Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
To Fight in the UFC or to not Fight in the UFC - That is the Question
Here’s a fun game to play: with the WEC/UFC merger and the overlap of fighters, there will obviously be some 155 pounders without a job real soon. Let’s predict where certain WEC lightweight fighters will be in a year based on their WEC 53 performances.
- Kamal Shalorus – If he can squeak by with another win, he just might find himself in the Octagon swinging wild punches in a dark prelim match.
- Bart Palaszewski – Working a double-shift at his family’s kielbasa factory in Chicago, reminiscing about the good old days.
- Shane Roller – Facing someone like Joe Stevenson or Mac Danzig, with the presumption that Stevenson or Danzig need any easy win on some SpikeTV-broadcast undercard bout.
- Jamie Varner – Breakdancing on a flattened-out piece of cardboard in downtown Phoenix.
- Donald Cerrone – Battling furiously against Kenny Florian for top good-fighter-but-not-quite-champion-level status.
- Chris Horodecki – A part-time motivational speaker, sweating profusely and living in a van down by the river.
- Zhang Tie Quan – If the UFC still wants to break into the Chinese market, he’ll be fighting cans. If the UFC gives up on their Asian expansion ideas, Quan will be working a station at the Bellagio buffet.
- Ben Henderson – Giving Evan Dunham, Sean Sherk, Edson Barbosa and Charles Oliveira fits.
- Anthony Pettis – Reveling in the residual glory of his Matrix-like kick from WEC 53… and sad, because no matter he did, Frankie Edgar still kicked his ass.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
On the Eve of the WEC's Swan Song, a Fond Look Back
After nine years, it all comes to an end. Tonight’s WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” marks the final World Extreme Cagefighting event ever, with the Zuffa-owned promotion folding into the UFC and dozens of lighter-weight fighters wondering if they’re going to have a job in the coming months. But now is not the time for pondering such employment issues. Now is the time for nostalgia, for a trip down memory lane and a fond look back. Granted, as MMA Journalist is an East Coast-based blog and I’ve never seen a live WEC event in person (the first WEC I saw was broadcast on Versus), this collection might be a bit esoteric… but hey, the last WEC ever, man. Just go with it.
- WEC 30: “McCullough vs. Crunkilton”, September 5, 2007 – “Razor” Rob McCullough out-struck Rich Crunkilton to defend his 155-pound belt and Chase Beebe nullified the jiu-jitsu of Rani Yahya to keep his bantamweight strap, but what sticks out the most about this night was the debut of my new television, a 52-inch Sony XBR LCD. As our prior TV set was a 13-inch black and white Panasonic we found discarded on the sidewalk, this was indeed a step up.
- WEC 36: “Faber vs. Brown”, November 5, 2008 – At the time it was considered an upset when Mike Brown TKO’d Urijah Faber and Leonard Garcia abruptly clobbered Jens Pulver. However, the only thing I was considering was the food being served at Phillipe Nover’s TUF 8 viewing party, a season he figured prominently in. As this WEC event was broadcast on a Wednesday night and preceded The Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV, all of us at the recreation center in Brooklyn for Nover’s gathering watched it on the multitude of TVs while we drank and ate. Mmmm, chicken tenders.
- WEC 51: “Aldo vs. Gamburyan”, September 30, 2010 – Yeah, yeah, Jose Aldo is a dominant champ. The best part of this event was my 2-year-old daughter, who walked into the living room, saw what I was watching, then took a running jump onto me exclaiming, “Dad, let’s wrestle!”
- WEC 52: “Faber vs. Mizugaki”, November 11, 2010 – This time my daughter waited until I was walking into the kitchen, where she ambushed me with a kick to the shin and a flurry of punches to my thighs. “Dad, let’s fight!” she said.
- WEC 45: “Cerrone vs. Ratcliff”, December 19, 2009 – Not a lot of star power on this card, but what made this installment memorable for me was the realization that I can watch an entire event on fast-forward and still get the gist of it. DVR, that’s what’s up.
MMA in New York Crusade, version 2011
The 2011 crusade for sanctioned MMA in New York State has begun, and one of the men spearheading the movement is Sambo Steve, a Manhattan-based sambo instructor and longtime fixture in the Big Apple scene. Here's a clip of Sambo Steve in action - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhdyS3pTkQM - and here's an email he sent around:
"Hi all,
As friends, members, and supports of the American Sambo Association, you have often come to our aid with many projects in the past. Now, I have a VERY CRITICAL favor to ask all of you who love the sport of MMA and want to see MMA legalized in New York State.
Do you want to see Mixed Martial Arts at Madison Square Garden?
Do you want to see Mixed Martial Arts at Nassau Coliseum?
Do you want to see Mixed Martial Arts at the HSBC Arena?
Do you want to see Mixed Martial Arts at the Blue Cross Arena?
Do you want to see smaller local shows in your town?
YOU HAVE TO ACT NOW!
THE NEW YORK LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR BEGINS JANUARY 5TH, 2011.
LET OUR OFFICIALS KNOW WHAT WE WANT ON DAY ONE!
For years now, we have sat back and let the lobbyists do our work for us with little result. It is time to admit that pettitions don't work, lobby dollars only go so far, and that the only way our elected officials will act is if we tell them to act...ourselves!
Below are links to letters which I strongly encourage you to download, print out, fill out and mail to your NY State Senator AND Assembly person. THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU DIRECTLY!
If you are a business owner, gym owner, promoter, or just a fan there is a letter for you. Please do not ignore this.
Gym owner's letter: http://ussambo.com/mmany/gymletter.doc
Business owner's letter: http://ussambo.com/mmany/businessletter.doc
Promoter's letter: http://ussambo.com/mmany/promoterletter.doc
Fan's Letter: http://ussambo.com/mmany/fanletter.doc
To find out who your local Senator and Assembly person is and where to mail your letters, visit the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_York_State_Senators
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_New_York_State_Assembly
If you are not a New Yorker, but still would like to see MMA legaized in New York, please use these letters as a guide and mail one to Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo.
http://www.ag.ny.gov/contact.html (currently)
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/contact/index.html (in 2011)
Thank you in advance for all your support!
LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN 2011.
Stephen Koepfer
President, American Sambo Association
Head Coach, New York Combat Sambo
PO Box 5773
Long Island City, NY 11105
www.ussambo.com
www.nycombatsambo.com"
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Bellator to MTV2; What Next for Other Smaller Promotions?
Bellator Fighting Championships, formerly of ESPN Deportes, FoxSportsNet, the MSG channel (if you live in
· Tachi Palace Fights to Nickelodeon – Sure, TPF has been providing quality regional action to those who trek to the casino in Lemoore, California, but the organization known for its focus on the smaller weight classes will now be moving to a network geared towards smaller viewers. That’s right, Nickelodeon will be airing TPF fights, and losers in all championship bouts will be doused with green slime. Gross!
· JEWELS and Valkyrie to Lifetime – Two all-female promotions to an all-female network. Really, this needs no more explanation.
· DREAM to LOGO – Struggling Japanese organization DREAM is considering a move to the channel whose regular programming includes “The ‘L’ Word” and anything with RuPaul. This isn’t a knock against DREAM, but desperation does breed strange bedfellows.
· Extreme Challenge and King of the Cage to VH1Classics – The place where old music goes to die is the perfect spot for long-running promotions Extreme Challenge and KOTC, which often feature castoffs such as Tim Sylvia and Ken Shamrock in performances sadder than any Bananarama and Poison video.
· M-1 Global to the Syfy Channel – The concept: Fedor Emelianenko will adhere to a contract he’s signed and regularly face legitimate opponents. Seriously, only a science fiction-themed television station could pull that off.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Observations from My Couch: UFC 124 "Ultimate Lack of Head Movement"
- Sure, maybe that was the best Thiago Alves ever. But where the hell was that version when he took on GSP?
- Mac Danzig knocking out Joe Stevenson was akin to two death row inmates getting violent over a Slim Jim. Sure, one defeated the other, but ultimately does it matter? Both their asses will soon be dead anyway.
- You know where Jim Miller was when Charles Oliveira was winning the Ring of Combat lightweight title? Already in the UFC, racking up wins. Enough said.
- Great performance by Mark Bocek. Now he's only about 11 wins away from title contention.
- Matt Riddle quite possibly has the worst stand-up in the history of mixed martial arts.
- Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle is the kind of co-main event you get when you've spent all your money on paying the main event fighters. Thanks, Dana.
- Yes, Georges St. Pierre has a decent jab. But it's nothing without Josh Koscheck's complete and utter lack of ability to move his damn head out of the way.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Schedule for the Weekend
I heard there may be a UFC on pay-per-view this weekend, but details are sketchy. Some George guy is fighting… possibly… who knows.
There is, however, a bit of local action going down. Tonight, there's some kind of exclusive benefit dinner going on at Cipriani's on Wall Street. "Fight for Humanity" is the name, and there's going to be about half a dozen Muay Thai bouts - some of them featuring MMA fighters (like Rick Screeton and Joe Sampieri). Tickets are $2,500 each, so, yeah, maybe you should wait for the DVD or something.
On Saturday night, Ring of Combat is offering up a hefty amateur installment at the Raritan Center in Edison, New Jersey. There are 15 bouts scheduled, and notable participants include Mike Fischetti, and, um, a bunch of guys I don't know. ROC's amateur shows tend to feature some real up-and-coming badasses, though, so it's worth checking out.
Also on Saturday is another Muay Thai extravaganza from Take On Productions in Flushing, Queens. Some of the best kickboxing schools in the TriState area take part in these events, and if you like watching fighters knee and kick each other into oblivion, it's always a good time.
Finally, on Sunday there's an event out in Brooklyn called "Budokai: Way of the Warrior". The West Brooklyn Community High School is the venue, first bout is at 2:00pm, and there will be full-contact karate, sport jujitsu and san da matches. This is relevant to your interests because some UCL veterans are competing. Expect a fair amount of stabbings and/or a riot if things don't go as planned.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Book Update
Okay, so it looks like it's going to be called "Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts". There is, apparently, some science involved in publishing, and having the words "New York" in the title might discourage a Tap Out-wearing kid in Idaho from buying it. Hey, who am I to argue? Publishers know publishing. I just know underground fighting in New York and sanctioned MMA in New Jersey.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
A Message from Mike Constantino
From Mike Constantino, Grand Poobah of the AMA Fight Club (who obviously loves exclamation points):
"UFC 124 Montreal Prize Package - From AMA Fight Club - 2 tickets to UFC 124 at the Bell Centre – Sit in the Friends & Family Section of the fighters on the card! Then join us at our official after party at 1234 Club in Montreal with Jim Miller, Dan Miller, Charles Oliveira, Sean Pierson, & many more fighters ALL Fighting on the 124 Card!!!!
In order to win you must follow @AMAFIGHTCLUB On Twitter & join our Facebook fan page AMA Fight Club Fan Page – post why YOU should win & it’s as simple as that. Best story wins! Winner picked by Mike Constantino, Jim Miller & Dan Miller directly.
Runner Up Prizes Include:
Dan Miller Autographed Walkout Shirt UFC 124!
Jim Miller Autographed Walkout Shirt UFC 124!
One Signed Fight Worn Glove signed by both Miller Brothers!
Please announce, post, talk about, retweet, help us get this out there!!! If we double our followers after this contest I will do it again at UFC Fight For The Troops, then Again at UFC 126 SUPERBOWL WEEKEND in Las Vegas February 5th!!!
Thank You!!!!"
Monday, December 6, 2010
How Bad Did Strikeforce Crush the UFC on Saturday Night?
Yeah, so, there were two events on TV on Saturday night – a UFC on SpikeTV and a Strikeforce on Showtime. One of these offerings featured a slew of not-ready-for-primetime players who provided decision after decision, and the other gave us enough thrilling knockouts to send a significant percentage of viewers in seizures. Can you guess which major MMA organization gave us which? If you guessed that it was the UFC’s TUF 12 live finale that was the stinker, you guessed correctly! Within the Octagon we got to witness Nam Phan have a pretty decent scrap against Leonard Garcia before getting robbed by the judges, and then we got crap that was best watched on fast forward. Strikeforce, meanwhile, gave us Robbie Lawler decapitating Matt Lindland, Paul Daley removing about three years from Scott Smith’s life, and Dan Henderson utterly smashing Renato Sobral. Ratings disparities aside (SpikeTV is premium cable channel offered in more homes; Showtime is a subscription-based channel), it’s clear that the House of Coker won the battle Saturday night. But how bad did Strikeforce crush the UFC?
- At the UFC event, the fighters and their respective camps watched the Strikeforce show on monitors in their locker rooms. And they wept.
- After the press conference for the TUF 12 Finale was over, Dana White reportedly went backstage and punched Joe Silva in the stomach.
- After the punch, Joe Silva said, “Thank you. I deserve that.”
- Scott Coker instructed Lawler, Daley and Henderson to invoice the UFC for “knockout of the night” bonuses. And the UFC is considering paying.
- Upon watching both events on their TIVOs/DVRs, a large number of fans burned their official UFC gear and merchandise. Also, those who’ve been claiming to train in the “UFC-style” of fighting announced they’ve switched over to “Strikeforce-style”. “Bro, it’s so much better.”
- Dana White thanked God, Allah, Zeus, Neptune and Odin. Why? Because if Saturday night’s Strikeforce had aired on CBS instead of Showtime… Well, let’s just say his world would be a lot more complicated today.
Another Happy Customer
From the mailbag:
"Love your 'Mitch the Intern' TUF spoofs!
And so GODDAMN MANY of them!
No captions! No descriptions. They are worthless and they SUCK!
Okay, we get it it, you're all underground, you go to fights that know one else knows about, so you're the martial arts equivalent of foodie eclecticist Alton Brown.
You're special because you know about them, and I'm not.
But I'm not *learning* about them, either, because there's no context to those pics.
Who are they? What's the story? Are they not important enough to find any more about them?
The pics are nothing to admire in the first place. If there's nothing more to be gleaned from them than "oh, look, I was at a fight and it was a secret", then...kinda pointless, Jimmy boy.
Posting a pic with no caption or context isn't journalism."
Evolution "Holiday Havoc" Postscript
Nothing finer than traveling a half hour from your house to see a sanctioned MMA show. Nothing finer. As for the fights, Abdul Beyah definitely had a plan (sprawl and brawl) and he executed it well, Greg Quarantello's got some decent hands on him, and if Rob Fabrizi can nail down that cardio he's going to be a force. The "stud of the night" award, though, definitely goes to Jimbo Hoffman. Expect big things from him when he turns pro.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
ROC 33 Postscript
With so many fights - and so many good ones - it's hard to pick the standouts. But I shall try... James Jenkins has shown a lot of promise in just two ROC appearances; Mervin Rodriguez looked rock solid and his new camp (Pellegrino MMA) might be a great fit for him; Tom DeBlass continues to climb up the division; Justine Kish looked amazing, both in her confidence and her technique (when Holland had her pressed up against the cage she was literally crawling up Munah to put her in a guillotine); and, Costa Phillipou was his usual deadly self. As for the championship bouts, Sean Santella, Chris Weidman and Gian Villante came off as top-level guys about one or two fights aways from competing in the UFC. But if the night belonged to anyone, it belonged to Joe Aviles. Thus far we have seen only spectacular knockouts from this Jungle Gym rep, and that's the kind of trait that makes him worth his weight in gold to any organization. Fighters like Weidman and Villante will sell a lot of tickets because they're good at what they do and they have a lot of family and friends that like to come out and support them. Someone like Aviles, however, will have people buying tickets (or tuning in or purchasing the pay-per-view) just to see who and how he will kill next. Like I said, that's gold right there.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Liveblog: Evolution Part 4
The first of two title fights and it's Jared Gordon of New York Jiu-Jitsu/Renzo vs. Robert Fabrizi of Vendetta at 160 pounds. Fabrizi proves himself to be a competent sprawler and brawler early on, and in the waning seconds of Round 1 he stuffs a Gordon takedown and slaps on a D'Arce. Gordon makes it to the bell, and in Round 2 Fabrizi keeps up the pressure. However, in the final frame Gordon does get the takedown, and he spends the duration looking for an opening. Is it enough to sway the judges? Nope. Fabrizi takes the split decision. Last bout and it's Kenneth Rivera defending his 145-pound belt against Jimbo Hoffman. Wow. Okay, well, we knew Rivera was fast, but Hoffman is faster - and smooth, as he jumps into an arm-in guillotine and puts Rivera to sleep at 1:05 of Round 1. And that's it.
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