MMA ref Josh Rosenthal had a huge number of fans questioning why he didn’t stop the fight between Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar. He explains himself fairly well, but Carwin fans will continue to point out that had the situation been reversed that Lesnar would have got the call. Agree or disagree?
MMA Live recaps Brock Lesnar’s come-from-behind triumph over Shane Carwin at UFC 116. Lesnar’s next opponent, Cain Velasquez joins the guys from San Jose to assess his chances. Chris Leben checks in following his second win in as many weeks.
Should referee Josh Rosenthal have stopped UFC 116’s main event in the first round? Can you name an overall card that was more entertaining than last weekend’s show? Is Chris Leben a “Top 10” middleweight? How likely is it that Cain Velasquez will beat Brock Lesnar when they square off later this year?
Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!
If you’re reading these lines you are back in the friendly digital confines of “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s resident Friday feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…
Was there a more entertaining MMA event than UFC 116 in the past twelve months?
Tool: For my money I would say no. There were plenty of enjoyable events in the last year (UFC 110 and WEC 48 come to mind) but I can’t think of a single thing wrong with the show we saw on Saturday. All the fights were exciting, the main event lived up to the hype, and there was nothing to complain about in regards to the judging and/or officiating. Some events will feature one great back-and-forth battle, and on this card we got four. Simply put, if you didn’t enjoy UFC 116 then you aren’t a fan of MMA.
Some of my favorite moments from the evening took place outside of the actual fights during the moments before and after the individual rounds. I won’t soon forget the dejected look on Kurt Pellegrino’s face before the third round, as he was a man who had clearly already been beaten. I also enjoyed the way Stephan Bonnar refused to touch gloves before his battle with Krzysztof Soszynski, only to change his mind and then touch gloves at the start of the second round. Who can forget Chris Leben raising his arms and feeding off the crowd as he went into the third round with Yoshihiro Akiyama? Then at the end of evening we got Brock Lesnar smiling at the crowd instead of snarling into the camera as he did back at UFC 100. These little moments combined with the stellar action from each fight made this one of the greatest events in mixed-martial arts history.
Conlan: No, and though the sights and sounds of UFC 116 are admittedly still fresh in my mind, I suspect it would take a bit of research to find a more entertaining card in the past three years (if not longer). As Tool said, the event had something for everyone – comeback victories, surprising finishes, brutal knockouts, jiujitsu wizardry, heated exchanges, and a bit of blood to boot. On top of the memorable moments Adam listed I’d also add Gerald Harris’ brain-rattling slam, Ricardo Romero enduring Seth Petruzelli’s power before shredding his arm with a slick submission, Bonnar’s look into the camera after his win and post-fight speech, Leben’s blank-stare brawling, and Lesnar not only escaping Shane Carwin’s early onslaught but also showing his improved ground attack en route to successfully defending his title. UFC 116 was the perfect mixture of entertainment and athletic art, and definitely a show that will stand out from its peers for a long, long time.
Using a percentage, how likely is it Cain Velasquez will knock Brock Lesnar off of his heavyweight throne?
Tool: I’ll go with 75%. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t bet against Lesnar in any fight these days, especially now that he’s answered some very important questions about his heart and his submission skills. Even though Lesnar overcame his greatest challenge to date this past weekend, I still think Velasquez has his number.
One issue Lesnar still has is his striking. He’s got no head movement to speak of, and outside of that straight right hand he hasn’t got any real weapons in his stand-up arsenal. On the opposite end we’ve got Velasquez whose stand-up has looked better with each appearance in the Octagon. He’s got a great stance, and while his power may not match Shane Carwin’s, he’s far more precise when he throws. Go back and check out that laser of a right hook that floored Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and then watch the pinpoint accurate punches Velasquez threw to finish the job.
The other major factor that will come into play is the wrestling, as that’s the skill Lesnar relies most upon to beat his opponents. It’s safe to say that Lesnar and Velasquez represent the highest level of wrestling in the heavyweight division, and I’ll be interested to see if either man can take the other down. Lesnar’s size advantage could play a part, but we can’t sell Velasquez short. Even if Brock can take Cain down, I don’t believe he’ll be able to keep him there. If the fight stays on the feet it’s all the more likely that it will be Cain’s fight to lose.
Conlan: Since I did so good by giving Fabricio Werdum a “1%” chance of beating Fedor Emelianenko I assume my opinion on this particular topic carries a lot of weight in the MMA community. That being said, I think Velasquez has a 47% chance of becoming UFC champ once he and Lesnar eventually lock horns.
Tool has done a nice job breaking down the finer points of each heavyweight’s abilities, and I don’t disagree with any aspect of his assessment beyond his certainty Velasquez will beat Lesnar. Both have shown clear progression from fight to fight, including improved ground-work and an immense amount of heart displayed after enduring early scares. Each is also a threat to score a knockout with a well-placed punch for different reasons (technique/power). Cain’s striking is more precise and diverse than Brock’s, as you might expect from someone who weighs 30-40 pounds less, and he definitely has the tools in his singlet to give the champ a real test when it comes to wrestling. On the flip-side, Lesnar’s combination of size and athleticism is remarkably unique in a division generally featuring men who are typically either fast or big/strong, not both.
Their upcoming title bout should be a close one with each having minimal advantages over the other. However, I think it has to be pointed out the match-up will be Velasquez’s first crack at a belt while half of Lesnar’s career fights have involved gold. As such, I’m giving him a razor-thin nod to beat the American Kickboxing Academy phenom.
Who on the DREAM 15 card would you most like to see inside the Octagon? Include a match-up as well.
Tool: Well if he was actually on the card the easy answer would be Alistair Overeem. DREAM officials announced he would be fighting, Overeem denied it, and yet DREAM is still saying that he’ll be there. I’m inclined to believe the fighter over the promotion, so any “Ubereem” fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero may as well just catch up on their sleep Friday night.
As for the fighters that are actually confirmed for the show, my pick would have to be Gegard Mousasi. Obviously this isn’t a hard choice as Mousasi represents one of the best fighters in the world to have never set foot in the Octagon. His stock has certainly fallen a bit since the loss to “King Mo” Lawal but he’s still one of the most exciting fighters in the light heavyweight division. If he were to be signed tomorrow and brought into the UFC I would match him up with Thiago Silva. Silva is a respectable name and a perfect stylistic match-up for Mousasi, and a fight between the two would have a great chance at picking up “Fight of the Night” honors.
Conlan: He may not be the hottest prospect after being dominated by Gilbert Melendez but of the entire DREAM 15 group I’d most like to see Shinya Aoki test his skills in the UFC’s iconic eight-sided cage. I understand the logic behind Tool’s choice of Mousasi, but I’d personally think “The Dreamcatcher” needs a little more experience at 205-pounds before attempting to crack the upper echelon of the UFC’s flagship division. On the other hand, Aoki has competed against a number of top lightweights and come out on the winning end of things more often than not. His jiujitsu is elite, he’s got a colorful personality, and signing him would help Zuffa further reestablish their reputation in the Far East. Sure, his less-than stellar wrestling would cost him a bout or two along the way, as it did against Melendez, but that’s nothing a little clever match-making couldn’t prolong from happening.
As far as an opponent goes, my “dream” choice would be B.J. Penn simply to see what would unfold as soon as both hit the mat and started grappling. However, Aoki would likely need a few wins in the Octagon before earning a shot at “The Prodigy”, so in that regard I’d select Tyson Griffin as his opening foe. Griffin has the name-recognition to earn Aoki the Zuffa Zombies’ respect were he to defeat him, while also having the wrestling prowess and stand-up to provide a significant threat to the spandex-clad superstar in the eyes of hardcore fans. The pairing would almost certainly result in an entertaining display of action making Aoki’s Octagon debut a memorable, if not successful, one.
TRUE/FALSE – Chris Leben is a top 10 middleweight.
Conlan: True or false, you can’t give a wrong answer on this topic because rankings are for the most part subjective. For that reason “Top 10” lists vary from person to person, as every individual has a different way of weighing the numerous circumstances involved in. Where this particular subject is concerned, I’ll say “false”, though “The Crippler” is certainly on the cusp of cracking my collection of top ten middleweights. When you run down the 185-pound pool there are a few clear-cut entries deserving a spot without question, but the water gets a little murky in the 8-10 range leaving room for Leben after two solid performances against a pair of respected opponents in a span of three weeks. If he comes out Zombie-smile in tow after scrapping with Wanderlei Silva, who he called out on the heels of beating Yoshihiro Akiyama and will likely get as long as “The Axe Murderer” doesn’t run into a problem during recovery from his recent surgeries, then he’s absolutely a “Top 10” guy for me. However, as of right now he’s in the 12-14 range.
Tool: Brendhan’s absolutely right in stating that all rankings are subjective, but then again this is an opinion column wherein everything we say is subjective. As for the question itself I’m tempted to go with “true.” Leben’s UFC career has been full of ups and downs, and we certainly can’t ignore the fact that it wasn’t that long ago when he was choked out by Jake Rosholt. While “The Crippler” may not have the most impressive win streak to hang his credentials on, he does have some impressive wins over solid competition. Akiyama has been hanging around the bottom rungs of the top ten rankings for awhile so a win over him certainly has to count for something. Plenty of sites have Jorge Santiago in their top ten list, but we can’t forget that he was on the receiving end of a devastating Leben knockout during his brief stint in the UFC. Alessio Sakara is riding a nice hot streak at the moment but he too was separated from consciousness courtesy of Leben. The point is that while I don’t envision Leben climbing his way towards contendership anytime soon, he certainly deserves to be considered amongst the top level of fighters in the UFC’s middleweight division.
If we assume that the winner of the upcoming Kenny Florian/Gray Maynard fight gets the next shot at the lightweight belt, who would you put George Sotiropoulos against in a potential #1 contender’s bout?
Conlan: Though possibly a dark-horse due to his relative lack of widespread name recognition, I think a deserving candidate for such a slot would be Evan Dunham (assuming he gets by Sean Sherk at UFC 119). Dunham looked extremely sharp against Tyson Griffin, has a well-rounded skill-set to match Sotiropoulos’, and includes the added benefit of a spotless record where promotional purposes are concerned. In fact, I’m not sure there are a lot of other logical choices unless the UFC goes out and somehow signs a top lightweight like Eddie Alvarez or Gilbert Melendez, as the bulk of the company’s notable 155-pounders aren’t too far removed from a losing performance.
Tool: I can certainly get behind a potential match-up with Dunham, although in between Brendhan sending me his answers and me writing mine it was announced that Dunham would instead be welcoming Sean Sherk back to the Octagon. A win over Sherk would certainly put Dunham right into the mix of contenders and a meeting with Sotiropoulos would make even more sense then.
Looking at the rest of the UFC’s lightweight roster it’s clear that the most credible fighters are the four guys fighting at UFC 118. Therefore I’d have no problem with Sotiropoulos meeting up with the loser of the Florian/Maynard bout, or perhaps even the loser of the Frank Edgar/BJ Penn title rematch. The only other opponent I could see propelling Sotiropoulos to a title shot would be perennial gatekeeper Clay Guida (assuming Guida can get by Rafael Dos Anjos next month). In any case it may be a few months before Sotiropoulos finds out who his next opponent is, as pretty much any other match-up would represent a step backwards in competition for the Aussie.
Would you have disagreed with the result of the main event if referee Josh Rosenthal had stopped the fight in the first round?
Conlan: It would have depended on Lesnar’s immediate reaction after the stoppage. If Brock sprung up foaming at the mouth, full of energy and arguing the call I reckon I would have been steamed at an early stoppage. Had he remained on the canvas, curled up and confused, then I would have applauded the bout’s initial action and Rosenthal’s stoppage of it. Since Lesnar was able to recover/defend without absorbing more than a few cinder-blocks to his head before ultimately showing his improved ability on the ground supported by the wrestling technique making him a NCAA champ, it appears clear Rosenthal made the correct call by allowing things to continue after a few tense moments on the mat and he should be applauded for his decision. It’s not as if fans were watching Cris “Cyborg Santos” vs. Jan Finney II or something.
Tool: While watching that first round I was quite literally on the edge of my seat, as Rosenthal was right on top of the action and seemed to be very close to stepping in. Had he done so I don’t believe there would have been a huge outcry of injustice from the MMA community, even if Lesnar had stood right up and argued the decision. I’ll go one step further and make the assumption that if this hadn’t been the main event and a huge title fight, Rosenthal probably would have pulled the trigger and awarded Carwin the win. I certainly have no way to know this for sure. I just know that usually when one fighter delivers 50 or so unanswered punches to his opponent’s head, that fight ends with a stoppage. The end result shows us that Rosenthal made the right call in allowing the fight to continue, but it’s still intriguing to think of how different the MMA landscape would be right now had he made a different decision on Saturday night.
Although UFC 116 winners Chris Leben and Chris Lytle got their dues, this week's edition of The Sunday Junkie is all about main-event winner and heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.
Our weekly reader-feedback feature covers all aspects of his fight with interim champ Shane Carwin, including referee Josh Rosenthal's officiating and how Lesnar stacks up to former heavyweight kingpin Fedor Emelianenko.
In fact, this week's winner of The Sunday Junkie, Ryan Woolley, wonders if Lesnar's obviously improving skills could soon put him in a class all of his own.
Should Josh Rosenthal have halted Saturday's UFC 116 main event in the first round?
Interim title-holder Shane Carwin blasted heavyweight champ and fellow co-headliner Brock Lesnar with 57 punches in the round, and though he came close, Rosenthal never halted the bout to award him the TKO win.
But you won't hear any complaints from Carwin, who eventually suffered a submission loss in the following round.
Longtime referee Josh Rosenthal has been given praise from fans and critics alike for the way he handled the main event between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin during UFC 116 last evening in Las Vegas.
Carwin gave Rosenthal every excuse to stop the fight after he dropped Lesnar with a series of sledgehammers standing and continued the assault on the canvas. The previously undefeated knockout artist had Lesnar in enough trouble to warrant a stoppage in many cases, but this was a championship bout of the highest caliber, and Brock Lesnar is no ordinary man.
Making the ultimate call to allow Lesnar some breathing room during the beating, Rosenthal rightfully allowed Lesnar to continue in the contest, and ultimately come back to stop Carwin via arm-triangle choke in the second round.
UFC President Dana White sung Rosenthal’s praise following the event, and undisputed heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was right there with him.
“I really have to thank the referee for allowing that thing to go on,” said Lesnar shortly following his stunning come from behind victory over Carwin.
And while Lesnar was openly grateful for Rosenthal’s choice to let the fight go when many may have not, he insisted that he “wasn’t hurt” significantly at any point during the bout.
Whether Lesnar was hurt or not, it sure looked like he was, and Brock would be the first to admit that he had his hands full coming into the second round.
“He was strong on top. He out-boxed me, and he got me, and I’d be the first person to tell everyone that,” said Lesnar. “He’s a beast. He definitely won the first round.
“I knew that I lost the first round but there are still four rounds left. I knew I was in a fight for sure.”
How likely is it that Fabricio Werdum will beat Fedor Emelianenko? What event from the past ten days did you enjoy most from top to bottom? Will Cris “Cyborg” Santos beat Jan Finney faster than her husband beat Marius Zaromskis a week-and-a-half ago? What’s next for newly crowned Ultimate Fighter Season 11 champion Court McGee?
Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!
If you’re reading these lines you’ve made it through another work-week and are back in the friendly digital confines of “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s resident Friday feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…
Best overall event – “Strikeforce – Los Angeles”, “Sengoku 13″, “TUF 11 Finale”, or “WEC 49″?
Adam Tool: I should probably start by saying that since I have neither a)HDNet or b) insomnia, I have yet to see Sengoku 13. I’ve been trying to track down a copy online but thus far I have been unsuccessful, so I’ll have to make my pick from the other three events which I did see.
Of those three my pick would be WEC 49. In terms of fight quality there was plenty of good stuff to be had on all three cards. While thinking back on those events I can’t point out a single fight which I considered boring, but it was the action in the WEC cage that kept me closest to the edge of my seat. The only knock I can make against WEC 49 would be the unsatisfying result rendered in the evening’s main event, but that only came about as the result of the incompetent judging of Cameron Quwek, the lone judge who scored every single round for Kamal Shalorus. Some blame could also be leveled against referee Josh Rosenthal, as I still can’t understand why he didn’t take another point away from Shalorus for the third low blow delivered in the final frame. Other than that though, WEC 49 was a barrage of non-stop action and tremendous performances from everyone involved.
I would also have to give the edge to WEC 49 in terms of the show’s pacing. During the two and a half hour event we saw seven fights, with what seemed like a minimal amount of commercial interruption. The Ultimate Fighter Finale featured five fights over the course of two hours, with some interminable commercial breaks, endless shilling of upcoming Spike programming, and an extremely dull interview with Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. Strikeforce: Los Angeles was well-done from a production stand-point, but I still don’t understand why the show’s producers chose to air backstage interviews in between rounds of some of the fights. On top of that we saw once again that Strikeforce has no interest in promoting new stars of the sport, as the event ended a half-hour early without a single preliminary fight shown.
Brendhan Conlan: Though each broadcast featured moments of brilliance I tend to side with Tool as far as WEC 49 being the strongest overall show in the bunch. Sengoku’s action was top notch but primarily involved talent 1% of the English-speaking audience could have picked out of a line-up prior to it airing, Strikeforce had some highlight-worthy moments but also had issues related to the card’s E3-specific production and promotion’s continuing trend of going off the air early without promoting undercard competitors, and save for Court McGee’s story and a fun scrap between Keith Jardine and Matt Hamill the Ultimate Fighter Finale was one of the least memorable in recent history. The scoring in Varner vs. Shalorus certainly detracted from the fight’s result but not from the entertaining battle that occurred during the fifteen minutes prior. Other than that, viewers were treated to the continued ascension of Josh Grispi as a top featherweight, late-replacement Danny Downes showing a ton of heart en route to a third-round submission loss at the limbs of Chris Horodecki, an edge-of-your-couch affair between Will Campuzano and Eddie Wineland, and a whole lot more.
True/False – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will beat Jan Finney tomorrow night faster than her husband beat Marius Zaromskis ten days prior?
Tool: I’ll go with “false,” although I have little reason to justify it. A quick peak at Finney’s record online reveals two things two things: 1) her nickname is “Cuddles” (seriously?) and 2) she’s only had one TKO loss on her record which came in the second round. Despite her unimpressive record and the overwhelming odds against her, I think it’s safe to assume that Finney is not the easiest opponent to put away. Cyborg is clearly the toughest opponent “Cuddles” has faced in her career and it would certainly be no surprise if the Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight Champion finishes this fight in under two minute, but unless Finney makes a crucial error (flying knee anyone?) I believe she’ll last a bit longer than Zaromskis did.
Conlan: Zaromskis lives and dies on his feet, as evident by four of his five career losses coming by way of TKO, so it was inevitable he or “Cyborg” (XY Chromosome version) was going to sleep sooner than later in their bout. That’s not the case with Finney – ahem, “Cuddles” – so I think I’ll also have to go with “false” on this. Granted, Santos is unlike any other striker let alone overall fighter in women’s MMA. However, Finney has been in the ring against a few females with above-average hands (Erin Toughill for example) and remained conscious throughout save for a single loss to Julie Kedzie. Her grappling is good enough to lock onto “Cyborg” if need be and her stand-up is decent, so as long as she avoids going toe-to-toe with the champ she should be able to make it past the 2:38 mark.
Should Cung Le retire from MMA and focus on acting if he loses to Scott Smith a second time?
Tool: To be honest, I’m not really sure. Thus far Le’s acting career has yet to really take off. He’s played smaller roles in some big-screen releases, although his work in the film Tekken has yet to be seen here in America. He would probably have better luck in Asian cinema as a straight-forward martial arts action star, as there’s little call for someone with his particular talents in the current Hollywood system.
While Le took a large chunk of time off from MMA to focus on acting, the loss to Smith seems to have re-lit the competitive fire within him. He certainly believes that he’s a better fighter than Smith (and up until the final seconds of their first fight, he was) and with the (presumably) impending departure of Jake Shields the door could be wide open for Le to try and regain the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. After all, he never lost the belt. Of course he never had a chance to lose it since he didn’t defend it, but that’s beside the point.
Le could very well lose to Smith a second time. It’s unlikely, but certainly possible. He’s pushing 40 years old so he doesn’t have all the time in the world to get better in the sport, and as such retirement from competition probably isn’t too far off anyways. His exciting fighting style and built in fanbase in the San Jose area will allow him the opportunity to continue on as long as he wants, but if he’s trying to be the best in the world then his chances to do so will live or die on Saturday night.
Conlan: I’m a firm believer fighters should hang up their gloves when they are ready to do so unless there are health-related reasons at play. Yes, Le is 38 and power/speed are typically the first thing to deteriorate with increased age. Yes, he’s only been in the ring three times since June 2007. Yes, he’s a one-trick pony as far as being 100% stand-up based. However, losing his rematch with Smith would only drop him to 6-2, and it’s not as if “Hands of Steel” is some out-of-shape, over-the-hill can they plucked from the street. He’s got 3X as many fights as Le and beaten some notable opponents in his career. He has the striking to put any adversary to sleep and a solid jaw of his own to boot as indiciated by Smith’s only career TKO losses coming to Robbie Lawler in 2008 and James Irvin in 2004. If he walks away victor again this Saturday night it should in no way be considered a slight on Le’s talent but rather a credit to his fellow soft-spoken Californian’s. As Tool said, Le is a huge regional draw and possesses an incredibly entertaining style, so as long as he is still interested in stepping into the ring and competing he should be allowed to do so.
Using a percentage, how much of a chance do you give Fabricio Werdum of beating Fedor Emelianenko?
Conlan: 1%. Don’t get me wrong – Werdum is a world-class competitor on the mat and has some solid Chute Boxe-based striking to compliment the skill. He’s beaten a number of ranked opponents and only been finished once in eighteen fights. However, we’re talking about frakking Fedor here. He’s weathered punches that would have dropped most for the count and worked his way out of any tough position he’s ever been put in. He’s gone to decision less than 1/4 of the time he’s fought, is on a ridiculously long win-streak, and…well…I probably could have stopped at “frakking Fedor”, because the reality is if you’re reading this paragraph you already know the Russian phenom’s resume. There will always be a chance Werdum could perfectly time a punch and pull a “Matt Serra”, so he at least deserves “1%”, but beyond that I don’t see there being any way he comes away from the event as the first fighter to legitimately beat Emelianenko.
Tool: I’ll be a bit kinder to Mr. Werdum and go with 10%. Obviously I’m still backing Fedor to win, but Werdum does have at least one avenue to victory. His striking isn’t quite good enough to give Fedor trouble, but there can be little argument that he’s one of the best pure grapplers in the heavyweight division. Fedor has never really been close to being submitted, but then again it’s been a long time since he’s faced anyone that’s on Werdum’s level in BJJ. I still can’t see Fedor tapping out, but if there’s any opponent in the world that can do it I think it’s Werdum.
Do you think that Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus should have an immediate rematch?
Conlan: Though I’m typically in favor of immediate rematches when a particularly poor decision is rendered, this situation is different because Varner is going to miss a good deal of time with his broken hand/foot. Shalorus, however, was relatively uninjured after their original bout and isn’t scheduled to sit on the sidelines beyond his regular recuperation/training period. Based on that, it’s likely he’ll be ready for action before Varner is so it doesn’t make sense for him to twiddle his thumbs while waiting for the former lightweight champion to recover. As such, I could see a date with Donald Cerrone at a future event.
However, if WEC is determined to pair him with Varner again, I have a suggestion on how “The Prince of Persia” can kill his new-found time. There’s a new James Bond movie on the horizon that’s certain to need evil henchman and if ever an individual was born with the physical attributes to play a role…
Tool: Let’s also not forget that the recent Prince of Persia film was a resounding success, so perhaps Shalorus could have a role to play in a potential sequel? Shalorus vs. Gyllenhaal: book it!
As for the topic at hand, I believe that a rematch should be made as soon as both fighters are healed up and ready to go. I can point to no less than three reasons why this should happen. First, this bout was intended to determine the next #1 contender for Ben Henderson’s WEC Lightweight Championship. That honor will likely now go to the winner of the upcoming Shane Roller/Anthony Pettis bout, but right now there’s a serious lack of competition for the company’s “Smooth” young champion.
The second reason I would like to see a rematch is due to the decision rendered in the first fight. Clearly a draw does nothing to further either man’s career, but on top of that it’s a decision that has not sat well with a majority of the fanbase. Just about anyone that watched that fight could tell that Varner won, but obviously that’s not the case. Look at it this way; if it hadn’t been for the point deduction in the second round Shalorus would have won a split decision, and the controversy would have been even greater.
Finally I say match these two up again because their first meeting was simply a great fight. Groin shots aside, these two kept things competitive for the majority of the fifteen minutes. Shalorus’ strategy of staying in the pocket and slugging it out with Varner may not have been the best gameplan but it certainly kept things entertaining. I say let’s have rounds four, five, and six.
Who would you like to see Court McGee matched up with for his first post-”TUF” fight?
Conlan: I have a feeling McGee may actually drop to welterweight for his next in-Octagon appearance since he’s only 5′11 and size is crucial in a promotion as deep in talent as the UFC. It also makes sense considering a number of past seasonal champions have done the same thing. The Ultimate Fighter is a great opportunity and often fighters are willing to risk competing against bigger guys to earn a contract, plus it makes maintaining/making weight easier.
As far as when Court will be in session again (you’re welcome Mauro Renallo), there are ton of opponents at 170 pounds for “The Crusher” to, well, crush. He clearly can’t be matched against one of the division’s top fighters but he also deserves better than a “gimme” dubya. Amir Sadollah seems possible based on his status as a former TUF winner himself and the fact that, at 3-2, the master of “Baboo Baby” technique could use a semi-winnable fight. Season 9 champ James Wilks is also in a similar position but ended up on the right side of a decision at UFC 115 instead of the wrong one, as Amir did at UFC 114.
Tool: I’m not so sure that McGee will drop down in weight, since he’s not yet announced any plans to do so. I’m going to try and pick someone at middleweight, and furthermore I’ll try to follow the UFC’s traditional model of giving their “TUF” champs a somewhat “lesser” opponent in their first post-show fight.
With that in mind my pick goes to Joe Doerksen. Doerksen is the very definition of a journeyman fighter, with enough name value to provide McGee a nice little boost with a win. At the same time if McGee comes up short in this fight it’s a bit more understandable given the fact that he’s facing an opponent with such a depth of experience. Stylistically the two match up well, as neither man is technically proficient in striking even though they are willing to stand and trade. McGee would have the wrestling advantage, but Doerksen could present a problem with his jiu-jitsu skills.
LAS VEGAS - Veteran referee Josh Rosenthal today was selected by the
Nevada State Athletic Commission to officiate July's UFC 116 main event
between UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and interim belt holder
Shane Carwin.
Rosenthal was selected from a pool of available officials that also
included Herb Dean, Steve Mazzagatti and Mario Yamasaki at today's NSAC
meeting in Las Vegas based on the recommendation of NSAC executive
director Keith Kizer.
Both Lesnar's camp and the UFC issued objections to Mazzagatti's
potential selection.
What NOT to say during a live UFC broadcast. I’d have to say if I was making a list of phrases not to utter during the commentary portion of a live mixed martial arts event, “He’s getting molested” would have to be near the top of the list. Any of you guys that caught last weekend’s inaugural “UFC on Versus” event know what I’m talking about? It happened during the Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello mauling.
Here’s a play-by-play of the play-by play:
Goldberg: I don’t know how much more Buentello can take, Joe.
Rogan: Oh, he can take it all night. The thing is; will Herb Dean let him? He’s getting molested.
Goldberg: You must intelligently defend yourself.
Right off the bat, I feel like Joe Rogan is the best in the business at what he does, so this is in no way an attack on one of my admitted personal favorite commentators in the sport. If anything, it’s a plea to the entire mixed martial arts community to NOT make this some kind of trendy MMA slang.
Let me ask you guys something: What is the first thing that pops into your noodle when you hear the word “molested”? For myself, it’s nearly impossible not to associate the term with unwanted sexual acts with a minor; one of the lowest and most unforgivable offenses on the earth.
I understand when you’re kicking back with your boys watching a UFC it may get a few chuckles when you joke that one fighter is raping his opponent, but in my opinion, molestation jokes have no place or time where they are funny; and that absolutely includes a commentating microphone of a major mixed martial arts event with more than one million eyes and ears watching and listening.
It may not be pretty to listen to, but I’ll take a good old fashioned Lampley meltdown(see video below) over a molestation reference any day of the week.
Playing the game? Many of you guys heard Herb Dean tell Paul Buentello that he was doing just that after taking a set of knees to the Chiclets from Cheick Kongo during the pair’s “UFC on Versus” tussle.
So what is this “playing the game”? Well, it was described by Joe Rogan during the broadcast as a situation where Buentello had both hands off the canvas, but when he saw that he was going to catch a knee to the dome, he put his hand down on the mat to make the knee illegal. And that’s exactly what it is. I’ve heard “Big” John McCarthy giving other fighters the same warning in UFC’s past, so it’ nothing new to the sport.
My beef with this instance of “playing the game” is that fact that “The Headhunter” was supposedly “playing the game” for a full four seconds before catching some tough love in the form of a knee to the face from Kongo while technically “downed” (one hand on the mat) before Dean deemed that Buentello was basically at fault. Buentello puts his hand on the canvas at 1:43 of round two, takes the first knee to the head at 1:40, and the second at 1:39. To me, that’s not playing the game, but getting illegally bludgeoned.
I could be wrong, but my interpretation of “playing the game” has always been when a fighter attempts to put his hand down just as the knee is about to hit him, and not four or five seconds after the fighter has touched his palm to the mat. I don’t feel like a fighter is “playing the game” after having his hand on the canvas for two seconds or longer. That’s plenty of time for both a skilled referee and the opposing fighter to see what’s going on.
The rules are there for a reason – to protect the fighter – but with the sport being as young as it is in the grand scheme of things, sometimes it seems like we’re making things up as we go. Like when you’re playing touch football with your buddies back in grade school and some wise-ass decides to change the rules in the middle of the game. What is that? Unfortunately for Buentello, he couldn’t just take his ball and go home.
You can’t call “timeout” in MMA. You just can’t. Have you guys ever seen or been in a fight where someone is getting their lunch money taken from them and they decide it’s time to call “time”? You can’t do that. That is so against the rules of fighting that it’s not even funny.
The reason I’m bringing this up is because I saw two men that seemed to call “time” during last weekend’s “UFC on Versus” card. The subjects in question: Paul Buentello and James Irvin.
First it was Irvin who freaked out when he took a “for real punch” to the eye. I was shocked when referee Josh Rosenthal informed James Irvin that he had five minutes to recover from being punched directly in the face from the fist of Alessio Sakara. Luckily, some sense was eventually made of the unfortunate situation and Irvin was informed – rightfully – that he had basically submitted from a punch to the face.
Then it was Buentello who turned away from Cheick Kongo when his finger was jarred out of socket. I have no doubt that the injury must have been excruciatingly painful due to Buentello limping around the Octagon following the digit disaster, but the fight should have been waved off right then and there, just like the Irvin fight.
Long story short, if an injury occurs in MMA from anything other than a foul, it’s a wrap. No “timeouts” in MMA, fellas.
Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez. How can this fight not come to fruition? With Frank Mir and Shane Carwin set to duke it out tomorrow evening at UFC 111 for the right to challenge Brock Lesnar for the real UFC heavyweight crown, there really is no other fight for either of these human wrecking machines that have been carving out a path of destruction on their way to the top of the heavyweight mountain. Both look nearly unstoppable at the weight class, which brings me to my next topic.
Five unstoppable forces in UFC heavyweight division. Can we just celebrate the fact that the state of the UFC heavyweight division is the best it’s ever been right now? Right now we have a situation where there are five incredibly talented big men that look nearly invincible. There’s UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, a better than ever Frank Mir, and a trio of undefeated human wrecking balls, Junior dos Santos, Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez. What do all of these guys have in common? I can’t visualize any of them losing any time soon; but some of them will do just that. The beauty of the situation we find ourselves in is the possibility of establishing a heavyweight title holder that can not be disputed in just about a year’s time.
Until next time, bang, bang…. BANG, BANG, BANG!!!!!.
Jim Lampley: There you go – four punch, five punch, six punch combinations - body shot, body shot - bang, bang, bang…. bang, bang, BANG!!! Try and stop it. Bang, Bang! Here I come. Bang! You wanna throw some time? Bang! This is the Manny Pacquiao that has dominated boxing for the past three years. Bang, bang, bang, BANG, BANG!!!
Max Kellerman: And when Pacquiao…
Jim Lampley: You wanna throw back? Bang!! Keep coming!
Max Kellerman: And when Pacquiao starts doing this, now I tend to agree: Clottey has to do something to keep him off.
Although UFC 116 winners Chris Leben and Chris Lytle got their dues, this week's edition of The Sunday Junkie is all about main-event winner and heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.
Should Josh Rosenthal have halted Saturday's UFC 116 main event in the first round?
LAS VEGAS - Veteran referee Josh Rosenthal today was selected by the