’t matter much to Silva, who’s been competing at middleweight for the last two years, it’ll be the first time Franklin has had to fight below 195 pounds since he beat up Travis Lutter in 2008.

And of course, Silva vs. Franklin 2 will go down in Silva’s home country of Brazil, whereas their first fight at UFC 99 took place in the neutral territory of Cologne, Germany. Add up enough minor differences, and the tenor of the fight could change drastically. Franklin is a slightly heavier favorite over Wandy going into this fight (-155) as he was going into their last one (-140). Should he be?

As for the other fight on this card that you halfway-care about…


(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

UFC 147′s replacement main event may seem like a re-tread of an old classic, but it’s the little differences, y’know? First off, Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva will be fighting a five-rounder this time, which could affect their pace and game-plans, and allows each man more time to secure a finish.

Second, unlike their first meeting at 195 pounds, this one will happen slightly lower down the catchweight scale at 190. While that won’t matter much to Silva, who’s been competing at middleweight for the last two years, it’ll be the first time Franklin has had to fight below 195 pounds since he beat up Travis Lutter in 2008.

And of course, Silva vs. Franklin 2 will go down in Silva’s home country of Brazil, whereas their first fight at UFC 99 took place in the neutral territory of Cologne, Germany. Add up enough minor differences, and the tenor of the fight could change drastically. Franklin is a slightly heavier favorite over Wandy going into this fight (-155) as he was going into their last one (-140). Should he be?

As for the other fight on this card that you halfway-care about…

Fabricio Werdum is taking on Mike Russow in a heavyweight feature, and I have to wonder: Is this the moment when the Mike Russow Cinderella story finally comes to an abrupt, violent end? The Chicago cop is now 4-0 in the Octagon, and while a couple of those victories have been impressive — the miracle against Todd Duffee, the satisfying destruction of Jon Madsen — he’s never beaten anybody as seasoned and successful as Werdum. Yes, Russow’s tough, we get it, but will toughness be enough against a jiu-jitsu phenom whose striking is also starting to look deadly? Is this secretly a squash match set up for the entertainment of the Brazilian fans? Russow has never given us a reason to count him out before, but damn, I really don’t like his chances here.

UFC Announces Brazil’s ‘Mineirinho’ Arena Will Host UFC 147

Let the speculation over UFC 147’s location end.

After a United Nations convention in Rio forced the UFC to change the original venue, the UFC announced that UFC 147 will still take place on June 23 in Brazil. Specifically, Estádio Jornalista Felipe Drumond – commonly refered to as the “Mineirinho” Arena – in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais will house the event.

Mineirinho Arena is the largest indoor arena in Brazil, capable of holding 25,000 people at full capacity.

Needless to say, the UFC is pretty excited about booking the venue. In a press release sent out by the UFC, UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik issued the following statement: “It is great for our fans and for the UFC to be able to stage events in new parts of Brazil. The UFC is exploding everywhere in the country and Minas Gerais, being the third biggest state in the country, seemed like the perfect place for this.”

UFC 147 will mark the first time that the promotion held an event in Brazil outside of Rio de Janeiro since UFC Brazil was held in Sao Paulo on October 16, 1998.

Let the speculation over UFC 147′s location end.

After a United Nations convention in Rio forced the UFC to change the original venue, the UFC announced that UFC 147 will still take place on June 23 in Brazil. Specifically, Estádio Jornalista Felipe Drumond – commonly referred to as the “Mineirinho” Arena – in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais will house the event.

Mineirinho Arena is the largest indoor arena in Brazil, capable of holding 25,000 people at full capacity.

Needless to say, the UFC is pretty excited about booking the venue. In a press release sent out by the UFC, UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik issued the following statement: “It is great for our fans and for the UFC to be able to stage events in new parts of Brazil. The UFC is exploding everywhere in the country and Minas Gerais, being the third biggest state in the country, seemed like the perfect place for this.”

UFC 147 will mark the first time that the promotion held an event in Brazil outside of Rio de Janeiro since UFC Brazil was held in Sao Paulo on October 16, 1998.

Unsurprisingly, the event will be heavy on Brazilian talent. With Silva vs. Sonnen II being moved to UFC 148, UFC 147 will now be headlined by a fight between TUF Brazil coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. The pair initially met at the aforementioned UFC Brazil, as Vitor Belfort knocked out Wanderlei Silva in only 44 seconds. A heavyweight bout between Fabricio Werdum and Mike Russow, as well as the Middleweight and Featherweight Tournament finales from TUF Brazil, are also officially a go for UFC 147.

And Now He’s Retired: John Olav Einemo


(John Einemo, the only man to ever truly smell what The Rock was cookin’.)

Norwegian news site VG.no is reporting that former UFC heavyweight John Olav Einemo has decided to call it a career after being cut from the promotion following his loss to Mike Russow at UFC on Fox 2.

Although Einemo told reporters that the UFC had left the proverbial door open for his return if he was able to put a couple wins together in smaller promotions, Einemo felt that the time he had to spend away from his family during the training process was simply too much to handle. Apparently his wife and kids didn’t drive him crazy. For those of you who are suddenly overwhelmed with panic as to when you’ll see J.O.E again, fret not, for he plans to help build upon Norway’s ever-growing MMA scene as a coach somewhere down the line.

Nevermind, this is likely the last we’ll see of Einemo before the trolls get him.


(John Einemo, the only man to ever truly smell what The Rock was cookin’.)

Norwegian news site VG.no is reporting that former UFC heavyweight John Olav Einemo has decided to call it a career after being cut from the promotion following his loss to Mike Russow at UFC on Fox 2.

Although Einemo told reporters that the UFC had left the proverbial door open for his return if he was able to put a couple wins together in smaller promotions, Einemo felt that the time he had to spend away from his family during the training process was simply too much to handle. Apparently his wife and kids didn’t drive him crazy. For those of you who are suddenly overwhelmed with panic as to when you’ll see J.O.E again, fret not, for he plans to help build upon Norway’s ever-growing MMA scene as a coach somewhere down the line.

Nevermind, this is likely the last we’ll see of Einemo before the trolls get him.

“The Viking” started off his MMA career in October of 2000, amassing five straight wins under the Shooto, Finnfight, and Focus Fight banners, with none of those wins making it out of the first round. In 2003, Einemo became the first and last man to defeat Roger Gracie in ADCC competition at the finals of the ADCC trials (88-98 kg weight class). He also holds notable grappling victories over Alexandre Ferreira, Bellator vet Vitor Vianna, and Rolles Gracie.

Einemo would suffer his first professional defeat to Farbicio Werdum at Pride 31 in 2006, which was quickly overshadowed by an in ring riot between the Chute Box camp, Mark Coleman, and Phil Baroni in which Wanderlei Silva had his head stepped on. Ah, the good old days. After claiming his place alongside the approximately 200 men to have beaten James Thompson later that year, Einemo would take a five year hiatus from the sport, likely to help hunt the aforementioned trolls that plague Norway’s mountainous regions.

Einemo emerged from hiding in 2011 when he signed with the UFC and put in a Fight of the Night earning performance against Dave Herman at UFC 131. Despite Einemo’s extensive BJJ background, the fight was contested mostly on the feet, with both men rocking the other on more than one occasion. Herman would have the last laugh, however, finishing Einemo off midway through the second round. Shortly thereafter, Einemo was axed along with several other fighters signed under Golden Glory management due to ongoing contract disputes.

It wasn’t long until an agreement was reached between the two and Einemo, along with Alistair and Valentijn Overeem, were allowed to come back to their Zuffa-financed jobs. Marloes Coenen, on the other hand, was shipped off to a deserted island and forced to feed on Dutch celebrities whilst searching for buried treasure. And they say chivalry is dead in the world.

Einemo would try to bounce back at UFC on FOX 2, where he faced off against the deceivingly talented Mike Russow, who was riding a ten fight win streak at the time. Things would not go Einemo’s way, as he would find himself trapped beneath Russow’s amorphous figure for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision loss.

We here at CP would just like to wish John (can we call you John?) the best of luck in all of his future endeavors. Do the same in the comments section, Potato Nation.

-J. Jones

Fabricio Werdum vs. Mike Russow Slated for June UFC Event in Brazil


(Seriously, if you have any shred of humanity, you’ll “like” Roy’s Facebook page to help convince him to drop to light-heavyweight. Otherwise, be prepared for a lot more of this.)

After dispatching Roy Nelson in straight-sets during his triumphant Octagon return at UFC 143, Fabricio Werdum has his next opponent close to finalized, and once again, it’ll be against a white dude with a deceivingly husky physique. MMAFighting reports that Werdum is slated to be on the UFC’s next card in Brazil, against Mike Russow. Though the event hasn’t been officially announced yet, it is expected to take place on June 16th in Sao Paulo, and will likely be headlined by a pair of long-awaited rematches in Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva.

Carrying a 4-0 UFC record, and producer of one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history, Russow last competed on the UFC on FOX 2 card, taking a rather uninspiring unanimous decision win over John-Olav Einemo. Werdum represents a massive step up in competition for the full-time Chicago police officer, but then again, Russow always seems to find a way to win. His last defeat came five years ago, against Sergei Kharitonov at Pride 33.


(Seriously, if you have any shred of humanity, you’ll “like” Roy’s Facebook page to help convince him to drop to light-heavyweight. Otherwise, be prepared for a lot more of this.)

After dispatching Roy Nelson in straight-sets during his triumphant Octagon return at UFC 143, Fabricio Werdum has his next opponent close to finalized, and once again, it’ll be against a white dude with a deceivingly husky physique. MMAFighting reports that Werdum is slated to be on the UFC’s next card in Brazil, against Mike Russow. Though the event hasn’t been officially announced yet, it is expected to take place on June 16th in Sao Paulo, and will likely be headlined by a pair of long-awaited rematches in Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva.

Carrying a 4-0 UFC record, and producer of one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history, Russow last competed on the UFC on FOX 2 card, taking a rather uninspiring unanimous decision win over John-Olav Einemo. Werdum represents a massive step up in competition for the full-time Chicago police officer, but then again, Russow always seems to find a way to win. His last defeat came five years ago, against Sergei Kharitonov at Pride 33.