What exactly does it mean to be well-rounded?Is it a fighter’s ability to mesh individual disciplines like striking, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and muay thai into one polished arsenal? Or, is it a fighter’s ability to finish fights, maintain composure, …
What exactly does it mean to be well-rounded?
Is it a fighter’s ability to mesh individual disciplines like striking, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and muay thai into one polished arsenal?
Or, is it a fighter’s ability to finish fights, maintain composure, strike with intelligence and keep a focused game plan?
Truthfully, it can be either. But for a meaning that’s often tossed around the sport of MMA these days, there’s only a handful of athletes currently gracing the UFC roster that encompass the essence of truly being well-rounded.
At UFC 156, Frankie Edgar will take on Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight championship. Although the chance to hold UFC gold is enough to motivate any professional fighter, “The Answer” has the opportunity to become the third fighter in history to win…
At UFC 156, Frankie Edgar will take on Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight championship. Although the chance to hold UFC gold is enough to motivate any professional fighter, “The Answer” has the opportunity to become the third fighter in history to win gold in multiple divisions.
Currently, online bookie Bovada has Edgar as a 2-to-1 underdog against Aldo, which translates into a 33.3 percent chance of obtaining this lofty goal. Despite what the odds suggest, Edgar has a much better shot at achieving greatness.
It is understandable that Aldo would be the betting favorite; however, it doesn’t appear that oddsmakers haven’t taken into account the effects of a 13-month layoff on the champion.
Anyone who saw UFC 129 knows that Aldo is susceptible to ring rust. After a training injury kept him out of action for seven months, “Scarface” faded immensely in the later rounds of his return bout against Mark Hominick.
When you consider that Edgar is able to keep his foot on the gas for 25 minutes while applying constant pressure to his opponent, the proverbial cards have been dealt in a way that suggests an upset.
In 2003, Randy Couture became the first man to hold gold in unique weight classes. After losing the UFC heavyweight championship, “The Natural” decided to cut down to 205 pounds and test his luck. He defeated Chuck Liddell for the interim light heavyweight championship and a place in the history books.
It wasn’t until five years later when B.J. Penn also joined the elite club. Penn surprisingly defeated Matt Hughes for the UFC welterweight championship in 2004, and then pummeled Joe Stevenson to capture the lightweight championship in 2008.
Since shocking the world with upset victories over Penn and former champion Sean Sherk, it is foolish to count Edgar out regardless of which opponent stands across the cage.
Even though Aldo has a reputation of being one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters, I would estimate that the odds on this fight are very close to even.
Despite 16 years of wear-and-tear fighting against the absolute best mixed martial artists in the world, Brazilian superstar Vitor Belfort has never looked better.At his age, few men do.Even with 32 professional MMA bouts under his belt since 1996…
Despite 16 years of wear-and-tear fighting against the absolute best mixed martial artists in the world, Brazilian superstar VitorBelfort has never looked better.
At his age, few men do.
Even with 32 professional MMA bouts under his belt since 1996, “The Phenom” looks like he’s barely slowed down at all, as seen at UFC on FX 7 when he violently shut down co-headliner Michael Bisping with a spectacular high kick.
But was it all his own natural talent? Or was Belfort aided by something extra?
No, we’re not talking about any sort of divine favor from God, although He’s certainly one of Belfort‘s most prominent and often-mentioned sponsors.
What’s really the question of the hour is whether or not Belfort is on testosterone replacement therapy, better-known to most as “TRT.”
And if not testosterone, is he “on” anything at all?
It’s hard to tell, as Belfort has always been one of those freakishly muscular figures reminiscent of horrible 1990s comic book covers. But even ESPN writer Brett Okamotocouldn’t get a straight answer out of the UFC veteran, despite asking point-blank:
ESPN: Some fighters in their 30s have been diagnosed with low testosterone levels and received exemptions to use testosterone replacement therapy [TRT]. Have you ever applied for TRT or would you consider it?
Belfort: If a question is private, I have the choice to answer or not. If I make it public, it’s not private anymore. If I want to say something private I will say it, but I keep to myself and I respect the laws of the sport… This is too controversial, why am I going to say something that doesn’t accomplish anything? If it’s legal, they know what to do. If it’s legal, there’s nothing to say about it. It’s legal.
Wow. Talk about implausible deniability.
Maybe Belfort‘s trying desperately to abide by that pesky Ninth Commandment, or maybe he’s just afraid to make any kind of stance against MMA’s rampant drug problem.
After all, his new training camp—the aptly-named “Blackzilians”—includes the likes of Alistair Overeem, Thiago Silva and Melvin Guillard, who have four positive drug tests between the lot of them.
Moreover, Belfort himself has tested positive for steroids (via MMA Weekly) in the past, something Bisping was all too keen to remind everyone (via MMA Mania). That’s likely why Belfort danced around the subject with ESPN, saying that he is no one’s judge or jury:
That’s the problem with the rule, is that everyone is so radical. That’s my opinion. I’m very faithful to the things I believe in and I’m working on myself. I don’t like to judge. When you judge people, it sounds like you are God. We live in a freedom country. It is what it is.
But at the end of the day, this is a case where firm answers (or lies) would go a long way.
Yes, Belfort has always looked fast and powerful, especially at middleweight.
But with the question of TRT hanging in the air, it only prompts the eye to be a little more critical of the middleweight (and part-time light heavyweight) when he steps on the scale or into the Octagon.
“Did he always look that ripped?”
“Can you believe how fast he is?”
Just to be fair, it’s very possible that Belfort looks stronger than ever because of that miraculous-sounding Dolce Diet.
Maybe it’s that unshakable faith in Jesus Christ helping his fists fly straight and true, right smack into the back of his opponents’ heads.
But until Belfort comes clean, there’s always going to be that doubt.
Has clean living, a smarter diet, the Florida air, a new camp and saying extra prayers pushed “The Phenom” back into the elite ranks of this sport?
Or has he simply found a new way to augment his natural fighting ability?
Until someone eventually talks—or a positive test turns up for high testosterone—the answer will have to stay concealed with at least three people: Belfort, whoever manages his supplements and Jesus Christ.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.
Seven years ago Anderson Silva lost a fight to Yushin Okami due to a disqualification for an illegal up-kick. Since then “The Spider” has rattled off 17 consecutive wins (14 in the UFC). In every sport, we have the new crop of athletes compared to…
Seven years ago Anderson Silva lost a fight to YushinOkami due to a disqualification for an illegal up-kick. Since then “The Spider” has rattled off 17 consecutive wins (14 in the UFC).
In every sport, we have the new crop of athletes compared to the greatest of all time. Although it’s fair to debate it, I would believe the majority of fans consider Silva the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
How many fighters in the sport have dominated in the way Silva has?
The 37-year-old has defended his UFC middleweight title a record 10 times. Over half (18) of Silva’s 33 career wins have come within the very first round. Over the last few years, Silva has been so confident that he has looked bored at times. In his most recent fight, he actually stood against the cage and let Stephan Bonnar hit him a few times—in the head.
If Anderson Silva hasn’t earned the reputation as the greatest of all time, then I’m not sure who else you could give that title to as it stands today.
There’s no question that the UFC’s Jon Jones is somebody who continues to draw comparisons to Silva. Some think he could surpass Silva’s title defense record and have a more impressive career when it’s all said and done.
Jones is currently 25 years old and already has a professional MMA record of 17-1. Jones’ last loss was similar to Silva’s last defeat in the sense that it was due to disqualification when he nailed Matt Hamill with “12-6” elbows. Jones looked like he was well on his way to winning that fight without the elbows.
When Silva was 25, he had only three professional fights (2-1) and was still four years away from earning a belt within any promotion.
These type of comparisons are going to flank Jones for as long as he is successful. It is very reminiscent of how NBA fans remember Michael Jordan.
Jordan last played in 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards. Toward the end of his career, fans would refer to any matchup he had with Kobe Bryant as a “passing of the torch.” Here we are, a decade later, and I still believe most NBA fans and media believe Jordan is still the greatest of all time.
As soon as Bryant and his ‘fro finished going up against Michael Jordan in the 1998 All-Star Game, he couldn’t escape the conversation as to whether or not he was going to be the “next Jordan.”
As Bryant’s career has continued through the years, the comparisons to Jordan have never stopped. In the early stages of Bryant’s career, people said he wasn’t clutch, then they said he couldn’t win without Shaquille O’Neal and now those same people proclaim Jordan is better because Kobe hasn’t won that sixth ring (Jordan won six NBA championships).
The only other player in the NBA to face the same scrutiny in comparisons to Jordan is LeBron James. This all started when James had one of his high school basketball games televised on ESPN. From that point forward, people were saying he was going to be the next Jordan.
The James/Jordan talk had been relegated to a whisper prior to the 2011-12 season. Up until that point, James had failed to win a championship. As the championshipless years continued for James, so did the buzz surrounding his “Jordan-esque” career.
That’s what it comes down to with MMA as well—winning. Silva is the Michael Jordan of MMA because he wins. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you rack up a great record and spectacular stats but fail to come through when it matters the most, you can never be considered the greatest of all time.
I’m certain we have yet to see the greatest fighter the sport will ever see. I do know, however, that Anderson Silva is the greatest of all time as I write this. Jon Jones and other elite fighters will have no choice but to hear their name compared to Silva for as long as they remain successful.
We don’t know for sure how long Silva will continue to fight. I still believe he’ll give us between 3-5 more bouts and call it a career at the age of 40. As great as he is today, one would think he would have to start slowing at some point.
After all, Michael Jordan did.
Joe Chacon is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a staff writer for Operation Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.
Things in the UFC featherweight division are about to get downright nasty. Despite being one of the organization’s newest weight classes, the battle for contender status at 145 pounds has become intense. Over the next five weeks, nearly every fighter r…
Things in the UFC featherweight division are about to get downright nasty.
Despite being one of the organization’s newest weight classes, the battle for contender status at 145 pounds has become intense. Over the next five weeks, nearly every fighter ranked in the divisional Top 10 will step into the Octagon looking to take a step forward.
The bulk of this action will take place next Saturday night at UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago, where a collection of top featherweights will battle it out to determine who stays in the race and who goes to the back of the line.
Of the 145-pound matchups on the card, the fight carrying the most stock comes between Ricardo Lamas and Erik Koch. The bout has the potential to determine the next contender to the featherweight crown, and “The Bully” is looking to make the most of the opportunity.
If a high-profile fight on Fox with possible title implication were not enough to fire Lamas up, the bout taking place in his hometown certainly does the trick. The 30-year-old has Chicago roots, and the chance to throw down with Koch in front of a Windy City crowd has Lamas ready to get after it.
“I’m definitely excited about fighting in Chicago,” Lamas told Bleacher Report. “I haven’t fought in front of a hometown crowd since 2008, before I got into the WEC. Being able to come back and fight in front of my hometown crowd in Chicago is an honor. I’m really happy they are letting me do it.
I think the way we match-up will make for a very exciting fight. He alone is an exciting fighter and I believe I am as well. When you put two fighters like that together you are going to get a very high-paced, high-action fight. Most likely there is going to be some blood. I would suggest that fans keep their eyes open and not to look away from this one.”
During his time in the WEC, Lamas had a successful campaign competing as a lightweight. But when he transitioned into the UFC, Lamas began his new chapter as a featherweight. The decision paid dividends as he has collected three consecutive victories at 145 pounds, with his most recent coming over HatsuHioki this past June.
The Japanese fighter was considered by most to be the No. 2-ranked featherweight in the world going into the fight, but after an impressive performance by Lamas, the former Division Three All-American exited the Octagon with a new burst of momentum.
That being said, the featherweight division has been slow to pick up steam with the UFC fanbase, and Lamas is admittedly one of featherweight’s lesser-known commodities. Undeterred, he understands that while he may not be a household name with the fans, the biggest organization in the sport certainly give him his due.
“I don’t think I’m being overlooked,” Lamas said. “I believe I’m getting some of the credit I deserve because they are matching me up with some high-level competition. That says something. That says the UFC believes in me and that I deserve to be in there with the top guys.
As far as the regular fan knowing me; that isn’t so important to me right now. I’m here to fight and be the best that I can. Being well known comes second to that.”
A victory over Koch would make a strong case for Lamas to earn a title shot. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter was originally slated to face champion Jose Aldo at UFC 153 before he was forced to withdraw due to injury. Following Koch’s withdraw, Lamas was offered the position opposite Aldo—which he accepted.
Ultimately the UFC decided to change directions and tapped former lightweight champion Edgar to take Koch’s place. The bout was scrapped entirely when Aldo suffered an injury, but the “super fight” drew enough heat with the fanbase for the organization to put the fight on a later card at UFC 156.
Much like Lamas, the 24-year-old Koch is riding a win streak of his own. “New Breed” has collected four consecutive victories but has not competed inside the Octagon for over 17 months. Lamas getting a win over the Milwaukee native will put him high on the list of potential contenders, but he also understands, much like the previous incident, it is a decision entirely beyond his control.
“I’m at the point in my career where I want to make a run at the title,” Lamas said. “I feel I’m at that stage where I can make a serious run at this thing, give it my best, and see what happens. But a [title shot]is something the UFC will decide and it is not really up to me. One thing I’ve learned a long time ago from my old college coach in wrestling is to never look past the match you have right in front of you. Right now I’m not even thinking about a title shot or anything like that. I’m 100% focused on Erik Koch.”
The bout between Lamas and Koch will put the spotlight on the featherweight division and kick off a fantastic run of matchups that will keep the eyes of the MMA world locked on the weight class. It is a defining time for the young division, and with fighters who were elite-level lightweights choosing to drop down, Lamas feels it is only going to make the competition at 145 pounds that much stronger.
“There are a lot of guys dropping down from 155-pounds like [Clay] Guida and Frankie Edgar,” Lamas said. “With these guys coming down I think it is going to be a very challenging weight class and there are a lot of great guys already competing at 145-pounds. It is going to make for some exciting match-ups and there are going to be a lot of great fights for fans to watch. “
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained first-hand unless noted otherwise.
It’s hard to see a good man turned away, but in the world of combative sports, it’s something we just have to accept. After all, MMA is a sport based on men being turned away; one day you’re the hammer, the next day you’re the n…
It’s hard to see a good man turned away, but in the world of combative sports, it’s something we just have to accept. After all, MMA is a sport based on men being turned away; one day you’re the hammer, the next day you’re the nail.
Before we go any deeper, yes, I think Michael Bisping is a good man. Cocky as hell and one of the louder purveyors of smack-talk, but overall he seems to be a good guy in a tough sport, fighting to get what all fighters want: a title shot.
After another setback last night, at the hands of Vitor Belfort, we are left to wonder just how many angles Bisping can approach this from before he finds the formula that’s going to see him win a crack at the belt.
Thus far he’s developed a style that plays to his strengths, and it’s allowed him to win far more than he loses, but if it can’t push him into title contention, then it’s time to mix things up a bit.
Bisping has got a solid base to rebuild from, but what direction is he going to go?
