MMA Thread 2011 edition: Death of a promotion

[aerius]

Looks like Anderson Silva's doing a Sakuraba tribute or something at the weigh-ins.



According to what I've read on the 'net, they were swearing at each other pretty good and Belfort was telling him to bring it and get it on right there. It was all in Portugese though so Ed Saures as usual totally made some shit up when asked about it.

[weemadando]

Perhaps you missed the comedy at the presser the other day when Dana fired the UFC's new Portuguese translator live in stage and told him to give the bleeping mic to bleeping Ed Soares. Turns out that even professional translators can't handle Silva.

[Edward Yee]

The mask was re: Vitor saying that Silva "wears a mask" in terms of how he promotes/presents himself in public. As for the cussing... one theory has it being due to different attitudes about loyalty (Anderson being mad at Vitor choosing to fight him, whereas Vitor sees it as a "professional" thing*), but a nice long Sherdog thread has a claim that for Anderson it's pretty much the "playboy" dynamic with Maia magnified a LOT -- a mix of race, class, and Vitor Belfort's special place in MMA history/celebrity. (Anderson having supposedly been poor, black, and serving rich playboys in McDonald's while Vitor Belfort was living the "playboy" thing, complete with celebrity wife, and way more mainstream popularity than Anderson despite Anderson surpassing him for quite some time... so to Anderson it supposedly looks like Vitor trying to steal the thunder from someone who actually had to work for it.)

* You also have Shawn Tompkins accusing Vitor of betrayal for leaving him, even though Tompkins' camp began with him leaving Xtreme Couture.

[aerius]

Holy fuck! Rashad Evans blew his knee out so now it's Jon Jones vs. Shogun for the title. Holy shit this is awesome!

Holy fuck again! Like HOLY FUCK I CAN'T BELIEVE I FUCKING SAW THAT!!
Anderson Silva dodges Belfort's combo like it was nothing then KO's him with a FRONT KICK TO THE FACE!! Fucking unreal.

[weemadando]

The bar fucking exploded when both of those things happened.

But seriously, what fucking idiots actually thought Belfort had a shot?

Especially once he failed to bum rush and allowed Silva to find his range and timing.

More when not on mobile.

[weemadando]

OK, let's play catchup.

Silva v Belfort was awesome. Now we all have to hope and pray that Jake Shields doesn't win so we can get GSP v Anderson. But again, who the hell ever backed Belfort going into that (aside from a few of the guys I was with, some of who had bet uncomfortably large amounts on Belfort)?

Jon Jones showed just how devastatingly good he is. As well as pointing out some gaping holes in Bader's game (has anyone put him on his back before). Seriously though, leapfrogging a dude was great.

JMMA IS DEAD! TWO JMMA FIGHTERS LOST! Yeah. They lost to two of the top prospects both of whom were style nightmares for them. Maybe if we get some who come over before their careers are well into the decline we might have a different take on things.

Anyhow - this weekend we get round one of the trainwreck.

Main card
Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva
I'm backing Silva here, just for the nerd crying potential. Though Fedor advancing would probably do more to damage the tournament.

Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov
Can Arlovski KO Kharitonov before Kharitonov touches him?

Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson
Oh wait, that's right, SF's Heavyweight division ain't that deep.

Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Chad Griggs vs. Gianpiero Villante
Wow, yeah. Really not that deep.

Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo
Ray Sefo gasses, then Overeem gasses and then they get in the cage and fall asleep on each other.


Preliminary card (HDNet)
Lightweight bout: John Cholish vs. Marc Stevens
Welterweight bout: Igor Gracie vs. John Salgado
Welterweight bout: Sam Oropeza vs. Don Carlo-Clauss
Featherweight bout: Anthony Leone vs. Josh LaBerge
Featherweight bout: Kevin Roddy vs. Jason McLean

I don't recognise any of those names (excepts for Rolls' son), but with HDNet doing the production and commentary I'm excited.

[weemadando]

Here's a little sample of the epicness http://plixi.com/p/76514790

Well it looks like StrikeForce is taking their production in a Pride direction.

Now we just need Lenne.

[aerius]

Jon Jones showed just how devastatingly good he is. As well as pointing out some gaping holes in Bader's game (has anyone put him on his back before). Seriously though, leapfrogging a dude was great.

It's something I've noticed with a lot of wrestlers and Joe Rogan's mentioned it before too, wrestlers don't really train to fight off their backs and most of them will suck ass if you put them there. A wrestler is trained to scramble and find ways of getting off his back but if he can't do that he's lost, he doesn't know how to attack with triangles, arm bars and other subs or sweeps. Even the great GSP doesn't arm bar or triangle people from his guard, he defends until he can create a scramble and stand up or reverse the position.

Also, I think it's safe to say that Jon Jones is fucked.

[weemadando]

It's OK.

All he has to do is aim here:



Seriously, if he doesn't do every kick known to man at and around those knees during the fight and go for kneebars anytime they're on the floor I'll be very disappointed in Jones and Greg Jackson.

[aerius]

Leg kicks and kicks to the knee area aren't going to work too well against Shogun with his stance, so that leaves the flying scissor knee bar. I'm just hoping Shogun comes in with full cardio & conditioning since I want to see a fucking kickass fight, if they both come in 100% it has the potential to be as good as Shogun vs. Anderson Silva. If I were Shogun I'd go for a shin to shin kick against Jones, he hasn't been training long enough to really harden his shins yet and a good hard kick could seriously hurt him.

[weemadando]

I'll be interested to see them on the ground. Jones has ridiculous power in GnP and we've seen how good his scrambles are. Meanwhile Shogun has a great BJJ game and the experience. Not to mention his own violence.

The fact that its only six weeks away blows my mind.

[Edward Yee]

.... BUWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA! Although I strangely chalk it up alongside the "TK" incident, but there was no doubt about Round 2, or that it almost certainly* caused what happened.

Poor Arlovski though.

* Well, that and the possibility of blowing-through-the-nose-when-he-shouldn't-have, but the ref didn't stop Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia over that.

[aerius]

Strikeforce HW tournament is now halfway to being screwed to hell. Fedor. Gone. Arlovski. Gone. I'll laugh so hard if Barnett and Overeem get eliminated in their matchups. Every MMA board is going spastic again, it's fucking great.

[weemadando]

Fedor just called it a career.

I am eagerly awaiting Dana's next tweet.

[aerius]

Well that puts an end to the Fedor/UFC drama. Thank god.

Poor Arlovski though.

Problem with Arlovski is he got lazy and didn't keep his back off the fence. He was doing well in the first minute or so and had good footwork to keep himself from getting cornered and whacked, then he got lazy and started letting Kharitonov take the centre of the cage, and even worse he was up against the fence and not moving. He backed his ass into the fence and stayed there instead of trying to circle out and regain the centre, and he kept friggin' doing it instead of using his speed & footwork to stay out of range. As soon as he started doing that I knew he was done, it was only a matter of time before Kharitonov punched his lights out.

[weemadando]

BAM. I think that there is champagne flowing at Zuffa tonight. And should Reem lose or fail a drug test then the vultures will stop circling and start feeding.

M1 = M done! What did I tell you Vadummy!!

Also, re: Arlovski, following along online with play by play on twitter, lots of people wee commenting on him dropping his lead hand repeatedly. All of them, on seeing this declared that fight as only a matter of time.

[weemadando]

And Coker has declared that Fedor will reenter the "tournament" as an alternate... So what about those three undercard alternate bouts?

I guess when you're going down the shitter all semblance of integrity goes out the window.

At least Carano is coming back, otherwise Scott Coker would be on the first plane to the Cayman islands with what cash he has left.

Edit:

Also, this:

Bunch of guys wearing "Hells Angels of new Jersey" jackets leave the presser when Vadim and Evgeni leave.

[aerius]

Word is Carano's coming back to do a fight to promote her upcoming movie, she said she's not training and hasn't even started training so I don't really see her being committed to fighting. It's like she's doing the Cung Le thing where he does movies and takes a fight when he runs out of work in the movie biz. It's gonna blow up in Coker's face, I can just smell it.

As for Fedor, I hope he doesn't have any 2nd thoughts and just retires and stays retired for good. It puts an end to the drama so the rest of the MMA world can sort out their shit and get on with their lives. As long as Fedor and M-1 are in the picture it screws up everything behind the scenes, get'em out of there and get on with the promoting and putting on fights.


Edit: What the hell? Thiago Silva out for undisclosed reasons and Matt Hammill is now fighting Rampage? I'm sorry, but Hammill's going to get murdered, Rampage is going to punch his lights out.

[weemadando]

Word is Carano's coming back to do a fight to promote her upcoming movie, she said she's not training and hasn't even started training so I don't really see her being committed to fighting. It's like she's doing the Cung Le thing where he does movies and takes a fight when he runs out of work in the movie biz. It's gonna blow up in Coker's face, I can just smell it.

There's been leaked pics of her back doing training with Randy.

As for Fedor, I hope he doesn't have any 2nd thoughts and just retires and stays retired for good. It puts an end to the drama so the rest of the MMA world can sort out their shit and get on with their lives. As long as Fedor and M-1 are in the picture it screws up everything behind the scenes, get'em out of there and get on with the promoting and putting on fights.

I think Tomas Rios put it best when he said that M-1 held Strikeforce's business hostage three times in exchange for having Fedor go 1-2.

I can't help but think that long term, Fedor's legacy will be tainted by all this. Sure, we'll remember the greatness of his actual fights in Pride, but since then his career has been a shambles. I wonder if they'll ever regret not signing with the UFC.

Edit: What the hell? Thiago Silva out for undisclosed reasons and Matt Hammill is now fighting Rampage? I'm sorry, but Hammill's going to get murdered, Rampage is going to punch his lights out.

I think Silva is out for the reason that they want Rampage to have a tune-up fight, not a "get kicked to death fight" as they're trying to set up Rashad-Rampage again.

[Sriad]

As for Fedor, I hope he doesn't have any 2nd thoughts and just retires and stays retired for good. It puts an end to the drama so the rest of the MMA world can sort out their shit and get on with their lives. As long as Fedor and M-1 are in the picture it screws up everything behind the scenes, get'em out of there and get on with the promoting and putting on fights.

I think Tomas Rios put it best when he said that M-1 held Strikeforce's business hostage three times in exchange for having Fedor go 1-2.

I can't help but think that long term, Fedor's legacy will be tainted by all this. Sure, we'll remember the greatness of his actual fights in Pride, but since then his career has been a shambles. I wonder if they'll ever regret not signing with the UFC.

Dana White wasn't classy about it, but I totally agree with him in spirit. After M-1's appalling mismanagement of Fedor's late career I want to see them go down in flames. Maybe he would have lost his (sort of) perfect record a few years sooner if he'd been more exposed to the developing HW classes in major promotions but I'm sure he would have kept a keener edge than he did.

I'm in the camp that would like to see Fedor at 205, but I sure won't blame him if he decides to end it here; he's earned it.

[aerius]

I think Silva is out for the reason that they want Rampage to have a tune-up fight, not a "get kicked to death fight" as they're trying to set up Rashad-Rampage again.

Oh fuck that, I don't want to see another Rashad-Rampage fight where it's 3 rounds of clinching and head bobbing, I'm sorry, but that fight sucked and I don't see a rematch going any better. At least Thiago Silva vs. Rampage will have some good action. Hell, I'd rather see a rematch of Silva-Evans than Rampage-Rashad, at least Silva will bring it.

Bones vs. Shogun is an awesome matchup and covers for a lot of sins, but not even its awesomeness makes up for Rashad vs. Rampage. Unless Rampage KO's Evans it's going to be a repeat of the first snoozefest.

[Edward Yee]

Would anyone here take Rampage's performance on the ground in R3 of the Machida fight as indicative of him on his back?

[weemadando]

I'm in the camp that would like to see Fedor at 205, but I sure won't blame him if he decides to end it here; he's earned it.

As a 20y/o competing in judo/sambo he competed at 220.

Now as a 35y/o you want him to cut to 205?

And what the hell do you think to happen to Fedor at 205, which is probably Strikeforce's strongest division?

[weemadando]

I think Silva is out for the reason that they want Rampage to have a tune-up fight, not a "get kicked to death fight" as they're trying to set up Rashad-Rampage again.

Oh fuck that, I don't want to see another Rashad-Rampage fight where it's 3 rounds of clinching and head bobbing, I'm sorry, but that fight sucked and I don't see a rematch going any better. At least Thiago Silva vs. Rampage will have some good action. Hell, I'd rather see a rematch of Silva-Evans than Rampage-Rashad, at least Silva will bring it.

Bones vs. Shogun is an awesome matchup and covers for a lot of sins, but not even its awesomeness makes up for Rashad vs. Rampage. Unless Rampage KO's Evans it's going to be a repeat of the first snoozefest.

But THE PUBLIC wants Rashad-Rampage again.

And damnit, THE PUBLIC gets what will make Dana happy and rich.

[Sriad]

I'm in the camp that would like to see Fedor at 205, but I sure won't blame him if he decides to end it here; he's earned it.

As a 20y/o competing in judo/sambo he competed at 220.

Now as a 35y/o you want him to cut to 205?

And what the hell do you think to happen to Fedor at 205, which is probably Strikeforce's strongest division?

Jumping off the Last Emperor's bandwagon as hard as you can, eh? I know Fedor is a bit endomorphic, but jump to 2:44 and tell me he couldn't find 15 or 20 pounds to lose.

What would happen? Well, I know for a fact that he'd go from being the smallest man in Strikeforce's HW division (okay, 2nd after Herschel Walker who has 1 inch on him but gives up 10 pounds) giving up 10-35 pounds and 6-8 inches height (and more in reach; Silva had an 8" advantage there) to the high-end of LHW, giving up 0 pounds and 0-3 inches height. Maybe I'm just searching for ways for him to go on --and I'd much rather see him bow out than go into a Chuck Liddell Death Spiral-- but it seems to me like you're dismissing the possibility rather too fast.

Edit for a quick cheap shot: You know who else is 35? Anderson Silva.