Archive for January, 2010

Strikeforce: Miami Preview

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

As we discussed earlier this week, the times are a’ changin’. Strikeforce fight cards matter and that’s our gain – just more mixed martial arts to enjoy. Here’s a quick preview of the key bouts to watch and my picks to win this Saturday night.

Welterweight championship: Nick Diaz (20-7, 1 NC) vs Marius Zaromkis (13-3)

Unlike his brother Nate, Nick Diaz is more than just a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He certainly has submission skills to rival Nate but Nick can also box; 11 of his 20 victories are via knockout and he finished four of his last five fights via TKO. It’s tough to know what to expect from Marius Zaromkis. He’s a powerful striker who has scored three straight knockouts via head kicks that would make Mirko Cro Cop proud. But is he ready for the major step up in competition?

The pick: Nick Diaz. Zaromkis has a bright future but I just don’t think he’s ready for someone as polished and versatile as Diaz. Nick can win in many different ways.

Women’s lightweight championship: Cristiane Santos (8-1) vs Marloes Coenen (17-3)

For the first time in her career, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos faces major pressure. After she busted up Strikeforce (and Maxim) poster girl Gina Carano, she needs a win to legitimize herself, Carano and the Strikeforce women’s division. If Cyborg loses to the experienced Marloes Coenen, what will that tell us about Carano’s reputation?

The pick: Cristiane Santos. Coenen is a dangerous grappling ace but Cyborg is a BJJ purple belt. She also showed against Carano that she can take a punch. And Cyborg just hits so. Darned. Hard.

Herschel Walker (No record) vs Greg Nagy (1-1)

Sigh. NFL and college football legend Herschel Walker makes his much-hyped MMA debut at age 47. He’s a superb athlete but literally has just three months of training. This isn’t a Brock Lesnar story; people forget that Lesnar trained for a year before he entered the Octagon. Walker draws no name Greg Nagy for the bout.

The pick: Herschel Walker. By no means am I confident in Walker’s future. But he’s still extremely fit and strong. My guess is that he overpowers Nagy and grinds out an ugly, ugly decision, similar to what Kimbo Slice gave us in his first televised bout against James Thompson in May of 2008.

Bobby Lashley (4-0) vs Wes Sims (22-12-1)

For anyone who watched The Ultimate Fighter 10 and hated quirky bully Wes Sims, now’s your chance to see karma bite him back – in the form of 265-pound wrestling juggernaut Bobby Lashley. Like Brock Lesnar fighting Frank Mir for the first time, Lashley should watch out for Sims’ submission ability. But Wes Sims is not Frank Mir.

The pick: Bobby Lashley. He’s been nothing short of dominant thus far in his brief career and he should rag doll the gigantic but lanky Sims.

Enjoy the fights this Saturday, folks!

MMA Club Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Is Bobby Lashley the next Brock Lesnar?

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

We have to hand it to Strikeforce. The MMA promotion has clearly emerged as the UFC’s main competition and it has a genuinely interesting fight card to behold this weekend. Among Saturday’s competitors is Bobby Lashley; the former WWE superstar now draws lanky Wes Sims in what should be a cupcake matchup for him.

The big question on most of our minds is whether or not Lashley is the next Brock Lesnar.

To me, the more compelling question is: do we want him to be?

It’s easy to draw similarities between the two. Both men come from highly accomplished collegiate wrestling backgrounds. Both were quite popular in the WWE. Both have to slim down and drop water weight just to make the 265-pound limit. Both, love them or hate them, are outstanding athletes – “next generation” mixed martial artists.

But for now, there’s one crucial factor separating Lashley and Lesnar: their mouths.

Lesnar embraces the heel role and it’s helped him fast-track his way to the top. He wanted the best right away and landed a title fight in his fourth career bout. Since then, he’s defamed sponsors, referees, Canadian health care and more. In the process, he’s infuriated any mixed martial artists, professional or immature, who respect the sport’s honour.

So far, so good for Lashley. He’s confident – any fighter should be – but not brash. He openly admits he’s too green for the likes of Fedor or Alistair Overeem after four pro fights. He knows he has to develop his striking and submission defense before he can hang with the big boys.

Eventually, though, Lashley could reach a crossroads. As hated as Lesnar is, he’s “good television.” He drives ratings, starts water-cooler discussions and has unquestionably raised the UFC’s profile. As the UFC’s competition, Strikeforce knows it could use its own heel. Might it pressure Lashley to run is mouth more and drive up ratings? By doing so, Lashley will earn bigger pay days.

Here’s hoping he doesn’t give in. Instead, I’d love to see him emerge as an anti-Lesnar, a guy with the same career background but a different philosophy for fighting. And wouldn’t that make for a great rivalry if Lashley one day migrated to the UFC?
By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Wrestling Clubs North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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MMA Fighters who need to call it quits

Monday, January 25th, 2010

I couldn’t help but chuckle thinking about the upcoming UFC 109 main event, which pits Randy Couture against his veteran wrestling contemporary Mark Coleman. They were slated to clash at UFC 17 but Mark Coleman, then still sporting hair on his head, got hurt. UFC 17!? Something tells me these two need to retire before they suffer permanent brain damage.

We’ve covered the Natural and the Hammer. Who else in mixed martial arts should be put out to pasture?

Chuck Liddell

Easy decision here. Guys like Couture and Coleman had longer primes because they did their damage by grappling opponents, pinning them against cage, taking them down and avoiding dangerous exchanges. But the Iceman’s bread and butter has always been striking and he just doesn’t have the chin to stand and trade anymore.

Wanderlei Silva

Wandy’s in a similar boat to Chuck but, unlike Liddell, he actually had a long prime. The problem is that Silva started fighting as a teenager. He’s just taken too many shots over the years. For anyone who doesn’t agree that MMA “age” is more about number of fights than number of years on Earth, know this: Wanderlei Silva is in the twilight of his career at age 33 and Randy Couture fought his first MMA bout at age 33.

Frank Trigg

Fittingly matched up for UFC 109 against another guy who should consider retiring, Matt Serra, Frank “Twinkle toes” Trigg just doesn’t look like a mixed martial artist anymore. In his “fight” against Josh Koscheck, he was an old man trying to battle a young buck. The result wasn’t pretty. Time for Trigg to take his big mouth to the broadcast booth permanently.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

Here’s an easy choice. Once the most feared heavyweight striker in the world, Cro Cop is a shadow of his former self. He looked genuinely afraid to fight Junior Dos Santos and has openly wrestled with his desire. Hopefully, he can go out in style against Ben Rothwell at UFC 110.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA Gym North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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MMA’S most underrated fighters

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Earlier this week, we lambasted the most overrated fighters in mixed martial arts. It’s only fair, then, that we give credit to the sport’s most underrated fighters. After all, no one else does.

Tyson Griffin

You’d think an athletic, well-rounded, exciting fighter like Tyson Griffin would get bigger billing or at least a slight move in the lightweight rankings. Instead, the 14-2 Griffin (who I think is 15-1; he should’ve gotten the decision against Sean Sherk) sits helplessly as lesser fighters like Clay Guida pass him on the ladder. How does Guida get fights against Diego Sanchez, Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian when Griffin beat Guida?

Junior Dos Santos

Shane Carwin gets a lot of hype for a guy whose only notable victory came against Gabriel Gonzaga. Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos, however, has earned his 10-1 record by knocking out Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop and Gilbert Yvel in consecutive bouts to start his UFC career. He’s stuck behind the high-profile top five (Lesnar, Mir, Carwin, Nogueira, Velasquez) in the UFC’s heavyweight division but deserves better. How about a boxing expo between Dos Santos and the ever-improving Mir?

Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch

These two get joint mention because they’re both in the same boat. They’re elite practitioners in their disciplines – Alves a devastating Muay Thai striker and Jon Fitch a Wrestling ace – who each could’ve had lengthy runs as UFC welterweight champion if Georges St-Pierre didn’t exist. All they can do is fight each other again – which they will at UFC 111.

Gegard Mousasi

It’s weird to call Mousasi underrated when he’s the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion but the Dutch kickboxer is one of MMA’s best-kept secrets. He’s a sparkling 28-2-1 in his career and he’s finished 26 opponents via knockout or submission. This intelligent fighter deserves more respect.

MMA Gyms North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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MMA’s most overrated fighters

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

With many big MMA title fights on the horizon, be they UFC, WEC or Strikeforce, forums are abuzz with chatter about who does and doesn’t deserve a crack at the belt. It inspired me to build a list of MMA’s most overrated or “undeserving” contenders.

Notable omissions: Kimbo Slice (he’s no longer overrated; we know his limits) and Randy Couture (he’s just old and a marketing pawn).

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Going only by “Sokoudjou” simply adds to his overrated status. He has major power but he’s a dumb fighter who regularly gets caught in bad positions and outclassed by more cerebral opponents (Lyoto Machida, Gegard Mousasi).

Fabricio Werdum

He made his way on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prowess but his glass jaw keeps him from seriously challenging any real contenders. And we’re supposed to get excited upon learning that he’s Fedor’s next opponent? Yuck.

Bob Sapp

Size does matter. A huge sideshow in Japan, Bob Sapp has landed many high-profile fights on his immense stature alone. The catch: he never actually wins those fights. You name the star heavyweight and he’s beaten Sapp (badly).

Shane Carwin

Don’t get me wrong; Carwin has plenty of time to shake his overrated label. But he’s so unproven that it feels weird to hear “Shane Carwin” and “UFC interim title fight” in the same sentence. He’s never had to fight past round 1 and, in his lone high-profile victory, he got wobbled badly by Gabriel Gonzaga before rallying for the knockout. Think of Carwin as Cain Velasquez a year ago: a wrestling ace with lots of potential and lots to prove.

Clay Guida

I just can’t understand the hype over this guy. It’s almost as if his long, greasy hair distracts judges and fans alike. They see his locks bouncing and jerking around and get tricked into believing Guida is “busy” when, in fact, he does nothing in the Octagon. His strategy consists of bobbing all over the place, holding onto opponents for dear life until the refs stand him up and tossing in the odd pitter-patter punch. And we’re supposed to believe this is an exciting fighter?

Weigh in on who you feel is the most overrated MMA fighter…

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA Gym Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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The Weirdest Nicknames in MMA

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

One thing we’ve learned as MMA fans this month: Paul Daley is a bad, bad man. And that’s bad in a good way.

You couldn’t pay me enough to take a punch from Paul “Semtex” Daley.

Wait a second – Semtex? What on Earth does Semtex mean? I set out for the answer and found the stories behind several other bizarre fighter nicknames along the way.

Behold – MMA nicknames explained! Not included are the Brazilian nicknames, almost all of which translate to goofy insults like “Big nose.” Seriously.

Paul “Semtex” Daley

Turns out Semtex is a form of plastic explosive used in demolition and warfare. Well, that explains a lot given Daley’s explosive striking.

Krzysztof “The Polish Experiment” Soszynski

We know he’s Polish Canadian but where does the “experiment” factor in? Believe it or not, the light heavyweight tipped the scales at 300 pounds during his pro wrestling career years ago. His colleagues, awestruck by his conditioning for a man his size, joked that he was a walking science experiment. Cool.

Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko

Don’t laugh! The Janitor earned his nickname with an inspiring story. During the Belarusian’s freestyle wrestling days, the U.S. team saw him cleaning mats in grubby clothes before a meet. Imagine their surprise when that custodian not only faced them, but beat them. Dave Schultz officially coined the “Janitor” moniker.

Jorge “The Naked Man” Rivera

This nickname seems simple at first but there’s one problem: Rivera doesn’t fight in the nude. It took a lot of detective work but I finally found the source…and it’s pretty straightforward. Rivera is known for wearing flesh-colored shorts. I guess that’s one way to get inside your opponent’s head.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA Gyms in Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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How can Dana White bring MMA to Ontario?

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

If you’re a Canadian MMA fan living on Ontario, you’ve probably watched Premier Dalton McGuinty closely over the last few weeks. In an interview just before Christmas, he was candid about the possibilities of bringing the sport to his province.

While McGuinty didn’t openly endorse MMA, he vowed not to “drive it underground” and said he’d hear out every possible opinion. It’s the smart thing to do considering that Quebec has welcomed MMA and reaped major rewards with jam-packed houses for UFC 83 and 97. British Columbia was the latest province to sign on; Vancouver is slated to host UFC 113 on June 12.

So what’s stopping McGuinty from allowing MMA events in Ontario? Well, according to the province’s criminal code, MMA qualifies as “prize fighting” and is therefore illegal. The only way to change that is to essentially influence McGuinty to change the definition of MMA.

I wonder if Georges St-Pierre can help here.

Last week, we talked about his plans to wrestle for Canada in the 2012 Olympics. Few athletic endeavours, if any, garner the type of respect that competing for one’s country does. If St-Pierre does in fact relinquish his UFC welterweight title (assuming he has it) after facing Dan Hardy on March 27 and begins his 18-month training plan for the Olympics, he could indirectly add to Canadian MMA’s legitimacy.

While you could argue that leaving MMA for the Olympics does the opposite, as St-Pierre could be viewed as “turning his back on the lesser sport,” I disagree. If St-Pierre can transition from karate roots to MMA to wrestling and win a medal, he’ll show the world that a mixed martial artist is an athlete, not just a violent individual vying for a pay day. If Dana White can say to McGuinty, “One of our fighters just won gold for your country,” I have to think McGuinty and the Ontario government will view the sport differently.

If White doesn’t want to wait 18 months for MMA in Ontario, Here’s an intriguing question for you: how much is he willing to sacrifice to get it there sooner? Would he sacrifice GSP himself?

What if White promised McGuinty that he’d let St-Pierre go in exchange for MMA sanctioning in Ontario? “If you give us MMA, I’ll give you GSP for the Olympics.” An advance promise could motivate McGuinty to decide on the issue sooner. Even though White would lose his champion and one of his biggest-drawing fighters, the pay day of an Ontario event would be worth it. Reportedly, White wants a UFC event at the Rogers Center. That would surely destroy every UFC attendance record to date.

Under a GSP arrangement like that, everyone wins. White gets his organization into what may be MMA’s hungriest North American market; McGuinty gets a celebrity and beloved athlete into the Olympics; and St-Pierre gets to chase a dream of his.

Food for thought!

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA in Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Who was the mma fighter of the decade?

Monday, January 11th, 2010

We’re into mid-January, meaning we’re almost past the “New Year” phase during which pundits reflect on the past year or years and pass judgment. Almost. Before we fully say goodbye to the 2000s, let’s pick the fighter of the decade.

In mixed martial arts, two criteria stand above all: dominance and longevity. With that in mind, let’s proceed.

Was it Minotauro Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop or Wanderlei Silva? No. All three dominated the PRIDE circuit in the first half of the decade but all three have been shadows of their former selves since arriving in the UFC, though I’m still holding out hope for Big Nog.

How about Chuck Liddell? The Iceman makes a solid case, as he was arguably the most feared puncher in the sport from 2004-2007, but he stumbled badly in the last few years and seems over the hill.

Lightweight master BJ Penn gets some votes. He’s been around long enough and, if not for his repeated failures at welterweight, could’ve been the choice. But we can’t ignore his struggles at 170 pounds.

Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva are excellent picks and I don’t fault anyone who votes for them. They’re both absolutely dominant fighters who could retire as legends today and have made mockeries of their weight classes.

But my vote goes to Fedor Emelianenko. Say what you want about him ducking opponents of late but there was no more dominant fighter this decade. He took down legends of the heavyweight division – Nogueira, Cro Cop, Mark Coleman – systematically. He finished the decade with an amazing 27-1 (1 NC) record. Best of all, Fedor stands for everything mixed martial arts should be. He’s a perfect hybrid of striking and grappling, combining heavy-handed boxing with sambo and judo. He’s an honourable, modest man who takes every opponent seriously and goes about his business with a stoic demeanour.

The next decade will belong to someone else – St-Pierre? Machida? Jon Jones? – but Fedor is the best mma fighter of the last 10 years.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA Gym Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Georges St-Pierre’s Olympic wrestling dream becoming a reality?

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Despite the superior popularity of hockey, basketball and football in Canada, there may be no more unifying athlete in the country than Georges St-Pierre. Through his dedication, class and sheer domination of mixed martial arts, he’s become an icon. As Dana White says, “The guy deserves to be on Wheaties boxes.”

Already a masterful striker thanks to his Kyokushin karate background, St-Pierre took his game to a new level by (a) developing his wrestling to such a dominant level that he could defeat NCAA division-1 champs like Josh Koscheck and (b) joining Greg Jackson’s team, which includes training partners like Rashad Evans and Shane Carwin. Anyone who wrestles those guys for practice has an edge over on his opponents.

We’ve heard the rumour for years – that GSP wants to wrestle in the Olympics. Reportedly, Team Canada wanted him in 2008 but the timing was wrong. Now, his dream is very close to happening. He admitted in a recent interview that he will decide whether or not to focus entirely on the Olympics after his UFC welterweight title defense against Dan Hardy. Committing to the 2012 Olympics would require 18 months of intense training, he says. He would wrestle at 185 pounds rather than cut major weight to reach 163, the next-lowest weight class.

We’ve seen plenty of fighters go from Olympic wrestling to MMA – such as Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. But MMA to the Olympics? That’s a new story and a testament to St-Pierre’s phenomenal athleticism. He certainly has a challenge ahead but, based on his success against Koscheck and legendary wrestler Matt Hughes, I wouldn’t bet against him.

As Olympic wrestlers endure major weight cuts, St-Pierre would likely face men who walk around 20 pounds heavier than him. But how did that work out for the hulking Thiago Alves at UFC 100? To quote St-Pierre, “technique always beats strength.” Here’s hoping he’s right. Committing to London 2012 would mean relinquishing his welterweight title, but seeing Georges with a gold medal around his neck would be worth it.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

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Matchmaker, Matchmaker: Fights we need to see in light of UFC 108

Monday, January 4th, 2010

UFC 108 has come and gone and we have egg on our faces. The supposedly cursed, talent-starved card delivered with one spectacular finish after another. After Saturday, here are a few fights I think the MMA universe needs to see.

Paul Daley vs. Thiago Alves

Wow. The brash Brit Daley backed up his big mouth by knocking Dustin Hazelett into next year. Daley has monster power, an aggressive style and seems far too thick to fight at welterweight. Doesn’t that sound like Thiago Alves to you? Intstead of rematching Alves and Jon Fitch, how about giving the Pit Bull Paul Daley? That Muay Thai vs. boxing matchup could be the slugfest of the year. Since Alves may have already signed for the Fitch fight, we have to wait for the dream matchup against Daley.

Martin Kampmann vs. Josh Koscheck

Kampmann tossed aside Jacob Volkmann on Saturday; big deal. Kampmann still ate too many punches and, as he showed us during his previous fight against Daley, that gets him killed against powerful strikers. Now that Josh Koscheck has heavy hands, he’ll pose a serious threat to Kampmann’s baby-faced jaw. A victory could land Koscheck the winner of the St-Pierre/Hardy title fight; a win for Kampmann would confirm that we still have to take the Danish Thai boxing star seriously at 170 pounds.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Frank Mir, Shane Carwin or Cain Velasquez

I feel for Junior Dos Santos. With Brock Lesnar out of the picture, JDS is a clear fifth wheel at heavyweight. The top four guys are slated to fight each other, as Frank Mir meets Shane Carwin for UFC interim title and Cain Velasquez battles Minotauro Nogueira for No. 1 contendership. Dos Santos should wait to fight a loser of those two matchups, as any other opponent would be a step backward for him. He won’t fight Nogueira, his training partner, so it has to be Mir, Carwin or Velasquez. All would be worth opponents for the slugger Dos Santos, who has lightning-quick hands.

MMA Gym in Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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