EPMMAB taps out

Here it is....the new incarnation of L.A.s best MMA blog. Enjoy & thanks for reading.

http://mxmxa.wordpress.com/

EPMMAB: Evolution

Hey all you faithful worshippers at the most sacred & holy EPMMAB shrine, here's some good news. We're working on upgrading this "little blog that could" to a format we're sure you'll all appreciate. We don't want to reveal too much but here's a clue for the more inquisitive among you: it rhymes with "birdpress". You can look forward to interviews, editorials, live-blogging of local events & of course some very vicious, vituperative & vitriolic verbal assaults on those other MMA websites who dare think they deserve to exist on the same worldwide web as we do.

We now take you back to your regularly scheduled programming; namely, a short list of why bjj is better than wrestling.

-Somehow, "kimonos" are actually much more masculine than "singlets".
-We actually try to submit our opponents, not just dry-hump them until time runs out.
-BJJ pioneer: Rickson Gracie. Wrestling pioneer: Junkyard Dawg.
-There are no "pancakes", "chicken wings", "Hi-C's" or "banana splits" in BJJ.
-Bjj is based on technique, not how much weight you can cut.

Hey-oh.

Strikeforce headed to L.A., beeyotches

Just when I was reeeeally bumming out over Strikeforce's MW champ Jake Shields defecting to the UFC, thus putting a major kink in my anti-Zuffa boycott, they find a way to cheer me up. They're heading out here to my hometown of sunny, smoggy, psycho Los Angeles for an event to coincide with the E3 expo at the Convention Center down the street. Looks like EA Sports' endorsement of Strikeforce is working out. Tell me you weren't impressed by those little re-enactments during Strikeforce Nashville!

Featuring: Robbie Lawler vs Babalu (my BJJ teacher's buddy, pardon me for namedropping), JK "I beat Nick Diaz" Noons & also, for some reason, a match featuring the would-be black Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley.

Yes, EPMMAB will be there, up front & in person. Yes, we will be live blogging throughout the event. And yes, we will be consuming seveveral hundred empty calories in the form of fermented yeast, barley & hops!

EPMMAB issues formal apology to Mark Hunt

Dear Mark Hunt,

Echo Park MMA Blog recently published an article comparing the merits of Alistair Overeem & Fedor Emelianenko by way of how fast each fighter could submit you. This was in no way meant to cast aspersions on you or your MMA career. EPMMA blog paid to see the PRIDE Shockwave PPV in which you performed your now legendary "atomic butt-drop" en route to your upset win over Wanderlei Silva. We cheered for you so much when you beat CroCop we ended up wearing our beer. We have nothing but love for Mark Hunt & wish more (or even some) fighters had half the stones you do. We also look forward to seeing you back in the ring or cage, doing what you do best: beating the everliving snot out of the world's best fighters. To that end, we're proud to display this HL reel & hope our readers appreciate the ironic juxtaposition of the girly soundtrack & the staggeringly violent content.

Sincerely,
EPMMAB

Overeem & Emelianenko take the Mark Hunt test

Let's fast-forward a bit here & say that Fedor beats Werdum, Overeem beats Rogers, & we finally get a legit challenger to Fedor's made-to-order "W.A.M.M.A." title.

I took the liberty of putting together this highly-scientific formula for determining who holds the advantage. I compared the outcome of two fights against one common opponent: the inimitable Mark Hunt.

Having won 5 of his last 6 fights, almost all by stoppage, Mark Hunt was wreaking havoc on the Japanese circuit. His MMA decline started right around the time he fought Fedor & Overeem back-to-back.

Fedor was able to submit the rampaging Kiwi 8 minutes into Round 1 (these are 10 minute Japanese-style rounds, you'll recall). And Overeem? Why, he cut right to the chase & tapped Hunt in less than 2 minutes. Faster than Fedor and, incidentally, faster than 'roided-out rassler Josh Barnett. But don't take my word for it; check it out for yourself...







Advantage: Overeem.

Dana White strikes again...

So the arch-villain of MMA has once again wreaked havoc on my visions of a UFC-free future. Jake Shields, Strikeforce's great white hope, has apparently enetered into negotiations with the evil empire known as Z.U.F.F.A. Fucking great. I would have known sooner but since I refuse to watch any progamming by the Z -word, I missed Shields & Dana White chumming it up in the front row while Aldo stomped Faber.

What really shocks me is that somehow Strikeforce let Shields defend his goddamn title on the last (last!!!) fight on his contract. Even though they landed the CBS/Showtime deal, a move like that shows incredibly un-savvy business acumen. If Dana White's borderline-libelous accusations that Strikeforce wanted to fuck Shields over by having Hendo kick his ass & take his belt on the last fight of his contract hold any merit, then maybe I jumped onto a bandwagon being steered by nitwits. But it felt so good to believe that I had found a cure for the UFC's $50 a month habit.

So! Well played, Mr. White. I hear you may also be bringing the older, more stoned Diaz brother back to your eight-sided sideshow. I'm just going to throw this out there...I don't think you ever wanted a network deal in the first place. Why would you? Splitting the profits with network execs & giving up your piece of the gate, not to mention the "tax" you levy on sponsors doesn't sound like something you'd be interested in. Neither does having to face legit sportswriters without using language that would make a sailor blush.

So barring a brutal KO of Fedor at the hands of Overeem, Strikeforce suddenly has much less to offer this disgrunted MMA-obsessed blogger. Back to KOTC. Sorry I stepped out on you, guys.

5 Oz of Pain Hates on Jake Shields

So those jackanapes at 5 Ounces of Pain are calling Shields' fight against Hendo (the one where he survived two 1st-round knockdowns & came back to put on a 20-min BJJ clinic) a "lackluster win".

Sorry guys, tag-team chair-&-ladder lumberjack matches haven't been officially sanctioned yet. We'll just have to make do with fast-paced, gutsy, highly-technical displays of MMA prowess in the meantime. Go cry in your Mountain Dew why dontcha.

Strikeforce keeps it real

Strikeforce: Nashville was so good, even their post-fight brawl had more action than Anderson Silva's last fight.

Thank you thank you thank you, Strikeforce. Mousasi vs Lawal was a war, Melendez punished Aoki for bitching out, & Shields is a modern-day Royce Gracie.

btw that's what Mayhem gets for trying to steal the spotlight; has he already forgotten the beating Shields just gave him?

Hendo noshes in Nashville

Check out Dan Henderson before & after making weight...from 185 after the staredown to 200 after supper. What a difference some Pedialyte & brown rice will make!

Detroit Rock City: KOTC "Bad Boys 2"

So I'm bumming that I don't have HDNET (yeah, I know, no excuse for such a vocal KOTC supporter like me not having it) but gimme a break, I'm just a humble blogger with a lame-ass day-job. I will, however, be headed out to see them when they get back to San Manuel. Ayways, if you're keeping track on Twitter, the fists are flying & there's already been a highlight-reel KTFO. Damn I wish I was watching it! Oh well, I have Dodgers/Giants & a 24-oz Tecate as a consolation. Oh btw Frank Trigg is tweeting from the front row, that's where the foto is from. Damn! Did I mention I wish I was watching it?

WhoFC? Countdown to Strikeforce: Nashville

Looking at tomorrow night's Strikeforce card, you have to give them props. They're putting on a better card than the UFC has in months. 3 title defenses (from legit champs, I might add) & it's f-r-e-e.

Shields vs Henderson is going to be epic. Wrestling vs jits & two guys who don't have "lay'n'pray" in their vocabularies. I'm picking Shields by unanimous decision. All he has to do is dodge that haymaker & the Gracies will do the rest. i could go on & on about this one but I have $20 on it so I'm just going to think positive.

Gegard Mousasi vs King Mo will be another fun fight to watch. I'm not putting too much stock in Mousasi's mat-time with Fedor, since that's just rolling with a paper champ, but his record (28-2) & pedigree (Judo & Dutch kickboxing) are worth noting. I also like that he ditched those Russian mobsters known as M-1 management. The only thing I don't like is his moving up in weight; that's been a killer for some of the best. Still, I think he'll be able to submit Lawal...just not without taking a few wallops.

Now we get down to the LW title. Gilbert Melendez vs Shinya Aoki? On primetime network tv? Are you fucking kidding me? 15 years ago when we would all pile in the car & bring a 12-pack to my friend who had cable to see Marco Ruas in the UFC, we never would have thought we'd be seeing this on channel 2. Two top-tier LWs that I guaran-damn-tee will put on more of a show than you're used to seeing when you watch the UFC at Hooters.

And as if that wasn't enough, Mayhem Miller makes an appearance. So we have MTV celebs, technical wizards & MMA legends all in one card. Looks like I jumped off the UFC bandwagon at just the right time.

Running the Gauntlet @ Cesar Gracie's

Here are two Strikeforce champs getting their black belts from Cesar Gracie & taking part in that age-old tradition that separates the boys from the men. Rigan Machado once explained why he no longer lets his students "run the gauntlet"...too many students were soaking their belts in the bathroom sink or tying them in so many knots they stood up on their own, thus putting the promotee through a vicious line of improvised bullwhips & billyclubs. Good to see they still have things under control up North...



I guess that's the no-gi version. Now here's Nick Diaz...



And just as a bonus for you die-hard EPMMABers here's lil bro Nate getting his brown belt...

Life after Zuffa

Still lots to talk about without debating if Edgar should rematch Maynard before Penn. To whit:

Ray Mercer vs Bobby Green has been taken off the KOTC "Bad Boys 2" in Detroit. Mercer, former WBO champ perhaps best known for his KTFO win over former UFC champ Tim Sylvia, was scheduled to face KOTC Junior Welterweight champ Bobby Green but both have sustained injuries forcing them off the card. I imagine Jeremy Horn vs Jake Rosholt will now be the main event & that's cool.

Dan "Hollywood" Henderson vs Jake Shields is coming up this weekend. Not sure where that "Hollywood" nickname came from. Murrieta may be in SoCal, it's the antithesis of Hollywood in so many ways. I like Shield's chances; Hendo is still a big name but without that razor-thin split decision over Rich Franklin, his last significant win is over Wandy in '07. Shields is on the way up & Dan is another stepping stone.

More Strikeforce news: if Overeem doesn't face Fedor after beating Rogers then I'm going to be fucking pissed. I'm also kind of perturbed by Bigfoot Silva's presence on the same card. Mayhem vs Stout kind of makes up for it, though. I guess that's really more op/ed than news but my blog, my rules.

In local news: Pasadena Fight Academy, Savant Young's labor of love, is hosting another "Proving Grounds" fight night. They've relocated (a little closer to Old Town) so don't park in front of Whole Foods anymore unless you're in the mood for free-trade wheatgrass.

I might try to live blog Strikeforce this Saturday, we'll see how saucy I feel...

Moving on: Hello, Strikeforce

Well I wasn't kidding when I said I was washing my hands of the Zuffa brand. Yes, I have WEC on Vs in the background but hey, I may as well get my money's worth out of my cable bill after racking it up on that Abu Dhabi downer.

So here we go, into the great unknown. I have to admit I've turned a cold shoulder towards Strikeforce in the past so I'll be making up for lost time. And I'm genuinely looking forward to Henderson/Shields. This ex-wrestler from Cal Poly at my work rememebrs Hendo as "that crazy guy" from back in the day & also happened to train with Shields so I'll see if I can pick his brain.

Once again, I'm happy to see rasslin' vs jits only this time there sure as Hell better be some groundfighting! Yes, I'm still smarting from all the stand-up pitter-patter from UFC 112.

Is Hendo over the hill? Didn't look like it when he left The Count counting sheep. Can Shields handle someone with size, strength & cardio? He made a monkey out of Mayhem. Looks to be a pretty decent fight!

5 Ounces of Painfully Bad Writing

Now for a little comedy to lighten things up. One of the reasons I started this blog is that I was so nauseated by the dizzyingly bad writing on 5 Ounces of Pain. You may think I’m just a frustrated fanboy who wasn’t good enough to cut it in the big leagues of MMA fanboy-journalism, so I’ll do you all the service (or disservice, as it were) of sharing some of the gems we’re all treated to by the mighty 5 Oz. Be warned; you've probably read more coherent material written in crayon on the back of a kid's menu.

On the possibility of the UFC bringing back it’s tournament format:
… mainstream sports like the NFL, NBA, and MLB have a pretty hefty head start. The other thing they have, are playoffs and playoffs generate a lot of revenue for these leagues, I mean even the WWE has a marquee event in Wrestlemania, but the UFC doesn’t have an iconic event like Wrestlemania, The Superbowl, or The World Series but couldn’t it be time to build one? If there was a tournament where the winner would be crowned the UFC Grand Prix champion and given a belt in addition to the opportunity to challenge current belt holder in that division, if that person were in fact not the same person, in my mind would not only be exciting to watch but, would establish that crown jewel in the organization since each weight class would compete once every five years.
-Eric O’Brien

On Frank Mir’s future in the Octagon:
Any momentum Mir may have had from the “victory” was quickly derailed following a devastating beatdown suffered at the hands of natural light heavyweight, Brandon Vera. A defeat that had Mir’s own wife verbally breaking him down. ‘Randy Couture, didn’t he get his ass kicked by Josh Barnett embarrassingly bad? Now look at Randy Couture. Was he a bitch like this? I wonder if he was a bitch like this,’ Mir quoted his wife as saying in an interview with MMA Weekly. ‘I wonder if I talked to Randy, I wonder if I could be his woman, and not your (expletive) woman.’At the age of 30, Mir can still be a competitive fighter, but the motorcycle crash took away some of his best years and he will still feel the pain from the accident despite years of rehab and the major surgery to put Mir back together.
-Robert Goeman

On Florian vs Gomi:
I think the biggest mistake I’m seeing people make is a focus on Gomi. Yes he is the former Pride lightweight champion, Yes he is a Grand Prix winner, Yes he was a dominant Shooto champion. For those of us who have been watching the sport for a long time Gomi has amazed us with his punching power. Simply put, he is a legend mma’s recent past.
-David Andrest

If you can wade through that pile of shit (yes, we’re actually allowed to curse on this site) without getting a headache then you shouldn’t be reading EPMMAB; you should be outside playing with your goddamn Power Rangers. Be sure to be back in time for supper, though! Otherwise your mommy might not let you watch the next ppv…

EPMMAB: RIP UFC PPV

"UFC 112: Invincible" was the most inappropriately named event to date. Renzo & Hughes kickboxed, Penn & Edgar just plain-old boxed, & Silva is officially on my shitlist.

No more UFCs on my cable bill. I'm officially switching over to Strikeforce. I'll just turn the volume down & call the fights myself.

Dana White says he'll find a way to make it up to the fans. How?! Mailing us all checks for $55?

EPMMAB & Zuffa are parting ways; no more UFC, TUF or WEC coverage in the foreseeable future. Stay tuned for indepth coverage of events that actually feature bona fide MMA.

TUF: Chuck vs Tito...what did I miss?

Ok, so I changed the channel after Florian tapped Gomi. But I have a sneaking suspicion I know what happened on the season premiere of TUF. A buncha fighters showed up & fought each other for a spot in the house. Some of them were out of shape. Dana White gabbed about the rivalry between Chuck & Tito. Tito probably still looks a little funky from that eye injury. Chuck probably isn't getting his feathers ruffled over Tito's shit-talking. They pick teams & Tito finds a way to crowbar in some DWTS jokes. Uh...what else...um...oh yeah, there's supposed to be some new twist. I'm guessing that it's something about picking teams or picking fights or people getting sent home if they lose or maybe they have to change teams if they lose or something goofy like that.

Ok so I just looked it up online; I think I had the right idea. Although it sounds like Chuck got the better of Tito when it comes to verbal sparring. And that "wild card" is nothing new. They always bring back losers after the other guys get hurt or bitch out. Would have liked to have seen that dude get his nose caved in , though. Also, that Afro-Puff lookin' dude went to my high school. South Pas, baby.

Thiago Alves injury update

Here's what kept the PitBull out of UFC 111...he needed freakin' brain surgery! Fortunately it went well & he looks to be making a full recovery. Props to the GF for forwarding this to me, I don't read TMZ so I never woulda known.

Fight Night live blogging

Well, sort of. The fight already happened on Tarheel time so I'm watching the replay while I help my girlfriend make dinner. Wasn't too wowed by Ross Pearson's win. Too many Brits, not enough jits! Sounds like one of the Beatles in his post-fight interview.

Whoa, Nate Quarry can take a beating. Talk about being saved by the bell...but Round 2 picks up right where Round 1 left off. I didn't expect that! Tough loss for Quarry, in every sense of the word.

Now it's time for Roy Nelson vs Stefan Struve; what my friend Tad has dubbed the "Big & Tall match". I looked up Struve online to make sure I spelled his name right & accidentally found out what happened. Hey what the hell, was there a blackout or something? I went to get a corkscrew & they were on the next fight.

Now for Uno vs Tibau. Well that was quick. Tibau looks like a contender.

Aha, so there was a blackout! Ok now "Skyscraper" Struve vs "Big Country" Nelson is back on. These two look like Laurel & Hardy in boarsdhorts. Struve is sooo much taller than Nelson. And Nelson racks up another KO. My girlfriend says he looks like a guy who won a local contest to be in the UFC. Little does she know that's exactly what he did!

It's the main event. I'm pulling for Gomi because I want to see a rematch with BJ. Round 1 to KenFlo since he landed just about every jab he threw. Round 2 & Gomi looks t-i-r-e-d. Round 3 & just when Gomi is starting to land a few, Florian takes him down. Gomi pulls guard & is looking to stand back up but Florian is looking for the arm triangle. Uh oh, Florian has full mount. Gomi gives up his back. There's the RNC! Gomi taps. Jeez, that was the only groundwork we've seen all night. I suspect Zuffa intentionally booked stand-up guys in deference to the crowd at Bojangles Coliseum.

All in all a decent Fight Night, I suppose. Better than most...

Gracie Barra Arcadia

Gracie Barra Arcadia is up & running; I hit the mats last night & the place looks great...plenty of parking out front, nice & clean inside, mellow vibe & instructors with top-notch belt lineage. If you're looking for jits in the SGV, look no further...

Royce seminar in L.A.

Check it out, people...if you're in the SoCal area, the one & only Royce Gracie has a seminar at UCKA in Los Feliz. $80 a person & there are still a few spots left. Come train with the man who introduced BJJ to America & started the craze that still has us shelling out $50+ for PPVS. Oh & you might even learn a couple things too.



x

UFC 111: btw, wtf GSP?

Ok so my waffling on the main event will hurt my average but truth be told, I'll always bet against GSP. I just don't see him as the dominant force that he is. His biggest wins have been over Matt Hughes (let's face it, a fighter in the twilight of his career), Matt Serra (a game-show winner who never really belonged in the cage with him in the first place) & BJ Penn (wrong weight class, buddy...oh & it's illegal to cover yourself in Vaseline). GSP's style has degenerated into a highly technical lay'n'pray. How ironic that GSP has picked up right where Hughes left off! This time, Georges, I was not impressed with your performance.

He said he wanted to make a statement with this fight & that's exactly what he did. Unfortunately for GSP, that statemant was "I'll do what I have to do to keep my belt, even if I have to lay on top of my opponent for 25 minutes". His pathetic submission attempts basically tore down the curtain of illusion that his takedown & guard-passing skills have created. All GSP knows how to do is the minimum; take 'em down, pass their guard, & rough them up. Yes, it's enough to win fights, but without stoppages there can be no P4P aspirations. Not to mention the fact that the other legit P4P contenders (Penn & Silva) showed some balls & stepped up in weight instead of just picking off the latest new faces in their weight class.

I know this can all be construed as fighter-bashing but a) there are tyrannical mods here at EPMMAB to hold me back & b) hey what can I say, the truth hurts. GSP is in no "Rush" to take any chances & that's made him a boring fighter.

update update update update update!

No time for witty banter, here's the lowdown:

Thiago Alves is out, Ben Saunders is in. If Saunders beats Fitch he's getting a shot at GSP, says Dana White. All eyes will be on Saunders & his scary facial hair.

Even if Dan Hardy is a better boxer than BJ (not likely), & he can deal with GSP's Olympic-caliber wrestling (not likely), can he go the distance against a gargantuan welterweight who looks like a heavyweight? Not likely. That's why Dan Hardy is my upset pick of the year!

Akiyama is back, this time against Wandy. My prediction: lots of punching & kicking.

Penn wants to go back up to 170. Why not? 155 is basically a bunch of guys who've either lost to him or lost to guys who've lost to him. And like a fool I'd still pay to see a third fight w/ GSP.

Jesus Christ, 3 of my 4 bullet points involve GSP! That dude is overexposed. Enough about him. Enough about the UFC! Let's talk about KOTC. Here's a little video recap of "Arrival" where everyone gets their two cents in, for better or worse...

Frank Mir vs Roy Nelson officially announced...

...for a Grapplers Quest event that already happened. Sorry, couldn't resist. Here's a clip of two UFC HWs with upcoming fights.



Am I crazy or does Big Country take it to Mir? That's what happens when you don't have a nickname.

I told you so (re: UFC Live on Versus)

So far, so good. I think I did a decent job calling this one.

Jones sent Vera tumbling down the contender ranks, Gonzaga saw stars & well, Kongo really bitched out & let everyone down with that ugly fighting.

I liked what Versus did, gotta catch more WEC events!

Preparing for a slew of UFC events

Let's get right to it & break down the tidal wave of Zuffa-tastic fight cards between now & April 10...

UFC Live: Vera vs Jones
What you need to know: A loss for Vera pretty much takes him out of the title picture for the foreseeable future. A win for Jones puts him in the mix.
Hidden gem on the card: Kongo vs Buentello. This bout will resemble a Toughman contest on PCP. I mean that in a good way.
Easy money: Napao will end up napping on the canvas.


UFC 111: St Pierre vs Hardy
What you need to know: Carwin vs Mir will steal the show.
Hidden gem on the card: Diaz vs Markham; a vintage striker vs grappler matchup.
Easy money: Another pitbull attack.

UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Gomi
What you need to know: A victory for Gomi will probably earn him a shot at Penn. Florian has nothing to gain & everything to lose.
Hidden gem on the card: Ross Pearson vs Dennis Siver. TUF 9 winner vs a striker who's last 4 victories are either by submission or spinning back-kick.
Easy money: Big Country is being fed a little fish.

UFC 112: Invincible
What you need to know: The last 3 fights on the card would all be rock-star main events on their own. For God's sake, people...don't miss this one!
Hidden gem on the card: Weren't you paying attention? The last 3 fights on this card are going to be MMA heaven.
Easy money: A country boy can't survive.

Sheesh, all this and St. Patrick's Day? Life is good...

Pulver rides into the sunset

So much for my dreams of a Pulver - Gomi rematch. After his most recent WEC loss, Jens seems to have set foot in the cage for the last time. Hopefully Zuffa finds some way to keep him around; Jens Pulver deserves to be in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Remember Me?

Man, I know he's retired & all, but I wish Rickson would come out to L.A. for a seminar.

Strikeforce Lacks Conviction

Is it just me or has Strikeforce royally sucked ever since Gina Carano headed for Hollywood?



Hell, I even watched American goddamn Gladiators when she was on it...



What concerns me is that I don't think Carano will find a way to avenge her loss to Cyborg anywhere on the set of an action movie. Well, maybe if Randy Couture was in the movie, too...

The man in the Mir-ror

I think Frank Mir's unhealthy obsession with Brock Lesnar is going to bite him in the ass when he gets in the cage with Shane Carwin. Yes, Mir has beefed up & looked great against Cheick Kongo, but Carwin is a different animal altogether. While his wrestling credentials may not be as dazzling as Lesnar's (few are), he has a habit of knocking people out in the Octagon & his Marquardt-bestowed purple-belt should provide enough mat sense to avoid any of Mir's hi-jinx...



So Carwin, Mir, Lesnar & Velasquez look to be locked in a crash-course...the one glaring difference between these four is Mir's lack of wrestling pedigree & well, lack of punching power. Let's see if he proves me wrong, but I'm of the humble opinion that Mir will be sitting in the crowd when the HW belts are unified...

Scheduled for demolition?

Alistair Overeem is finally supposed to make his long-overdue return to Strikeforce, where rumor has it he'll defend his belt against Brett Rogers. I think Overeem could be the man to beat Fedor...but if he really does a number on Grim, I wonder if Fedor's camp will get scared & revert to their vodka-fueled demands for a drug test in the hopes of killing the fight. I can also see a real clock-cleaning by Overeem scare Strikeforce into scuttling a matchup with Fedor Emealticketenko.

KOTC "Arrival" fotos

KOTC has posted fotos of the whole "Arrival" card on their website...check it out!



Next time try to catch it person...no matter where you are, they're coming to a venue near you.

Not quite like being there, but...

...here's a little video montage that they play on the big-screens at UFC events. Sometimes you can hear this song in the background when Rogan & Goldie are gabbing. Really fun to see live! But then, when you're at a UFC it's pretty hard to not have fun.

James Toney?! Hey, He's Younger Than Randy Couture

Well this ought to be interesting, since you know the UFC won't pair him up against a grappler for his first couple fights. It's times like this I wax nostalgic for the UFC of old, with the tournament-style brackets pairing up boxers against ninjas. But time marches forward & now we're seeing a motley crew of late-bloomers try their hand in this ever-evolving sport. Accomplished football players, pro-wrestlers & boxers should be just as interesting to watch as TUF whippersnappers...

Keeping up with Jon Jones

Now that Jon "Bones" Jones has made the move to Greg Jackson's camp, I'm really starting to look forward to his fight with Brandon Vera at UFC LIVE on Versus. Early prediction? Jones by split decision. I think this will be tough for Vera, maybe even tougher than his match with Randy; Jones won't be trying to eat up time while clinched against the cage. If anything, this will almost be like Vera fighting a clone of himself...

BJ / Renzo rematch, anyone?

Remember this? Wouldn't it be the shit if we could see a rematch? Not too far-fetched now that Renzo's working for Zuffa again...



Renzo dropping to LW, BJ stepping up to WW...hell, meeting halfway at a catchweight...if Renzo wins, a little shit-talk from the ever-outspoken Renzo could be the perfect catalyst for a second showdown.

More reasons Fedor is overrated

Just a quick recap of Fedor Emelianenko's opponents over the last 5 years, and each opponent's most recent significant victory.

Brett Rogers (KO'd Andrei Arlovski)
Andrei Arlovski (KO'd Roy Nelson)
Tim Sylvia (decisioned Brandon Vera)
Hong-Man Choi (TKO'd Jose Canseco. Yes, that Jose Canseco)
Matt Lindland (TKO'd Jeremy Horn inthe IFL)
Mark Hunt (decisioned Cro-Cop)
Mark Coleman (broke Shogun's arm on a double-leg)
Zuluzinho (no relevant MMA wins)
Cro-Cop (KO'd Wandy & TKO'd Barnett in the same night)

So Fedor's most meaningful win was over Cro-Cop, & also happened to take place in 2006.

The win over Zuluzinho can be thrown out the window.

Mark Coleman, bless his heart, hasn't been a contender for years.

Mark Hunt took on Fedor 2 fights into a 5-fight losing streak that has yet to be broken.

Matt Lindland is a Middleweight fighter. Fedor fought him at Heavyweight.

Hong-Man Choi has no place in MMA.

Tim Sylvia's claim to fame is the list of A-list fighters he's lost to.

Arlovski is an ex-champ who's leaving MMA to be a pro-boxer.

Rogers has only one meaningful win: Arlovski.

******************************************************

That makes Arlovski the most relevant win under Fedor's belt. Need I mention that both he & Rogers were picking Fedor apart before getting caught with that Russian bear-paw.

So I ask you...how the fuck is Fedor even in the running for #1 p4p? Maybe if he would have fought & beaten Barnett. Maybe.

But as it happens, Fedor's most recent meaningful win was over Arlovski. And two of his other previous opponents (Sylvia & Rogers) have also done the same.

Actually, I guess you could say Coleman is his most meaningful victory since Coleman beat a LHW contender. And we just saw Randy run Coleman out of the UFC.

So really...Does anyone think Fedor could beat Brock? Does anyone think it would even be competitive?

Training secrets of the LHW elite

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that works out like this.

Fedor is a big Russian scaredy-cat

So I'll blab about the upcoming Emelianenko / Werdum fight later. Right now I want to address a statement from Fedor's camp, demanding that Alistair Overeem take a drug test before getting a shot at The Last Emperor. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Mayweather pull the same lame-ass stunt when he was supposed to fight Pacquiao? And didn't we all call shenanigans on Mayweather for taking the easy way out of the one fight that threatened to tarnish his legacy as an undefeated pound-for-pound great?

More shadiness from Fedor's organizatsiya. I'm not even going to mention the fact that he only fights hand-picked opponents & is too chicken to set foot in the Octagon, opting instead to fight UFC dropouts. Oops, I just mentioned it.

Big Comeback for Little Evil ?

Jens Pulver looked to be all but retired after losing at WEC 41, but I'm glad to see he's back next month against Javier Vazquez. I think Pulver made WEC relevant by moving down to featherweight, even if he's only gone 1-4. I'm hoping he can put together a few wins, or even better, maybe step back up to 155 & a rematch with Takanori Gomi...



There's also a documentary in the works that should be interesting; it's no secret that Pulver has had to fight just as hard outside the cage...

Holy Shit! Bobby Green KOs Rick Legere

I'm stunned. I thought I had this one figured out & I was dead wrong. What else can I say? Only this: I wish I had been there! Sounds like it was a great night. Would have loved to see Reuben Duran's display of last-second KO power. The only downside was Waachiim Spiritwolf causing the N/C with illegal strikes to the back of the head. Mad props to Booyaa for posting live results & shame on all you other sites for not doing the same.

And congrats to the NEW King of the Cage Junior Welterweight champion, Bobby "King" Green!

If you wanna be like him, stop by Pinnacle Jiu-Jitsu & get to work...

UFC in the SEC

Now that Alabama has passed legislation to officially sanction MMA, here's hoping Dana White brings the UFC to the BJCC! Last time the Octagon was set up in 'Bama, Bas Rutten was in it!

KOTC tomorrow night!

On the eve of KOTC "Arrival", here's a snippet of Rick Legere & the gang at Millenia MMA hitting the mats...Legere is defending his Junior Welterweight against Bobby Green.



If Legere is hard at work rolling & Bobby Green is hanging out getting Dragonball Z tattoos, I think I have an idea of who I like going into this fight.

So if you're in the LA area & feel like a little driving & a lot of action, head over to the San Manuel Casino & support a promotion that's done more for MMA than the UFC. Don't believe me? Affordable ticket prices & accessible venues have brought MMA to people who can't afford a trip to Vegas & a seat at Mandalay Bay. Forrest, Jardine, Rashad, Rampage, Danzig, Faber, Stevenson, Credeur, Ricco & Jeremy Horn all wore the yellow gloves, just to name a few. They brought you "Bully Beatdown" & that's a better show than TUF. So show some love, people.

California Kid vs Prodigy, please

If BJ Penn is able to successfully defend his title against Frank Edgar, we want to see Urijah Faber move up to Lightweight!!! Please, Dana White...make it happen. Giving Gray Maynard a title shot is a waste of money for the fans & a waste of time for Penn.

Braulio Estima is on a roll

PanAm/ADCC champ Braulo Estima is training in Albequerque with the Jackson camp as he prepares for his transition from competitive grappling to MMA. Rashad Evans has tweeted that rolling with Estima is "dope", which is a good sign.

Estima is also giving a BJJ seminar at Gracie Barra Northshore - Baton Rouge on 2/26. If you're in the pelican state, check it out...you can reserve a spot by emailing graciebarrala@gmail.com.

If you haven't heard of this cat, check out his HL reel...

Celebreality crossover

Tonight's episode of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club featured Debi Purcell, woman's MMA pioneer. Purcell is a black belt in Marco Ruas Vale Tudo & the 1st woman to compete & win in KOTC, not to mention the the only female coach in the short but illustrious history of the IFL, assisting Ruas as he oversaw the Southern California Condors...

LA Academies pt1

I try to go out & visit a different school for their intro lesson now & then just to see what's out there. Here's a little rundown on a few of them...

Dartanian Jiu-Jitsu (North Hollywood): More of an MMA place with kind of a random criteria; gi, no-gi, judo throws & boxing, depending on Dartanian's mood that day. Bring sanitizer because students & teacher walk in off the street wearing their wrestling shoes.

Hollywood Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (West Hollywood): Renzo's LA satellite. Very regimented criteria; they teach the same lessons in cycles & checkoff your progress on an attendance card. White belts are introduced to rolling by going through positional training to recap each class. Clean technique but dirty mats.

Legends MMA (Hollywood): Eddie Bravo's flagship school. All no-gi. No warm-ups or conditioning, but plenty of innovative technique. Doesn't hurt to already have some jits in your background before signing up. Very clean mats!

If any of these sound like your cup of tea, what are you waiting for? Any BJJ is better than no BJJ.

Life after Gina Carano

Props to Strikeforce for keeping women's MMA alive, even after Gina Carano disappeared. Sarah Kaufman & Takayo Hashi are scheduled for 5 rounds on Feb 26; the winner will be the first Strikeforce Women's Champion @ 135 lbs...

UFC 110 results (predictions revisited)

Well, let's go over my predictions...not too bad, if I may say so!

Bonnar vs Soszynski = Soszynski by decision...or maybe possibly submission?
Hey, you have to admit Bonnar was getting the worst of it before that cut. Should it it have been a n/c? We may never know.

CroCop vs Anthony Perosh = Perosh By TKO (ref stoppage).
I was way off on this one. Sorry I misjudged you, Mirko!

Jardine vs Bader = Jardine by decision...this will probably be the fight during which I excuse myself to fix some homemade guacamole.
Wrong here too. But I actually made quesadillas & they were pretty good.

Stevenson vs Sotiropoulos = Sotiropoulos by submission. Hopefully some trippy 10th Planet stuff.
No submission but Sotiropoulos almost got the armbar using the Spiderweb & almost nailed the omoplata from rubber guard.

Silva vs Bisping = I just have this feeling that Wandy will KO the Count.
And no KO here but Wandy earned the win with true grit...looks good at 185 & the new nose isn't bad either!

Big Nog vs Velasquez = Velasquez by KTFO.
Yup. A showdown with Brock has to happen...it just has to!

Now please excuse me while I finish watching the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" DVD that I got from Netflix yesterday...

Vegemite knuckle sandwiches

I'm giving serious consideration to biting the bullet & getting the UFC 110 ppv as a birthday present to myself, so here are my bold predictions:

Bonnar vs Soszynski = Soszynski by decision...or maybe possibly submission?

CroCop vs Anthony Perosh = Perosh! By TKO (ref stoppage).

Jardine vs Bader = Jardine by decision...this will probably be the fight during which I excuse myself to fix some homemade guacamole.

Stevenson vs Sotiropoulos = Sotiropoulos by submission. Hopefully some trippy 10th Planet stuff.

Silva vs Bisping = I just have this feeling that Wandy will KO the Count.

Big Nog vs Velasquez = Velasquez by KTFO.

Me vs the Heineken mini-keg = Me! By unanimous decision.

And you know, I was actually confused as to whether or not the fight would air Saturday or Sunday, since it's taking place on Aussie time. Luckily Dana White is always on duty...

Baby-faced Assassin turns heel

Josh Barnett is back! Well, sort of. The 'roided out rassler graced Grappling X with his presence at their event in Long Beach, CA. What was the former King of Pancrase, PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix finalist & former UFC HW champ doing on the mat in a local amateur tourney? Who knows. Much fun as it is to watch him grapple (like it or not, he's one of the world's best), this doesn't do much for his case as a disgraced fighter who's dirty piss-test pulled out the foundation from the house of cards that was Affliction. Even more so now that he's kveching about not being offered fights that he likes.



Seriously, though...can you imagine signing up for a run-of-the-mill no-gi event & finding out you have Josh Barnett in your bracket?

Project run away

The Ohio Athletic Commish has nixed a proposed fight between Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia & Wes "The Project" Sims, on the grounds that they "felt the fight was not going to be competitive at this time after comparing records and the opponents both fighters had faced."

I have to admit I was confused. Yes, Sylvia is a former UFC HW champ, but Sims has won 3 of his last 4 & just finished a stint on TUF. Sure, he just lost to Bobby Lashley, but Lashley may or may not be the next big thing in MMA. Plus Sylvia just got his lights turned off by Ray Mercer (yes, the old boxer) 9 seconds into Round 1 last summer...non-competitive for who?

Are You Tougher Than a 5th Grader?

Check out these two crumbsnatchers going at it over at the Fight Academy in Pasadena, CA. This is a relatively new place run by David Dunn (Jean-Jaques Machado black-belt), Savant Young (IFL & Affliction) & Herb Dean (celeb MMA referee). If you're in the San Gabriel Valley & looking to train, check them out...they don't just train kids!

Former LHW champ Sergeant Bosco "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus

Loved the show as a kid, but will probably pass on the movie. Might spend the money on the PPV instead. If he ever mans up & fights Rashad! Oh snap.

Brock Lesnar bowhunting

No real news here but as both an MMA & archery enthusiast I enjoyed it, so here it is...

catching up on KOTC

Sorry for the lack of updates for KOTC "Vengeance", no excuses.

I'll make up for it with coverage of "Arrival" out here in California next week, starting off with this piece from Junior Welterweight challenger Bobby Green as he prepares for his fight with Rick Legere.

UFC 112 still looking invincible

Here it is, people...what we've all been waiting for. Demian Maia will now be facing Anderson Silva at UFC 112. The best jits in MMA vs the best striking in MMA...I almost don't want to know who would win! Can't this be settled out of the cage, in a more civilized forum? How about an old-school dance-off...





Advantage Silva.

Iron Man taps Kritter

As promised, here's floor-seat view of Travis "The Iron Man" Fulton submitting James "Kritter" Neely at Thunder Promotion's "Battle for Alabama". While the Pelham Civic Center may not be the MGM Grand, it's always nice to see a bout that covers all 3 phases of combat...the pair exchanged on their feet, worked for control while clinched against the cage, & then engaged in the chess game affectionately known as "jits" to the enthusiasts. Here's the takedown & sub that sealed the deal:

The Spider at Wild Card

Vitor Belfort hurt his shoulder & is pulling out of his much-anticipated challenge for the MW title. Maybe Anderson Silva will get to show off his stuff against an unlucky 205-er?

So anyways, here's a clip I found of the pound-for-pound poobah squeezing in a workout at Freddie Roach's gym out here in LA...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qntHWtZqWaY

Wish I woulda known, I woulda stopped by that night!

Hit Man takes one

Gory photo of the day news is courtesy of Martin Kampmann, who's pulling out of UFC 111 after sustaining a nothing-short-of-horrific cut during his training at Xtreme Couture.



Ouch.

Shameless self-promotion: Kampmann gave me pointers on my stand-up at an Xtreme Couture seminar.

Hammered out

So my prediction of a pro-wrestling style feud between Mark Coleman & Tito Ortiz seems to have been as real as Stone Cold's AA sponsor; Coleman was just cut from the UFC roster. Randy Couture's longevity in the sport is looking more & more amazing when compared to fellow "old-school" fighters...

Gracie gossip

Well, Renzo blames "nerves" & a rib injury sustained during training on Rolles' one-sided loss at UFC 109.

Also, if you have $27,293 to spare you can join Rorion & Ryron for their annual seminar in Fiji...

isn't it gay enough that we get sweaty & roll around?

Ok this is admittedly extremely gay subject matter but in local jits news, Joe Rogan is apparently being stalked by some weirdo at the new Legends gym. What can I say, that place draws some real wackos. That'll happen when you're spending nights at an MMA gym cozily nestled on Tranny Monica Blvd that's also home to a state of the art pole-dancing academy. Next time you're there, look out for bulges in those hot-pants, people!

btw the fat kid standing next to Joe was in a couple of my classes when I trained there; he doesn't wash his shorts. If you roll with him defend the mount at all costs.

MMA in the South will rise again

In the interest of a "fair & balanced" mma blog, here's some non-UFC news. Thunder Promotions just hosted "The Battle For Alabama" at the Pelham Civic Center. My girlfriend's brother was there so if I get my hands on any fotos I'll be sure to post them.

UFC 109

Well, first I have to admit that I watched this one on the internet. It's very difficult to justify shelling out for a ppv with no title fights.
So my thoughts:

Mac Danzig still doesn't have a win over a recognizable fighter in the UFC. He's gone from blue-chip to buffalo chip.

Serra should consider dropping to 155. I bet he would still keep enough power after the cut & he could finally put that black belt to good use. I would pay to see him take on Penn. Plus the Renzo backstory would be a selling point.

If he's cut, as I suspect he will be, Frank Trigg can retire with nothing to be ashamed of. His UFC losses came to the elite of the WW division: Hughes, GSP, Koscheck & Serra. So he never won a title...he'll live forever in clips of his 2nd fight against Hughes.

I expected Miller/Maia to unfold the way Swick/Thiago did & vice-versa. Neither fight really grabbed my attention but I did like seeing that textbook D'arce.

I was shocked to see Nate Marquardt flat on his back for so long. I think a fair share of the blame has to go to his camp; there are no secret weapons in Sonnen's arsenal.

Now, I don't like Chael Sonnen's style but it seems to working for him. I will point this out: all of his UFC wins have been via unanimous decision & there's no evidence that he's any less vulnerable to top-shelf jits. Draw whatever conclusion you want from that.

I think Tito may have inadvertently prolonged Coleman's career by heckling him after that one-sided loss. A win over Tito would be a nice swan song for The Hammer.

Randy looked really, really good. Granted, he wasn't facing top-tier competition, but that was a textbook display of stand-up, clinch, dirty boxing, takedowns, ground'n'pound & submissions, all in a round & a half. Could it be...Couture/Machida?!?! Now that I would pay to see.

The Iceman Comebacketh?

Here's a little gossip for you, m' hijitos. Chuck Liddell, gearing up for another coaching stint on TUF & another title run, has broadened his horizons a wee bit. He's hired Eddie Bravo protege Scott "Einstein" Epstein as an assistant coach for the upcoming season of TUF, & rumor has it he's been indoctrinated into the 10th Planet system. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, since he'd been spotted working out at 10th Planet Burbank during his stint on Dancing With the Stars...I, for one, am hoping to see him pull off a gogoplata against Tito.

...flash forward to 2010

I'm resurrecting this little blog 'o' mine after 3 years of sifting though the gawd-aful writing on 5 Oz of Pain & getting a virus on both my home & work computers off of Sherdog.

So, uh, let's see...what's been new since then? Lemme see if I can lay out the current situation as I see it. In no particular order:

-Penn is still sitting pretty atop the LW division (big surprise) & Frankie Edgar won't be the one to topple him. This is my plea to Zuffa: tell Faber to pack on 10 more lbs.

-Machida beat Shogun fair & square, and next time he won't be so nice about it.

-GSP vs Hardy is a nothing more than a token gesture to the up & coming MMA scene in the UK.

-Kimbo could have been a contender if he had started sooner. Alas, Miniver Cheevy...born too late!

-Who was Tito sparring with to give him that cracked skull before his rematch w/ Forrest? Next time just have them fight instead. Unlike fellow old-skool UFC alum Randy Couture, Tito never took the time to surround himself with a talented "brain-trust" of fellow fighters. Now that his speed is going, anyone can beat him.

-What's up with Lesnar's bout with diverticulitis? First it's threatening to end his career & now it's miraculously disappeared? Something is fishy in Denmark. That kind of drama doesn't bode well, & indicates a deeper, Tyson-esque problem.

-Dan Henderson was right to leave the UFC. His KTFO over Michael Bisping will be the last meaningful win of his career.

-Don't get me started on Fedor. I STILL say he's overrated & will prove it in a later post...











-Oh & btw, have you seen the venue for UFC 112? No wonder Zuffa sold 'em %10...they must wipe their asses with $100 bills!