Every now and then MMA presents fans with bouts that cause an immediate face-palm reaction. Whether they are rematches, trilogies or “circus” bouts, there are just some fights that should never happen. Mariusz Pudzianowski versus former UFC heavyweight…
Every now and then MMA presents fans with bouts that cause an immediate face-palm reaction.
Whether they are rematches, trilogies or “circus” bouts, there are just some fights that should never happen.
Mariusz Pudzianowski versus former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia is a fine example of a circus bout.
After about 30 seconds of offensive effort, Pudzianowski, a winner of five World’s Strongest Man titles, suffered a cardio meltdown that allowed Sylvia to get the upper hand and pound the Polish phenom into submission.
Who could ever forget about the Jose Canseco and Hong Man Choi bout?
The controversial Major League Baseball superstar made it 1:17 into the bout before balling up into the fetal position to avoid any damage.
“Blockbuster” rematches can also make little to no sense.
Former champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz were scheduled to duke it out after finishing their coaching duties on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 11.
While both legends have tremendous pay-per-view draws, Liddell had already defeated Ortiz soundly on a couple of occasions. Regardless of how strong the rivalry is, sometimes you just have to let go and move on.
These were just a few examples, but the best are soon to follow.
While suffering through The Change-Up this weekend, I started thinking about the hypothetical situation of MMA fighters switching bodies. Obviously, one fighter would get the short end of the stick, like in all relationships, but other than that, it’s all good news from there. Imagine the man with a warrior spirit and broken body upgrading for a newer model. Imagine the heavy-duty gas-guzzler being replaced by a tiny, eco-friendly, electric car. Imagine experience and youth joining forces to reign terror on anything that steps in its way. So who most deserves a cinematic body-swap? Read on and find out…
BJ Penn and Brock Lesnar
Advantage: Baby Jay
For years, Penn has been criticized for his lack of self-discipline and willingness to stay in shape. Switching bodies would solve that problem and create what might be the best heavyweight in UFC history. A Nova Uniao Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with explosive striking and a granite chin, Penn has everything that Lesnar wishes he had. The Prodigy would be a wrecking ball at heavyweight if he had Brock’s body — as long as the viking took the diverticulitis thing with him. If he had to keep the illness during the switch, then I guess we could all agree that we’d like to see Josh Koscheck trade bodies with Brock.
(Unlike the rest of us, the eye candy in the back decided to open her eyes for Cyborg.)
While suffering through The Change-Up this weekend, I started thinking about the hypothetical situation of MMA fighters switching bodies. Obviously, one fighter would get the short end of the stick, like in all relationships, but other than that, it’s all good news from there. Imagine the man with a warrior spirit and broken body upgrading for a newer model. Imagine the heavy-duty gas-guzzler being replaced by a tiny, eco-friendly, electric car. Imagine experience and youth joining forces to reign terror on anything that steps in its way. So who most deserves a cinematic body-swap? Read on and find out…
BJ Penn and Brock Lesnar
Advantage: Baby Jay
For years, Penn has been criticized for his lack of self-discipline and willingness to stay in shape. Switching bodies would solve that problem and create what might be the best heavyweight in UFC history. A Nova Uniao Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with explosive striking and a granite chin, Penn has everything that Lesnar wishes he had. The Prodigy would be a wrecking ball at heavyweight if he had Brock’s body — as long as the viking took the diverticulitis thing with him. If he had to keep the illness during the switch, then I guess we could all agree that we’d like to see Josh Koscheck trade bodies with Brock.
Roy Nelson and Clay Guida
Advantage: Nelson
The TUF 10: Heavyweights winner is in a slump following back-to-back losses against JDS and Frank Mir. You remember seeing ‘Big Country’ sucking wind and basically collapsing after the final horn, right? I can’t remember another fighter looking worse in the Octagon besides Kimbo. We know from the JDS fight that Nelson is capable of eating punches and asking for more while his black belt in BJJ is evident when the fight hits the mat. Question: Why doesn’t he win more? Cardio? Heart? Answer: Both.
Wrap up Roy’s knowledge, passion, and skill inside the body of Clay Guida and you’ve got yourself a force to be reckoned with. The Carpenter is the most fuel efficient guy on the roster, and his thick neanderthal-esque skull will provide the x-factor in Nelson’s game. Wishing you had Mo Lawal’s oxygen supplier in your corner will become a thing of the past as a “new” lightweight makes a mad dash for Edgar’s title. The only question that comes to mind when pondering this swap of bodies is whether Roy will keep Guida’s famous hair or go for a mullet.
Gina Carano and Cristiane ‘Cris Cyborg’ Santos
Advantage: Fans
Not to take anything away from the budding Hollywood actress, but Cyborg is a genetic freak and the more skilled female fighter. But what Carano lacks in MMA dominance, she more than makes up for in beauty and star-power. Gina Carano is hotter than a Tezpur Chili on the Scoville Scale and because Cyborg would get Carano’s body while keeping her wicked awesome skills, Chyna would have to give the title of ‘9th Wonder of the World‘ to Santos. Makes perfect sense to us. Honestly, this one actually should be a movie.
Jim Miller and Chael Sonnen
Advantage: Miller
The 20 and 2 AMA product is overdue for a title shot. (You could argue that Clay Guida deserves one first after defeating former #1 contender Anthony Pettis, but you could also argue that Strikeforce won’t be swallowed up by the UFC next year.) Jim Miller is riding an incredible seven-fight win streak, leaving behind a pile of game competitors. So why no shot at the belt yet? Consider this: walk around your local mall or sports bar and ask random dudes who Jim Miller is. “Isn’t he that ‘Bully Beatdown’ guy?” is probably how most would respond.
Apparently top-notch technique and continued success just aren’t enough. What’s missing? The personality to make people want to see you compete — and remember when you do — and the charisma to captivate an audience both in and out of the cage. Enter Chael Sonnen, aka Senor Chael. Problem solved. The only downside is that if we do get to see Silva vs. Sonnen 2, the pre-fight hype will be downgraded from AAA to AA+.
Wanderlei Silva and Jon Jones
Advantage: Wandy
Of all the fighters who we’d love to see switch bodies, this might be our favorite. We are unabashedly huge fans of ‘The Axe Murderer’ and wish he could somehow drink from the mystical Fountain of Youth to prolong his storied career as one of MMA’s coolest/scariest dudes.
Jon Jones has the largest reach of active UFC fighters. Do you even understand the possibilities of what that kind of wingspan could do when combined with one of the sport’s most lethal strikers? This would literally be the second coming of Wanderlei Silva! Look, we know he’s still got the itch to fight. New body, fresh outlook, old scores to settle.
Is Jonny Bones getting the short end of the stick? Absolutely. But look on the bright side — at least he won’t have to duck Rashad anymore.
Well people, hopefully you are enjoying a day off with some barbecued animal carcass and a nice cold beer (or some grilled zucchini and tofu scramble, whatever scratches your itch). Join us as we look back on the action from UFC 132 and what we can take away from a card that as wild and unpredictable as this one. If a story comes out that some guy hit an eleven fight parley, we’re going to track him down and burn him as a sorcerer. Seriously, there’s playing a hunch, and then there’s invoking demons to influence the reality on our plane of existence.
First, some things must not be spoken of.
Like Wanderlei Silva losing, or Tito Ortiz winning. Sometimes, great reflection is required to glean the lessons of life from events that at first seem incomprehensible. Sometimes, understanding must elude us forever.
Come on in and let’s talk five things.
No caption needed, really.
Well people, hopefully you are enjoying a day off with some barbecued animal carcass and a nice cold beer (or some grilled zucchini and tofu scramble, whatever scratches your itch). Join us as we look back on the action from UFC 132 and what we can take away from a card that as wild and unpredictable as this one. If a story comes out that some guy hit an eleven fight parley, we’re going to track him down and burn him as a sorcerer. Seriously, there’s playing a hunch, and then there’s invoking demons to influence the reality on our plane of existence.
First, some things must not be spoken of.
Like Wanderlei Silva losing, or Tito Ortiz winning. Sometimes, great reflection is required to glean the lessons of life from events that at first seem incomprehensible. Sometimes, understanding must elude us forever.
Come on in and let’s talk five things.
1. Best card EVAR?
Well, no — probably not. Wanderlei lost, so it can’t be best card ever. We might have to do some research to decide which ones were better, though. The card was ludicrously stacked on paper; even the undercard fights were charged up with guys like Anthony Njokuani, Melvin Guillard, and George Sotiropoulos ready for action, plus Bowles-Mizugaki was an opportunity for someone to claim dibs on the next bantamweight title shot. And holydamnshitwow it delivered. If you were one of those people that complains about lackluster shows before anyone gets their hands wrapped, slap yourself. Now do it again, but harder. Between UFC 132 and UFC Live: Kongo vs Barry, we hope you’ve learned not to try to play jaded psychic MMA fan anymore. Seriously, you look like a tool.
2. Hey, these WEC guys are pretty alright.
Both in terms of carrying the marquee, and in terms of how they stack up in the UFC. Anthony Njokuani got bumped up to the Spike broadcast for Tekkenizing Andre Winner, which we were happy to see. One-time WEC middleweight champ Chris Leben is working to carve out a top five spot for himself in the division, despite being written off pretty much always. Aaron Simpson is a WEC vet; he was exciting there. Plus this Condit fellow with the knee is pretty outstanding. If MMA followed BJ Penn’s rules, Carlos Condit would be 26-3 and in the GOAT conversation. Ok, Shane Roller had a rough fight, but he’ll be back.
3. MMA Judging is …. whatever, man these guys might as well flip coins.
We as much as anyone are willing to complain hysterically about bad decisions, but really, with fights as close as Cruz-Faber or Siver-Wiman, we’re willing to concede that it is possible that judges can turn in scores that are diametrically opposed to our own, without being under the influence of blindness, insanity, mental incompetence, or cash money. Tiny differences in how individuals see a fight account for total disagreement in who won the bout, and we’re just going to have to resign ourselves to that under the current judging criteria. (More liberal use of 10-8 and 10-10 rounds could be a relatively low impact experiment, though, right?)
4. What’s up with Brian Bowles?
People from West Virginia are crazy. All of ‘em, crazier than KhaosWar Machine von Datsik on whatever it was that Rampage was drinking. Yet even fueled by what we assume to be reality-altering powers of psychoenergy, Bowles didn’t impress with his anything Saturday night. The former champ is going to need the eye of the tiger to get back to title contention. Plus, player, did you break your hand again? Someone never took their kung fu movies seriously. Calcium supplements aren’t on the banned list, are they?
5. Cue up Cruz-Faber 3.
The casual crowd is still catching on to these lighter weight classes, and chances are they enjoyed the bout. Why not go ahead and finish the best of three series? Cruz and Faber are so evenly-matched and so exhaustingly energetic that we’d sign on to watch those two fight three times a year. The dislike between the two doesn’t hurt either. Yes, Sean Shelby is talking about maybe Mighty Mouse, who we like, but the rubber match would generate way more interest. Strike when the iron is hot, people.
(We know, Urijah. Sometimes we spend an entire hour working on a blog post, and our browser decides to crash just as we’re finishing it up, and when we go back into the CMS the post has completely vanished and we’re struck with that feeling of pure disappointment and frustration, knowing that we have to do it all over again. So, yeah, we can totally relate. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting)
UFC 132 was as bizarre as it was thrilling. Now that we’ve wrapped our heads around it for the most part, it’s time to look ahead and see if we can think up some future matchups for Saturday’s notable winners and losers. Let us know how you feel in the comments section — and hey, happy 4th of July!
Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber: Immediate rubber match. It’s not the most essential of immediate rematches, but the fight was close enough to warrant it, and there’s really no bantamweight contender right now who deserves it more than Faber. Brian Bowles thinks he’s the guy, but I can’t forget that two fights ago he was beaten up by Dominick Cruz worse than anybody’s been beaten up by Dominick Cruz, ever.
The other name being thrown around in the aftermath of UFC 132 is Demetrious Johnson, who’s coming off decision wins over Miguel Torres and Kid Yamamoto. Impressive? Of course. Still, Johnson has never been on the main card of a UFC event, and promoting him as a headliner could be a tough sell. Give Mighty Mouse one more fight to establish himself — or hurry up and create that long-rumored flyweight division so the diminutive Johnson can dominate there.
Chris Leben: There’s no limit to the brawling abilities of a sugar-free Cat Smasher. Leben vs. Wandy was a bit of a stunt-fight, and now that Leben has emerged victorious, he should return to a more conventional contender track. The first name that comes to mind is Mark Munoz, who’s riding a three-fight win streak, most recently outpointing Demian Maia last month at UFC 131 — although Vitor Belfort could also be a great matchup for Leben, as long as the Phenom can get past Yoshihiro Akiyama next month in Philadelphia.
(We know, Urijah. Sometimes we spend an entire hour working on a blog post, and our browser decides to crash just as we’re finishing it up, and when we go back into the CMS the post has completely vanished and we’re struck with that feeling of pure disappointment and frustration, knowing that we have to do it all over again. So, yeah, we can totally relate. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting)
UFC 132 was as bizarre as it was thrilling. Now that we’ve wrapped our heads around it for the most part, it’s time to look ahead and see if we can think up some future matchups for Saturday’s notable winners and losers. Let us know how you feel in the comments section — and hey, happy 4th of July!
Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber: Immediate rubber match. It’s not the most essential of immediate rematches, but the fight was close enough to warrant it, and there’s really no bantamweight contender right now who deserves it more than Faber. Brian Bowles thinks he’s the guy, but I can’t forget that two fights ago he was beaten up by Dominick Cruz worse than anybody’s been beaten up by Dominick Cruz, ever.
The other name being thrown around in the aftermath of UFC 132 is Demetrious Johnson, who’s coming off decision wins over Miguel Torres and Kid Yamamoto. Impressive? Of course. Still, Johnson has never been on the main card of a UFC event, and promoting him as a headliner could be a tough sell. Give Mighty Mouse one more fight to establish himself — or hurry up and create that long-rumored flyweight division so the diminutive Johnson can dominate there.
Chris Leben: There’s no limit to the brawling abilities of a sugar-free Cat Smasher. Leben vs. Wandy was a bit of a stunt-fight, and now that Leben has emerged victorious, he should return to a more conventional contender track. The first name that comes to mind is Mark Munoz, who’s riding a three-fight win streak, most recently outpointing Demian Maia last month at UFC 131 — although Vitor Belfort could also be a great matchup for Leben, as long as the Phenom can get past Yoshihiro Akiyama next month in Philadelphia.
Wanderlei Silva: It sounds like Dana wants to retire him. I say, fuck that. Silva and Chael Sonnen have already laid so muchtrash-talkgroundwork, it would be a shame if that fight didn’t happen as Sonnen’s post-suspension return. Do it for Brazil’s honor, Wanderlei.
Tito Ortiz: And so, the Huntington Beach Bad Boy has secured his employment for at least one more fight. I’m sure he’s already hounding Dana for a title shot, but I’d like to see Ortiz against someone else on Bader’s level just to get a sense of how “back” Tito really is. UFC 133 presents two interesting possibilities: Rich Franklin if he beats Lil’ Nog, or Phil Davis if he beats Rashad Evans. And if fate conspires to nix those options? There’s always Mauricio Rua, no matter how he does against Forrest Griffin in Rio.
Ryan Bader: Jesus, who knows. A TUF 8 reunion match against the streaking Kyle Kingsbury? Whatever.
Carlos Condit: Due to timing, Condit might have to fight again before getting his first crack at the UFC welterweight title, which is just as well, considering Dong Hyun Kim wasn’t one of those dudes being discussed as an imminent title contender. The winner of Jake vs. Jake would make sense, but I’d much rather see Condit go three wild-ass rounds against Diego Sanchez, assuming the DreamNightmare Vision can slice through Matt Hughes at UFC 135.
Melvin Guillard: I’m thinking Clay Guida. The logjam at 155 isn’t going to clear up until 1) the Edgar/Maynard trilogy concludes, and 2) Jim Miller fights Ben Henderson next month in Milwaukee, but in the meantime, Guillard vs. Guida will go a long way in determining who’s really at the top of the food chain. Both of these guys have looked like future champs lately, and you know they go hard. If Guillard can’t avoid being blanketed for three rounds, he doesn’t deserve to think of himself as the world’s #1 lightweight in the first place.
(BG)
Got any other suggestions for UFC 132′s fighters? Let us know in the comments section…
Out of 27 career victories, 27-year-old Carlos Condit has finished 26 of them. Only one of his 27 victories did he go to a decision.I do not think there is anyone out there with that kind aggression and killer instinct to show for on their record.For m…
Out of 27 career victories, 27-year-old Carlos Condit has finished 26 of them. Only one of his 27 victories did he go to a decision.
I do not think there is anyone out there with that kind aggression and killer instinct to show for on their record.
For my money, Carlos Condit is the most dangerous fighter in the welterweight division.
That finishing ability was on full display as Condit knocked out the previously undefeated Dong Hyun Kim in the first round at UFC 132.
That marks two first-round knockouts in a row for Condit, where he is the only man to have ever KO’d his opponent.
Then, stop to consider that he has just as many wins by submission as he does by knockout.
Since joining the UFC and dropping a controversial split-decision to standout Martin Kampmann, Condit appears to just be getting better and better with each outing.
It is at the point now where it is more difficult making an argument as to why he shouldn’t be getting a title shot.
Yet despite his refinement and caliber, Condit proved against Dong Hyun Kim that he is very much still “The Natural Born Killer.”
If Kim and Hardy cannot last a round in the cage with Condit, then who is going to get in his way?
The only fighters left for Condit to fight are the durable and elite welterweight stalwarts that are notoriously hard to finish, and I bet Condit is just chomping at the bit.
We waited for what seemed like a lifetime to finally see Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz square off at UFC 132 for the bantamweight title. The bantamweight division is arguably the most entertaining division in all of MMA. Guys with great cardio, …
We waited for what seemed like a lifetime to finally see Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz square off at UFC 132 for the bantamweight title.
The bantamweight division is arguably the most entertaining division in all of MMA. Guys with great cardio, fast hands and crazy skills dominate this division, and you can always expect a good five rounds of action.
Both Faber and Cruz have become the face of this division, and with a couple more wins by Faber, they could be the trilogy the bantamweight division needs to become huge.
Faber and Cruz put on a great show as the first 135-pound main event in UFC and the first 135-pound title fight in UFC history. I thought the fight could have gone either way (I gave Faber a 48-47), and of course, one judge had to score it 50-45 to mess it up.
Cruz is now definitely the dominant force in the bantamweight division. Cruz has avenged his only loss and has won his last four title bouts. Those four wins come over Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen and now Faber.
That isn’t padding your resume, that is about as great of a last four fights as you can get.
Faber use to be the posterboy of the lighter weight classes in the WEC and still is to an extent in the UFC. You have a guy whose personality outside the cage is chill, and inside the cage, he can beat you anyway he wants it seems like.
Faber is the former WEC featherweight champion for good reason and has made himself into a household name synonymous with the lighter division.
A trilogy between these two would be epic. It’s not like Cruz completely dominated Faber (I don’t find takedowns that last a nanosecond as dominant), and their second bout was great.
Faber pulls in a lot of sponsorship money from Form Athletics and Amp Energy Drink, now Cruz will be getting more shots at it.
With Faber slowly going past his prime, he’s the veteran no one can hate. Cruz is just entering the prime of his career, which is a scary thought considering his style of fighting and how amazing it is.
After last night Faber and Cruz proved one thing, having a bantamweight fight as the main event can be super entertaining. In the first bantamweight main event in UFC history, both fighters have stepped up and become the big name fighters the division needs to thrive.
