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Late Replacement Main Events: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

In a year that has seen nine pay-per-view headliners slip through the UFC’s fingers, Cain Velasquez’s injury and subsequent removal from UFC 180 might the biggest blow of them all (I hear a nasty tumble down a flight of stairs is to blame for all this). The TUF curse has now gone international, folks, and while I’m not prepared to start nailing the UFC’s coffin shut, I will say that the champ’s most recent injury has cast an ominous shadow over the UFC’s first trip to Mexico.

Then again, the UFC was able to book a hell of a replacement opponent for Fabricio Werdum in Mark Hunt, and an interim title fight between the two is probably the best thing us fans could ask for, all things considered. Late replacement main events are always a mixed bag, but before we start rioting, let’s all take a deep breath and try to remember a few last-minute headliners that actually worked out…

The Good

UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones

(This and all photos hereafter via Getty.)

That’s right, the event that marked the beginning of the end for light heavyweights with title aspirations was never meant to happen.

Having just ended the Machida Era™ at UFC 113 in stunning fashion, Mauricio Rua was actually scheduled to face Rashad Evans at UFC 128 until a knee injury forced the latter out of the contest. Rua, who had just had his own knee repaired following the Machida fight, was then matched up against a resurgent and likeable at the time contender named Jon Jones, who had unleashed an And-1 mixtape of asskicking on Ryan Bader just two events prior.

Although it was Rua who held the tremendous experience edge, it was Jones who would dominate the fight from start to finish. Flying knees, oblique kicks, and likely an eye poke or five from the challenger had Rua in defense mode until a particularly vicious knee put him away in the third round. Despite being called up to the biggest fight of his life on a month’s notice, Jones emerged a champion and sent a chilling message to the rest of the light heavyweight division.

That message: “~~Hey pussy, are you still there?~~ None of you will ever defeat me.”

By Jared Jones

The Good

UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones

(This and all photos hereafter via Getty.)

That’s right, the event that marked the beginning of the end for light heavyweights with title aspirations was never meant to happen.

That message: “~~Hey pussy, are you still there?~~ None of you will ever defeat me.”

UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort

Every fan remembers where they were the day Greg Jackson killed MMA. Me, I was out on my lanai, sipping on a mango mojito and discussing the DOW with a few fellow aristocrats, when suddenly, my phone was aburst with talks from the Twittersphere of Dan Henderson tearing his ACL.

“This…cannot be,” I said under my breath (as not to alert my esteemed colleagues of my MMA fandom and risk losing their respect forevermore).

But alas, it had been, and Henderson’s injury was only the beginning. Shortly after the news of Henderson’s injury broke, the stateside hoodlum Chael Phinneus Sonnen stepped up and offered to fight Jones on 24 hours notice in his infinite bravery. After a quick consultation with master Jackson, Jones declined the fight, leading to the cancellation of the event and a firm tongue-lashing from his employer.

But still, the UFC was in spin mode. They needed their light heavyweight title fight to come to fruition and they needed it forthwith. They offered short-notice rematch opportunities to Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida, but were somehow denied on both occasions. That left only one brave soldier for the job: Vitor Belfort (pronounced like Stephen Colbert).

And indeed, Belfort put on a hell of a show at UFC 152, pardon my French — nearly securing an armbar victory early in the first round. But because Jon Jones is truly more machine than man, he overcame the early storm and submitted his foe with an Americana in the fourth.

From tragedy, the UFC was able to generate a small victory, 450,000 pay-per-view-buys, and $1.9 million dollars in live gate cash. It doesn’t get much more triumphant than that.

UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw

UFC 173 was originally meant to house a middleweight title fight between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort, until that damned TRT ban forced “The Phenom” to take a temporary leave from MMA. Weidman was then matched up against Lyoto Machida, and for a brief second there, UFC 177 ticketholders were able to breath a sigh of relief, the fools.

But then, as champions of the modern era so often do, Weidman went down with an injury (likely while rescuing a blind man from a fire), pushing his fight against Machida back to UFC 175 in July. Once again without a true main event, the UFC sought to pair bantamweight champion/PPV juggernaut (lol!) Renan Barao against top contender Raphael Assuncao. But theennnnn, it was revealed that Assuncao was still nursing a rib injury and would be unable to fight.

So what do you do in this situation? You throw TJ Dillashaw – who was scheduled to fight Takeya Mizugaki that night anyway – against Barao, have Goldie and Rogan yell about what a beast this fresh-faced Aryan youth actually is, and yadda yadda chalk this thing up as a loss. Just like that, you’ve got yourself UFC 177: F*ck It.

Barao came in as a ridiculous 10-1 favorite over Dillashaw, and most of us expected the fight to be over within a round, for Urijah Faber was the king of the Alpha Males and even he was smoked by Barao in their previous encounter. But oh, how we were wrong.

For five straight rounds, Dillashaw absolutely tooled Barao, utilizing a Cruz-esque offensive attack to keep a literal step ahead of the champ before finishing him with a head kick in the fifth. Just like that, the Barao Era™ had ended. While UFC 173 may not have been a financial success, its main event was one of the most thrilling in recent memory, and a reminder of just how great and unexpected our oft troubling sport can be.

Of course, more often than not, late replacement main events fall into two other categories, “Bad” and “Ugly”, so let’s gather our pitchforks and torches and look at a few prime examples…

Dana White Trashes Alistair Overeem for “Ducking” Junior Dos Santos, Gets Immediately Corrected by Overeem

That was the first rebuttal offered by Alistair Overeem after Dana White told UFC Tonight that the former Strikeforce heavyweight champ was “hiding” from former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. According to White — who was clearly having a bad day at the office — Overeem was offered a five-round main event fight with Dos Santos in Brazil immediately following his dominant win over Frank Mir at UFC 169 (which White was also super critical of, for some reason). After allegedly turning it down, Overeem was then offered a three-round main event with “Cigano,” but promptly turned it down as well.

“He wants nothing to do with dos Santos,” White told UFC Tonight’s Ariel Helwani. “He’s literally hiding from JDS…but he had no problem calling out Brock Lesnar who hasn’t fought in 2 years and who is in WWE.”

A strong accusation coming from a man usually known for making calculated, restrained statements bolstered by impeccable fact-checking (see: Pena, Julianna) if there ever was one.

What’s that, you say? Overeem is hurt, hence why he’s not ready to fight? Well I guess we might as well hear him out…

A strong accusation coming from a man usually known for making calculated, restrained statements bolstered by impeccable fact-checking (see: Pena, Julianna) if there ever was one.

What’s that, you say? Overeem is hurt, hence why he’s not ready to fight? Well I guess we might as well hear him out…

After finding out that his promoter (emphasis on “promote”) had once again taken to trashing him in the media, Overeem told MMAFighting that:

I’m hurt. Rib problem. So first [I] need an ETA on recovery time. [It] would be unwise to accept any fight before knowing exactly what’s up. [I] wouldn’t want to pull out of any fight [due to] being unfit, especially an anticipated fight as this one.

My God, what an inconsiderate dick this Overeem guy is. Wanting to be in the best possible health before accepting a gigantic fight against the one guy who has eluded him his entire UFC career? Right there, buddy. Right there.

To be fair, this isn’t the first time someone claimed that Ubereem was ducking Dos Santos. Ever since Overeem juiced his way out of their fight at UFC 146 and pulled out of their rescheduled fight at UFC 160 with an injury, Dos Santos’ camp has aired their grievances with the former K1 star as well. And Overeem’s callout of Brock Lesnar does seems to serve in direct contradiction to his apparent injury, but I imagine that was more a heat of the moment, empty threat than anything else.

Of course, White burying one of his fighters before receiving the facts (or just preferring to ignore them) is common procedure at this point, because it’s hard to understand that injuries sometimes happen when you make your living getting kicked and punched in the head.

That being the case, we should all probably start assuming that Rashad Evans is ducking Daniel Cormier, right?

–J. Jones

Roy Nelson Calls Out Mike Russow (?) for the Right to Remain at 265 lbs.

(It took Roy 45 minutes and three chipped teeth to realize that his TUF trophy was not made of rock candy.)

This town ain’t big enough for the two of them. Literally. The town we’re referring to, of course, would be the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Let’s face it, we are currently in the era of TRT-jacked-up super Goliaths, and aside from making us common folk feel more self-conscious about our own physiques, these monsters are putting forth the idea that you have to be sculpted by the Gods themselves in order to be a successful athlete. How dare they. But there is hope, because one man has been vigorously doing the work that the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance could never even dream of doing in between trips to the buffet line. Mainly, proving that obese individuals are capable of doing more than legally stealing electrically powered wheelchairs from crippled people at the supermarket. That man is Roy “Big Country” Nelson.

Obviously fearing that fellow portly contender Mike Russow is beginning to encroach on his Burger King and Taco Bell sponsorships, as well as the “Lifetime Achievement” distinction he was set to receive at next year’s Cici’s Pizza Awards, Nelson has thrown down a good old fashioned “loser leaves town” challenge to Russow over his Twitter. The winner gets to continue eating pull pork sandwiches until they look like the gluttony victim in Seven, and the loser must drop to the land of rice cakes and milk without chocolate syrup that is the light heavyweight division.

(It took Roy 45 minutes and three chipped teeth to realize that his TUF trophy was not made of rock candy.)

This town ain’t big enough for the two of them. Literally. The town we’re referring to, of course, would be the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Here’s what he wrote:

I want Mike Russow and loser goes to 205 or becomes Dana White Rich. Let make it happen @danawhite

While it may be in bad taste to call someone out immediately after they have suffered their first UFC loss (by knockout, nonetheless), there’s no denying that this is an intriguing matchup, made even more intriguing by the possible ramifications of either man losing. Being that Russow only fights part time, we’re not sure if he’d actually be able to make the cut to 205, but Nelson, on the other hand, has shown a willingness to at least consider dropping to light heavyweight if the circumstances are ~~ridiculous enough~~ just right.

On an unrelated sidenote, what the hell does Dana White rich mean, and how would either man become so by losing their next fight? Also, Rhode Island, neither a road nor an island. Discuss.

On the heels of a first round knockout of Dave Herman at UFC 146, the TUF 10 winner’s UFC record currently stands at a mediocre 4-3, so a win over Russow would be enough to delay his own trip to 205 for at least a couple more months. One thing standing in the way of this possible matchup, however, would be the UFC’s usual policy of placing winners against winners and losers against losers. Then again, crazier fights have been booked, so it wouldn’t be completely out of left field for them to book Nelson vs. Russow in a battle for potbellied supremacy, right?

Who do you like for this one, Potato Nation?

–J. Jones

And “Cigano” discards Overeem

In mma and any professional sport in the world today, there lies a monumental controversy of performance enhancing drugs. Testosterone and Epitestosterone are such examples of this debate. The UFC allows the use of this drug to a certain extent. But, as many athletes do, mma fighters sometimes step over the boundaries and push the limits of this replacement therapy. However, when an athlete does abuse this privilege, they must suffer the consequences.

This exact scenario happened with Alistair Overeem. Overeem was slated to fight the heavyweight champion in UFC 146. However, due to a random drug testing, it was discovered that “The Demolition Man” registered as having more than double of the legal limit of Testosterone and Epitestosterone. Overeem received a drug suspension from the UFC, and must reapply for his license by the end of December.

Some competitors are not as enthusiastic about Overeem coming back to the octagon. The champion believes Overeem does not even deserve a title fight. Junior Dos Santos was quoted:

“I am champion and never have used anything and I am proud to say that. It is unfair to use substances, with or without authorization it makes a difference. A fighter who can do this kind of treatment is not himself in the Octagon. They are using tricks to improve your performance. We want to see who the real champion is, not a champion of a lie.”

I believe Dos Santos is correct in his judgment. All Overeem on Testosterone proves is just that: how good Overeem performs while on Testosterone. It does not measure how good of a fighter Overeem is and his ability to fight, but merely his ability to fight with the assistance of these drugs. I believe the UFC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission should out rule the use of any enhancement drugs. Period. In order for a fighter to be champion, they need to fight like a champion. Using performance enhancing drugs does not prove you are the best of the best; it proves the drugs you are taking are the best of the best.

By: Elise Kapala

Junior Dos Santos Has the Potential to Be the UFC’s Next International Star

The UFC has produced few international stars like Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva in recent memory, fighters with worldwide appeal. There may finally have another, however, in Junior dos Santos. Fighters that gain international appeal usually do …

Fighters that gain international appeal usually do so both in and out of the octagon, though their championing the sport through title defenses doesn’t hurt. There’s also something else to these fighters, something in their back story or in their person, that appeals to a greater audience.

Regardless of how they’ve garnered that attention, they always have a spotlight upon them and are responsible for carrying the sport of MMA as it grows and expands.

JDS is slowly gaining similar status, and if he keeps fighting the way he has, his international fame will only grow. He’s the current heavyweight champion. His last two fights, the first against Cain Velasquez for the title, and the second against Frank Mir to defend the title, have ended by a decisive KO and TKO, respectively.

Before his titled status, JDS grew up as a professional, fighting in Brazil’s small MMA promotions before making his UFC debut in 2008 at UFC 90. His first UFC fight was against Fabricio Werdum; JDS won by KO in a fight that was called the upset of the year by Fight! Magazine and NBC Sports.

Ever since, he’s rocked his way to the top, where he stands as the undisputed champion.

What’s more, JDS has the kind of background that allows him to keep his status in perspective. Before all of this, he grew up in poverty, as he explains to Chuck Mindenhall in an interview.

My family was very, very poor. My dad worked in construction, and my mom cleaned houses. I began working when I was very young to help. I sold ice cream in the streets when I was 10 years old, and then I became a newspaper boy.

JDS obviously worked past this condition, but he never forgot about it. At his last fight, UFC 146, another young Brazilian, who now lives in the same conditions JDS once did, was brought along and made a celebrity alongside the heavyweight fighter. That young boy, Breno Luis Ferreira, explained dos Santos’ greatness more succinctly: “Cigano is the strongest man in the world. He can defeat anybody, even though he is nice.”

After dos Santos’ victory, UFC commentator Mike Goldberg explained what a victory for JDS meant that night for the greater community of his supporters.

What a dream come true not only for Junior dos Santos, but for all of those who he shares his stardom, his fame, and his heart with.

With the story of JDS as a once-impoverished youth conquering his environment to become a great champion, the world is now watching a man who is able to share his fame and glory, to cash in his benefits to pay for others’ opportunities.

More often than not, though, these stories slip through the cracks. I’m not one to try and tout the successes of fighters outside the ring at every opportunity, mainly because overcoming obstacles in life is relative for each fighter.

But in seeing how dos Santos’ story fits into the greater scheme of UFC stardom, the sport and the organization could use a champion like this.

Compared to GSP, the tactician who appears to the world as the artist of MMA, or Anderson Silva, the phenomenon who seems unbeatable through some agreement with unearthly powers, JDS is the striker who slung fists to work his way up.

Moreover, it appears that JDS will never quite be the playboy that GSP and Silva became, and we like it that way. He represents the struggle of finding your place within the world. JDS will never be defined as an individual, but it doesn’t appear that he wants to be.

In the end, JDS is telling a story that belongs to his people. But with each new victory, with each level of greatness he achieves, the numbers included as part of his people grow exponentially.

As the UFC’s presence expands across the world, dos Santos’ title-holding couldn’t have come at a better time. He offers a traditional story of a different kind of champion, and where he once needed the UFC to get to that point, it now seems that the UFC needs him more than ever.

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Dr. Benjamin Irresponsible in His Accusations of Chael Sonnen and Frank Mir

Last week, Stephanie Daniels of Bloody Elbow posted an interview with Dr. Benjamin.Dr. Benjamin is a spinal surgeon and a contributor to MMAJunkie.com, and he uses his medical expertise to speak about fighter health and injuries on the website. In…

Last week, Stephanie Daniels of Bloody Elbow posted an interview with Dr. Benjamin.

Dr. Benjamin is a spinal surgeon and a contributor to MMAJunkie.com, and he uses his medical expertise to speak about fighter health and injuries on the website.

In the interview, he gave his opinion about Chael Sonnen and Frank Mir‘s usage of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). Following his UFC 146 bout against Junior Dos Santos, it came out that Mir had received a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for TRT.

He concluded that the only reason a 33-year-old fighter (Mir) would need testosterone injections was he abused steroids in the past.

In his own words: “Let’s be honest here. How many people who never wrecked their bodies with past steroid use, naturally need TRT at 33? Less than one or two percent.”

Now, for a medical professional to be accusatory of anyone without having treated them is considered highly unethical by the American Medical Association.

However, the good doctor goes even further in discussing Chael Sonnen.

Sonnen was recently granted a TUE by the NSAC for his bout on July 7 against Anderson Silva at UFC 147. Sonnen’s reason for needing TRT is a medical one, as he has been diagnosed with hypogonadism.

Essentially, Sonnen’s body is unable to produced testosterone naturally, and he requires an injection to normalize his body. Chael had previously applied for a TUE in both Chicago and Houston and received approval by both the Illinois and Texas athletic commissions.

Dr. Benjamin opined that Chael would never have been able to reach the levels of success he has, as a wrestler in college and as an MMA fighter, with such a condition. Again, in his own words:

Was Chael Sonnen a big-time collegiate wrestler? Yes, he was. I’m going to opine and say to you, there’s no way in the world you get to the level of collegiate wrestling that Chael Sonnen was at with hypogonadism. Let me explain to you why. Hypogonadism means that the testes did not produce enough testosterone for one to normally mature. He wasn’t on TRT as a teenager. He became this big, muscled-up monster and NCAA wrestler with hypogonadism? Hell no.

He goes even further when he flat out accuses Sonnen of abusing steroids in the past.

“If he has hypogonadism, it’s from one thing, and one thing only, because he treated himself with steroids in the past, and wrecked his testes,” he said. “That’s it.”

This isn’t the first time Dr. Benjamin has been inflammatory regarding MMA fighters either. His irresponsible stories have actually cost certain fighters a considerable amount of money.

Former UFC welterweight champion and MMA legend Pat Miletich responded to Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Snowden on Twitter regarding Dr. Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin wrote an article about Pat’s neck injuries that had actual consequences.

@mmaencyclopedia Funny @DrJCBenjamin wrote I shouldn’t fight after neck surgery. Thr was no surgery n cost me 4k 4 extra tests 2 fight.

— Pat Miletich (@patmiletich) June 11, 2012

Dr. Benjamin is walking a fine line between professional and sensational. While I appreciate that he gives his medical opinion about certain aspects of the sport, accusing fighters of steroid abuse isn’t just reckless, it’s outright slander.

I hope that he starts to be more responsible with his words and speaks based on facts rather than hearsay. His reputation is dependent on it.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com