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WTF?! of the Day: Bigfoot Silva Attempting Cut to LHW to Fight “Mentally Sick” Thiago Silva

(“God, I could so go for an eclair right now-NO! FIGHT IT, BIGFOOT! PUNCH THE HUNGER AWAY.”)

We know, we know, not a goddamn word in that title makes sense.

Let’s run a hypothetical scenario by you: You’re a 6’4”, 285-pound, acromegalic UFC fighter. Your head is the size of a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ and your fists were the models upon which Hulk Hands were molded. Being that you’re Brazilian, you also have an eternal blood feud with another UFC-employed fighter/camp that can be traced back to ancient blood drawings on the Pico da Neblina.

So your enemy of all enemies finally gets back from his most recent suspension and picks up an impressive win inside the octagon. You could use a nice win yourself, being that you were just knocked out by your division’s champion for the second time (in a year) in your last fight. However, the 70 pound weight advantage you hold over your foe all but rules that option out. Do you a) Needle the shit out of the guy until he agrees to fight you at a catchweight or b) Try and settle things on the streets — no gloves, no rules, ala Rocky V.

Well, if you’re Antonio Silva, the answer is c) attempt a suicidal weight cut to get to that sonofabitch, who in this case is light heavyweight Thiago Silva (via FightersOnly):

I personally will attend the doctors to see if I am able to lose weight without spoiling my health. If can do it, I will drop weight to make this fight for sure. All I want to do is just fight him because words won’t make him change.

(“God, I could so go for an eclair right now-NO! FIGHT IT, BIGFOOT! PUNCH THE HUNGER AWAY.”)

We know, we know, not a goddamn word in that title makes sense.

Well, if you’re Antonio Silva, the answer is c) attempt a suicidal weight cut to get to that sonofabitch, who in this case is light heavyweight Thiago Silva (via FightersOnly):

I personally will attend the doctors to see if I am able to lose weight without spoiling my health. If can do it, I will drop weight to make this fight for sure. All I want to do is just fight him because words won’t make him change.

And why exactly does Bigfoot want a piece of Thiago Silva so bad he can taste it (and it tastes a lot like rice cakes)? The answer is simple: Thiago Silva broke his heart.

I had so much respect and consideration for him at one time. Besides being a good training partner, I had him as a friend. When he had a problem at ATT, I was the only one who was on his side until the end.

I used to visit his house and he did mine, I was something of a brother to him and he simply stabbed me in the back and cheated me. He said I’m upset because he left ATT, but he knows its not because of that why I’m mad.

He’s mentally sick, we’re completely different people. I am a family guy. I respect my father, mother, wife, I treat my friends well, without pulling their legs, and I don’t take drugs.

While that last statement is certainly up for debate, we’d just like to meet the doctor who deems it’s safe for Silva to drop the equivalent of a baby Percheron to settle a grudge. If Cris Cyborg is medically unfit to cut from 145 to 135, and “Bigfoot” already cuts some 20 pounds just to make the heavyweight limit, he better hope the on-duty doctor is Hector Molina or his revenge fantasy will be dead in the water before it can even set sail.

How is Silva taking all this, you ask? Like a true gamesman, he combined a little bit of option A and B.

Tell that big fool to come over here then we will see what’s what. For me it’s OK but, he talks a lot that guy, he is stupid. I don’t like him at all. Anytime he wants, man, especially if its for money! We can even do it for free, let’s go.

I would fight him whenever he wants. I trained with Bigfoot for three years. Ask him what he ever did to me. He was beaten like a little dog.

–J. Jones

This Week in Obesity: Gegard Mousasi, Daniel Cormier Hint at Upcoming Drops to Middleweight & Light Heavyweight, Respectively

(Mousasi, seen here trying to convince Burt Watson that his tummy is simply an optical illusion created by the unflattering pattern of his shirt. Or what we here in America refer to as The Burgundy Defense.)

Clearly, we are being shamelessly facetious with that title, for neither Daniel Cormier or Gegard Mousasi could be considered “obese” by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, Cormier is a little heavy for his height, I guess, but his layer of protective fat is a necessity. How the hell else is he suppose to ensure that his own bones are not completely shattered by the shockwave of the wrecking balls he regularly throws at his sparring partners and opponents? He tried cutting a lot of weight once before and it damn near killed him, so what do you people want from the poor guy?! LEAVE DC ALONE, DAMMIT.

I’m sorry, I was a fat child. But thanks to the powers of MMA, I can proudly stand before you as the picture of modern health that I am today. Cormier apparently shares my enthusiasm for all things dietary, as he recently spoke with USA Today and MMAJunkie about the likelihood that he will drop to 205 to fight Jon Jones once and for all. Just not immediately:

USA Today: Physically, I’m different now. When I was saying that I couldn’t make light heavyweight, it wasn’t happening. At my heaviest, I was 264 pounds. I was consistently weighing in for fights at 250 pounds, and that was after training camps. I was losing 7, 8 pounds and being 250 pounds at weigh-ins. Now, I wake up in the morning, and I’m 234 pounds. That’s almost a 20-pound difference. Now it seems realistic. I’m lighter now than even when I was wrestling.

MMAJunkie: At first, I was like so emotionally tied to that fight. I was like, ‘I want to fight Jon Jones. I want to be in that division and fight him immediately.’ But I’m not a very impulsive guy. I kind of think things through.

I’ve thought about it, and I wouldn’t be opposed to fighting one time before then just to see how my body reacts to the weight cut. It’d be very difficult to fight him in my very first fight (at light heavyweight), in a five-round fight, and my first time down in the weight and everything. As I’ve thought about it, I kind of feel it’d be in our best interest to maybe take a fight.

Granted, Cormier has hinted at a potential drop in weight before, but like he has repeatedly stated, let’s wait and see how he looks in his UFC debut against Frank Mir this weekend before we start filling our heads with any lofty aspirations of the next challenger to Yadda Yadda’s throne. That tends to backfire.

Speaking of light-heavyweights, Gegard Mousasi, who is fresh off a three round drubbing of Ilir Latifi at UFC on FUEL 9, has also been hinting at a drop in weight. The LHW contender has not fought at middleweight since upkicking his way to a DREAM middleweight championship over Ronaldo Souza at DREAM 6 in September of 2008. Regardless, Mousasi recently reached to his fans via Twitter to poll them on whether or not he should make the drop once again:

I think about good idea, Gegard. I think about very good idea. Anyone else agree?

–J. Jones

Hector Lombard Enlists Mike Dolce to Make Welterweight Test Cut Following Upcoming Nose Surgery

(Alas, it appears that the joyous age of ice cream cake and tomato cans has come and gone.)

Since entering the UFC almost a year ago to the day and bringing with him an unprecedented amount of hype (and one hefty price tag to boot), former Bellator middleweight kingpin Hector Lombard has been through some pretty tough times. After seeing his 25-fight win streak snapped via boredom in his UFC debut, Lombard scored a rebound TKO victory over Rousimar Palhares before succumbing to the patented grapplefuckery of Yushin Okami at UFC on FUEL 8.

And although Dana White is not ready to label Lombard a bust just yet — and rightfully so, for Okami can and has grapplefucked the best of ’em — it’s become quite apparent that Lombard isn’t quite the eater of worlds that he was made out to be in Bellator. Then again, when you’re paired up against guys like Trevor Prangley and “Whisper” Goodman, it’s hard not to build such a reputation. In either case, it appears that Lombard has realized that at just 5’8″, perhaps the middleweight division isn’t where he belongs anymore.

(Alas, it appears that the joyous age of ice cream cake and tomato cans has come and gone.)

And although Dana White is not ready to label Lombard a bust just yet — and rightfully so, for Okami can and has grapplefucked the best of ‘em — it’s become quite apparent that Lombard isn’t quite the eater of worlds that he was made out to be in Bellator. Then again, when you’re paired up against guys like Trevor Prangley and “Whisper” Goodman, it’s hard not to build such a reputation. In either case, it appears that Lombard has realized that at just 5’8″, perhaps the middleweight division isn’t where he belongs anymore.

That being the case, Lombard told UFC Tonight yesterday that he plans on working with renowned dietician Mike Dolce in an attempt to make the cut to 170 lbs following his upcoming nose surgery. Ariel Helwani broke the news:

I spoke to Lombard today and he’s about to work with Mike (Dolce) because he wants to get leaner. He walks around at 205 and he feels that at his height, it’s not really at his best interest to be fighting at 185. He knows the UFC wants him to go down … First thing’s first, he needs to have nose surgery. He broke his nose fighting Yushin Okami so the surgery is coming up next for him — hopefully next week. After that, he’s going to focus on that cut down to 170.

So, Potato Nation, in what fashion will this career-saving weight cut end: Good, bad, or ugly?

–J. Jones

It Looks Like Ben Henderson’s Days As a Lightweight Are Numbered

(Henderson, seen here making Shane Roller rapidly consider cutting to featherweight at WEC 40.)

No, we are not jumping on the Nate Diaz bandwagon. Not yet, at least.

In a recent interview with MMAJunkie, current UFC lightweight champion Ben Henderson resentfully admitted something that no athlete is ever quick to declare: He ain’t getting any younger. And because of this, it is getting harder and harder for a massive lightweight such as “Smooth” to make the required cut for each of his title defenses. How much weight does he cut? Henderson didn’t reveal the exact number, but several close sources claimed that the lightweight champ normally resides around the 180-pound mark often up to just a few days out from fight night. It’s a massive, draining cut for any athlete to undergo, and as we’ve seen in the past, can have devastating effects on the human body. Henderson is no different, and acknowledged that he has struggled to deal with the cut as he has gotten older:

When I was in college and wrestling, I would wrestle all day long and not get tired. I remember wrestling hard for five hours – literally five hours hard – and be just fine. I would eat friggin’ Taco Bell, be fine, and wrestle again.

I’m growing, but as far as maturing and getting thicker, I think I’m getting older right now, and it’s getting harder for me to lose the weight … and it’s harder for me to keep the weight off.

Henderson’s UFC on FOX 5 opponent, Nate Diaz, is no stranger to the difficulty of weight cutting, having moved up to welterweight to fight on several occasions but finding much less success there. The same could be argued for Henderson, who stands at a mere 5 foot 9 and would hold a distinct size disadvantage were he to move up in weight. But according to Henderson, it is only a matter of time until the choice is no longer an option.

(Henderson, seen here making Shane Roller rapidly consider cutting to featherweight at WEC 40.)

No, we are not jumping on the Nate Diaz bandwagon. Not yet, at least.

When I was in college and wrestling, I would wrestle all day long and not get tired. I remember wrestling hard for five hours – literally five hours hard – and be just fine. I would eat friggin’ Taco Bell, be fine, and wrestle again.

I’m growing, but as far as maturing and getting thicker, I think I’m getting older right now, and it’s getting harder for me to lose the weight … and it’s harder for me to keep the weight off.

When asked whether or not the cut to lightweight would be “too much” as he put it at some point down the line, Henderson stated that ”to a certain extent, yes.” A hard revelation for any athlete, let alone the champion of a division, to come to. The obvious comparison to make here is to that of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who has stated on several occasions that the light heavyweight division can only hold him for so long. But where Jones would maintain the longest reach in the UFC were he to move to heavyweight, Benson’s reach is more than six inches shy of current welterweight champion Georges. St Pierre. Considering the trouble Henderson had landing his combinations on the much smaller Frankie Edgar in their second fight, these kinds of disadvantages could prove too great to overcome were he to move up a class.

But for now, it is all speculation, as Henderson has his sights set on the Stockton native — who has been relatively quiet in the months leading up to their fight — and their upcoming clash on December 8th. Let’s just hope Hendo doesn’t plan on sporting a cowboy hat at the weigh-ins, or things could get ugly in a hurry.

So what do you think, Potato Nation? Does Henderson’s plight serve as a prime example of the problems caused by the massive weight cuts MMA fighters endure to gain a slight advantage? As we’ve seen in the resurgence of Anthony Johnson as a light heavyweight – not to mention Edgar’s success at 155 — the idea of fighting at one’s natural weight class can prove beneficial in terms of career longevity. Then again, Johnson is able to hold his own in a bigger weight class because of the insane size advantage he used to hold at welterweight, whereas Henderson would essentially become the small fish in a big pond were he to move up.

But perhaps we should first focus on whether or not Henderson is actually able to make it to his next title defense before we let our minds be consumed by other, more frivolous matters.

*knock on wood*

–J. Jones

And Now He’s Fired: Dennis Hallman Cut After Totally Screwing One of Our Parlays

(The ballsiest fighter to ever step foot in the octagon. *rimshot*)

Well, we called this one.

In his past three fights, longtime MMA veteran Dennis Hallman has made some startling (not to mention amateur) choices to say the least. After losing a bet to his friend that resulted in one of the most horrifying wardrobe malfunctions of all time against Brian Ebersole at UFC 133, Dennis showed up two and a half pounds overweight for his fight against John Makdessi at UFC 140 and was subsequently fined 20% of his purse. Luckily for him, he was able to pick up a win. Unfortunately for him, he apparently took nothing away from the close call, and showed up seven pounds overweight at yesterday’s weigh-ins. His scheduled opponent, Thiago Tavares, basically treated the situation with an “Are you serious, bro?” but was able to strike a deal with Hallman that if he could get down to only 3 pounds over the limit, the fight would be on.

(The ballsiest fighter to ever step foot in the octagon. *rimshot*)

Well, we called this one.

Hallman was allegedly able to do so, but Tavares then asked him to cut an additional pound, at which point Hallman asked to be removed from the card and became the most recent UFC fighter to join the unemployment line. And let’s not even get into the fact that we were so confident that he would beat Tavares that we put him in one of our surefire parlays, which is now TOTALLY RUINED. Being a sixteen year veteran of the sport, it became obvious that something was apparently not right in the Hallman household, and he relayed this message to both Dana White and MMAFighting earlier today:

They are cutting me. Dana [White] gave me my show and win pay to help me deal with the mountain in front of me. Now I have to go make weight a couple times on the regional circuit. I’ll be back to the UFC though, I always am.

I’m having some personal issues at home. I’m not fit to fight. I told Dana [White] what my issues were. He understands family matters, and he was cool with me not fighting.

Interesting that Hallman received both his show and win money whereas Tavares only received his show money, but the fact that it’s basically severance pay for the time being makes it far more understandable.

Hallman also told MMAFighting that he was apparently only two pounds over the weight at the day of the weigh-ins, but passed out and received intravenous fluids which brought him back up to seven pounds over.

Fresh off a win over Makdessi and holding a professional record of 51-14, Hallman first debuted in the UFC way back at UFC 29, where he would score his second victory over Matt Hughes via first round submission, becoming the only fighter to ever do so. Hallman also holds notable UFC wins over Bellator muay Thai machine Ben Saunders and Karo Parisyan.

We would like to wish Dennis all the best in his future, and sincerely hope that he is able to overcome whatever personal issues he is currently facing.

We’ve added a video of Hallman’s first victory over Hughes, which went down at EC 21 in Wisconsin in 1998, below.

–J. Jones

Roy Nelson Calls Out Mike Russow (?) for the Right to Remain at 265 lbs.

(It took Roy 45 minutes and three chipped teeth to realize that his TUF trophy was not made of rock candy.)

This town ain’t big enough for the two of them. Literally. The town we’re referring to, of course, would be the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Let’s face it, we are currently in the era of TRT-jacked-up super Goliaths, and aside from making us common folk feel more self-conscious about our own physiques, these monsters are putting forth the idea that you have to be sculpted by the Gods themselves in order to be a successful athlete. How dare they. But there is hope, because one man has been vigorously doing the work that the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance could never even dream of doing in between trips to the buffet line. Mainly, proving that obese individuals are capable of doing more than legally stealing electrically powered wheelchairs from crippled people at the supermarket. That man is Roy “Big Country” Nelson.

Obviously fearing that fellow portly contender Mike Russow is beginning to encroach on his Burger King and Taco Bell sponsorships, as well as the “Lifetime Achievement” distinction he was set to receive at next year’s Cici’s Pizza Awards, Nelson has thrown down a good old fashioned “loser leaves town” challenge to Russow over his Twitter. The winner gets to continue eating pull pork sandwiches until they look like the gluttony victim in Seven, and the loser must drop to the land of rice cakes and milk without chocolate syrup that is the light heavyweight division.

(It took Roy 45 minutes and three chipped teeth to realize that his TUF trophy was not made of rock candy.)

This town ain’t big enough for the two of them. Literally. The town we’re referring to, of course, would be the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Here’s what he wrote:

I want Mike Russow and loser goes to 205 or becomes Dana White Rich. Let make it happen @danawhite

While it may be in bad taste to call someone out immediately after they have suffered their first UFC loss (by knockout, nonetheless), there’s no denying that this is an intriguing matchup, made even more intriguing by the possible ramifications of either man losing. Being that Russow only fights part time, we’re not sure if he’d actually be able to make the cut to 205, but Nelson, on the other hand, has shown a willingness to at least consider dropping to light heavyweight if the circumstances are ~~ridiculous enough~~ just right.

On an unrelated sidenote, what the hell does Dana White rich mean, and how would either man become so by losing their next fight? Also, Rhode Island, neither a road nor an island. Discuss.

On the heels of a first round knockout of Dave Herman at UFC 146, the TUF 10 winner’s UFC record currently stands at a mediocre 4-3, so a win over Russow would be enough to delay his own trip to 205 for at least a couple more months. One thing standing in the way of this possible matchup, however, would be the UFC’s usual policy of placing winners against winners and losers against losers. Then again, crazier fights have been booked, so it wouldn’t be completely out of left field for them to book Nelson vs. Russow in a battle for potbellied supremacy, right?

Who do you like for this one, Potato Nation?

–J. Jones