(For just three cents a day, you can help provide this child with everything he needs to earn a title shot.)
You’ve got to understand Anthony “Showtime” Pettis‘ frustration. After winning the final WEC Lighweight Championship by defeating current UFC Lightweight Champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson back at WEC 53, many believed he would be on the short list of contenders to face then UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. When Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard less than a month after WEC 53, Pettis’ title hopes would be put on the backburner. A UD loss via dry humping and shoulder-strikes to Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June of 2011 would all but completely derail those championship aspirations.
Cut to February of 2012. After defeating Maynard via fourth round TKO in their rematch, Edgar would face off against arguably his toughest challenge to date, former WEC champion Ben Henderson, who was riding a four fight win streak since losing to Pettis. The event was UFC 144, and kicking off the main card would be an intriguing match-up between Pettis and Joe Lauzon. “Showtime” would live up to his nickname, steamrolling Lauzon with a head kick knockout in just under two minutes, and Henderson would clearly defeat Edgar by unanimous decision. Though Pettis had only scored two straight in the octagon, Dana was damn near forcing Edgar to drop to 145 and face Jose Aldo, so it seemed as if we were destined for Pettis/Henderson II.
But then, it happened. Out of nowhere, Edgar was granted a rematch with Henderson, and Pettis once again found himself screwed out of yet another title shot, against a man he had beaten in a title fight nonetheless. So perhaps the recent comments made by “Showtime’s” manager are not without merit. Here’s what Ariel Helwani said during an episode of UFC tonight after speaking with Pettis’ manager:
(For just three cents a day, you can help provide this child with everything he needs to earn a title shot.)
You’ve got to understand Anthony “Showtime” Pettis‘ frustration. After winning the final WEC Lighweight Championship by defeating current UFC Lightweight Champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson back at WEC 53, many believed he would be on the short list of contenders to face then UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. When Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard less than a month after WEC 53, Pettis’ title hopes would be put on the backburner. A UD loss via dry humping and shoulder-strikes to Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June of 2011 would all but completely derail those championship aspirations.
Cut to February of 2012. After defeating Maynard via fourth round TKO in their rematch, Edgar would face off against arguably his toughest challenge to date, former WEC champion Ben Henderson, who was riding a four fight win streak since losing to Pettis. The event was UFC 144, and kicking off the main card would be an intriguing match-up between Pettis and Joe Lauzon. “Showtime” would live up to his nickname, steamrolling Lauzon with a head kick knockout in just under two minutes, and Henderson would clearly defeat Edgar by unanimous decision. Though Pettis had only scored two straight in the octagon, Dana was damn near forcing Edgar to drop to 145 and face Jose Aldo, so it seemed as if we were destined for Pettis/Henderson II.
But then, it happened. Out of nowhere, Edgar was granted a rematch with Henderson, and Pettis once again found himself screwed out of yet another title shot, against a man he had beaten in a title fight nonetheless. So perhaps the recent comments made by “Showtime’s” manager are not without merit. Here’s what Ariel Helwani said during an episode of UFC Tonight after speaking with Pettis’ manager:
I spoke to Anthony’s manager just a few hours ago and he told me that he was really disappointed, but he respects the decision. He would consider going down to 145 to fight Aldo. This is definitely something to monitor.
Something to monitor, indeed. If Pettis were to drop to 145, you’ve got to imagine he would be granted a title shot off the bat. Yes, the upcoming match between Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier has title implications written all over it, but aside from that, the current 145 pound division is rather vacant in terms of title challengers. And let’s be honest, a fight between Pettis and Aldo would not only be a huge test for both men, but a potential fight of the year candidate as well.
It simply makes too much sense, both in terms of marketing and the 145 lb. division, for this fight not too happen. Sure, Pettis hasn’t fought in the division before, but Ronda Rousey proved that that stipulation is meaningless. And since Dana White is willing to grant undeserved immediate rematches out of sympathy, why not a title shot? It’s not like the UFC has established definite rules for what warrants one; look no further than Brock Lesnar for proof of this. I guess a lot is riding on whether or not the winner of the Poirier/Jung match is able to walk away unscathed, but in the meantime, why not match these two up, nawmsayin’?
Should Pettis drop to 145? And if so, do you think he should get an immediate title shot, or perhaps a tune up fight against an Eric Koch-type fighter? If I were to guess, I’d say Pettis wouldn’t want to risk missing out on another shot, so this drop is only happening if he’s guaranteed a shot at Aldo. If so, prepare for a barnburner, Potato Nation.
Urijah Faber will challenge Dominick Cruz for the Bantamweight belt come Saturday night at UFC 132 and for some reason, he wants to convince us, it will be with the help of Three 6 Mafia‘s.
Urijah Faber will challenge Dominick Cruz for the Bantamweight belt come Saturday night at UFC 132 and for some reason, he wants to convince us, it will be with the help of Three 6 Mafia‘s DJ Paul. In a series of semi-entertaining You Tubevideos, Faber gets his train on with a drunken boozing chain-smoking Paul. He could have just trained with my grandma.
This should not be Florian’s stiffest test before Aldo. Just saying. PicProps: Examiner.com
Dana White has all but made official the next featherweight championship fight, saying that Kenny Florian “pretty much” is next in line for Jose Aldo, and we’ve kind of grumbled about it. It’s not the we don’t like Ken-Flo — we do — but we’re not entirely sold on Florian as the number one contender in the featherweight division.
Being brand new to the weight class, most reasonable people would expect Florian to get two or three good wins before they throw him in against the Brazilian destroyer of legs and faces. It’s not like we’re asking him to go on an eight fight win streak before he gets a title shot, just spend more than fifteen minutes in the weight class.
Being the kind and helpful people we are, we decided to share our own ideas about who Florian could fight next to strengthen his case for a shot at the belt. If Florian wins, then by all means slate him for the Aldo fight. If he loses, he probably wasn’t ready anyway, right?
This should not be Florian’s stiffest test before Aldo. Just saying. PicProps: Examiner.com
Dana White has all but made official the next featherweight championship fight, saying that Kenny Florian “pretty much” is next in line for Jose Aldo, and we’ve kind of grumbled about it. It’s not that we don’t like Ken-Flo — we do — but we’re not entirely sold on Florian as the number one contender in the featherweight division.
Being brand new to the weight class, most reasonable people would expect Florian to get two or three good wins before they throw him in against the Brazilian destroyer of legs and faces. It’s not like we’re asking him to go on an eight fight win streak before he gets a title shot, just spend more than fifteen minutes in the weight class.
Being the kind and helpful people we are, we decided to share our own ideas about who Florian could fight next to strengthen his case for a shot at the belt. If Florian wins, then by all means slate him for the Aldo fight. If he loses, he probably wasn’t ready anyway, right?
vs. Chad Mendes
Money Mendes would be a perfect test for Florian, who had difficulty with Gray Maynard’s wrestling at UFC 118. Florian has worked to improve his wrestling, but Diego Nunes was not going to test that — Mendes would test the shit out of Florian’s TDD and scrambling. If Florian beats Mendes, he’ll make a clear statement that he belongs in the title picture at 145. The catch here is that Mendes already has a fight scheduled for UFC 133 on 6 August, against Rani Yahya. Against Rani Yahya. Rani Yahya. Yeah, they could totally scratch that fight.
vs. Mark Hominick
Hominick came up short against Jose Aldo, but did it in the most impressive manner possible. Clearly a top five talent, Hominick is dealing with postpartum depression after giving birth to that forehead alien Aldo gave him, and has a clear schedule. As soon as he’s medically cleared and ready to fight, we’d love to see him return to challenge Florian. While the Canadian striker wouldn’t necessarily test Florian’s ground game, he should be a good litmus test for Florian’s striking at 145, and we know there will be no shortage of heart when Hominick enters the cage.
vs Dustin Poirier
If you want to sound like a New Orleans native, that city should be properly pronounced “Nawluns”. Draw out that first syllable a little bit. Similarly, Dustin the Diamond’s surname would be “Pwawyay”. In general, just go slowly and cut down on enunciation, and the locals will at least think you’re from somewhere nearby, rather than another damn tourist. Anywho, Josh Grispi would be in this slot, except he’s now lost two in a row, one of those courtesy of our young friend from Lafayette. Poirier has one loss at 155, and he’s looked great as an undefeated featherweight. While admittedly this is a very dangerous fight for Florian — Poirier is no name opponent — we’d like to see someone test Florian’s cardio and resolve at 145. Poirier should administer that test capably.
vs Chan Sung Jung
There are few fighters in the UFC’s featherweight division more well-known than The Korean Zombie, so this would be a big-name matchup worthy of a main event five rounder. Like Florian, Jung is long and tall at 145, and dangerous both standing and on the ground. While it debatable if a win over Jung would bolster Florian’s claim to contendership, who cares? It would be plenty of fun to watch. Jung’s dance card is clear after his redemption win over Leonard Garcia, so can we pencil this one in at the end of the summer?
vs Hatsu Hioki
The Sengoku champ and much-ballyhooed potential pickup will need a test of his own when he signs with the UFC, and a Hioki-Florian matchup sounds like a great chance to take the temperature on both fighters. Hioki looked like a complete fighter in his victory over Marlon Sandro, showing better striking to complement his already tight ground game. That victory earned Hioki nods as a top five talent from pretty much everyone, so a victory puts Florian as a legitimate championship contender, something we haven’t been completely convinced of quite yet. Again, Hioki hasn’t been officially signed yet, but when he is, Florian would be a blockbuster first fight for him.
What you got, Nation? Is Ken-Flo ready for Aldo, or should he take another fight first?
New York still ain’t havin’ it with MMA, won’t sanction it in 2011. Shark Fights 15 scoring error in Villasenor vs. Camozzi which resulted in a Draw. New Mexico Commision to declare a winner around.
New York still ain’t havin’ it with MMA, won’t sanction it in 2011.
Shark Fights 15scoring error in Villasenor vs. Camozzi which resulted in a Draw. New Mexico Commision to declare a winner around June 14th.
George Roop may be considered one of the more quiet MMA fighters. He served his time on TUF 8: Nogueira vs. Mir, going virtually unnoticed, while more outspoken cast members like Junie Browning and “Diamond” Dave Kaplan stole the spotlight with emotional outbursts, peeing in food, and drunkenly getting knocked out. Yet […]
By:Joyce Lynda Valdes
George Roop may be considered one of the more quiet MMA fighters. He served his time on TUF 8: Nogueira vs. Mir, going virtually unnoticed, while more outspoken cast members like Junie Browning and “Diamond” Dave Kaplan stole the spotlight with emotional outbursts, peeing in food, and drunkenly getting knocked out. Yet since the TUF 8 season aired in 2008, Browning and Kaplan’s MMA careers have fallen quite far away from the public eye. And even TUF 8 Winner, Efrain Escudero has been cut from the UFC. But George Roop, who just rejoined the promotion as a Featherweight, has been soldiering on in the WEC with a much talked about DRAW in his fight with Leonard Garcia and an impressive head kick knockout of Chan Sung Jung. Fitting with his humble persona, Roop has taken the time to answer our questions in his own written words as he prepares for his January 22nd UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 bout against Team Tompkins teammate, Mark Hominick.
1. You have trained with your opponent, Mark Hominick for a couple years under Team Tompkins and Shawn Tompkins tutelage. Are you confident that you know every game plan Hominick will have in store for you and in that same regard will he be likely to know and expect all of your moves, as well?
GR: Yes, I believe that I know what he will bring to the table for this fight and he also knows what I bring. Which is going to make for an exciting fight.
2. You had a stellar performance against “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung. Did you plan the head kick that knocked him out or were you as surprised as he was? How much of a fight is game plan and how much is in the moment?
GR: I did plan on kicking the Korean Zombie in the head multiple times but I did not anticipate it to end the fight the way it did. I believe in Mixed Martial Arts you have to be prepared for where ever the fight takes you. Yes, it’s a good idea to come into the fight with a game plan but things change in the fight and you have to adapt in split seconds notice.
3. Did you speak to Shawn Tompkins and Mark Hominick before accepting your fight with Hominick? Despite this fight against Hominick, do you still consider yourself a part of Team Tompkins?
GR: Yes, I spoke with both of them before I accepted the bout. And yes I do consider myself part of Team Tompkins still. I plan on going back there and training after this fight. Tompkins is one of the best coaches in the world and we have a great team there to train with. I understand the relationship that Tompkins and Hominick have. But I am gonna use what he has taught me to win this fight.
4. You have said to me on occasion that if you weren’t fighting you’d have joined the military. Can you tell us what it means to you to fight for the troops?
GR: I’m a very patriotic person, so it means a lot to me to fight for the troops and to raise $$ for the Intrepid fund. The crowd is going to be unbelievable!
5. This fight with Hominick at UFC Fight for the Troops 2, also marks your return to the UFC since the WEC merger. How do you feel to be back with the promotion and is it added pressure now that some say there is a crowding of fighters and the chance to be cut seems that much higher?
GR: It feels great to be back with the UFC and to be fighting at my natrual weight class. It’s about time us smaller guys are going to get the recognition that we deserve. There is no added pressure for this fight. I’m just going to go in there and do my best. And win of course.
6. Josh Grispi was going to be the next contender against Jose Aldo, but Aldo pulled out due to injury and Grispi instead faced a virtual unknown in Dustin Poirier at UFC 125. Did that fight surprise you and what does that tell you about the talent in your division right now?
GR: Actually Hominick was offered the fight with Aldo before Grispi. Hominick opted out of the fight so that he could get his thumb fixed and it would not give him enough time to prepare for a title bout. So to me I feel like Hominick is the #1 contender. I was very impressed with Poirier in his fight with Grispi. He proved that he is going to be a force in the featherweight division. There is a huge amount of talent in my division right now and that makes it just that much more exciting for me to be able to test myself against the best in the world.
7. What do you think about the current Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo and who do you expect will be next in line for the champ? Who would you like to fight next?
GR: I WANT TO FIGHT ALDO NEXT. I think Aldo is a great champion and an amazing fighter. But I dont play into all the talk of him being unbeatable. He’s just another man and he can be beaten and he can be finished. Just like the Korean Zombie can be knocked out.
8. You have bounced around in the lighter weight divisions, having fought in the UFC previously at Lightweight, and even went down to the 135lb division in WEC, are you most comfortable at 145 and why did it take you some time to figure out what division works best for you?
GR: 145lbs has always been my fight weight. I fought at 145lbs before the ultimate fighter show. But when you get a chance to fight in the UFC, you take that opportunity and run with it. The UFC didn’t have a 145lbs division then. I also flirted with 135lbs for one fight. And that will be the last time I ever do that. Making 135lbs was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. 145lbs is a great fight weight for me and I have found my home.
9. Tell us about your training camp for your upcoming fight. What are the benefits and what are the sacrifices in training you have experienced with not training at a bigger known gym like TapouT with one of the better-known coaches, Shawn Tompkins?
GR: I’ve moved my training camp back home to Tucson, AZ. I’m training at Apex MMA and Boxing Inc. I don’t think that I have made sacrifices being back in Tucson. We have a lot of talent here in AZ. And although Tompkins is one of the best coaches in the world and has taught me a lot, I also have great coaches and training partners here in Tucson.
10. There was a lot of criticism surrounding Leonard Garcia’s Split Decision win over Nam Phan. Dana White even awarded Phan his win bonus. What are your thoughts on that fight? With Garcia as a Draw on your record, would you say the two of you have some unfinished business? (*NOTE: Since this interview was written, Garcia vs. Phan II was announced.)
GR: I thought that Nam won that fight. I’m looking forward to there next fight coming up in March. I think Garcia will be more prepared for the next fight against Nam. As far as me having un finished buisiness with Garcia; I’m not interested in a remach right now. Everybody who saw that fight knows I won and I feel like it would be taking a step backwards in competition. I’m not opposed to fighting him down the road if the UFC and the fans want to see me knock his head off.
