Archive for the ‘Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)’ Category

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Is Rory MacDonald ready to contend?

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

With respect to a former champ like Carlos Newton and current UFC contenders like Mark Hominick and Sam Stout, Georges St-Pierre remains Canada’s one and only mixed martial arts superstar to date.

He’s the only guy to reach that “untouchable” status, land the “cool” endorsement deals, and become an icon outside his own country.

But is that about to change? Rory MacDonald’s performance at UFC 133 last Saturday was impressive enough to beg the question.

He rolled through Mike Pyle so easily that he almost looked insulted to have been given such an inferior opponent. MacDonald literally brushed off his shoulders after finishing Pyle – an opponent with 21 MMA victories and 17 submissions to his credit.

After walking through Pyle like he was nothing, MacDonald is now 12-1…at age 22. His only loss came to mega welterweight contender Carlos Condit – and Macdonald may have won that fight had Condit not TKO’d him with seven seconds remaining.

MacDonald has all the makings of a superstar. He has a solid wrestling base, he can submit opponents, his technical striking is strong and he has a swagger in the Octagon. Joe Rogan even went as far to say during Saturday’s telecast that MacDonald may have a higher ceiling than GSP.

And that’s what scares me. Is there a risk of pushing MacDonald up the ranks too quickly? He’s already voiced his interest in fighting Jon Fitch, who has lost once in his last 23 fights. I worry that he’s aiming too high, too soon.

The UFC really has something with MacDonald. He’s a new-age fighter who looks like he could be the 170-pound division’s answer to Jon Jones. But I hope the promotion is careful. Instead of Fitch, why not give MacDonald a contender from the next tier down, like Thiago Alves, Rick Story or Anthony Johnson?  To me, a Fitch fight is no-win. If MacDonald loses, his growing legacy gets tarnished. If he wins, he’d likely vault into No. 1 contender status and be forced to fight GSP, who is his training partner. That would be messy.

MacDonald’s emergence as a new potential Canadian MMA superstar is fantastic news. But I hope he isn’t rushed up the ladder too quickly.

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The five most disappointing fighters in MMA

Monday, July 18th, 2011

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

Maybe it’s because it’s Monday – but I feel like seeing the glass half empty today. Who are the most disappointing fighters in mixed martial arts today? The guys who we constantly wish would break through into superstardom but let us down? Here are my five picks, in random order.

Keep in mind that aging fighters like Fedor or Mirko Cro Cop don’t make this list. They disappoint us these days – but only because they’re old. They delivered time and time again during their primes.

Ryan Bader

With a powerful collegiate wrestling background and an Ultimate Fighter season victory, “Darth” Bader was poised for major success. But it seems we overestimated his toughness. He entered his No. 1 contender match with Jon Jones 12-0; he tapped quickly to lose that fight and tapped quickly in his next bout, which was supposed to be a “tuneup” against Tito Ortiz. Bader seems to lack that extra bit of killer instinct needed to gut it out when the going gets tough.

Kenny Florian

Kenny Florian is among the smartest, most well-rounded fighters in MMA. Love his Muay Thai, boxing, BJJ and those devastating elbows! But, for whatever reason, Florian chokes whenever he gets a shot at true glory. He lost a lightweight title match to Sean Sherk; fizzled again when he got a chance for BJ Penn’s belt; and dropped a No. 1 contender match against Gray Maynard. Will he fail to answer the call again versus Kenny Florian?

Anthony Johnson

Some say he walks around at 230 pounds. Yet he fights at 170. With his massive size advantage and ability to bust out highlight-reel knockouts, you’d think he’d be a top title contender by now. But injuries continue to sideline this freak of nature.

Thiago Alves

Alves doesn’t disappoint simply because his size should pose such an advantage at 170, like Johnson does. Alves also disappoints because he’s so supremely talented. His striking can match anyone in his weight class and many others. But he can’t seem to get his grappling up to snuff; he also tends to quit partway through fights if his strategy isn’t working. “Pitbull” is tumbling down the welterweight rankings.

BJ Penn

Penn has had plenty of success in his career, holding UFC titles in multiple weight classes. But he’s still young enough that he could be dominating his competition, never losing a match. Few opponents can match his amazing Jiu-Jitsu, flexibility, and boxing skills, especially when he fights at 155 pounds. But Penn only shows up for fights when he feels like it. Those lapses (particularly in the fitness department) have stripped him of his legendary status. He’s been downgraded simply a “star.”

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Is it a fighter’s duty to fill in for an injury?

Friday, July 15th, 2011

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

The hoopla surrounding the Rashad Evans fight this week raised an interesting debate topic: whether or not fighters have a duty to replace injured guys for the good of their MMA promotions.

First it was Rashad Evans versus Jon Jones. After Jones pulled out with a hand injury, the fight became Evans versus Phil Davis. When Davis injured his knee, the proposed bout became Evans versus Tito Ortiz. Tito declined for personal reasons. Then it was Evans versus Lyoto Machida. Machida decided the bout was “too soon” and also wanted more money to uproot his camp.

In the end, Tito changed his mind and stepped up to take the August 6 fight against Evans, falling on the grenade for the UFC.

“Honestly, the biggest difference for me and why I took the fight was my commitment to the UFC – showing them I’m there for them when they need me,” Ortiz said.

Weighting Tito’s decision against Machida’s creates quite an interesting debate. Is it a fighter’s duty to step up and help for the sake of saving a fight card? I believe, in most cases, that it is.

For one, by doing so, the fighter is helping the company that pays him or her. If no one stepped up to take Phil Davis’ spot at UFC 133, the card would be heavily watered down and pay-per-view buys could tank. By stepping up, Tito is helping the UFC make more profit, which is never a bad thing for fighters looking to earn bigger paydays.

Some people might disagree on the grounds that the situation varies from fighter to fighter. They might argue that Tito was in the perfect position to step in. He’s on the downside of his career with very little to lose and everything to gain. He also makes a smart PR move be earning “nice guy” points. People might argue that Machida, on the other hand, is fresh off a victory, possibly one win away from a light heavyweight title shot, and would be dumb to jeopardize his shot at glory by stepping in on short notice.

But I think that viewpoint is short-sighted. Promoters like Dana White have always trumpeted that they sincerely appreciate it every time a fighter steps up on short notice. Doing so means so much to the bigwigs, gains a fighter so much favour, that a loss may not even knock him or he down the ladder. You scratch the UFC’s back and they’ll scratch yours down the road.

The only exception I can think of would be an undefeated fighter. Someone with a perfect record has plenty to lose. From the business side, the promotion also wouldn’t want to jeopardize his or her record, as there’s a special mystique and brand equity that accompanies an undefeated fighter’s name. Undefeated fighters like Cain Velasquez are far less common in MMA than in boxing and have to be cherished for their marketing potential.

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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Matchmaker, Matchmaker

Monday, July 11th, 2011

With the major MMA promotions, the UFC and its little brother Strikeforce, taking a little holiday for the next few weeks, now is a good time for a matchmaker column. Though matchups get leaked earlier than ever these days, there are a few great fights still waiting out there. Here are some I’d like to see.

Dominick Cruz vs Jose Aldo

This is a fight we don’t necessarily “need” yet, as it’s always risky to make champions from different weight classes fight each other. But, watching Cruz run circles around Urijah Faber a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t help but wonder if this is finally the guy who can match Muay Thai master Jose Aldo’s speed. The weight class wouldn’t matter as each guy has fought at both bantamweight and featherweight at various points of his career.

Melvin Guillard vs Ben Henderson

Melvin Guillard has annihilated the lightweight competition since joining Greg Jackson’s camp. Since I doubt he’d fight his teammate Clay Guida, Joe Silva could consider pitting Guillard against Ben Henderson, whether or not Henderson loses to Jim Miller. Henderson would make for an interesting opponent in that he might have the grappling edge yet also wouldn’t be afraid to stand with Guillard.

BJ Penn vs Carlos Condit

Ooh, boy. This would be something special. Penn and Condit remind me of each other; they’re both great on the ground with BJJ but both guys are heavy-handed, underrated boxers. Best of all, few fighters care more about finishing opponents than these two. They would go for broke.

Mark Hominick vs Chan Sung Jung

Mark Hominick versus the Korean Zombie has already been rumored. Let’s see it happen! Hominick’s boxing is outstanding and the Zombie has been in many a slugfest in the past.

Thiago Alves vs Vitor Belfort

This could be an amazing display of striking if Alves would be willing to move up a weight class and fight at 185 pounds. He walks around at far more than that anyway, so why not? Alves is probably tired of facing grapplers anyway and would love the chance to throw bombs with an equally dangerous knockout artist.

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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When should a pro MMA fighter retire?

Monday, July 4th, 2011

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

UFC 132 last weekend was a spectacular fight card, arguably one of the best in MMA history. It also generated major questions about the futures of two legendary fighters: Tito Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva.

Both guys were on the hot seat Saturday night. A loss – especially a bad one – would put each of their long careers in jeopardy. Tito upset Ryan Bader and lives to fight another day but Silva got brutally knocked out by Chris Leben. Watching The Axe Murderer struggle to remember what year it was as doctors swarmed him, I asked myself: when is the right time for a pro MMA fighter to retire?

1. At the top of his game?

Some fighters might desire to leave the sport at their absolute peak. That way, they go out as a legend, like Rocky Marciano did in boxing, retiring while still being considered untouchable. Anderson Silva, who has never lost in the UFC, may call it quits soon for that reason.

2. When the losses start piling up?

Some people would say a fighter should ride off into the sunset when he hits a certain age and/or simply stops winning. Tito Ortiz was 0-4-1 over a five-fight stretch before winning last Saturday. However, he wasn’t losing handily. He was still competitive, a tough out, and I respect the fact that he’s continued to compete.

3. When the passion is gone?

Wrestling master Randy Couture comes to mind here. Before he lost to Lyoto Machida, “The Natural” had won three straight fights, still competing at a high level despite being close to 50 years old. But he decided to quit the sport and pursue acting. Unlike Chuck Liddell, Mirko Cro Cop and, perhaps now, Wanderlei Silva, Randy got out before he took too much of a beating.

4. When the brain is in jeopardy?

I – and I believe Dana White – would argue that this is the most important item on the list. When a fighter reaches a point at which his chin is simply “gone” from taking too many devastating knockout blows, he has to think about the rest of his life and his family. White finally blocked Liddell from continuing but the damage may have already been done. Same goes for Wanderlei. If I were the Axe Murderer, , I’d strongly consider retiring.

Personally, I think No. 3 and No. 4 on this list are better criteria than the first two. If you still love the sport and are physically able to do it, why stop? On the flip side, no matter how much you love the sport, it may be time to quit if you’re jeopardizing your long-term health.

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The best comeback victories in UFC history

Monday, June 27th, 2011

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

Sunday at the UFC Live on Versus 4, Pat Barry and Cheick Kongo treated us to one of the most thrilling finishes in MMA history. Barry rocked his fellow heavyweight kickboxer Kongo on two separate occasions. The big Frenchman looked like he was almost unconscious but referee Dan Miragliotta let the bout continue. Low and behold, the dazed Kongo knocked Barry cold with a devastating uppercut to complete the improbable comeback.

The thrilling finish got me thinking: what are the greatest comebacks ever? I picked my top five and restricted the list to the UFC. Otherwise, I’d have to include Minotauro Nogueira’s entire PRIDE career.

Honorable mentions go to Rich Franklin, who has rallied from a broken arm (versus Chuck Liddell) and hand (versus David Loiseau) to win bouts, and to Frankie Edgar (who made an amazing comeback against Gray Maynard but settled for a draw).

5. Cheick Kongo over Pat Barry (June 26, 2011)

Given the freshness of the KO and that it wasn’t in a title fight, I put it fifth. Kudos to both fighters for providing fireworks after they were forced to step into the main event slot at the last minute.

4. Tim Silvia over Andrei Arlovski (April 8, 2006)

This fight unfolded very similar to Barry/Kongo. Andrei Arlovski dropped the champion Silvia with a punch but rushed in too carelessly for the finish, not realizing that Silvia had recovered quickly. The champ countered and handed the glass-jawed Arlovski one of his many knockout losses.

3. Brock Lesnar over Shane Carwin (July 3, 2010)

Should the fight have been stopped after Carwin bludgeoned Lesnar on the ground for the entire round? My logic is, if the other fighter has the wherewithal to come back and win, he clearly wasn’t hurt badly enough for the fight to be stopped. Lesnar proved that when he rallied to choke out the exhausted Carwin in round two of this epic battle.

2. Anderson Silva over Chael Sonnen (August 7, 2010)

Some could argue this bout could be No. 1, as Silva was beaten and bullied for four and a half rounds before pulling out a miraculous submission over the mouthy wrestling machine Chael Sonnen. But I rank this fabulous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu display second, as Silva was never hurt badly enough for anyone to think about stopping the fight. The other fights on this list were all borderline over before the wounded guys battled back.

1. Matt Hughes over Frank Trigg (April 16, 2005)

I don’t think any comeback trumps the sheer emotion of this one. Trigg was already a villain among MMA fans, so it pained everyone watching UFC 52 when he tagged then-welterweight champion Hughes with a groin strike unseen by the referee. Trigg badly hurt the distracted Hughes with a flurry of punches and attempted to choke him out. But the tough champ escaped, lifted Trigg up, carried him across the Octagon, slammed him to the mat and choked him out. The moment remains among the most crowd-pleasing and inspiring in the sport’s history.

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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Does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu still “work” in MMA?

Monday, June 20th, 2011

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer


Following his victory over Jon Olav Einemo at UFC 131 two weeks ago, heavyweight prospect Dave Herman made a bold statement that has the MMA community abuzz.

He said Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu “doesn’t work.” The statement came after he beat the BJJ master Einemo with strikes. Herman elaborated to say that it more specifically doesn’t work on a wrestler like him, that it’s mere “trickery” and that it worked better on opponents  who knew nothing about it, as it did when Royce Gracie baffled guys in the early UFC days.

Wow. Talk about Controversial. Do you agree?

I wouldn’t say I fully agree or disagree, but that there is some merit to what Herman says. Do I think BJJ is ineffective? Absolutely not. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t see so many guys finishing fights via submission every week and we wouldn’t see so many non-BJJ fighters adding it to their repertoire.

I do, however, agree that the pure BJJ practitioner can no longer dominate in MMA. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has been beaten down by superior strikers; Royce Gracie returned to the sport only to get ragdolled by Matt Hughes’ wrestling a few years ago; and Demian Maia has been forced to learn boxing after his lack of versatility caused him to hit a roadblock in the middleweight division.

The problem with BJJ as a pure offensive technique is that it’s a form of grappling and it inherently requires strength. In the early days, it was so new and deceptive that the technique could conquer a wrestler or striker’s girth. Now, every fighter has at least some understanding of BJJ and submission defense. As a result, BJJ guys have more and more trouble bringing the fight to their comfort zone.

Look at this past weekend’s Alistair Overeem/Fabricio Werdum fight. The BJJ black belt Werdum wanted to get Overeem to the ground and submit him, so he kept pulling guard, but Overeem was just too strong for him. Werdum couldn’t control his opponent.

Wrestling is a much more effective base in MMA today largely because it goes hand-in-hand with strength and conditioning. Dominant wrestlers tend to also be dominant physical specimens who can impose their will on their opponents.

To me, there is still absolutely a place for BJJ in mixed martial arts today, but I no longer see it as an effective base skill. It works far better as a complementary skill, used to finish off weakened opponents (like Kenny Florian does with his chokes) or as a defense (like Anderson Silva used against Travis Lutter and Chael Sonnen).

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 much MMA is too much on television?

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

Now that the dust has settled from UFC 129 in Toronto, I decided to look ahead and see what exciting MMA events are ahead.

We have UFC 130 (Rampage vs Hamill) on May 28.
A week later: The Ultimate Fighter live finale on June 4.
A week later: UFC 131 (Dos Santos vs Carwin) on June 11.
A week later: Strikeforce (Overeem vs Werdum) on June 18, now under Zuffa ownership.
A week later: UFC Live on Versus (Marquardt vs Johnson) on June 26.
A week later: UFC 132 (Cruz vs Faber 2) on July 2.

Phew. That’s six consecutive weekends with major MMA events happening. It’s a far cry from the old days, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Royce Gracie would pop up once a year for the UFC tournament. It begs the question: how much MMA is too much?

I see four possible models for an MMA promotion’s broadcast schedule:

1. The annual (original UFC model)
This model has fittingly gone the way of the dinosaur. Back then, with the Internet not really in play, the UFC probably needed a full year to promote its event and fill the seats. Even then, events would only have around 1,200 people.

2. The pro wrestling model
Don’t worry – I’m not comparing mixed martial arts to the WWE. I’m just referencing the pro wrestling model, which consists of several big events per year (monthly or bi-monthly). This model allows for the hyping of “superfights”; the UFC arguably stuck with this model for most of the 2000s.

3. The NFL (and current UFC) model
The UFC has almost become a weekly sporting affair, with events more weekends than not and the reality TV show ensuring that there is some sort of MMA programming to see every week. While this model brings us close to the saturation point, I understand the UFC’s motivation. By making MMA an everyday thing, constantly present, it feels more like a “true” sport, doesn’t it? People can have water-cooler discussions about the UFC’s happenings every day or at least every week, the same way they would about football on Monday morning.

4. The NHL/NBA/MLB (daily) model
I for one hope MMA doesn’t take the next step and become a daily operation. Seeing combatants battle in the Octagon every day would be too much; the fights could lose their significance.

Overall, I think MMA is doing just fine at No. 3. I just hope it stops before it saturates our lives at No. 4.


MMA Training 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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Pacquiao-Mosley highlights what’s wrong with boxing – and right with MMA

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Did you see the big Manny Pacquiao versus Shane Mosley boxing title fight on Saturday? No? Me neither. Apparently, though, we didn’t miss much. Apparently the fight was predictably lopsided and uninteresting, with the champion Pacquiao dominating for 12 rounds while the challenger Mosley just tried to survive. And, based on everything I’ve read and heard about the fight, it symbolized that boxing may be finally ready to relinquish its combat sport crown to mixed martial arts.

We all knew it was only a matter of time once the UFC started landing major events at the crème-de-la- crème venues like the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Then came The Ultimate Fighter (boxing’s The Contender lasted one season). Now, we’ve got Jon Jones appearing on Jay Leno, Georges St-Pierre in Gatorade commercials and both Randy Couture and Rampage Jackson starring in major Hollywood  releases.

Looking at precisely what Pacquiao-Mosley offered, as CBS’ Gregg Doyel illuminated, it’s easy to see why MMA is truly taking the mantle from boxing now. That title fight featured two combatants well into their 30s – one of whom was long past his prime yet supposedly still fit for a shot against the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The UFC still has exceptions like Randy Couture, just like hockey has Mark Recchi and basketball has Tim Duncan; but, for the most part, those sports are dominated by young people at their physical peak.

Because of its political structure and top fighters’ tendency to duck one another (or at least be shielded from one another by promoters), boxing constantly pits past-their-prime stars against each other in “marquee” fights. Even Pacquiao could be past his peak for all we know; he just never gets a tough enough challenge for us to find out.

Not only are boxing cards not necessarily featuring stars at their best anymore, they seem to offer less value. Can you name one other fight on the Pacquiao/Mosley card? UFC 129 in Toronto had two title fights in one night, featured two of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world (GSP, Jose Aldo) and also had legend Randy Couture’s final fight. Boxing would never combine big bouts like that; it always splits them up.

I’m a male aged 18 to 34, I watched UFC 129, and I don’t know a single peer who didn’t watch UFC 129. I didn’t see Pacquiao-Mosley and I haven’t yet met someone who has seen it. Is the battle over? Has MMA officially won?

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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What to Expect from The Ultimate Fighter 13

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

The MMA reality show phenomenon The Ultimate Fighter returns this week for a 13th season. UFC fans everywhere are dying to get inside Brock Lesnar’s head as he prepares to coach against – and fight – Junior Dos Santos for the right to challenge heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. What should we expect?

Huge ratings. If you thought the Kimbo Slice season had wild ratings, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Brock Lesnar has consistently been a top draw when appearing on pay-per-view cards. If millions of people pay to watch him fight – the same amount that pay to watch high-end boxing bouts – then how many will tune in to see Brock on free TV? TUF 13 should be a ratings juggernaut.

Highly differing styles between coaches. Whereas Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck both used wrestling as a base for their teachings last season, Lesnar and Dos Santos couldn’t be more different. Lesnar, of course, is a pure (and elite) wrestler. Dos Santos, who trains with the Nogueira brothers and Anderson Silva at Black House, is all about boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Contestants on the show might get entirely different training experiences depending on which coach picks them.

Renewed love to Brock Lesnar. Everyone loves to hate Lesnar but we have to ask ourselves why. The reason is that he’s a polarizing figure, very outspoken – and undeniably charismatic. Though Lesnar likes to play the stoic mountain man from Minnesota, he loves being on camera. He’s a former WWE star with a gift for the gab. He’ll be good TV – and viewers may wind up liking him a lot more than they expect once they get to see much more of his personality.

Problems with the language barrier. It’s no disrespect to Dos Santos but he openly admits that he still struggles with English. That makes me worry that this season will suffer. For one, it will be tough for JDS to communicate with his team. He’ll have to defer to his assistant coaches more often than most UFC head coaches do during a typical TUF season. Dos Santos also may have a tough time trash talking and developing a rivalry with Lesnar. How can they grow to dislike each other if they can’t understand each other?

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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