Archive for February, 2010

Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Signs Top Fighter to Bellator

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Congratulations to Sean Pierson!

A former Canadian National Wrestling Champion and member of the famous Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym in Toronto, Sean has recently been signed by Bellator Fighting Championships.

A Canadian Senior National Greco-Roman and Canadian University Freestyle Wrestling Champion, Pierson is sure to make his mark on MMA’s welterweight (170 pound division) in coming months.

Already on a four-fight winning streak, with all of his fights having ended in the first round, Pierson is no stranger to MMA, as he’s well versed in Submission Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu as a complement to an already impressive Wrestling background.

Pierson, a native of Ontario, Canada lives just outside of Toronto with his wife and son.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Club: Located in Toronto, Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA is renowned for its top level trainers, coaches, classes and instruction in the core MMA arts including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Boxing, Judo, Muay Thai, Wrestling and Submission Wrestling.

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UFC 110 Preview

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Well – for all the whiners out there, the low-key stretch of UFC fight cards is over. Starting Saturday, February 20 at UFC 110, we have some major bouts to watch. Here’s an early preview of the Australia-hosted event, as I’ll be on hiatus next week.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) vs Cain Velasquez (7-0)

How fitting is it that we could witness the passing of the heavyweight torch while the Olympics are still running? Minotauro Nogueira isn’t old in years, just 33, but he has a ton of mileage on his body. Then again, he looked rejuvenated when he beat Randy Couture last August. He’ll pit his legendary BJJ against up-and-comer Cain Velasquez’s wrestling.

The pick: Cain Velasquez. Some fight fans believe Velasquez will get overanxious and wind up caught in a submission, but Velasquez is not Brock Lesnar. He’s renowned as one of the hardest-working, most studious fighters in MMA. He’ll be ready for Nogueira and should bully him with his great grappling.

Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1) vs Michael Bisping (18-2)

Muay Thai mauler Wanderlei Silva completes his cut to middleweight with a 185-pound debut against the mouthy Brit Bisping.

The Pick: Michael Bisping. Wandy’s Axe Murderer days are over; he may intimidate Bisping early on, as Bisping will probably never forget the punch Dan Henderson dealt him at UFC 100. But Bisping is faster, better conditioned and younger. He’ll grind out a decision.

Joe Stevenson (31-10) vs George Sotiropoulos (11-0)

Undefeated George Sotiropoulos will test his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu against seasoned vet Joe Stevenson in an important lightweight matchup. George, a native Australian, will have the home crowd on his side.

The Pick: Joe Stevenson. I think Sotiropoulos has a bright future in MMA but he’ll remember two important words after this fight: Greg Jackson. Arguably mainstream MMA’s top teacher, Jackson has converted “Daddy” Stevenson back to the bulldog ground-and-pound artist he used to be. He’s a major step up in competition for the still-green Sotiropoulos.

Keith Jardine (15-6-1) vs Ryan Bader (10-0)

Former Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader puts his perfect record on the line against Keith Jardine, the quintessential light heavyweight gatekeeper.

The Pick: Keith Jardine. Few fighters are easier to predict than Jardine. Aggressive strikers who swarm Jardine absolutely dominate him; more patient, cerebral fighters struggle against his bizarre style. Bader hasn’t proven to be a finisher since joining the UFC, so I like Jardine to win this one on points.

Mirko Filipovic (25-7-2) vs Ben Rothwell (30-7)

Legendary heavyweight striker Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic went back on his retirement and decided to honour his commitment to the UFC after all. But does he have anything left in the tank for Ben Rothwell?

The Pick: Ben Rothwell. As much as I’d love to see Cro Cop bust out one of his famous head kicks, he’s lost his mental edge. Rothwell isn’t a world-class fighter per se but he still has desire; he was furious after losing his last bout to Cain Velasquez. I think he’ll use his size advantage to take Cro Cop down.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA Clubs in 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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Which Martial Art is Best? Part 3: WRESTLING

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

We’ve covered Judo and Karate so far in the great debate about which martial art is most effective when push comes to shove – pun intended. Both are powerful but incomplete arts; is wrestling the answer?

Wrestling is so part of our public consciousness that it hardly needs an introduction; we all know it’s centuries old and has a basic goal of pinning an opponent to the ground. For our martial arts debate, we’ll focus on the most popular form of wrestling: freestyle.

Famous for its appearance in the ancient Greek Olympic Games, wrestling differs from combat-oriented martial arts like Karate and Muay Thai in that its origins are tied to sport as opposed to pure fighting and self-defense. However, that doesn’t mean we should consider wrestling ineffective in real battle.

Freestyle wrestlers use their entire bodies in arm and leg holds (which can set up submissions), throws and, most commonly seen in MMA, powerful takedowns that sap opponents’ energy.

Famous freestyle wrestlers: Mark Coleman, Cain Velasquez, Josh Koscheck

If you want evidence that wrestling commands respect as a potent method of combat, look no further than the names listed above; I omitted Mr. Couture as he focuses on Greco-Roman wrestling. Mark Coleman won a UFC heavyweight title, by combining his wrestling with “ground-and-pound,” bludgeoning downed opponents with strikes that used his whole body weight.

Velasquez and Koscheck are even better (and more modern) examples of why wrestling is an extremely dangerous martial art. Since wrestling demands outstanding conditioning and strength training, wrestlers are often good natural athletes. That makes them difficult to hurt or overpower and, more importantly, quick learners. Koscheck’s athleticism has helped him develop heavy-handed boxing to accompany his wrestling skills. Suddenly, he can go toe-to-toe with powerful strikers from other disciplines.

In my opinion, wrestling deserves major consideration among the best bases in martial arts. It creates strong, fit fighters who are rarely on their backs and can wear more skilled opponents out.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Find a Wrestling club in Toronto

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Which Martial Art is Best? Part 2: KARATE

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

It’s an inexact science but it’s still fun to compare all the different martial arts individually and speculate as to which is most effective. We opened with Judo; now, we move to Karate, one of the oldest and most popular martial arts of all time.

Karate outdates Judo by 500 years, if not longer, having debuted around the 13th century. It’s arguably a defensive art first and offense art second, as it focuses on being patient and inflicting damage with a limited number of strikes. Karate practitioners are known for honing their bodies and minds together to become extremely flexible and powerful while also mentally and spiritually strong.

As a result, Karate fighters can absorb blocks and heavy strikes, minimizing serious damage to the head and other vital areas. Uniting the mind and body also leads to the world-famous and often dramatized ability of Karate fighters to destroy obstacles – be they man-made or human – in singular blows, breaking bricks, wood, or, as we see in MMA, bones.

Famous Karate practitioners: Lyoto Machida, Georges St-Pierre

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, the UFC’s light heavyweight champion, is living proof that Karate holds its own against other martial arts. Machida lives and breathes karate, reportedly striking blocks of wood up to 500 times a day. He uses an upright stance that keeps his head away from opponents and helps him block attacks before they get too close. He’s also a master of the counter attack, saving his strength before exploding with powerful, linear blows, as he did against Rashad Evans in UFC 98.

Georges St-Pierre’s base is Kyokushin karate, which he learned as a child. It explains his striking power, flexibility and sense of honor. However, GSP uses his karate as a complementary piece in his overall MMA repertoire. Because Karate doesn’t traditionally focus on grappling or clinching, it’s less versatile than some other disciplines. Even Machida, who uses Karate more exclusively, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

On the effectiveness scale, I see Karate as an effective and powerful form of standup but one that doesn’t always hold its own against fighters who bring unorthodox ground skills to the table.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Find a Karate club in Toronto

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Which Martial Art is Best? Part 1: JUDO

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Over the last couple of months, we’ve discussed plenty of mixed martial arts. But sometimes it’s fun to break down each discipline that comprises MMA. A question we used to ask (say, in the days of the first UFC) but don’t anymore is: which is the most effective martial art?

Over the next few weeks, I’ll cover as many disciplines as I can. We’ll start with Judo.

A combination of throws, takedowns and  grappling, Judo was developed in the late 1800s by Dr. Jigoro Kano in Japan. The name of the game is leverage – taking away your opponents’ balance to set up throws. The best Judo practitioners are masters at defeating opponents much larger than them.

So how does Judo stack up against other elements? Essentially, it has similar strengths to both wrestling and Brazilian Jitsu while remaining a unique art. Like wrestlers, Judoka use lots of creative leg sweeps and takedowns to take away opponents’ footing, minimize their balance and neutralize their striking power. Once on the ground, Judoka control their opponent’s using a variety of hold downs, chokes and arm locks, just as BJJ practitioners do.

One strength I notice among Judoka – especially those competing in MMA – is an outstanding ability to evade trouble on the ground. Their timing and leverage makes them very tough to keep in one place.

Famous Judo practitioners: Fedor Emelianenko, Karo Parisyan

Given MMA’s popularity, there’s no more famous Judoka today than Fedor Emelianenko. He’s a Russian gold medalist and Master of Sports in Judo. Given his numerous wins over opponents much bigger than him – like Bob Sapp and Hong-Man Choi – it’s no surprise that he’s a Judo master. That said, Fedor incorporates other elements such as Sambo and boxing into his repertoire.

So where does Judo’s effectiveness rank? The main (if only) criticism is that it doesn’t develop a fighter’s striking ability. On one hand, Fedor has defeated striking juggernauts like Mirko Cro Cop using takedowns; on the other hand, he wouldn’t be nearly as dominant if he didn’t also have heavy hands.

Perhaps a better measuring stick of Judo’s effectiveness is Karo Parisyan, who practices Judo in MMA more exclusively. He’s performed well against other ground fighters, tossing them around the cage like ragdolls. But, when Parisyan struggles, it’s against powerhouse strikers like Thiago Alves (Muay Thai) or Georges St-Pierre (Karate).

As we move onto our next martial art, we know Judo is an extremely effective discipline in that it allows fighters to engage any opponent of any size at any time. But we also know that it leaves a hole in the striking department – one that certain types of fighters can exploit.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Judo Clubs 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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UFC 109 Preview

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Ask any diehard MMA fan and you’ll probably hear that UFC 109 marks the last “boring” UFC fight card for a while. I guess it’s hard to get excited when main event features two men with a combined age of 91. But, as UFC 108 showed us, sometimes events that look weak on paper produce the best bouts. Here are my picks.

Randy Couture (17-10) vs Mark Coleman (16-9)
The main event, which was supposed to occur at UFC 17, pits two similar fighters against each other, but with one crucial difference between them. UFC Hall-of-Famer Mark Coleman is known for his wrestling base and for pioneering American ground-and-pound. Fellow Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture is also a stud wrestler (Greco-Roman).

The Pick: Randy Couture. Unlike Coleman, Couture has evolved throughout his career. His striking isn’t dominant but it’s much better than Coleman’s. I expect Couture to keep the fight standing and beat Coleman with his superior boxing. Why bother taking Coleman down if Couture won’t have a distinct advantage on the ground?

Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) vs Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)
Two streaking fighters collide in an important middleweight matchup here. If Marquardt wins, he should meet the winner of Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort in a title fight.

The Pick: Nate Marquardt. His striking has improved exponentially the last few years and Sonnen won’t have his usual grappling advantage. Marquardt is arguably the biggest, strongest middleweight out there. Sonnen is in way over his head.

Mike Swick (14-3) vs Paulo Thiago (12-1)
Mike “Quick” Swick has plenty to prove after squandering his chance for a welterweight title shot in a lacklustre effort against Dan Hardy. He’ll try to keep the fight standing against Thiago, a BJJ black belt.

The Pick: Mike Swick. If he’s smart, he’ll bring back his aggression. He has to watch out, though; remember when Thiago floored Swick’s good buddy Josh Koscheck with an uppercut?

Demian Maia (11-1) vs Dan Miller (11-2)
Maia’s another fighter under a fair amount of pressure. He suffered his first loss against Nate Marquardt last summer and his total lack of competent standup was exposed. Miller hopes to rebound after Chael Sonnen bullied him at UFC 98 in May.

The Pick: Demian Maia. We only have to worry about Maia when he faces someone with heavy hands. Miller is a ground guy himself and is simply no match for Maia’s peerless BJJ skills.

Matt Serra (9-6) vs Frank Trigg (19-7)
As old and Coleman and Couture are, I almost feel like these two welterweights are more washed up. Essentially, the only guys they have a chance to beat are each other.

The Pick: Matt Serra. His BJJ is strong and he at least looked like a fighter in his decision loss to Matt Hughes in May. Trigg, on the other hand, looked like a civilian in his embarrassing loststo Josh Koscheck at UFC 103.

Here’s hoping you watch this Saturday, as we never know when classic bouts pop up. I’m especially excited for what should be a grappling chess match between Maia and Miller.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

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

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How would Royce Gracie fare today?

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Reading today’s headline, you probably think I have amnesia. We already know the answer to that question. Royce Gracie fought Matt Hughes as a 39-year-old at UFC 60 and got his clock cleaned.

But when I ask how Gracie would fare today, I don’t mean Gracie in the twilight of his career. I mean Gracie in his UFC 1 heyday – the Gracie who dominated an infantile sport that didn’t yet understand the concept of mixed martial arts. The gi-clad man who dominated guys 100 pounds heavier than him with then-unseen Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tactics.

If we took that Gracie today and placed him in, say, the UFC welterweight division, how would he fare?

When we look at a fighter like Demian Maia, considered by many fight fans to be the best BJJ practitioner on the planet right now, we see a good example of what Gracie would probably be today. In a world of mixed martial arts, Maia is as close as you’ll find to a one-dimensional fighter today. He has no standup game; his only goal is to get opponents to the ground and start grappling. As he showed against solid fighters like Chael Sonnen and Nate Quarry, he can go a long way solely with his BJJ.

However, the Nate Marquardt fight – one in which Nate the Great’s boxing immediately overwhelmed Maia – showed that Maia’s skills could only take him so far. And I think the same would happen to Royce Gracie today. The modern fighter is an eclectic fighter, combining multiple disciplines. Just look at the striking and wrestling prowess of Georges St-Pierre; having one strong suit can no longer lead a fighter to a championship.

That said, I’m overlooking two key factors. First, it’s never fair to compare athletes from different eras. Alexander Ovechkin could’ve challenged Wayne Gretzky’s records had he played hockey in the same era. Also, we can’t overlook how dedicated and intelligent Royce Gracie was as a fighter. How do we know he wouldn’t adapt to the modern MMA landscape and develop his striking in today’s world?

Food for thought, but what do I know?

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

BJJ 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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