UFC 123 is set to take place at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan and will feature a main event bout between Lyoto Machida and Quinton Jackson. The news was first reported by MMAFighting.com.
Both former champs are coming off losses, with Jackson losing via decision at UFC 114 and Machida losing the light heavyweight title against current champion Mauricio Rua at UFC 113. A win by either fighter would certainly put them into contention for a match up against whoever wins the Rashad Evans vs. Mauricio Rua matchup, especially if Machida takes the bout.
The MMA News will update the story as word comes out.
A light heavyweight showdown between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira looks like it may be coming to fruition as Tatame.com has recently reported that both fighters have agreed to the potential contest, although no contracts have been signed at this point.
If the fight does take place, it’s likely it would be held in September at an event yet to be announced.
“It’s set that he’ll be back in September, and rumors point that his opponent might be Quinton Jackson,” said Nogueira’s boxing coach Luis Carlos Dórea in a recent conversation with Tatame.com. “It’d be a great fight for Rogério, he’s a former UFC champion and a victory over him will move us pretty close to the title. The UFC only has top athletes and Quinton Jackson is really dangerous. It’d be a great fight, but the UFC didn’t confirmed anything yet.”
Both men are considered to be among the top contenders in the ultra-stacked UFC 205 lb. division, while Jackson recently came back from a lengthy layoff only to be handed a defeat in the form of a unanimous decision at the hands of Rashad Evans at UFC 114, and Nogueira is fresh off of a controversial split decision victory over Jason Brilz at the same event on May 29.
The UFC may be looking to match Antônio Rogério “Lil Nog” Nogueira (19-3) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-8) against one another this September according to Nogueira’s boxing coach Luis Carlos Dórea.
Dórea spoke to Tatame.com and fell short of confirming an agreement to face the former UFC light-heavyweight champion.
“It’s set that he’ll be back in September, and rumors point that his opponent might be Quinton Jackson. It’d be a great fight for Rogério, he’s a former UFC champion and a victory over him will move us pretty close to the title. The UFC only has top athletes and Quinton Jackson is really dangerous. It’d be a great fight, but the UFC didn’t confirmed anything yet”, Dórea said.
There had been some talk about matching Jackson against Lyoto Machida, but it isn’t something “Rampage” wants as he’s looking to face a more exciting opponent and may have one in “Lil Nog.”
The UFC may be looking to match Antônio Rogério “Lil Nog” Nogueira (19-3) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-8) against one another this September according to Nogueira’s boxing coach Luis Carlos Dórea.
Dórea spoke to Tatame.com and fell short of confirming an agreement to face the former UFC light-heavyweight champion.
“It’s set that he’ll be back in September, and rumors point that his opponent might be Quinton Jackson. It’d be a great fight for Rogério, he’s a former UFC champion and a victory over him will move us pretty close to the title. The UFC only has top athletes and Quinton Jackson is really dangerous. It’d be a great fight, but the UFC didn’t confirmed anything yet”, Dórea said.
There had been some talk about matching Jackson against Lyoto Machida, but it isn’t something “Rampage” wants as he’s looking to face a more exciting opponent and may have one in “Lil Nog.”
When an arena clears at the end of a Mixed Martial Arts event it’s often assumed the men (and/or women) whose blood and sweat still stain the canvas have finished fighting as it relates to that particular show. They typically pack up their gear, take care of on-site media obligations, and head to a hotel room to either lick their wounds or get dressed for an after-party where an entirely different sort of tongue-wagging may eventually come into play. Regardless of extra-curricular choices or the evening’s earlier result, those who entertain in the ring exit the venue with the closure of knowing they can move forward in life and onto the next opponent; that the work they’ve done will be rewarded with adulation from supporters, the personal satisfaction brought on by competition, and of course some level of financial gain.
Or so it’s assumed.
On May 15th, 2010 a show promoted by an organization known as the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts took place in Birmingham, England. The card featured a number of recognizable names, including those with Octagon experience on their resume like Seth Petruzelli, Matt Horwich, and War Machine. Petruzelli and the man once known as John Koppenhaver fared better in result than Horwich but all three spent weeks preparing in the gym with the mutual understanding BAMMA 3 would be like any other event.
On June 8th, 2010 all three men are still awaiting payment for the commitment each fulfilled. Apparently, BP isn’t the only dealer of dismay from across the pond with an element of slime involved. Money depended on for training costs, mortgages, general bills, food, family, and any other imaginable want or need remains a promise unkept, and thoughts originally turned towards a future competitor now look at an opponent possibly looming in a ring far different from any used in combat sports – a court of law.
News of the situation first came to light a week ago when Petruzelli and War Machine took to different realms of cyberspace to plead their cases. Said Petruzelli on popular MMA forum The Underground, “This is B.S! We feed our families with this money.” Meanwhile, the Ultimate Fighter Season 6 alumnus went the route of Twitter and addressed the topic in standard form, writing “Sure would be nice if BAMMA decided to FINALLY f*cking PAY US! Or maybe that’s too much to ask? WTF!? Really getting PISSED now! Contract said 72 hours…lol That’s 3 days right? Just wondering because it’s been 3 WEEKS!” He even went as far as to send a message to BAMMA’s account questioning whether or not they were going to pay or if the promotion felt they didn’t deserve their money.
In Horwich’s case, the woman he married a day after an IFL title defense (Kelly) spoke up to elaborate on the situation. “The promoter…had the balls to tell me he didn’t know we needed to be paid so urgently. People think fighters are rich and famous…they are normal people that need their money to eat too. We’re starving over here peoplel!!!!!” She also, understandably angry about things, made it clear she was thankful she and her husband hadn’t purchased a new house as they’d been considering, or else “WE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO (HAVE) PAID THE GOD DAMN RENT!!!!!”
Fast-forward to this past Wednesday when Petruzelli stated he’d received half of his expected winnings with the remainder promised for payment later in the day while management for War Machine and Horwich, by proxy of his wife, claimed neither camp had received a dime of their purses. Hours later BAMMA apparently made good on their word to Petruzelli and War Machine, yet Horwich was left in the cold. As of Saturday, June 12th – nearly a month after the actual event – the same remains true. (UPDATE: Horwich was FINALLY paid today, a month to the day after the card’s completion.)
Unfortunately, circumstances like the above are not as uncommon as fans (and fighters) might hope nor are they limited to small shows. Far too often the men and women who sacrifice their bodies for our entertainment are victims in an industry where expectations often exceed ticket-sales and PPV buys. Quinton Jackson, among others, has spoken in the past about PRIDE shorting him and delaying payment during the promotion’s heyday. DREAM has been associated with with similar activities, most notably with current Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz after he defeated Katsuya Inoue at DREAM 3 in May 2008. The same was essentially true in the case of the mid-card fighters set to square off at Affliction III before Tom Atencio folded up shop ten days out from the event. In reality, considering the rarity of a promoter not being associated on some level with questionable financial practices, it’s really no wonder the UFC is the cream of MMA’s crop.
It’s common knowledge we live in a money-driven society where characters ranging from legitimate to downright shady will attempt to capitalize on a trend in hopes of striking it rich. As such, we have to accept the business of Mixed Martial Arts is no different, and the practice of exploiting others in hopes of turning a profit is anything but a newly invented concept. However, that’s not to say people should stand idle while athletes we respect or are personally invested in as fans pay the price after already sacrificing so much for our mere enjoyment. We need to stop focusing so much on the figures and turn our attention to whether or not a contractual agreement was actually fulfilled. When a promotion, like BAMMA, shafts a fighter you need to let your opinion be known both in written/verbal form as well as when it comes to buying future shows/tickets. Likewise, when fighters are paid on time you need to support those companies for living up to their word. Mixed Martial Artists fight for us. Now it’s our turn to fight for them.
Nobody does quitting like professional athletes. First there’s a stretch of wildly inconsistent performances, followed by an official retirement in a spectacle of touching ceremonies, heartfelt speeches and highlight-reels. Then they sniff out a bigger contract, come back the following year and do it again. Even when the career finally ends, there is still the rounds of cheating accusations—from steroids, to corked bats, to illegal handwraps—that block the road to the record books. Whatever the circumstances, a career in physical competition almost never ends on a high note.
However, most star athletes are remembered warmly by fans. All the awful statistics and scandalous headlines (usually collected during the last few years) are forgotten in favour of an identified “prime”. Furthermore, slipping talent is more subtle in team sports because the overall success of a franchise is more important than a specific player; that allows for a more gradual realization that the best days are past—though it will still come painfully late.
However, in fighting, entire storied careers can be buried underneath a couple humiliating defeats—Michael Bisping will never live down that knockout by Dan Henderson. Furthermore, faltering performances are not obscured throughout a long season amidst teammates. Rather, the reduced speed, sloppy timing and softening chin are clearly displayed through full HD widescreen and slow-motion replays.
Fighter’s careers rarely wind down with dignity; instead they are viciously beaten out of contention by young-up-and-comers. Former stars like Jens Pulver, Ken Shamrock and Kevin Randleman are struggling to stay relevant while being brutalized by the next generation. Some fighters even opt for a huge drop in competition in order to rack up some wins. Such as former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (26-6 MMA), who has been proving his legendary status by facing such challenges as Ray Mercer (0-0 MMA, with one exhibition loss to Kimbo Slice) and Marius Pudzianowski (2-0 MMA).
The UFC 115 main event featured two fighters who are passionately ignoring signs that it is time to gracefully retire. Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin had great title reigns but are simply being outclassed in the autumn of their careers. Neither man has a chance of regaining the championship. And as the losses pile up, not only is their physical health at risk, but so is their legacy as fighters.
MMA has grown dramatically over the last five years. One the best results of that growth has been a tremendous increase in overall talent throughout the sport. As a result, being a champion means much more now than it did during the prime of Franklin and Liddell. Therefore, when former champs get destroyed by the next wave of talent, it begs the question of whether that prime was helped along by a lack of real competition.
Take the present UFC light-heavyweight class as an example: there are seven active former champions (Rich Franklin, Lyoto Machida, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz ) competing to get a shot at the newly crowned Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Compare that to the division during Liddell’s reign, where he and Randy Couture were the only real forces, as most of the current big names were still emerging or fighting in Pride FC.
Truthfully, the fizzling of former MMA stars probably has more to do with age and physical deterioration than truly being outclassed. But because it’s impossible to say exactly what would have happened if things had been different in their prime, they’ll never be able to shake the notion of being champ before the divisions were truly stacked. And the longer they spend getting knocked around by new blood, the more fuel it gives to such doubts.
It is hard to say exactly why athletes refuse to retire. Part of the problem may be pure ego, but mental conditioning may also deserve blame. Competing at the highest level means pushing through injuries, rough training camps, struggles with confidence and personal tragedy—see Vitor Belfort fighting Randy Couture while his sister was being held by kidnappers. After years of telling yourself that quitting is not an option, it’s pretty hard to bow out. That’s the nature of MMA though; success requires being tough, stubborn and a little crazy. And those traits do not usually lead to dignified endings.
Should fans be thankful Rich Franklin is fighting Chuck Liddell as opposed to Tito Ortiz? If KJ Noons can get by Conor Heun next Wednesday should Strikeforce promote a rematch with rival Nick Diaz or let him focus on the lightweight division? Who will pull off the biggest upset at UFC 115? Will Saturday night mark Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s last appearance in the Octagon if he falls to Pat Barry? Are you interested in seeing “The A-Team” because of Quinton Jackson’s involvement or are you planning to skip it altogether regardless of “Rampage”?
Seven months ago, a crack commando journalism unit was sent to prison by a court of editors for a typo they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Underground. Today, still wanted by the FCC, they survive as soldiers of fortune without the actual fortune involved. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire… The GWI-Team!
Please forgive me if this week’s introduction is brief, but I’m fairly certain I saw a Predator drone marked with Sherdog’s logo circle my current location so time is clearly of the essence. As always, Adam Tool (callsign: B.A. Tool) and myself (callsign: Brend-hannibal) are here to provide insight and opinion on topics plucked from the MMA landscape. However, this week’s edition has SEVEN savory subjects for the two of us to dissect in honor of Quinton Jackson’s potentially star-making role in “The A-Team”. 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…
Fastest finish come June 16th’s “Strikeforce – Los Angeles” card – Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral or Marius Zaromskis vs. Evangelista Santos?
Adam Tool: I’ve got to go with Zaromskis vs. Santos for this one. Both men are highly-touted strikers with plenty of KO wins on their records. Santos is certainly more than capable of using his jiu-jitsu to get the job done, but I believe it’s more likely we’ll see these two come out aggressive right from the opening bell. If this fight makes it past the first round I’ll be somewhat surprised, but of course I have been wrong about this sort of thing before.
As for Lawler and Sobral, there’s certainly a chance this one could end quickly as well. Lawler will certainly be looking to lay into “Babalu” early and often, but at the same time I would hardly expect Sobral to try and get into a slugfest with such a dangerous opponent. Sobral hasn’t been seen since his devastating knockout to Gegard Mousasi and as such I would imagine he’ll be taking a more cautious approach in this fight. Don’t expect “Babalu” to stay in the pocket for too long, as he’ll likely try and keep his distance and pick his shots before looking for the takedown. Sobral has a steep advantage in the grappling department and he knows that Lawler is weak on the ground, so in the end this one will come down to which fighter can best implement their gameplan for victory.
Brendhan Conlan: Tool makes some good points yet I’m still inclined to pick Sobral/Lawler. Zaromskis and Santos are strikers to be sure, though I’m not sure “highly-touted” is the phrasing I’d use unless “touting” them after a few hours with Nick Diaz. “Cyborg” has been out-struck by a handful of relative nobodies in his career and Zaromskis’ biggest win to date is “Mach” Sakurai (who is on the backside of his career and currently riding a three-fight losing streak). They’re aggressive and have knockout power but neither is particularly technical or skilled in terms of overall striking ability. Granted, neither are Lawler or Sobral, but in the case of Zaromskis and Santos I think they’re comparable enough to cancel each other out. I can see their bout going into the second or third round, while in the case of “Babalu” vs. Lawler I think there’s a better chance of Sobral’s lights being turned out in the first round. His last three losses have all been by way of knockout and he’ll have to absorb some damage each time he attempts to drag Lawler to the mat in hopes of attacking with submissions. All “Ruthless” Robbie needs to do is land a single, relatively clean shot to the Brazilian’s chin to win and I don’t think it will take him very long to do so.
If KJ Noons beats Conor Heun next week, should Strikeforce focus on promoting him as a lightweight or instead on putting together a long-anticipated rematch Nick Diaz?
Tool: I see no reason why Strikeforce shouldn’t try to put together the Diaz/Noons rematch, as it’s a fight that people have been wanting to see since both guys were still getting paychecks from EliteXC. Noons has had his profile decrease substantially since moving over to the world of boxing, and if he has any desire to be a star in MMA then he needs to get that pot-smoking monkey off his back. Noons won the first fight, but it was due to a cut and Diaz has been unstoppable ever since. If KJ wants to prove that he’s still a threat in this sport then the best way to do that is to beat Diaz again.
Let’s be fair though, this fight makes more sense for Diaz than it does for Noons. KJ could potentially make an impact in the Strikeforce lightweight division, and there’s some intriguing match-ups to be made (assuming he can get past the unheralded Heun). At the same time Diaz has next-to-no competition left for his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship (except a potentially over-matched Tyron Woodley) and is going to be needing a fight soon. I’m sure Diaz would love to finally get his rematch with Noons, and since he’s one of the biggest stars Strikeforce has it makes sense to give him the most high profile match-ups possible.
If Strikeforce tries to put this fight together, and if Noons turns it down (again), then he can probably look forward to a spot on the next Strikeforce Challengers event. If Noons is willing to take the rematch then it’s a fight that could easily be featured on a regular Strikeforce card, and maybe even CBS (if that ship has not already sailed). Noons went over to boxing because the money was better, and right now he won’t have a better payday than the one he would get for fighting Diaz again. I hope Scott Coker can make it happen.
Conlan: I agree that Diaz is the better option between the two. Strikeforce doesn’t have a wealth of depth in any division so catch-weight attractions are something they should take advantage of when the possibility presents itself. There’s a great deal of personal heat between the two based on the outcome of their first fight and the miniature in-ring riot occurring two years ago after Noons successfully defended his EliteXC title against Yves Edwards. Each also brings an exciting style into every bout so from that standpoint it’s almost guaranteed to entertain as well.
Beyond that, current lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez is out of action until November/December based on the impending birth of his daughter, and likely on a collision course with Bellator title-holder Eddie Alvarez as is, while 155-pound contenders Josh Thomson and Lyle Beerbohm have already been rumored as a future match-up. Other than a few DREAM lightweights and Roger Huerta there aren’t a lot of available fighters who, when paired with Noons, have the potential to draw as much interest from fans as Diaz does. The same rings true in reverse, as Diaz’s best options at 170 pounds are Woodley and a handful of mid-tier free agents. He could definitely give middleweight a go to establish himself as a top contender and maybe even become a two-division champ in the process, but other than Jason “Mayhem” Miller I don’t think there are any 185-pound opponents fans are as interested in seeing Diaz face in comparison to Noons. Strikefoce needs to put them back in the cage together, promote it in the same way “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans was hyped, and let fans sit back and enjoy two guys who legitimately dislike each other exchange some leather. Frankly, to not capitalize on their fading rivalry before it’s too late to do so would be an utter blunder on the part of Scott Coker’s team and maybe even a nail in their coffin.
What UFC 115 bout features the most potential for the biggest upset to occur?
Tool: When trying to figure out the answer to this question I started by looking up and down the card. Upon doing so I realized that it’s kind of tough to figure out who are the underdogs in a lot of these fights. I then looked up the betting odds for the show and soon discovered just how close the lines are on almost every fight this weekend. Seriously, the biggest favorite on the card is Ultimate Fighter season 9 winner James Wilks. Wilks is facing Peter Sobotta, who is 0-1 in the UFC and whose win column is filled with names you’ve never heard of. Rich Franklin is a slight favorite in the main event, but I’m sure that line will get closer now that we’ve all seen what tremendous shape Chuck is in. Mirko Cro Cop is a slight underdog against Pat Barry, but everyone (including Barry himself) knows just how dangerous Cro Cop can still be.
With so many fights being so evenly matched there’s not a lot of options as far as one guy being a “sure thing” to win his fight, so I‘m forced to resort to the betting lines. The underdog fighter I’d pick to pull off a victory would probably be Carlos Condit, although if you didn’t check the lines you probably would think that he’s the favorite to win in his bout with Rory MacDonald. MacDonald is undefeated and has finished every one of his fights, but Condit represents a huge step up in competition for the young man from British Columbia. The former WEC Welterweight Champion is extremely dangerous wherever the fight takes place, plus he’s got a will to win and the drive to never give up.
Conlan: Betting lines are certainly the mark of an “underdog” but definitely not the entire indicator of it. After all, am I to believe fans don’t consider Mario Miranda a huge underdog to David Louiseau or Gilbert Yvel to Ben Rothwell simply because the involved odds may not dictate it?
Moving on, the fight I see with the most potential for a significant upset is Evan Dunham’s clash with Tyson Griffin. Griffin has struggled to finish opponents in the Octagon, so he leaves a lot of time for his foes to slip in and steal bouts (Sean Sherk and Frank Edgar clearly being the best examples based on their actual success against the Xtreme Couture OG). Dunham is a solid grappler with nice hands and reminds me a bit of a 5′10″, stronger, paler version of the 5′6″ Griffin. It was hard not to be impressed by his submission of Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20 last January, and he’s undefeated ten fights into his career, so I won’t be surprised if he walks away with a decision win against Griffin. However, I think a lot of fans will be and I don’t just mean the Zuffa Zombies out there.
Are you more excited about Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin than you would have been for Liddell’s third fight with Tito Ortiz?
Conlan: Absolutely. Neither of their original encounters were particularly competitive bouts and the only people clamoring for a third throwdown seemed to be Liddell, Ortiz, and UFC President Dana White. The former 205-pound champions’ mutual dislike of one another made it logical to pair them from the standpoint of producing an entertaining season of the Ultimate Fighter but not from one based on in-ring competition or fulfilling fans’ phantom wishes for a trilogy as necessary as “The Matrix: Revolutions”. Enter Franklin and you have a fresh match-up featuring two former title-holders and fellow icons of the Octagon. Although “Ace” may have dropped two of his last three fights he remains a credible threat against all opponents not named Anderson Silva and has the style to give Liddell a run for his money. He’s got multi-point striking, good power, and solid grappling. Unlike Ortiz, Franklin won’t have to rely on dragging the action down to the mat to procure a win, and similarly he’s a threat to knock Chuck out whereas Ortiz hasn’t TKO’d anyone other than Ken Shamrock in the last nine years. All the involved factors add up to a scenario far superior than the one created by a third helping of Liddell vs. Ortiz.
Tool: Brendhan hit the nail on the head here. Liddell and Ortiz’s rivalry makes for good reality TV, but there’s really nothing left to prove by pitting these two against one another in the octagon. Only the most die-hard Ortiz fan (does such a thing exist?) would be upset by this change in the lineup. Okay, I suppose Chuck’s fans are upset because they thought he had this one in the bag, and now Franklin presents a much bigger challenge.
Personally I wouldn’t be surprised if this main event goes down as the “Fight of the Night” when bonuses are handed out. Liddell and Franklin both know what they do best, and that’s hitting people in the face. Neither one has a “legendary” chin, but I’m pretty sure they can each still take their fair share of punishment. I expect both fighters to be tentative at the start, given their cage rust and the stakes involved, but I can certainly see a nice little slugfest erupting as the time ticks on.
Besides, if the fight had gone down as scheduled it’s safe to assume that Ortiz would have lost in dramatic fashion and blamed his neck injury for his performance. If the parties involved are serious about doing Liddell vs. Ortiz 3, then we may as well do it when Tito can fight without the slightest possibility of an excuse.
TRUE/FALSE – This will be the last time we see Mirko Cro Cop in the UFC if he loses to Pat Barry.
Conlan: I’m not 100% sure how his contract looks but, assuming the paperwork is in place, I think he’ll be around for a few more fights as long as he doesn’t look like a fish out of water against Barry. After all, like Mirko, Barry is a kickboxer by nature and the thought of him mopping the mat with Filipovic would significantly detract from the Croation’s remaining mystique.
That being said, though “Cro Cop” is on the backside of his career, he’s still a viable commodity in terms of his ability to compete against mid-tier opponents and in his standing as a major draw in Europe. Technically he’s 4-1 since losing back-to-back bouts during his first run in the UFC (with a “No Contest” against Alistair Overeem after having his gonads launched into orbit by the Strikeforce heavyweight champ occurring along the way). Were the numbers reversed he likely would have already hung his checkered shorts up and called it a career, but seeing as how they aren’t and the single loss came to rising star Junior Dos Santos I think it’s premature to think Filipovic is finished in the UFC. He’s too valuable a name, and seems to have enough left in his tank, to give walking papers to unless “Cro Cop” comes out of UFC 115 with a horribly one-sided defeat to Barry.
Tool: I’ve got to go with True here. This is the last fight on Cro Cop’s current UFC contract, and a loss to Barry would put him at 3-4 in the octagon. Those three wins all came against meager competition and offered little to be impressed with. His losses just prove that “The Croatian Sensation” can’t hang with the current level of talent in the heavyweight division. The guy got out-wrestled by Cheick Kongo, is there any reason to think that he would hold his own against somebody like Cain Velasquez?
The name value and drawing power Cro Cop brought at the beginning of his UFC run is all but extinguished. Modern day fans have seen nothing in his fights that lives up to the terrifying reputation the hardcore fanbase has given him. His fans will keep tuning in for the hope that they’ll see some of that old Cro Cop magic, but there’s been no sign of the old Cro Cop since PRIDE went quietly into that good night. Unless Pat Barry is on the receiving end of a highlight reel knockout this weekend, I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high about hearing “Wild Boys” on the UFC PA system ever again.
If Paulo Thiago beats Martin Kampmann, should he be the next welterweight contender?
Conlan: No, because he’ll need to fight someone in the period between UFC 115 and George St. Pierre’s post-TUF title defense against Josh Koscheck. If all goes according to plan the Ultimate Fighter Season 12 coaches will face off in December meaning the eventual welterweight champ won’t be available for at least another 3-4 months after that. Asking Thiago to sit out for close to a year is ridiculous, especially in a class as deep as 170 pounds and with Jake Shields potentially showing up in a few months. A victory over Kampmann would definitely make Thiago more deserving of a shot at St. Pierre’s belt than some who’ve had a crack, so I see how “should” could apply in that instance, but as far as reality goes the timing isn’t right for it to occur. Rather, if the Brazilian police specialist emerges with his hands raised in Vancouver, I think he’ll have to serve as Shields’ debut opponent or fight the winner of Jon Fitch’s rumored rematch against Thiago Alves before receiving an opportunity at the title.
Tool: It’s a little weird how much Thiago has slipped under the radar in the welterweight. He’s got decisive wins over two of the top ten guys in the world (including the next #1 contender) and the lone loss of his career was against the second best guy in his weight class. Brendhan makes a solid point in that even with a win on Saturday, Thiago would still likely need at least one more fight to solidify potential contender status.
The idea of matching up this weekend’s winner with the almost-certainly-soon-to-be-signed Shields is not bad, particularly since Shields will likely be thrust right into the thick of things at the upper levels of the UFC. I can also support a potential match-up for Thiago with the winner of Fitch/Alves, although that may not be a bad idea for Shields’ debut either. I was certainly intrigued by the Paulo Thiago/Thiago Alves fight when it was initially rumored earlier this year, although a Thiago/Fitch rematch doesn’t excite me quite as much.
One fact that remains to be seen is whether or not Thiago can pull out the win this Saturday. Martin Kampmann may have been knocked around by Paul Daley last year, but in the meantime he managed to Jacob Volkman in a much more convincing fashion than Thiago did. It goes without saying that Thiago has a firm edge on the ground, but there are few strikers in the welterweight division that can stand toe-to-toe with Kampmann. For me this is easily one of the most exciting fights on the card, but it’s also a fight that could determine one of 2011’s welterweight contenders.
Do you have any interest in seeing The A-Team and if so how much of that interest is due to “Rampage” Jackson’s starring role?
Tool: In all honesty, my interest level for this movie begins and ends with “Rampage” Jackson. I don’t have some huge attachment to the original series and overall the movie looks a little bland to me. I’ve seen Jackson’s acting before (there’s my review of direct-to-DVD crapfest Never Surrender somewhere out there on the internet) and it’s not terrible. Of course, at the time I was comparing it to the acting chops of BJ Penn and Heath Herring. I’ll catch this one at home in the future, but don’t look for me in line at the theater this weekend.
Conlan: It was basically a prerequisite to love “The A-Team” if you grew up in the 80s like I did. As such, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the movie and the fact “Rampage” is in it as “B.A. Baracus” makes the pot THAT much sweeter. After all, he apparently read against the likes of Ice Cube and Common so his presence is not only excellent from a MMA enthusiast’s standpoint but also in terms of being appropriately cast for the role. The action sequences I’ve seen look good and the other three actors involved are all entertaining in their own way. I don’t know if I’ll spend $20 to catch it at the theater, as it takes a lot for me to throw that kind of cash down on any movie, but I’m absolutely planning on seeing it at some point in the near future.
As expected former UFC light-heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson have agreed to meet for an upcoming fight.
UFC light-heavyweight fighter Quinton Jackson is a guest on tonight's
