THE MMA WEEKLY WRAP UP for 6-30-08

Hi and welcome again to the Wrap Up! It's time to go over all the Internet's latest events and news from the world of MMA.


UFC 86 DILEMMA: JACKSON VS GRIFFIN - WHO TO CHEER?!

Confession time. Some of my favorite fights are when I happen to dislike both of the fighters. I don't feel a need to cheer for either one and can happily watch both of them beat the hell out of one another. It's really a good time!

UFC 86, showing this Saturday night (July 5th) however, puts me in a rather awkward position. For this main event, I happen to really like both of the fighters and I just can't pick between Quinton Jackson or Forrest Griffin.

Does this mean that I'll feel bad for the looser or hope nobody gets hurt? Ummm No. (I think I'll have just as much fun, if not more, watching two of my favorite fighters try to tear one another apart as I would if it were two guys that I truly detested.) This should be an incredible match.

To get us all psyched up, here's a quick Jackson/Griffin montage showing what these guys are capable of doing in the cage.

Of course, Jackson and Griffin aren't the only ones on Saturday's card. Rounding out the fights will be:

• Joe Stevenson vs. Gleison Tibau
• Patrick Cote vs. Ricardo Almeida
• Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle
• Tyson Griffn vs. Marcus Aurelio
• Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully
• Jorge Gurgel vs. Cole Miller
• Melvin Guillard vs. Dennis Siver
• Corey Hill vs. Justin Buchholz

For more on the Event and predictions, let's go to the expert herself, our favorite fight Diva, Joanne from MMAGirls.com

KIM COUTURE FACES HER CRITICS

As we mentioned last week, Kim Couture (Wife of a well-known MMA fighter named Randy) lost a really tough match, in which she suffered a broken nose and jaw. Kim was caught with a hard punch in the opening moments of the fight which caused the injury. However, she toughed it out and finished the match, losing by a unanimous decision.

There was a lot of blood, and Kim’s good looks came out looking… well, not exactly like Cover Girl material.

Let’s face it, when guys get in the cage and end up black, blue, and bloody, most fans consider it pretty macho. We don’t mind the gore and actually come to expect it.

But, when a girl - an attractive girl - like Couture takes a beating, there’s a certain revulsion to the spectacle and even some of the most die hard MMA fans begin to wonder if we really want to watch women participate in this sport.

Earlier this week, Kim made an appearance on ESPN Radio to talk about her fight and debate the the role of women in MMA with Radio Jocks, Cofield and Cokin. As this clip shows, Kim Couture not only has grace and composure in the cage, but is also able to handle herself in philosophical debate as well. (But I still would have liked it if she would've body-slammed one of those fat bozos before leaving the studio!)

THE ULTIMATE DOUBLE STANDARD: THE JESSE TAYLOR STORY

Also mentioned last week was the fact that TUF Finalist Jesse Taylor was removed from the shows final event after a drunken binge in Las Vagas that ended up with him getting kicked out of a casino (or two), allegedly harassing female hotel guests, and kicking out the window of a limousine.

Now, I'm not condoning these actions; I think Taylor is an idiot and a bad example for fighters everywhere. The sport really doesn't need this kind of attention.

However, you gotta wonder why he was kicked off the final show for destroying property when The Ultimate Fighter television show consistently shows fighters destroying the house every season. You gotta wonder why he was kicked of the final show for getting drunk and misbehaving when the show routinely shows fighters getting drunk and playing extremely stupid practical jokes on each other. What's the deal?

There have been reports that Taylor "harassed female guests" at the hotel, however no details were ever given. ('Harassed' could mean calling a woman names and being verbally disrespectful, or it could mean engaging in unwanted touching or it could even mean attempted rape... without more information, there's a whole lot of gray area here.)

One thing is certain; by watching the season unfold, it was obvious that Taylor had a drinking problem. If your unsure of this fact, check out the following clip which highlights (err... lowlights) some of his antics.



(Yeah, you saw right, that was Taylor urinating on himself at the end of the clip. Classy.)

Now, I'm not trying to judge here. I actually support the UFC's decision to toss Taylor from the Final. However, I also think that there's definitely some unfair treatment going on. If the UFC wants to finally take the high road and begin treating it's fighters like athletes instead of drunken sailors looking for a fight, then it needs to treat all of them the same.

No more drunken binges with fighters tearing apart the house, no more stupid pranks designed to instigate violence (which isn't permitted anyways) and no more Springer-like drama just for the sake of ratings. -No wonder non-martial artists think MMA is just a bunch of hooligans in a cage.

Okay, that's my rant for the week. I'll put away the soap box and start getting ready for Saturdays fight... I can't wait!

Check back again next week as we continue to bring you the "Best of the Web in MMA."

Respectfully,

Rick

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2. The "Look for it" field on the sidebar is actually a great search tool. It's not a standard Google search. It actually creates a tabbed search results at the top of the blog. In the example below I used the search term "tiger" and can click on the results on my blog, sites I've linked to, and a general Web search. If you're trying to find that excellent post here on "hurling" it's now much easier. Try it!

Technorati Tags: Blogger

Back to College (Karate College) - Day 3

Consider this just a placeholder. I will have more pics. Videos will be in the next couple of days (need to edit and upload to host). Great stuff.

Also, I am going to see the premier of something called "San Do," billed as "3 Men-1 Ring," which will allegedly be on Fox TV (this is the first public viewing of it. I have NO IDEA how they're going to do this, but I'm not going to miss it.

More later.

--

Nathan Teodoro

 

Pic of the Day: Coolness personified, not!

An inspiring look from the Web, I guess. Not sure where this came from - it was emailed to me, so no credit. And no, that's NOT me!

Have a great weekend.

Back to College (Karate College) - Day 2

Karate College, June 26, 2008

OK - I am on a break and just have a couple of minutes. I will update this post with photos and video, so if you don't check back tonight, you'll miss out. This will be bullets for now, then cleaned up and elaborated. Don't worry, I have plenty of notes, and will make sure I get a Beasley pic out to you, Bob (email me a mailing address), if I can get one, otherwise and autograph that makes it seem as if you're old buddies! :-)

• 0800 start time is too early! So far, I've attended FEARS with Ian Marshall and Robb Buckland, knife fighting with Jerry Beasley, kickboxing with Joe Lewis. Coming up next: krav maga with Perry Gibson, and MMA with Matt Serra, Karate with George Alexander, Sajido with Jim Sams (never heard of either, but ready to check it out!), then finishing up with some Renzo Gracie and Mike Lee Kanarek before collapsing.
• Weather is pretty good. A little hot, but sunny and nice.
• Sheetz is really "my favorite restaurant!" You can get a sandwich really quickly at minimal cost, plus they've got fruit and other healthy junk food alternatives. They also have health food alternatives like junk food, but still...
• I am actually holding up pretty well. There's not as much rust as I thought, and the it's all there upstairs (stop - I know what you're thinking!).
• I had two very green partners for FEARS and Joe Lewis, but had to check my instinct to "clean up" their technique. What was I thinking?? I should take things as they are because I can't tell any opponent how to attack me. Dealing with awkwardness is actually more important from a practical perspective than dealing with a honed skill. We need to drill and learn but adapt to the opponent, not make them adapt to us.

More to come (pics,video, and lessons). Goodbye for now.

UPDATE: 2250 hours - Just got out. Had a great time with Renzo Gracie and Mike Lee Kanarek. Took 95 pictures and about an hour of video. I am sitting at a place called FATZ having a draft, clam chowder, and making some pics for you. Check back later tonight or in the AM for the update. Also, I have extensive Kanarek/Haganah footage, and will use some with commentary, or the stills if the quality isn't high enough. Learned a lot.

UPDATE: 2359 hours - See below.

F.E.A.R.S. with Ian Marshall and Robb Buckland

• These guys are pretty good. Marshall and Buckland have different backgrounds, but a reality/reflexive take on self-defense. Use what you already know, just enhance it. Marshall also emphasized using application from kata/forms.
• Buckland says that you'll typically learn three stances: a Bill Wallace-style side stance for sport, a boxing-type stance, and what he termed a "Mike Tyson" or Sanchin stance. He emphasizes being able to "fight in a phone booth."
• I showed the assistant instructor Steven what I like to use, the dive position universal block and entry (see this pic), and how I like to counter simultaneously with closing the gap and blocking, versus a 1-2 approach. He liked it.
• Lower body defends lower body, upper defends upper.
• Overall, it was pretty good. A taste only, but it left a good impression that they know what they're doing. There's some good seminar footage on YouTube if you want to check them out.

Knife Fighting with Dr. Jerry Beasley

Dr. Beasley signing some Karate College shirts

This was very interesting, in that Dr. Beasley emphasized the legal aspects of defending yourself with a knife, not removing sentries or stabbing to kill. In fact, he brought a refreshing real-world viewpoint that will probably fit most commercial studios and what most are wanting to learn.

• His techniques were straight from Kali/Arnis/FMA, and have things in common with other systems.
• Emphasize slashing as opposed to stabbing. Several good reasons: a slash produces a shock effect in the attacker, at the sight of his own blood, and may cause him to disengage immediately. It show less than lethal intent to a court. Slashing at the extremities disables them [defang the snake]!
• Be principle-oriented, not technique oriented. Meaning that singular techiques have limited application - you must have the ideal conditions to make them work. Instead, principles apply to all techniques and situations.
• I thought it was interesting that Beasley said that everyone should have a gun in their homes. "It's a right, and you should do it." Far from being a "empty-hand" purist, Beasley says that it is a recent development to train to fight unarmed, and that warriors always try to use a weapon first. He brought some humor and realism to the debate by saying that, look, these bodies get old, whereas weapons don't. Plus, they require a lot of upkeep to be effective weapons. An expert on JKD and Bruce Lee, Beasley pointed out that Lee wasn't as well versed as many, but everything he knew he could apply expertly because of his superior conditioning and attributes. He was simply faster and stronger than almost anyone his size or bigger.
• With regard to the knife, he used the Miyomato Mushashi principle of distraction, sharing that Musashi frequently used a throwing weapon to distract then struck with his sword. Use your environment to create that distraction. For example, use sand on the beach to throw at an assailant to give you an advantage.

[I am going to have to quit now and finish this tomorrow. I have to be back at class at 0800 hours]

Technorati Tags: Karate College 2008,F.E.A.R.S.,Ian Marshall,Robb Buckland,knife fighting,Jerry Beasley,kickboxing,Joe Lewis,krav maga,Perry Gibson,MMA,Matt Serra,Karate,George Alexander,Sajido,Jim Sams,Renzo Gracie,Mike Lee Kanarek,Sheetz

TDA Blitz 2008.06.27

Where to start? While I've been away, a lot has been going on!

1. The number one item has to be the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the right to bear arms, it's an "individual right," as most are, not a group right, or reserved to militias. This is a ruling that will no doubt protect the God-given right to protect one's person and domicile from assault by home invasion burglary. Many of us extrapolate our presumed safety in the suburbs (a "safe" neighborhood) to the rest of the country, but many live in fear every day in communities where the outlaws rule. I will write more on this in the future, or may just link with commentary. Much good work being done out there. Check out Of Arms & the Law, for example.
2. The inspiring story of a Marine who led the way. Read it with some tissues handy. Semper Fi! “...he designed a T-shirt that he sometimes sold, sometimes gave away. On the front it read: "Got 3% chance of survival, what ya gonna do?" The back read, "A) Fight Through, b) Stay Strong, c) Overcome Because I Am a Warrior, d) All Of The Above." D is circled.”
3. The Fight Geek is in Thailand doing the Muay Thai thing! Head over and check out his posts.
4. Scott at Weakness With a Twist saw "The Foot Fist Way," and, uh, appreciated it. I think I have to see it. I will probably wait for the video to come out unless I get to it next week. Read his review here.
5. Jiu-jitsu Sensei posted a great video of Judo throws and some reasons to include them in your MMA. I agree, and would add that, for self-defense, throws are a show-stopper (for the attacker, that is). Include them in your arsenal. That's an order!
6. Bob at Striking Thoughts is hot on his search for his next style. While I normally frown on style hopping, I don't that that's what he's doing, and he's got good reasons for moving from TKD to an art that's easier on his body.
7. Check out this video footage of the powered exoskeleton that may allow the lame to walk and move like the Bionic Man, make Bobcats obsolete for construction workers, and our soldiers on the battlefield able to carry two wounded buddies at the same time or jack up a Humvee and shoot with the other hand. Check it out!
8. The 5 Most Badass Presidents of All-Time! Guess who they are before you go there. And several of them are among my favorites. Who knew?
9. Chris at Martial Development on "So You Think You Can Dance" and it's applicability to martial arts practice. "Dancing is not a martial art, but they have much in common. Proficiency in either demands a body that can speak clearly—whether to convey profound truths, or exquisite lies—because indistinct muttering is no basis for artistic expression. In both arts, it pays to keep a close eye on your partner’s movements."
   Steve blogged about it, too. Funny that both of them have been checking it out. This is the first season that my wife and I have been watching. Coincidence? Perhaps...
10. Military Motivator has a poster on the new Navy LC2 Star Destroyer. Click the picture to get there. It's actually scary!

MMA for the Street: Smith vs. Yoshida

This is the first in a series of MMA video clips which I will break down from a "street" perspective, since I am so "street." Ok, despite my lack of "street cred," I will still break them down for your edification.

The first one is this Maurice Smith vs. Hidehiko Yoshida clip. For background, Maurice Smith is one of the best heavyweight kickboxing fighters of all time. He's a striker who went from WKA to K-1, then to MMA. Having defeated both Marco Ruas and Mark Coleman, he's no slouch. His opponent in the white gi, was a world-class Judo-ka. In fact, Mr. Yoshida won a gold medal in the '92 games.

Stage set?

Watch it first before reading the analysis.

Have you seen it? Yes? Ok then, let's talk about this one.

Tactically, Smith was pretty sound, trying to stay away and strike versus a superior grappler. For a while... The advantage in the clinch and on the ground would obviously belong to the Judo man, so Yoshida nullified or defended the striking well, then closed and took the bigger man to the ground. Well, Yoshida did that.

From a self-defense perspective, Smith nearly did what he should have done from the position he was in (Kesa Gatame or the scarf position) - gouge the eyes. If he had actually done it, and quickly, it may have caused Yoshida to release the hold. As it was, he was prevented from doing so by the rules.

Any other ideas?

H/T: mma-fight-video.com

Back to College (Karate College) - Day 1

Karate College, June 26, 2008

I am going to add to this post in updates, so check back for updates.

As posted, I was the first camper and waited a while! Check in was supposed to begin at 3 PM, but probably happened closer to 3:45, and I was starving by the time I finished.

It was actually a good thing waiting because I was able to appreciate the new venue (check out the views of the mountains in southwestern Virginia!).

The view was gorgeous!

The Radford Recreation Center is a much-improved venue for the camp!

While waiting, I got to talk with Masters Bill D'Urso, Joe Hess, and meet with a bunch of instructors. Many seem to be repeat customers, like me (I was here in '93 and '05), and two were students of Dr. Beasley who've started their own schools and are members of his AIKIA organization.

One aside: the Blacksburg/Radford area has "cheap" gas - $3.89. Can you believe I think $3.89 is cheap???

[UPDATE: June 26, 6:25 PM]

The instructors:

Matt “The Terror” Serra - MMA
Dr. Christian Harfouche - shurite jutsu
Bill Wallace - kicking
Joe Lewis - kickboxing
Renzo Gracie
Mike Lee Kanarek - Israeli self defense
Michael DePasquale, Jr. - jujutsu
Dr. Jerry Beasley - knife fighting
Mark Hatmaker - submissions
George Alexander - karate
Willie “Bam” Johnson - combat kung fu
Scott Yates - hapkido
Danny Chapman - sparring
Jim Sams - sajido
Joe Hess - police tactics
Greg Ferry
Dr. Ian Marshall - F.E.A.R.S.
Rob Buckland - F.E.A.R.S.
Paul Creighton
Tim Mannon
Simon Kwong - kung fu
Mike Allen
Allen Branch
James Houston
Jason McNeil - kung fu
Perry Gibson - Krav Maga
Bill D’Urso - jujitsu
Stewart Sparks
John Mayer - FBI self defense
Rick Perez - kenpo
Jimmy Miller - tae kwon do
Kimber Johnson - ITF/WTF forms

 

The schedule:

Friday 8 AM - 10 PM
Saturday 8 AM - 9 PM (including graduation)
Sunday 8 AM - 11 AM

Technorati Tags: Karate College 2008

Writers block?

Marks had a nice comment on my apology post (Apologies are in order) about being out. I wish it was writer's block! I've had that once or twice, and the solution to writer's block was always to write. Just do it! It's just like anything else, the hardest part is getting started, then you "get on a roll" and things get easier.

Nathan is off to college (Karate College, that is!)

Regular (as opposed to irregular?) readers may recall I planned to attend the Karate College 2008. Well, I am here! I seem to be the first "camper" (this started as a camp in the early '90s), and am waiting to complete my registration and head over to my hotel to check in.

I am expecting an exciting weekend, and to learn a lot, then to be sore for days afterward. My plan is to take pictures, video, and blog about my experiences in the evenings and share my impressions and thoughts while they're fresh. You'll also hear my whining about soreness, out-of-shapeness, and such, but just ignore that part!

This is the first in a series. I will plan for one diary post a day, then various subject-specific posts, and follow-up interviews. Check back often!

Technorati Tags: Karate College 2008

Apologies are in order

For about three weeks (ok 4!) I've been so swamped with other things, professional and personal, that I've not had the time or motivation to blog. I've got a couple of ideas and will share them shortly, once Rick and I discuss. More to come.

--

Nathan Teodoro

TDA Training – the BEST martial arts training articles and information!

 

THE MMA WEEKLY WRAP UP for 6-23-08

Hi and welcome again to the MMA Weekly Wrap Up. This is were you can find all the latest Combat Sport related news and happenings found on the Internet.

TUF 7 FINALE LIVES UP TO THE HYPE

Okay, in case you haven't been keeping up with The Ultimate Fighter reality show this season (don't worry, neither have I and neither have a lot of people; the ratings are down!) we'll catch you up with the preview teaser for last week's show.



So here's what happened. The last episode was televised on Wednesday with a live broadcast of the final match on Saturday.

During Wednesday's show, CB Dollaway fought against Amir Sadollah in the last semi-final fight.

Dollaway seemed to give the stronger showing during the first two rounds, ripping a terrible cut under Sadollah's right eye with some terrible ground-n-pound, elbow strikes. However in the last round, Sadollah reverses out of a rear naked choke hold and comes out on top with a nice arm bar, forcing CB to tapout.

Looks like it's going to be Amir Sadollah against Jesse Taylor in the final match... but wait!?

Turns out that after the show was finished shooting at the UFC house, Jesse Taylor decided to hang out in Vegas for a while and celebrate his success. While staying at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino, (Coincidentally owned by Zuffa, LLC President and UFC financial backer, Lorenzo Fertitta) Taylor decides to go on a drinking spree.

After harassing female guests and threatening security guards, Jesse returns to his limousine, where he then begins smashing out the car's window.

Now, while it may or may not be true that "Whatever that happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas;" One thing is certain... Anything that happens in Vegas is on video somewhere!

Naturally, Dana White gets a hold of the security video from the casino and faster than you can say "Contract Canceled," Taylor is out on the street.

The shows two loosing finalists, CB Dollaway and Tim Credeur are quickly brought back in for another match to see who will face Sadollah in the Final.

In a close fight, CB gets the better of the stand up exchanges and wins by unanimous decision.

On to Saturday night, after all the drama of the TUF season, it actually becomes a rather exciting rematch between Dollaway and Sadollah. The fight starts out with Dollaway taking Amir down early, but Sadollah fights well on the ground. He wraps himself up around CB and sneaks in... you guessed it... another armbar!

CB gives Amir a tap on the leg and the referee breaks them up. Sadollah wins!

Wait, hold on. Now, CB begins to protest... apparently he didn't 'mean' to tap... it was an accident... a mistake. A quick review of the UFC rulebook uncovers that there are no takebacks in mma - Amir Sadollah gets the trophy.

TUF 7; Drama all the way up until the very end! Can't wait for Griffin vs Jackson at UFC 86.


Dana White’s (Not So) Big Announcement

As we reported last week, UFC President, Dana White made a "big" announcement this week. Turns out (as expected) all of the juicy Internet rumors were wrong.

The "big news" is that Zuffa Owner, Lorenzo Fertitta is stepping down from his position as CEO of Station Casinos to help Dana expand the UFC. (I think maybe somebody is getting a bit nervous about Affliction.)

Together, Dana and Lorenzo plan to make Ultimate Fighting the most popular sport ever... and also to take over the world or something. -Seriously, those two look like the evil villains found in every comic book. They must be up to something.

Kim Couture Suffers an Ugly Loss

Wife of MMA legend Randy 'the Natural' Couture, Kim Couture had another mma fight at "Free For All: A Night of Combat,” at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

During the opening moments of the fight, Couture's opponent, Kim Rose, rocked her with a looping, overhead right that broke both her nose and her jaw. To her credit, Couture lasted the fight and continued to mix it up, however Rose's onslaught proved to be a bit too much.

Kim Rose took a well deserved win in this fight.



You can find Round 2 and Round 3 on these links.


UFC vs. Affliction JuLy 19th

As we reported last week, The Affliction MMA Clothing Line will sponsor its first event July 19th. The event will feature much anticipated fights between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Silva, as well as Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao and Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell.

Affliction is pulling out all the stops to make this a successful debut. CagePotato.com even reports that they've hired the band, Megadeath to play during ring entrances.

The UFC isn't taking this new threat lightly. In an attempt to split the Affliction's PayPerView sales, the UFC is holding a special Fight Night event on Spike Television, featuring Anderson Silva moving up to 205lbs to face James Irwin.

Here's a quick promo of what Dana White has planned.

So, who to watch? Anderson Silva or Tim Silvia? Blow $40.00 on PayPerView or watch on (the already paid for) cable?

It's a tough choice in these rough economic times. -$40.00 is almost 1/2 a tank of gas!

However, I've come across one quick bit of drama that might make the Affliction Event Very interesting.

According to CagePotato.com, while at the Adrenaline Fights held in Chicago last week, Tim Sylvia was seen attending the fights with Andrei Arlovski’s ex-girlfriend, Patrycja Mikula.

In case you don't know who Mikula is, here's her picture.




Now, Arlovski and Sylvia aren't scheduled to fight, but a girl who looks like that could certainly bring out the beast in some people. - I'm just sayin.

Anyway, that's going to do it for this week. Check back again for more news and happenings in the world of Combat Sports.

Until then, Train Hard and Fight Dirty,

Respectfully,

Rick

THE MMA WEEKLY WRAP UP for 6-16-08

Hi and welcome back to yet another edition of the Wrap Up. There's a lot of interesting developments brewing in the world of Combat Sport this summer, so let's catch you up with some of the highlights.

IS AFFLICTION THE NEWEST 'FASHION' FOR MMA?

In every popular media, there's always at least two types of fans. First, there's the mainstream fan who knows all about the most popular stuff. In music, that would be the guy who follows American Idol and Billboard's Top 40. For Movies, is would be that person who checks out all the major releases and blockbusters. This person would know all about the most popular actors and directors, he or she could tell you how many millions the top movies made this week or which ones are likely to win an Oscar.

However, there's also another type of fan; The person who loves a particular art or media form, yet somehow also shuns anything considered mainstream. In music, this type of fan couldn't care less about Top 40, but would tell you more than you'd ever care to learn about some obscure Jazz artist or a little known Punk Rock band from the 70s.

In movies, this type of fan would know all about the Independent films supported at the Sundance Film Festival or artsy Foreign movies playing at a local movie house. This type of fan doesn't care about Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie... in fact, he tends to pride himself on the fact that his interest isn't shared by most people.

Now, in the world of Combat Sport, the mainstream person is undoubtedly a UFC fan. For most people "Ultimate Fighting" and "Mixed Martial Arts" is the same thing. The UFC is the best promoted and best advertised MMA organization in the world. Fighters like Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Matt Hughes, Anderson Silva, and Georges St. Pierre are easily recognised by even the most casual fans.

The Ultimate Fighter Television show has brought even more fans to this growing sport. Everyone knows and loves UFC.

But, like music and movies, where do the outsiders go when they want to see a good fight? Which organizations do they follow? What do the 'Cool Kids' like?

Well, MMARated.com's Ariel Helwani recently did a piece on the Affliction Event coming up next month... and it looks like Affliction just might be setting itself up as the new Anti-UFC.





It seems to me that while the rest of the world is concerned with the Forrest Griffin/Quinton Jackson matchup at UFC 86, the Combat Sport fans that are 'in-the-know' will be talking about the Emelianenko-Sylvia fight.

Helwani seems to imply that the Affliction:Banned event won't do very well because it won't sell anywhere near the amount of pay-per-views as a UFC Event - And he's right... the UFC will kick their butt in gross event sales.

However, remember that Affliction is a clothing line. They aren't trying to sell tickets, they're trying to sell t-shirts. I'm guessing that Affliction isn't trying to be the next UFC, rather they are trying to be the lesser known, but cooler, alternative to the UFC.

They want the die-hard fans, the people who spend money on combat sport clothing, to buy their merchandise... and I think their plan just might work.

So, for you casual fans out there let's get you caught up on the Affliction: 'Banned' fights which will take place at the Honda Center ("The Pond") in Anaheim, California on July 19th.

The main event, and the only fight that most people are talking about, is a WAMMA (World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts) Heavyweight Title fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia.

Here's a quick promo that lets you see these guys in action:



Other matches on the card include:

Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Ben Rothwell vs. TBA
Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento
Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead

On the Preliminary Card:

Ray Lazama vs. Justin Levens
Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young
J.J. Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight
Brett Cooper vs. Mike Pyle

TDATRAINING HELPS SPREAD RUMORS ABOUT UFC 'ANNOUNCEMENT'

CagePotato.com mentioned last week that UFC President, Dana White was preparing to make a "huge" announcement that would "blow people's minds." He added mystery to his announcement of the announcement by stating that even his employees didn't know about it and that it would be "an indicator of where this business is going over the next five years."

He was supposed to make this announcement, or proclamation, or whatever on Thursday, but then postponed it until tomorrow. (Even more suspense... how will I ever be able to stand it? Please Dana, tell us what it is! Please, Please, Please! -Is Kimbo Slice going to fight Chuck Liddell? Did Anderson Silva discover a cure for cancer? Tell US!)

Of course, this mysterious announcement has led to all kinds of rumors and speculation over the Internet. And what kind of blog would TDATraining be if we didn't help spread some of them?

So here it goes. (Yes, these are all actual rumors of Dana White's announcement.)

1. First, is that the UFC will buy the IFL. (This is actually possible - although unlikely, as the IFL is going through serious financial difficulties and may be for sale for as little as 1 million dollars)
2. The UFC will begin holding events in New York city. (The state of New York is now considering allowing mixed martial art competition, however there have recently been set-backs in the legislature. Some people speculate that this is the reason White had to postpone his big announcement. - Although this rumor seems believable, it's hardly something that would blow anyone's mind or act as an indicator for the business for the next five years.)
3. Vince McMahon of the WWE will provide financial support to help Dana White purchase the UFC from Zuffa. (What!? Yeah, that one's not going to happen... I think this rumor started because the former WWE star, Brock Lesnar, was with Dana when he made the announcement about his announcement.)
4. The UFC is going to go public. (Yeah, I know; not very exciting, nor very surprising. The UFC is doing very well. It would make a lot of sense for them to enter the stock market. This is probably what all the hype is about. - Hey Dana, if you guys are all really about to become filthy, dirty, rotten, stinking rich in the market, why not consider sharing some of your wealth with the fighters who bleed so that you can live it up so well?)

TUF FINAL THIS SATURDAY

The Ultimate Fighter television show ends its season on Saturday with a final showdown between the top 185lb fighters from the program. The event will also feature a bout between the former middleweight champion Evan Tanner and TUF season #3 Champ Kendall Grove.

The fights will take place at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will be broadcast for free on Spike TV. It all starts at 9:00pm ET.

MMAMania.com has a complete list of the fights which include:


Main event:

Evan Tanner (32-7) vs. Kendall Grove (8-5)

Main card (televised):

TUF 7 Finalist #1 vs. TUF 7 Finalist #2
Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
Josh Burkman (9-5) vs. Dustin Hazelett (10-4)
Spencer Fisher (20-4) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

Marvin Eastman (15-7-1) vs. Drew McFedries (6-3)
Dean Lister (10-5) vs. Jeremy Horn (79-17-5)
Matt Arroyo (3-1) vs. Matt Brown (6-6)
Dante Rivera vs. Matthew Riddle
Rob Yundt (6-1) vs. Rob Kimmons (20-3)

The team Coaches, Forrest Griffin and Quinton Jackson will also face off at UFC 86 at The Mandalay Bay Resort in Vegas on July 5th.



EXTREMELY LOCAL FIGHT COVERAGE UPDATE

Last week we told you about the Adrenaline Fights coming to Chicago. - I also recall wondering if Chicagoans would come out to the 'burbs to watch a fight... turns out that they didn't.

Our friends at Combatwire.com report that the attendance was rather poor; only about 2,500 fans. I'm going to stick with my argument that city people won't leave the city for an event and not enough suburbanites are into Combat Sport to fill the stadium. Also $40.00 for nose-bleed seats is a bit expensive and having a mma event on Father's Day does not constitute 'Family' entertainment.

The event was also hampered by an injury for one of the main event fighters, Jeff Munson; who had to drop out due to a broken hand during training. Jason Guida, (the older brother of famed UFC lightweight Clay Guida) was brought in at the last minute to finish the card.

Anyway, here's the fight results from Combatwire.com

Main Card:

Mike Russow def. Jason Guida, Submission-Neck Crank, Rd1
Terry Martin def. Daiju Takase, Disqualification- Groin strikes, Rd2
Forrest Petz def. Brian Gassaway, Majority Decision
Bart Palaszewski def. Jeff Cox, KO- Head Kick, Rd2
Rory Markham def. Jay Ellis, Submission- Triangle Choke, Rd1
Clay French def. Jameel Massouh, Submission- Rear Choke, Rd2
Joe Jordan def. Ryan Williams, Unanimous Decision

Preliminary Fights:

Mike Stumpf def. Don O'Grady - Rd 2 TKO strikes
Tom Belt def. Marcus Levesseur - Rd 1 TKO strikes
Herc Hayes def. Kerry Schall - Decision
Aaron Rosa Def. Ron Fields - Round 2 TKO strikes
Hector urbina Def. Dave Kleczkowski - Rd 2 TKO strikes
Louis Taylor Def. Adam Maciejewski - Decision
Joe Pearson Def. John Hosman - Rd 1 Triangle


Okay, that's going to do it for another edition of the Wrap Up. Check back again soon as we continue to bring you the 'Best of the Web' in Combat Sport competition.

Rick

THE MMA WEEKLY WRAP UP for 6-9-08

ALVES DROPS HUGHES WITH VICIOUS KNEES AT UFC 85

Muay Thai fighter Thiago Alves missed weight by 4 pounds this Saturday, but was allowed to compete after his opponent, the former UFC Middleweight Champ, Matt Hughes agreed to the fight. This isn’t the first time Alves has had trouble making weight. He was suspended for eight months after UFC 66 in 2007 for using illegal diuretics to help him cut weight.

In the Octagon, however, it seemed that weight wasn’t as much of an issue as Alves’ devastating knee kicks. Through the first two rounds of their fight, Alves successfully defended against Hughes takedowns and threw up those knee kicks every chance he got. In the second round, he found an opening and leaped forward with a flying knee kick that took Hughes to the mat. A quick burst of ground-n-pound quickly ended the match.

Hughes is still set to face his arch rival, Matt ‘”The Terror” Serra, later this year. However, with both fighters coming off of respective losses, you have to wonder if fight fans are beginning to loose interest. What was once a three-way contention for the UFC Middleweight title, is now firmly settled. The title is securely held by Georges St. Pierre, while the Hughes/Serra fight is merely sideshow attraction.

Neither fighter appears to have a shot at a rematch for the title anytime soon. In fact, according to CagePotato.com, UFC president, Dana White, claims that he would like to see another big UFC 85 winner, Michael Bising face GSP in a UK soccer (football to the rest of the world) stadium fight.

Okay, Bisping had a nice, 1st round, TKO win over Jason “Dooms” Day, but let’s not get carried away. He’s nowhere near ready to take on one of the best MMA fighters in the world. Still, a Bisping/Rich Franklin fight might be pretty exciting. -Why not let him test the waters with the big fish first before sending him straight to the biggest shark in the tank?

As I mentioned last week, there wasn’t a whole lot posted about UFC 85 before the fight, and there hasn’t been hardly anything posted afterward either. No post fight interviews, no mocking videos, no big controversies, nada.

About all I’ve got for you is a short video of Matt Hughes preparing for his fight against Thiago. Is it just me, or does Hughes seem to be lacking intensity in his training? He just didn’t seem all that ‘pumped up’ for the fight. Well, here… judge for yourself;




DANA WHITE EXPLAINS THAT MMA IS A SAFE & LEGITIMATE SPORT… BUT ONLY WHEN IT’S PROMOTED BY THE UFC

UFC President was also on ESPN’s Sportscenter last week, crying foul about CBS/EliteXC’s Saturday Night Fights. As expected, the primetime coverage has brought mixed martial arts controversy back into the spotlight.

Is it a sport or ‘human cockfighting’? Is it too violent or dangerous to be shown on television?

White, who has a lot of experience defending the sport, does a nice job of arguing his points.
However, he gets caught up when he tries to attack CBS’s event while at the same time defending the sport as a whole.

Dana, you can’t have it both ways. EliteXC has basically the same rules and safety procedures as the UFC. If anything, the Primetime broadcast was guilty of ending their fights too quickly.
Sure, the fireworks, dancing girls, and loud ring entrances were a bit over the top, but let’s not pretend that UFC doesn’t play loud, obnoxious music before their fights and c’mon, the UFC is famous for its ring girls.

And Dana, speaking of girls, how come the UFC doesn’t have any female fighters? The best fight on the EliteXC’s card was Gina Carano vs. Kaitlin Young. If MMA is so safe, why are you afraid to let girls compete?

Here’s Dana hitting his safety talking points while trashing CBS at the same time:




Speaking of EliteXC’s fallout, here’s my favorite mma critic, Bill O’Reilly whining and complaining about the event. More of the usual criticisms comparing mma to the gladiator fights of ancient Rome… whatever.



AFFLICTION BRINGS OUT THE BIG GUNS THIS SUMMER

Okay, so this week is a bit of a let down after all the recent excitement. But don’t worry, there’s still some great matches ahead this summer.

The next really, really, big thing is Pride Champion and arguably the World’s #1 Heavyweight Fighter, Fedor Emelianenko vs. the Former UFC Heavyweight Champ, Tim Sylvia on July 19th. We’ll cover the fight more as it gets closer, but here’s a quick tease.



That's going to do it for this week, but check back again soon. The Summer's just starting to heat up and we'll have a lot more to cover as we bring you the 'Best of the Web' in MMA.

Respectfully,

Rick

EliteXC Show Made the UFC Look Professional

As you may know, MMA isn't my forte, I love the techniques, but don't get into the sport nearly as much as Rick, and hence don't post on it. On the other hand, I couldn't help but want to watch the EliteXC show for the history (first major-network broadcast TV MMA production), and now I can't help but share my observations. Not having had a chance to read anything else on the Web yet, other than Rick's MMA Weekly Wrap-Up (of 6/2/08), I hope this doesn't just repeat what you may have read elsewhere. I also held off posting this until the Wrap-Up was up. Here are my impressions:

The EliteXC show had many components that make it appear to be more pro wrestling than serious combat sport. The UFC's productions shine by comparison.

1. I don't think girls dancing bumping and grinding on a stage has any place in a sport that wants to be taken seriously. I don't have a problem with dancers being a part of a musical stage performance, but it actually made me cringe to think that this would be the first exposure to MMA that many people had, and it may be the last. No class.
2. The smoke and lights as the fighters made their appearances weren't that bad, but, again it doesn't enhance the sport or the fighters. It's a wrestling gimmick. The Ultimate Fighter reality show made the fighters stars in the UFC, and made even casual fans or spouses care about the fighters and get into the "soap opera" of the UFC. The brief profiles of the fighters didn't give enough background and didn't seem balanced - as Rick mentioned, the promoters had their favorites: "The pre-fight trailers and interviews made it rather clear that certain athletes were going to be the ‘stars’ of the show; including Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano, and of course ‘Kimbo Slice’ - Kevin Fergusson. These guys were the favorites to win and no one begrudged EliteXC from hyping up their participation. -After all, EliteXC doesn’t have many big names like UFC or Affliction yet.
   What most of us didn’t suspect however, is that these same stars might get preferential treatment inside the ring."
3. That was my primary problem with the show - the results were a foregone conclusion! Gina Carano really impressed me - her timing was excellent, nailing Katlin Young repeatedly with stop hits and straight punch and kick combinations. Carano has obvious marketing appeal and is loaded with raw talent, but the early stoppage did her and the sport no justice. Young was bloodied and swollen, but was scoring well with leg kicks, and holding her own on the ground. I didn't have a problem with the stoppage of the Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith's bout. It was a war, and, if you missed it, was stopped and declared a No Contest due to the Smith's eye injury (accidental gouge by Lawler). We can't really know if that bout could've continued, and I agreed that we should err on the side of fighter safety, especially with vision. I do know that I'd love to see a rematch of that fight - Lawler's striking was impressive - his body kicks and counter fighting style gave Smith real problems, but it was no mismatch by any means. I had no doubt that Smith was in the fight, because his bursts of offense could've spelled defeat at any time for Lawler. The most egregious decision robbery was the TKO stoppage of James Thompson by Kimbo (Kevin Fergusson). A casual fan could tell that Thompson should have won both of the first two rounds by virtue of him keeping Kimbo on his back and pounding him nearly the entire time, and he was probably due the decision as long as he didn't get knocked out by Kimbo's superior striking in the third. I have my doubt that CBS and EliteXC wanted to see their main attraction go out that way, and so it was stopped after a four-punch combination by Slice. Was Thompson unable to continue? Was he out on his feet? I'd say no to both questions. Thompson was probably going to win that fight, but we'll never know. Despicable decision by the referee, and he deserved to get the palm to the face he received from a coherent and combative Thompson. What. The. Hell? Kimbo probably knows he lost that fight, and I do hope that a rematch is in the works.
4. Finally, the color commentator needs to learn a little more about the fight game. It annoyed me every time he called a leg kick a "cut kick." The proper term should be leg kick, as most fighters use the muay Thai style kick, but not all, and cut kick denotes a particular use of the Thai kick to the leg - under the opponent's kick as a counter. There were other examples of his ignorance, but I'll let it go at that.

In conclusion, I learned a few things from watching that production (in no particular order):

• Kimbo is still developing, but may be a contender once he gets more technique from the bottom and near the cage. His conditioning appeared to be lacking for three-rounders, and he's not ready for five yet. He was, I think, visibly scared prior to the beginning of the fight, and I think that may have affected his endurance. With more experience those jitters will go away, and he'll have a chance. My opinion is that he's being protected and managed, but he needs more exposure to better fighters to fulfill his superstar potential. I actually root for him as a person because he's decided to do it right and has gotten competent coaching and seems to be learning. If you'd have asked me a year ago whether he could have beaten a top MMA heavyweight, I would've said no. I have changed my mind and would now say maybe.
• Carano impressed me a lot. I think her stand-up skills are very good, and loved watching her (like Lawler) use the jab effectively. Also, her use of the front kick was refreshing. It's a perfect complement to the Thai kick from that stance, but is underutilized in MMA. She really does seem to have her head somewhere else, but I think that if she focused more on fighting, she'd be unstoppable.
• Finally, this showed just how far MMA has come. There are no prime-time boxing events anymore on network TV, but here is MMA. It's got a chance to get even bigger, but only if it's done more professionally than Saturday's show.

Technorati Tags: EliteXC,Robbie Lawler,Kimbo Slice,Kevin Fergusson,Gina Carano

THE MMA WEEKLY WRAP UP for 6/2/2008

Hello and welcome back to another exciting edition of the MMA Weekly Wrap Up. This is where you can find all the latest Internet news and happening for the world of Combat Sport!

It's been an incredible weekend, so let's get right into all the action!


ELITEXC’S PRIMETIME FAME COMES AT A PRICE… INTEGRITY

Well, amidst all the hype of this Saturday’s event on CBS, many things were gained: mixed martial arts was given legitimate sports attention by a television network, many potential fans were introduced to cage-fighting for the first time, and the largest MMA organization, the UFC was finally threatened by an emerging promotion. (Actually, the UFC suffered a one-two punch with EliteXC and the WEC… but more on that in a minute.)

Unfortunately, something was also tragically lost by EliteXC on Saturday… a chance to rise above the spectacle of sport-entertainment (like professional wrestling) and prove that itself as genuine and impartial association. Along with the fireworks, dancers, and music video processions into the ring, the theater actually seemed to continue after the fighters entered the ring… err cage.

What isn’t quite clear is whether or not certain fighters were being protected or whether the television network simply wanted to protect the public from seeing anything too ‘barbaric’ between Burger King and Miller Lite commercials.

The pre-fight trailers and interviews made it rather clear that certain athletes were going to be the ‘stars’ of the show; including Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano, and of course ‘Kimbo Slice’ - Kevin Fergusson. These guys were the favorites to win and no one begrudged EliteXC from hyping up their participation. -After all, EliteXC doesn’t have many big names like UFC or Affliction yet.
What most of us didn’t suspect however, is that these same stars might get preferential treatment inside the ring.

The first main fight of the evening was Gina Carano vs. Katlin Young. The evening started off badly for Carano as she weighed in 3lbs heavy for the match and had to surrender some of her fight purse to Young. Carano also looked a bit sluggish during the first round, taking some hard kicks in the process.

The two women battled it out for two rounds with Carano scoring some vicious right hands in the 2nd. Young ended up with a horrible looking welt under her left eye. However, she appeared to be ready and capable of continuing the fight. The eye wasn’t swollen shut or injured in any way. (Compare this situation to the WEC Torres/Maeda fight that we’ll get to in a minute.)

Still, between the second and third round, referee Herb Dean had the doctor check out Young’s eye and declared her unable to continue. You could hear Katlin complaining in her corner just before she was quickly whisked away for “medical attention.”

My first thought was outrage. Of course this was some kind of gender discrimination! CBS just didn’t want to show a girl getting a black eye on its network, so they had the fight called early! (Kaitlin had no post fight interview and wasn’t mentioned again during the broadcast.)

The next fight, however, caused me to re-evaluate my gender bias argument. During the Lawler/Smith Middleweight Championship, Scott Smith suffered an eye gouge in the third round. (Compare to the WEC Faber/Pulver fight that well mention soon!) Although, Smith recovered within the 5 minutes allowed by the rules, the doctor stopped the fight, calling it a “no contest.” -Well, at least they weren’t only being overly gentle with the girls.

Then came the main event; Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Fergusson vs. James Thompson.
Thompson is an enormous guy, with a rather severe cauliflower ear; he looked almost like something out of a monster movie. The fight started out with the two trading punches. Thompson eventually got a takedown and delivered some elbows as the two continued to brawl. Later, Thompson would catch Kimbo in a standing guillotine, but suffer some knee kicks as Kimbo escaped.

In the second round, the two ended up on the ground again with Slice attempting a neck crank. The round ended with Thompson getting in a little more ground-n-pound against the cage. Kimbo was unable to get himself free and Thompson unable to finish.

In the third round, Kimbo wisely decided to do his best to stay on his feet. The two exchanged blows when Kimbo’s fist landed right on the cauliflower ear of Thompson. The thing blew like an enormous zit, sending blood everywhere.

Kimbo followed up with some hard punches that clearly rocked Thompson, but did not send him to the mat. But, just like the other big fights, this one was immediately stopped just as soon as someone started bleeding. The referee waved Thompson off and told him the fight was over.
Thompson quickly flew into a rage and took a quick shot at the ref. In probably one of the best techniques of the night, the ref quickly parried him and let him know that he wouldn’t tolerate any antics like that. (Would have been funny if the ref kicked his butt faster than Kimbo could.)

So what was the deal? Was CBS trying to stop the fights before they became too messy? Was EliteXC trying to protect their main attractions? Or was it all just a coincidence?

It’s hard to say, but during the post fight interviews, EliteXC’s promoter, Gary Shaw seemed as eager to get rid of James Thompson as he had been to lose Kaitlin Young. He told reporters that Thompson was having problems breathing and had to go to the hospital. Unfortunately for Shaw, Thompson then walked in the door ready to answer questions.

Now, say what you want about Thompson’s fighting ability or his chin, but one things certain, the guy has a couple of brain cells working. At 3:00 into post fight press conference, Thompson gets Shaw to agree to pay him his fight bonus in front of the press and even attempts to get some grass roots support for a rematch. (Nobody actually seems interested, but it’s still a valiant attempt!) Thompson knows his 15 minutes are over and he’s about to make sure he’s paid for each one of them.




FABER/PULVER FIGHT UPSTAGED BY THE OPENING ACT

Okay, I really figured that this week would be real easy to cover, I knew I’d be talking about the Primetime event and I knew I’d be talking about the Faber/Pulver fight, what I didn’t know I’d absolutely have to cover was the WEC’s Bantum weight championship.

Now, for me, the current champ, Miguel Torres, is a local fighter from East Chicago. He’s fought in the Chicagoland area for quite some time now, and I’ve watched him develop over the years. I like his quick aggressive style and smart ground strategy. Recently, he’s really kicked his game up and has become a true champ.

But nothing prepared me for the incredible display he and Yoshiro Maeda put on Sunday night just before the main event. Everything about their match from the intense staredown before the bell, to the rapid pace of their assaults, to the bone cracking power of their punches and kicks left me awestruck.

These two fighters took everything the other threw at them and returned it with gusto. On the ground they transitioned from one another’s attacks and countered effectively. Both fighters poured everything they had into each technique, constantly looking for a weakness or opportunity, and creating an opening wherever they could.

However, by the third round, Torres began to find his reach advantage and began punishing Meada’s left eye. The eye soon swelled up, completely blinding his vision and possibly injuring the eyeball.

Unlike, the quick poke that Scott Smith suffered on Saturday night, this injury really was a threat and the fight was ended after the third round. Both fighters showed sincere respect for one another and the battle they had just waged.

It was going to be a tough act for Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver to follow, but the two Champions made a show of trying. Faber surprised everyone by keeping the fight primarily on its feet. He faced Pulver’s legendary left hook and ‘Dirty Boxing’ strategy head on.

Pulver, to his credit, took everything that Faber could dish out, including some unbelievably strong right crosses. At times, Pulver looked almost out on his feet, but rather than the fight being called like the Kimbo Slice/Thompson match up, Pulver would quickly move in and go on the attack.

Every time you thought there was no way Pulver could continue, he would surprise everyone in the crowd and keep coming forward. The Featherweight championship went the full five rounds, with hardly any slowdown.

The fights from Sacramento were like watching a Rocky movie, only better. (And real!) Faber retained his title by unanimous decision, but neither of these fights seemed to have a loser. The fans seemed to enjoy cheering on their favorites as much as they did respecting the courage of their opponents.

As much as Saturday night tried to show us what Combat Sports could be, Sunday night showed us what they really are.

Here's a quick interview with Urijah Faber after the fight:



UFC 85 RETURNS TO LONDON FOR BEDLAM AND… OH WHO CARES!

Oh Yeah, this Saturday Matt Hughes faces Thiago Alves, while Michael Bisping goes up against Jason Day, and Marcus Davis will meet Mike Swick… big deal. If the UFC wants to keep us coming to pay-per-view, their going to have to get a little more exciting than that.

Even our usual fight diva, Joanne from MMA Girls hasn’t chimed in with her usual predictions. B-O-R-I-N-G

Anyway, here’s a quick clip to get you pumped for the fights if you’re interested.

Okay, that's going to do it for this week. Check back again soon for more of the best of the Web in combat sports. (Yeah, we'll even cover the Hughes & Werdom fights, but after all the WEC excitement this week, it's gonna be tough competition.)
Take Care and Keep Training,

Rick