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Last news: November 24, 2010 00:47:46

At the conclusion of the main event bout at UFC 123 between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida, I sat wondering how could two judges get this decision so wrong? I thought clearly Machida won the first and third rounds and Rampage took the second round.

The last time I felt a fight was so wrongfully decided, was the Machida-Rua 1 bout at UFC 104.

At the end of a close bout, most fighters believe they should get the edge. But, clearly Rampage knew he had lost this fight. Every ounce of his body language expressed those feelings at the end of the fight.  He sat against the cage, like a whipped fighter with his head down. So it was to his dismay that ring announcer Bruce Buffer would call his name at the end as the winner. His first words to analyst Joe Rogan were, “He bloody my nose, I consider that a [expletive] whipping,” said Jackson.

He later changed his opinion when his corner men “yes men” told him he had won the bout. And later UFC president Dana White chimed in declaring Rampage the winner.

Here are my thoughts on why the decision was made in Rampage’s favor.

Shine Fight Promotions today announced the addition of Rolles Gracie to its heavyweight roster. The son of legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Rolls Gracie, and a member of MMA’s most famous family, Gracie is the latest member of the famed clan to carry on the familial legacy in the sport of MMA.

Rolles Gracie last fought at UFC 109 against Joey “Mexicutioner” Beltran. He lost for the first time to take his record to 3-1 in the cage.

Shine Fights have several heavyweights in their stable. Gracie joins veteran Jeff “The Snowman” Monson (32-9) and Thiago “Big Monster” Santos (6-1) to fill out the heavyweight roster.

"Rolles Gracie is one of the best grapplers in the world. He is consistently working on developing his game and he is ready to show his true capabilities in ring.  If there is one thing history has taught us, it is that an in shape, ready to go Gracie, is a very dangerous thing," said Shine Fights COO Jason Chambers.

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

The Ultimate Fighting Championship held a media call for UFC 123, Rampage vs. Machida, taking place Saturday.

On the call were four former UFC champions, former light heavyweight champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida, former two-time UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes and former UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn.

Usually on media calls the featured fighters would talk about winning their previous bout. In this case, three of the four fighters are coming off huge losses and two of them lost championship bouts.

One of the fighters, Rampage Jackson, was quite candid about his loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 114. Said Jackson, “I knew I lost that fight before I even stepped in the cage. The day I lost that fight was a couple of weeks before the fight even started, so it had nothing to do with the movie [A-Team], tour or anything.”

He didn’t go into details about why he thought he had lost the fight before the event, only stating, “We’ll I’d like to keep that personal.” But, one can extrapolate from the remaining answers on the call that his relationship with his kids is really important and that my have played a role. If you recall Jackson’s training camp was spend in Widnes, United Kingdom, with Michael Bisping preparing for the Evans fight.

 Many of us watched as the UFC aired UFC Primetime, it’s pre-fight behind-the-scenes show leading up to the event. On the show Jackson said, “I can’t wait to destroy you [Evans]. That’s all I think about is you and your big mouth. That’s what motivates me to train hard. I never trained this hard in my entire life.” If that statement were true, it would mean that mixed marital arts is just as mental as it is physical. If he was physically ready, it only means he was not mentally ready.

On the call Jackson was asked about moving his training camp from the U.K. to the United States. Jackson said, “I just bought a new house and I just decided to train right down the street from my house.”

That sounds a lot like Brock Lesnars situation. One can only hope that Rampage has not surrounded himself with “yes men” and that he has brought in some tough fighters to train against.

It seems that fighters that have earned a significant amount of money (millions), tend to get away from the team concept of training.

If you look at the current champions, they all train with teams. Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez trains with American Kickboxing Academy, Lightweight Champion Mauricio Rua with Universidade da Luta (UDL), Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva with Black House, Welterweight Champion George St.-Pierre with Jackson’s Submission Fighting, Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar with Renzo Gracie Combat Team, Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo with Black House, Bantamweight Dominick Cruz with Team Lloyd Irvin.

I know Lesnar was about to be the Heavyweight Champion, but many believe the lack of a fighting team was his downfall.

Do you believe an MMA fighter can train with his/her own personal trainers and sparring partners and become a champion?

Shogun Fights III was an action-packed night of fights that had many UFC fighters in attendance, including Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia and Mike Brown. - [Read more]

In Baltimore, we have Shogun Fights III at 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday, November 13. If this card is anything like Shogun Fights I & II, its going to be a great event.

I got a chance to talk with Baltimores own Binky Jones, Dan Root and Ryan Mackin about there upcoming fights.

The fight of the night may be the super heavyweight bout between Ryan McGowan and Bobby Favors. Favors tip the scales at 350 pounds while McGowan come in at 315 pounds. - [Read more]

UFC lightweight fighter, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone was involved in a backstage fight with Marcus Sursa at the Evolution Combat Sports event in Clovis, N.M., Saturday night, according to reports.

Cerrone who fights at the 155-pound class is thought to have taken the first swing and cut the 219-pound Sursa over his eye. Sursa punched Cerrone causing a cut to his lip.

Na Koa Podcast reported: “UFC 155 lb fighter Donald Cerrone was involved in a backstage brawl at the Evolution Combat Sports event in Clovis New Mexico event. The brawl was apparently about a young lady now dating Donald Cerrone who used to date main event fighter of the evening Marcus Sursa. Comments were exchanged after Sursa returned from a trip to the rest room and Cerrone was over seeing the warm-ups of several Jackson MMA fighters on the card this night, some words were exchanged by the two and then a shove followed by Cerrone throwing a punch causing a laceration on the eye of Sursa, he responded with a punch cutting the lip of Cerrone. All told, Sursa was now out of the main event tonight against Buddy Roberts of Reno, NV due to the cut he suffered.”

Cerrone plans to be a special guest at Shogun Fights III in Baltimore, Maryland on November 13, along with Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia and Mike Brown.

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White announced the UFC is adding two new championship divisions, at bantamweight (135 lbs.) and featherweight (145 lbs.), while also announcing a new television deal with the VERSUS Network to air four UFC fights in 2011. 

“As the UFC continues to evolve and grow globally, we want to be able to give fans title fights in every weight division,” said White. “This is a big day for the sport and the athletes who will have the opportunity to fight on the biggest stage in the world.”

The two new divisions feature WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who will now be recognized as the reigning UFC featherweight champion, and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. White confirmed that the winner of the Dec. 16 lightweight title fight between WEC champion Ben Henderson and top contender Anthony Pettis live on VERSUS will take on the winner of the UFC 125 main event title bout between champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. This upcoming fight will serve as a UFC lightweight title unification bout to be held next year.  

White also stated the UFC is expanding its presence on the VERSUS Network in 2011, and will increase its number of UFC events on the network from two to four per year.

What this mean for MMA fans is that we will get to see more exciting fights with the roster expanding. Now we could see fights between Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz or Clay Guida and Jamie Varner.

What are some of the match-ups you are looking forward to see?

Cain Velasquez is the new UFC heavyweight champion. From the opening bell until referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight last night the undefeated Velasquez dominated former champion Brock Lesnar. He knew how to exploit Lesnars weaknesses and he challenged Lesnar to stand and strike with him.

This is why it’s called mixed martial arts (MMA) and not just wrestling. Velasquez utilized his hands and feet to win by technical knockout at 4:12 in the first round.

Lesnar, known as “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” didn’t stand a chance on his feet. UFC heavyweight Junior Dos Santos on the fight: “Brock fought like a truck with no driver.”  In the past, Lesnar would set the pace of the fight by taking his opponent down. But Velasquez, also an accomplished wrestler, kept the fight standing. When it did go to the ground, he was able to get back to his feet.

UFC hall of famer Randy Couture said on MMA Live, “I think he’s (Velasquez) got the total package. The work ethic, the conditioning, he’s put a well-rounded game together."

Velasquez had such a very calm demeanor throughout the fight. On MMA Live after the fight he said, “The plan was to keep the distance and if he takes us down just get back up.” 

After the fight, UFC president Dana White placed the heavyweight belt around the champions waist. From what I could observe, White didn’t look pleased with the outcome. I know Lesnar has been part of two of the most profitable pay-per-view events in the UFC. But there is a new sheriff in town, and his name is Cain Velasquez.

After the fight White talked about Lesnar: “He’s only fought five times in the UFC. We’ve seen fights where his stand-up looks good. He’s not going to win any boxing titles, but it looks good when he’s doing the punching. When he starts getting hit is when his hands start to fall apart. It’s not a matter of working on his hands enough. It’s a different ballgame when you’re getting punched in the face.”

As Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan til they get punched in the mouth.”

From what I saw from Lesnar, Fedor Emelianenko would have destroyed him in the cage. Emelianenko is the most well-rounded heavyweight in the world. And his price tag to bring him to the UFC, just got higher.

What’s your opinion?

UFC middleweight fighter Chris "The Crippler" Leben, 30, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a crash. HawaiiNewsNow.com is reporting that Leben lost control of his pickup truck and crashed into a wall. He also is accused of driving without a license and proof of insurance.

Leben posted $1,000 bail and was released. 

Back in April 2008, Leben was arrest on a probation violation for a previous DUI charge in Oregon. Leben was then sentenced to 35 days in jail, causing him to reschedule a match against Michael Bisping at UFC 85.

Leben is scheduled to appear at a Honolulu court on November 22.

Ive received a few e-mails asking which Baltimore-area theaters are showing UFC 121.

There are two local theaters scheduled to show the event, and both start at 10 pm on Saturday.

AMC Columbia Mall 14

10300 Little Patuxent Parkway

Columbia, MD 21044

Cinemark Egyptian 24

7000 Arundel Mills Circle

Hanover, MD 21076

Come back each week to challenge your knowledge of mixed martial arts.

In February 2009, an MMA fighter legally changed his name to “War Machine.” What was his birth name?

Jonathan Koppenhaggen

Steve Marks

Raymond Lewis

None of the above

Which MMA fighter was the 2000 Pride Grand Prix champion?

Igor Vovchanchyn

Mark Coleman

Fedor Emelianenko

None of the above

Are World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) cages smaller than the UFC cages?

True

False

In PRIDE Total Elimination 2003 mixed martial arts tournament, what fighter did UFC fighter Chuck Liddell fight in a quarterfinal match?

Alistair Overeem

Quinton Jackson

Vernon White

None of the above

For answers to the quiz, click on continue reading “Stumping Ground Quiz”

Answer: “None of the above” should have been your answer. MMA fighter “War Machines” birth name was Jonathan Koppenhaver

Question #2

Answer: American fighter Mark Coleman won by submission over Igor Vovchanchyn and captured the 2000 Pride Grand Prix Championship.

Question #3

Answer: “True” should have been your answer. To accommodate the smaller fighters, the WECs cage has a 25 ft. diameter, 5 ft. smaller than the UFCs.

Question #4

Answer: “Alistair Overeem” should have been your answer. American and UFC fighter Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem in the first round in his quarterfinal match.

Thanks for playing. Come back next week to challenge your MMA knowledge.

For so many years this wasnt a debate. One name was synonymous with the label of the "best pound-for-pound fighter in the world" -- Fedor Emelianenko. Now, after every big fight theres a pound-for-pound best fighter in the world list thats published on MMA blogs. And instead of me generating my own list, I want to hear what fans are saying. Who is your vote for the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? Send a comment if you have another fighter youd like to vote for thats not on the list. - [Read more]

Strikeforce comes to San Jose, Calif., on October 9, with an exciting card. Strikeforce lightweight champion Nick Diaz takes on K.J. Noons in a rematch from 2007. Noons is the last fighter to beat Diaz in his last thirteen bouts. He stopped Diaz by TKO on a doctor stoppage after the first round. Diaz was cut severely over both eyes and the bridge of his nose. This rematch could be the fight of the year.

Also on the card are Josh Thomson against “JZ” Cavalcante, Sarah Kaufman and Marloes Coenen for the women’s welterweight championship, and four other bouts.

UFC 120 is being held in London, England on October 16. The best MMA fighters in Great Britain will be fighting. England’s own Michael Bisping takes on Japanese fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama in a middleweight bout in the main event.

Also on the card is a welterweight bout between England’s Dan Hardy and American Carlos Condit. This looks like a really good card on paper. Heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Travis Browne should have the fight of the night. There are a total of 10 fights on the card.

Next up for Strikeforce is Challengers 11 on October 22, from Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. The main event is a rematch between “Relentless” Roger Bowling and “Vicious” Bobby Voelker. Their first bout ended early due to an accidental poke in the eye.

Also on the card is hard-hitting heavyweight Lavar “Big” Johnson and a 165-pound catch weight bout between Billy Evangelista and Waachiim “Native Warrior” Spiritwolf.

The baddest man on the planet Brock Lesnar returns to the cage on October 23 at UFC 121 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. UFC heavyweight champion Lesnar will defend his title against the undefeated Cain Velasquez. There’s something in the air when Lesnar steps into the octagon. You want to be a witness to whatever transpires between him and his opponent.

UFC 121 looks to be a very competitive card with UFC newcomer and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shield taking on Martin Kampmann. Former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz steps back into the cage to take on hard-hitting Mark Hamill. Welterweight Diego Sanchez fights Paulo Thiago and Brendan Schaub takes on Gabriel Gonzaga in a matchup of heavyweights. There are 12 fights scheduled on the card.

Normal 0 0 1 556 3174 THE SUN 26 6 3897 10.260 0 0 0 After watching UFC 119, I realize that some of the fighters had changed their style of fighting. I believe they do it to win... - [Read more]

There’s plenty from UFC 101 to discuss, including B.J. Penn’s masterful title defense, bogus quick stoppages, fighters with poor gameplans and new ring girls, but the main story line of UFC 101 is Anderson Silva.

Un-freaking-believable. Tonight we saw vintage Anderson Silva. He wasn’t fighting a no-name either, he was fighting a top-5 light heavyweight. A man one fight removed from being the light heavyweight champion. A guy who recorded back-to-back wins over Shogun and Rampage Jackson.

And he didn’t belong in the same Octagon as Silva. Silva was faster, stronger and outclassed Griffin in every way. Silva looked like he was having fun, he looked loose and he looked like the "Spider" most fans were expecting against Patrick Cote and Thales Leites.

Incredible. At this point, what’s next for Silva? Dan Henderson again? No one else at 185 has a chance with Silva, not even Demian Maia. There are few people at 205 that would be tough fights for Silva. Lyoto Machida is at the top of that list, but the two friends have said they would never fight each other.

And, for those new fans (or haters) out there calling this a fixed fight, get over yourselves. Forrest Griffin got his butt kicked and was rocked twice before getting knocked out. It could not have been any plainer. If the UFC was ever going to fix a fight, it would be to have Griffin win. He’s the company guy and would be a great face for the sport. He’s probably even a bigger PPV draw than Silva. There is no way this was a fixed fight.

It was nice to see Silva break in some English during the post-fight interview. It stinks he hasn’t learned the language better because he should be a huge star at this point. He could be the Tiger Woods or Roger Federer of MMA but will never get the marketing push if he has to go through a translator for everything.

Anderson Silva. Wow.

- [Read more]

With all the hype around Fedor Emelianenko and UFC 100 fallout it’s easy to forget about this weekend’s UFC 101. That would be a mistake. I think this is a solid card. It’s not as stacked as 100, but it should be a very entertaining show.

Although just as with UFC 100, I think the main event isn’t the featured bout. Kenny Florian challenging B.J. Penn for the lightweight championship is the main event while Anderson Silva’s fight with Forrest Griffin will have to settle for the rung below.

Florian and Penn should be a great fight. It will be really interesting to see how Penn looks in this bout. I’ve waffled on this one more than a few times. I could definitely understand if Penn wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen him in the past, as he’s coming off a disappointing and controversial loss. He’s also getting to the bottom part of his career and won’t be around forever.

Still, it’s B.J. Penn ... fighting at lightweight. It’s one thing when he moves up a weight class or two for a major fight, but he’s at his best at lightweight. He’s been overwhelmingly impressive at 155 and even though I think Florian is the best the weight class has to offer, it’s just so hard to go against Penn.

With Silva, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen him at the top of his game. He’s been efficient in handling two lesser opponents, but it’s been less than enthralling television. Forrest Griffin is an underrated fighter, which is insane because he’s a consensus top-five light heavyweight and is one fight removed from winning the championship. The man’s won two straight Fight of the Night honors and he’s going against one of the most feared strikers in the sport.

Griffin will not back down like Patrick Cote and Thales Leites. This could be a very interesting fight, even if it doesn’t stay standing. Silva, who some would contend is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has a lot to prove in this bout. Which, again, is insane for someone who is undefeated in the Octagon and is a champion.

Still, knocking out James Irvin at 205 is different from facing someone of Griffin’s caliber. This is the type of fight Silva deserves as there’s no one in his division, save for a rematch with Dan Henderson, that can deliver a match of this caliber.

I’m excited to see how Penn looks at 155 again, but I have to think the Griffin-Silva fight is more intriguing and more meaningful overall.

UPDATE: Since this entry was posted, Fedor Emelianenko has signed a contract with Strikeforce. Read the AP story here.

After a crazy week in MMA, I thought it would be a foregone conclusion that Fedor Emelianenko would be in the UFC. It makes perfect sense. Affliction is a goner and his biggest payday is in the UFC. Also, for a guy that isn’t very popular in the U.S., joining forces with the UFC marketing machine would’ve made him an insanely wealthy man as opposed to comfortably wealthy. The UFC made a number of concessions to bring Fedor into the fold and he foolishly turned them down, unwilling to accept any deal that doesn’t include a co-promotion with M-1 (a ludicrous demand).

The problem is the UFC needs Fedor now more than ever. Brock Lesnar is well on his way to becoming the top dog in the sport (especially since his road to defend his title is much easier than it is for Georges St. Pierre, currently the biggest name in the sport). The UFC’s heavyweight division isn’t overly deep. Lesnar realistically has only two foes on the horizon. The winner of the Cain Velasquez-Shane Carwin fight and the winner of the Randy Couture-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira bout. As Lesnar continues to win, his publicity and press will only increase and it’s pretty impressive already. His post-fight antics after UFC 100 weren’t very classy but they worked wonders in getting him on the radars of casual sports fans. Lesnars star will only get bigger but it’s hard for MMA fans to get behind him when the best heavyweight in the world doesn’t even get a crack at him.

This has a boxing feel to it, where the top two guys won’t get to face each other because they are with different promotions and because of politics. UFC president Dana White prides himself on putting together the fights the fans want to see so Im betting this has to annoy him to no end.

Fedor isn’t worth the money the UFC is throwing at him. He’s not a pay-per-view draw and he certainly doesn’t deserve the biggest contract in the company. So if he’s not willing to play ball with the UFC’s latest offer, there’s not much more the UFC can or should do. The blame lies with Fedor and his idiotic management.

Lesnar will still have some big fights and big challenges but from a fan perspective, it stinks to know that the biggest fight in the heavyweight division is one that won’t happen for some time.

Lets face it, the UFC heavyweight division isnt even that interesting. Its not nearly as deep as the welterweight or light heavyweight divisions, but those champions and contenders arent given the respect their due. St. Pierre should be the main event in every show hes on.

I always welcome a good debate with famed MMA journalist and author Kelly Crigger. Especially because those debates are so easy to win.

Issue No. 1: Now that UFC 100 has come and gone, what’s the next big milestone for MMA?

Kelly: It would be easy to use the Zuffa’s numbering system and say UFC 200 is the next big milestone in MMA, but there are other events that will take the sport to the next level. Although New York sanctioning MMA, breaking into the Mexican market, and signing Fedor are all big goals for the UFC, I think establishing a sustained presence in Japan is the Holy Grail for White and company. But they have significant obstacles to overcome before that ever happens. First off, in Japan MMA is family entertainment, which is why they don’t approve the use of elbows and disdain cuts. The Jim Miller–Mac Danzig blood bath at UFC 100 that resembled a scene from The Shining would not go over well. For that matter, the Octagon has a stigma attached to it from the early UFC days as being brutal, so the Japanese networks would almost certainly want Zuffa to abandon their trademark arena. Lastly, Japanese audiences love the freak-show fights that we’ve all come to regard as pure humor here in the States. Would Dana White and Joe Silva be willing to stage such superficial events like Hong Man Choi vs. Jose Canseco, install a ring, and ban elbows? Sure. And Gary Busey has a shot at nailing UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste. Until that happens, the plausibility of the UFC having a prolonged presence in Japan is as likely as Kojak doing a Head and Shoulders commercial.

Mark: Don’t knock Busey’s pick-up skills. He may read this and take that as a challenge. As for the whole Japan thing, that’s depressing. The big milestone is gaining a foothold in Japan but it will never happen? Thanks for the buzzkill. Why not just say the next big milestone for the UFC will be to hold the first MMA event on the moon? I think it’s clear, and has been for some time, that the next milestone for the UFC, and even bigger than UFC 100, is making the jump to network TV. That’s the biggest obstacle between the UFC and legitimacy right now. The mainstream media is acknowledging MMA more but not as much as they should. Having some prime-time specials on one of the major networks is the only thing that can bring the UFC to the next level. The fans will increase, the coverage will increase, and everyone will be happy. No casual sports fan is going to want to shell out 50 bucks to watch the Super Bowl or to watch the BCS title game. And soon enough, the casual fan should be able to watch at least a few big UFC events every year. The thing that distresses me about a TV deal: Dana White says it’s not a huge priority. It looks like the UFC is more focused on global expansion. If that’s the case, then Japan will be big for the UFC but I think they are taking the smart route and building up the rest of the globe first. There’s too much competition and the UFC would have to make too many concessions, like you said, to make Japan a priority right now.

Issue No. 2: Will Shane Carwin become the people’s champion by knocking off the new MMA villain, Brock Lesnar?

Kelly: Yes. As we all know, Lesnar snapped back into WWE mode after defeating Frank Mir and got all uppity with the crowd with a double-fisted middle finger salute accompanied by tortuous words about Bud Light. Bad move. Bud Light is as American as Chevrolet and apple pie, Mr. Lesnar. Not only have you made enemies of the MMA community, but the NASCAR community, the beer drinking community, and the dude who spent hours making sure the Bud Light mat in the octagon was straight. Now heavyweight contender Shane Carwin is pissed. Carwin immediately posted a diatribe on his Web site about Brock and if he gets past Cain Velasquez (I think he will), he’s been guaranteed a title shot. Carwin has the power of a super-heavyweight, but moves as quick as a lightweight. The hype around him is legit and with Greg Jackson in his corner developing a fight strategy. Mrs. Lesnar might not get any lovin’ when the two meet.

Mark: I like the Carwin talk, I really do. I think he’s a tough guy and will be a great heavyweight for the UFC. Does he have a shot at knocking off Lesnar? Sure, all it takes is one lucky punch (see Serra, Matt). But if both bring their A-games? It’s impossible to go against Lesnar. Carwin’s resume leaves a lot to be desired. He may have more experience, but wins against Randy Couture and Frank Mir are far better than anything Carwin’s amassed. Couture is the master at developing a game plan but that didn’t help him with Lesnar. I simply don’t see how Carwin gets it done. Even with his wrestling background, I don’t think he outwrestles Lesnar. Lesnar is bigger and stronger, although Carwin is one of the bigger heavyweights he’ll face. Lesnar is also freakishly athletic and incredibly quick. He can also throw a pretty lethal punch. Lesnar’s game still has a lot of holes but his overwhelming size, his championship wrestling background (in college, not in terms of steel chairs and top ropes) and his athleticism do a damn fine job of masking those flaws.

Issue No. 3: When will we get Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre?

Mark: OK, enough is enough. We had to put up with Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, but do we really have to suffer through GSP taking on Mike Swick or Martin Kampmann? Really? That’s supposed to be the next move for one of the biggest stars in the sport? The guy has dismantled the top two welterweights in the UFC with wins over Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves. Mike Swick is a capable fighter but he’s not ready for GSP. Let Fitch and Alves fight it out to see who gets a rematch and in the meantime, let’s make the fight Dana White has been talking about for months: GSP vs. Anderson Silva. It’s time. White said he’d look into it if GSP got by Alves and he dominated Alves. This is the biggest fight the UFC can put together. Even bigger than Lesnar-Fedor, if you judge by skill rather than hype. If Anderson Silva gets by Forrest Griffin at UFC 101, then this shouldn’t even be a question.

Kelly: I have no argument with you that it’s time for this clash. With Silva fighting next month and GSP slightly injured, both can get sufficient rest to begin a training camp in mid-September and be ready to fight in ... wait for it ... late December. What’s that? Do I hear the big New Year’s Eve show calling on my phone? Let me answer it. Hello? What’s that you say? The UFC is just teasing us so we start talking up this fight before they reveal their devious plan to have GSP and Silva fight in the big end-of-year event in Vegas? That’s genius! In fact, it’s nefarious! If Dana White suddenly started sporting a scar down the side of his face, I’d swear he was Dr. Evil. All kidding aside, I think both of these talented fighters have their timelines in place to clash at the end-of-the-year UFC blowout and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t. Make it happen, DW!

Issue No. 4: What’s the point of Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin II?

Mark: The main event at UFC 103 is one I simply can’t figure out. Both fighters are coming off good wins but this wasn’t exactly a great fight the first time they met. I still think Franklin should’ve won the controversial split decision. All Henderson did was take him down occasionally. He didn’t do jack on the ground and his most impressive moves in the stand-up game where his head butt and eye poke, both illegal moves. And this fight was confusing at the time because Franklin is moving up to 205 and Henderson is not. Hendo wants another shot at Anderson Silva and Franklin wants to make a go at light heavyweight. How does this fight make sense at all? It could be entertaining but it still doesn’t make sense for either guy.

Kelly: Instead of looking at one fight, I try to put these little clues together to deconstruct the UFC’s grand strategy. Taking into consideration my theory that Joe Silva is trying to set up a big cash cow fight between GSP and Anderson Silva at the year-end blowout event, this fight makes sense and exposes the UFC’s little conspiracy. On the surface it’s hard to see a need for Henderson-Franklin II. But reading between the lines, I’d say the UFC wants to keep Hendo away from Silva so they can set up the Silva-GSP fight. As you pointed out, Franklin really won their first meeting, but got robbed on the scorecards. By setting up a rematch, Franklin gets a chance to prove he’s better and the UFC keeps Dangerous Dan away from The Spider long enough to set up the GSP-Silva mega event in December. Win or lose, Dan won’t have time to prepare for a year-end showdown with Silva. If Franklin wins, he avenges the controversial loss and continues on his road to a 205-pound title shot. From a dolla dolla bills perspective, it eliminates the one uncontrollable variable that could spoil Dana’s dream of actually rolling naked in money.

- [Read more]

Rich Franklin will face Dan Henderson in the main event of UFC 103 in Dallas. And it makes zero sense. The two fighters are in different weight classes. Henderson has been focusing more on middleweight and Franklin has been vocal about his desire to stay at light heavyweight.

Both are coming off impressive wins. But Franklin should be facing a higher light heavyweight and Henderson should be facing Anderson Silva (if we get jobbed out of the Silva vs. GSP fight, which it looks like we will since Mike Swick will probably get the next welterweight title shot) or a top middleweight contender at the least.

These are two big names in the sport and there is some revenge factor involved since their last fight was a controversial split decision. Still, I don’t know that this was a fight anyone was clamoring for. I think Franklin takes it. But where, exactly, does he go because of it?

I hope it’s more entertaining than the first one and I hope Franklin can dodge the eye pokes and head butts of Henderson this time.

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Josh Barnett is officially out of Affliction’s big Aug. 1 show where he was supposed to meet Fedor Emelianenko. That sucks. It ruins what was supposed to be one of the biggest heavyweight bouts in recent memory. Barnett certainly would’ve been a better opponent than Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski were for Fedor.

In case you haven’t heard, Barnett tested positive for a banned substance. The full story is over at Yahoo, among other places.

The possible replacements don’t seem all that intriguing, either. It looks like Vitor Belfort will take on Fedor instead. Other rumored bouts are against Brett Rogers or Bobby Lashley, neither of whom are ready for Fedor. Truth be told, Belfort probably isn’t in proper shape for Fedor either.

An e-mailer posed a great question when this news came out: is this the final nail in the coffin for Affliction? This upcoming show is the weakest of the three cards they’ve put together and they were relying heavily on Fedor-Barnett. This could be disastrous for the promotion, which was never that successful to begin with.

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