With UFC 86 in the rearview mirror it’s time to look ahead to some of the summer’s other big fights. One of those will be a battle between UFC heavyweights Heath Herring and mixed martial arts newcomer and former professional wrestler Brock Lesnar Aug. 9 at UFC 87 in Minneapolis, Minn. Lesnar, who lives in Minneapolis-St. Paul, will be entering the Octagon for the second time in his career, following a first-round submission loss to former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81. Lesnar's UFC 87 matchup with Herring was arranged after his original opponent, Mark Coleman, pulled out of the fight with a knee injury. Lesnar recently took the time to talk to me by phone about his career and his preparation for UFC 87.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Why did you decide to get into mixed martial arts? 

Brock Lesnar: Oh man, um ... originally it was the decision to be a part of the NFL because contractually I couldn’t fight in MMA, so I just knew I was done being a pro wrestler for the time being, at least for the company I was working for. (Editor's note: Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings for a little over a month during the 2004 preseason, before being released by the team).

MMA Stomping Grounds: How was the transition to MMA?

Lesnar: I’ve enjoyed it. I’m able to train at home and be at home every night. It brings me back to the competitive side of who I am. It’s something I wish I would’ve done a long time ago, but hindsight is 20/20.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What was your biggest concern with joining the UFC?

Lesnar: I didn’t really have any concerns. My biggest concern was, financially, making sure that I wanted to do it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What was it like making your debut in the UFC on the main stage against a fighter like Mir?

Lesnar: Well, it was an honor. I’m glad the company thinks highly enough of me to put me in a co-main event and it was an exciting first fight for me. It was only 90 seconds long [and] an outcome that I would like to reverse, but I enjoyed it. It takes awhile for people to find exactly who they are, and I think this is definitely me, for sure. We’re all put on this earth for some odd reason and some job title and I think this is what I should be doing.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you like the most about mixed martial arts?

Lesnar: This is who I am and it’s a chance for me to live out, competitively, who I am and I enjoy the sport. It’s a growing sport and it's become very big -- and it’s going to get bigger -- and I’m just glad to be a part of it. Life is all about timing, too. I’m glad the timing has worked out for me to be a part of this.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What part of the UFC’s growth excites you the most?

Lesnar: We just signed a merchandising deal with a company to make action figures of myself and other fighters, and [the UFC] is growing in different areas. It’s becoming a legitimate contender to pro wrestling, hockey, basketball, football ... it’s becoming one of those sports. Before long I imagine there will be trading cards and all kinds of merchandise that give fighters another avenue to make money, instead of just fighting.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How would you respond to fans of the sport and fighters lower on the totem pole who believe you got a big push because of your popularity in wrestling?

Lesnar: Tough [expletive deleted], buddy. Get in line. That’s just the way it is. This is a business and it’s a sport, it’s entertainment and it’s all three of those words wrapped into one. [UFC president] Dana White and [co-owners] the Fertitta brothers didn’t buy this company to say, ‘Hey let’s see if we can run this thing into the ground and not make a dime.’ They bought it to make millions and make it what it is, and that’s what they are doing. I’m just trying to have fun and get a little piece of the pie. I really enjoy it. I’m proud and honored to be a part of it. And it’s not like I didn’t pay any dues either. I wrestled amateur when I was 5 years old and put more miles in airplanes and working out. I’m 31 this year and I’ve paid dues. If [other fighters] want to be mad I think they should focus on how they can become a big contributor. They are mad because they aren’t making any money.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What was your reaction when Coleman had to pull out of UFC 87?

Lesnar:  After looking at Mark, I respect Mark a lot but it worked out for the better. Mark, I believe, is over the hill and had been out of the league and regardless of the injured knee, I don’t think it would’ve made a difference.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What did you think when they proposed Herring instead?

Lesnar: Heath is a younger guy, he definitely has a lot of experience and he’s a tough SOB. He’s a brawler and brings to the plate a whole variety of things that we’re looking at as a fighter. He’s well rounded with hands, feet and it’s a challenge for me, and I accepted the challenge when Mark pulled out. I’m looking at this fight where I’ve got a lot to gain and he has a lot to lose.
My back is against the wall in this fight too, because I said from the beginning I wanted to fight credible opponents and that’s what Dana is handing me in Frank Mir and Heath Herring.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you think about another newcomer to mixed martial arts, Kimbo Slice?

Lesnar: I don’t have a comment on that. It’s not worth commenting on it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s been the toughest part of your transition to mixed martial arts?

Lesnar: Well there’s one thing I’ve got that you can’t take away and that’s a huge wrestling background. Another thing too is I’ve been able to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open, and my trainers will tell you that. I’m trying to learn and absorb as much of the fight game as I can to be a well-rounded fighter and prepared for anything. I’m just another one of the guys who has his sights on becoming the UFC heavyweight champion.

MMA Stomping Grounds: After seeing the success Cheick Kongo had in taking Herring to the ground, do you think your wrestling will give you an advantage? 

Lesnar: I would imagine it would, I hope so. For me, I’ve got to be well prepared on my feet too. I might run into somebody I won’t be able to take down so I’ll have to stand and bang as well. Wrestling has taken kind of to the backburner as I try to brush up with my jiu-jitsu, hands and feet to become well rounded so I will see no surprises when I get into the Octagon.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about you?

Lesnar: I don’t know. I don’t really care.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s one thing about you that most people might not know that you think they should?

Lesnar: That I love my family very much.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Are you looking forward to fighting in Minnesota?

Lesnar:  Oh, absolutely. Any time I don’t have to get on an airplane and to be in front of my hometown [fans] is great. The state of Minnesota has been great to me and now people that want to come and see this and witness a UFC event don’t have to get on a plane and spend a lot of money. It’s right in the backyard and it’s a good thing for the city and for the state.

***

Check out Ring Posts, The Sun's pro wrestling blog.

Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Forrest Griffin prevailed over Quinton Jackson at UFC 86 Saturday in what was easily the best main event of 2008. Some of the reaction from the fight has been downright idiotic, so let’s clear some things up. First, the “fix” was not in. I’ve heard this theory posited on several message boards and in a few e-mails from fans and it’s downright absurd. While Griffin is a homegrown champ, the UFC would’ve been fine with Rampage winning. It would’ve proven he’s a dominant champion at the top of his game. Additionally, the UFC has far too much to lose by fixing a fight than it would stand to gain by having Griffin win the belt. Third, the judges aren’t even employed by the UFC so it’s not like president Dana White is lording over these people. If you try to argue that this fight was fixed, you’re an idiot.

Griffin won the fight, though it should’ve been a little closer than it was on a few scorecards. Next, there should not be an immediate rematch. I’ve heard a few writers suggest this because Jackson did not lose convincingly and has had an impressive stretch lately. I certainly understand their point because it was a terrific fight and a sequel would be pretty awesome. It can’t happen, though. There’s just too much depth at light heavyweight in the UFC to have an immediate rematch. On one hand, I feel like Jackson deserves it. But one of the main reasons he deserves it is the controversy surrounding the scoring and an immediate rematch would be the UFC validating concerns over scoring, and I think that would send the wrong message.

On the other, there are a lot of great fights that can happen to set up a rematch. I’d love to see Rampage take on Wanderlei Silva first and for Griffin to defend his title against the winner of the Chuck Liddell-Rashad Evans fight in September. Of course, Lyoto Machida needs to figure into this somewhere, although I don’t think he deserves a title shot just yet (although I wouldn’t complain if he got one, either).

All in all, it was a great fight that saved a very average and disappointing card. It’s tough to figure the UFC out sometimes. You will get a stacked card worth plunking down nearly 50 bucks for and then one like this, with a whole lot of nothing until a terrific main event. The UFC has had more hits than misses lately and I think the next two events are huge hits, but this one was a one-fight show.  

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
                    

MMAWeekly.com has an interesting news item on Anderson Silva. During the UFC 86 news conference, president Dana White claimed that the winner of the Patrick Cote-Ricardo Almeida fight would be in line to take on middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the near future. MMAWeekly.com followed up with White, who said the fight could actually happen this year. So, if you’re scoring at home, Silva moves up to 205 to fight James Irvin on July 19. Then, Silva plans to defend his middleweight championship in early September (potentially) against Yushin Okami. After Irvin and Okami, provided he’s healthy, Silva wants to defend his belt again two months later, which would mean the Cote-Almeida winner would get a title shot in November. After that fight, Silva wants to move back to 205 to continue his quest to hold both championships. Dana White seems to be in favor of Silva’s plan.

“When I talk about real fighter, this is the kind of guy I'm talking about," White told MMAWeekly.com. "This guy sat down in a meeting with us, literally, two months ago and said you're not fighting me enough, I want to fight more. And he wants to keep proving himself. He's one of these guys that said my window is this big and I want to get everything in before this window closes.”

I love watching Silva fight and he is the top fighter in the world right now. But, this is a pretty ambitious plan. Neither of the middleweight fights should concern him too much but his debut at 205 will be interesting. I don’t know if he could make a realistic run at holding both titles like he plans. This would be different if he wanted to cut down to welterweight because light heavyweight is the deepest division in the UFC right now. At welterweight he’d have Georges St. Pierre, possibly B.J. Penn and a few other challenges but it would be easier than blazing through the light heavyweight ranks while also defending the middleweight championship.

***

Click here for photos of UFC 86 fighters.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

UFC 89 will be held in England and features a main event of Michael Bisping versus Chris Leben.

I’ve never been the biggest Bisping fan, so I can’t say I’m thrilled about that. I am happy because of another match on that card.

According to MMA weekly, Diego Sanchez will face Thiago Alves. Sanchez is coming off an impressive enough win in The Ultimate Fighter Finale and Alves is coming off his TKO of Matt Hughes.

Fiveouncesofpain.com also has the report that UFC 89 could be free on Spike! TV. Alves vs. Sanchez might as well be the main event of that show because that should be one heck of a fight.

******

Click here for photos of fighters scheduled to take part in UFC 86.

 

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

MMA Mania has posted the odds released by the Mandalay Bay on UFC 86 and Jackson is a -260 favorite. I think that’s about right, but I expected it to actually be a little higher. I’ve had a lot of success with my MMA predictions lately, but I think I may have taken too big of a risk in this Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin fight. I think Rampage is near the absolute top of his game right now. That being said, we’ve had bigger upsets in the past year and Griffin is a very good fighter as well. While internally I’m waffling a little on my prediction of Griffin submitting Rampage in the third round, externally, I’m still on board with it.

And, not for nothing, here’s a lengthy breakdown of one of the top main events we’ve had this year. Of course, it ends with this quote “This fight is impossible to predict.” Still, there is some good analysis from the UFC’s website.

And, finally, some great UFC 86 stories.

Carlos Arias has a great piece on Juanito Ibarra, Rampage’s trainer, for the Orange County Register.

Neil Davidson, of the Canadian Press, has an interesting read on Forrest Griffin.

*****

Click here for photos of fighters scheduled to take part in UFC 86.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

This will be a busy week with UFC 86 on the horizon. We’ve got some interesting things in the works here for next week as we move beyond Saturday's big pay-per-view event but first, a few things on this week.

And, because it’s that time of the week, here's my pick for the UFC 86 Main Event. I’m taking Forrest Griffin over current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. I may be the only person without Griffin as a last name to pick Forrest but someone has to go with the underdog.

I think it’s obvious that Rampage is coming into this fight as a heavy favorite, which is exactly what has me concerned about this fight. It seems so simple on paper. You pick the more experienced and talented fighter. On paper, at first glance, it seems like an easier pick than the Harlem Globetrotters over the Washington Generals (a bet that always makes me cash). That being said, I think Griffin upsets Jackson in this fight.

To do that, I’m fairly certain he’ll have to submit Jackson. Rampage proved his cardio isn’t a concern in his last fight. Then again, it’s been a long time since he’s been submitted as well. Rampage is the better striker and has the edge in wrestling as well. Yet, everyone in the world is picking Jackson, so on a hunch, I’m going out on a limb and going with Griffin with a fourth-round submission.

And really, it’s the smartest pick you can make. You pick Griffin and he wins, you are a genius. You take him and he loses, then no one cares because everyone picked Jackson.

More MMA links

Here are UFC 86 predictions from CBSSports.com writers.

MMAjunkie.com reports that Rich Franklin is looking to fight at UFC 88 in Atlanta, according to a source close to the event, who said the search for his opponent "is in full swing." MMARated.com then reported yesterday that Franklin's opponent will be light heavyweight Matt Hamill.

According to both links above, he’ll be fighting at 205, or is at least considering it. That move doesn’t make much sense. The current middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, is moving up to light heavyweight for several fights, so it looks like Franklin can’t escape him. I like the idea of Franklin at 205 if Silva stays at 185 because there are some intriguing fights for him at 205. I’d love to see him fight Henderson at 185 though, but other than that there isn’t much else for Franklin at 185. He’s good enough to beat everyone in the division except for the champ, who he’s lost to twice. He’s got to do something to change up his career and this could be interesting for him. He may have some more juice left but I can’t see him winning the light heavyweight championship.

Georges St. Pierre has been nominated for an ESPY. UFC.com has the news on its home page and asks reader to vote for St. Pierre.

And here's an outstanding Q&A with Jorge Gurgel, who is fighting at UFC 86 this weekend.

Check back later. I'll have more on UFC 86 later today and a Q&A with one of the fighters from the card. 

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Kelly Crigger is the author of the new MMA book, Title Shot: Into the Shark Tank of Mixed Martial Arts. He’s doing the first guest post for this blog and has a great “behind the scenes story” from the writing of his book. Crigger is a freelance writer for several MMA magazines, including Real Fighter. Crigger is an officer in the U.S. Army and was deployed in Afghanistan with the 3rd Special Forces out of Fort Bragg. He has orchestrated seminars for the troops with some of the top mixed martial arts fighters.

It’s a great story for your weekend so enjoy and get ready for an extremely hectic July in the MMA world.

The Petition
By Kelly Crigger

I needed insurance. I needed a way to get an interview with a man known to shun the media. After all [UFC president] Dana White is a pretty popular guy, so for an unknown writer to get a couple hours of his time was a long shot at best. My solution -- start a petition. There’s nothing like the voice of the people to institute change, unless you’re nineteenth century France and then it just leads to technological advances in human execution, a la the guillotine.

It was January 2007 and I was about to embark on a journey through the world of MMA, armed only with a sketchy vision of what I wanted to accomplish. I knew I wanted to find out the true reason that men fought for sport and to explore the relationship between the fighter, the fan, and the media, but that was about it at the time. I knew the adventure would end at UFC 79 in Las Vegas in December and by that time I would have spent months in MMA training camps living with fighters. It seemed only fair to balance that knowledge with an introspective from the uppermost level of MMA. I put “Dana-Please give Kelly and interview” across a piece of paper in big letters and hoped I could get a bunch of his fighters and trainers to sign it. At least then I’d have a chance, although it was as likely as Brittany Spears landing on the cover of “Responsible Parenting” magazine.

Ivan Salaverry was the first to sign. I spent an afternoon with him in his Seattle gym discussing unions and whether or not one was feasible in MMA. The chasm between the money made by promoters versus the amount they paid their fighters was at its widest point, prompting frustration in one of the classiest guys in the sport. “They’re not the ones getting punched and kicked,” he said. “If you get this interview take it to him. Don’t let him off the hook, bro.”

Matt Lindland was second. I hung out at Team Quest for ten days in February listening to Chris Wilson and Matt Horwich justify how they balanced MMA and religion, hearing Chris Leben complain about everything, watching Ed Herman be Ed Herman, discussing the medical burdens Josh Haynes gladly bore for his son, and watching the funniest moments in MMA -- fighters filming a commercial. Matt gladly signed the petition, but added a warning. “I’m not sure if it will do you any good to have my name on there. Dana doesn’t like me much.” Noted.

I couldn’t get anyone at Cesar Gracie’s Jiu Jitsu in California to sign it because I could never catch up with them. Nick and Nate Diaz drove hundreds of miles a day to train in between three cities. They boxed in Sacramento, grappled in Concord, and lived in Stockton. They even drove to San Francisco one night for a viewing party when Nathan was on The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 while I waited patiently for them back in Concord. It was a frustrating ballet of miscommunication and highway convenience stores.

Greg Jackson’s guys were more than willing to hook a brother up, though Keith Jardine was wary. “Is this going to get me in trouble?” he asked before he put pen to paper. During the week I grappled with Nate Marquardt, lounged in the inner sanctum with Rashad Evans, had snot blown onto my leg by Diego Sanchez, shared Army stories with Mike Van Arsdale, and ran the dunes with Damacio Page, Leonard Garcia, and Julie Kedzie. Jackson’s crew was tight, even if their gym was located on the seedy side of Albuquerque where car theft was an accepted risk to train MMA. I left New Mexico with some UFC name recognition on my petition and a little hope that it might just accomplish what I wanted it to.

They called their instructor “Kru Mark” and wai’d to each other in the gym. Sityodtong was a small slice of Thailand in so many ways. If I hadn’t emerged from the basement it called home to Cutter Street every day, I would have gotten lost in Thai culture down there. DellaGrotte didn’t hesitate to sign the petition, as did Kenny Florian. The page was starting to fill up and I formulated a multitude of questions that I wanted to ask the most powerful man in MMA. I could see the interview now ... ”Answer me dammit!” I would yell like a courtroom barrister at the man many felt was the Great Satan of MMA. I left Boston with one name on the petition that no one would recognize -- Johnny McDonough. Big Johnny was an instructor at Sityodtong and he signed it as a joke to see if Dana would ask, “Who the [expletive deleted] is that?” I laughed when he did it, but days later I was sick to my stomach at the notion that it might not be found funny by the Patron Saint of Public Relations.

English was a second language at American Top Team. Brazilians dominated the gym because they all followed the head instructor, Ricardo Liborio when he left Brazilian Top Team to be like Eddie Murphy and “Come to America.” Thiago Alves, Marcus Aurelio, and Liborio all signed the ragged document that was looking a little fuller. They probably felt guilty after a week of handing my own ass to me on their grappling mats. I left South Florida hating gi-style grappling, awestruck by their incredibly huge gym, reverent at their devotion to each other, and thankful I never had to endure the torture of cutting weight.

I had all the signatures I could get. There were other fighters I’d spent time with, like Jake Shields, Bart Palaszewski, and Tim Kennedy, but since they weren’t UFC fighters I thought their signatures probably wouldn’t help. After all why would the president of the UFC respond to a petition filled with names from his competitors? I had sat ringside at Sportfight, the IFL Finals, and the All-Army Combatives Tournament to learn more about what the athletes went through on fight day and now it was time to head to the mecca of MMA, Las Vegas and UFC 79. Did I have enough signatures? Would the petition be looked upon favorably by the almighty UFC?

Just like the Dana White-Tito Ortiz boxing match that fizzled out, it didn’t matter. After several politely worded and professional emails, I got the interview I wanted without having to resort to the document. Before heading to Sin City I had approached Victory Belt Publishing to back the book. They agreed and with them in my corner, along with a decent resume of MMA writing from Real Fighter magazine, I was in. Those credentials and some nice words got me two hours of shadowing Dana White on fight day, followed by forty-five minutes of one-on-one time in locker room No. 5 just an hour before the preliminary fights. I’d spent almost a year observing MMA from the bottom and middle of the pecking order and finally got my view from the top.

He wasn’t at all what I’d expected. I was sure I’d see him bark at his subordinates, disrespect underlings, and offend peons while a bald mini-me scurried about kicking people in the shins. At 3 p.m. on fight day, I hovered just over his shoulder while he watched and approved every video and highlight reel that was about to be broadcast, both inside the arena and on pay-per-view. I saw him schmooze with Mandy Moore and Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon, next to an empty Octagon. He even grabbed my camera and took my picture with her. I watched him eat a lunch his wife had made and then get a “good luck” pat on the back from his dad. He walked among the fans, avoiding none of them, and confided in me a story from his childhood about being blown off by a local celebrity in Vegas. More than anything I was convinced of how completely dedicated he was to the UFC. It was clearly his passion and the only thing he cared about outside his wife and kids. If he was anything like the bastard I’d heard, there would have been at least a momentary crack in his demeanor during our time together, but there wasn’t.

When a security guard accidentally barged into the locker room he took a few moments to shake his hand and compliment him on his attire. When the public relations director said I only had five minutes left, Dana shook her off like a pitcher getting a bad sign. “No. We’re cool,” he said. “I got time.” Maybe I was asking the right questions because he seemed eager to keep the conversation going. Maybe he just didn’t have anywhere else to be. Maybe he wasn’t the big jerk everyone makes him out to be. Either way he was more than accommodating and I was glad I didn’t have to pull out the petition to goad him into giving me time. He was as sincere as his dislike for Tito Ortiz, which I can assure you is no rumor.

Disagree with Dana White’s business decisions all you want and call me a reed bending in the wind, but none of the terrible things I’d heard about him proved to be true during the nearly three hours I spent with him. I asked him point blank questions about fighter salaries, the death of boxing, the ramifications of his decisions on people’s lives, the disappointment of Pride fighters, the future of the UFC, and the importance of the fans to the sport. Some of his answers I didn’t agree with, but at least I saw the logic of why he does what he does.

I still have the petition. I plan to auction it and give the money to the Ryan Bennet Memorial Fund. The Bennet’s still have massive medical bills to pay.

Read Mark Chalifoux's recent Q&A with Dana White.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

We will have our first guest post this weekend from an MMA author but for now, here's a few things for your Friday.

EliteXC has finalized the date (July 26) and the fights for their next CBS show. We will get a rematch of Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith, which should be entertaining. We will also have heavyweight Antonio Silva in action along with middleweight Jake Shields. It is actually shaping up to be an entertaining card. I’d be surprised if the ratings were half what they were for the first show since there will be no Kimbo Slice this time around but I think this will be a better event.

Let’s just hope EliteXC has learned from the last show and they keep things moving. We don’t need 27 minutes of nothing leading into a three-minute fight and we don’t need an event that runs 45 minutes over its allotted time.

More news and notes:

Matt Hughes has a torn MCL and ACL. Hopefully that won’t keep him out too long or affect his future fight with Matt Serra.

Evan Tanner considers retirement ... probably a good idea.

Here's a nice SI.com piece on UFC 86 main event ...  and everything you need to know about the UFC video game. Business Week also weighs in on the UFC video game.  

Fightline.com is reporting that, according to EliteXC vice president Jared Shaw, Slice will fight Brett Rogers in a heavyweight bout in October ...*yawn*. Clearly, all you need to do in order to get a match is to whine during a post-fight presser.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

A quick news item earlier this week talked about the future possibility of Affliction putting together a Randy Couture-Fedor Emelianenko fight, claiming it’s the biggest fight in the sport right now and that it’s the one everyone wants to see. I will agree to the latter part but that’s simply because neither one has done anything overly impressive in quite some time. In fact, Randy Couture might be one of the most overrated fighters in the sport right now.

I know there are a lot of Couture supporters who will bash me for saying this but I’m not buying into all of his hype.  I don’t want to take anything away from his comeback and his tremendous upset win over Tim Sylvia to regain the title but does that really make him one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world?

It was a great upset because Couture is a Hall of Famer, people hate Sylvia and Couture is also pretty old at 45 (in terms of his fighting prime). It’s not like Sylvia is one of the top fighters in the game. He’s fairly straightforward as a fighter and Couture matched up well with him. That single win is what threw Couture back into the limelight and has spurred the Fedor-Couture talk for more than a year now.

At least most of the intelligent rankings out there have dropped Couture from the top 10 but many fans still consider him among the top 5-7 pound-for-pound fighters in the world. The Fedor-Couture fight would’ve been big when the hype was at its peak but I don’t think it would’ve been much of a fight, and it can’t be the fight most people want to see right now.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a half-dozen fights that would be more interesting to see. I’d like to see Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre (maybe at a catch weight or 185), St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn, Anderson Silva vs. Chuck Liddell (a fight I think will happen by the end of 2009), Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Fedor vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria, and the Wanderlei Silva v. Liddell rematch.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
                    

Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 finale ranked as a solid “meh” in my book. A slightly surprising win by Amir Sadollah over C.B. Dalloway. A more surprising uninspired tank-job by Evan Tanner. And, the only great fight at the event didn’t even make it on TV. Good thing it’s online for free.

Dustin Hazelett is an underrated fighter and this fight won the $20,000 Fight of the Night bonus. Hazelett also picked up the Submission of the Night bonus with his armbar of Josh Burkman.  Definitely worth a look. On a scale from 1 to awesome, this fight is pretty close to awesome and well above 1.

The Ultimate Fighter 7 season finale couldn’t have ended without some controversy. Dalloway is whining that he didn’t tap. Well, he did tap, but only once. He didn’t mean it. Really.

“With the tap, I didn’t fully commit to the tap, but I did hit him once. I guess they ruled that a tap. I thought you had to go on and start tapping out. I did hit him once. Right as I did that, I felt my arm get into a position where I could get out. At that point Herb (Dean) ruled it as a tap out.”

He ruled it tap because ... get ready for it ... YOU TAPPED! Controversy over.

SI.com has an interview with Dana White. Not as good as mine, but then again, my massive ego wouldn’t allow me to admit it even if it was. Still an interesting read. Would’ve liked to see more follow-ups but definitely covers some different ground.  Among the more interesting points is White claiming John McCain started the UFC. Someone should tell him you can’t trust everything you read on Wikipedia.

I’m starting to think you can judge a White interview by the amount of [expletive deleted]s in it. I know some people have a problem with his cursing but those complaints fall squarely in the “making mountains out of molehills” category. Love him or hate him, he’s the most important man in MMA. He’s also one entertaining [expletive deleted].

Another WWE superstar turns to MMA ...

UFC 89 will be in England…

Josh Gross with a good read on Anderson Silva’s move up to 205. His fight against Irvin (Silva's, not Gross') is the first of a two-year, six fight deal. 

The UFC video game certainly has potential to be sweet ...

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)