Joe Lauzon - Shedding The Underdog Tag
They called it a major upset. Why? That’s a mystery, considering that Joe Lauzon had gone 7-3 in his previous 10 UFC bouts, ending five of them via the ground game that was opponent Melvin Guillard’s Achilles heel in the Octagon.
But when October 8, 2011 rolled around in Houston, Texas, many fans and pundits feared for Lauzon’s health against the Louisiana knockout artist dubbed “The Young Assassin.”
New England’s “J-Lau” wasn’t shaking though.
“I knew that Melvin was most dangerous when people are scared, so I wasn’t gonna be scared,” said Lauzon. “I might have gotten knocked out because of it, and he might have beat me, but I wasn’t gonna make it easy. I was gonna come forward and fight hard, and if I lost, I lost. At least I didn’t make the mistake I knew beforehand, which was if I came out tentative, then he would eat me up.”
Lauzon did a complete 180 from tentative, dropping Guillard early and then finishing him off with a textbook rear naked choke. The whole fight took just 47 seconds. And while the fans screamed upset, Lauzon didn’t take the lack of pre-fight faith in his abilities personally.
“I think a lot of people were surprised by it, but I wasn’t surprised at all,” he said. “I didn’t think it was gonna end exactly like that, but I one hundred percent expected to beat Melvin. And I wasn’t insulted. What I may see as a clear cut advantage on my side, other people might think that I’m way outmatched, or vice versa. They might think I have a clear cut advantage on something, but it’s a lot closer than they think. So I don’t really get too upset on things like that. It was definitely an upset in a lot of people’s eyes, but I was really confident.”
More than four months later, Lauzon’s days of creeping up on unsuspecting opponents appear to be a thing of the past. On Saturday night, he faces dynamic rising star Anthony Pettis in a UFC 144 main card bout at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the talk isn’t of Lauzon upsetting “Showtime,” but of him being in the lightweight title picture with a victory. That’s heady stuff for the 27-year old from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, one of many things on his proverbial table at the moment, including the fact that he’s fighting in one of most fighters’ bucket list destinations – Japan.
“I’ve always wanted to fight in Japan,” said the eight year pro. “Before MMA was real big here, Japan was always the place to go. It’s turned around now, but before, when the UFC was just getting going and gaining all that momentum, Japan was the place to fight, so it’s pretty cool to go back there and be part of such a big card. The quiet fans are going to be a trip. I always hear my corner very clear and I’m very accustomed to their voices, so I can pick them up, but listening to the other corner and all that kinda stuff is all gonna be pretty cool. I think we’ll hear (commentators) Joe (Rogan) and Goldie (Mike Goldberg), and I’m looking forward to all of that. I started training before I started watching the UFC, and honestly, I think I watched a little bit more PRIDE in the very beginning than I did the UFC. There were the entrances with the drums and there were so many people there and the whole entire thing is just a surreal experience.”
And in a place where the fighting culture celebrates not just the winners, but those who deliver compelling fights, Lauzon and Pettis are a perfect fit. Plus, Lauzon believes that though he has been painted as the groundfighter going up against a striker in Pettis, things may stray from that perceived script on fight night, not surprising considering that Lauzon’s standup has looked extremely sharp in his last three bouts against Gillard, Curt Warburton, and George Sotiropoulos, and that Pettis’ wrestling was solid in his recent win over Jeremy Stephens.
“I think Pettis is good everywhere,” said Lauzon. “Everyone knows him as the kid that jumped off the cage, and he’s obviously got good kickboxing, but he’s good on the ground too. I think people forget that part about him. Also, I don’t think he’s got a clear-cut advantage on the feet, like a lot of people are thinking. Everyone looks at me as ‘oh, he’s got so many submissions,’ and this and that, but I think people forget that I’ve been hurting people with my punches and that’s been setting up my submissions. The last couple fights, I smashed guys on the feet, and then I took a submission once it hit the ground. So I don’t see it as this clear-cut striker vs. grappler match that a lot of people are seeing. I favor the ground over standup and I think Pettis favors standup over ground, but I think we’re both pretty even in a lot of areas, and I’m expecting a tough fight and an exciting fight. Most likely, the fight’s gonna end somewhere absolutely crazy, so I’m excited.”
Yet despite Lauzon’s penchant for highlight reel finishes, the way he sees it, none of that is possible without having a firm grounding in the fundamentals – both standing and on the ground – that he works on with guys like boxing coach Steve Maze and grappling guru Ricky Lundell.
“The fundamentals are the most important thing,” he said. “I learned early on, doing jiu-jitsu and grappling and things like that, rather than being really, really good at a couple moves, I wanted to just know 50 moves and be able to impress people and do things like that. But as I got better, those 50 moves weren’t working on people. I had maybe a couple moves that would work on someone that was good. So instead of me trying to learn all those different moves, I just try to focus on the fundamental stuff. That’s all I really care about. You’ll never see me do anything super fancy in a fight, boxing or wrestling wise. I want to be really, really good at the fundamentals. Grappling, I could do a little bit more because I’ve been doing it for so long and I’m so confident and things like that. But if I’m in camp, I’m not trying to go ‘oh, this is a new, cool move;’ I’m trying to do all the things that I already know and tighten things up and get better. One of the things BJ (Penn) said to me on The Ultimate Fighter was that it’s just advanced basics. You have to know the basics inside and out. Whereas someone might know a couple details on it, you’ve got to know all the details on it. You have to know it better than the other guy, and that’s how you’re gonna win. You’ll shut down his basic movements, which are the building blocks for everything else they do.”
In other words, you have to know the rules before you can break them. And now that Lauzon has put in endless hours in the gym and has compiled close to 30 pro fights, he has earned the right to mix things up a bit and add his own particular flair to the basics.
“People think I do a lot of crazy stuff now,” he said. “I used to do so much crazier stuff before. I toned it down, but because I’ve got nine years of doing off the wall stuff, it works out for me. If you’ve got really good fundamentals, then it’s easy to figure out some of the crazier stuff and go outside the box a little bit. But if you don’t know those very basic building blocks, it’s really, really tough to start doing more advanced stuff.”
It’s around this time that it’s safe to start getting excited about this fight, not just because it’s a meeting of two of the top 155-pounders in the game, but two of the most exciting. Yet after nabbing post-fight bonuses in nine of 11 UFC fights, does Lauzon start expecting them?
“I don’t start counting the money, but it’s gonna be sad when I have a fight and I don’t get a bonus,” he laughs. “But I’m more focused on putting a good fight and winning than I am about saying ‘oh, I’m definitely gonna try and get a bonus.’ And the way I fight brings lots of bonuses my way, so I don’t think about it too much.”
But when October 8, 2011 rolled around in Houston, Texas, many fans and pundits feared for Lauzon’s health against the Louisiana knockout artist dubbed “The Young Assassin.”
New England’s “J-Lau” wasn’t shaking though.
“I knew that Melvin was most dangerous when people are scared, so I wasn’t gonna be scared,” said Lauzon. “I might have gotten knocked out because of it, and he might have beat me, but I wasn’t gonna make it easy. I was gonna come forward and fight hard, and if I lost, I lost. At least I didn’t make the mistake I knew beforehand, which was if I came out tentative, then he would eat me up.”
Lauzon did a complete 180 from tentative, dropping Guillard early and then finishing him off with a textbook rear naked choke. The whole fight took just 47 seconds. And while the fans screamed upset, Lauzon didn’t take the lack of pre-fight faith in his abilities personally.
“I think a lot of people were surprised by it, but I wasn’t surprised at all,” he said. “I didn’t think it was gonna end exactly like that, but I one hundred percent expected to beat Melvin. And I wasn’t insulted. What I may see as a clear cut advantage on my side, other people might think that I’m way outmatched, or vice versa. They might think I have a clear cut advantage on something, but it’s a lot closer than they think. So I don’t really get too upset on things like that. It was definitely an upset in a lot of people’s eyes, but I was really confident.”
More than four months later, Lauzon’s days of creeping up on unsuspecting opponents appear to be a thing of the past. On Saturday night, he faces dynamic rising star Anthony Pettis in a UFC 144 main card bout at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the talk isn’t of Lauzon upsetting “Showtime,” but of him being in the lightweight title picture with a victory. That’s heady stuff for the 27-year old from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, one of many things on his proverbial table at the moment, including the fact that he’s fighting in one of most fighters’ bucket list destinations – Japan.
“I’ve always wanted to fight in Japan,” said the eight year pro. “Before MMA was real big here, Japan was always the place to go. It’s turned around now, but before, when the UFC was just getting going and gaining all that momentum, Japan was the place to fight, so it’s pretty cool to go back there and be part of such a big card. The quiet fans are going to be a trip. I always hear my corner very clear and I’m very accustomed to their voices, so I can pick them up, but listening to the other corner and all that kinda stuff is all gonna be pretty cool. I think we’ll hear (commentators) Joe (Rogan) and Goldie (Mike Goldberg), and I’m looking forward to all of that. I started training before I started watching the UFC, and honestly, I think I watched a little bit more PRIDE in the very beginning than I did the UFC. There were the entrances with the drums and there were so many people there and the whole entire thing is just a surreal experience.”
And in a place where the fighting culture celebrates not just the winners, but those who deliver compelling fights, Lauzon and Pettis are a perfect fit. Plus, Lauzon believes that though he has been painted as the groundfighter going up against a striker in Pettis, things may stray from that perceived script on fight night, not surprising considering that Lauzon’s standup has looked extremely sharp in his last three bouts against Gillard, Curt Warburton, and George Sotiropoulos, and that Pettis’ wrestling was solid in his recent win over Jeremy Stephens.
“I think Pettis is good everywhere,” said Lauzon. “Everyone knows him as the kid that jumped off the cage, and he’s obviously got good kickboxing, but he’s good on the ground too. I think people forget that part about him. Also, I don’t think he’s got a clear-cut advantage on the feet, like a lot of people are thinking. Everyone looks at me as ‘oh, he’s got so many submissions,’ and this and that, but I think people forget that I’ve been hurting people with my punches and that’s been setting up my submissions. The last couple fights, I smashed guys on the feet, and then I took a submission once it hit the ground. So I don’t see it as this clear-cut striker vs. grappler match that a lot of people are seeing. I favor the ground over standup and I think Pettis favors standup over ground, but I think we’re both pretty even in a lot of areas, and I’m expecting a tough fight and an exciting fight. Most likely, the fight’s gonna end somewhere absolutely crazy, so I’m excited.”
Yet despite Lauzon’s penchant for highlight reel finishes, the way he sees it, none of that is possible without having a firm grounding in the fundamentals – both standing and on the ground – that he works on with guys like boxing coach Steve Maze and grappling guru Ricky Lundell.
“The fundamentals are the most important thing,” he said. “I learned early on, doing jiu-jitsu and grappling and things like that, rather than being really, really good at a couple moves, I wanted to just know 50 moves and be able to impress people and do things like that. But as I got better, those 50 moves weren’t working on people. I had maybe a couple moves that would work on someone that was good. So instead of me trying to learn all those different moves, I just try to focus on the fundamental stuff. That’s all I really care about. You’ll never see me do anything super fancy in a fight, boxing or wrestling wise. I want to be really, really good at the fundamentals. Grappling, I could do a little bit more because I’ve been doing it for so long and I’m so confident and things like that. But if I’m in camp, I’m not trying to go ‘oh, this is a new, cool move;’ I’m trying to do all the things that I already know and tighten things up and get better. One of the things BJ (Penn) said to me on The Ultimate Fighter was that it’s just advanced basics. You have to know the basics inside and out. Whereas someone might know a couple details on it, you’ve got to know all the details on it. You have to know it better than the other guy, and that’s how you’re gonna win. You’ll shut down his basic movements, which are the building blocks for everything else they do.”
In other words, you have to know the rules before you can break them. And now that Lauzon has put in endless hours in the gym and has compiled close to 30 pro fights, he has earned the right to mix things up a bit and add his own particular flair to the basics.
“People think I do a lot of crazy stuff now,” he said. “I used to do so much crazier stuff before. I toned it down, but because I’ve got nine years of doing off the wall stuff, it works out for me. If you’ve got really good fundamentals, then it’s easy to figure out some of the crazier stuff and go outside the box a little bit. But if you don’t know those very basic building blocks, it’s really, really tough to start doing more advanced stuff.”
It’s around this time that it’s safe to start getting excited about this fight, not just because it’s a meeting of two of the top 155-pounders in the game, but two of the most exciting. Yet after nabbing post-fight bonuses in nine of 11 UFC fights, does Lauzon start expecting them?
“I don’t start counting the money, but it’s gonna be sad when I have a fight and I don’t get a bonus,” he laughs. “But I’m more focused on putting a good fight and winning than I am about saying ‘oh, I’m definitely gonna try and get a bonus.’ And the way I fight brings lots of bonuses my way, so I don’t think about it too much.”
Categories: MMA
Yushin Okami - Reborn
When he stepped into the Octagon to face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva last August, Yushin Okami was there in body, but in spirit, it simply wasn’t the same fighter who defeated Lucio Linhares, Mark Munoz, and Nate Marquardt in succession to earn a shot at a championship no Japanese fighter had ever secured.
“In terms of the mental, my vision got very narrow,” said Okami through translator / jiu-jitsu coach Gen Isono. “I was confused and I lost what I should do there.”
Silva can do that to any fighter, and he’s been doing it longer than anyone in UFC history, so for Okami to get stopped via strikes at 2:04 of the second round by “The Spider” was no reason for him to hang his head. That doesn’t mean he just dismissed the loss though; instead, he dusted himself off, and after a month’s rest to reflect, he began training again at Portland’s Team Quest gym.
“About a month later, I started training at Team Quest, and then I could put things in perspective,” said Okami, who doesn’t look at the nearly ten month gap between his win over Marquardt and the fight with Silva as a factor in his defeat. That’s no surprise, as he’s not the kind of athlete who makes excuses. He’s one that takes his lessons and moves on. He did it after his first UFC loss to Rich Franklin in 2007, repeated the feat following a 2009 loss to future training partner Chael Sonnen, and now he begins the trek back to the top once again this Saturday, when he battles Tim Boetsch in UFC 144 action at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Okami’s first bout on home shores since a TKO win over Izuru Takeuchi in June of 2006.
“It will be the first time in five and a half years,” said Okami of fighting at home. “I always wanted the UFC to come to Japan and I always wanted Japanese fans to enjoy watching my fights. Sweeping away my last loss in Japan with a lot of cheering on my back, it will give me a sense of satisfaction.”
It’s a special moment for the 30-year old Okami, who has basically been the out-of-towner for the last 13 fights of his 27-6 career. That’s a long time for anyone to not be at least the home country favorite, but in the last five-plus years, Okami has built himself a level of respect among non-Japanese fans that has also earned him kudos from UFC President Dana White as the best Japanese fighter to ever compete in the Octagon. That’s high praise.
“If Dana says so, it is a great honor to me,” said Okami. “But I believe myself I am the best fighter in Japan and will be the best fighter in the world, so that kind of reputation never gives me any pressure.”
2012 will be a pivotal year for him though, beginning with his match against Boetsch, the underdog going into this fight, but someone who certainly shouldn’t be underestimated.
“I have seen some of his fights in the UFC,” said Okami of “The Barbarian.” “He is big and physically strong and he has a good wrestling pedigree. He looks like a typical American-style fighter. I think he has a big frame with great power since he fought in the light heavyweight division, and I should be aware of his strength. Training with Team Quest, there are some changes in my mind about fighting and I am going to try them when I fight Tim.”
Hoping to get three fights in this year, Okami is well aware that if he gets his wish, the next two are likely to be outside of his home country, so it’s back to being a road warrior. That’s okay though; he’s embracing his time at home and the task ahead, which is not just to beat Boetsch, but to let Japanese fans know that MMA in the Land of the Rising Sun is alive and well.
“Japanese MMA has lost its vigor now,” he said. “But by touching the real MMA live, I believe it will grow back again.”
And who better to bring it back than a resilient and classy fighter who represents the best the sport has to offer?
“I have grown up in Japan, so every part of me is truly Japanese,” Okami said when asked about the Japanese fighting spirit. “In that sense, I think I carry through the way of fighting which I believe represents a Japanese fighter’s spirit. And I hope the fans enjoy watching a reborn Yushin Okami walking to the top again."
“In terms of the mental, my vision got very narrow,” said Okami through translator / jiu-jitsu coach Gen Isono. “I was confused and I lost what I should do there.”
Silva can do that to any fighter, and he’s been doing it longer than anyone in UFC history, so for Okami to get stopped via strikes at 2:04 of the second round by “The Spider” was no reason for him to hang his head. That doesn’t mean he just dismissed the loss though; instead, he dusted himself off, and after a month’s rest to reflect, he began training again at Portland’s Team Quest gym.
“About a month later, I started training at Team Quest, and then I could put things in perspective,” said Okami, who doesn’t look at the nearly ten month gap between his win over Marquardt and the fight with Silva as a factor in his defeat. That’s no surprise, as he’s not the kind of athlete who makes excuses. He’s one that takes his lessons and moves on. He did it after his first UFC loss to Rich Franklin in 2007, repeated the feat following a 2009 loss to future training partner Chael Sonnen, and now he begins the trek back to the top once again this Saturday, when he battles Tim Boetsch in UFC 144 action at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Okami’s first bout on home shores since a TKO win over Izuru Takeuchi in June of 2006.
“It will be the first time in five and a half years,” said Okami of fighting at home. “I always wanted the UFC to come to Japan and I always wanted Japanese fans to enjoy watching my fights. Sweeping away my last loss in Japan with a lot of cheering on my back, it will give me a sense of satisfaction.”
It’s a special moment for the 30-year old Okami, who has basically been the out-of-towner for the last 13 fights of his 27-6 career. That’s a long time for anyone to not be at least the home country favorite, but in the last five-plus years, Okami has built himself a level of respect among non-Japanese fans that has also earned him kudos from UFC President Dana White as the best Japanese fighter to ever compete in the Octagon. That’s high praise.
“If Dana says so, it is a great honor to me,” said Okami. “But I believe myself I am the best fighter in Japan and will be the best fighter in the world, so that kind of reputation never gives me any pressure.”
2012 will be a pivotal year for him though, beginning with his match against Boetsch, the underdog going into this fight, but someone who certainly shouldn’t be underestimated.
“I have seen some of his fights in the UFC,” said Okami of “The Barbarian.” “He is big and physically strong and he has a good wrestling pedigree. He looks like a typical American-style fighter. I think he has a big frame with great power since he fought in the light heavyweight division, and I should be aware of his strength. Training with Team Quest, there are some changes in my mind about fighting and I am going to try them when I fight Tim.”
Hoping to get three fights in this year, Okami is well aware that if he gets his wish, the next two are likely to be outside of his home country, so it’s back to being a road warrior. That’s okay though; he’s embracing his time at home and the task ahead, which is not just to beat Boetsch, but to let Japanese fans know that MMA in the Land of the Rising Sun is alive and well.
“Japanese MMA has lost its vigor now,” he said. “But by touching the real MMA live, I believe it will grow back again.”
And who better to bring it back than a resilient and classy fighter who represents the best the sport has to offer?
“I have grown up in Japan, so every part of me is truly Japanese,” Okami said when asked about the Japanese fighting spirit. “In that sense, I think I carry through the way of fighting which I believe represents a Japanese fighter’s spirit. And I hope the fans enjoy watching a reborn Yushin Okami walking to the top again."
Categories: MMA
"Showtime" is Just Beginning for Anthony Pettis
On December 16th, 2010, with one minute remaining in a hotly contested five round WEC lightweight championship bout that would also be the final fight of the company’s storied tenure, arguably the most sensational athletic move was attempted and successfully delivered: the ‘Showtime kick.’
After 24 minutes of back and forth action with the title on the line, then challenger Anthony Pettis seemingly defied all known laws of physics by leaping towards the cage, spring boarding off of that cage with his right foot, and delivering a mid-air whip kick with that same right foot, which caught then champion Benson Henderson in the face. It didn’t knock the champion out, but it did drop Henderson and was the declarative statement that Pettis won the epic contest.
About the only person in the entirety of the MMA community who is not still hypnotized by that captivating moment is the man who did it. “I don't want the ‘Showtime kick’ and the WEC belt to be the highlight of my career,” affirms Pettis, who understandably is working towards a long, successful career as a professional fighter, and not resting on his 23-year old self’s accomplishments - as great as they were. “I want to be the UFC champ. I want to do well in this and I believe in myself. I want to show the fans that I am a skillful fighter and I can be the best at 155.”
If UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had the most impressive year in MMA history in 2011, then there’s a case to be made that Pettis had the second best in 2010. Coming off a split decision loss to Bart Palaszewski at WEC 45, which was also the first loss of his career, Pettis entered 2010 a relative no name 155er who found himself being followed around by a yet-to-debut documentary television show while preparing for his third WEC bout. At WEC 47 against Danny Castillo, Pettis scored an opening round head kick knockout, which earned him “Knockout of the Night” and provided a scintillating ending to the World of Jenks MTV show. But that was only the beginning to his year, as Pettis would win three more fights, a “Submission of the Night”, a “Knockout of the Night”, and was crowned the last WEC lightweight champion.
An added stipulation to the Pettis/Henderson bout was that the winner would face the winner of the UFC lightweight championship fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard at UFC 125. The title fight ended in a draw, which earned Edgar and Maynard a rematch with each other, but left Pettis without a dance partner for the foreseeable future. Instead of waiting for the eventual winner of Edgar/Maynard (which was finally decided last October), Pettis chose to take on another top contender. Long story short, six months later, Pettis debuted in the UFC against veteran grinder Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and suffered a unanimous decision loss.
“It sucked,” tells Pettis. “Going from fighting pretty much every two months to having six months off - I didn't like it at all. A lot of stuff changed. Having Mr. Andrew Jenks follow me around, my popularity definitely went up, and having six months off I didn't have anything to look forward to. My fight camp and I decided I should take a fight and luckily we did because I wouldn't have been fighting until this year. Taking that fight didn't turn out how I was hoping, but there were a lot of factors - time off, gameplan, and a lot of stuff factored into why I lost that fight.”
It wasn’t the UFC debut Pettis expected, but he is a professional, and four months later he was inside the Octagon for a second time looking for that first win. “The biggest thing for me was to not get another loss,” says Pettis, who took on the heavy-handed Jeremy Stephens at UFC 136, a bout which did not go as expected either. “Going into the Stephens fight, we were expecting a standup war. He was talking big stuff like he was going to knock me out and welcome me properly to the UFC, so I was expecting a standup fight. It didn't turn out that way.”
No one would have guessed the ultra, dynamic striking of Pettis and the 14 knockouts, power punching of “Lil’ Heathen” would end up in a wrestling match in Houston. “He goes and takes me down in the first round, twice I think, but I wasn't expecting him to shoot on me - I was expecting him to throw big bombs,” divulges Pettis, who didn’t start the grapple-thon, but definitely ended it by showing off his takedowns in the later rounds. “He takes me down and he goes up on the judges’ score cards right away. In the corner, Duke [Roufus] told me, ‘if you can take him down then take him down and grind him out.’ In the second and third round, I came out and I did just that.”
Although, 2011 was slow for the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, going 1-1 in two wrestling matches in the UFC, 2012 is shaping up to be very exciting. At UFC 144, in the UFC’s first event in Japan in over a decade, Pettis faces five-time Submission of the Night winner Joe Lauzon at the Saitama Super Arena. The submission magician from Massachusetts is entering the bout on a two fight win streak capped off by a huge 47 second upset victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136. At 20-6, the Ultimate Fighter season 5 alum is in the mix for a title shot, and Pettis knows a win over him would put him back near the top of the lightweight pack hunting for gold.
“He’s a very intelligent fighter and very dangerous,” says Pettis. “He's got some good striking, he's getting better all the time, he's been around a long time, he's got the experience factor on me, and he's very good on the ground. He's one of those fighters who is dangerous everywhere. I wanted someone of his caliber and of his skill set. He's coming off a huge win against Guillard. He's going to put me right back where I need to be. A win over Lauzon will be huge for my career. Coming off of a win you have better mental preparation going into a fight. You're not doubting yourself, you're not thinking about your last loss. I'm coming off of a win, so I'm better mentally. I know that I can go out there and do what I usually do. I can't go out there and play it safe. I need to go out there and bring the fight and break his will.”
The type of fight that only “Showtime” can bring is a uniquely flashy, but effective, one that is fan-friendly and knockout-centric. It’s a style that is as atheistically pleasing as it is deadly for Pettis’ opponents. Nevertheless, Pettis fights with a controlled chaos, as seemingly high risk maneuvers like the ‘Showtime kick’ are actually thoughtfully practiced with legendary kickboxing coach Roufus, and they come naturally to Pettis because of his background in traditional martial arts like Taekwondo (3rd degree black belt).
“People ask me all the time, ‘am I trying to go out there and be ‘Showtime’ or am I trying to go out there and show off a new kick?’ Nah, this is the way I practice,” states Pettis. “I practice flashy because I've been doing it my whole life. Jump kicks, spin kicks, I've been doing them my whole life and they're second nature to me. For a boxer to throw a 1-2 is nothing for them because they've been doing it their whole life. For me to throw a spin kick is nothing to me because I've been doing it my whole life. A jump spin kick has been something I've using in my whole martial arts career and it's just something that carries over into my fighting. When someone is getting ready to fight me as an opponent, they definitely have to bring in some sparring partners who throw crazy moves. But the thing is I have very good basics, which allow me to go out there and throw spin kicks. I don't just go out there and throw spin kicks and spin kicks and spin kicks. I set them up with a 1-2 and a low kick, mixing in with a high kick, and I'll see the opening and then I'll go for it. The kicks that people have seen in the WEC are kicks that I've done my whole life - the spin kicks, the capoeira kicks - that all comes second nature.”
For the training required to make himself elite, Pettis doesn’t even need to leave his hometown of Milwaukee because of Roufusport Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Within the hallowed walls are the gym’s namesake, Roufus, who is both head coach and striking coach, as well as a cast of steadily growing up-and-coming talent like UFC featherweight Erik Koch. One of the newest members of the fight team is the highly decorated, former 2x NCAA Division I National Champion wrestler from the University of Missouri, Ben Askren, who is 9-0 as a pro in MMA. Also, Pettis’ younger brother, Sergio, is a 3-0 flyweight on the Roufusport team.
“It's huge,” says Pettis about the motivation he gets from training with his brother. “For me and my brother training together we have a bond, we're both pushing each other to the limit because we want the best for each other, but we're competitive. I don't want to lose, and I don't want my little brother whooping my ass, so I have to stay on top of my game. I know he looks up to me, so I know I have to do the right things and set the right examples.”
Lastly, out of all the fans that he earned from the TV show, the exciting finishes, the kick, and the title, Pettis’ biggest fan didn’t get to see any of that happen because she’s only seven months old: his daughter Aria. “You hear it all the time that when you have kids that they're your ultimate motivation, but it doesn't really make sense until you have one and you see,” says Pettis, who is going to have to work harder than ever to outdo what he’s already done, but with his daughter in his corner he’s ready for the task. “I have a baby girl, she's amazing, and I'm more focused than ever.”
On February 25th at UFC 144, Pettis is bringing “Showtime” to Japan and Lauzon better be prepared for that arsenal of creativity. “I have a fight style that is different from everyone else’s and from what everyone has ever seen,” asserts Pettis, who wants to eclipse his previous WEC accomplishments and the best way to start doing that is a win over Lauzon. “I think coming out here and having a great performance shows that I'm one step closer to my goals. I've got the basics, I've got the flash, and I'm trying to be the most well-rounded fighter in the UFC.”
Who knows, maybe it's possible to jump off the cage into a flying triangle choke, back flip kick. If anyone is going to do it, Pettis can.
After 24 minutes of back and forth action with the title on the line, then challenger Anthony Pettis seemingly defied all known laws of physics by leaping towards the cage, spring boarding off of that cage with his right foot, and delivering a mid-air whip kick with that same right foot, which caught then champion Benson Henderson in the face. It didn’t knock the champion out, but it did drop Henderson and was the declarative statement that Pettis won the epic contest.
About the only person in the entirety of the MMA community who is not still hypnotized by that captivating moment is the man who did it. “I don't want the ‘Showtime kick’ and the WEC belt to be the highlight of my career,” affirms Pettis, who understandably is working towards a long, successful career as a professional fighter, and not resting on his 23-year old self’s accomplishments - as great as they were. “I want to be the UFC champ. I want to do well in this and I believe in myself. I want to show the fans that I am a skillful fighter and I can be the best at 155.”
If UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had the most impressive year in MMA history in 2011, then there’s a case to be made that Pettis had the second best in 2010. Coming off a split decision loss to Bart Palaszewski at WEC 45, which was also the first loss of his career, Pettis entered 2010 a relative no name 155er who found himself being followed around by a yet-to-debut documentary television show while preparing for his third WEC bout. At WEC 47 against Danny Castillo, Pettis scored an opening round head kick knockout, which earned him “Knockout of the Night” and provided a scintillating ending to the World of Jenks MTV show. But that was only the beginning to his year, as Pettis would win three more fights, a “Submission of the Night”, a “Knockout of the Night”, and was crowned the last WEC lightweight champion.
An added stipulation to the Pettis/Henderson bout was that the winner would face the winner of the UFC lightweight championship fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard at UFC 125. The title fight ended in a draw, which earned Edgar and Maynard a rematch with each other, but left Pettis without a dance partner for the foreseeable future. Instead of waiting for the eventual winner of Edgar/Maynard (which was finally decided last October), Pettis chose to take on another top contender. Long story short, six months later, Pettis debuted in the UFC against veteran grinder Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and suffered a unanimous decision loss.
“It sucked,” tells Pettis. “Going from fighting pretty much every two months to having six months off - I didn't like it at all. A lot of stuff changed. Having Mr. Andrew Jenks follow me around, my popularity definitely went up, and having six months off I didn't have anything to look forward to. My fight camp and I decided I should take a fight and luckily we did because I wouldn't have been fighting until this year. Taking that fight didn't turn out how I was hoping, but there were a lot of factors - time off, gameplan, and a lot of stuff factored into why I lost that fight.”
It wasn’t the UFC debut Pettis expected, but he is a professional, and four months later he was inside the Octagon for a second time looking for that first win. “The biggest thing for me was to not get another loss,” says Pettis, who took on the heavy-handed Jeremy Stephens at UFC 136, a bout which did not go as expected either. “Going into the Stephens fight, we were expecting a standup war. He was talking big stuff like he was going to knock me out and welcome me properly to the UFC, so I was expecting a standup fight. It didn't turn out that way.”
No one would have guessed the ultra, dynamic striking of Pettis and the 14 knockouts, power punching of “Lil’ Heathen” would end up in a wrestling match in Houston. “He goes and takes me down in the first round, twice I think, but I wasn't expecting him to shoot on me - I was expecting him to throw big bombs,” divulges Pettis, who didn’t start the grapple-thon, but definitely ended it by showing off his takedowns in the later rounds. “He takes me down and he goes up on the judges’ score cards right away. In the corner, Duke [Roufus] told me, ‘if you can take him down then take him down and grind him out.’ In the second and third round, I came out and I did just that.”
Although, 2011 was slow for the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, going 1-1 in two wrestling matches in the UFC, 2012 is shaping up to be very exciting. At UFC 144, in the UFC’s first event in Japan in over a decade, Pettis faces five-time Submission of the Night winner Joe Lauzon at the Saitama Super Arena. The submission magician from Massachusetts is entering the bout on a two fight win streak capped off by a huge 47 second upset victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136. At 20-6, the Ultimate Fighter season 5 alum is in the mix for a title shot, and Pettis knows a win over him would put him back near the top of the lightweight pack hunting for gold.
“He’s a very intelligent fighter and very dangerous,” says Pettis. “He's got some good striking, he's getting better all the time, he's been around a long time, he's got the experience factor on me, and he's very good on the ground. He's one of those fighters who is dangerous everywhere. I wanted someone of his caliber and of his skill set. He's coming off a huge win against Guillard. He's going to put me right back where I need to be. A win over Lauzon will be huge for my career. Coming off of a win you have better mental preparation going into a fight. You're not doubting yourself, you're not thinking about your last loss. I'm coming off of a win, so I'm better mentally. I know that I can go out there and do what I usually do. I can't go out there and play it safe. I need to go out there and bring the fight and break his will.”
The type of fight that only “Showtime” can bring is a uniquely flashy, but effective, one that is fan-friendly and knockout-centric. It’s a style that is as atheistically pleasing as it is deadly for Pettis’ opponents. Nevertheless, Pettis fights with a controlled chaos, as seemingly high risk maneuvers like the ‘Showtime kick’ are actually thoughtfully practiced with legendary kickboxing coach Roufus, and they come naturally to Pettis because of his background in traditional martial arts like Taekwondo (3rd degree black belt).
“People ask me all the time, ‘am I trying to go out there and be ‘Showtime’ or am I trying to go out there and show off a new kick?’ Nah, this is the way I practice,” states Pettis. “I practice flashy because I've been doing it my whole life. Jump kicks, spin kicks, I've been doing them my whole life and they're second nature to me. For a boxer to throw a 1-2 is nothing for them because they've been doing it their whole life. For me to throw a spin kick is nothing to me because I've been doing it my whole life. A jump spin kick has been something I've using in my whole martial arts career and it's just something that carries over into my fighting. When someone is getting ready to fight me as an opponent, they definitely have to bring in some sparring partners who throw crazy moves. But the thing is I have very good basics, which allow me to go out there and throw spin kicks. I don't just go out there and throw spin kicks and spin kicks and spin kicks. I set them up with a 1-2 and a low kick, mixing in with a high kick, and I'll see the opening and then I'll go for it. The kicks that people have seen in the WEC are kicks that I've done my whole life - the spin kicks, the capoeira kicks - that all comes second nature.”
For the training required to make himself elite, Pettis doesn’t even need to leave his hometown of Milwaukee because of Roufusport Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Within the hallowed walls are the gym’s namesake, Roufus, who is both head coach and striking coach, as well as a cast of steadily growing up-and-coming talent like UFC featherweight Erik Koch. One of the newest members of the fight team is the highly decorated, former 2x NCAA Division I National Champion wrestler from the University of Missouri, Ben Askren, who is 9-0 as a pro in MMA. Also, Pettis’ younger brother, Sergio, is a 3-0 flyweight on the Roufusport team.
“It's huge,” says Pettis about the motivation he gets from training with his brother. “For me and my brother training together we have a bond, we're both pushing each other to the limit because we want the best for each other, but we're competitive. I don't want to lose, and I don't want my little brother whooping my ass, so I have to stay on top of my game. I know he looks up to me, so I know I have to do the right things and set the right examples.”
Lastly, out of all the fans that he earned from the TV show, the exciting finishes, the kick, and the title, Pettis’ biggest fan didn’t get to see any of that happen because she’s only seven months old: his daughter Aria. “You hear it all the time that when you have kids that they're your ultimate motivation, but it doesn't really make sense until you have one and you see,” says Pettis, who is going to have to work harder than ever to outdo what he’s already done, but with his daughter in his corner he’s ready for the task. “I have a baby girl, she's amazing, and I'm more focused than ever.”
On February 25th at UFC 144, Pettis is bringing “Showtime” to Japan and Lauzon better be prepared for that arsenal of creativity. “I have a fight style that is different from everyone else’s and from what everyone has ever seen,” asserts Pettis, who wants to eclipse his previous WEC accomplishments and the best way to start doing that is a win over Lauzon. “I think coming out here and having a great performance shows that I'm one step closer to my goals. I've got the basics, I've got the flash, and I'm trying to be the most well-rounded fighter in the UFC.”
Who knows, maybe it's possible to jump off the cage into a flying triangle choke, back flip kick. If anyone is going to do it, Pettis can.
Categories: MMA
After A Year to Forget, Fukuda Aims to Make 2012 Memorable
In breaking down 2011, you have to wonder what was more painful for Tokyo middleweight Riki Fukuda: injuring his knee in a June car accident or his UFC debut loss to Nick Ring in February via highly controversial decision.
A year after the Ring bout, Fukuda has recovered from both setbacks, grateful for the support he received from the fight community, especially those who lit up internet message boards and Twitter with outrage after UFC 127.
“I was very happy to hear that most people believed I won the fight, but it was a close match and I did not feel I won 100%,” said Fukuda through manager / translator Fumihiko Ishii.
Fukuda, Ring, and the three judges may have been the only ones who didn’t see him as the clear victor in Sydney that night, with UFC President Dana White even chiming in with the tweet “Fukuda got robbed.” But White didn’t stop there.
“As you may know Dana treated me as a winner of the fight,” said Fukuda, “and gave me a win bonus, which I sincerely appreciated.”
It was almost as if Fukuda’s seven fight winning streak wasn’t snapped, at least in terms of public perception, but if you think the 31-year old is resting on that perception, that’s not the case, as he definitely saw holes in his game that needed sewing up, and when asked what he would have done differently, he says, “I would be more aggressive and throw combination punches in the standup, and try to control the ground game.”
And though his next outing at UFC 133 last August against Rafael Natal was scrapped due to the aforementioned car accident, he gets his second shot at a first UFC win this Saturday night against Steve Cantwell, and as far as he’s concerned, the Ring fight is simply a thing of the past.
“It was not difficult for me to change my mindset to look at the next fight,” said Fukuda, who will be in with a young man in Cantwell who is in dire need of a win. Currently on a four fight losing streak, the former WEC champion may take even more risks than usual to heighten his chances to break his skid, but Fukuda sees himself just as hungry for victory at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
“I am honored to face a former WEC champion in my hometown,” said Fukuda. “But all of the fighters are looking for the win, including myself since I lost my last fight, and Steve is just one of them.”
Unlike some of his countrymen on the UFC’s return to Japan, Fukuda hasn’t been too far removed from his homeland professionally, having fought in Tokyo as recently as August of 2010, when he stopped Ryuta Sakurai in two rounds to retain his Deep middleweight title. But at the same time, a lot has happened since then, both personally and professionally, most notably the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the nation in March of last year. So coming home for this fight means even more for Fukuda.
“I am very happy to fight in front of my friends and fans and everyone who helped me to get back in the Octagon after my traffic accident,” he said. “Many friends and family are not able to see my fight due to overseas venues. But this time, they said, ‘I'm going to cheer your fight,’ and it is very encouraging to me. In addition, I would like to deliver my message through my fight to all the people in Japan who are working together to help the victims from the earthquake disaster.”
That kind of motivation is tough to beat for any opponent, and in the back of the Japanese fighters’ minds is also the idea that a series of stellar performances from the local heroes can kickstart the MMA scene in the “Land of the Rising Sun.”
“Yes, I do think so, as long as we can perform well and have a good show.”
Well, when it comes to Fukuda, everything is aligned for such a performance, as he’s healthy, motivated, and has had a solid camp both in Japan with the GRABKA team and in the United States with AKA (American Kickboxing Academy), a team he has worked with for five years.
“AKA treated me as a team member and it is like my home in California,” said Fukuda. “They have a great team and coach, which gives me the best training of my career.”
Saturday night, he gets to show off that training in his biggest fight yet.
“Anything could happen,” he said, “but I am betting on having the fight of my career 100%.”
A year after the Ring bout, Fukuda has recovered from both setbacks, grateful for the support he received from the fight community, especially those who lit up internet message boards and Twitter with outrage after UFC 127.
“I was very happy to hear that most people believed I won the fight, but it was a close match and I did not feel I won 100%,” said Fukuda through manager / translator Fumihiko Ishii.
Fukuda, Ring, and the three judges may have been the only ones who didn’t see him as the clear victor in Sydney that night, with UFC President Dana White even chiming in with the tweet “Fukuda got robbed.” But White didn’t stop there.
“As you may know Dana treated me as a winner of the fight,” said Fukuda, “and gave me a win bonus, which I sincerely appreciated.”
It was almost as if Fukuda’s seven fight winning streak wasn’t snapped, at least in terms of public perception, but if you think the 31-year old is resting on that perception, that’s not the case, as he definitely saw holes in his game that needed sewing up, and when asked what he would have done differently, he says, “I would be more aggressive and throw combination punches in the standup, and try to control the ground game.”
And though his next outing at UFC 133 last August against Rafael Natal was scrapped due to the aforementioned car accident, he gets his second shot at a first UFC win this Saturday night against Steve Cantwell, and as far as he’s concerned, the Ring fight is simply a thing of the past.
“It was not difficult for me to change my mindset to look at the next fight,” said Fukuda, who will be in with a young man in Cantwell who is in dire need of a win. Currently on a four fight losing streak, the former WEC champion may take even more risks than usual to heighten his chances to break his skid, but Fukuda sees himself just as hungry for victory at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
“I am honored to face a former WEC champion in my hometown,” said Fukuda. “But all of the fighters are looking for the win, including myself since I lost my last fight, and Steve is just one of them.”
Unlike some of his countrymen on the UFC’s return to Japan, Fukuda hasn’t been too far removed from his homeland professionally, having fought in Tokyo as recently as August of 2010, when he stopped Ryuta Sakurai in two rounds to retain his Deep middleweight title. But at the same time, a lot has happened since then, both personally and professionally, most notably the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the nation in March of last year. So coming home for this fight means even more for Fukuda.
“I am very happy to fight in front of my friends and fans and everyone who helped me to get back in the Octagon after my traffic accident,” he said. “Many friends and family are not able to see my fight due to overseas venues. But this time, they said, ‘I'm going to cheer your fight,’ and it is very encouraging to me. In addition, I would like to deliver my message through my fight to all the people in Japan who are working together to help the victims from the earthquake disaster.”
That kind of motivation is tough to beat for any opponent, and in the back of the Japanese fighters’ minds is also the idea that a series of stellar performances from the local heroes can kickstart the MMA scene in the “Land of the Rising Sun.”
“Yes, I do think so, as long as we can perform well and have a good show.”
Well, when it comes to Fukuda, everything is aligned for such a performance, as he’s healthy, motivated, and has had a solid camp both in Japan with the GRABKA team and in the United States with AKA (American Kickboxing Academy), a team he has worked with for five years.
“AKA treated me as a team member and it is like my home in California,” said Fukuda. “They have a great team and coach, which gives me the best training of my career.”
Saturday night, he gets to show off that training in his biggest fight yet.
“Anything could happen,” he said, “but I am betting on having the fight of my career 100%.”
Categories: MMA
"The New Akiyama" to be Unveiled in Japan This Weekend
America has always been seen as the land of second chances, a place where what happened before can be forgotten in the space of a change of scenery or philosophy, or when it comes to sports, one good performance. On Saturday night, Yoshihiro Akiyama gets his second chance, but he will be getting it in his home country of Japan, as he looks to break a three fight losing streak in a new weight class - welterweight – against Jake Shields.
For the 36-year old Osaka native, there is no sense that he is on the tail end of a career that made him a legit superstar at home, only the positive reinforcement that in and out of the Octagon, he is a new man.
And in many ways he is. After losing to big middleweights Chris Leben, Michael Bisping, and Vitor Belfort, his move to the 170-pound weight class finally took place after the Belfort bout last August. And ‘finally’ is the operative word here, because for years, fight game observers believed that Akiyama was better suited for the welterweight division. Then again, when you’re having success like he did for much of his career (plus he also opened up his MMA career with bouts against heavyweights Frans Botha and Jerome Le Banner) dropping 15 pounds can not only be unpleasant, but seemingly unnecessary.
The knockout loss to Belfort convinced him though.
“I am not tall and big enough among other UFC fighters and decided to change to my "original" division,” said the 5-foot-11 Akiyama through translator Takashi Iizuka. It was at 81 kilograms (178 pounds) that Akiyama won numerous judo titles, and while he will retain the technical knowledge and gritty competitiveness that has marked his seven year MMA career, he’ll also be competing on a level physical playing field, and he believes that “I think that I could acquire more speed.”
Fast, strong, technically sound, and more than willing to bite down on his mouthpiece and get into a war, Akiyama - who described himself and his Japanese peers as “Samurai fighters” - could make an immediate impact in one of the sport’s toughest divisions.
“There are many good motivated fighters trying for the title, thus it’s a very competitive division,” said Akiyama, who is now throwing his hat in the ring with the rest of the contenders. One of those is former world title challenger Shields, who presents quite a different look from that of Akiyama’s UFC opponents thus far. But after 19 pro bouts, he is confident that he will not be seeing anything he hasn’t before.
“He is strong and tough fighter,” said Akiyama of Shields, who is looking to break a losing streak of his own this Saturday. “Every fighter has their own style and I have to deal with them.”
And if the two are equals going into the UFC 144 main card bout at Saitama Super Arena, what can matter most are the intangibles. And one of those intangibles is that Akiyama will have home Octagon advantage come fight night, something he is embracing.
“It’s wonderful opportunity,” he said. “I think that the fans will see the quality fighting and the magnificence of UFC. I hope this show will increase the number of MMA fans in Japan.”
That’s the big picture outlook; for Akiyama personally, fighting at home for the first time since submitting Masanori Tonooka in 2008 is something he hoped would happen before he decided to hang up the gloves.
“I have wished for this (fighting in a UFC bout in Japan), and it’s really great to realize it while I'm an active fighter,” said Akiyama, who will have several friends and family members in attendance this weekend. But the most important person in terms of motivating the longtime star is one who won’t be part of the cheering crowd: the four month old daughter he and wife Shiho welcomed into the world in October.
The proud father says his child “gives me another energy,” and with this energy, a new division, and a new lease on his career, Akiyama is more than ready to move forward.
“Changing my division, it would be great if the fans can see ‘The New Akiyama.’”
For the 36-year old Osaka native, there is no sense that he is on the tail end of a career that made him a legit superstar at home, only the positive reinforcement that in and out of the Octagon, he is a new man.
And in many ways he is. After losing to big middleweights Chris Leben, Michael Bisping, and Vitor Belfort, his move to the 170-pound weight class finally took place after the Belfort bout last August. And ‘finally’ is the operative word here, because for years, fight game observers believed that Akiyama was better suited for the welterweight division. Then again, when you’re having success like he did for much of his career (plus he also opened up his MMA career with bouts against heavyweights Frans Botha and Jerome Le Banner) dropping 15 pounds can not only be unpleasant, but seemingly unnecessary.
The knockout loss to Belfort convinced him though.
“I am not tall and big enough among other UFC fighters and decided to change to my "original" division,” said the 5-foot-11 Akiyama through translator Takashi Iizuka. It was at 81 kilograms (178 pounds) that Akiyama won numerous judo titles, and while he will retain the technical knowledge and gritty competitiveness that has marked his seven year MMA career, he’ll also be competing on a level physical playing field, and he believes that “I think that I could acquire more speed.”
Fast, strong, technically sound, and more than willing to bite down on his mouthpiece and get into a war, Akiyama - who described himself and his Japanese peers as “Samurai fighters” - could make an immediate impact in one of the sport’s toughest divisions.
“There are many good motivated fighters trying for the title, thus it’s a very competitive division,” said Akiyama, who is now throwing his hat in the ring with the rest of the contenders. One of those is former world title challenger Shields, who presents quite a different look from that of Akiyama’s UFC opponents thus far. But after 19 pro bouts, he is confident that he will not be seeing anything he hasn’t before.
“He is strong and tough fighter,” said Akiyama of Shields, who is looking to break a losing streak of his own this Saturday. “Every fighter has their own style and I have to deal with them.”
And if the two are equals going into the UFC 144 main card bout at Saitama Super Arena, what can matter most are the intangibles. And one of those intangibles is that Akiyama will have home Octagon advantage come fight night, something he is embracing.
“It’s wonderful opportunity,” he said. “I think that the fans will see the quality fighting and the magnificence of UFC. I hope this show will increase the number of MMA fans in Japan.”
That’s the big picture outlook; for Akiyama personally, fighting at home for the first time since submitting Masanori Tonooka in 2008 is something he hoped would happen before he decided to hang up the gloves.
“I have wished for this (fighting in a UFC bout in Japan), and it’s really great to realize it while I'm an active fighter,” said Akiyama, who will have several friends and family members in attendance this weekend. But the most important person in terms of motivating the longtime star is one who won’t be part of the cheering crowd: the four month old daughter he and wife Shiho welcomed into the world in October.
The proud father says his child “gives me another energy,” and with this energy, a new division, and a new lease on his career, Akiyama is more than ready to move forward.
“Changing my division, it would be great if the fans can see ‘The New Akiyama.’”
Categories: MMA
The Blueprint - Edgar vs. Henderson
Forget the background blather. Let’s get right to the point.
Benson Henderson will be the bigger, stronger man when he steps into the cage to challenge Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight championship this Saturday night. In fact, he will likely be the bigger man by 10 pounds or more, which is a big difference when comparing lightweights.
That is an extremely relevant point when analyzing the main event of the UFC’s long-awaited return to Japan. It’s not relevant in the sense that it is a unique disadvantage for Edgar to overcome. He faces the same uphill battle in every fight.
It is relevant because Henderson may very well be the first man since Gray Maynard in April 2008 who will come to the cage keenly focused on actually using those physical superiorities to his advantage during the fight. In other words, I firmly believe that Henderson is coming to take the title by putting on a wrestling clinic.
Well, he had better show up with that kind of game plan. Otherwise, he won’t stand much of a chance at winning, absent the ever-present chance at landing a fight-altering strike.
How can I be so certain, you wonder? Did you watch Edgar’s last four fights? Did you see him dominate BJ Penn on the feet? Henderson is a good, accurate striker. But he is not Penn’s fistic equal. Henderson has serviceable, creative kicks. Yet, he isn’t out there winning any point-style striking matches with basically anyone over the last few years – black belt in Taekwondo notwithstanding.
Coming out and dominating the action in a striking match is not Henderson’s game. It is, by contrast, Edgar’s game. In fact, Edgar has made his championship living by using constant movement to create ever-changing angles and a difficult-to-hit target, while darting in and out with short, effective bursts of strikes. Most of those are thrown with his hands, though he will mix in the kicks, as needed, to keep his opponent honest.
Edgar uses his success on the feet to open the door for takedowns. The champ has an uncanny ability to enhance his already solid wrestling skills by seamlessly transitioning between strikes and takedowns. That is something that very few mixed martial artists truly do well. Georges St-Pierre being the other notable exception to the rule.
That style of attack is all the more effective when facing an opponent who is leading with crazy bombs or sitting back hoping to counter with big power shots. Thus, if Henderson comes out looking to overwhelm Edgar on the feet, he will likely suffer the same fate as Penn and Maynard.
Don’t get me wrong. Henderson, or anyone else, for that matter, can always land a fight-altering strike at any moment. You know, an unseen punch on the jaw, temple or just behind the ear; a perfectly timed flying knee; or maybe a well disguised shin across the head. But we are talking about a guy who has a career knockout-win ratio of 13.3%.
Translation: there is nothing in his past to suggest that the likely outcome of Saturday’s bout will be a knockout win by the challenger. Again, it is certainly possible, just not likely.
Of course, that brings us back to the question of what can Henderson do to maximize his odds at winning. If I was running his training camp, I would have that guy watching tape on Edgar-Maynard I about 20 times a day.
Maynard’s dominant, wrestling-based win over Edgar is the only film out there of Edgar losing. Nobody has ever beaten him by knockout. Nobody has ever outpointed him with strikes. Nobody has ever submitted him. But Maynard outwrestled him en route to a decisive victory.
I will never understand why Maynard didn’t repeat that game plan in his second and third fights with Edgar. I don’t want to hear any of this nonsense about Edgar taking away the takedowns early. Maynard did nothing but headhunt in the next two fights of the trilogy until he was basically out of gas and out of options. He never focused on takedowns early in those later fights.
Henderson needs to remember where Maynard came up short and remain singularly focused on getting the fight to the ground. That doesn’t mean shooting haphazardly for takedowns. Edgar is too quick and mobile to end up on his back from a random, long-distance takedown attempt.
The challenger should, instead, use strikes to close the distance, so that he can clinch with the smaller Edgar. That means throwing punches just for the sake of throwing punches. But he should be stepping forward while doing so, always maintaining his lead right leg on the outside of Edgar’s lead left leg. Edgar loves to circle out to his own left, so that is the best way to cut off the cage.
Once the champ is within reach, Henderson needs to force him up against the cage and use his weight advantage to start to drain Edgar of his energy and quickness. He needs to lean on the New Jersey native. Push on him. Grind away on the cage. Make Edgar expend a lot of energy defending.
If the opportunity presents itself, he can trip or throw Edgar to the floor. Maybe a high crotch would be effective, since he does have a big size and strength advantage. Heck, maybe an old-school, backyard pull to the ground, sort of like Nick Diaz did to Carlos Condit in the final round of their recent bout, is the best way to get the action to the ground.
Basically, I don’t care what Henderson does to get the fight to the ground. He just needs to get it there early in each round, and keep the action down as long as he possibly can.
Go back and watch Edgar-Maynard I. You will see what I’m talking about. Henderson certainly has the wrestling chops, athleticism, size and strength to execute the exact same game plan that Maynard used to defeat Edgar back in 2008.
Then again, so did Sean Sherk, Jim Miller, Matt Veach and Tyson Griffin. They all came up short. If Henderson doesn’t fight a near perfect fight, odds are that he will come up short, too.
QUICK FACTS:
Frankie Edgar
• 30 years old
• 14-1-1 overall
• 3-0-1 in UFC title fights
• 9-0-1 in last 10 fights
• 4-0-1 in last 5
• Reigning UFC Lightweight Champion (3 successful defenses)
• 21.4% of wins by KO/TKO
• 21.4% of wins by submission
• 57.2% of wins by judges’ decision
• 80% of UFC fights lasted the distance (6-1-1 in those fights)
• 1 UFC win by submission; 2 in by KO
• Four-time Fight of the Night winner
• Knockout of the Night – KO4 over Gray Maynard at UFC 136
• Current layoff is 141 days
• Longest layoff of career is 308 days
Benson Henderson
• 28 years old
• 15-2 overall
• First UFC title fight
• 9-1 in last 10 fights
• 4-1 in last 5
• 4 consecutive fights have gone the distance (3-1 in those fights)
• 13.3% of wins by KO/TKO
• 53.3% of wins by submission
• 33.3%of wins by judges’ decision
• Has never been knocked out as a professional
• Fight of the Night – UD3 over Clay Guida at UFC on FOX1
• Current layoff is 106 days
• Longest layoff of career is 236 days
Benson Henderson will be the bigger, stronger man when he steps into the cage to challenge Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight championship this Saturday night. In fact, he will likely be the bigger man by 10 pounds or more, which is a big difference when comparing lightweights.
That is an extremely relevant point when analyzing the main event of the UFC’s long-awaited return to Japan. It’s not relevant in the sense that it is a unique disadvantage for Edgar to overcome. He faces the same uphill battle in every fight.
It is relevant because Henderson may very well be the first man since Gray Maynard in April 2008 who will come to the cage keenly focused on actually using those physical superiorities to his advantage during the fight. In other words, I firmly believe that Henderson is coming to take the title by putting on a wrestling clinic.
Well, he had better show up with that kind of game plan. Otherwise, he won’t stand much of a chance at winning, absent the ever-present chance at landing a fight-altering strike.
How can I be so certain, you wonder? Did you watch Edgar’s last four fights? Did you see him dominate BJ Penn on the feet? Henderson is a good, accurate striker. But he is not Penn’s fistic equal. Henderson has serviceable, creative kicks. Yet, he isn’t out there winning any point-style striking matches with basically anyone over the last few years – black belt in Taekwondo notwithstanding.
Coming out and dominating the action in a striking match is not Henderson’s game. It is, by contrast, Edgar’s game. In fact, Edgar has made his championship living by using constant movement to create ever-changing angles and a difficult-to-hit target, while darting in and out with short, effective bursts of strikes. Most of those are thrown with his hands, though he will mix in the kicks, as needed, to keep his opponent honest.
Edgar uses his success on the feet to open the door for takedowns. The champ has an uncanny ability to enhance his already solid wrestling skills by seamlessly transitioning between strikes and takedowns. That is something that very few mixed martial artists truly do well. Georges St-Pierre being the other notable exception to the rule.
That style of attack is all the more effective when facing an opponent who is leading with crazy bombs or sitting back hoping to counter with big power shots. Thus, if Henderson comes out looking to overwhelm Edgar on the feet, he will likely suffer the same fate as Penn and Maynard.
Don’t get me wrong. Henderson, or anyone else, for that matter, can always land a fight-altering strike at any moment. You know, an unseen punch on the jaw, temple or just behind the ear; a perfectly timed flying knee; or maybe a well disguised shin across the head. But we are talking about a guy who has a career knockout-win ratio of 13.3%.
Translation: there is nothing in his past to suggest that the likely outcome of Saturday’s bout will be a knockout win by the challenger. Again, it is certainly possible, just not likely.
Of course, that brings us back to the question of what can Henderson do to maximize his odds at winning. If I was running his training camp, I would have that guy watching tape on Edgar-Maynard I about 20 times a day.
Maynard’s dominant, wrestling-based win over Edgar is the only film out there of Edgar losing. Nobody has ever beaten him by knockout. Nobody has ever outpointed him with strikes. Nobody has ever submitted him. But Maynard outwrestled him en route to a decisive victory.
I will never understand why Maynard didn’t repeat that game plan in his second and third fights with Edgar. I don’t want to hear any of this nonsense about Edgar taking away the takedowns early. Maynard did nothing but headhunt in the next two fights of the trilogy until he was basically out of gas and out of options. He never focused on takedowns early in those later fights.
Henderson needs to remember where Maynard came up short and remain singularly focused on getting the fight to the ground. That doesn’t mean shooting haphazardly for takedowns. Edgar is too quick and mobile to end up on his back from a random, long-distance takedown attempt.
The challenger should, instead, use strikes to close the distance, so that he can clinch with the smaller Edgar. That means throwing punches just for the sake of throwing punches. But he should be stepping forward while doing so, always maintaining his lead right leg on the outside of Edgar’s lead left leg. Edgar loves to circle out to his own left, so that is the best way to cut off the cage.
Once the champ is within reach, Henderson needs to force him up against the cage and use his weight advantage to start to drain Edgar of his energy and quickness. He needs to lean on the New Jersey native. Push on him. Grind away on the cage. Make Edgar expend a lot of energy defending.
If the opportunity presents itself, he can trip or throw Edgar to the floor. Maybe a high crotch would be effective, since he does have a big size and strength advantage. Heck, maybe an old-school, backyard pull to the ground, sort of like Nick Diaz did to Carlos Condit in the final round of their recent bout, is the best way to get the action to the ground.
Basically, I don’t care what Henderson does to get the fight to the ground. He just needs to get it there early in each round, and keep the action down as long as he possibly can.
Go back and watch Edgar-Maynard I. You will see what I’m talking about. Henderson certainly has the wrestling chops, athleticism, size and strength to execute the exact same game plan that Maynard used to defeat Edgar back in 2008.
Then again, so did Sean Sherk, Jim Miller, Matt Veach and Tyson Griffin. They all came up short. If Henderson doesn’t fight a near perfect fight, odds are that he will come up short, too.
QUICK FACTS:
Frankie Edgar
• 30 years old
• 14-1-1 overall
• 3-0-1 in UFC title fights
• 9-0-1 in last 10 fights
• 4-0-1 in last 5
• Reigning UFC Lightweight Champion (3 successful defenses)
• 21.4% of wins by KO/TKO
• 21.4% of wins by submission
• 57.2% of wins by judges’ decision
• 80% of UFC fights lasted the distance (6-1-1 in those fights)
• 1 UFC win by submission; 2 in by KO
• Four-time Fight of the Night winner
• Knockout of the Night – KO4 over Gray Maynard at UFC 136
• Current layoff is 141 days
• Longest layoff of career is 308 days
Benson Henderson
• 28 years old
• 15-2 overall
• First UFC title fight
• 9-1 in last 10 fights
• 4-1 in last 5
• 4 consecutive fights have gone the distance (3-1 in those fights)
• 13.3% of wins by KO/TKO
• 53.3% of wins by submission
• 33.3%of wins by judges’ decision
• Has never been knocked out as a professional
• Fight of the Night – UD3 over Clay Guida at UFC on FOX1
• Current layoff is 106 days
• Longest layoff of career is 236 days
Categories: MMA
Jake Shields Ready to Begin the Next Chapter
Personally and professionally, 2011 was an arduous year for Jake Shields.
Over the previous five-plus years, the American Jiu-Jitsu practitioner had defeated the likes of Martin Kampmann, Dan Henderson, and Carlos Condit to become one of the top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport.
When the year began, Shields stood as the #1 contender in the UFC welterweight division, riding a 15-fight winning streak into the main event of UFC 129, the biggest show in the organization’s history, against its biggest star, Georges St-Pierre.
The 33-year-old dropped a unanimous decision to the currently sidelined welterweight champion, his first loss since December 2004. The sting of losing to St-Pierre was nothing compared to the devastating loss Shields suffered four months later.
In late August, Shields’ father and manager, Jack, passed away; he was 67-years-old.
Scheduled to headline Ultimate Fight Night 25 in New Orleans, Louisiana less than a month later against the surging Jake Ellenberger, Shields went through with the fight, saying at the time that it was what his father would have wanted him to do.
The bout lasted just 53 seconds. Before Shields had time to get comfortable in the cage, Ellenberger caught him with a knee that dropped him to the canvas, before pouncing on his downed opponent, and pounding out the finish. After five years without a loss in the cage, Shields had suffered back-to-back defeats in the span of five months, and a far more painful loss outside of the Octagon as well.
“Six months ago was a tough time, losing my father; he was my manager, we were really close,” said Shields. “Losing him right before going into the Ellenberger fight was tough, and then walking in there, and getting clipped by a knee early on — in the first minute — and losing that.
“It was a tough time — losing my dad, and the fight — I was a little depressed after that. It took me a couple of months to get my head back together, and start training again.”
No one would have questioned Shields had he opted to withdraw from the Ellenberger fight. With five months to reflect the situation, he sees no point in second-guessing his choice to fight.
“It was a tough decision to make back then, but it’s one of those things — you go out there and get clipped. You can’t go out there and have regrets or make excuses. It’s unfortunate that the night didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but I can’t go out there and have regrets about it. If I had pulled out, I probably would have had regrets about that. I made the decision, and now I have to live with it. All I can do is come back even stronger than ever in this fight.”
Shields returns to the cage Saturday night, welcoming Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama to the welterweight division.
Always considered undersized for the middleweight ranks, the 36-year-old judoka finally makes the move down to the 170-pound weight class in the midst of a three-fight losing streak, and having earned just a single victory — a controversial split decision win over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 — since signing with the UFC in February 2009.
After having squared off with the Canadian superstar St-Pierre in front of 55,000-plus fans in the raucous Rogers Centre last April in Toronto, Saturday’s contest will mark the second time in 10 months that Shields has taken on the “hometown favorite” in front of a massive audience.
He has no issues stepping in against Akiyama on his home turf, and appreciates the show of faith from the UFC, putting him right back on the main card despite his current two-fight skid.
“I have no problem going and fighting people in their hometowns where they’re the favored ones,” admitted the former Shooto, EliteXC, and Strikeforce champion. “And it’s great that even after my back-to-back losses, the UFC hasn’t lost faith in me; they’ve still put me as one of the top fights on this card. It means a lot that they still have that faith in me, and I want to go out and show them that they’re not making a mistake, and put Akiyama away.”
Having suffered a pair of defeats professionally, and one of the greatest losses anyone can face in his personal life, Shields is using the trials and tribulations of last year as motivation to help him get back on track in 2012, beginning this weekend at UFC 144.
“I think I’m more motivated,” Shields said when asked how the last year has impacted his approach to his career. “Going on a six-year winning streak, and then having back-to-back losses, losing my father — it was a tough year for me in 2011. I want to change that, get that behind me, and start out fresh this year, starting with Akiyama; put on a great performance, and get back into title contention.
“Right now I’m in a great headspace; I feel great. As far as training goes, I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I just can’t wait to get out there and fight. If I feel the way I do (now) in the fight, I have no doubt that I’ll go out there, perform well, and bring home the victory.”
Shields mixed things up for this training camp, moving around more than he had in previous camps in order to get a fresh look or two in preparation for his return to the Octagon.
“I do the majority of my training with Cesar Gracie still — with Nick (Diaz), Nate (Diaz), (Gilbert Melendez), and those guys — but I spent a week out with Michael (Bisping), and the guys at Imperial (Athletics). It gave me some different sparring partners, some different looks; helped me see a few different things. I think it’s always good to stay open-minded and try to expand what you’re doing.”
After well over a decade in the sport, Saturday night’s contest will mark the first time Shields has stepped into the cage on a two-fight losing streak. Not only is he hungry to get back into the win column, but Shields also sees his return to Japan as the ideal location to commence the next chapter in his career.
“Japan is where I first started making a name for myself. I was completely unknown and they brought me out to fight (Hayato) “Mach” Sakurai — who was #2-ranked fighter in the world at that time — and I went out there and pulled a huge upset.
“Pretty much no one picked me, and that kind of got me started on my career as a real professional fighter. To go back to where I got my career started is great. I want to go out there and re-energize my career where I first got it going 10 years ago.”
Over the previous five-plus years, the American Jiu-Jitsu practitioner had defeated the likes of Martin Kampmann, Dan Henderson, and Carlos Condit to become one of the top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport.
When the year began, Shields stood as the #1 contender in the UFC welterweight division, riding a 15-fight winning streak into the main event of UFC 129, the biggest show in the organization’s history, against its biggest star, Georges St-Pierre.
The 33-year-old dropped a unanimous decision to the currently sidelined welterweight champion, his first loss since December 2004. The sting of losing to St-Pierre was nothing compared to the devastating loss Shields suffered four months later.
In late August, Shields’ father and manager, Jack, passed away; he was 67-years-old.
Scheduled to headline Ultimate Fight Night 25 in New Orleans, Louisiana less than a month later against the surging Jake Ellenberger, Shields went through with the fight, saying at the time that it was what his father would have wanted him to do.
The bout lasted just 53 seconds. Before Shields had time to get comfortable in the cage, Ellenberger caught him with a knee that dropped him to the canvas, before pouncing on his downed opponent, and pounding out the finish. After five years without a loss in the cage, Shields had suffered back-to-back defeats in the span of five months, and a far more painful loss outside of the Octagon as well.
“Six months ago was a tough time, losing my father; he was my manager, we were really close,” said Shields. “Losing him right before going into the Ellenberger fight was tough, and then walking in there, and getting clipped by a knee early on — in the first minute — and losing that.
“It was a tough time — losing my dad, and the fight — I was a little depressed after that. It took me a couple of months to get my head back together, and start training again.”
No one would have questioned Shields had he opted to withdraw from the Ellenberger fight. With five months to reflect the situation, he sees no point in second-guessing his choice to fight.
“It was a tough decision to make back then, but it’s one of those things — you go out there and get clipped. You can’t go out there and have regrets or make excuses. It’s unfortunate that the night didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but I can’t go out there and have regrets about it. If I had pulled out, I probably would have had regrets about that. I made the decision, and now I have to live with it. All I can do is come back even stronger than ever in this fight.”
Shields returns to the cage Saturday night, welcoming Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama to the welterweight division.
Always considered undersized for the middleweight ranks, the 36-year-old judoka finally makes the move down to the 170-pound weight class in the midst of a three-fight losing streak, and having earned just a single victory — a controversial split decision win over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 — since signing with the UFC in February 2009.
After having squared off with the Canadian superstar St-Pierre in front of 55,000-plus fans in the raucous Rogers Centre last April in Toronto, Saturday’s contest will mark the second time in 10 months that Shields has taken on the “hometown favorite” in front of a massive audience.
He has no issues stepping in against Akiyama on his home turf, and appreciates the show of faith from the UFC, putting him right back on the main card despite his current two-fight skid.
“I have no problem going and fighting people in their hometowns where they’re the favored ones,” admitted the former Shooto, EliteXC, and Strikeforce champion. “And it’s great that even after my back-to-back losses, the UFC hasn’t lost faith in me; they’ve still put me as one of the top fights on this card. It means a lot that they still have that faith in me, and I want to go out and show them that they’re not making a mistake, and put Akiyama away.”
Having suffered a pair of defeats professionally, and one of the greatest losses anyone can face in his personal life, Shields is using the trials and tribulations of last year as motivation to help him get back on track in 2012, beginning this weekend at UFC 144.
“I think I’m more motivated,” Shields said when asked how the last year has impacted his approach to his career. “Going on a six-year winning streak, and then having back-to-back losses, losing my father — it was a tough year for me in 2011. I want to change that, get that behind me, and start out fresh this year, starting with Akiyama; put on a great performance, and get back into title contention.
“Right now I’m in a great headspace; I feel great. As far as training goes, I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I just can’t wait to get out there and fight. If I feel the way I do (now) in the fight, I have no doubt that I’ll go out there, perform well, and bring home the victory.”
Shields mixed things up for this training camp, moving around more than he had in previous camps in order to get a fresh look or two in preparation for his return to the Octagon.
“I do the majority of my training with Cesar Gracie still — with Nick (Diaz), Nate (Diaz), (Gilbert Melendez), and those guys — but I spent a week out with Michael (Bisping), and the guys at Imperial (Athletics). It gave me some different sparring partners, some different looks; helped me see a few different things. I think it’s always good to stay open-minded and try to expand what you’re doing.”
After well over a decade in the sport, Saturday night’s contest will mark the first time Shields has stepped into the cage on a two-fight losing streak. Not only is he hungry to get back into the win column, but Shields also sees his return to Japan as the ideal location to commence the next chapter in his career.
“Japan is where I first started making a name for myself. I was completely unknown and they brought me out to fight (Hayato) “Mach” Sakurai — who was #2-ranked fighter in the world at that time — and I went out there and pulled a huge upset.
“Pretty much no one picked me, and that kind of got me started on my career as a real professional fighter. To go back to where I got my career started is great. I want to go out there and re-energize my career where I first got it going 10 years ago.”
Categories: MMA
Pressure Breaks Pipes, but not Kid Yamamoto
Pressure in the fight game is always relative. When someone is trying to punch you in the face or make you submit, that’s pretty rough in and of itself. So when you add in the ideas of trying to break a string where you were 1-4 in your last five fights, along with fighting in your home country for the first time in nearly two years, are those factors more pressure-laden than avoiding a punch in the face?
For Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, fighting has been his life professionally for almost 11 years, so that part of the pressure equation isn’t a big deal. As for his 1-4 record since returning from a year and a half injury-induced layoff in 2009, a stretch that includes an 0-2 slate in the UFC, he simply says he’s been “a little bit frustrated, so I committed myself to train longer and harder to prepare for the fights.”
But what about this Saturday’s UFC 144 bout in Saitama, Japan against Vaughan Lee, the Kanagawa’s native fighting return to home shores? Is there pressure for him to be the “Kid” once again in front of his loyal fanbase?
“No,” said Yamamoto through manager / translator Fumihiko Ishii.
It’s as blunt as an assessment as you will get from any fighter on any topic, and that’s Yamamoto’s personality when it comes to his day job. He’s to the point with little embellishment, something that translated into his prime performances, where every punch, knee, or kick was designed to get his opponent out of there. From his four second flying knee finish of Kazuyuki Miyata in 2006 to the soccer kicks that ended Rani Yahya’s night in 2007, Yamamoto was rightly considered one of the lighter weight classes’ elite competitors, and his name regularly came up in discussions about fights with stateside standouts Urijah Faber and Miguel Angel Torres.
So when Yamamoto arrived in the UFC’s bantamweight division in 2011, expectations were high, but results underwhelmed, as he lost back-to-back decisions to Demetrious Johnson and Darren Uyenoyama. When asked what has gone wrong in the UFC thus far, Yamamoto replies, “a lack of training due to injury,” and he claims that when it comes to adjusting to the long travel schedule from Japan to the United States and fighting in the Octagon, he had had “no issues at all.”
Which brings us to Saturday night and England’s Vaughan Lee. A scrappy ground ace who isn’t afraid of standing and trading, Lee - like many of his peers - is an admitted fan of Yamamoto, but that’s not going to stop him from trying to hand one of his favorite fighters a crushing defeat. Yamamoto (18-5, 1 NC), whose only stoppage loss came via cuts to Stephen Palling in his fifth pro fight in 2002, isn’t overly concerned with Lee’s submission skills.
“I have been fighting top notch submission fighters and nobody submitted me,” he said. “So I do have enough confidence to face him.”
Aiding in this confidence is that Yamamoto is healthy, and he’s also far removed from any possible distractions at home due to the relocation of his training camp to Mecha MMA in Toronto, Canada.
“My sister suggested and arranged for me to train at Mecha MMA,” said Yamamoto. “(They bring) New technique and good conditioning.”
As for getting away from Japan and all the pre-fight hype for this camp, he says, “I came here for training, which is the same anywhere.”
That’s typical “Kid” Yamamoto. No nonsense to the core. But his hard edge softens a bit when asked about what this fight means, not just to him, but to his loyal fans at home and abroad who would like nothing more than to see a return to form on Saturday night.
“It is really important to win the fight not only for myself but also for all of those fans,” he said. “I also want all of my fans to get excited about not just winning, but the fight.”
Any last minute instructions to those fans?
“SCREAM!”
For Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, fighting has been his life professionally for almost 11 years, so that part of the pressure equation isn’t a big deal. As for his 1-4 record since returning from a year and a half injury-induced layoff in 2009, a stretch that includes an 0-2 slate in the UFC, he simply says he’s been “a little bit frustrated, so I committed myself to train longer and harder to prepare for the fights.”
But what about this Saturday’s UFC 144 bout in Saitama, Japan against Vaughan Lee, the Kanagawa’s native fighting return to home shores? Is there pressure for him to be the “Kid” once again in front of his loyal fanbase?
“No,” said Yamamoto through manager / translator Fumihiko Ishii.
It’s as blunt as an assessment as you will get from any fighter on any topic, and that’s Yamamoto’s personality when it comes to his day job. He’s to the point with little embellishment, something that translated into his prime performances, where every punch, knee, or kick was designed to get his opponent out of there. From his four second flying knee finish of Kazuyuki Miyata in 2006 to the soccer kicks that ended Rani Yahya’s night in 2007, Yamamoto was rightly considered one of the lighter weight classes’ elite competitors, and his name regularly came up in discussions about fights with stateside standouts Urijah Faber and Miguel Angel Torres.
So when Yamamoto arrived in the UFC’s bantamweight division in 2011, expectations were high, but results underwhelmed, as he lost back-to-back decisions to Demetrious Johnson and Darren Uyenoyama. When asked what has gone wrong in the UFC thus far, Yamamoto replies, “a lack of training due to injury,” and he claims that when it comes to adjusting to the long travel schedule from Japan to the United States and fighting in the Octagon, he had had “no issues at all.”
Which brings us to Saturday night and England’s Vaughan Lee. A scrappy ground ace who isn’t afraid of standing and trading, Lee - like many of his peers - is an admitted fan of Yamamoto, but that’s not going to stop him from trying to hand one of his favorite fighters a crushing defeat. Yamamoto (18-5, 1 NC), whose only stoppage loss came via cuts to Stephen Palling in his fifth pro fight in 2002, isn’t overly concerned with Lee’s submission skills.
“I have been fighting top notch submission fighters and nobody submitted me,” he said. “So I do have enough confidence to face him.”
Aiding in this confidence is that Yamamoto is healthy, and he’s also far removed from any possible distractions at home due to the relocation of his training camp to Mecha MMA in Toronto, Canada.
“My sister suggested and arranged for me to train at Mecha MMA,” said Yamamoto. “(They bring) New technique and good conditioning.”
As for getting away from Japan and all the pre-fight hype for this camp, he says, “I came here for training, which is the same anywhere.”
That’s typical “Kid” Yamamoto. No nonsense to the core. But his hard edge softens a bit when asked about what this fight means, not just to him, but to his loyal fans at home and abroad who would like nothing more than to see a return to form on Saturday night.
“It is really important to win the fight not only for myself but also for all of those fans,” he said. “I also want all of my fans to get excited about not just winning, but the fight.”
Any last minute instructions to those fans?
“SCREAM!”
Categories: MMA
The Blueprint - Rampage vs. Bader
Quinton Jackson is a legend in the sport.
Hardcore fans know that this guy has been universally recognized as one of the best 205-pound fighters in the world, across all promotions, since 2003. Nine years is a long time to remain relevant in the “what have you done for me lately” sport of mixed martial arts. But “Rampage” is far from ordinary.
When the 33-year-old ultimately decides to hang up his vale tudo gloves, his resume will hold its own with just about anyone’s, even if he doesn’t achieve another noteworthy milestone. To wit, he was the first fighter to unify a UFC and PRIDE championship. He accomplished that goal when he successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight championship against Dan Henderson, who was then the PRIDE Middleweight (205-pound) Champion.
He was a finalist in the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix, ultimately losing to then-champion Wanderlei Silva. At that time, the Silva was universally regarded as the best 205-pound fighter in the world. Rampage was unquestionably the number two guy.
One fight after joining the UFC, Rampage did what many thought to be the unthinkable. He savagely knocked out iconic champion Chuck Liddell with a counter right hand that was so ferocious that Liddell dropped like he had been taken out by a 12-gauge shotgun.
Rampage successfully defended the title one time, something matched by only five of the 10 other men who have worn the belt. Many believe the judges robbed him of the golden strap in his 2008 defense against Forrest Griffin. Robbed or justly scored, the fight will go down in history as one of the best ever. Several media outlets selected that bout as the 2008 Fight of the Year.
Suffice it to say, Rampage is a fighting legend. By contrast, his opponent on Saturday night is still trying to make a true name for himself in the sport.
Ryan Bader has long been one of the top prospects in the light heavyweight division. But he hit a bit of a rough patch in the first half of 2011, dropping back-to-back fights to eventual champion Jon Jones and former champion Tito Ortiz. Those were the first two losses of Bader’s career. He righted the ship back in November with an impressive first-round knockout of Jason Brilz. But Bader is still trying to find his way in the land of the light heavies.
Don’t mistake those contrasting descriptions for a suggestion that this isn’t a meaningful fight. Quite the opposite is actually true.
A win by Rampage doesn’t do anything in terms of advancing his standing in the division. It is a fantastic payday, of course. It is an opportunity to perform one more time in front of the local Japanese fans who helped turn him into a superstar. And it is an opportunity to stay busy in an attempt to ward off ring rust, something he has not done in recent years.
A loss, on the other hand, would be devastating. Bader has never before toppled an A-list foe. Thus, if Rampage falls as the first such victim, it would draw into question the former champion’s short-term relevance in the division.
Sounds like a no-win situation, doesn’t it? It certainly does to me, which means Rampage had better come out looking to make a statement because he simply cannot afford to lose or even eke out a close win.
For Bader, Saturday is a no-lose situation. He’s the underdog, so a loss to Rampage does nothing to truly hurt his standing.
A win, however, lets the genie out of the bottle. Bader instantly becomes a championship contender, if he can score a victory over Rampage. It erases all lingering questions following the losses to Jones and Ortiz in a way that the Brilz win simply cannot.
All that means Rampage will likely come out swinging for the fences, possibly mixing in some of his long lost wrestling skills. Bader will be fighting loose and free, focusing solely on the upside associated with fighting Rampage. If that happens, this should be a tremendous spectacle for the fans because these guys matchup extremely well on paper – far better than their respective standing in the division would otherwise suggest.
Let’s get to the matchup.
Most probably expect to read “Rampage needs to keep the fight standing, whereas Bader needs to take the action to the ground.” True. But there is more to this matchup than the obvious.
In fact, I’m going to reprint my breakdown on Rampage versus Jones, substituting Bader’s name for the current champion, a few little tweaks here and there, and a quick lead-in paragraph, because I believe that description perfectly describes this matchup, with a quick lead-in paragraph to set it up.
Bader is an exceptional boxer, when one takes into account that he only began dedicating himself to that form of martial arts in the last few years. The former amateur wrestling champion possesses head movement, footwork and arsenal of punches that are well beyond his years of training. Plus, his hand speed and knockout power are enough to make anyone cringe, including Rampage. He relies on his overhand right too much. Other than that nit-picky note, I think he is one of the better true boxers in the division.
Yet, as good as Bader is on the feet, he wants no part of a fisticuff exchange with Rampage. Trust me on that one. Rampage is one of the game’s most versatile punchers. He can knock out anyone with a single punch from either hand. Chuck Liddell got his lights turned out with a looping right. It was the first time anyone left Liddell in an unconscious heap in his illustrious career. Rampage put Wanderlei Silva to sleep with an equally vicious left hook. And he hurt Rashad Evans with a couple different shots thrown in short, compact fashion.
Rampage also has tremendous wrestling skills, though he has completely ignored them of late. The last time we saw Rampage use anything close to resembling his wrestling was in his five-round thrashing of Henderson four years ago. By contrast, in PRIDE, Rampage was famous for slamming and then ground-and-pounding his opponents. I will never know why he has turned away from that strength as of late.
Conventional wisdom suggests that Rampage should rely on his wrestling and physical strength to put Bader on his back, and force him to address the one major hole in his game that Jones exposed during their February 2011 fight. He showed no real ability to deal with Jones’ top game, so I see no reason why he would do any better with Rampage, since the former champion has absolutely brutal ground and pound, as well as excellent top control.
Of course, only Jones has been able to put Bader on his back and keep him there. Don’t expect Rampage to follow suit, despite the fact that devising a game plan to create takedown opportunities may be his best chance to win.
Unfortunately for Rampage, he is far too enamored with his boxing skills to concern himself with takedowns. He won’t be looking for a takedown, unless a Bader strike puts him on ice skates. Trust me on that one. I’m absolutely certain of it. Rampage will come out looking to throw hands with Bader to the exclusion of every other facet of his game, just like he does in every fight. That is true no matter who he is fighting. And it will be true on Saturday night.
Bader needs to take advantage of that one-trick-pony approach to the game by refusing to engage in a boxing match with Rampage. He should take a page out of Griffin’s playbook and kick Rampage’s lead leg until the challenger can no longer put any weight on it.
Rampage walks down opponents with laser-like focus, always looking for an opening to land a lead right hand or counter anything. I’m not sure if Rampage’s tunnel vision causes him to fail to identify kicks in time to check them. I don’t know if he stands with too much weight on his front leg. Or, maybe he just doesn’t respect anyone’s leg kicks. Whatever the case, that lone strike singlehandedly won the title for Griffin in their 2008 bout.
It can also win the fight for Bader on Saturday night.
Bader can also take a page from the game plan used by Jones and Rashad Evans in wins over Rampage – use strikes to set up takedowns. Rampage sits down on his punches so much that he routinely leaves himself open to takedowns, just like he leaves himself open to leg kicks. Once on the ground, he has virtually no offensive submission game from his back. He can defend pretty well, and he certainly has the ability to scramble back to his feet or sweep, but he isn’t going to catch Bader or anyone else with an armbar, triangle choke, gogoplata or any other submission from the guard.
Back to the original writing.
Unlike with the Jones fight, I don’t think that Bader has more tools at his disposal once the cage door shuts. Instead, I think Rampage is the man with more ways to bring the fight to an abrupt end, solely due to his arsenal of fight-ending punches and his top game. I also think he is the one with the greater physical advantages.
Yet, this fight has upset written all over it, according to most. There are many who believe that Rampage is on the downside of his illustrious career. There is no denying the fact that he has not shown any growth in his game since joining the UFC. In fact, one could easily argue that he has shown competitive regression.
Whether that is from the long, self-imposed breaks he has taken over the last few years or his waning focus due to acting or other outside interests is up for debate. What is not up for debate is the fact that Rampage performs better when he fights regularly. He is 7-1 in UFC fights with less than 200 days between contests. That lone loss came at the hands of Jones, a guy many believe to be the both the present and future of the division.
When the cage door shuts, it will have been 155 days since Rampage’s last fight.
I’ll let you decide what that means.
QUICK FACTS
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
• 33 years old
• 6’1, 205 lbs
• 73-inch reach
• 32-9 overall
• 3-2 in last 5 fights
• 7-3 in last 10 fights
• 13-5 in Japan
• Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
• Former PRIDE 205-lb Champion (defeated reigning champ Dan Henderson after UFC/Pride acquisition)
• First man to unify UFC and PRIDE titles
• 406-day reign as champion; 1 successful title defense
• 2 submission losses in 41 professional fights
• Stopped 3 times by strikes as a professional
• Knockout of the Night -- KO1 over Chuck Liddell at UFC 71; KO1 over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92
• Fight of the Night – UD5 loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86; UD3 over Keith Jardine at UFC 96
• Current layoff is 155 days
• Longest layoff of his career is 448 days
Ryan Bader
• 28 years old
• 6’2, 205 lbs
• 74-inch reach
• 14-2 overall
• 3-2 in last 5
• 8-2 in last 10
• First fight in Japan
• TUF: Season 8 winner
• Both career losses by submission
• No post-fight awards
• Current layoff is 99 days
• Longest layoff of career (excluding time on TUF) is 216 days
Hardcore fans know that this guy has been universally recognized as one of the best 205-pound fighters in the world, across all promotions, since 2003. Nine years is a long time to remain relevant in the “what have you done for me lately” sport of mixed martial arts. But “Rampage” is far from ordinary.
When the 33-year-old ultimately decides to hang up his vale tudo gloves, his resume will hold its own with just about anyone’s, even if he doesn’t achieve another noteworthy milestone. To wit, he was the first fighter to unify a UFC and PRIDE championship. He accomplished that goal when he successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight championship against Dan Henderson, who was then the PRIDE Middleweight (205-pound) Champion.
He was a finalist in the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix, ultimately losing to then-champion Wanderlei Silva. At that time, the Silva was universally regarded as the best 205-pound fighter in the world. Rampage was unquestionably the number two guy.
One fight after joining the UFC, Rampage did what many thought to be the unthinkable. He savagely knocked out iconic champion Chuck Liddell with a counter right hand that was so ferocious that Liddell dropped like he had been taken out by a 12-gauge shotgun.
Rampage successfully defended the title one time, something matched by only five of the 10 other men who have worn the belt. Many believe the judges robbed him of the golden strap in his 2008 defense against Forrest Griffin. Robbed or justly scored, the fight will go down in history as one of the best ever. Several media outlets selected that bout as the 2008 Fight of the Year.
Suffice it to say, Rampage is a fighting legend. By contrast, his opponent on Saturday night is still trying to make a true name for himself in the sport.
Ryan Bader has long been one of the top prospects in the light heavyweight division. But he hit a bit of a rough patch in the first half of 2011, dropping back-to-back fights to eventual champion Jon Jones and former champion Tito Ortiz. Those were the first two losses of Bader’s career. He righted the ship back in November with an impressive first-round knockout of Jason Brilz. But Bader is still trying to find his way in the land of the light heavies.
Don’t mistake those contrasting descriptions for a suggestion that this isn’t a meaningful fight. Quite the opposite is actually true.
A win by Rampage doesn’t do anything in terms of advancing his standing in the division. It is a fantastic payday, of course. It is an opportunity to perform one more time in front of the local Japanese fans who helped turn him into a superstar. And it is an opportunity to stay busy in an attempt to ward off ring rust, something he has not done in recent years.
A loss, on the other hand, would be devastating. Bader has never before toppled an A-list foe. Thus, if Rampage falls as the first such victim, it would draw into question the former champion’s short-term relevance in the division.
Sounds like a no-win situation, doesn’t it? It certainly does to me, which means Rampage had better come out looking to make a statement because he simply cannot afford to lose or even eke out a close win.
For Bader, Saturday is a no-lose situation. He’s the underdog, so a loss to Rampage does nothing to truly hurt his standing.
A win, however, lets the genie out of the bottle. Bader instantly becomes a championship contender, if he can score a victory over Rampage. It erases all lingering questions following the losses to Jones and Ortiz in a way that the Brilz win simply cannot.
All that means Rampage will likely come out swinging for the fences, possibly mixing in some of his long lost wrestling skills. Bader will be fighting loose and free, focusing solely on the upside associated with fighting Rampage. If that happens, this should be a tremendous spectacle for the fans because these guys matchup extremely well on paper – far better than their respective standing in the division would otherwise suggest.
Let’s get to the matchup.
Most probably expect to read “Rampage needs to keep the fight standing, whereas Bader needs to take the action to the ground.” True. But there is more to this matchup than the obvious.
In fact, I’m going to reprint my breakdown on Rampage versus Jones, substituting Bader’s name for the current champion, a few little tweaks here and there, and a quick lead-in paragraph, because I believe that description perfectly describes this matchup, with a quick lead-in paragraph to set it up.
Bader is an exceptional boxer, when one takes into account that he only began dedicating himself to that form of martial arts in the last few years. The former amateur wrestling champion possesses head movement, footwork and arsenal of punches that are well beyond his years of training. Plus, his hand speed and knockout power are enough to make anyone cringe, including Rampage. He relies on his overhand right too much. Other than that nit-picky note, I think he is one of the better true boxers in the division.
Yet, as good as Bader is on the feet, he wants no part of a fisticuff exchange with Rampage. Trust me on that one. Rampage is one of the game’s most versatile punchers. He can knock out anyone with a single punch from either hand. Chuck Liddell got his lights turned out with a looping right. It was the first time anyone left Liddell in an unconscious heap in his illustrious career. Rampage put Wanderlei Silva to sleep with an equally vicious left hook. And he hurt Rashad Evans with a couple different shots thrown in short, compact fashion.
Rampage also has tremendous wrestling skills, though he has completely ignored them of late. The last time we saw Rampage use anything close to resembling his wrestling was in his five-round thrashing of Henderson four years ago. By contrast, in PRIDE, Rampage was famous for slamming and then ground-and-pounding his opponents. I will never know why he has turned away from that strength as of late.
Conventional wisdom suggests that Rampage should rely on his wrestling and physical strength to put Bader on his back, and force him to address the one major hole in his game that Jones exposed during their February 2011 fight. He showed no real ability to deal with Jones’ top game, so I see no reason why he would do any better with Rampage, since the former champion has absolutely brutal ground and pound, as well as excellent top control.
Of course, only Jones has been able to put Bader on his back and keep him there. Don’t expect Rampage to follow suit, despite the fact that devising a game plan to create takedown opportunities may be his best chance to win.
Unfortunately for Rampage, he is far too enamored with his boxing skills to concern himself with takedowns. He won’t be looking for a takedown, unless a Bader strike puts him on ice skates. Trust me on that one. I’m absolutely certain of it. Rampage will come out looking to throw hands with Bader to the exclusion of every other facet of his game, just like he does in every fight. That is true no matter who he is fighting. And it will be true on Saturday night.
Bader needs to take advantage of that one-trick-pony approach to the game by refusing to engage in a boxing match with Rampage. He should take a page out of Griffin’s playbook and kick Rampage’s lead leg until the challenger can no longer put any weight on it.
Rampage walks down opponents with laser-like focus, always looking for an opening to land a lead right hand or counter anything. I’m not sure if Rampage’s tunnel vision causes him to fail to identify kicks in time to check them. I don’t know if he stands with too much weight on his front leg. Or, maybe he just doesn’t respect anyone’s leg kicks. Whatever the case, that lone strike singlehandedly won the title for Griffin in their 2008 bout.
It can also win the fight for Bader on Saturday night.
Bader can also take a page from the game plan used by Jones and Rashad Evans in wins over Rampage – use strikes to set up takedowns. Rampage sits down on his punches so much that he routinely leaves himself open to takedowns, just like he leaves himself open to leg kicks. Once on the ground, he has virtually no offensive submission game from his back. He can defend pretty well, and he certainly has the ability to scramble back to his feet or sweep, but he isn’t going to catch Bader or anyone else with an armbar, triangle choke, gogoplata or any other submission from the guard.
Back to the original writing.
Unlike with the Jones fight, I don’t think that Bader has more tools at his disposal once the cage door shuts. Instead, I think Rampage is the man with more ways to bring the fight to an abrupt end, solely due to his arsenal of fight-ending punches and his top game. I also think he is the one with the greater physical advantages.
Yet, this fight has upset written all over it, according to most. There are many who believe that Rampage is on the downside of his illustrious career. There is no denying the fact that he has not shown any growth in his game since joining the UFC. In fact, one could easily argue that he has shown competitive regression.
Whether that is from the long, self-imposed breaks he has taken over the last few years or his waning focus due to acting or other outside interests is up for debate. What is not up for debate is the fact that Rampage performs better when he fights regularly. He is 7-1 in UFC fights with less than 200 days between contests. That lone loss came at the hands of Jones, a guy many believe to be the both the present and future of the division.
When the cage door shuts, it will have been 155 days since Rampage’s last fight.
I’ll let you decide what that means.
QUICK FACTS
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
• 33 years old
• 6’1, 205 lbs
• 73-inch reach
• 32-9 overall
• 3-2 in last 5 fights
• 7-3 in last 10 fights
• 13-5 in Japan
• Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
• Former PRIDE 205-lb Champion (defeated reigning champ Dan Henderson after UFC/Pride acquisition)
• First man to unify UFC and PRIDE titles
• 406-day reign as champion; 1 successful title defense
• 2 submission losses in 41 professional fights
• Stopped 3 times by strikes as a professional
• Knockout of the Night -- KO1 over Chuck Liddell at UFC 71; KO1 over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92
• Fight of the Night – UD5 loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86; UD3 over Keith Jardine at UFC 96
• Current layoff is 155 days
• Longest layoff of his career is 448 days
Ryan Bader
• 28 years old
• 6’2, 205 lbs
• 74-inch reach
• 14-2 overall
• 3-2 in last 5
• 8-2 in last 10
• First fight in Japan
• TUF: Season 8 winner
• Both career losses by submission
• No post-fight awards
• Current layoff is 99 days
• Longest layoff of career (excluding time on TUF) is 216 days
Categories: MMA
Opportunity Knocks for Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt has a big opportunity. At UFC 144 on Saturday night, he fights Cheick Kongo. France's Kongo has won his last two fights and has long been in the verge of the title picture in the heavyweight division. In the UFC's Octagon, the Frenchman has a better resume. But Hunt doesn't see it as a step up.
"(Is the fight) Good for my career? I don't look at it like that. I've fought a lot of the best fighters in the world so it's not a step up for me. So, just another fight."
The veteran is blunt about his opponent's skills.
"I know (of) Cheick Kongo -- he's alright, he's not a bad fighter."
It's just another fight for a man who, at 37, has been a professional fighter for over 15 years. First in kickboxing, where he won the K-1 Grand Prix in 2001. In 2004, he switched to MMA where he's defeated names like Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop. The New Zealand-born Sydneysider Hunt has earned the right to be casual about it all.
Hunt is matter-of-fact about fighting, but don't mistake that for a lack of determination. From mid 2006 to 2010, he did not win a fight, going 0 for 6. Four years of losses and lengthy periods without a fight. But he didn't let the statistics swallow him, and he now rides a two fight win streak. Mentally, it's a long way from losing his Octagon debut at the end of 2010 to Sean McCorkle.
"It's good because after losing for so many times I just didn't know what was going wrong; but after changing up so many things and finally getting on a better level mentally and physically it's really helped me a lot. Especially losing to a beginner like McCorkle. But I put that down to not fighting for a couple of years," said Hunt. "It always happens when you don't fight for a while you're just rubbish, you don't know what's going on. And in mixed martial arts by the time you realize it, it's too late."
His last fight was a grueling three round decision win over Ben Rothwell at UFC 135 last September. By the end, both men were exhausted, but he attributes this to Denver's mountain air, not a lack of hard training.
"I was pretty tired, but the altitude really got me a lot," stated Hunt. "It's hard to realize until you actually go train there or actually fight there. Then you realize how difficult the air is up there if you’re not used to the training or staying there for a while. I wasn't used to it - I had like two weeks there. It was hard work."
It was a chance for the "Super Samoan" Hunt, who's struggled with the submission game in the past, to show off new skills: executing a takedown, taking dominant positions and attempting an armbar on Rothwell.
"It was good. I've been practicing a while for it."
But punches and kicks will always be his bread and butter. And Hunt doesn't miss a beat when asked who the better striker will be at UFC 144.
"Well, as a striker I'm better than him, of course. That's the way I look at it."
Which he believes leaves Kongo with one option.
"That's (attempting takedowns) what he's gonna be doing. Once he realizes he can't dance around or play around with me he's going to be trying to take me down like the rest of them."
While Hunt has trained in Florida with American Top Team in the past, he prepared for this fight in his birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand. It's not as glamorous a fight camp, but he believes it's for the best. And he looks as fit as ever.
"The training over here is pretty crazy. I've got some good training back at home (in Australia) but it's hard to find partners around because everyone has to work and not many people fight full time. I know Jamie (Te Huna) has a lot of guys his weight he's training with and that's pretty good for him," said Hunt. "For me, everywhere else is too far to go. Miami is pretty far to go to acclimatize and then reacclimatize to Australian time because there's just not enough time. So I think it was a good move, but we'll see what happens in the fight."
Hunt’s fight will see him return to Japan, where he's fought for much of his career.
"I'm looking forward to fighting in Japan again; it will be great."
It's the place where he won the K-1 Grand Prix in front of some 65,000 fans. And it's where he debuted in the legendary PRIDE ring.
"It's where my career started really. Apart from being home in Australia. I got offered my second fight contract in Japan."
Yet on the 25th of February it will be the site of just another fight for Hunt.
"(Is the fight) Good for my career? I don't look at it like that. I've fought a lot of the best fighters in the world so it's not a step up for me. So, just another fight."
The veteran is blunt about his opponent's skills.
"I know (of) Cheick Kongo -- he's alright, he's not a bad fighter."
It's just another fight for a man who, at 37, has been a professional fighter for over 15 years. First in kickboxing, where he won the K-1 Grand Prix in 2001. In 2004, he switched to MMA where he's defeated names like Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop. The New Zealand-born Sydneysider Hunt has earned the right to be casual about it all.
Hunt is matter-of-fact about fighting, but don't mistake that for a lack of determination. From mid 2006 to 2010, he did not win a fight, going 0 for 6. Four years of losses and lengthy periods without a fight. But he didn't let the statistics swallow him, and he now rides a two fight win streak. Mentally, it's a long way from losing his Octagon debut at the end of 2010 to Sean McCorkle.
"It's good because after losing for so many times I just didn't know what was going wrong; but after changing up so many things and finally getting on a better level mentally and physically it's really helped me a lot. Especially losing to a beginner like McCorkle. But I put that down to not fighting for a couple of years," said Hunt. "It always happens when you don't fight for a while you're just rubbish, you don't know what's going on. And in mixed martial arts by the time you realize it, it's too late."
His last fight was a grueling three round decision win over Ben Rothwell at UFC 135 last September. By the end, both men were exhausted, but he attributes this to Denver's mountain air, not a lack of hard training.
"I was pretty tired, but the altitude really got me a lot," stated Hunt. "It's hard to realize until you actually go train there or actually fight there. Then you realize how difficult the air is up there if you’re not used to the training or staying there for a while. I wasn't used to it - I had like two weeks there. It was hard work."
It was a chance for the "Super Samoan" Hunt, who's struggled with the submission game in the past, to show off new skills: executing a takedown, taking dominant positions and attempting an armbar on Rothwell.
"It was good. I've been practicing a while for it."
But punches and kicks will always be his bread and butter. And Hunt doesn't miss a beat when asked who the better striker will be at UFC 144.
"Well, as a striker I'm better than him, of course. That's the way I look at it."
Which he believes leaves Kongo with one option.
"That's (attempting takedowns) what he's gonna be doing. Once he realizes he can't dance around or play around with me he's going to be trying to take me down like the rest of them."
While Hunt has trained in Florida with American Top Team in the past, he prepared for this fight in his birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand. It's not as glamorous a fight camp, but he believes it's for the best. And he looks as fit as ever.
"The training over here is pretty crazy. I've got some good training back at home (in Australia) but it's hard to find partners around because everyone has to work and not many people fight full time. I know Jamie (Te Huna) has a lot of guys his weight he's training with and that's pretty good for him," said Hunt. "For me, everywhere else is too far to go. Miami is pretty far to go to acclimatize and then reacclimatize to Australian time because there's just not enough time. So I think it was a good move, but we'll see what happens in the fight."
Hunt’s fight will see him return to Japan, where he's fought for much of his career.
"I'm looking forward to fighting in Japan again; it will be great."
It's the place where he won the K-1 Grand Prix in front of some 65,000 fans. And it's where he debuted in the legendary PRIDE ring.
"It's where my career started really. Apart from being home in Australia. I got offered my second fight contract in Japan."
Yet on the 25th of February it will be the site of just another fight for Hunt.
Categories: MMA
Jones vs. Evans Starts Early on SportsNite
Their fight may be two months away, but Jon Jones and former teammate turned rival Rashad Evans are already exchanging jabs.
Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, and his opponent, former UFC light heavyweight champion Evans, appeared on CSS Sports' SportsNite to promote their April 21 headlining bout at UFC 145. What ensued was a memorable he-said/he-said exchange between the two full of accusations -- watch the full segment above.
Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, and his opponent, former UFC light heavyweight champion Evans, appeared on CSS Sports' SportsNite to promote their April 21 headlining bout at UFC 145. What ensued was a memorable he-said/he-said exchange between the two full of accusations -- watch the full segment above.
Categories: MMA
Step by Step - Cariaso Ready to Make His Move
Every journey starts with a single step. For one UFC bantamweight, putting that one foot in front of the other began when he was only five years old, and a quarter of a century later he is still making strides in his quest towards martial arts glory. In the more immediate future, this life-long fighter’s goal is to be ranked in the top 10 of his division. To achieve that elite status, he will have to travel well over 5,000 miles to Saitama, Japan and defeat Takeya Mizugaki inside the Octagon at UFC 144. After 25 years of waking up and taking those steps, a few extra thousand miles is all in a day’s work for Chris Cariaso.
“I've always loved this sport,” tells Cariaso. “I think that's what sets me apart from a lot of other fighters. For me, to get up in the morning and go train is something that I love to do. Even if I wasn't fighting, I would still get up in the morning and go train. I haven't fallen out of love with it. As a teacher and as a martial artist, I just want to go out there and share my passion for the sport and the martial arts. I wouldn't have ever seen myself doing anything different. It's something that I like doing and I wouldn't change it for anything.”
At 30 years old, Cariaso might be a relatively new name for UFC fight fans, but he is far from new to combat sports competition. In January 2011, Cariaso made his Octagon debut on the UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 card with a unanimous decision victory over Will Campuzano. Prior to that, “Kamikaze” fought tough competition in the WEC, Strikeforce, and EliteXC, which earned Cariaso his overall 12-3 professional record. Before MMA, Cariaso had distinguished himself as a champion in boxing, Sanshou, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.
“All that experience, if you add it up together I have almost 50 fights,” explains Cariaso. “Just being in the ring that much, it gives me that ring savvy, especially when it goes deeper into the fight. It makes me that more experienced to know what it's like to go into those deep waters. Fortunately, I have that experience and now I'm able to use it in the cage.”
Another experience that will help him in his upcoming bout with Mizugaki: Cariaso’s Birmingham, England win over hometown hero Vaughan Lee. “I felt like the pressure was on him for the fight and there was no pressure on me - I just had to go out there and fight,” says Cariaso of his most recent tangle in the cage in hostile territory as he played the spoiler to Lee’s UFC debut in the town he grew up and trains in. “It's a good experience knowing there's not much pressure on you. I know the fans won't like me at first because I'm fighting one of the hometown guys. By the end of the fight I hope that the fans like me.”
As the opening matchup at UFC 138, the English crowd was already whipped up into a frenzy, hollering soccer-style chants in favor of Lee, but that energy fueled Cariaso too. “When the crowd starts cheering, when I can hear the crowd, and when the action is picking up - it makes me what to pick up my action too,” remembers the Californian, who showed off his ever improving ground game, especially in the later rounds when he took control of the fight. “My Achilles heel is that I always start slow, but I always finish strong. Coming out of the first round, I knew I was definitely behind on the cards. I knew that in the second and third round I was going to pick up the pace and really put it on him.”
The native Californian is set to rumble in the “Land of the Rising Sun” at UFC 144 against one of their best 135ers in Mizugaki. At 15-6-2, Mizugaki has become a stalwart in American cagefighting with five fights in the WEC, including a “Fight of the Night” title fight against Miguel Torres at WEC 40, and he is currently 2-1 in the UFC. Also, Mizugaki is coming off, arguably, his most impressive victory stateside with a second round TKO finish of Cole Escovedo at UFC 135 last September. For Cariaso to crack that illustrious top 10 ranking, he will need to beat Mizugaki, and he is willing to travel to wherever that fight may be.
“It’s more of a draw to fight Takeya, and fighting in Japan is secondary,” states Cariaso. “I've always kind of wanted to fight in Japan in the back of my mind, but it has never been a main priority. Definitely fighting a guy who has been in the top 10 and who can propel me in the rankings is the draw. My goal for this year is to be ranked in the top 10 and get my name out there. Fighting him is definitely the priority.”
On paper, this should be an exciting fight for the Japanese fans, with Cariaso’s deep roots in striking traditions and Mizugaki’s prevalence for punching. “We both like to stand up, with him liking to box a little more, and I like to kick a little more, but I've been working on my boxing for this, so you'll see me showcasing my hands a little bit,” says Cariaso, who also knows he needs to be ready for three rounds of action, as both fighters tend to go the distance and are rarely finished themselves. “15 minutes or 25 minutes, I've got it in me. Just knowing that he's a tough guy, I'm making sure that if it comes down to it I'm going to out tough him - that's the bottom line. When I'm thinking about preparing for this fight, I want to be stronger, faster, and more technical than him.”
In preparation for this bout, Cariaso has been training in Tucson, Arizona with UFC featherweight George Roop and Ed West. Cariaso has also been making trips back to San Francisco, California to put in work with his standup coach, Neungsiam Samphusri, and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, BJJ blackbelt Alex Crispim. After all these years of putting time in each day at the gym, he focuses on small, but consistent, progression as a martial artist.
“It’s about quality training,” asserts Cariaso. “Trying to find the best guys to train with all of the time. For me, I look for that 1% improvement every day. That's what I'm looking for and that's how I get better. It's not a big goal; I'm not looking for a 1000% improvement - just 1% every day. If I can get a little bit better with my right hand or a little bit slicker with my armbar. That's what I'm looking for to grow.”
Cariaso knows that without one special person in his life backing him, he wouldn’t be able to make those strides in the sport he loves: his wife. “Thank God, my wife is awesome and helps take care of the kids while I go away to train, which gives me the opportunities to go out there to be the best,” exclaims Cariaso, noting that the support he gets at home is what propels him in training and allows him to be a full-time fighter. “We're not officially married, but we've been together for 12 years. We've been together a long time. We have a house, two kids, and a business together, so we're definitely in it for the long haul (laughs).”
On February 25th at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Cariaso will clash with Mizugaki to stake their individual claim in the top 10 of the UFC’s bantamweight division. “I expect a battle, I expect a war,” states Cariaso, who knows a win, maybe even a stoppage win, over Mizugaki will be a huge step in the right direction for “Kamikaze” on his path to UFC glory. “I feel like I'm one of the most prepared guys in the division. Whether the fight goes one round or five rounds, I'm always prepared to go. But this time, I'm going to look for the finish because that's somewhere that I've got to showcase my skills; so the fans will see me looking for the finish and they're going to see an exciting fight.”
“I've always loved this sport,” tells Cariaso. “I think that's what sets me apart from a lot of other fighters. For me, to get up in the morning and go train is something that I love to do. Even if I wasn't fighting, I would still get up in the morning and go train. I haven't fallen out of love with it. As a teacher and as a martial artist, I just want to go out there and share my passion for the sport and the martial arts. I wouldn't have ever seen myself doing anything different. It's something that I like doing and I wouldn't change it for anything.”
At 30 years old, Cariaso might be a relatively new name for UFC fight fans, but he is far from new to combat sports competition. In January 2011, Cariaso made his Octagon debut on the UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 card with a unanimous decision victory over Will Campuzano. Prior to that, “Kamikaze” fought tough competition in the WEC, Strikeforce, and EliteXC, which earned Cariaso his overall 12-3 professional record. Before MMA, Cariaso had distinguished himself as a champion in boxing, Sanshou, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.
“All that experience, if you add it up together I have almost 50 fights,” explains Cariaso. “Just being in the ring that much, it gives me that ring savvy, especially when it goes deeper into the fight. It makes me that more experienced to know what it's like to go into those deep waters. Fortunately, I have that experience and now I'm able to use it in the cage.”
Another experience that will help him in his upcoming bout with Mizugaki: Cariaso’s Birmingham, England win over hometown hero Vaughan Lee. “I felt like the pressure was on him for the fight and there was no pressure on me - I just had to go out there and fight,” says Cariaso of his most recent tangle in the cage in hostile territory as he played the spoiler to Lee’s UFC debut in the town he grew up and trains in. “It's a good experience knowing there's not much pressure on you. I know the fans won't like me at first because I'm fighting one of the hometown guys. By the end of the fight I hope that the fans like me.”
As the opening matchup at UFC 138, the English crowd was already whipped up into a frenzy, hollering soccer-style chants in favor of Lee, but that energy fueled Cariaso too. “When the crowd starts cheering, when I can hear the crowd, and when the action is picking up - it makes me what to pick up my action too,” remembers the Californian, who showed off his ever improving ground game, especially in the later rounds when he took control of the fight. “My Achilles heel is that I always start slow, but I always finish strong. Coming out of the first round, I knew I was definitely behind on the cards. I knew that in the second and third round I was going to pick up the pace and really put it on him.”
The native Californian is set to rumble in the “Land of the Rising Sun” at UFC 144 against one of their best 135ers in Mizugaki. At 15-6-2, Mizugaki has become a stalwart in American cagefighting with five fights in the WEC, including a “Fight of the Night” title fight against Miguel Torres at WEC 40, and he is currently 2-1 in the UFC. Also, Mizugaki is coming off, arguably, his most impressive victory stateside with a second round TKO finish of Cole Escovedo at UFC 135 last September. For Cariaso to crack that illustrious top 10 ranking, he will need to beat Mizugaki, and he is willing to travel to wherever that fight may be.
“It’s more of a draw to fight Takeya, and fighting in Japan is secondary,” states Cariaso. “I've always kind of wanted to fight in Japan in the back of my mind, but it has never been a main priority. Definitely fighting a guy who has been in the top 10 and who can propel me in the rankings is the draw. My goal for this year is to be ranked in the top 10 and get my name out there. Fighting him is definitely the priority.”
On paper, this should be an exciting fight for the Japanese fans, with Cariaso’s deep roots in striking traditions and Mizugaki’s prevalence for punching. “We both like to stand up, with him liking to box a little more, and I like to kick a little more, but I've been working on my boxing for this, so you'll see me showcasing my hands a little bit,” says Cariaso, who also knows he needs to be ready for three rounds of action, as both fighters tend to go the distance and are rarely finished themselves. “15 minutes or 25 minutes, I've got it in me. Just knowing that he's a tough guy, I'm making sure that if it comes down to it I'm going to out tough him - that's the bottom line. When I'm thinking about preparing for this fight, I want to be stronger, faster, and more technical than him.”
In preparation for this bout, Cariaso has been training in Tucson, Arizona with UFC featherweight George Roop and Ed West. Cariaso has also been making trips back to San Francisco, California to put in work with his standup coach, Neungsiam Samphusri, and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, BJJ blackbelt Alex Crispim. After all these years of putting time in each day at the gym, he focuses on small, but consistent, progression as a martial artist.
“It’s about quality training,” asserts Cariaso. “Trying to find the best guys to train with all of the time. For me, I look for that 1% improvement every day. That's what I'm looking for and that's how I get better. It's not a big goal; I'm not looking for a 1000% improvement - just 1% every day. If I can get a little bit better with my right hand or a little bit slicker with my armbar. That's what I'm looking for to grow.”
Cariaso knows that without one special person in his life backing him, he wouldn’t be able to make those strides in the sport he loves: his wife. “Thank God, my wife is awesome and helps take care of the kids while I go away to train, which gives me the opportunities to go out there to be the best,” exclaims Cariaso, noting that the support he gets at home is what propels him in training and allows him to be a full-time fighter. “We're not officially married, but we've been together for 12 years. We've been together a long time. We have a house, two kids, and a business together, so we're definitely in it for the long haul (laughs).”
On February 25th at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Cariaso will clash with Mizugaki to stake their individual claim in the top 10 of the UFC’s bantamweight division. “I expect a battle, I expect a war,” states Cariaso, who knows a win, maybe even a stoppage win, over Mizugaki will be a huge step in the right direction for “Kamikaze” on his path to UFC glory. “I feel like I'm one of the most prepared guys in the division. Whether the fight goes one round or five rounds, I'm always prepared to go. But this time, I'm going to look for the finish because that's somewhere that I've got to showcase my skills; so the fans will see me looking for the finish and they're going to see an exciting fight.”
Categories: MMA
UFC 146: Summer Kicks Off with Mayhem and Doberman in Vegas
UFC president Dana White today confirmed the first fight - one between fan favorites - officially set for UFC 146, set to take place over Memorial Day weekend.
“Ultimate Fighter runner-up C.B. ‘The Doberman’ Dollaway has verbally agreed to face recent Ultimate Fighter coach Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller in a middleweight bout at UFC 146 this May in Las Vegas,” he said.
More bouts on the card will be announced Tuesday, February 21 on UFC Tonight, which airs at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on FUEL TV.
“Ultimate Fighter runner-up C.B. ‘The Doberman’ Dollaway has verbally agreed to face recent Ultimate Fighter coach Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller in a middleweight bout at UFC 146 this May in Las Vegas,” he said.
More bouts on the card will be announced Tuesday, February 21 on UFC Tonight, which airs at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on FUEL TV.
Categories: MMA
Bart Palaszewski - Not Your Everyday, Average Contender
Close your eyes and try to picture a fighter with more than 45 fights under their belt, a guy who has been competing for more than a decade.
What do you see?
Chances are you see a battle-hardened veteran, a forty-something who has been around the block a time or two. You most likely picture a faded star, someone left trading on his name and accomplishments that came a long time ago, fighting on the regional circuit in front of a couple thousand fans at best.
What you probably don’t picture is a 28-year-old featherweight contender with a crooked, hot pink Mohawk and a mischievous grin preparing to make his second trip into the Octagon next weekend at the famed Saitama Super Arena, where thousands of Japanese fans will watch him compete.
You don’t picture Bart Palaszewski.
The vast amount of experience he has accumulated at a relatively young age isn’t the only facet of the long-time Team Curran trainee that makes him different from most of his peers either.
Ask Palaszewski a question and he’ll give you an honest answer — no clichés, no filters, and no sugarcoating. Regardless of the subject, “Bartimus” gives it to you straight, a departure from the “stock answers” approach most athletes employ these days.
“I was always told you’re as good as your last fight,” began the 35-14 featherweight who has fought in an alphabet soup of organization over his ten-year career when asked about his upcoming opponent, Hatsu Hioki.
“That’s what Monte Cox always told me over the years, and Monte knows his stuff. If his last fight impressed anyone, they have got to be a hardcore Hatsu Hioki fan. I mean, personally, I think he lost the fight, and I hope he performs the same way against me.”
Considered one of the top 145-pound fighters in the world, Hioki made his UFC debut in October at UFC 137, earning a split decision victory over George Roop that many believe should have went the other way. Explanations for his poor performance started being offered as soon as scorecards were read, with the ubiquitous Octagon jitters leading the way.
Earlier in the night, Palaszewski made his first appearance in the Octagon as well, dropping to featherweight for the first time. He knocked out UFC veteran Tyson Griffin just past the halfway mark of the opening round, earning Knockout of the Night honors in the process.
He says Hioki wasn’t the only one suffering from Octagon jitters that night, which is precisely why he’s not buying it as an excuse for his poor performance.
“I had jitters, but you’ve just got to get out there and do it. Just because I have more fights doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous before a fight; I get nervous before every single fight. I’m nervous for this fight.
“I don’t care if I have 10 fights in the UFC — it’s still a UFC fight. Every fight is going to be against a top opponent in a big, big show, so the Octagon jitters will never go away, bottom line.
“I beat Tyson, and now I went from a guy that was Top 10, now I’m stepping up again and fighting a guy who’s Top 5. Should I have jitters again? It’s constantly going to be like that. Ready-made excuse maybe?”
Palaszewski isn’t really concerned about the explanation — he’s too busy preparing for the biggest test and most important fight of his career.
He knows that regardless of his tepid performance against Roop, Hioki is a talented competitor who earned his place in the upper echelon of the featherweight division by beating some of the best fighters the 145-pound ranks have to offer. While he wasn’t impressed with what he saw four months ago at the Mandalay Bay, Palaszewski knows he’s in for a challenge.
That’s precisely why he asked for this fight in the first place.
“Hioki’s actually a fight we asked for. Before my fights, I always make up my list with my coaches and my management — guys we’re going to go after in case I lose or if I win a fight,” explained the former member of the IFL’s Quad City Silverbacks. “We got to turn the winning list into the UFC last time, and Hioki was at the top of the list.
“I’m extremely excited that the UFC granted me my wish, and they think I’m worthy of fighting a top contender like Hioki. But like I said, it was a fight that I wanted; it wasn’t a fight that was luck of the draw or the UFC throwing the fight at me. I think I match up with him really well, and it’s going to be a good fight.
“I think a win over Hioki will definitely propel me to being in the running (for a title shot), but I’m not looking past Hioki. He’s a tough dude, obviously; he’s a top contender. He’s top 5 in the world, he’s got an amazing record, he’s got everything backing him up, so I’m just looking at him, concentrating on him 100 percent.”
Featherweight champion Jose Aldo is blazing a path of destruction through the division. Having already collected victories over Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, and the previously unbeaten Chad Mendes, it’s conceivable that the winner of this fight could be the next man to challenge the 145-pound dynamo for divisional supremacy.
In typical fashion, the former WEC lightweight contender gives an earnest assessment of his place in the pecking order, before trailing off into what can only be described as “Bart being Bart.”
“I’m 100 percent Hioki right now, and personally, I think there are guys ahead of me. I think there are a lot of guys that have more wins, and in my eyes, they deserve a shot sooner than me.
“Obviously, if the UFC says `Go’ I’m one of those guys that — if the UFC says, `Jump!’ I don’t even ask, `How high?’ I just start jumping. If it’s not good enough, I keep trying harder and harder to jump higher. If they tell me, `You’re up against Jose’ I’m going to do it, but if not, I’m focused on the next step.
“But the UFC hasn’t said anything to me. There’s a lot of chatter online, but that doesn’t mean squat unless it comes out of the UFC’s mouth, which doesn’t make sense because the UFC doesn’t have a mouth.”
As the laughter subsides, the reflective and serious side of Palaszewski returns as the conversation shifts to the strange odyssey that has been his professional career, which started with a loss to former WEC champ Cole Escovedo in 2002.
“Shoot — I was in high school when I started fighting. I was a young kid, and I was doing it for fun. I mean, I still do it for fun, but it just happens that it’s my job too; it’s a hobby and a job all at once.
“I take it seriously from that point of view because it is my job, but it’s that much easier to get up in the morning because it’s something that I love to do. It’s not like I have to go answer to some #$$%^&^ at work, telling me what to do. I’m extremely happy, and I’m very… I don’t even know… I’m ecstatic about it. I get to do in life what I love to do.”
Palaszewski hit a rough patch a few years ago when he was putting more energy into what he calls “The Fighter Lifestyle” — partying, staying out late, and sleeping all day. That stopped prior to his fight with Zack Micklewright at WEC 50. Now instead of spending his mornings recovering from the previous night’s activities, he hangs out with his daughter.
The always honest Palaszewski knows it’s no coincidence he’s found success and climb to the brink of contention in the featherweight division now that he’s found what works best for himself outside of the cage.
“At this point, I’ve just grown up I think. I’ve seen a sports psychologist, and that’s the thing: I always had performance anxiety because I was just a kid, man. I was kid fighting in a man’s world. At this point, I’m growing up; I know what needs to be done.”
Palaszewski points to his performance against Griffin in October for proof that the changes he’s made are paying dividends, and says things are right on schedule for his showdown with Hioki in Saitama this coming weekend.
“The first cut was easy. I know this is going to sound weird, but it was easier than making ’55 because I had to be so strict with my diet, and I had to be so strict with my roadwork that (making) ’45 was easy. I spent a lot of time on the treadmill, elliptical, and everything else you can think of.
“I was so light heading out to Vegas, and I was so strict, my mind was set on making ’45. I didn’t do a practice cut or anything; I signed the fight for ’45, and that was it. I figured out a diet plan, and the pounds were coming off just right that we didn’t have to adjust anything. This weight cut has been going well — I’m actually lighter than I was at this point last time, so I’m happy.
“It’s cool that Saitama has held so many historic fights in MMA; it’s going to be huge. It’s a great arena, and it’s definitely a different experience. Japanese fans compared to US fans are two different worlds — you’re going to have 30,000-plus people there and you’re going to be able to hear a pin drop. I’m stepping into enemy territory, so I guess I’ve got something even more to prove now.”
When asked for his thoughts on how the fight with Hioki would play out, he answered the same way he does with every question — honestly, with a dash of “Bart being Bart” for flavor.
“I’m going to be in Beast Mode, homie! I’m gonna kick some butt!”
What do you see?
Chances are you see a battle-hardened veteran, a forty-something who has been around the block a time or two. You most likely picture a faded star, someone left trading on his name and accomplishments that came a long time ago, fighting on the regional circuit in front of a couple thousand fans at best.
What you probably don’t picture is a 28-year-old featherweight contender with a crooked, hot pink Mohawk and a mischievous grin preparing to make his second trip into the Octagon next weekend at the famed Saitama Super Arena, where thousands of Japanese fans will watch him compete.
You don’t picture Bart Palaszewski.
The vast amount of experience he has accumulated at a relatively young age isn’t the only facet of the long-time Team Curran trainee that makes him different from most of his peers either.
Ask Palaszewski a question and he’ll give you an honest answer — no clichés, no filters, and no sugarcoating. Regardless of the subject, “Bartimus” gives it to you straight, a departure from the “stock answers” approach most athletes employ these days.
“I was always told you’re as good as your last fight,” began the 35-14 featherweight who has fought in an alphabet soup of organization over his ten-year career when asked about his upcoming opponent, Hatsu Hioki.
“That’s what Monte Cox always told me over the years, and Monte knows his stuff. If his last fight impressed anyone, they have got to be a hardcore Hatsu Hioki fan. I mean, personally, I think he lost the fight, and I hope he performs the same way against me.”
Considered one of the top 145-pound fighters in the world, Hioki made his UFC debut in October at UFC 137, earning a split decision victory over George Roop that many believe should have went the other way. Explanations for his poor performance started being offered as soon as scorecards were read, with the ubiquitous Octagon jitters leading the way.
Earlier in the night, Palaszewski made his first appearance in the Octagon as well, dropping to featherweight for the first time. He knocked out UFC veteran Tyson Griffin just past the halfway mark of the opening round, earning Knockout of the Night honors in the process.
He says Hioki wasn’t the only one suffering from Octagon jitters that night, which is precisely why he’s not buying it as an excuse for his poor performance.
“I had jitters, but you’ve just got to get out there and do it. Just because I have more fights doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous before a fight; I get nervous before every single fight. I’m nervous for this fight.
“I don’t care if I have 10 fights in the UFC — it’s still a UFC fight. Every fight is going to be against a top opponent in a big, big show, so the Octagon jitters will never go away, bottom line.
“I beat Tyson, and now I went from a guy that was Top 10, now I’m stepping up again and fighting a guy who’s Top 5. Should I have jitters again? It’s constantly going to be like that. Ready-made excuse maybe?”
Palaszewski isn’t really concerned about the explanation — he’s too busy preparing for the biggest test and most important fight of his career.
He knows that regardless of his tepid performance against Roop, Hioki is a talented competitor who earned his place in the upper echelon of the featherweight division by beating some of the best fighters the 145-pound ranks have to offer. While he wasn’t impressed with what he saw four months ago at the Mandalay Bay, Palaszewski knows he’s in for a challenge.
That’s precisely why he asked for this fight in the first place.
“Hioki’s actually a fight we asked for. Before my fights, I always make up my list with my coaches and my management — guys we’re going to go after in case I lose or if I win a fight,” explained the former member of the IFL’s Quad City Silverbacks. “We got to turn the winning list into the UFC last time, and Hioki was at the top of the list.
“I’m extremely excited that the UFC granted me my wish, and they think I’m worthy of fighting a top contender like Hioki. But like I said, it was a fight that I wanted; it wasn’t a fight that was luck of the draw or the UFC throwing the fight at me. I think I match up with him really well, and it’s going to be a good fight.
“I think a win over Hioki will definitely propel me to being in the running (for a title shot), but I’m not looking past Hioki. He’s a tough dude, obviously; he’s a top contender. He’s top 5 in the world, he’s got an amazing record, he’s got everything backing him up, so I’m just looking at him, concentrating on him 100 percent.”
Featherweight champion Jose Aldo is blazing a path of destruction through the division. Having already collected victories over Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, and the previously unbeaten Chad Mendes, it’s conceivable that the winner of this fight could be the next man to challenge the 145-pound dynamo for divisional supremacy.
In typical fashion, the former WEC lightweight contender gives an earnest assessment of his place in the pecking order, before trailing off into what can only be described as “Bart being Bart.”
“I’m 100 percent Hioki right now, and personally, I think there are guys ahead of me. I think there are a lot of guys that have more wins, and in my eyes, they deserve a shot sooner than me.
“Obviously, if the UFC says `Go’ I’m one of those guys that — if the UFC says, `Jump!’ I don’t even ask, `How high?’ I just start jumping. If it’s not good enough, I keep trying harder and harder to jump higher. If they tell me, `You’re up against Jose’ I’m going to do it, but if not, I’m focused on the next step.
“But the UFC hasn’t said anything to me. There’s a lot of chatter online, but that doesn’t mean squat unless it comes out of the UFC’s mouth, which doesn’t make sense because the UFC doesn’t have a mouth.”
As the laughter subsides, the reflective and serious side of Palaszewski returns as the conversation shifts to the strange odyssey that has been his professional career, which started with a loss to former WEC champ Cole Escovedo in 2002.
“Shoot — I was in high school when I started fighting. I was a young kid, and I was doing it for fun. I mean, I still do it for fun, but it just happens that it’s my job too; it’s a hobby and a job all at once.
“I take it seriously from that point of view because it is my job, but it’s that much easier to get up in the morning because it’s something that I love to do. It’s not like I have to go answer to some #$$%^&^ at work, telling me what to do. I’m extremely happy, and I’m very… I don’t even know… I’m ecstatic about it. I get to do in life what I love to do.”
Palaszewski hit a rough patch a few years ago when he was putting more energy into what he calls “The Fighter Lifestyle” — partying, staying out late, and sleeping all day. That stopped prior to his fight with Zack Micklewright at WEC 50. Now instead of spending his mornings recovering from the previous night’s activities, he hangs out with his daughter.
The always honest Palaszewski knows it’s no coincidence he’s found success and climb to the brink of contention in the featherweight division now that he’s found what works best for himself outside of the cage.
“At this point, I’ve just grown up I think. I’ve seen a sports psychologist, and that’s the thing: I always had performance anxiety because I was just a kid, man. I was kid fighting in a man’s world. At this point, I’m growing up; I know what needs to be done.”
Palaszewski points to his performance against Griffin in October for proof that the changes he’s made are paying dividends, and says things are right on schedule for his showdown with Hioki in Saitama this coming weekend.
“The first cut was easy. I know this is going to sound weird, but it was easier than making ’55 because I had to be so strict with my diet, and I had to be so strict with my roadwork that (making) ’45 was easy. I spent a lot of time on the treadmill, elliptical, and everything else you can think of.
“I was so light heading out to Vegas, and I was so strict, my mind was set on making ’45. I didn’t do a practice cut or anything; I signed the fight for ’45, and that was it. I figured out a diet plan, and the pounds were coming off just right that we didn’t have to adjust anything. This weight cut has been going well — I’m actually lighter than I was at this point last time, so I’m happy.
“It’s cool that Saitama has held so many historic fights in MMA; it’s going to be huge. It’s a great arena, and it’s definitely a different experience. Japanese fans compared to US fans are two different worlds — you’re going to have 30,000-plus people there and you’re going to be able to hear a pin drop. I’m stepping into enemy territory, so I guess I’ve got something even more to prove now.”
When asked for his thoughts on how the fight with Hioki would play out, he answered the same way he does with every question — honestly, with a dash of “Bart being Bart” for flavor.
“I’m going to be in Beast Mode, homie! I’m gonna kick some butt!”
Categories: MMA
Two Bouts Complete Sweden's Fight Card
The sold-out UFC on FUEL TV fight night in Stockholm, Sweden, has added two fights to its roster. With Akira Corassani sidelined due to injury, midwestern scrapper Eric Wisely will step in for the injured TUF alum to take on Jason Young in what will be a featherweight battle of striking specialists.
Also that night, undefeated lightweight Yoislandy 'Cuba' Izquierdo has verbally agreed to make his first UFC fight one against Stockholm's own Reza 'Mad Dog' Madadi. Both fighters had been scheduled to enter the Octagon earlier in the year - though not against each other - but injury and red tape delayed their debuts.
Verbal agreements are in for both bouts.
Nunes vs. Siver, Corassani vs. Shotgun Set for Sweden updated January 25
Verbal agreements are in for two featherweight fights that complete the UFC on FUEL 2 fight card, UFC officials confirmed today.
World-ranked Brazilian Diego Nunes will welcome Germany's Dennis Siver to the featherweight division in a showdown between great strikers.
Plus, Sweden's Akira Corassani will make his UFC debut following his stint on last season's Ultimate Fighter against England's Jason "Shotgun" Young.
UFC Sweden Gets Its Main Event updated January 9
The main event of April's UFC event in Sweden pits Stockholm’s rising star Alexander Gustafsson vs. former PRIDE® star Rogerio “Lil’ Nog” Nogueira in an exciting light heavyweight contest.
Born in Arboga, Sweden, "The Mauler" Gustafsson is on a four-fight win streak and is coming off a blistering first-round TKO over Belarusian veteran Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 141. The Brazilian Nogueira picked up a similar victor over Tito Ortiz at UFC 140 in Toronto.
Also on the card, two explosive bantamweights will meet as England's Brad Pickett and Damacio Page have verbally agreed to go at it in the Octagon.
More of Sweden's Fight Card Unveiled updated January 9
“Exciting striker Siyar Bahadurzada has verbally agreed to make his UFC debut against the always-dangerous Brazilian Special Forces Police Battalion member Paulo Thiago at UFC Sweden in April," UFC president Dana White confirmed. Both welterweights were originally slated to fight - though not against each other - on the UFC Rio in January but forced to withdraw due to injuries.
In other welterweight action, TUF: US vs UK standout DaMarques Johnson will go toe-to-toe against yet another Brit, as he has agreed to fight Cambridge submission specialist John Maguire. Plus, Oslo's 16-2 fight finisher Simeon Thoresen will make his UFC debut against undefeated Swede Besam Yousef.
Two more Swedish signees will face French opponents at the European event. At light heavyweight, Cyrille Diabate welcomes undefeated kickboxer Jörgen Kruth to the UFC; while middleweight Francis Carmont will face 10-3 knockout artist Magnus "Jycken" Cedenblad in his sophomore Octagon outing. Verbal agreements are in for all of these bouts.
UFC Sets its Sights on Sweden updated January 5
The UFC will make its Scandinavian debut this spring as the second UFC on FUEL TV </a>fight night has been slated for Saturday, April 14 in Stockholm, Sweden. The date and venue were confirmed on this week's UFC 142 conference call.
Verbal agreements are also in for two intriguing bouts at the April event. Fists will fly in a middleweight match between Italian striker Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara and "All American" brawler Brian Stann.
Also on that card, Papy Abedi will meet Oklahoman James Head. The French-born Abedi, known as "Makambo," grew up there and in the Congo, but has lived and trained in Sweden for several years. The bout will be the sophomore UFC effort for both welterweights.
Also that night, undefeated lightweight Yoislandy 'Cuba' Izquierdo has verbally agreed to make his first UFC fight one against Stockholm's own Reza 'Mad Dog' Madadi. Both fighters had been scheduled to enter the Octagon earlier in the year - though not against each other - but injury and red tape delayed their debuts.
Verbal agreements are in for both bouts.
Nunes vs. Siver, Corassani vs. Shotgun Set for Sweden updated January 25
Verbal agreements are in for two featherweight fights that complete the UFC on FUEL 2 fight card, UFC officials confirmed today.
World-ranked Brazilian Diego Nunes will welcome Germany's Dennis Siver to the featherweight division in a showdown between great strikers.
Plus, Sweden's Akira Corassani will make his UFC debut following his stint on last season's Ultimate Fighter against England's Jason "Shotgun" Young.
UFC Sweden Gets Its Main Event updated January 9
The main event of April's UFC event in Sweden pits Stockholm’s rising star Alexander Gustafsson vs. former PRIDE® star Rogerio “Lil’ Nog” Nogueira in an exciting light heavyweight contest.
Born in Arboga, Sweden, "The Mauler" Gustafsson is on a four-fight win streak and is coming off a blistering first-round TKO over Belarusian veteran Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 141. The Brazilian Nogueira picked up a similar victor over Tito Ortiz at UFC 140 in Toronto.
Also on the card, two explosive bantamweights will meet as England's Brad Pickett and Damacio Page have verbally agreed to go at it in the Octagon.
More of Sweden's Fight Card Unveiled updated January 9
“Exciting striker Siyar Bahadurzada has verbally agreed to make his UFC debut against the always-dangerous Brazilian Special Forces Police Battalion member Paulo Thiago at UFC Sweden in April," UFC president Dana White confirmed. Both welterweights were originally slated to fight - though not against each other - on the UFC Rio in January but forced to withdraw due to injuries.
In other welterweight action, TUF: US vs UK standout DaMarques Johnson will go toe-to-toe against yet another Brit, as he has agreed to fight Cambridge submission specialist John Maguire. Plus, Oslo's 16-2 fight finisher Simeon Thoresen will make his UFC debut against undefeated Swede Besam Yousef.
Two more Swedish signees will face French opponents at the European event. At light heavyweight, Cyrille Diabate welcomes undefeated kickboxer Jörgen Kruth to the UFC; while middleweight Francis Carmont will face 10-3 knockout artist Magnus "Jycken" Cedenblad in his sophomore Octagon outing. Verbal agreements are in for all of these bouts.
UFC Sets its Sights on Sweden updated January 5
The UFC will make its Scandinavian debut this spring as the second UFC on FUEL TV </a>fight night has been slated for Saturday, April 14 in Stockholm, Sweden. The date and venue were confirmed on this week's UFC 142 conference call.
Verbal agreements are also in for two intriguing bouts at the April event. Fists will fly in a middleweight match between Italian striker Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara and "All American" brawler Brian Stann.
Also on that card, Papy Abedi will meet Oklahoman James Head. The French-born Abedi, known as "Makambo," grew up there and in the Congo, but has lived and trained in Sweden for several years. The bout will be the sophomore UFC effort for both welterweights.
Categories: MMA
Tweets of the Week - 2/17
UFC on Fuel TV: After Tweets
Even prettier than last night!! Lmao!! pic.twitter.com/Bwflv2NC -Walel Watson
Thank you @danawhite, @lorenzofertitta, @ufc for the privilege and honor to compete and represent the Midwest! -Jake Ellenberger
Thanks so much for all the support! Feels good to get another win but shouldn't have lost the 1st round.. Hope you enjoyed it, on 2 the next -Stefan Struve
Want to thank everyone for all the support! Everyone that came and watched all around the world! Especially the Croats! Lol means a lot! -Stipe Miocic
Diego thanks Jake - "that was one of the funnest fights of my career, he was just willing to go in and scrap for three rounds" -ufc
Want to thank everybody for the support and congrats. Was trying to finish him but he was a tough guy. Hope you guys enjoyed the show @ufc -TJ Dillashaw
I think diego and ellenburger are gonna take my fotn bonus hahaha those guys are warriors -John Albert
Oops -Dave Herman
Hey Jealousy
@RamseyNijem I swear if u r teaching other guys to strip and I'm not there so help me gawd I'll fly the f-word out there and ruin sundance -Justin Edwards
Navigating the Social Media Landscape
@BryanCaraway bro you gotta teach me what #FF means on twitter and all the other slang -John Albert
@UFCPrinceAlbert smh shaking my head lol! -Bryan Caraway
I feel like if I tweet about Facebook I'm talking about my old gf to my new gf #ryanjimmo -Ryan Jimmo
Going to eat dinner And then watch the @ufc fights delayed so I'm staying off twitter till then even if it kills me! Lol -Miesha Tate
Ingenuity -It Doesn't Always Smell Nice
You know you're from the westside if you use a coffee bean cup to pick up your dog's poop.... -Ronda Rousey
Bang's Mobile Training Center
I just cleaned 4 pair of boxing gloves and 3 pair of Mma gloves from my car. Too much gear -Duane Ludwig
Pat Looks Like a Hipster Pirate
CROATIAN BANDAID!!! moby.to/8qhfw3 -Pat Barry
Epic Bromance
@JoeJitsu #YouCompleteMe pic.twitter.com/vT5W24gP -Danny Castillo
Little Guy, Big Appetite
Eating salads twice a day is driving me f---ing crazy haha I need to hurt some one already so I can be a fat kid again -Ian McCall
No One Can Blame You
Didn't watch the Grammys because I knew there was not going to be enough cowbell for my liking. -Miguel Angel Torres
Even prettier than last night!! Lmao!! pic.twitter.com/Bwflv2NC -Walel Watson
Thank you @danawhite, @lorenzofertitta, @ufc for the privilege and honor to compete and represent the Midwest! -Jake Ellenberger
Thanks so much for all the support! Feels good to get another win but shouldn't have lost the 1st round.. Hope you enjoyed it, on 2 the next -Stefan Struve
Want to thank everyone for all the support! Everyone that came and watched all around the world! Especially the Croats! Lol means a lot! -Stipe Miocic
Diego thanks Jake - "that was one of the funnest fights of my career, he was just willing to go in and scrap for three rounds" -ufc
Want to thank everybody for the support and congrats. Was trying to finish him but he was a tough guy. Hope you guys enjoyed the show @ufc -TJ Dillashaw
I think diego and ellenburger are gonna take my fotn bonus hahaha those guys are warriors -John Albert
Oops -Dave Herman
Hey Jealousy
@RamseyNijem I swear if u r teaching other guys to strip and I'm not there so help me gawd I'll fly the f-word out there and ruin sundance -Justin Edwards
Navigating the Social Media Landscape
@BryanCaraway bro you gotta teach me what #FF means on twitter and all the other slang -John Albert
@UFCPrinceAlbert smh shaking my head lol! -Bryan Caraway
I feel like if I tweet about Facebook I'm talking about my old gf to my new gf #ryanjimmo -Ryan Jimmo
Going to eat dinner And then watch the @ufc fights delayed so I'm staying off twitter till then even if it kills me! Lol -Miesha Tate
Ingenuity -It Doesn't Always Smell Nice
You know you're from the westside if you use a coffee bean cup to pick up your dog's poop.... -Ronda Rousey
Bang's Mobile Training Center
I just cleaned 4 pair of boxing gloves and 3 pair of Mma gloves from my car. Too much gear -Duane Ludwig
Pat Looks Like a Hipster Pirate
CROATIAN BANDAID!!! moby.to/8qhfw3 -Pat Barry
Epic Bromance
@JoeJitsu #YouCompleteMe pic.twitter.com/vT5W24gP -Danny Castillo
Little Guy, Big Appetite
Eating salads twice a day is driving me f---ing crazy haha I need to hurt some one already so I can be a fat kid again -Ian McCall
No One Can Blame You
Didn't watch the Grammys because I knew there was not going to be enough cowbell for my liking. -Miguel Angel Torres
Categories: MMA
UFC on FUEL TV 1 Musings
ELLENBERGER BECOMING TOUGH TO IGNORE
Jake Ellenberger added to his rapidly growing win streak by overwhelming a game Diego Sanchez on Wednesday night. It was an easy fight to score. Ellenberger controlled the action on the ground and on the feet through the first two rounds. A spirited rally by Sanchez wasn’t enough to offset the 10-minutes of effective work Ellenberger put in during the early parts of the fight. But the back-and-forth was enough to earn each man a $50,000 check for the “Fight of the Night” award. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
Ellenberger now has six consecutive wins on his resume, after suffering a loss in his UFC debut. Think about it for a moment. Other than Nick Diaz’s multi-year winning streak that recently got abruptly ended courtesy of Carlos Condit, who else in the division has put together a run over the last couple of years that is more deserving of a number one contender standing than Ellenberger? Jon Fitch? No. Josh Koscheck? No. Sanchez or maybe Thiago Alves? Certainly not. Jake Shields or Johny Hendricks? Try again.
For my money, Ellenberger now stands alone behind Condit in the 170-pound pecking order. It will be interesting to see if the interim champion chooses to take an optional defense, or if he will sit on the sidelines and wait for the true welterweight kingpin, Georges St-Pierre, to return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. That decision will likely impact whether Ellenberger gets the much coveted first shot at Condit or if he will need to win yet another fight in order to secure a shot at UFC gold.
My guess is that Condit will wait, rather than risk his pending bout with GSP. I wouldn’t advise him to go down that path, but all signs seem to be pointing in that direction right now, which means Ellenberger will likely fight in an official title eliminator next. Could that be a bout with the winner of the May 5 bout between Kos and Hendricks? Sounds like the perfect matchup to me.
BIGFOOT SIGHTING!
Man, Dave Herman is one furry guy. From the bushy beard that extended down to his Adam’s apple to the body-hair sweater he rocked inside the Octagon, I don’t think I can recall someone who has recently competed in the UFC who more closely resembled Bigfoot. Andrei Arlovski could also be confused for a Wookie when he doesn’t partake in the phenomenon that has become known in recent years as “manscaping.” But he doesn’t quite rise to Herman’s level in the Bigfoot look-alike contest. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
The crazy amounts of fur may have been exaggerated because Herman was competing against a guy who could easily be confused with Mr. Clean. Stefan Struve appeared hairless from head to toe. It was quite the contrast in human appearance.
Of course, none of that is relevant to the actual fight. Herman’s bushy beard did not save him from getting knocked out. And the sweater didn’t factor into the outcome, other than possibly contributing to a good warm up. Yet, a day later, Herman’s physical transformation remains the most memorable part of what was a pretty entertaining fight.
SIMPSON-MARKES HIGHLIGHTS THE WEAKNESS IN THE CURRENT SCORING SYSTEM
Mixed martial arts is a tough sport to judge. No question about it. But I’m struggling to understand a few of the scorecards.
Aaron Simpson nearly knocked out Ronny Markes in the first round of their contest. He also dished out a pretty good beating on the ground – to the tune of 19 unanswered ground strikes. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
The second round was a much closer round. Neither man really hurt the other. The only significant moment was a takedown by Markes, but he didn’t do much with the takedown, aside from landing a couple of decent ground strikes that were a far cry from the frequency or savagery of Simpson’s ground strikes in the opening round.
In the absence of any other differentiatior, a takedown is certainly an appropriate data point to determine the winner of a particular round of completion. But was it enough to justify awarding Markes the same score that the judges awarded Simpson one round earlier?
The easy answer is the score was absolutely appropriate under the current scoring system. Markes won the round. A 10-10 score in the second would have been a complete travesty. Similarly, a 10-8 round for Simpson in the first would have been a crazy outcome. So, what other choice did the judges have, other than scoring the fight even through two?
I think those two rounds perfectly illustrate the need for a new scoring system, one that takes into account squeaking out a round versus nearly getting knocked out or submitted versus taking a savage five-minute beating.
The issue, of course, is that I don’t really know how to score the round, apart from the 10-point must system. Do we add half points? Is there a different answer? I don’t know. I only know that there has to be something better than the current status quo.
HAS MENJIVAR FOUND HIS GROOVE?
Ivan Menjivar was going nowhere fast when the calendar turned to 2011. The Salvadorian mixed martial artist entered the year having lost three of his last four fights, including his long-awaited debut in the bantamweight division. Honestly, it seemed like he was on a fast track to the mid-major shows. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
Then something happened. I don’t know what it was. But Menjivar found something. Three fights. Three wins, one by each flavor (submission, decision and knockout).
Menjivar is now 3-1 as a bantamweight. After a career spent fighting much larger guys, he finally seems to have found his true home competing against guys who are closer to his natural size. Another win could very well put him into title contention.
If we are being honest with ourselves, the bantamweight division remains a work in progress, in terms of pecking order. Sure, there’s reigning champion Dominick Cruz, and former champion and MMA poster boy Urijah Faber is the next in line. Renan Barao arguably stands third. After that, it is anyone’s guess.
Does Menjivar’s three-fight winning streak put him in that next level below Barao? Or, does he need a bigger body of work, after suffering a rough 2006 that lead a temporary retirement that lasted nearly four years?
You tell me. Spell it out in the comments below.
Jake Ellenberger added to his rapidly growing win streak by overwhelming a game Diego Sanchez on Wednesday night. It was an easy fight to score. Ellenberger controlled the action on the ground and on the feet through the first two rounds. A spirited rally by Sanchez wasn’t enough to offset the 10-minutes of effective work Ellenberger put in during the early parts of the fight. But the back-and-forth was enough to earn each man a $50,000 check for the “Fight of the Night” award. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
Ellenberger now has six consecutive wins on his resume, after suffering a loss in his UFC debut. Think about it for a moment. Other than Nick Diaz’s multi-year winning streak that recently got abruptly ended courtesy of Carlos Condit, who else in the division has put together a run over the last couple of years that is more deserving of a number one contender standing than Ellenberger? Jon Fitch? No. Josh Koscheck? No. Sanchez or maybe Thiago Alves? Certainly not. Jake Shields or Johny Hendricks? Try again.
For my money, Ellenberger now stands alone behind Condit in the 170-pound pecking order. It will be interesting to see if the interim champion chooses to take an optional defense, or if he will sit on the sidelines and wait for the true welterweight kingpin, Georges St-Pierre, to return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. That decision will likely impact whether Ellenberger gets the much coveted first shot at Condit or if he will need to win yet another fight in order to secure a shot at UFC gold.
My guess is that Condit will wait, rather than risk his pending bout with GSP. I wouldn’t advise him to go down that path, but all signs seem to be pointing in that direction right now, which means Ellenberger will likely fight in an official title eliminator next. Could that be a bout with the winner of the May 5 bout between Kos and Hendricks? Sounds like the perfect matchup to me.
BIGFOOT SIGHTING!
Man, Dave Herman is one furry guy. From the bushy beard that extended down to his Adam’s apple to the body-hair sweater he rocked inside the Octagon, I don’t think I can recall someone who has recently competed in the UFC who more closely resembled Bigfoot. Andrei Arlovski could also be confused for a Wookie when he doesn’t partake in the phenomenon that has become known in recent years as “manscaping.” But he doesn’t quite rise to Herman’s level in the Bigfoot look-alike contest. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
The crazy amounts of fur may have been exaggerated because Herman was competing against a guy who could easily be confused with Mr. Clean. Stefan Struve appeared hairless from head to toe. It was quite the contrast in human appearance.
Of course, none of that is relevant to the actual fight. Herman’s bushy beard did not save him from getting knocked out. And the sweater didn’t factor into the outcome, other than possibly contributing to a good warm up. Yet, a day later, Herman’s physical transformation remains the most memorable part of what was a pretty entertaining fight.
SIMPSON-MARKES HIGHLIGHTS THE WEAKNESS IN THE CURRENT SCORING SYSTEM
Mixed martial arts is a tough sport to judge. No question about it. But I’m struggling to understand a few of the scorecards.
Aaron Simpson nearly knocked out Ronny Markes in the first round of their contest. He also dished out a pretty good beating on the ground – to the tune of 19 unanswered ground strikes. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
The second round was a much closer round. Neither man really hurt the other. The only significant moment was a takedown by Markes, but he didn’t do much with the takedown, aside from landing a couple of decent ground strikes that were a far cry from the frequency or savagery of Simpson’s ground strikes in the opening round.
In the absence of any other differentiatior, a takedown is certainly an appropriate data point to determine the winner of a particular round of completion. But was it enough to justify awarding Markes the same score that the judges awarded Simpson one round earlier?
The easy answer is the score was absolutely appropriate under the current scoring system. Markes won the round. A 10-10 score in the second would have been a complete travesty. Similarly, a 10-8 round for Simpson in the first would have been a crazy outcome. So, what other choice did the judges have, other than scoring the fight even through two?
I think those two rounds perfectly illustrate the need for a new scoring system, one that takes into account squeaking out a round versus nearly getting knocked out or submitted versus taking a savage five-minute beating.
The issue, of course, is that I don’t really know how to score the round, apart from the 10-point must system. Do we add half points? Is there a different answer? I don’t know. I only know that there has to be something better than the current status quo.
HAS MENJIVAR FOUND HIS GROOVE?
Ivan Menjivar was going nowhere fast when the calendar turned to 2011. The Salvadorian mixed martial artist entered the year having lost three of his last four fights, including his long-awaited debut in the bantamweight division. Honestly, it seemed like he was on a fast track to the mid-major shows. WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
Then something happened. I don’t know what it was. But Menjivar found something. Three fights. Three wins, one by each flavor (submission, decision and knockout).
Menjivar is now 3-1 as a bantamweight. After a career spent fighting much larger guys, he finally seems to have found his true home competing against guys who are closer to his natural size. Another win could very well put him into title contention.
If we are being honest with ourselves, the bantamweight division remains a work in progress, in terms of pecking order. Sure, there’s reigning champion Dominick Cruz, and former champion and MMA poster boy Urijah Faber is the next in line. Renan Barao arguably stands third. After that, it is anyone’s guess.
Does Menjivar’s three-fight winning streak put him in that next level below Barao? Or, does he need a bigger body of work, after suffering a rough 2006 that lead a temporary retirement that lasted nearly four years?
You tell me. Spell it out in the comments below.
Categories: MMA
Miesha Tate on Having a Champion's Heart
You often discover whether you possess fight or flight instincts when the going gets tough. Is it our instinct to escape the situation and run to the nearest safe haven, or do we decide to stand and fight, despite obvious risk, pain and embarrassment? Sometimes we wait our whole life to find out the answer to this kind of question, yet, luckily for me, my moment of realization arrived in my very first mixed martial arts amateur bout in 2006.
I was 19 years of age at the time, had wrestled for four years, but had no clue what MMA was and had never before heard of the UFC. In fact, I had no desire to ever fight at this stage. I was just interested in learning a bit more about submission wrestling, having wrestled with the boys’ team since during high school.
As I became more and more interested in the sport of mixed martial arts, though, I started to contemplate the idea of actually competing and using my wrestling skills as a solid foundation in the sport. One day I decided to attend my first mixed martial arts fight and, though it was only an amateur event, it appealed to me and was something I wanted to see more of in the future. Then, as the event ended, the announcer grabbed the mic and revealed to the crowd that he would be hosting an all-female fight card in three weeks and that all fighters were welcome to try out and compete.
So, with only my wrestling background and just three weeks of striking training, I decided to give it a go and compete at that event. I went up against a dangerous Muay-thai kickboxer that night and, knowing how little striking experience I had, naturally realized I would be up against it. She and her husband owned their own Muay-thai gym and, of course, she was very well-drilled on her feet and had been doing it since she was a young girl.
I won the first round thanks entirely to my wrestling skills. I was able to go out there, take her down very quickly and then keep her there for the majority of the round. I used a little bit of ground-and-pound once I had secured the takedowns, but, for the most part, was just looking to control and outmaneuver her. When I went back to the corner, I was told by my trainer that I needed to punch more when we were on the ground and that I should look to score more damage when in advantageous positions.
The idea of doing physical damage to my opponent was something completely new to me at this stage, though, as I was still very much in pure wrestling mode.
I went out for the second round and remember throwing a flurry of one-twos, which backed my opponent up to the corner. It was then that she put me into a Thai clinch and started going to work. I had no idea what this thing was that she had me caught in and had no clue how to defend or escape it. So, while I tried desperately to take her down, she was happily kneeing me in the face over and over again. One of the knees then shattered my nose, breaking it immediately.
Nevertheless, I kept trying for that double-leg and eventually got it. By this time, though, I was very dazed and didn't really know what was going on. This allowed her to capitalize and get her hooks in when we did finally hit the ground. I was now curled up in a ball, wary of being hit and choked out. I basically had nowhere to escape. She then postured up and began raining down punches on my ears, just for good measure.
This was a very pivotal moment for me in my career, because after taking severe punishment like that for the first time in my life, I reached an unexpected moment of clarity. I watched the blood pour from my nose and accumulate in a red pool beneath my face, and yet wasn't at all intimidated or scared by what was about to come. It was a strangely serene moment, one that highlighted just why I was there and what I needed to do to get myself out of this situation.
I thought to myself, 'Well, this is the route you chose, Tate – now you've got to get your ass off the floor and deal with it'. I finally realized what I was there to do, and accepted the harsh truth - this wasn't a wrestling match... it was a fight!
Without a second thought, I tried everything in my power to get out of a potential submission and start kicking her ass again. I bucked her off like crazy, she slipped into the guard position and that allowed me to get up on my tip toes and wail away with punches as hard as I possibly could. Blood was going everywhere. It was all over my face and her gloves. I didn't care anymore.
Now fully amped and excited, I walked back to my corner at the end of the round with a spring in my step, eager for the next round to hurry up. I now understood what I was there to do and realized what being a fighter was all about. I wanted more of it. Unfortunately, it was at this very moment that my trainers looked at me with disgust, in a way that suggested my nose and face were beyond repair and that I had no chance whatsoever of going another round.
They made an executive decision and pulled me out of the fight, something which obviously bummed me out a little bit, but, in hindsight was the right decision. After all, I wasn't getting paid for the fight and all medical expenses were on my head.
Still, I quickly knew after that fight - after the blood had dried and my nose returned to its normal place – that MMA was the sport for me. I was pushed beyond my limits, physically and emotionally, and yet was still craving more at the end of it all.
I was all fight, not flight.
My March 3 challenger and opponent, Ronda Rousey, has never faced this type of make or break moment during her 4-0 mixed martial arts career. Yes, she was very accomplished as a judo player, winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, but she has yet to taste her own blood in a grueling MMA bout. She’s yet to prove she can battle back from any adversity at all. Questions have never been asked of her.
All four of her MMA wins so far have arrived inside the first minute, and she has yet to face anybody that has so much as tested her, let alone come close to disfiguring her face and beating her. She’s been carefully matched, she’s been pampered and she’s been protected. The truth is, going into this world title fight with me, Ronda is still to discover whether she is even a real fighter.
However, on March 3rd, the night we meet for my STRIKEFORCE world bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey will learn just how hard and horrible the sport of mixed martial arts can be. I will take great pleasure in dragging her into deep waters for the first time in her life and then drowning her there...
For more updates from Miesha Tate, follow here on Twitter @MieshaTate
I was 19 years of age at the time, had wrestled for four years, but had no clue what MMA was and had never before heard of the UFC. In fact, I had no desire to ever fight at this stage. I was just interested in learning a bit more about submission wrestling, having wrestled with the boys’ team since during high school.
As I became more and more interested in the sport of mixed martial arts, though, I started to contemplate the idea of actually competing and using my wrestling skills as a solid foundation in the sport. One day I decided to attend my first mixed martial arts fight and, though it was only an amateur event, it appealed to me and was something I wanted to see more of in the future. Then, as the event ended, the announcer grabbed the mic and revealed to the crowd that he would be hosting an all-female fight card in three weeks and that all fighters were welcome to try out and compete.
So, with only my wrestling background and just three weeks of striking training, I decided to give it a go and compete at that event. I went up against a dangerous Muay-thai kickboxer that night and, knowing how little striking experience I had, naturally realized I would be up against it. She and her husband owned their own Muay-thai gym and, of course, she was very well-drilled on her feet and had been doing it since she was a young girl.
I won the first round thanks entirely to my wrestling skills. I was able to go out there, take her down very quickly and then keep her there for the majority of the round. I used a little bit of ground-and-pound once I had secured the takedowns, but, for the most part, was just looking to control and outmaneuver her. When I went back to the corner, I was told by my trainer that I needed to punch more when we were on the ground and that I should look to score more damage when in advantageous positions.
The idea of doing physical damage to my opponent was something completely new to me at this stage, though, as I was still very much in pure wrestling mode.
I went out for the second round and remember throwing a flurry of one-twos, which backed my opponent up to the corner. It was then that she put me into a Thai clinch and started going to work. I had no idea what this thing was that she had me caught in and had no clue how to defend or escape it. So, while I tried desperately to take her down, she was happily kneeing me in the face over and over again. One of the knees then shattered my nose, breaking it immediately.
Nevertheless, I kept trying for that double-leg and eventually got it. By this time, though, I was very dazed and didn't really know what was going on. This allowed her to capitalize and get her hooks in when we did finally hit the ground. I was now curled up in a ball, wary of being hit and choked out. I basically had nowhere to escape. She then postured up and began raining down punches on my ears, just for good measure.
This was a very pivotal moment for me in my career, because after taking severe punishment like that for the first time in my life, I reached an unexpected moment of clarity. I watched the blood pour from my nose and accumulate in a red pool beneath my face, and yet wasn't at all intimidated or scared by what was about to come. It was a strangely serene moment, one that highlighted just why I was there and what I needed to do to get myself out of this situation.
I thought to myself, 'Well, this is the route you chose, Tate – now you've got to get your ass off the floor and deal with it'. I finally realized what I was there to do, and accepted the harsh truth - this wasn't a wrestling match... it was a fight!
Without a second thought, I tried everything in my power to get out of a potential submission and start kicking her ass again. I bucked her off like crazy, she slipped into the guard position and that allowed me to get up on my tip toes and wail away with punches as hard as I possibly could. Blood was going everywhere. It was all over my face and her gloves. I didn't care anymore.
Now fully amped and excited, I walked back to my corner at the end of the round with a spring in my step, eager for the next round to hurry up. I now understood what I was there to do and realized what being a fighter was all about. I wanted more of it. Unfortunately, it was at this very moment that my trainers looked at me with disgust, in a way that suggested my nose and face were beyond repair and that I had no chance whatsoever of going another round.
They made an executive decision and pulled me out of the fight, something which obviously bummed me out a little bit, but, in hindsight was the right decision. After all, I wasn't getting paid for the fight and all medical expenses were on my head.
Still, I quickly knew after that fight - after the blood had dried and my nose returned to its normal place – that MMA was the sport for me. I was pushed beyond my limits, physically and emotionally, and yet was still craving more at the end of it all.
I was all fight, not flight.
My March 3 challenger and opponent, Ronda Rousey, has never faced this type of make or break moment during her 4-0 mixed martial arts career. Yes, she was very accomplished as a judo player, winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, but she has yet to taste her own blood in a grueling MMA bout. She’s yet to prove she can battle back from any adversity at all. Questions have never been asked of her.
All four of her MMA wins so far have arrived inside the first minute, and she has yet to face anybody that has so much as tested her, let alone come close to disfiguring her face and beating her. She’s been carefully matched, she’s been pampered and she’s been protected. The truth is, going into this world title fight with me, Ronda is still to discover whether she is even a real fighter.
However, on March 3rd, the night we meet for my STRIKEFORCE world bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey will learn just how hard and horrible the sport of mixed martial arts can be. I will take great pleasure in dragging her into deep waters for the first time in her life and then drowning her there...
For more updates from Miesha Tate, follow here on Twitter @MieshaTate
Categories: MMA
Jersey Card to Showcase TUF 14 Stars
Two more bouts have been added to the UFC on FOX fight card, guaranteeing action in the lighter weight divisions.
Nick Denis put the rest of the bantamweight division on notice with a devastating 22-second KO of The Night debut in his first UFC outing, while TUF 14's Johnny Bedford won a landslide victory in his last fight at the series finale. Now, these two have verbally agreed to clash at the UFC on FOX event May 5.
In the featherweight division, TUF 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez has agreed to take on Pablo Garza, known for his dynamic fighting style that's seen Octagon finishes via flying knee and flying guillotine.
Belcher-Palhares / Kos-Hendricks Added to May 5 FOX Event updated February 13
May 5th's star-studded UFC on FOX </a>card got another dose of high-stakes action, as middleweight contenders Alan "The Talent" Belcher and Rousimar Palhares have agreed to meet in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Combined, the two have won six in a row, making this bout a pivotal one when it comes to the 185-pound title picture.
Verbal agreements are also in for a battle between two top-ten welterweights as Johny Hendricks, coming off a 12-second KO win over longtime top-ranked Jon Fitch, will take on Josh Koscheck, who is coming off of victories over Matt Hughes and Mike Pierce.
Cholish, Castillo to Clash in May updated February 6
Verbal agreements are in for a lightweight matchup between New Jersey’s own John Cholish and Danny "Last Call" Castillo May 5. Both men are coming off of December wins - Cholish scored a TKO of Mitch Clarke at UFC 140; Castillo took a late-replacement gig and earned the split decision over Anthony Njokuani at UFC 141.
Hitman vs. Panzer in North Jersey This May updated February 6
Verbal agreements are in for a match featuring two of Europe’s top welterweights as Germany’s undefeated 10-0 Pascal "Panzer" Krauss will take on England’s 15-1 John "The Hitman" Hathaway May 5 in New Jersey.
Gaudinot Gets Cinco de Mayo Showdown at Flyweight updated February 3
The UFC flyweight division continues to take shape as Louis Gaudinot returns to his true weight class after his stint on last season's Ultimate Fighter. He'll next face John Lineker, who will enter the UFC riding a 13-fight win streak. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup at UFC on FOX </a>in May.
Heavyweights Barry vs. Johnson to Collide on FOX updated February 1
Get ready for heavyweight fireworks as verbal agreements are in for a showdown between knockout artists Lavar "Big" Johnson and Pat "HD" Barry on the main card of FOX's third event this May 5 in New Jersey.
Plus, Karlos Vemola has verbally agreed to drop down to middleweight to face New Jersey’s own Mike "The Master of Disaster" Massenzio.
UFC officials also confirmed that the lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller that night will be the main event and will be scheduled for five rounds.
Superman vs. the Boogeyman in New Jersey in May updated January 30
A second lightweight scrap has been added to the UFC on FOX fight card recently announced for May 5 in East Rutherford, NJ. Lightweights Dennis "Superman" Hallman and TUF 13 winner Tony "El Cucuy" (which translates to "The Boogeyman") Ferguson have verbally agreed to the matchup.
Ferguson is coming off a December 3rd decision win after a thrilling three-round fight with fellow stand-up ace Yves Edwards; Hallman scored a first-round blitz submission over John Makdessi a week later at UFC 140.
Third FOX Event to Feature Lightweight War updated January 24
East Rutherford, New Jersey could well be home to Fight of the Year this May 5 on FOX, as two of the best lightweights in the world collide to move closer to a title shot. New Jersey’s own Jim Miller, coming off of a Submission of the Night win over Melvin Guillard, will take on Nate Diaz, who is coming off a Fight of the Night-winning victory over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.
UFC president Dana White tweeted the news today, noting that both men are known bonus collectors. Miller has won a Fight of the Night award and three Submission of the Night awards; Diaz has won three Submission of the Night awards and five Fight of the Night awards.
Also at that event, verbal agreements are in for a meetup at 125 pounds between last season's Ultimate Fighter bantamweight winner, John Dodson, and Darren Uyenoyama. Both men are moving down from 135 pounds to do battle in the UFC's newest division, flyweight.
Nick Denis put the rest of the bantamweight division on notice with a devastating 22-second KO of The Night debut in his first UFC outing, while TUF 14's Johnny Bedford won a landslide victory in his last fight at the series finale. Now, these two have verbally agreed to clash at the UFC on FOX event May 5.
In the featherweight division, TUF 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez has agreed to take on Pablo Garza, known for his dynamic fighting style that's seen Octagon finishes via flying knee and flying guillotine.
Belcher-Palhares / Kos-Hendricks Added to May 5 FOX Event updated February 13
May 5th's star-studded UFC on FOX </a>card got another dose of high-stakes action, as middleweight contenders Alan "The Talent" Belcher and Rousimar Palhares have agreed to meet in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Combined, the two have won six in a row, making this bout a pivotal one when it comes to the 185-pound title picture.
Verbal agreements are also in for a battle between two top-ten welterweights as Johny Hendricks, coming off a 12-second KO win over longtime top-ranked Jon Fitch, will take on Josh Koscheck, who is coming off of victories over Matt Hughes and Mike Pierce.
Cholish, Castillo to Clash in May updated February 6
Verbal agreements are in for a lightweight matchup between New Jersey’s own John Cholish and Danny "Last Call" Castillo May 5. Both men are coming off of December wins - Cholish scored a TKO of Mitch Clarke at UFC 140; Castillo took a late-replacement gig and earned the split decision over Anthony Njokuani at UFC 141.
Hitman vs. Panzer in North Jersey This May updated February 6
Verbal agreements are in for a match featuring two of Europe’s top welterweights as Germany’s undefeated 10-0 Pascal "Panzer" Krauss will take on England’s 15-1 John "The Hitman" Hathaway May 5 in New Jersey.
Gaudinot Gets Cinco de Mayo Showdown at Flyweight updated February 3
The UFC flyweight division continues to take shape as Louis Gaudinot returns to his true weight class after his stint on last season's Ultimate Fighter. He'll next face John Lineker, who will enter the UFC riding a 13-fight win streak. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup at UFC on FOX </a>in May.
Heavyweights Barry vs. Johnson to Collide on FOX updated February 1
Get ready for heavyweight fireworks as verbal agreements are in for a showdown between knockout artists Lavar "Big" Johnson and Pat "HD" Barry on the main card of FOX's third event this May 5 in New Jersey.
Plus, Karlos Vemola has verbally agreed to drop down to middleweight to face New Jersey’s own Mike "The Master of Disaster" Massenzio.
UFC officials also confirmed that the lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller that night will be the main event and will be scheduled for five rounds.
Superman vs. the Boogeyman in New Jersey in May updated January 30
A second lightweight scrap has been added to the UFC on FOX fight card recently announced for May 5 in East Rutherford, NJ. Lightweights Dennis "Superman" Hallman and TUF 13 winner Tony "El Cucuy" (which translates to "The Boogeyman") Ferguson have verbally agreed to the matchup.
Ferguson is coming off a December 3rd decision win after a thrilling three-round fight with fellow stand-up ace Yves Edwards; Hallman scored a first-round blitz submission over John Makdessi a week later at UFC 140.
Third FOX Event to Feature Lightweight War updated January 24
East Rutherford, New Jersey could well be home to Fight of the Year this May 5 on FOX, as two of the best lightweights in the world collide to move closer to a title shot. New Jersey’s own Jim Miller, coming off of a Submission of the Night win over Melvin Guillard, will take on Nate Diaz, who is coming off a Fight of the Night-winning victory over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.
UFC president Dana White tweeted the news today, noting that both men are known bonus collectors. Miller has won a Fight of the Night award and three Submission of the Night awards; Diaz has won three Submission of the Night awards and five Fight of the Night awards.
Also at that event, verbal agreements are in for a meetup at 125 pounds between last season's Ultimate Fighter bantamweight winner, John Dodson, and Darren Uyenoyama. Both men are moving down from 135 pounds to do battle in the UFC's newest division, flyweight.
Categories: MMA
Rampage's UFC 144 Blog
Nothin’ is promised to no one. I should beat Ryan Bader at UFC 144 in Japan next Saturday – and I plan on knocking his ass out in front of my Japanese fans – but I’ve put in the work in the gym to make sure I do that.
I worked so hard for the Jon Jones fight in September. I trained my ass off. As I said before the fight, I was in the best shape of my life, but in the Octagon I didn’t perform like I should have done. It is frustrating for me, and I felt bad for all my team who got me ready for that Jon Jones fight.
Read Rampage's entire UFC® 144 blog on Yahoo! Sports...
I worked so hard for the Jon Jones fight in September. I trained my ass off. As I said before the fight, I was in the best shape of my life, but in the Octagon I didn’t perform like I should have done. It is frustrating for me, and I felt bad for all my team who got me ready for that Jon Jones fight.
Read Rampage's entire UFC® 144 blog on Yahoo! Sports...
Categories: MMA
