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UFC 130 Fight Card: Stop Complaining About Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill

We’re now only a few days away from UFC 130, featuring a main event between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson and perennial contender Matt Hamill. The bout was originally a lead-in to the third and likely final fight between Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard, but was bumped up to main event status when both Maynard and Edgar pulled out due to injury.

Since then, Jackson-Hamill has received a rather lukewarm response from a large section of the MMA fanbase, who seem to decry the fight as uninteresting or boring. And I have to tell you, fans and friends… I’m just not seeing it. And I think everyone needs to stop complaining about this fight.

I understand some of the hesitation regarding this fight, sure. Even as a big fan of both Jackson and Hamill, I can admit that this fight isn’t as high-value or as eagerly anticipated as the original UFC 130 main event. That was a huge fight that got pulled, and so of course I can understand why people are a bit upset about it. But that’s pretty much where the mutual understanding ends and the confusion begins.

Why does everyone think this fight is going to suck or be boring? I just don’t get it. I know why some people think it’ll be an uneventful fight…but those people are wrong. Don’t believe me? Allow me to dissect the cynics’ main arguments as I perceive them. We’ll start with something I see all the time: Matt Hamill is a boring fighter.

To which I say: what Matt Hamill have you been watching? Certainly not the one that’s in the UFC.

Sure, Matt Hamill is a wrestling-based fighter. Sure, wrestling-based fighters have some degree of stigma attached to them, however inadvertently, based on their perceived penchant for going to boring decisions. But Matt Hamill is not that type of fighter, he’s never been that type of fighter, and leading into this fight with Jackson, I have no earthly idea why so many people take him as that type of fighter.

The results speak for themselves: Matt Hamill has fought 11 times in the UFC and only lost twice. He’s faced some very tough challenges in that time: Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin, Mark Munoz, Jon Jones, and more. He’s currently on a five-fight win-streak with two stoppages, two decisions, and one DQ. The fact that Matt Hamill has been to a decision in his two most-recent fights shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he’s finished a majority of his fights, with six (T)KOs throughout his career. And to top it all off, all six of those (T)KOs occurred in either the first or second round.

Granted, many people still have a problem with Matt Hamill “beating” Jon Jones by Disqualification. But the situation is as cut-and-dry as they come: Jon Jones destroyed Matt Hamill, and then he got a little too excited and started throwing some illegal elbows. To those that still hold this win against Matt Hamill, my response is very simple: Jon Jones may have destroyed Matt Hamill, but Jon Jones destroys everybody. Get over it.

Other than Matt Hamill being a boring fighter, another common criticism I’ve heard surrounding this match is that Quinton Jackson just doesn’t want to fight anymore. And while that’s a critique that’s not without some merit, it’s frankly being grossly over-blown.

It’s true that Quinton Jackson appears to be heading towards the end of his fighting career. It’s true that he’s stated in multiple interviews that he’s not Randy Couture and doesn’t envision himself competing past the age of 40. It’s even true that Jackson hasn’t looked too impressive in his two most-recent outings.

All of that is true, but so is this: Matt Hamill has lit a fire under Quinton Jackson, and with the ring rust now more or less shaken off, Jackson can get back to doing what he does best: putting on great fights.

Let’s not forget that before his recent two-fight dry-spell, Jackson had delivered some awesome fights in the UFC. Let’s not forget that Quinton Jackson is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and was the man that dethroned Chuck Liddell. Let’s not forget that despite all his flaws, Jackson remains a very popular and marketable star. Quinton Jackson, taken solely by himself, is a worthy main event star.

At the end of the day, it’s not easy being a realist and an optimist at the same time, but I’d like to consider myself both. This is one of those rare times where both the realist in me and the optimist in me are in agreement. Realistically, this fight has a better chance of being a quality main event than an underwhelming mismatch: you’ve got a very hungry Matt Hamill facing a Quinton Jackson that wants to put him in his place. And if these two bring out the best in each other (and that’s the optimist talking), we’re going to get a fantastic fight. So stop worrying, and most importantly… stop complaining.

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Debunking Bob Reilly’s Main Arguments Against Sanctioning MMA in New York

New York State Assemblyman Bob Reilly has been fighting the bad fight for years, and rarely passing up the opportunity to hate on the sport of mixed martial arts in a public interview. Most interviewers simply ask him a question (e.g. Why, Bob?) and give him the floor to spew his vitriol without anybody there to counter his asinine arguments, beyond the interviewer gently playing devil’s advocate.

Reilly recently appeared on an episode of Forbes to give more unfounded speculation as to why MMA has no place in our society. Watching an individual in power toss out baseless arguments against anything is incredibly frustrating, and at this point I honestly wonder if he even believes half the garbage he’s saying. Rather than watch another interview with Reilly and grow exponentially more frustrated, I feel it would be more therapeutic to simply rip the imaginary legs out form under Reilly’s two main arguments against the sanctioning of MMA in New York. Let’s dig in.

ARGUMENT No. 1

Reilly says: “My overriding opposition [to MMA] is based on the fact that I believe it’s a violent sport, and violence begets violence.”

Reason says: The phrase “violence begets violence” has no place in the discussion to sanction MMA. There’s a famous quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.”

Dr. King was, of course, speaking of the need to refrain from responding to violence with violence during the Civil Rights movement, as black people fought for equality in America. The phrase has always been interpreted and used to explain why violent reprisal occurs, and in the case if Dr. King’s quote, why it shouldn’t.

Violence against a person or people inspires violence back against that specific person or people. We see examples of this today half a world away as the Arab Spring continues to churn. Violence by Middle Eastern governments against the peaceful protests of the people they govern inspire those protesters to respond in kind.

Bob Reilly is suggesting that by watching two athletes square off in a sanctioned competition, in which both consent to participate and are financially rewarded for their participation, people will somehow be brainwashed and inspired to go out and commit violent acts against other people.

The lunacy of the statement speaks for itself. If such a thing were true, then by that rationale, boxing would have the same effect, and there would be a history of violent acts in society stretching as far back as boxing has existed that could directly be linked to the sport’s viewership. Furthermore, there would be modern day examples of violence occurring throughout the country as a result of people watching mixed martial arts. No such example exists, yet Reilly chooses to carelessly march on with this argument.

There isn’t a shred of evidence to back up his claim that allowing MMA into New York will inspire violence, and no rap sheet of criminal behavior stemming from watching two individuals fight in any arena is available. Whatever sound reasoning may exist to block MMA from coming to New York, Mr. Reilly has chosen to ignore it and instead reach for something that is undoubtedly profound yet blatantly ignorant.

ARGUMENT No. 2

Reilly says: “The major (argument) my colleagues use for the legalization of MMA is that it would bring money into the state (of New York), and I reject that entirely. I think it will cost more money for the state than it will bring in. I think that’s a specious and filaceous argument, that it would bring money into the state.”

Reason says: I think that’s a specious and filaceous argument that it would cost the state more money than it would bring in. I find it ironic that Mr. Reilly uses such big words to denounce the voices of assembly members who see the big picture of revenue that would flow into New York with each MMA event held in the state, while at the same time stating clearly that he thinks it would cost the state money, thereby insinuating an entirely specious point.

While I don’t have facts and figures to display the revenue earned from cities and states visited by the UFC (and certainly from local businesses like bars and restaurants), I’d be shocked to learn that the UFC was constantly returning to locations to put on more events if it were ultimately depleting that location’s funds. I’ve yet to hear a mayor, governor, or political figure of any sort come out and denounce the UFC for coming to town and bleeding the local economy. With budget’s currently stretched thin in most states across the country, I can’t imagine the UFC would continue to be a welcome guest if they were hurting more than helping.

If the Assemblyman were so certain that it would cost the state money, surely he must have his own data to back it up. Otherwise, I’d have to say that throwing out his personal thoughts on the matter, with no evidence to back it up, while denouncing the rationale arguments of his own colleagues in the very assembly he serves, would be an insult to those same assemblymen trying to bring money back into a stagnant economy.

Bob Reilly has also used his time in interviews to liken mixed martial arts to dog fighting and prostitution (Inside MMA, September 2010). The absurdity of a statement like that says enough about the mentality of someone like Reilly, who seeks to keep the sport down.

If Michael Vick had been caught running an underground mixed martial arts league back in 2007, I wonder if the punishment or public outcry would have been anywhere near the same. Maybe if the fighters were chained up and subsequently murdered for their poor performances in the ring; otherwise, I highly doubt it.

Assemblyman Bob Reilly’s baseless arguments against sanctioning mixed martial arts in the state of New York are beyond a roll of the eyes. At a time when money is scarce and local economies across the nation could use a boost, Reilly’s venture to stop money from entering New York through legitimate means, and strike fear into those who may not know otherwise through unfounded arguments, is an insult to the constituency he represents and a slap in the face to any politician fighting to bring money into the state.

What is perhaps more painful than anything is knowing that so long as MMA isn’t sanctioned in New York, Reilly will continue to be given platforms to spew his vitriol without being held accountable for his meritless words.

The New York State Senate just recently voted overwhelmingly (42-18) in favor of a bill that would sanction mixed martial arts, and the bill now must pass one last hurdle in the State Assembly before the wall comes crumbling down. Hopefully, the voices of reason will carry the day, and Bob Reilly can fade into obscurity where he belongs.

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The Two Sheds Review: Kong Demolishes Ninja at BAMMA 6

The second of my British MMA double bill sees us going back to Wembley Arena in London this past Saturday as Murilo “Ninja” Rua challenged Tom “Kong” Watson for the Middleweight title at BAMMA 6, shown live on Syfy here in Brita…

The broadcast began with action from the middleweight division as Matt Ewin faced Ivan Salaverry.

Salaverry took this fight at two week’s notice after a three-year absence from the fight game, and he certainly looked like a man who’d been out of it for a few years.

Ewin, who is one year old than Salaverry at 41, was in great form as he stalked his man around the cage, connecting with a series of crisp blows.

Ewin fought the perfect fight, taking his time as Salaverry looked to get rid of the rust.

The only real ground action came in the third, when Ewin took Salaverry down. They didn’t stay there for long, however, and although Salaverry upped his game a little towards the end of the fight, it wasn’t enough as all three judges scored in favour of Ewin.

The middleweight action continued as John Phillips took on Frank Trigg.

Trigg was looking to make a big statement after being cut by the UFC last year, and make that statement he did, scoring with the early take down and going for the ground and pound immediately.

It was a brutal performance from Trigg, as he quickly opened up three deep cuts on Phillips’ head. The red stuff was soon flowing into Phillips’ eyes, so the referee stepped in, checked with the doctor and called the fight off, giving Trigg the TKO win.

The main event saw Murilo Rua challenging Tom Watson for the Middleweight title.

This proved to be a tremendous fight. As soon as the action began, Watson went to work, rolling off a series of combinations and devastating kicks to Rua’s lead leg.

It was brutal watching Kong going to work like this. Rua scored with only one take down but didn’t have much time to go to work.

The end came in the third round. Rua’s left knee and face were swelling up badly, and as a flurry sent Rua crashing to the mat, his corner threw in the towel as the referee stopped the fight. Both referees came to the same conclusion at the same time, giving Watson the tremendous TKO win.

Filler material rounded out the show, as Che Mills faced Marcio Cesar in the welterweight division.

This one featured some nice grappling from both men, first from Mills and then from Cesar.

The Brazilian looked the stronger when on the ground, but when Mills re-established control, a sustained period of ground and pound saw the referee stepping in to give Mills the TKO win.

In conclusion, this was another strong and very enjoyable show from the BAMMA crew, with four very good fights, topped off nicely by the excellent main event.

Tom Watson’s demolition job was certainly the highlight of the night and must certainly put the Kong man up with the likes of Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy as Britain’s top MMA fighters.

So in all, BAMMA 6 gets the big thumbs up from me.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com.

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UFC 130 Fight Card: MMA’s Problem with the Ten Point Must System

After watching MMA as a dedicated fan for six years now, a pattern has emerged time and time again that frustrates both the fighters and the fans.A series of bad decisions by judges have finally left me fed up with the ten point must system in mi…

After watching MMA as a dedicated fan for six years now, a pattern has emerged time and time again that frustrates both the fighters and the fans.

A series of bad decisions by judges have finally left me fed up with the ten point must system in mixed martial arts. For the most part, the system works in boxing when there are only punches to consider, but in mixed martial arts it causes problems, confusion and sometimes anger.

There have been several MMA results in the last year that led me to this position. The most glaring instance was the matchup between Nam Phan and Leonard Garcia at the Ultimate Fighter 12 finale in December. Phan clearly won the fight, yet somehow lost on a split decision. There have been other results where the unfairness of the ten point system was even more apparent. Joe Warren’s fight with Marco Galvao could easily have gone to Galvao. Diego Sanchez probably should have lost his last bout to Martin Kampmann, and Kampmann was also snubbed of a potential win last October when he lost via decision to Jake Shields.

UFC President Dana White always says to never leave it in the hands of the judges. It is true that the finish makes mixed martial arts more exciting, but why should guys fear the scorecards? The system should work, but it no longer does. Some have suggested changes such as a decimal system or a half point system, but nothing has happened.

I see there being two major problems. The first major problem is the ten point must system itself, which needs to be changed to prevent unnecessary bad decisions and draws. The second major problem is with the judges themselves.

The ten point must system needs to be changed, and no one seems to have the “right” answer. Why not let a council of mixed martial arts professionals decide? I propose starting a council of maybe 1,000 or so individuals, a group of trainers, fighters, writers and executives.

We can call it the MMA World Council, and call a yearly meeting similar to the UFC fighter summit where these informed individuals vote on rule changes to the unified rules of MMA. They could find a better solution to scoring bouts than the ten point must system that mixed martial arts adopted from boxing years ago.

The group of MMA experts and advocates could use democratic principles to propose changes, and vote on those changes. The democratic approach of letting everyone vote is not only fair, but could breed partnership between MMA organizations. Rather than competing against one another, the members could work together to help further the sport as a whole.

The second major problem is with the judges. As it stands, judges are simply not informed well enough on the ins and outs of MMA fighting. The UFC is bringing in monitors for UFC 130 and beyond, but the judge can choose to use them or to ignore them entirely. I think the real problem is that the judges need to know more about MMA, its multi-faceted game and how to decide who is really winning.

Either the existing judges must be better educated about the sport, or the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator and others must find new judges. These groups need to hire former fighters and referees to judge until the average judges learn that a takedown means nothing when the other guy pops right back up and delivers a punch, or that a guy rushing ahead and getting picked apart shouldn’t be awarded points just for moving forward.

Monitors are a baby step in the right direction, but the sport can’t always hide behind the mantra of “never leave it in the hands of the judges.” At some point we have to start making these people accountable for what they put on their cards, and possibly monitor them to make sure they’re competent enough in MMA to be a judge in the first place. I hope that the use of monitors is the first step of many to improving the ten point must problem that’s currently hurting mixed martial arts all across the board.

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UFC 130 Fight Card: Night of the Upsets?

There is the potential for a major outbreak of upsets on the UFC 130 fight card this Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has done a fantastic job in putting together great stylistic clashes. Sure,…

There is the potential for a major outbreak of upsets on the UFC 130 fight card this Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has done a fantastic job in putting together great stylistic clashes.

Sure, the card is without a standout main event, but generally these types of UFC events are the ones that turn out to be the most exciting.

With the Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard lightweight championship bout scratched due to injuries, the former co-main event light heavyweight tilt between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt Hamill has now stepped into the spotlight of the UFC 130 main event.

Jackson, a former light heavyweight champion, is the significant favorite for notable reasons. Outside of a declining Tito Ortiz, Hamill has yet to defeat an upper-echelon light heavyweight. He had his chance at UFC 88 against Rich Franklin, who dominated throughout and earned the third-round TKO due to a nasty body kick.

In December 2009, Hamill was tossed around like a rag doll in his bout against current champion Jon Jones. He still picked up the disqualification victory due to illegal elbows from Jones, but in all fairness, Hamill was never in that fight.

With that said, Hamill is a dangerous light heavyweight who is perennially on the bubble of breaking into the top-10 rankings.

Heading into this bout, many people are questioning Jackson’s mindset. Is he focused? How did his training camp go?

According to Jackson, he is mentally and physically prepared to go into UFC 130 and get the job done. Hamill isn’t the type of fighter to overlook. He has the wrestling, chin and tenacity to give Jackson a lot of problems if the bout goes the distance. A win over Jackson would easily push Hamill over into the top-10 rankings.

In the co-main event, Roy “Big Country” Nelson takes on former heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

While Mir is often credited for his high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), Nelson isn’t too shabby in that area as well.

At Grappler’s Quest 2003, he defeated Mir by points in the grappling tourney. Yes, the match was a long time ago, but meaning can still be taken from the outcome.

The ground prowess of both of these world-class heavyweights could be closer than originally thought. Neither fighter is imposing on the feet, but they both have shown glimpses of power in the past, especially Nelson.

The main area of concern for Mir is the wrestling department. He has shown struggles against good wrestlers with solid submission defense, and Nelson boasts both of those qualities. While Nelson has a higher affinity for BJJ, it would be foolish to overlook his ability to sniff out takedowns from multiple areas in a fight.

Will it be enough for “Big Country” to thrust himself into title contention?

Rick Story is another underdog to watch on this potential upset-ridden card.

He faces a stern test in former welterweight title contender Thiago Alves, who has had his share of problems in making weight. At UFC 117, Alves failed to make weight for his rematch with Jon Fitch. The bout was long awaited, but it never quite lived up to the hype, as fans watched a cardio-depraved Alves get completely outclassed by the superior wrestler.

At UFC 124, Alves returned with a new diet regimen. He credited the Dolce Diet, a diet by MMA fighter and nutritionist Mike Dolce, for improving his lifestyle and in-ring performance. The “new” Alves looked phenomenal in his unanimous decision victory over John “Doomsday” Howard, but there is a major difference between Howard and Story.

While Howard is primarily a striker, Story is a crafty grappler who could present Alves with some of the same problems he had against Fitch. Story doesn’t necessarily boast Fitch’s wrestling talent and resiliency, but he has the ability to constantly press Alves with takedowns and truly test that newfound cardio.

A fight with major upset potential that no one is talking about is the bantamweight bout between Miguel Torres and Demetrious Johnson.

Former WEC champion Torres gained his notoriety from his memorable wars in the blue octagon.

He is one of the fiercest competitors the sport has ever seen, but he could meet his equal against Johnson on Saturday.

Johnson is an intelligent fighter with one of the most explosive shots in the sport.

It’s going to be tough for Torres to deal with Johnson’s complete game of improved striking and world-class wrestling.

If Torres is forced to fend from his back for all three rounds, will he be able to topple Johnson’s strong top game?

If he sticks to his strengths, UFC 130 could be “Mighty Mouse’s” true coming-out party.

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UFC 130 Fight Card: What If Matt Hamill Beats Rampage Jackson?

This Saturday marks the date that two of the UFC’s top light heavyweights—Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill—will square off in the Octagon.Jackson, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, as well as a legend of the def…

This Saturday marks the date that two of the UFC’s top light heavyweights—Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill—will square off in the Octagon.

Jackson, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, as well as a legend of the defunct Pride organization, is expected to thoroughly crush Hamill—the fight’s underdog with odds ranging from +215-+250 depending on who’s counting—en route to another run at the light heavyweight crown.

In fact, this is likely what is desired by the UFC and fans across the world. Rampage is one of the most charismatic fighters in the UFC and probably the most charismatic in his weight class. Thus, he is easy to market and popular.

But, should he lose to Hamill, what would happen?

First, Rampage’s reputation as a top competitor would evaporate. Many feel he did not win his last fight against Lyoto Machida despite what the judges decided. Before that, he lost a decision to Rashad Evans, a fight in which the former Pride star came out flat. So, in the eyes of many fans, he would have lost three straight.

It is very difficult for a fighter’s reputation to survive that.

Rampage has been accused of no longer taking fighting seriously. Should he lose, this notion will become fact amongst MMA fans and Rampage’s popularity will sharply diminish as his “throw caution to the wind” demeanor will have faded from reality into memory.

Hamill would obviously be the recipient of a large boost in popularity and in hype received from the UFC. He would also officially be “in the mix” as far as title contention goes.

But what of the light heavyweight division? Some might say Hamill winning would ultimately be a bad thing as he is not, nor will he ever be, as popular or marketable as Rampage (This is an unfortunate consequence of Hamill’s deafness). However, the division would be just fine with a Hamill victory.

Why? Simply put, the division—for at least the near future—will be dominated by the same few figures. Champion Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Lyoto Machida, and perhaps Mauricio “Shogun” Rua should he triumph over Forrest Griffin at UFC 134.

What all of these men have in common is this: They would all beat Matt Hamill and Rampage Jackson in a fight. Thus, while Rampage losing may rob the UFC and fans of a potential Evans-Jackson II, it would not be a hindrance on the division, since neither Rampage nor Hamill will ever reach the very top echelon of the division—again in Rampage’s case.

So, despite what marketing material may say, the result of UFC 130‘s main event is ultimately inconsequential in the grand scheme of the light heavyweight division.

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