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Does Tito Ortiz Belong in the UFC Hall of Fame?

With Tito Ortiz’s upcoming fight against Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in July and the fact that he is most certainly in the twilight of his career, it seems like an appropriate time to examine whether or not he deserves a spot in the UFC’s hall of…

Unlike other sports, there is no national panel to judge whether or not someone’s credentials are worthy of admittance and it is left mostly up to Dana White to decide who is granted entry. This, along with White’s famous temper, makes the process rather arbitrary.

Prominent fighters like Frank Shamrock, who deserve entry, will most likely never be let in. White’s notorious temper and desire to have things done his way have led to unfair treatment of other fighters as well.

When Randy Couture had his issues with Zuffa, the UFC simply stopped mentioning Couture on their broadcasts as if they were trying to erase him from their history. Also, when several AKA fighters like Jon Fitch initially refused to sign over their rights to the UFC, they were cut from the organization albeit temporarily.

So as one can see, the process itself may not be the fairest and the longstanding feud between Ortiz and White may preclude Ortiz from being admitted to the hall of fame. However, there is a legitimate question as to whether or not Ortiz possesses the credentials to even be admitted into the hall even if the process was unbiased.

Several journalists, such as Kevin Iole, claim that Ortiz should most certainly be let in based off of the fact that he defended the light heavyweight title five times and held the championship for over three years. However, everyone knows numbers can be deceiving and a closer look at Ortiz’s resume shows why.

Ortiz boasts a career record of 15-8-1 and a UFC record of 14-8-1. He won the UFC light heavyweight belt at UFC 25 in April of 2000 against Wanderlei Silva and then defended it five times until he lost to Randy Couture at UFC 44 in September of 2003. His five defenses were against Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko and Ken Shamrock.

Matyushenko, Sinosic and Kondo are serviceable fighters but really fall under the category of career journeymen and Ken Shamrock was well past his prime. His most impressive title defense was most likely Evan Tanner but even that is somewhat questionable since Tanner eventually dropped down to middleweight.

Iole’s other argument is that Ortiz held the title for over three years. However, this argument is easily debunked when one notes that Ortiz refused to fight Chuck Liddell and the UFC eventually had to create an interim title which Liddell and Couture fought for at UFC 43.

When determining whether or not someone deserves entry into the UFC hall of fame, several things must be evaluated. Whether or not they were able to win a title and how long they defended it, their ability to perform under pressure, longevity and the willingness to challenge themselves and fight any and all contenders.

While Ortiz did win and defend his title, he has failed time after time to deliver in big fights, he does not have the career longevity or the ability to still remain relevant like other fighters such as Couture and Matt Hughes, and his refusal to fight Liddell casts a dark stain on his character and career.

Ortiz’s failure to deliver in big fights is the biggest reason that he doesn’t deserve to go to the hall of fame. Great champions step up in big fights and Ortiz simply hasn’t been up to the challenge. He lost his first title shot to Frank Shamrock at UFC 22, he lost the unification match with Randy Couture at UFC 44, and lost both title fights with Chuck Liddell.

Ortiz’s 14 UFC wins also begin to look less impressive when one notes that three of them came against a washed up Ken Shamrock. He has also failed to remain relevant after losing his title and was never able to successfully rebound.

Fighters like Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre, Randy Couture, and B.J Penn all rebounded to win back their titles or even win titles in other weight classes. Even today Matt Hughes is still able to win fights and even fighters like Rich Franklin are still able to put on good fights and can continue on as gatekeepers.

It should also be noted that Ortiz’s last two victories were both over Ken Shamrock and his win before that was the controversial victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 59. Ortiz’s last clear-cut win was over Vitor Belfort at UFC 51 in 2005.

While Ortiz was charismatic and brought the UFC much needed attention, it is very questionable if his career resume is enough to get him admitted to the hall of fame. He has failed to deliver in the biggest fights of his career, he was so hesitant to fight Chuck Liddell that the UFC needed to create an interim belt to remedy the situation, and he has failed to show the longevity of other great fighters.

While Ortiz may have been very good, he was not great and the hall of fame is for the greatest—not the very good.

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Chael Sonnen Forgivable If He Laid-and-Prayed on Anderson Silva in Last 2 Mins?

We all know what happened in UFC 117; I would just like to tweak a little our perception of lay-and-pray.Chael Sonnen was making good of his boast to “punch a hole” in Anderson Silva’s head most of the way, till The Spider unleashed his web…

We all know what happened in UFC 117; I would just like to tweak a little our perception of lay-and-pray.

Chael Sonnen was making good of his boast to “punch a hole” in Anderson Silva‘s head most of the way, till The Spider unleashed his web and submitted his almost-conqueror with less than two minutes remaining in their title fight.

What Sonnen displayed for four-and-a-half rounds was definitely no “hump-fest”; it was, on the contrary, a spectacle of unmitigated ground-and-pound galore. (Never mind whatever he was taking that made him as indefatigable as the Energizer Bunny, drumming on Silva’s bald noggin.)

It was without a doubt one of the most exciting fights in MMA history, ending with a thrilling come-from-behind victory via Silva’s arm triangle choke-arm bar submission over his game challenger.

And so, Silva walked away with the UFC Middleweight Championship belt for the 10th straight time, without a discernible hole in his skull.

Now what if Sonnen, no doubt assured of his lead in the judges’ scorecards—with the lopsided beating he was delivering to Silva—decided to protect his advantage in points into the decision win?

And, propelled by his hunger for the title, along with the honest (pun intended) additional paycheck courtesy of the winner’s purse, opted to, well, lay-and-pray instead for the two-minute remainder of the fifth and final round?

Would we have forgiven him?

Should not all the adrenaline he elicited from us fans during the first four cantos suffice as compensation for the eventual boring tactic he employed into crowning himself “The New UFC Middleweight Champion of the World”?

Just passively defending in Silva’s guard, wisely drifting through the last 120 seconds at less risk for his inevitable career milestone?

Well, it didn’t happen.

He was hell-bent on winning in dominant and destructive fashion and got caught in that fateful second of abandon.

I’m even giving him the benefit of the doubt that he intended to finish.

Although he knew he was no power-puncher, he was earnestly hoping the accumulation of head strikes would take its toll somehow and daze Silva for a referee stoppage.

Here’s additional food for thought from former WEC Champion Miguel Torres, after losing to Demetrious Johnson in UFC 130:

“My trainer, Firas, wanted me to hold position more and not attack submissions so much because going into it, we knew he was a good scrambler and he’s really short, has short limbs and a short, stocky neck.

“I wanted to attack. I wanted to put on a show for the fans. I didn’t want to lay on the guy and not do anything. Maybe in hindsight I should have done that.

“I know what to do for my next fight. People might not like it. It might be a little boring, but the biggest thing is to secure a win however I can. If that means laying on somebody or just holding them down, it’s going to have to be that way.”

In closing, allow me an analogy and a couple of questions:

If you’re the leading marathon runner who’s only a hundred meters from the finish line, and your closest rival is a good one kilometer away from you, shouldn’t you just relax your pace and cruise to the top of the podium?

Why sprint?

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Why MMA Is Becoming More Appealing Than Boxing, Purely from a Fan Perspective

Like many fight fans, I fell in love with boxing fan from an early age, and became progressively intrigued by the scintillating lure of arguably the purest sport on earth, which involved two men enclosed in a ring vis-à-vis, with a view to ultimately disconnecting his adversary from consciousness, thereby determining the better individual combatant. Isn’t this, after all, the very essence of all sport, the veritable embodiment of competition?

Then along came MMA and the UFC, which assured us that this is “as real as it gets”. Inspired by “Vale Tudo” tournaments in Brazil, the UFC and the sport of MMA have roots in the ancient Olympic combat sport of Pankration in 648 BC”. Indeed, the UFC showcased fighters of multiple disciplines in order to identify the most effective martial art in a real fight. Could anyone dispute that this was the purest form of existing combat, replicating true-to-life NHB combat scenarios? (ok, aside from the fact that most belligerent men in bars don’t wear spandex nuthuggers).

I believe that my route into MMA fandom is a rather conventional one, paralleled by a vast number of my contemporaries that pertain to the “MMA Community”. Of course there are those for whom boxing and MMA will forever prove mutually exclusive, to be adjudged in isolation, with those people liable to perceive my endeavour to compare and contrast the sports as sacrilege.

It is generally anti-MMA boxing fans that express such a grievance since this cohort invariably constitutes combat sports’ version of a “snob”, whist conversely MMA fans tend to simultaneously display an admiration for its pugilistic predecessor. This is neatly epitomised by spearheads of both sports, Bob Arum, Bert Sugar, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta. Bob and Bert openly confess their distaste for the sport of MMA (though they harbour a respect for the majestic marketing of the UFC), whilst Dana and Lorenzo are self-professed boxing enthusiasts (Dana in fact instructed boxing before encountering MMA) who believe that both sports may coexist harmoniously.

For others boxing and MMA may be inextricably linked, falling under the bracket of “combat sports”. Many, like myself, will have been introduced to/encountered one sport through the other, having been enticed into MMA as a natural progression to an initial appreciation of boxing or vice-versa.

I would now like to return to the initial title and enumerate the multiple elements which have contributed to cultivating a sport in MMA that in my humble opinion is better to, and for, the fans than boxing. And, just to qualify this assertion, I am not contesting which sport is better per se (as this is wholly/holy subjective), nor am I arguing which sport is more popular (After all, the 16,412 fans that packed Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena for Pacquiao vs Mosley is nearly 1,600 more enthusiasts than the UFC has ever drawn to the same venue), but rather which is better to and for the fans, hence purely from an objective fan perspective.

follow me on Twitter @jonathanshrager

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Strikeforce Overeem vs. Werdum: What If Fabricio Werdum Beats Alistair Overeem?

It’s safe to say that June has been a good month to fans of Zuffa’s heavyweight warriors.Last weekend, UFC 131 featured a huge title contender battle between Junior Dos Santos and Shane Carwin, with Dos Santos coming out the definitive winner…

It’s safe to say that June has been a good month to fans of Zuffa’s heavyweight warriors.

Last weekend, UFC 131 featured a huge title contender battle between Junior Dos Santos and Shane Carwin, with Dos Santos coming out the definitive winner, giving Carwin one hell of a beat down.

This Saturday, Strikeforce and Dream Heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem will face Fabricio Werdum in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, a bout that will have serious repercussions for the rankings of MMA’s top 265ers.

Overeem, who has been on a tear since moving to heavyweight full-time, is 5-0 in his last five fights and hasn’t lost since 2007. Not surprisingly, he is a -500 favorite according to Bodog.eu.

Critics shouldn’t hastily count Werdum out however, as he thrives as the underdog and has been performing exceptionally well against the division’s top fighters.

No one will forget his submission upset over MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko last June, a win that came nearly a year after he defeated rising star Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Overeem, although decimating anyone to cross his path, has not been facing the best of the best. He hasn’t even faced a high profile fighter since a no contest with Mirko Cro Cop in 2008.

If Werdum were to beat Overeem in a convincing fashion, I would argue that he should be ranked near the top of the heavyweight rankings.

Werdum, who hasn’t tasted defeat since a 2008 TKO loss to Dos Santos, owns wins over some of the sport’s biggest names. He’s the only fighter to submit both Emelianenko brothers, stopped Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga back-to-back, and already has a win over Overeem.

Defeating Overeem again would be a huge opportunity for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace to make a big splash in the MMA world and would set him up perfectly to take the Grand Prix title.

Having already beaten “Bigfoot,” the only person who would still pose a threat would be Sergei Kharitonov, who just barely edged Werdum in 2005, winning a split decision at Pride 30.

Taking the Grand Prix title would be a major milestone in Werdum’s career and would catapult him to MMA stardom, and possibly, a UFC title fight in the future.

Follow Matt on Twitter @MattJuulMMA.

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Strikeforce Overeem vs. Werdum: Info and Predictions for Every Fight on the Card

UFC 131 is in the books and the Dallas Mavericks have just won the NBA championship, but the MMA community and city of Dallas will be shifting its attention to the next huge Zuffa event, this Saturday night at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.Bleacher R…

Bleacher Report is here with information and predictions for each of the 10 fights on this important Strikeforce card.

Though some of the fighters on this big event are not as well known to the casual fan, the highly anticipated Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament will be continuing in both the main event and semi-main event.

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett will be competing in quarterfinals fights.

Also making his Strikeforce debut in Dallas will be veteran fighter and former UFC No. 1 contender, Jeff “The Snowman” Monson as he faces up-and-comer Daniel Cormier.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum fight card!

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UFC 131 Results: Sam Stout Is Ready to Throw Stones at Cowboy Donald Cerrone

There’s nothing like winning in impressive fashion in front of your fellow countrymen. Vancouver may be miles away from London, Ontario on the other side of Canada, but that didn’t stop 27-year-old Canadian lightweight Sam Stout from validating his nickname “Hands of Stone” after dropping a vicious overhand left hook square on Yves Edward’s chin.

The fight was over in an instant; Stout’s punch landed hard and Edwards entered the realm of unconsciousness, falling back with no effort and smacking his head hard on the mat. By far, that knockout was immediately thrown on the “Top 10 Knockout” list on about 20 different sites around the Internet—and well-deserving.

Once the excitement wore off, seeing Edwards still crumpled, slightly shaking in the same position he fell in, was nothing to cheer about. A vicious knockout always produces a dichotomy of reactions: an absolute appreciation that a trained athlete has enough skill and might to pull off such a result and instant concern for the guy lying on the ground.

Regardless if fans experienced either of those emotions, pundits became fixated with where such a brutal knockout victory put Stout on the lightweight totem pole. The UFC’s 155-pound division is not for the lighthearted, leaving very little room for error due to its deep talent pool.

Now that Stout has made a splash at UFC 131, will matchmaker Joe Silva reward the young Canadian a chance to elevate his career by facing the next level of competition?

He certainly deserves the shot after holding his own in the octagon for 11 matches, garnering five “Fight of the Night” honors and defeating notable guys like Spencer Fisher, Matt Wiman, Joe Lauzon and Paul Taylor.

Needless to say, Stout’s experience at this level, at his age, is an advantage that rarely goes equally matched.

After debuting in the UFC at the age of 22, his five-year ride has produced a seesaw of results, a rough lesson in how to deal with the highs and lows of competing in a sport filled with hungry, talented fighters willing to do whatever it takes to become a permanent fixture on the grandest roster in the game.

As it stands today, Stout has barely stayed afloat in the win column, tallying up nearly as many losses as he has wins. The tides have changed though. Two days after blasting a crafty veteran like Edwards into an out-of-body experience, the lightweight standings got juggled and have shifted in Stout’s favor.

It was exactly what he needed to built enough momentum to snap out of his predictable win-loss cycle, a chance to prove he belongs at the next level.

The prefect test for his next fight would be fellow striker Donald Cerrone, who consequentially clocked in at UFC 131 for a win as well. Timing should not be an issue and both guys have the chins and stand up skills to produce a “Fight of the Night” performance.

Plus, each guy’s sails are being backed by the same large gust of momentum. Somebody is bound to get derailed if they collide, which would created that exciting sense of importance leading up to a potential fight.

“The Cowboy” Cerrone put on a leg kick clinic against his opponent Vagner Rocha at UFC 131, the fourth consecutive victim after Jamie Varner, Chris Horodecki and Paul Kelly. While Cerrone has the physical tools to be a constant threat at the top of the table, his mental strength wanes from time to time.

Despite being on a solid win-streak, he has the tendency to be unjustly hard on his performances, stating a common complaint of not pulling the trigger enough on his feet, as if he has something to prove to himself. A win against Stout would help Cerrone clear his mind, enhance his confidence and help him discover his rightful place in the UFC’s lightweight division.

Even though Cerrone will eventually have to overcome a strong wrestler in the UFC and Stout will have to prove he has enough consistency to remain at the top, this would be a very intriguing fight loaded with fireworks that could be a platform jump into those future challenges for the winner.

For each competitor, this would be their respective fight to win or lose, a step towards top-five competition or a step back into the middle of the pack.

It’s a good fight for both guys and a fun fight for the fans…what could go wrong? Dana White and Joe Silva not reading this article and injury, to think of a few things….

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