Archive for May, 2010

Good for Roy, bad for Junior

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Hmm. I guess I shouldn’t complain, as the UFC has been guilty too often of protecting its up-and-comers. But I have to say that the freshly signed UFC 117 bout between Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson puzzles me.

In the pure MMA enjoyment sense, I’m thrilled. We’ll get to see two big heavyweights with major punching power and strong BJJ battle it out. But from a matchmaking perspective, I’m pretty perplexed.

I talked up Roy Nelson recently, claiming he’s ready to become an elite heavyweight. But I’m pretty sure he needed to win one more bout before he earned a shot at Dos Santos, who is the No. 4 heavyweight behind only Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez in my opinion. Nelson was supposed to fight the appropriately ranked Cheick Kongo but Kongo pulled out due to injury. I would’ve then given him an intermediate matchup with Minotauro Nogueira or Frank Mir if I was Joe Silva.

Instead, Roy gets a phenomenal opportunity – one that could move him one (or zero?) fights away from a title shot if he wins. But what’s in it for Dos Santos? He has nothing to gain from this fight, having already crushed Gilbert Yvel, Mirko Cro Cop and Gabriel Gonzaga, and everything to lose if he falls to a lower-ranked fighter.

Really, Dos Santos/Velasquez is the fight that should’ve happened based on their ranks and recent dominance. That Dos Santos now faces Nelson hints at two possible truths: (a) that Velasquez automatically (and probably deservedly) gets the winner of Lesnar/Carwin or (b) that Lesnar isn’t healthy enough to fight this summer and Velasquez will take his place in the upcoming heavyweight title bout.

Either way, it will be fun to see the boxing and grappling display between Nelson and Dos Santos. And how much fun is it to see MMA heavyweights back and better than ever as top draws? Good stuff.

Guest Writer

Matt Larkin

UFC & MMA Training 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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Legalize MMA Rally in Toronto at Queen’s Park May 22nd

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

Mixed martial arts fans and mixed martial artists have craved it for a long time. Dana White fuelled the fire when he declared Canadians the best MMA fans. Now, we the people have a chance to bring MMA once step closer to being legalized in Ontario.

On Saturday, May 22, Ontario MMA supporters will gather and rally at Queen’s park. The event lasts from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The goal is to establish for Premiere Dalton McGuinty that MMA is a sport, and an honourable one at that, as opposed to a violent, “extreme” sport, which is how some detractors label it. If boxing was sanctioned 80 years ago, it’s time Ontario’s dinosaurs realized that MMA is just as important (and, arguably, safer) than boxing and finally made competitive bouts legal in the province.

One way to prove MMA’s legitimacy is to show Ontario how many businesses have accepted MMA as a true sport. The long list includes schools, equipment manufacturers, radio/television, sports medicine companies, energy drink brands and nutrition product companies.

Renaissance man Jeff Joslin will host the event. He’s a radio announcer, MMA coach and competitor – a great example that fighters aren’t just thrill seekers and can instead be intelligent, well-spoken businessmen. He’ll be joined by MMA community members like Carlos Newton, the UFC’s first Canadian champion, and Sam Stout, an up-and-comer hailing from London, Ontario.

So how can you contribute to the cause? First off, showing up goes a long way. Strength in numbers proves the point that MMA is no longer a niche hobby but a world-class sport with millions of followers.

Secondly, you can get the word out. Tell your friends, family or anyone else who believes in mixed martial arts. If you’re a blogger, a filmmaker, anyone with a public voice – cover the event. Let the Ontario MMA representatives speak out and make their case to Mr. McGuinty.

Lastly, and perhaps most important, be civil. There are few things sadder than a group of lobbyists getting too rowdy or violent; doing so totally distracts from a cause and only labels protesters as irrational and irresponsible.

That last tip is especially important in MMA given that it’s a combat sport. Less enlightened members of the Ontario government may write MMA off under the stereotype of a barbaric sport performed by violent, tattooed adrenaline junkies. If anyone at the rally gets too rowdy and causes trouble, that stereotype will only be perpetuated.

So do your best to show at the rally and be passionate. But realize that there’s a line you don’t want to cross. Put your energy toward rallying people and disseminating a clear, logical message – not toward anti-government sentiment or chaos.

Legalize MMA in Toronto and Ontario

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Does Josh Koscheck have a chance against GSP?

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

I can’t say I’m surprised to see former NCAA division-1 wrestling champ Josh Koscheck in line for a title shot. Even when he was busy getting the tar beaten out of him by Thiago Alves a year and a half ago, I still predicted that he’d challenge for a belt some day.

After all, Koscheck was just too athletic, too “new age” not to. It’s the same principle behind my belief that Jon Jones will hoist the light heavyweight belt within a couple of years.

But I still can’t help but think the line ends here Josh Koscheck, as he’s facing someone superior to him in virtually every category: Georges St-Pierre.

We’ll have plenty of time to hype and discuss this matchup, which will be built up in MMA by tons of Koscheck trash talk and won’t happen until around Christmas. But I’d like to make a quick assessment of whether or not we should even be excited about St-Pierre’s latest opponent.

Going into their first bout, Koscheck was supposed to have the grappling advantage given his pedigree. But GSP rapidly erased that by tossing Koscheck around the Octagon like no fighter had before. Now, entering the rematch, GSP — who’s also a BJJ black belt – has the distinct edge.

Since they last fought, GSP has developed his ground game to the point where there’s probably no one better in the welterweight division. But Koscheck has worked on his striking immensely over that time. He’s still not very technical but he does have extremely heavy hands, ah-la-Dan Henderson. Maybe he should keep the fight standing?

Maybe not. Remember what GSP did to Matt Hughes in their second fight? Remember how he picked Thiago Alves apart whenever he needed to last July? People forget that Georges St-Pierre is still a phenomenal striker. Even though he opts for the canvas far more than he used to, I still believe he’d vastly outclass Koscheck in the standup game.

See where I’m going with this? I don’t feel like Koscheck can pose a serious threat to Georges St-Pierre. He’s an extremely talented challenger but GSP is a future UFC Hall-of-Famer with off-the-charts ability in every facet of the game. Koscheck’s only advantage may be in pure punching power, but that didn’t help Alves or Dan Hardy.

Good luck, Kos. You’ll need it.

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

Mixed Martial Arts (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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Evaluating the job losses after UFC 113

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

To cut or not to cut? That was the question weighing on Dana White as he watched Paul Daley and Kimbo Slice battle at UFC 113.

Or so I thought. Turned out it was an easy decision for the UFC commissioner, who had officially released both fighters from the MMA promotion before the night was up.

So did he make the right choices? First off, let’s look at Daley. After Josh Koscheck’s wrestling completely smothered him in a frustrating (and admittedly lackluster) bout, Daley did one of the dirtiest things I’ve seen in the sport; he tapped Koscheck on the shoulder and cracked him with a sucker punch after the final bell.

Sure, Daley was probably mad about the possible “phantom” illegal knee Koscheck tried unsuccessfully to sell during the bout. But there’s no excuse for what he did. He essentially assaulted Koscheck and Dana white absolutely made the right move to boot Daley immediately.

But what about White’s decision to fire Kimbo Slice? His cited reason was “ineffectiveness.” Watching Kimbo get utterly dominated by Matt Mitrione last night (in boxing, grappling, pretty much anywhere the fight went), I can understand to an extent why White lost patience with him. But did he pull the plug too quickly?

It’s not like Slice is even on a losing streak after Saturday night; he won his previous bout against Houston Alexander. Pretty rare to see guys cut from the UFC after one loss. If I were White, I would’ve given Kimbo one more shot. Maybe bust him back to the preliminary card and give him a slugger like Mostapha Al Turk?

My conclusion: the Daley cut is justified, the Slice cut is not.

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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How Far can MMA go with Dana White?

Friday, May 7th, 2010

I was perusing MMA news today and found quite an interesting nugget. Time magazine released its Most Influential People for 2010 and Mr. Dana White cracked the list. Not only was it surprising to see him recognized by mainstream media, the amazing part was that reader voting placed him above President Obama and Lady Gaga in his power to influence.

Quite the compliment. While it’s a bit much to put White above the leader of the free world (come on!), it’s not too surprising to see White acknowledged as an influential person. After all, he’s an expert at getting not just the UFC, but all of mixed martial arts noticed.

Ten years ago, MMA was written off as barbaric, glorified WWE wrestling or, as the worst expression goes, “human cockfighting.” Now, we’re seeing more and more states and provinces sanction it, we’re seeing it break into mainstream network television (CBS) and it’s receiving the same type of respect as combat sports like boxing.

Though not always directly, Dana White is largely responsible for what MMA is today. The face of the UFC changed when the Fertittas made him the face of their company and his work on building The Ultimate Fighter hugely impacted MMA’s popularity.

Despite White’s accomplishments, however, I wonder how much longer he can take the sport before it’s time to hand over the reins to a new figurehead.

It may seem crazy for me to make such a suggestion; why oust White when MMA is exploding? Well, sooner or later, the UFC will exhaust its ability to grow amidst its young, male-dominated, niche audience (I call it the Spike TV demographic). Eventually, the UFC and other promotions will want to see MMA viewed as a truly honourable and “clean” sport – the kind that could become an Olympic event.

To me, White is too rough around the edges to usher MMA to that next echelon a few years down the road. He’s a true fan and does a great job promoting MMA, but he’s no gentleman. He’s crass, dropping F-bombs in almost every interview, and he even got himself into hot water by making slurs against homosexuals.

If anyone believes the UFC can keep growing with that type of commissioner, let me ask, when was the last time you heard a swear word or slur against a minority from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell? NBA commissioner David stern?

That’s what I thought.

Dana White has accomplished a lot and his influence is undeniable, but he can’t take MMA much further unless he cleans up his own image and learns some manners.

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 future of the UFC lightweight division

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Thank goodness for Frankie Edgar.

A few weeks back,  “The Answer” outhustled and outstrategized BJ “The Prodigy” Penn in the UFC lightweight championship, one of the “unbeatable” champions in MMA was dethroned and the playing field in an entire weight class was levelled.

Most fight fans agreed that the UFC lightweight division was a shark tank of talent but that, like welterweight and middleweight, its champion was in a class of his own. Now that Edgar is the champ, things get a heck of a lot more interesting.

First off, who should face Edgar next? I would argue it has to be wrestling powerhouse Gray Maynard. Not only is Maynard undefeated, he’s the only man to beat Edgar. He deserves his shot. Next in line would probably be Kenny Florian, who was flat against Penn last summer but dominated Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi since then. His Muay Thai, BJJ and intelligence would provide an interesting challenge to Edgar.

I’d be tempted to give Edgar the Maynard fight and pit Kenny Florian against unbeaten George Sotiropoulos, whose ground skills, boxing and long reach would test Florian mightily. The winners of those two bouts could face off.

And where does Penn fit in? Well, I’m going on a hunch, but I believe Penn will view his loss as an opportunity to return to the welterweight division instead of look for a rematch. Plenty of interesting opponents would await him there, from Matt Hughes to Josh Koscheck to Jon Fitch to Thiago Alves. Penn could certainly make things interesting.

After Anderson Silva embarrassed the UFC, it’s especially good timing that one division just got a major shakeup. As for Edgar, before we write him off as a one-hit wonder, maybe we should stop underestimating the little guy. He’s fast, he can box, he can wrestle, and his cardio is unbelievable. He just may stay champ for a while.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA Gyms 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 Chael Sonnen the man to take down Anderson Silva?

Friday, May 7th, 2010

He talks the talk like no one else in mixed martial arts. But can he walk the walk?

I have to admit, Chael Sonnen has really grown on me. I didn’t think much of him when BJJ master Demian Maia choked him out last year but all Sonnen has done since then is beat the tar out of people. The highly accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler (two-time NCAA division-1 champ) has a lot of strength in his wiry frame and fights with a courageous, relentless, smothering style that wears opponents out. Just ask Nate Marquardt.

Better yet – there may be no better quote in the sport day-to-day than Sonnen, who is also running for office in Oregon. One of his best recent quips, of course, was that he had a “moral obligation to beat up Anderson Silva.”

While it isn’t confirmed, Sonnen appears highly likely to get the next crack at Anderson Silva’s UFC middleweight championship belt. While we certainly know how badly Sonnen wants to destroy Silva – he pretty much hates the guy – the question is whether or not he can actually do it.

Whatever happens, I see a Sonnen/Silva fight as win-win for the UFC. Even if Sonnen can’t defeat Silva, he’s a virtual lock to make him work harder than any recent challenger has. Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, Demian Maia – all were extremely tentative, too respectful of Silva’s striking. They were afraid to engage and it frustrated, even bored, Silva.

Look at the guys who’ve brought out Anderson Silva’s most spectacular results: Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin. What do they have in common? They’re all tough as nails, absolutely fearless, willing to risk taking a beating, willing to make the Spider work for the victory.

Sonnen fits this exact bill. He’s tough, he has a strong jaw and he’s fuelled by contempt. Even if he gets his clock cleaned, he’s still a great choice to battle Anderson Silva. Sonnen is underrated – his wrestling could cause trouble if he gets close – and, more importantly, he’ll force Silva to give the fans a spectacular finish.

Make ’em sign, Dana!

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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Could Koscheck/Daley be fight of the year?

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Everyone is, naturally, discussing Shogun/Machida II. It’s understandable given the brilliance of striking technique they displayed in their first light heavyweight title battle (which I still believe Shogun won, but I digress). There’s also plenty of buzz about fan favorite Kimbo Slice facing off against fellow alumnus Matt Mitrione, whom everyone loves to hate.

But what about Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley, who may be fighting for No. 1 contender status in the welterweight division? I’m seriously wondering if they’ll treat us to the best UFC fight of 2010 – for four main reasons:

1. Fearlessness. There’s absolutely no risk of an Anderson Silva/Demian Maia display here. Each of these guys is brash, fearless, and willing to put himself in harm’s way to launch an offensive attack. We should thus see a ton of action.

2. Punching power. Will either man put on a technical boxing clinic any time soon? I doubt it, but there’s no denying how hard Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck hit –especially Daley. They’ll throw fastballs at each other all night long.

3. Athleticism. These are two strong fighters with good cardio; that means they’re likely to give us an entertaining three rounds if neither guy can stop the other before then. Koscheck in particular brings real strength and an NCAA division-1 wrestling pedigree to the Octagon.

4. Trash talk. The purists may not agree but I always enjoy pre-fight verbal jabs, and few do a better job of that than Daley. He’s already gone on record with a “trivia question” about Koscheck, asking “For 10 points: Name that clown with the stupid hair who is the only guy ever to get knocked the f*&$ out by Paulo Thiago?’

Watch for my pick on this fight next week and be sure to watch UFC 113, as these two 170-pounders seem destined for a war.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Muay Thai 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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