MMA Stomping Grounds

Q&A with Brock Lesnar

2008-07-07T03:13:20Z

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.

Griffin-Jackson rematch on the horizon?

2008-07-07T02:28:47Z

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.

Anderson Silva wants to fight ... a lot

2008-07-05T20:12:29Z

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.

Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC 89?

2008-07-04T18:55:00Z

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.

UFC 86 odds and ends

2008-07-04T18:48:12Z

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.

UFC 86 predictions and more

2008-07-02T04:28:40Z

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.

Behind the scenes with an MMA author

2008-06-27T14:28:15Z

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.

News and notes for Friday

2008-06-27T13:57:01Z

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.

Randy Couture is overrated and fights I want to see

2008-06-26T17:02:09Z

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.

The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale, Anderson Silva and video games

2008-06-24T02:12:58Z

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 ...

White delivers with announcement

2008-06-19T14:46:28Z

Dana White made his huge announcement yesterday and it was naming UFC part-owner Lorenzo Fertitta as the CEO of the UFC. This isn’t a TV deal or anything like that but make no mistake, this is a huge deal. Fertitta resigned his role as president of Station Casinos a year after raking in $113.8 million as the second-highest paid casino official in Las Vegas. Yahoo has the story.

Sam Caplan has an interesting opinion piece on this development…

I know a lot of people were disappointed by this announcement and assumed White would let fans down, but this shouldn’t leave you in a state of despair. First, I don’t think this is because the Fertittas were unhappy with what White was doing, I think this is more to supplement White. I’ve always wondered how he could handle everything that was on his plate as he has a lot of nonsense to deal with in addition to the work that it takes to grow the sport.

For instance, look at MMA regulation in New York. He’s been working on that while and it’s been pushed back again. That has to be frustrating, yet how much time can he really devote to that? He’s got to deal with day-to-day issues, contracts, overseas development, TV development, advertisers, media and more. There are not enough hours in the day and as the sport grows more, the need for someone like Fertitta is evident.

Dana White has done a lot for the sport and will continue to be a trailblazer for MMA. Now, think of it like there’s another Dana White in the fold, only a more refined, less bombastic version.
That’s not a knock on White, I think the two will complement each other really well. White’s attitude and style work in a lot of areas, but when it comes to dealing with the big hitters and massaging egos of potential advertisers and TV partners, etc., Fertitta will shine. He is what the UFC needs to truly take things to the next level but he still can't get there without White.

The two of them working together is intriguing, to say the least. I imagine it is going to help the entire sport and while I don’t agree with White that fighting will be bigger than the World Cup in five years, I do agree that it will be bigger globally than any other sport.

Thoughts on the announcement?

IFL CEO Jay Larkin is a clown

2008-06-18T16:12:54Z

International Fight League CEO Jay Larkin is an idiot. That’s the only way I can describe his comments in a recent Portfolio.com article on MMA.

"This isn't my idea of fighting," he says of the world's fastest-growing spectator sport. "To me, two guys rolling around on the floor is tedious, like watching gay foreplay."

There’s two reasons he said this. He either doesn’t understand what gay foreplay is, or he simply doesn’t understand the sport. I’m going with the latter, which is why the IFL is failing miserably. Going for a homophobic gay joke is probably the easiest joke to make about MMA in the world. I wonder if Larkin followed that comment with this…

“Ha, ha. They are rolling around on the ground…get it! That’s what gay people do while fornicating! I’m so clever!”

Yep, that’s the genius the IFL brought in to get it over the hump. Great business move. The IFL stock has fallen to the point where you can just about buy the entire company with your economic stimulus check. He wasn’t done with his brilliant remarks, however.

“Our so-called friends in the M.M.A. [mixed martial arts] world are telling people that the I.F.L. is going out of business," says Larkin. "I like to tell people you can't spell [expletive deleted] without U.F.C."

If you’re keeping score at home, here’s how it should look. Jay Larkin at managing an MMA organization= -1 gabillion. Jay Larkin when it comes to profanity spelling contests= +1. I think the most surprising thing about his comments is that he actually says that to people. I’d love to be there for that conversation.

Random man: Hey Jay, how’s life treating you these days? Ghastly weather we’re having today, eh?

Jay Larkin: Hey… *giggles*…did you know you can’t spell [expletive deleted] without UFC? *snickers* It’s true, look it up!

Random man: Uh, that’s great Jay. Hey, listen, we’re all real proud of you. Don’t listen to what anyone else says ...

And why does he feel the need to tell people what letters are required to spell [expletive deleted]? Is it his understanding that when people put pen to paper they can only come up with the letter K before getting stumped?

Maybe MMA was never his true calling. Maybe his ultimate goal in life was to act like profanity’s version of Johnny Appleseed, running around spreading f-bombs (and correctly spelled f-bombs, mind you) wherever he goes.

Either way, it’s clear his talents aren’t being fully utilized. If he can reduce the IFL’s stock to the point where it’s affordable for anyone with an allowance, think of what he could do if he was running Big Oil? If that was the case, I could probably fill up my tank for less than $10.

Hardcore MMA fans love to hate on Dana White, but has he ever said anything in the same universe of ignorance as this?

Anderson Silva, the UFC’s Affliction counter-programming, another EliteXC show and more

2008-06-18T00:55:50Z

July is going to be a very busy month, so let’s get right into another edition of the ramblings. First, the major news is that the UFC is going to shrewdly counter-program the card of the summer with a free card on Spike on July 19.

That’s a smart play by UFC president Dana White and company by itself. The kicker is the rumor that headliner and middleweight champion Anderson Silva will be making his debut at light heavyweight, possibly against James Irvin.

This is huge. That means the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter (Silva) will be fighting the same night as the former pound-for-pound top fighter (Fedor), but on different cards for different promotions. The Affliction show is still packed with big fights and big names, but hasn’t been gaining much publicity. The UFC will be taking away a lot of potential buyers from the Affliction card if this Silva fight comes to fruition. It's big enough to have the world's top fighter headlining, but to have him move up a weight class would be terrific.

I would love to see Silva fighting at 205 but he’s always seemed to balk at the suggestion. I’ve covered his last two fights and at the news conference afterward he’s always asked about moving up to 205 and always is quick to shake his head, especially when a match with Rampage Jackson is mentioned. There’s nothing left for him at the middleweight level (spare me the Yushin Okami talk -- you’re fooling only yourself if you actually believe it) except for more rematches with Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson. I like the possibility of Anderson Silva fighting welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, even if it was at a catchweight, but there are more great fights for Silva at 205. Rumor has it he will go back to middleweight to defend his title in the near future, but he wouldn’t move up to 205 just for a match against Irvin. There has to be more (Chuck Liddell?) in store for him at 205.

What does this mean for Affliction? Nothing good. They should still draw well because people will tune in to see what Fedor still has and to see what Affliction is all about. It remains the more interesting card, but we’ll see if the UFC has anything else in store for the hastily-put-together event.

Other possible matches on the UFC card ...

More details on the July 26 EliteXC event from SI.com’s Josh Gross ... a Scott Smith-Robbie Lawler rematch is nice, but will it draw without Kimbo Slice? Nope.

The UFC officially announces the main event for UFC 88 in Atlanta in September. Liddell vs. Rashad Evans ... Not bad, but not great. I’m not the biggest Evans fan.

MMAPayout.com may have uncovered Dana White’s major announcement planned for Wednesday (yes, it was moved back again). That certainly would qualify.

The Ultimate Fighter 8 assistant coaches have been revealed ...

I’ll have more on Wednesday once official word (finally) breaks about the UFC’s announcement. Also, at some point Wednesday, I'll take IFL CEO Jay Larkin to task for his overwhelming ignorance.

But, if you can only watch one event July 19 and without seeing other matches on the UFC card (Brandon Vera may still be involved)...would you rather watch Silva debut at 205 for free or shell out the cash for the Affliction card?

Q&A with Dana White

2008-06-14T16:36:12Z

Here's the full version of my recent interview with UFC president Dana White.

MMA Stomping Grounds: I didn’t hear anything about the big announcement on Thursday. When is that going down?

Dana White: I’m doing it Tuesday. Let me tell you how out of [expletive deleted] control that thing is. I was talking to ESPN and [the reporter] was talking about competition and I said, 'Let me tell you what. People have been trying to compete with the UFC for years, even before we bought it. The last big one everyone thought was a big threat ... was the IFL. They went public, raised 800-[expletive deleted] million dollars, then they were talking about doing fighter benefits and stuff. They got the first network deal, those other guys weren’t the first on. They got time on 60 Minutes with us when 60 Minutes did their piece on us, and now the IFL is gone. They are [expletive deleted] down, their stock is worth half a cent (Editor's note: IFLI closed at $0.02 Friday).

That’s what we were talking about that day [with ESPN] and I said I’m going to make an announcement to my employees that shows everyone exactly where this business is going in the next couple years. I said I wanted to make the announcement to my employees, so it’s not even like I was making a big announcement to the media. If I was doing that I would’ve had a big press conference and then gone off to London. I wanted to wait until I was back to do it.

It’s a big [expletive deleted] announcement, it’s a big [expletive deleted] deal, but I got a lot of other stuff we’re working on right now. It was never anything I said I was going to announce to the media.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Are you going to announce it to the media after you tell your employees?

White: Yeah, I guess I have to now.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Why did the day change?

White: I wanted to do it after I got back from England and I got back late Wednesday. Also, all of our people are going to be in town next week for The Ultimate Fighter finale. All of our production guys, Joe Rogan, I mean everyone who works for the UFC is coming to it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: As someone who essentially built the sport of mixed martial arts to the popularity level it’s at today, how tough was it to see another promotion get the first big event on network TV?

White: See it’s not about the publicity they got. The problem is that it wasn’t the best foot forward for the sport. That fight turned a lot of networks off, turned off a lot of sponsors. You had a guy headlining on CBS who used to fight in [expletive deleted] backyards. It was disgusting.

That’s the problem and we’ve never, even when we were in the hole, we’ve never gone the freakshow angle. We could’ve done it and made some money, but we won’t do it. All you’ve ever seen in the UFC was the greatest athletes in the world. Never, ever did we do a freakshow and we won’t.

Kimbo Slice couldn’t win The Ultimate Fighter. He wouldn’t [expletive deleted] win the show and he’s headlining on CBS.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What did you think of the stoppage in that fight?

White: I didn’t see it. I heard it was a bad stoppage. I heard it shouldn’t have been stopped and that if it went to the judges that the other kid was going to win.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If the EliteXC/CBS show is turning off some potential fans and potential sponsors, how important is it for the UFC to get a network TV deal to show the fans more talented fighters?

White: No, it’s actually not a big priority. It’s going to take time and now it’s going to take more time because of the ProElite thing. Now, all these people come out and try to jump into the game and guess who has to clean up the [expletive deleted] mess. Me, I have to clean up the mess and I’m not knocking any doors down to get a network deal. When we get the right network deal we’ll be on. ProElite doesn’t have the right deal. They are going to [expletive deleted] lose money. Their show already sucks and now they are going to lose money on top of it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How much longer do you think they can stick around?

White: Not long. I think people tuned in to see what it was all about. After what I’m hearing from everyone, I don’t think too many people will tune in for next one. They lost a lot of money and if people don’t tune in, all of that equals [expletive deleted] disaster and [the circuit not lasting] too much longer. You’re going to find, believe me, we make this [expletive deleted] look easy, but it’s a rough business.

MMA Stomping Grounds: The news reports indicate that New York is close to regulating MMA. How important is that to you?

White: It’s a big deal. Who do you think has been trying to work on New York, and all those other states? Think Mark Cuban and CBS have helped us try to get these states opened up? No, they don’t give a [expletive deleted]. They don’t care about MMA and building the sport. They know we’ll do it and they will just come hang out.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What was the deal with the original vote on MMA in New York on Thursday and the revote next week?

White: I don’t want to talk about it. I’m very confident New York will be done by the end of this year.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Will other states fall in line after that or do you have to work on those others as well?

White: That’s it. We get New York and that’s it. We’re there. This year we had Tennessee and Massachusetts and New York left. Tennessee is done and Massachusetts is close and New York is almost done. Once we get those done we’re moving into Canada. Montreal and one other place are the only spots you can have fights and we’re opening those provinces up.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Once New York is done, how soon will you move to have a fight there?

White: Soon. We’ll be there, at Madison Square Garden.

MMA Stomping Grounds: With the recent sponsorship deals and the Jakks action figure deal, what do you think has been the biggest thing to happen to the UFC in the past year?

White: All sorts of stuff. The sponsorship deals with Bud Light and Harley Davidson, two blue-chip, mainstream sponsors. Some of the ratings we pulled, the Jakks action figure deal and the success we’ve had internationally this year, with the fights in London. We just did a big TV deal in the Philippines. My announcement on Tuesday is a big deal. [Expletive deleted] like that. And I’ve got more coming.

Listen, the media, you guys love to play the whole [expletive deleted] angle with ProElite, CBS, M1, the IFL, every guy that comes out. Donald Trump now, Mark Cuban, [expletive deleted], I can’t even remember everyone. You love to talk about who is going to take the big dog down. No one is [expletive deleted] taking us down. No one is [expletive deleted] in our league. People like to make comparisons about the [Triple-]AAA and [Double-]AA in baseball, but in AAA and AA those guys can play the game. This is completely [expletive deleted] different. These guys aren’t in our league. We’re driving the bus and we have the road map and we are the ones that are forging the way in this industry. These other guys are just throwing [expletive deleted] at the wall to see if it sticks.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What part of your job is the most difficult?

White: Always, at the end of the day, we're in the contract business. Contracts are up every year or two years and that’s always a [expletive deleted] and never fun to deal with.

MMA Stomping Grounds: With other organizations trying to pry fighters, does it hurt morale among UFC fighters when other fights leave for a big payday?

White: The way I look at this thing right now, it’s like war and unfortunately in every war there are casualties, and some of these guys that leave and go to other organizations ... it’s unfortunate.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If a fighter leaves for another organization, does that hurt his chances of coming back to the UFC down the road if that organization folds?

White: Unfortunately, some of these guys don’t look long term. Life goes on in the UFC. Guys will keep moving forward and things will keep moving. Maybe there will be some opportunity to come back someday or you get left in the dust.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

White: I love this sport. I love the fights and I love most of the guys in it. I love to win.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What fight are you most excited about?

White: Oh, [expletive deleted]. There are so many fights we have coming this year. I’m excited for a lot. I wanna see [Jon] Fitch-[Georges] St. Pierre, [Roger] Huerta-[Kenny] Florian, Forrest [Griffin] and [Quinton Jackson]. That’s the great thing about this thing. You realize we put on all the best fights people want to see and I want to [expletive deleted] see. People ask me what’s my dream fight. Are you [expletive deleted] kidding me? We make dream fights all the time.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you think is the biggest misconception the casual sports fan has about MMA?

White: I don’t know. I don’t think there are that many misconceptions. Maybe some people who watched the CBS show left with some misconceptions. I think we’re pretty much over that stigma. Unless we get the CBS thing [expletive deleted] this thing up, we don’t really battle that much anymore. Forbes magazine just came out with a list of like the hundred most dangerous sports and we’re not even on it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: You said earlier that getting a network TV deal wasn’t a huge priority. If that’s not a big priority, what is the biggest priority for the UFC?

White: To say it’s not a huge priority, I’m talking to different networks every day. We’re working on getting [MMA sanctioning in] states done. I’m working on getting stuff done in Canada, working down in Mexico, working on stuff in the UK, Germany, Australia, Brazil, the Philippines, Dubai.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What has to happen for you to sit back and say the UFC is mainstream?

White: When this thing is a worldwide sport that everyone is playing by the same rules all over the world.

I don’t know ... I don’t know. I have so many plans for this thing, even building it here in the US. We haven’t even scratched the surface here in the US. We’re so far from mainstream. Mainstream to me is walking down the street and asking about American Idol and everyone knows that. No one would know what the [expletive deleted] MMA is.

***

Other Q&As: CBS announcer Gus Johnson, Archived Q&As

View photos: UFC 85 fighters, Kimbo Slice, Archived MMA photos

Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.

Dana White on Tuesday's 'announcement'

2008-06-13T21:27:49Z

I just got off the phone with UFC president Dana White. Got some clarification on the “announcement” and a host of other things. That guy must never rest. I’ll have the full Q&A up this weekend but here’s what he said about the announcement.

Dana White: I’m doing it Tuesday. Let me tell you how out of [expletive deleted] control that thing is. I was talking to ESPN and [the reporter] was talking about competition and I said, ‘Let me tell you what. People have been trying to compete with the UFC for years, even before we bought it. The last big one everyone thought was a big threat ... was the IFL. They went public, raised 800-[expletive deleted] million dollars, then they were talking about doing fighter benefits and stuff. They got the first network deal and those other guys weren’t the first on. They got time on 60 Minutes with us when 60 Minutes did their piece on us, and now the IFL is gone. They are [expletive deleted] down, their stock is worth half a cent (Editor's note: IFLI closed today at $0.02). That’s what we were talking about that day and I said I’m going to make an announcement to my employees that shows everyone exactly where this business is going in the next couple years.

I said I wanted to make the announcement to my employees, so it’s not even like I was making a big announcement to the media. If I was doing that I would’ve had a big news conference and then gone off to London. I wanted to wait until I was back to do it.

It’s a big [expletive deleted] announcement, it’s a big [expletive deleted] deal but I got a lot of other stuff we’re working on right now. It was never anything I said I was going to announce to the media.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Are you going to announce it to the media after you tell your employees?

White: Yeah, I guess I have to now.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Why did the day change?

White: I wanted to do it after I got back from England and I got back late Wednesday. Also, all of our people are going to be in town next week for The Ultimate Fighter finale. All of our production guys, Joe Rogan, I mean everyone who works for the UFC is coming to it.

***

Stay tuned for the full Q&A. There's some interesting stuff from White on network TV deals (not a big priority for them right now), CBS and EliteXC, fighters who leave the UFC for other organizations and then try to come back, MMA regulation in New York, the future of the UFC and more.