Tag: Roy Nelson

Mirror, Mirror: Comparing UFC Fighters With Their Sports Star Counterparts


(Oh, you said you have a *flaggy* tattoo? I must have misheard you.) 

By Nathan Smith

During a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Dana White said, “Globally, we’re already bigger than the NFL.” From a global stand point that may be true, but in the Pulp Fiction-esque United States, the NFL is still Marsellus Wallace. The UFC may never gain the notoriety that the NFL has in America but stand-out fighters continue to ink major product endorsement deals. Anderson Silva (Burger King, Budweiser), Georges St. Pierre (Gatorade, UnderArmor) and Jon Jones (Nike) are paving the way to success for future mixed martial artists. Although big-time corporate sponsorship for fighters is in its infancy, the other major professional sports leagues have seen their athletes gain almost as much notoriety outside the lines as within.

The UFC was purchased by Zuffa just over a decade ago and has been charging towards global domination ever since. Sure, the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL (well, maybe not the NHL) playoffs and championship contests annihilate the UFC ratings-wise but the premier MMA organization is gaining at a rapid pace. Take into account the combined several hundred years of history the 4 “major” professional leagues hold and it is glaringly apparent that the UFC and its stars are closing the gap like a fat dude towards a parked Roach Coach.

Comparing the UFC’s ratings and popularity with the aforementioned leagues is somewhat asinine and it would not be fair or rational to compare athletes from other sports with UFC fighters – but you have visited Cagepotato.com. We have never been accused of being fair or rational and matching fighters with their counterparts from around the world of other sporting organizations seemed as logical as a booze-filled headset.

Anderson Silva and Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan has become the benchmark to which all athletes are measured, although the comparisons have transcended far beyond the realm of athletics. Any activity or event draws comparisons to #23 (or #45 whatever). From Ken Jennings being the Michael Jordan of Jeopardy, to Joey Chestnut being the Michael Jordan of gluttony or Peter North being the Michael Jordan of male climax volume, Jordan is synonymous with superiority. In every single poll taken in the last decade regarding the “Top 100 NBA players in History” the battle is for #2 through #100. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest of all time in his medium (and I am not talking about minor league baseball).  Anderson Silva, with his perfect 15-0 record and 10 consecutive title defenses in the UFC, has done things that may never be accomplished again in the history of mixed martial arts. Some day a fighter may come along (if he hasn’t already *foreshadowing*) and surpass Silva’s records but until his numbers fall, Anderson Silva is the Michael Jordan of MMA – period.


(Oh, you said you have a *flaggy* tattoo? I must have misheard you.) 

By Nathan Smith

During a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Dana White said, “Globally, we’re already bigger than the NFL.” From a global stand point that may be true, but in the Pulp Fiction-esque United States, the NFL is still Marsellus Wallace. The UFC may never gain the notoriety that the NFL has in America but stand-out fighters continue to ink major product endorsement deals. Anderson Silva (Burger King, Budweiser), Georges St. Pierre (Gatorade, UnderArmor) and Jon Jones (Nike) are paving the way to success for future mixed martial artists. Although big-time corporate sponsorship for fighters is in its infancy, the other major professional sports leagues have seen their athletes gain almost as much notoriety outside the lines as within.

The UFC was purchased by Zuffa just over a decade ago and has been charging towards global domination ever since. Sure, the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL (well, maybe not the NHL) playoffs and championship contests annihilate the UFC ratings-wise but the premier MMA organization is gaining at a rapid pace. Take into account the combined several hundred years of history the 4 “major” professional leagues hold and it is glaringly apparent that the UFC and its stars are closing the gap like a fat dude towards a parked Roach Coach.

Comparing the UFC’s ratings and popularity with the aforementioned leagues is somewhat asinine and it would not be fair or rational to compare athletes from other sports with UFC fighters – but you have visited Cagepotato.com. We have never been accused of being fair or rational and matching fighters with their counterparts from around the world of other sporting organizations seemed as logical as a booze-filled headset.

Anderson Silva and Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan has become the benchmark to which all athletes are measured, although the comparisons have transcended far beyond the realm of athletics. Any activity or event draws comparisons to #23 (or #45 whatever). From Ken Jennings being the Michael Jordan of Jeopardy, to Joey Chestnut being the Michael Jordan of gluttony or Peter North being the Michael Jordan of male climax volume, Jordan is synonymous with superiority. In every single poll taken in the last decade regarding the “Top 100 NBA players in History” the battle is for #2 through #100. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest of all time in his medium (and I am not talking about minor league baseball).  Anderson Silva, with his perfect 15-0 record and 10 consecutive title defenses in the UFC, has done things that may never be accomplished again in the history of mixed martial arts. Some day a fighter may come along (if he hasn’t already *foreshadowing*) and surpass Silva’s records but until his numbers fall, Anderson Silva is the Michael Jordan of MMA – period.

Georges St. Pierre and Derek Jeter

GSP is the focal point of Canadian MMA. He is the big fish in a larger-less-populated pond and the entire weight of a nation rests on his shoulders every single time he enters the octagon. Derek Jeter plays in the biggest media market in the world and has been given the moniker “The Captain” for the most storied franchise in the history of team sports. There is a lot of pressure to perform for both world champions and they are viewed with a certain amount of reverence by fans, media, and contemporaries. Both men have graced the covers of athletic magazines as well as high fashion publications and in regards to their female fans, let’s just call them “popular.”

Jon Jones and Lebron James

It has been covered on CP that there is a thin line between love and hate in regards to Jon Jones and the same can be said for Lebron James after “The Decision.” Both men are loved and hated regardless of their stellar performances during competition. Both men are just entering the recognizable primes of their careers and have already captured championships. Add in the fact that both men are genetic freaks compared to their colleagues and it appears that the dominance of Bones and King James has only just begun. Maybe?

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Terrell Owens

Not that long ago, both Rampage and T.O. were at the top of their professions. Rampage was sporting the UFC light-heavyweight strap and T.O. was widely perceived as the best wide receiver in the NFL. Both men were flamboyant, arrogant and a bit unstable. While Rampage did it with his trash talking combined with a John Candy inspired freeway escapade, Owens did it with his touchdown celebrations and an accidental overdose.  Now, Jackson is on the last fight of his UFC contract and T.O. is desperately trying to make the roster on an NFL team. How the mighty have fallen.

Don’t Worry, We Can Look Forward to Plenty of Bickering on This Season of TUF


(Dana White only has three looks: The “Life is Good”, The “Bouncer”, and the “Fuck You and the Horse You Crushed With Your Obesity”, displayed here.) 

If there of any of you left who haven’t grown tired of the, for lack of a better word, tiresome formula that The Ultimate Fighter has devolved into over the years, which is to say, fighters argue–>training montage–>coaches argue–>fighters argue–>actual fight, then boy do we have good news for you. Not only are you going to be treated to the verbal back-and-forth of one Roy Nelson and one Shane Carwin throughout the season, you are more than likely going to see “Big Country” and UFC President Dana White at each others throats as well, as both men have basically been taking a fat steaming dump on the others chests via various MMA media outlets lately. Metaphorically, of course.

TUF 16, which is set to debut on September 14th on FX (yep, that’s a Friday), will showcase 32 welterweights attempting to battle their way to the next interim championship of the world, but it seems the real firefight will be between Nelson and White, who just can’t seem to get along on anything. Take for instance, the TUF 10 winner’s recent interview with MMAJunkie, where he basically calls Dana a lying wannabe fighter:

[The onset tension is] probably because he wants to be a fighter, and he’s not. I think we were talking about coaching or something like that, and [White’s] not a coach. There’s an understanding of being a fighter, and I don’t think he understands. 

I’m always at the back of the bus when it comes to the UFC. I’m just trying to further MMA to the next level, hold journalism up to higher standards, holding fights to higher standards, holding promotions to higher standards, holding athletic commissions to higher standards, and even holding the fans to higher standards. 

You never know with Dana. Dana will tell you guys one thing, and then five minutes later tell you another. Last week, ‘Shogun’ and Brandon Vera were fighting for the title, and now all of the sudden, Machida and Ryan Bader are, too. Next thing you know, he’s going to say Randy Couture gets the next title shot when he comes back.


(Dana White only has three looks: The “Life is Good”, The “Bouncer”, and the “Fuck You and the Horse You Crushed With Your Obesity”, displayed here.) 

If there of any of you left who haven’t grown tired of the, for lack of a better word, tiresome formula that The Ultimate Fighter has devolved into over the years, which is to say, fighters argue–>training montage–>coaches argue–>fighters argue–>actual fight, then boy do we have good news for you. Not only are you going to be treated to the verbal back-and-forth of one Roy Nelson and one Shane Carwin throughout the season, you are more than likely going to see “Big Country” and UFC President Dana White at each others throats as well, as both men have basically been taking a fat steaming dump on the others chests via various MMA media outlets lately. Metaphorically, of course.

TUF 16, which is set to debut on September 14th on FX (yep, that’s a Friday), will showcase 32 welterweights attempting to battle their way to the next interim championship of the world, but it seems the real firefight will be between Nelson and White, who just can’t seem to get along on anything. Take for instance, the TUF 10 winner’s recent interview with MMAJunkie, where he basically calls Dana a lying wannabe fighter:

[The onset tension is] probably because he wants to be a fighter, and he’s not. I think we were talking about coaching or something like that, and [White’s] not a coach. There’s an understanding of being a fighter, and I don’t think he understands. 

I’m always at the back of the bus when it comes to the UFC. I’m just trying to further MMA to the next level, hold journalism up to higher standards, holding fights to higher standards, holding promotions to higher standards, holding athletic commissions to higher standards, and even holding the fans to higher standards. 

You never know with Dana. Dana will tell you guys one thing, and then five minutes later tell you another. Last week, ‘Shogun’ and Brandon Vera were fighting for the title, and now all of the sudden, Machida and Ryan Bader are, too. Next thing you know, he’s going to say Randy Couture gets the next title shot when he comes back.

Woah, woah, there Roy, put on the brakes for a second. Now, where some of what you are saying undoubtedly rings true (because Couture did fight for the title when he came back last time, remember?), we fail to see how really any aspect of your career falls into the “higher standards” you are describing. Aren’t you the guy who refuses to lose the weight he clearly should because of a stupid gimmick? The guy who was only willing to consider it if you got a bunch of friend requests of Facebook? Making fun of your boss to his face is something that not many of us are able to do, so please spare us the vague justification for doing so and just admit that you and Dana don’t get along.

And besides, White’s problems with Nelson, not unlike his problems with Jason Miller, seem to come out of his desire to see fighters take their living seriously (at least in my opinion). Nelson’s belly rubbing, Burger King-eating antics don’t really come across as that, no matter how good or entertaining of a fighter he is. But aside from the constant stream of ham wrapped donuts and mayonnaise going into Nelson’s mouth, it is apparently the stuff coming out of it that really irks The Baldfather, who lamented his issues with Nelson following the UFC 150 post-fight press conference:

Him saying sh*t like that goes along with what I said about the stupid sh*t that comes out of this guy’s mouth. The difference is I have to hear it three days a week. When he fights randomly three times a year, I have to hear it in small spurts. Now I’ve got to listen to dumb sh*t three days a week.

Do you think that going into this that I didn’t think Roy Nelson was going to annoy the sh*t out of me? I mean, that’s what he does – he’s annoying. He’s annoying, and the stuff that comes out of his mouth makes no sense. He’s Roy Nelson, that’s why. 

Understandable, Dana, but this only leads us to ask once more why the UFC decided upon the Nelson/Carwin pairing over the Griffin/Bonnar pairing for this season, especially considering that way more people would appear to be interested in the latter matchup. Or is this drama simply being fabricated in order to hype us up for another season of fabricated drama? Is this season a reality show inside another reality show? If a fighter loses this season, does he end up in limbo? Hold on, my nose is bleeding again.

In either case, let’s just hope that the shenanigans of Pat Barry can help elevate this season from the stagnant pond water that was TUF Live. Tune in on September 14th to find out. Or don’t, we don’t care.

–J. Jones

UFC: Mirko Cro Cop Will Return to MMA or Die Trying

Former PRIDE and UFC star Mirko Cro Cop last fought in October of last year when he met Roy Nelson at UFC 137. In a discouraging site for fans, the Croatian was knocked out for the third consecutive time and announced his retirement after the contest.W…

Former PRIDE and UFC star Mirko Cro Cop last fought in October of last year when he met Roy Nelson at UFC 137. In a discouraging site for fans, the Croatian was knocked out for the third consecutive time and announced his retirement after the contest.

While it was sad to see an influential star hang up his gloves, fans were happy that their hero would no longer be woken up by a cageside physician shining a flashlight in his eyes.

In an interview with USAToday.com, Filipovic announced that he is still training in the sport and envisions a return to the world of mixed martial arts.

“Concerning my retirement from the UFC, I said it was my last fight for the UFC and last fight on the present contract, but I did not say, ‘I won’t keep fighting,’ ” Filipovic said. “I never said that. I think the best thing to say is that I was born to fight.”

After undergoing surgery to fix some torn muscles and tendons in his arm, the head-kick legend returned to a career in kickboxing and has put together a 2-0 record under the K-1 banner since his retirement. Reportedly, the heavyweight feels like a brand new fighter.

“I feel like a little kid,” Filipovic said. “I’m so happy. I’m training every day. I usually train twice a day, and Thursdays and Sundays are supposed to be my days off. But even on those days I’m training at least once. I have to do at least one session each day to be happy.”

In October, Cro Cop will fight again for K-1 in a World Grand Prix with a $1 million prize. After the tournament concludes, the police officer believes that he will reenter the world of MMA.

“If you ask me, when I look deep into my soul, of course I would like to fight MMA again,” Filipovic said. “People don’t get it. Martial arts is my life.”

The former PRIDE star had trouble “pulling the trigger” after joining the UFC roster, leaving many to question why the stone-cold fighter had become tentative inside the cage. That issue led to knockout losses to Frank Mir, Brendan Schaub and Nelson. 

Even before those nasty stoppages, Cro Cop had considered hanging up his gloves for good. However, less than one year after his retirement, it doesn’t seem like the 37-year-old has decided to call it a day.

“My motivation now is to prove to everyone that I’m still capable of being in the cage. I’m not old. I’m 37, but I can do things that fighters 10 years younger cannot.

I will prove that, or I will die trying.”

While his final quote is clearly a figure of speech, it isn’t the first time that he has made the bold statement. Prior to his UFC 137 fight, Filipovic said that he would be the old Cro Cop or die trying.

No word from Zuffa or Bellator on whether they are interested in signing the Croatian mega-star, but stay tuned to Bleacher Report for more on the story as it breaks.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Nelson Talks TRT, Must Want to Be Fired from the UFC by Dana White

Roy Nelson and Dana White have never had the best relationship.In fact, it was likely that relationship that forced Nelson to go through the Ultimate Fighter house in order to get into the UFC in the first place. Nelson was a heavyweight with great cre…

Roy Nelson and Dana White have never had the best relationship.

In fact, it was likely that relationship that forced Nelson to go through the Ultimate Fighter house in order to get into the UFC in the first place. Nelson was a heavyweight with great credentials and plenty of talent, and yet he was forced to do the reality show and prove himself against fighters with barely 1/10th of his fighting experience.

Nelson is a quirky dude. I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now. He rarely gives straight answers to serious questions and always seems to have an agenda. So you can see why he irks White at every turn, because White likes it when fighters “play the game.”

Nelson never plays the game. Even after being chosen to coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, Nelson refuses to fall in line. In fact, he’s turning up his crazy vibe to levels we haven’t seen him reach during his UFC tenure. 

Check out this tweet Nelson sent out on Monday evening:

 

We’ve seen White’s position on TRT change courses over the last few weeks. And by “changing courses,” I mean “completely reversed.”

Here’s White talking to ESPN one month ago during UFC 148 fight week:

WHITE: So, to me, the bottom line is you don’t need that junk. If you don’t abuse stuff younger in your career, you’ll never need to use that junk.”

TODD GRISHAM: “So, if it up to you, it would be illegal, if you were making the call?”

DANA WHITE: “Yeah.”

And then last weekend, White said this to Fox Sports:

Here’s the thing about TRT. It’s absolutely 100% legal. As sports medicine continues to advance, this is one of those things where every guy’s testosterone level starts to drop as they get older and this is basically sports science now where they can bring it back up to a normal level.

And I think it’s great, it’s absolutely fair, it’s legal. The problem is, there are guys who say if this much is good THIS MUCH must be great, so you have guys who are always trying to do more than they’re supposed to do. The big job is policing it, making sure that it’s not being abused, that guys are using it the way it’s supposed to be used.

Yes, White’s position has seemingly changed—and drastically so—inside of a month. And that should be pointed out, but Nelson probably isn’t the best person to be doing the pointing. Not if he wants to keep his job anyway.

But this is just the latest in a string of silly Nelson incidents over the past few weeks. If you’ll recall, Nelson famously tried to get Victor Conte and Kurt Angle as part of his coaching staff for The Ultimate Fighter, but was denied by the UFC.

Nelson knew that Zuffa would deny both of those men spots on the show—and for good reason—but he still insisted on trying to get them installed as assistants and then made the information public. He’s essentially needling his boss in the public eye, and his boss is a man who doesn’t take kindly to needling, especially when it involves one of the more sensitive subjects affecting the sport.

White also recently said that Nelson has been a “huge pain in the ass” since filming for the newest edition of the reality show started. I’m not sure what he’s trying to accomplish, but one thing is for sure: I would not be surprised, in the slightest, if Nelson finds himself without a job if he loses to Shane Carwin when they square off in December.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

10 Worst Physical Specimens in MMA

Professional fighters tend to find themselves on the muscular side of the anatomical spectrum. With intense physical training taking up most of their time, it’s easy to see why. These athletes focus on cardiovascular conditioning, which helps them brea…

Professional fighters tend to find themselves on the muscular side of the anatomical spectrum. With intense physical training taking up most of their time, it’s easy to see why. These athletes focus on cardiovascular conditioning, which helps them breathe in the cage. By improving their cardio, fighters also see fat melt off of their bones.

In addition, the strength programs that these warriors endure transform some men into rock monsters who appear to be chiseled out of granite. 

However, there are exceptions to every rule. For every Alistair Overeem or Todd Duffee in existence, there are six overweight, out-of-shape fighters who look like their personal trainer is Aunt Jemima. 

Last week, I shared with you an article on the 25 Hottest Women in MMA. As a believer in feng shui, I have decided to write the exact opposite article to help maintain balance among my articles.

Here is a look at the 10 worst physical specimens in MMA.

Begin Slideshow

Shane Carwin Announces Pat Barry’s Shenanigans will be Part of his TUF 16 Coaching Staff


“You think that’s funny? This motherfucker on my left THINKS HE’S A WELTERWEIGHT!”

Finding someone who still gets excited about The Ultimate Fighter is a lot like watching a guy wearing a gi or a Luchador mask in a cage fight: It’s a throwback to the days when our sport was arguably more pure and definitely more innocent. It’s oddly refreshing, incredibly confusing and somewhat disturbing, all at the same time. It’s the type of encounter that you’ll look back on a few months from now and say something like “Remember when we went to that event in the middle of nowhere and they let a guy compete wearing a Psicosis mask?” (Come on, stranger things have happened) or “Remember that night at The Korova when we met that guy who was all about TUF Live?”

That being said, TUF 16 actually looks like it has some promise. At the very least, head coaches Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin should provide some entertaining antics and some original trash talk. The fact that the two were originally set to fight each other at UFC 125 is a nice touch, too. And earlier today, Shane Carwin told MMAJunkie.com that UFC Heavyweight and one of MMA’s most recognizable personalities Pat Barry will be a part of his TUF 16 coaching staff.

If anything else, Carwin and company should be able to revolutionize the TUF coaches ribbing, which, let’s face it, has become pretty stale, predictable and disturbing throughout the history of the show. Looking over the rest of his coaching staff, his fighters will have one hell of a coaching staff to learn from. They’re listed for you after the jump.


“You think that’s funny? This motherfucker on my left THINKS HE’S A WELTERWEIGHT!”

Finding someone who still gets excited about The Ultimate Fighter is a lot like watching a guy wearing a gi or a Luchador mask in a cage fight: It’s a throwback to the days when our sport was arguably more pure and definitely more innocent. It’s oddly refreshing, incredibly confusing and somewhat disturbing, all at the same time. It’s the type of encounter that you’ll look back on a few months from now and say something like “Remember when we went to that event in the middle of nowhere and they let a guy compete wearing a Psicosis mask?” (Come on, stranger things have happened) or “Remember that night at The Korova when we met that guy who was all about TUF Live?”

That being said, TUF 16 actually looks like it has some promise. At the very least, head coaches Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin should provide some entertaining antics and some original trash talk. The fact that the two were originally set to fight each other at UFC 125 is a nice touch, too. And earlier today, Shane Carwin told MMAJunkie.com that UFC Heavyweight and one of MMA’s most recognizable personalities Pat Barry will be a part of his TUF 16 coaching staff.

If anything else, Carwin and company should be able to revolutionize the TUF coaches ribbing, which, let’s face it, has become pretty stale, predictable and disturbing throughout the history of the show. Looking over the rest of his coaching staff, his fighters will have one hell of a coaching staff to learn from. They’re listed for you after the jump.

Trevor Wittman: One of MMA’s most respected striking coaches, Wittman is the head coach at Grudge Training Center, which is located just outside of Denver, Colorado. Some of his pupils include Brendan Schaub, Duane Ludwig, Nate Marquardt and, of course, Shane Carwin. While he’s one of the most cheerful guys in MMA, he won’t hesitate to call out one of his fighters over their bitchassness.

Nate Marquardt: Former UFC middleweight contender, current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. He’s coming off of a dominant performance over Tyron Woodley that won him the gold at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy earlier this month.

Pat Barry: Come on, like you don’t know…

Leister Bowling: Wrestling coach at Grudge Training Center, extremely decorated amateur wrestler. His accomplishments include 3x Colorado state wrestling champion, Colorado career/season record holder for most wins (154), pins (131) and takedowns (785), 3x NAIA All-American, 4x Central Regional Champion, 4x Great Plains Athletic Conference Champion, 2005 National Runner-Up, and the 2004 Central Regional Outstanding Wrestler.

Loren Landow: Sports performance coach. Has worked with 400 professional athletes, including athletes in the NFL, NHL, MLB, UFC, WNBA and Olympic medalists.

That’s an impressive list of coaches. While we don’t have any word on who Roy Nelson’s coaches will be, we have to imagine he’ll bring in a killer jiu-jitsu specialist. And we won’t hold our breathe on Mike Dolche.

So, does this raise your interest levels for the next season of TUF?