Tag: Opinion

Is Sam Stout a Top-10 LW? 5 Fights He Should Take Next to Prove It.

If you’re a fighter and your nickname is “Hands of Stone,” then it follows that you better have some impressive KO’s on your resume. If you don’t, well, people might start to call you out on your choice of fight handle.Tha…

If you’re a fighter and your nickname is “Hands of Stone,” then it follows that you better have some impressive KO’s on your resume. If you don’t, well, people might start to call you out on your choice of fight handle.

That was the awkward spot that London, Ontario native Sam Stout found himself in for most of his UFC career. A student of the well-known kickboxing guru Shawn Thompkins, “Hands of Stone” acquired a solid reputation as an exciting, tough fighter with good technical striking. Unfortunately, his lack of clean KO victories also earned him the stigma of being “pillow-fisted”.

I blame the nickname. Fight fans take shit s*** seriously. Just listen to how angry the crowd gets the next time Geroges St-Pierre “Rush”es through another 25 minutes title defense, or the “Dead of Mean” Keith Jardine gets called a really, really great guy (usually by the dude who just knocked him out).

Luckily for Sam, that awkwardness is a thing of the past.

This past Saturday at UFC 131, Stout notched a beautiful—and scary—knockout of respected vet Yves Edwards. Not only did the win validate his choice of fight moniker, it also erased another stigma that has plagued Stout over his UFC tenure: his perception as a “middle of the pack” contender.

Oh, I know fans will debate the imponderable rankings value of an Yves Edwards KO until the cows come home. But you can’t deny that aside from Shane Carwin’s battered mug (another tragic case of fist-to-face-idosis) andKenny Florian’s Laura Flynn Boyle impersonation at Featherweight, Stout’s KO is “the story” coming off this past UFC.

It’s what fans are talking about. It’s the fight they’re rewatching on their PVR’s. It’s the gif they’re tweeting to their friends on Monday morning. Now that he’s not a “pillow-fisted gatekeeper” any more, the biggest question facing Stout is “what next?”.

Of course, I have a few thoughts on the matter. Here are the top five fights I’d like to see “Hands of Stone” take next to prove he really is a top-10 Lightweight.

 

Dennis Siver: C’mon now, tell me this fight would be anything but totally f****** awesome.

On the one hand, you have Stout, one of the most reliably exciting fighters in the lightweight division. He’s won “Fight of the Night” five times in his UFC career. And against him, we put a guy who could very well have just walked off the set of the latest “Universal Soldier” movie.

Siver has something of a buzz going about him currently, following his upset win over rising star George Sotiropoulos. He has a penchant for devastating people with his spinning back kick, which he throws like he’s fighting in “The Kumite” and not the UFC. His German-Russian background gives him a demeanour somewhat akin to the Terminator when he fights.

Some might doubt if Sam has the power on the feet to hang with Dennis. I think this last fight with Edwards went a long way towards answering those questions. Still, regardless of outcome, this fight would be a guaranteed fireworks display on the feet. Have those “Fight of the Night” bonus cheques written and ready to be cashed—assuming Siver beats Matt Wiman in a few weeks time, that is.

Donald Cerrone: Here’s another fight where you know—you just know—that neither guy is going to be sitting back.

“The Cowboy” has complained recently of a lack of top fighters willing to step up to the plate and throw down with him. Or a perceived lack of fighters willing to step up. Or what could possibly be construed as a perceived lack of fighters willing to step. Or maybe someone just looked at him the wrong way backstage.

Either way, Donald Cerrone is proud, pissed off, and dropping sexist and homophobic slurs like he’s “that Uncle” after too many visits to the punch bowl on New Years.

If he’s looking for a game opponent, he need look no further then Stout. Since Cerrone himself has a reputation for being “pillow-fisted”, this fight would be a good chance to erase that stigma against a fighter with an iron chin. Plus, both these guys have legit kickboxing credentials, so the stand up battle should be a heck of a lot of fun.

Anthony Pettis: Speaking of legit kickboxing creds, one need look no further in the LW division then Anthony Pettis.

Ok ok, so the guy’s no K-1 Grand Prix champion or anything. But can you really speak of the inventor of the “Showtime Kick”—as well as a dozen other funky moves he regularly debuts on opponents—without a little reverence?

I think over the course of his WEC/UFC run, Pettis has proven he is one of the better strikers in the lightweight division. Throw in his ever improving BJJ game and tendency to make fights really damn fun (see a theme emerging here?) and I see an interesting stylistic challenge—and a hell of a fight —for Sam Stout.

George Sotiropoulos: Assuming the UFC brass believes Dennis Siver to be too steep a challenge for Stout, they could always give him the man he just beat.

Up until that loss, “G-Sot” was considered 155′s hottest rising star. A BJJ prodigy under noted instructor/Gumby-meets-Towlie offspring Eddie Bravo, Sot seemed to be on the fast track to a LW title shot.

That is, until he ran smack dab into the angry left foot of Dennis Siver. Then he ran into it again. And again. 15 minutes later, and his title shot was vaporized faster then a puddle in the Australian Outback/Joe Rogan’s medicinal grade bud bud on 4/20.

This would be less of an “action” fight for Stout, as George would clearly look to take this fight to the ground rather then stand and trade. Still, Stout has “ever-improving” wrestling (thanks, Goldie!), especially take down defense. The last time he fought a guy who tried to take him down, we got the epic war that was Stout vs. Lauzon.

Spencer Fischer: Here’s my personal pick, folks. All of the above fighters would make for a damn good fight.

Only Spencer Fischer would guarantee a classic for the ages.

These men first met in Stout’s Octagon début, with Sam taking the win over late-replacement Fischer after an epic three-round battle. When they met again, a more well prepared Fischer edged Stout in another epic three-round battle.

So let me do some quick math here. Two fighters in their primes, having met twice before in two of the most exciting lightweight fights of all time, with the score tied at 1-1. Matchmaking doesn’t get any more obvious then this, ladies and gentlemen.

The UFC needs to finish this trilogy. For Spencer, for Sam, for the fans, for everyone. Epic trilogies where both men are tied one apiece in two seriously epic fights DO NOT go uncompleted. Not in any MMA universe I care to inhabit.

The UFC should book Sam vs. Spencer 3, put it on a free card, and give a fitting conclusion to one of the best trilogies in the history of the LW division.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

5 Reasons American Fans Should Stop Hating Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping might be the most hated fighter in MMA. From his trash talk on The Ultimate Fighter, (pick your season) to his questionable decision win against Matt Hamill in England, or his despicable behavior after his fight with Jorge Rivera at UFC…

Michael Bisping might be the most hated fighter in MMA.

From his trash talk on The Ultimate Fighter, (pick your season) to his questionable decision win against Matt Hamill in England, or his despicable behavior after his fight with Jorge Rivera at UFC 127, it’s easy to find a reason to hate “The Count.”

The problem is, none of these things are his fault.

Here are five reasons why we should not only stop hating Bisping, but we should also cheer for him.

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Would a UFC-Strikeforce Merger Hurt the Sport?

The dream of every MMA fan is to see the best fights possible. In every professional sport, we get to see the best in the world compete against one another on a consistent basis. Unfortunately for MMA, there has always been a line in the sand when it c…

The dream of every MMA fan is to see the best fights possible.

In every professional sport, we get to see the best in the world compete against one another on a consistent basis.

Unfortunately for MMA, there has always been a line in the sand when it comes to delivering fans the dream match-ups they want to see.

While the UFC boasts the biggest stable of upper-echelon talent, there are a multitude of organizations around the world that harbor world class fighters.

A prime example is the San Jose based Strikeforce promotion, which rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the highly ridiculed EliteXC organization.

There are a plethora of major names in the promotion including Fedor Emelianenko, Nick Diaz, Alistair Overeem, and Gilbert Melendez.

Fans have dreamed about seeing these guys paired with marquee UFC names for surefire MMA blockbusters.

Earlier this year, the UFC took a giant step in making these dream match-ups a reality when Zuffa purchased Strikeforce.

The reaction from the news was reminiscent of Zuffa’s purchase of Pride in March 2007. Since the announcement, fans eagerly wait as UFC President Dana White works hard to deliver the fights they want to see.

On Oct. 29, the first superfight between the two promotions will occur when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defends his title against Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, who had to relinquish his belt to challenge GSP.

This fight marks the beginning of something special, and fans have every right to be excited for the future. There is nothing wrong with acquiring UFC-ready talent like Diaz, but a full-on merger between the UFC and Strikeforce has its downfalls.

What would happen to women’s MMA?

Since the February 2007 tussle between Gina Carano and Julie Kedzie, women’s MMA has grown considerably, and fans have generally accepted the ladies as viable competitors in the sport.

With Carano serving as the face of women’s MMA, the sport has introduced a multitude of other stars including Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Marloes Coenen, Sarah Kaufman, and Miesha Tate.

The championship bout between Carano and Santos even served as the headliner on a major Strikeforce card in August 2009.

If a merger takes place, it could mean the end of women’s MMA in the mainstream spotlight. It isn’t that White and the UFC aren’t interested, but the amount of quality talent in women’s MMA simply isn’t there yet.

It’s been nearly a year since Santos’ last title defense, and Strikeforce is still searching for an opponent.

Women’s MMA is a growing project, and it will take time to bolster divisions. If you look at things from the other side of the spectrum, the opportunity to fight for the UFC and make more money could encourage more women to get involved in the sport.

Along with the uncertainty of women’s MMA, a merger could make it harder to distribute the spotlight amongst superstars and rising contenders.

With the addition of the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, UFC cards are consistently stacked. Fans used to wait around for maybe two or three big cards per year, but the influx of talent acquired from the WEC has generated an abundance of main card worthy match-ups.

With only five fights guaranteed to make it on pay-per-view, it’s tough to showcase every fighter. The UFC has done a tremendous job of turning to various outlets like Facebook and Youtube to stream the undercard of live events.

According to White, the UFC is close to adding a flyweight division. This is an entire division featuring a new stable of talent. If you add in the vast amount of talent from the Strikeforce roster, could the current UFC setup handle this amount of potential stars?

There could possibly be talk about extending the pay-per-view bouts or putting on more shows, but this decision would certainly require some major changes.

What about the entertaining talent that can’t cut it in the UFC?

The mantra for the UFC is usually three strikes and you’re out. As the divisions continue to grow, we could see fighters cut after one or two losses.

There is a multitude of entertaining talent that may not be able to cut it in the UFC. Diaz was a great example.

Towards the end of his UFC tenure, he lost three straight to Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, and Joe Riggs. Diaz used the EliteXC and Strikeforce promotions to build a name for himself.

He is now one of the biggest stars in the sport, and his success outside the UFC earned him the opportunity to challenge for a world title.

A true fan of the sport enjoys watching quality fights wherever they can be found. As are many others, Diaz is a quality fighter that garnered interest outside the UFC.

Why waste these guys?

As a fan, it’s great to have another medium to get your fill of the sport. If a fighter is cut from the UFC or a deal goes awry, people can still watch their favorite fighters compete in another mainstream promotion. A merger would kill that option for fans.

There are plenty of things the UFC could do to avoid spreading the sport too thin. The promotion could introduce a minor league similar to the Strikeforce Challengers series, or Strikeforce could be left intact as a smaller promotion under the Zuffa umbrella.

As for now, White is firm in his statement that the promotions will continue to work as separate entities.

How long will that last?

Only time will tell.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Arianny Celeste: The UFC’s Number One Octagon Girl

The Octagon girls are no strangers to anyone who is a fan of MMA. Their simple, yet important role in an event is sometimes overlooked. Their jobs at the events is to put on their outfits, and then hold round cards up while walking around the perimeter…

The Octagon girls are no strangers to anyone who is a fan of MMA. Their simple, yet important role in an event is sometimes overlooked.

Their jobs at the events is to put on their outfits, and then hold round cards up while walking around the perimeter of the cage. Simple. But along with that, they play a bigger role.

It is always nice to have balance, and for a sport filled with predominantly sweaty, half-naked men wrestling on the ground or in a hold, having some ladies next to the cage and between rounds is a welcomed thing for most.

But for these girls, it does not have to be that simple. Take Arianny Celeste for example. Arguably the most popular card girl now, and maybe most popular to date, she has created her own image and identity just as significant as any of the fighters. She is becoming just as well known and media friendly as some of the MMA executives.

Why is this?

She does not simply just do her job and leave it at that. She extends her involvement with the company and remains in the public eye. Of course her physical appearance tends to be half of the equation, but she is also involved in more organization functions.

Arianny hosts the UFC.com’s popular UFC Ultimate Insider, which is a weekly installment of news, interviews, recaps and more. Not only that, she almost always attends any social function the UFC puts on.

Meeting her for the first time, she seemed very willing to engage her fans and be amongst them, instead of on a stage or in front of a barricade. Whether it is a fan expo, community outreach or other promotional outlet, her face is always around somewhere.

Currently, she is becoming more fluent with media outreach. With her cover debut of Maxim and being put in their Hot 100 list, she has made herself known to the world outside of MMA.

But then she took it a little further. Arianny was featured as the cover girl of Playboy magazine in November of 2010. Once again, she created a media boom that would continue to resonate.

Sometimes when a celebrity has always been covered up and people wanted them to show more skin, once they do, they can lose some of their luster. For Arianny, she has continued to put herself out there and it helps in a counteracting way.

Her recent commercial with Bud Light, which features her topless surrounded by limes, is nothing short of a perfect example of “sex sells.”  Also, she is the newest cover girl for the latest issue of UFC magazine. This continuous growth aides in retaining her popularity.

She has created an image so successful that even the UFC online store has given Ms. Celeste her own cardboard standup along with big name fighters. She is featured fashioning the newest apparel for the UFC and is involved with the video games as well.

We do not know how long her reign of popularity will last, but she will still be a significant part of UFC history, just as Rachelle Leah had done before her. Wherever the UFC goes, Arianny Celeste is surely to be alongside.

Who do you think is the best ring card girl and why? Share your thoughts below!

Follow the @FightersCreed on Twitter!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA: Will the Strikeforce Grand Prix Winner Really Be the No. 1 Heavyweight?

Awhile back you could have made a case for the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix winner laying claim to the title of No. 1 heavyweight in MMA.     UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez was sidelined with a serious shoulder injury and we didn&rsqu…

Awhile back you could have made a case for the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix winner laying claim to the title of No. 1 heavyweight in MMA.     

UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez was sidelined with a serious shoulder injury and we didn’t know when he would be back. Brock Lesnar had lost his aura of invincibly and Junior dos Santos was lacking a signature win.  

But that was in a time bubble.

Plus you were probably punch-drunk on the coolness of the tournament and forgetting just how long it would be before a winner was crowned, if ever.

Josh Barnett recently came out saying that the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix will determine the best heavyweight in the world.

“I absolutely believe that the winner of this tournament is the No. 1 heavyweight in the world. Anybody that comes out on top of this has the experience, or got the track record, and it will be proven without a doubt,” Barnett told MMAWeekly Radio.

“I think I’m fighting in the toughest collection of heavyweights just about ever assembled. To say otherwise would be a real travesty and would definitely show bias.”

While the winner of this tournament will have certainly gone through some stiff competition and racked up three consecutive wins in the process, can they really lay claim to No. 1 heavyweight in MMA?

Let’s take a closer look at what the man many consider the favorite would have to do:

If Alistair Overeem wins the tournament he will have collected wins over Fabricio Werdum, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and whoever emerges from the other side of the tournament (betting odds would say that man would be Josh Barnett).

Again, if the tournament actually plays out, the finals would likely take place sometime in the first half of 2012.  By then, Cain Velasquez will have put his belt on the line against Junior dos Santos and the champion will be looking for their next opponent (my money is on Brendan Schaub…who you got?).

So let’s assume Cain Velasquez defends his belt just for comparison’s sake.

Cain Velasquez (last 5 wins)                                              Alistair Overeem

Junior dos Santos                                                                   Josh Barnett

Brock Lesnar                                                                         “Big Foot” Silva

Antonio Nogueira                                                                    Fabricio Werdum

Ben Rothwell                                                                          Todd Duffee

Cheick Kongo                                                                         Brett Rogers

 

Obviously there are many ways this could play out.

Dos Santos could beat Velasquez and Barnett could win the tournament—then you’d have to compare their previous wins. While it may not be so clear cut as to who the No. 1 heavyweight in MMA might be, you at least have to take a look at the merits of the Strikeforce Grand Prix winner.

And if the tournament does actually play out to its natural conclusion, the one thing that absolutely must happen is the Grand Prix Winner challenge the UFC champion and leave no doubt as to who the best heavyweight in MMA is.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Lockout: 5 Reasons MMA Wins If There Is an NFL Lockout This Fall

We’re now midway through June and the NFL lockout has continued throughout the offseason. There is still plenty of time for the now defunct NFL Players Association and NFL owners to come to an agreement, but with each day that passes, there is an…

We’re now midway through June and the NFL lockout has continued throughout the offseason. There is still plenty of time for the now defunct NFL Players Association and NFL owners to come to an agreement, but with each day that passes, there is an increased concern about if it will happen in time to avoid missing any games.

This is not the first time that a major sport has gone through an offseason lockout and we have seen huge drop-offs in popularity of the sport when they finally do come back, even if there are no official games missed.

Though there are continuing talks between the players and owners, the league has a tremendous amount to lose in the upcoming weeks and months if they can’t get things done in discussions or the courtroom. Fans will only get increasingly frustrated from now until the season is supposed to start.

When the time comes that the season was supposed to begin and it doesn’t, all hell will break loose, unleashing the violent, angry mob of football fans.

Meanwhile, other sports may actually benefit from the NFL’s lockout if it happens. But one sport in particular, mixed martial arts, may actually benefit the most.

Here are the top five reasons that MMA “wins” is the NFL goes into an in-season lockout this fall.

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