Underestimated Underdog

                              The 'Phenom' and his slim chances

     Vegas lines right now have Vitor at a 2-1 underdog for his scheduled title challenge against mastermind Anderson Silva this Saturday.  There are many people that don't think the line should even be this close, but I'm going to show you why this fight could be as close as a coin flip.  Here is some insight to Vitor Belfort, and his unappreciated career.

                                      The explanation to his role


     Vitor has been fighting in mma for 15 years.  With 27 fights that's less than 2 fights a year.  The first 12 years he was fighting at open, heavy, and light heavyweight.  In the last 3 years he has fought only twice at middleweight, and most recently a catch weight at 195 with Rich Franklin.  When I say most recently I mean September 2009.  It's not entirely his fault for these long layoffs, and the recent ones, because injuries have plagued him and his opponents and that's how things work in mma.  Now whether he deserves a title shot is up for debate.  I personally don't think his short but long(time span) and midly impressive run at middleweight entitles him a title shot a year and a half later with no fillers.  The truth however, is whether he deserves the shot or not in no way determines whether he can perform on the level to win the title.  Let's take a little look at his career in numbers.  

-Vitor has finished 15 of his 19 fights
-13 of these wins were knockouts
-12 of his 13 knockouts came in the first round
-He TKOed his first 4 opponents ever
-As well as his last 3 opponents
-He has overwhelmed top competition over the years such as Tank Abbott, Wanderlei Silva, Gilbert Yvel, Heath Herring, Marvin Eastman, Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, and Rich Franklin


                               But Sam, he's 19-8.  Come on now...


   Okay lets take a quick peak at these losses and we'll see how you feel after.

-First career loss, age 20, to Randy the natural Couture.
-Second loss to Kazushi Sakuraba* at pride 5, via decision
-Third loss to Chuck Liddel
-Fourth loss to Randy Couture (rubber match)
-Fifth loss to Tito Ortiz
-Sixth and seventh losses to Alistair Overeem
-Eighth loss to Dan Henderson.
 


                                  Oh I recognize those names......

    
     That list could easily be mistaken for a mma hall of fame list.  If your unfamiliar with Kazushi Sakuraba, then do some research because that man is just as worthy as any other on the list.  Nicknamed the Gracie Killer for having victories over 4 members of the Gracie family, he once fought a 90 minute mma bout(longest recorded in mma).  Vitor's losses are about as irrelevant as Randy Coutures.  You can't just look at the numbers you have to look at who he has fought.



                                      YOUNG GUNS A BLAZIN

     Here's a video for anyone with time of vitors first few fights in stunning fashion.  If he is even a shell of his younger self, then believe he has a 'punchers chance' times 5.

 


                                             His chances now?


     I'm still taking Anderson, but I will not call it an upset if Vitor wins.  If you are under the impression that too much time has past or that Vitor is too old, you could eat your words.  Vito is only 33, where Anderson will sit across the cage from him at the Age of 35.  This is a fight your better off not putting a wager on, but if you must, 2-1 are not bad odds and that is where you could lay good money. 

RECAP, SON

     Above is some fans flipping off Champion Nick Diaz moments after his title defense Saturday night on Stirkeforce, Diaz vs Cyborg.  The fights for the most part were chalk wins, but fairly entertaining none the less.  A few people had predicted a few fights and the results are as follows.  Myself went 2-1, while Adam and Goose went 2-1 as well with slightly different picks.  Anonymous Went 4-2, and predicted a funny KO but the wrong winner for the Moore-Coy bout. Now I can discuss Saturdays promotion, and a quick recap of my thoughts on the fights.

                                               STOP STOP STOP

     There are multiple things Strikeforce messed up Saturday night and the biggest thing I believe was how many times the camera clipped to Chris Cyborg.  I get that her husband is the main event, and I get she is your female Champion, but it's really really unnecessary and unprofessional to show her that many times, and to show her bawling post fight and giving a manly war cry during the fight.  I want to see as little of her as possible in my mma fanboy career.   Aside from the shots of Christine, Strikeforce was able to flaw many more times, mostly on words.  Thank goodness for good fights or people might have focused on things such as the commentators telling the viewers to go check out such and such fight on youtube.  I LOVE youtube and I encourage people seeing as many past fights as possible to build mma knowledge through archives, but from promotions standpoints that is very unprofessional as youtube is frowned upon when it comes to showing copyrighted fights for free, losing companies a lot of money.  You also get a sense that the commentators are there a lot more for their voice than their eye and mind of mma.  The audio play by play is garbage and could really confuse someone that didn't actually know what was going on in the grappling game.  Also during a post fight interview it was asked 'Do you think it's too late to call him 'Showtime'?!'  and the other guys just sort of stray from that statement because they or any other casual fan know that nickname is firm to Anthony Pettis.  Lets talk about the reason Strikeforce is still in good buisness, and it isn't the broadcast team, it's the fighters.

                  Stop kicking my leg, and gimme your arm, bro


     Nick Diaz(bottom left) submitted Evangelista Santos at the end of the second round on Saturday.  When I first heard about this fight, clear up until the opening bell, I wasn't too excited for the match up.  I was mainly interested in seeing how Diaz was going to perform or what antics he would do pre and post fight.  Then to my surprise Cyborg came out of the gates and had a SOLID game plan.  The same game plan that saw underdog Forrest Griffin dethrone Rampage for the UFC light heavyweight title, and the same game plan that led to Jose Aldos 5 round destruction of Urijah Faber.  Cyborg chopped at the lead leg of Diaz for the first round landing 7 or 8 very heavy kicks.  Diaz stuck to his game plan as well, standing in the line of fire, talking during the fight, and jabbing his way in to viscous combos.  Very hard to call the first round but I would say because of the last efforts it was Diaz 10-9.  The second round came and no surprise, more thunderous leg kicks that had me sore at home.  Diaz kept forward, kept standing, kept striking, kept talking.  Some very hard shots from Diaz and moments later, Cyborg dropped the game plan.  Cyborg soon after got a quick take down and it was over from there.  Diaz raised his hips quick and his legs to Cyborgs shoulders within a second.  Some smooth technique, a flip of Cyborgs body, and a little tug and Diaz was victorious via arm bar with only ten seconds remaining in the second round.  The training camp rushed in along with Gilbert Melendez and I half expected Jason Miller to come from the ceiling Sting style and get a revenge brawl.

                                              GATOR STYLE


     Jacare(top) vs Lawler was another fight that lasted a little longer then I predicted.  This was my most anticipated fight because I knew Lawler was a world class striker with knock out power, and Jacare is arguably top five in the world when it comes to grapplers.  As expected Lawler landed some big shots, and not quite as expected Jacare tried standing with Lawler for a little while.  Once Jacare realized the myths of Lawlers concrete fists were true he got back to his confort zone.  The end of the second round is worth watching about 75 more times.  Lawler does some beautiful, and fortunate escapes back to back to back.  What makes it so much more impressive is who he did it against, just think about it.  The inevitable happened two minutes into the third round as Jacare had his way in the scrambles and wound up with Lawlers back with all hooks sunk in.  The end result was a rear naked choke and Jacare retaining the middleweight belt.

                                                      THE FREAK


     I picked Herchel Walker to show his age(48) and lose his first(out of 2 so far) mma bout.  Boy was I wrong.  He was pitted against Scott Carson, who may not be a household name, but believe me when I say that any B-A level promotions have rosters full of guys that come to seriously compete for big checks and to keep their jobs.  Herschel however made this guy look like he just came out of his high school gym class and tried boxing the coach.  Quick work was made and Walker got the TKO victory before Carson could ever see a second round.  I'm on board, do your thing Herschel.






      Tomorrow...   I'll be doing a piece on The Phenom.  If you have ever counted anyone out of a fight because they were a 2-1 underdog, make sure it isn't next weekend.  Keep your money safe and enjoy the fight because it is going to be a firework show.  You all know and have seen Andersons otherworldly skills and stand up, but Vitors tape has been lost and his career overlooked.  I'm personally a big Anderson fan, but I will show you why he is severely threatened coming into this fight.  Click back tomorrow for the hook-up.

I'm prep for tonights hype

PICK A WINNER

Strikeforce - Diaz vs Cyborg, Saturday January 29th

     Think you can pick winners?  Or think you can get lucky enough to just look like you pick winners?  Hit up the comment box below with your picks on these 3 fights, with the round they end in, the way they end, or if it goes to a decision.  Explanation also optional but no ones forcing you, as I myself won't be going too depth into these.

                               Diaz(left) vs Cyborg(right)

     
      I'm picking Diaz in this fight by a landside.  I see it being a one sided fight and Diaz to be toying with Cyborg the whole way through the first round.  I'm predicting a mid or late second round TKO and Nick proving Cyborg and no one else in Strikeforce belongs in welterweight with him at this time.

                              Jacare(left) vs Robbie Lawler(right) 


     This would be an extremely easy fight to pick, if you only knew where the fight was taking place.  If it's on the ground it's Jacare and if it's standing it's slightly closer, but Lawler is bringing the heat.  The downfall for Jacare?  The fight starts in Robbies favor.  Look for Jacare to get past this but not until he gets rocked dizzy a little bit.  I'm calling for a late first round submission(rear naked choke).

                Herschel Walker(left) vs Scott Carson(right) 


     Herschel Walker is 48 years old.  He has had one fight which he has won, and he is getting a lot of credit and a lot of hype for doing what he is doing at his age.  Scott Carson is 4-1 and semi unknown comes into the bout off of the first loss in his career.  I could be sleeping during this fight, or watching commercials on another channel, but if I gotta pick to stay active, I'm pick Scott Carson via bubble popping submission(head and arm triangle) in the second round.



      Leave some picks here, and if you want to see some prefight hype, google the weigh ins, prefight interviews, press conferences, or anything Nick Diaz.
 

WHO WANTS SOME JUICE?

     Sorry wrong kind of juice, but I do got a treat I think you'll enjoy at the end of this piece if you read all the way through.  The subject at hand today is anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing drugs that have taken a toll on some of the top mixed martial artists of today.  We'll look at why fighters take them, and some earlier pictures in their careers as well as current pictures so you can make some judgments yourself.  The enforcement on PEDs is shaky at best and I believe it's a world of trouble and needs to be addressed properly soon.

     The problem can be traced to the beginning of any fighters career.  Drug testing in amateur  mma is damn near non existent.  You are required through blood tests to prove you don't have specific STD's and that's that.  To progress in the sport, it's fairly simple, you just perform well, and win.  Keep these things up and you can work your way up to bigger paydays and bigger promotions.  Now the easiest way to determine a clear advantage is take some kind of PED because you know the same promotion that has to share sweaty shin pads between each fight (true, and disgusting) damn sure isn't going to fork out more money for drug screening.  The goal of small promotions is to make as much money as possible before their business eventually burns out.  I'm not saying that everybody takes advantage of this and this is how they start their stellar careers, but I am definitely saying that a ton of usage goes on in our hometown promotions, and those habits can be hard to kick as you climb the ladder and the competition gets stiffer.  However instead of bashing fighters for the shortcomings of small world mma (and if you want to get into it i'll explain why it is big world mma's fault), I will instead show the usage that takes place now in the biggest organizations in the world.  Here are some fighters that have had allegations, failed drug tests, and general rumors about steroids.  You can make your own judgments.

                                      
                                    SAY IT AIN'T SO

     Chael Sonnen showed he had mouth skills that could hush the world leading up to his title challenge at UFC 117 versus Anderson Silva.  He then had many of us completely shocked and captivated with his performance against the best fighter on the planet for 23 out of 25 minutes.  Even after the loss, a rematch was promised, and immediate anticipation sunk in again.  Then the news surfaced, Chael had failed a drug test due to elevated testosterone levels well out of the normal range.  He was then suspended for nearly a year until September of 2011.  Chael would later plea he had been diagnosed with hypogonadism which allowed him to take 2 shots of testosterone a week.  The commission then lowered this suspension to last only til March, but still be enforced due to the fact Sonnen neglected to tell anyone of his condition.


     I'm under the impression that Sonnen knew what he was doing and was doing so to his advantage.  It has also been documented that the levels in his blood exceeded the levels needed for his condition.  Make your own assumptions, but this has been a major disappointment for me as Sonnen was a guy I loved to hate, but now I just hate, and trust me, there is a difference.

                                       

                         JOSH YOU CANT FAKE THIS BARNETT

     Perhaps the biggest name in any mma steroid scandal conversation is the baby face assassin.  He is best known for dethroning UFCs first golden boy Randy Couture back in 2002 for the UFC heavyweight crown.  Later the same year Josh was stripped of the title for testing positive for 3 anabolic agents.  Josh denied ever having used steroids.  Later in his career, and what most would consider the peak of it, Josh was offered a title shot against Fedor, the number 1 ranked heavyweight and then ranked number 1 pound for pound fighter on the planet.  Josh himself was ranked the 2nd best heavyweight in the world, and the stage was set for Affliction trilogy to host the bout.  10 days before the event it was announced Josh had tested positive for steroid use for the second time in his career.  The event was canceled, and the promising Affliction banner never hosted another event.  Josh requested a re-test and failed that one as just as well.  Afterwards Josh appealed the decision to suspend his license but the trial has been delayed 4 times.  The first two times were because his lawyers requested more time, the third time his lawyer couldn't make it, and the 4th time Josh didn't show up because he wasn't aware he had to be there, so he said.  Josh is currently 26-5, hasn't lost in his past 6 fights, is still a top heavyweight, and is scheduled to face Brett Rogers on April 9th.

     I'm not positive that Affliction would have stayed afloat for long, but I believe the actions of Josh Barnett brought their downfall swiftly.  Affliction was giving us what we needed in mma, with high level competition under another promotion.  Just goes to show how the actions of one can effect the lives of many as fighters were left with broken contracts and fights were canceled and many people out of jobs.  Josh is an amazing athlete and I'm sure he will always be a force, but how much of it was truly him?

                                                YOU TELL ME

     The next two fighters have never been caught with any kind of PED but have showed vast improvement in their speed and size over the years, and have raised questions and rumors as to whether they juice or not.  I'll provide the visual, you make your own choice.

   DEMOLITION MAN, UBEREEM, ALISTAR OVEREEM

                                     CHRIS THE CRIPPLER LEBEN

     Of course it's very possible both these fighters and many more have bulked up and progressed only on hard work, but I'm just showing what has raised some eyebrows.  Feel free to leave an opponion if you think it's out of line to say these fighters have juiced.

           July 7th, 2007 lightweight championship steroid bout

     Hermes Franca, after begging(literally) for a title shot from his last fight, was set up to face the lightweight champion Sean 'the muscle shark' Sherk.  Both fighters had very impressive resumes, and the fight was a competitive, but decisive one that went to a 5 round decision.  Sherk was the victor, but they were both ultimately losers as well as the fans, as it would come out later that both fighters tested positive for anabolic steroids.  While both fighters used two seperate types, both were suspended for 1 year.  Sherk was able to get his suspension reduced to 6 months via apeal, and has gone 2-2 in the division since.  Hermes on the other and has went 1-5-1 since the suspension.

                                                    YOUR CALL

     Great phenoms don't come along too often but when they do, you sort of drool and marvel at their resumes, and Shane Carwins is certainly no exception.  Some quick hits prior to the Lesnar fight shall we?  Carwin was 12-0.  4-0 in the UFC. All finishes, 8 knockouts, 4 submissions.  Everyfight had something in common, they all ended in the first round.  In fact before his 12th fight against Mir (3:48), his longest fight lasted 2 minutes and 11 seconds and by the way, that was his first fight.  Against Lesnar in the first round he had the fight completely dominated and had Lesnar hurt very badly and referee Josh Rosenthal was stated saying he was very close to stopping the fight.  Carwin went on to get caught in a head and arm triangle choke in the second round, but that does not discredit his career.  What might discredit his career however is some news that came shortly after the bout. 



     There was a sentencing on August 13, 2010 of J. Michael Bennett for his illegal distribution of anabolic steroids.  A list of 22 professional athletes was given who had received the drug from him, and Carwins name was on the list.  It is to be noted that Carwin has never tested positive for usage of any illegal substance in his 5 year career.  Carwins camp and management as well as Dana white have declined comment on the situation.  No action has been taken as far as his mma career though as he has not been proven to have broken any rules.


     Like I said this one is totally your call.  Do you feel that he has found a way to mask the drugs, or has taken them at precise times where they may have not come up in screening?  Or do you feel he is innocent until proven guilty, and think his amazing career has been all hard work and execution?  Take strongly into consideration that if he is indeed guilty of drug usage and the only way it came up was through the opposite end getting caught, then how many of our other loved fighters with immaculate careers are purchasing, using, and masking drugs that we will never be the wiser?



                                           Final Thoughts, then a treat.

     Steroid use has been a major issue in every athletic department especially over the last two decades.  It tarnishes legacies, record books, companies integrity, fans respect, and any feeling of true self accomplishment.  The issue at hand is that people will continue to use in mixed martial arts, especially at the lower levels, because they can, and it will get them ahead.  In the long run though everybody loses for their actions.  The most we can do as fans is sit back and see it unfold because I believe this is only the surface.  I do believe that every states athletic commissions will start to crack down on their screenings eventually to make this a pure sport.  Until they we can only do our best to pick the true fighters from the phonies.   Oh yea, and here now is GSPimp...

DID YOU KNOW? UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT HISTORY CRASH COURSE

   
     If I were to ask you how long the middleweight division has been around, who it's first champ was, or how many champs there have been, could you fire off one answere?  Chances are you hear middleweight and you think Anderson Silva, and thats ok, because thats how the sport is published.  Everything is in the now and the only effort they ever do to educate the history of the UFC is reruns of Ultimate Knockouts on Spike.  Thats like going to school, taking a history book, and ripping out 8 random pages.  Sure, everything you read will be true, but you need a teacher and some order in the learning process.  Today I'm going to give a short(and tust me I mean short) list of the current, and previous middleweight champions in the UFC(note there is life outside of the ufc and deserves attention too, but the UFC is the NFL of mma and there is no argument) ranks.  I will give you a little depth on their backgrounds, their title defenses, and their shortcomings in losing their belts.

1.Dave Menne (American)   09-2001 through 01-2002
     First thoughts?  Middleweight division only ten years old?  Dude kept his belt for four months?  It's okay I'll explain.  In the beginning(of UFC) there were two weight classes; heavyweight and lightweight.  Anything under 200 pounds was lightweight and anything over was heavyweights, so appreciate the weight divisions and competition we have today.  They tried a little more split ups, changing lightweight to middleweight, making the new lightweight 170 pounds and adding bantamweight 155.  It was in New Jersey in 2000 that mma first set the weight classes we see today, and in 2001 the UFC hopped on board!  My apologies to Dave Menne for derailing his spotlight, because we know those were the best 4 months of his life.  
  
     It's hard to dig up dirt on a guy that know one really ever knew.  Various internet sources merely list his style as freestyle.  From the little tape you can find of him, you get the impression he is a brawler, throwing wild strikes and mixing in kicks, also doing a lot of clinch and Thai clinch knees.  This can be deceiving when viewing his record however as the man has 17 submission victories to go with 6 knockout wins and 20 decision victories.  Daves career STARTED at 30-7-2 before being thrown into the first middleweight title fight, even though his previous fight had been a TKO loss.  He was matched up against Gil Castillo who had racked up a 5-0 mma start.  Dave was able to Unanimous decision and sat atop the world, for a moment.  Along came Murilo Bustamante at 7-1-1 who coincidentally was coming off a loss, to Chuck Liddel.  Murilo stopped Dave in the second round via TKO(punches) and obtained the middleweight belt.  Dave went on to hold a mediocre 13-8 record post championship stardom, fighting as recent as April 2010. 

2.Murilo Bustamante (Brazilian)   01-2002 through 10-2002
     First thoughts?  Another short stint?  How is it possible there have only been five UFC middleweight champs at this rate?  Is that this guy one of the founders and current leader of Brazilian Top Team?  The answere to the last question is a definite yes.  Murilo is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, and has his blackbelt under legend Carlson Gracie, and he has won multiple world grappling tournaments.  Murilo also has a solid boxing background, and has ended 6 of his 14 wins via KO or TKO.  After winning the middleweight belt in style, Murilo set up for his first title defence against the undefeated tough wrestler Matt Lindland.  Murilo was able to slap on a tight guillotine early in the third frame, and won via submission.  What came next may suprise you, as Murilo vacated(was stripped of) his UFC title after signing with Pride in October of 2002.  Take into consideration the lack of depth in the UFC at the time, and how BIG pride was back then.  Several huge names were currently with pride, including Rampage Jackson and Dan Henderson, whom he lost his next to fights to.  Murilo currently holds a 14-8-1 record, fighting as recently as July 2010.

3.Evan Tanner (American)    02-2005 Through 06-2005
     First thoughts?  Are you kidding me?  Are you serious?  What?  This grizzly man holds so much more weight then just a four month stint with the middleweight title trust me.  The now deceased Evan Tanner has been a story for mma that will stick for years to come.  Evan Tanner was 30-4 when he was presented with an opportunity to fight for the vacant UFC middleweight belt, holding significant wins over Robbie Lawler, Heath Herring, and Phil Baroni twice.  He was matched up for the title against American and BJJ blackbelt David Terrell.  It took Evan 4 minutes and 35 seconds in the first round to dispatch of David Terrel.  Evan was soon matched up with the intelligent fighter Rich Franklin who at the time held a 19-1-1 record.  Evan fought hard but was stopped midway through the 4th round via TKO.  Evan might have had some personal demons after the loss, as he continued on to make a 1-3 record following the loss.  In September of 2008 Evan Tanner was found dead in a desert region of California with empty water bottles.  About a week prior to his death, Evan left a post up addressing the concerns of his adventure.
     "It seems some mma websites have reported on the story, posting up that I might die out in the desert, or that it might be my greatest opponent yet, etc. Come on, guys. It's really common down in Southern California to go out to the off-road recreation areas in the desert about an hour away from LA and San Diego. "So my plan is to go out to the desert, do some camping, ride the motorcycle, and shoot some guns. Sounds like a lot of fun to me. A lot of people do it. This isn't a version of 'Into the Wild.'"

 4.Rich Franklin (American)  06-2005 through 10-2006 


     First thoughts?  Does he wear pink shorts in all of his fights?  Yes, but don't let it fool you, as Rich is a true warrior spirit like fighter.  The teacher from Ohio has done much for the sport inside and outside the cage, as his appearances on such shows as Bill O Riley to defend the sport have been very effective.  Rich is a unique south paw with a very balanced game.  His nickname "Ace" comes from his resemblance to actor Jim Carey, but it could also be applied to his precision as a striker, as he has ended 15 of his 28 victories via Knockout.  After obtaining the belt, Aces first defense came against then 8-1 Nate Quarry.  Rich made quick work of Nate, ending the match halfway through the first with a KO victory.  Rich was then thrown on the America vs Canada card facing UFC standout David Loiseau.  Rich ran out constant pressure en route to a UD victory.  Riding high, Rich was given the task of dispatching the newcomer in the UFC, Anderson Silva.  This was only Silva's second fight in the UFC and some may argue that he didn't deserve the shot yet, and there is a possibility Rich underestimated him.  Rich was made aware of Andersons' ability quickly as he was beaten and battered the first four minutes of the fight before being knocked out from one of the many knees Anderson threw.  Rich would go on to rack up two wins after the loss and get a rematch with Silva only to succumb to more vicious knees.  Since gate keeper status wasn't Rich's idea of a good time, he has dabbled in light heavyweight recently.  Of past UFC middleweight champions he is the only one still relevant and currently fighting, and is scheduled to an upcoming bout with Forrest Griffin.

5.Anderson Silva (Brazilian) 10-2006 through01-2011(current) 

     First thoughts?  Hey!  I know that guy!  Of course you do, he is ranked the pound for pound best fighter on the planet in most every top ten list there is.  He has a strong BJJ background, and a striking game that is not of this world.  Rather then break down his wins or career, because believe me it's deep, I will break down his losses on his 27-4 record.  Anderson lost his first ever fight via 2(yes 2) round decision to Luiz Azerido.  His second loss came many fights later in Japan where he lost via Triangle at 8:33 seconds in the 1st(yes 1st) round to Daiju Takase.  Four fights later Anderson lost in the most shocking fasion via flying scissor heel hook(yes flying scissor heel hook) to Ryo Chonan.  Please if you have a moment search for the fight, and if you can find it, you will see a one sided fight the whole way until the exciting submission.  Andersons' final loss came 3 fights later where he knocked Yushin Okami out(yes he KOed' and lost).  Anderson delivered a very effective upkick that put Yushins' lights out, and was immediately disqualified.  Anderson later stated that he did not understand that those were the rules going into the fight.  Anderson has had a staggering 13 victories since then and has made highlight reel finishes time and time again.  His next effort will be against another very dangerous striker in Vitor Belfort.
    

     So there you have it, now you know more then the average meathead, tapout, or TUF fan.  The middleweight division has been strong for a short period of time, but for the most part was always weak and shallow.  I believe this to be the cause of the short list of champions.  Want to compare it to the changing of hands of other belts?  The heavyweights has changed hands 15 times.  The light heavyweight belt has changed hands 11 times.  The welterweight belt has changed hands 8 times, while the lightweight belt has changed hands only 4 times.  The new entries into the UFC feather and bantamweight will have room to grow.  Now with all that taking into perspective, how much more is it impressive that the likes of Randy Couture and BJ Penn have held belts in TWO seperate divisions?  I hope everyone learned something, and here is a little reward for learning my friends................................................................................................................

    

TOP 5 MOST QUOTABLE FIGHTERS

     So there have been some insanely funny and extreme things said and done in MMA, and this has been made possible by some of the outstanding personalities in MMA.  From time to time you hear a quote that is just too true, or one that makes you rewinds your dvr because your thinking 'did he really just say that?'.  They are gold mines when you hear them, but some of these classics could be forgotten due to fact they are only a couple moments long.  I have taken some time to decide which fighters have been known as the 'i love when he talks' guys.  Here are the funny funny, the truly true, and the i hope this doesn't come back to bite me smack talkers, and some of their best quotes.

5.GSP                  
      George has become one of the top names and faces in MMA over the past few years, and rightfully so.  This is almost a surprise however, because he slaughters the English language daily and America is the biggest consumer of MMA.  No disrespect to the guy though because although I am not his biggest fan, he is a complete gentleman about everything he does in and for this sport.  Here are some of his worst/best self translations and what makes him our 5th most quotable fighter.

"I know Hughes beat me fair and square, sorry fairly squarely"

"and now, everybody, I want you to listen to me. I'm going to go to my knees like that and ask the UFC my next match to give me a world title shot. Please! I want the belt so bad! Please, give it to me!"

"A lot of guys are really good to talk. They make things very interesting when they talk. When things start to get hard. That's where they break" (regarding BJ Penn)

"I  was not impressed with your performance" (to Matt Hughes)   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX3sEGtG8mQ

4.BJ PENN
     There are a fifteen thousand and one words that can describe BJ.  A few the come to my mind are legendary, epic, and passionate.  This guy has known since day one that he has been building his legacy.  I believe that everything he says and does he keeps in mind that he want's it to be remembered.  here are a few quotes from BJ before or after one of his blood baths, where there is a good chance he consumed some of the opponents blood.

"I'm going to try and kill you, Georges, and I'm not joking about that."

"I'm serious george, I'm going to the death""I’m definitely looking for mega-fights and if Anderson Silva is one of them, why not shoot for the stars?"

"To me in this sport, it’s fighting, it’s mixed martial arts, and I feel there’s too many athletes and not enough fighters…I think these people going in taking these sports enhancement drugs, they’re not real fighters, they’re athletes. I’m a fighter. I’m a real fighter. That’s all I did my whole life."

"He thought he was gonna go out there and brawl and everybody was gonna hold him up and say that he's the greatest thing since Bruce Lee. NOPE it's done!  Your chances are over.  Everybody likes a winner, nobody likes a loser it's done, I don't care how you did." (as a coach on the ultimate fighter, please check out the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ76VkRe-gA )

 3.Nick Diaz
     Nick Diaz has never not delivered entertainment in any interview, or pre and post fight pressers.  He is mma's problematic child and the perfect example of a bad role model(refer to brother Nate Diaz).  He is disrespectful, unlawful, and full of fight.  Love it or hate it, you can always count on controversial weigh ins, disrespect for all opponents, and a good laugh.  Roll tape...
  
“Manny Pacquaio is making $40 million, Georges St. Pierre is making a couple million dollars, and I’m over here driving a Honda because my s--t is breaking down? F--k all you motherf---ers.”

"Don't look at him (referring to Nathan), he'll f--king knock you out."  to Jeff Sherwood after the Lawler fight.

"You know I'm the only f--king guy that's gonna box, you know, i mean you should be able to market me or something by now or put me in a f--king magazine by now or something, cause i don't get NO play, i haven't been in ONE f--king magazine EVER, Robbie Lawler still gets put in magazines, you know, what about a, a motherf--ker that can, that can box people up and choke somebody with a gogo? you know i'm chokin people with gogos and throwing hooks to the head and nobody else is doing that"

"I’m trying to fight Georges f--king St. f--king Pierre. I’m trying to fight … I didn’t mean to call Georges a f--k, but I ain’t got no problem getting there and fighting the best people in the world. Georges is a nice guy. I’m trying to fight Jon Fitch, I’m trying to fight Silva, I’m trying to fight K.J. Noons, I’m trying to fight everybody. I’m trying to fight Takanori Gomi, Sakurai, I’m trying to f--k everybody up. f--k this s--t. This is f--kin gangster f--kin warfare. I don’t give a f--k. You know what I mean?”

Rogan: "So now do you have respect for Diego?"
Diaz: "Naw, not really.

"Then I got this big vagina f--king chilling on the side of my face." on cut received from Gomi "He only hit me with three or four punches and it f--kin did me(gomi walks by)....you little f--ker!! there the little f--ker right now "

"I'm all like trying to get into fight mode and these motherf--kers just wanna dance around for fifteen minutes, WHAT THE F--K?"
 I could list way more diaz quotes trust me, the guy is made of them.

 2.Rampge Jackson
     Quinton has always been enthusiatic with is comments in the fight game.  He can push buttons and pull laughs with the best of them, and is never camera shy.  Here are some of his trash talking finest moments.

Rashad: Your just a sucka dude
Rampage: If im a sucka, treat me like a sucka
Rashad: Imma treat you like a sucka
Rampage: ... Well come LICK ON ME THEN

"you can make a mistake and get caught in a submission, but chuck made a mistake and he got caught in an ass whoppin"

"That's ok, everyone knows all black folk look alike"

"My style is 'whoop that ass"

"Well, right nwo i'm 23, so in two years, I see myself 25."

"If he plans on getting knocked out in the first round that's his business."

"I am bring my chain in the ring, Sakuraba tapped out four gracies, of course I'm bring my chain wit me"

"Have you ever had yo ass whooped by a black man?... It HURTS!"

Bas Rutten: "So you're fighting Minowa."
Rampage: "Manure?"
Bas Rutten: "No Minowa, what do u know about him?"
Rampage: "I found out his name was Manure, I was like, damn, this guy must be the s#*t!
 1.Chael Sonnen
     Chael is THE smack talker in mixed martial arts. If you cross his mind, then he has something to say about you.  He will always deliver an interview youtube worthy, and can actually back it up. WAR sonnens mouth...

"I'm the toughest guy in the company, period...whether it's Anderson or any other opponent. There's never been a guy with earrings that can out-tough me and he's not going to be the first."

"I'm a partner of the UFC and Anderson's an employee. There's a big difference. That's why all the questions keep coming to me, because I give a coherent and clear answer that somebody wants to hear and he sits on a speakerphone on a car somewhere and says yes and no."

"I can drag Anderson Silva out of a hotel and beat up him anytime I want. I've made a commitment to wait until August 7th and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure millions of people watch me do it."

"I'm going to take his belt on August 7th and Dana's going to fire him on August 8th."

"I think a black belt under the Nogueira brothers is like saying, 'I got a free toy in my happy meal."

"He cheated, he did drugs, and he gave himself cancer. Well, instead of saying 'Hey listen, I cheated and gave myself cancer, don't be like me,' he actually made himself the victim and then went out and profited something like $15 million from this 'Hey, poor me, let's find a cure for cancer' campaign instead of just coming clean" referring to Lance Armstrong

"'GSP had better pray to heaven above that 'Shogun' accepts my challenge because one of those two is getting beat up"

"'GSP, do you have a hankering for pain? GSP, did you lose a bet with God? GSP, bring your $3,000 suit, bring your $3 date and get the three-cent tan knocked off your socialist back.' If you see GSP, give him that message for me."

"If Brock Lesnar was here right now, I'd take my boot off and throw it at him, and he'd better polish it up before he brings it back to me.  Talking about he's the baddest guy in the UFC? Brock, quit eating so many raw eggs and doing push-ups because it's affecting your realm of reality. Are you kidding me? I'd slap you in your face, and you wouldn't do anything."

"'I'm Brock Lesnar. I've got this $5 haircut and a knife tattooed on my chest.' I'll shove it up your face if you get in Chael Sonnen's way."



Honorable mentions...
"I don't want to talk about that, but if it's true, I just want to ask Tim Sylvia: How's taste my big pee pee?"-Andrei Arlovski

"I've been fighting for 20 years man, since I was 16" Melvin Guillard age 27

"This ain't survivor and s--t. 'Let's vote him off'. f--kin beat him off." Dana White

"YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!" Diego Sanchez before...

 January 25th 2011, get some...

Day 1

     Hey there blogger, Sam Moore has landed on the blogging planet and is ready to dive in.  The subject at hand?  MMA.  I'm a strong fan of the fastest growing sport in the world, and I want to document my thoughts weekly and get some predictions in, and maybe have some feedback and discussions.  I hope to get a couple of people reading these and adding their insight, or maybe even just a couple friends, but if nothing else, i can get all of the MMA on my mind out in the open that the forums online can't seem to satisfy.  I will post everything on here from great videos to rising stars, from upcoming events to past events, and the what if's of dream matches.  without further hesitation, my first blog....

January 24th, 2011
      So this week in MMA whats up... Major events now in the dust, Edgar-Maynard 2, and another installment of Fight For the Troops.  Major events in the near future, Silva-Belfort, Penn-Fitch, and the first round of the heavyweight tournament in strikeforce, featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs Big Foot Silva.

     I will not go deep into ufc 125 resolution besides saying Frankie amazes me.  The cool head he keeps in interview after interview after these razor decisions(bj penn 1, which i actually feel he lost) is just impressive.  both fighters looked really crisp though and thats how it should be seeing as how the lightweight devision has recently surpassed welterweight as the deepest division in the UFC, and the world.   Mark my words when i say that the Fight of the year will be a lightweight bought, and 80 percent of the fight of the nights this year will be lightweight bouts.

     The most recent of notable mma events was Fight For the Troops in Fort Hood Texas.  This event was a 'can't wait to see' event because i have been very excited and hopeful for Charlie Brennemans Career.  I was lucky enough to watch all the prelims, and the main fights.  First I'll discuss Brennemans fight.  This dude has become a complete stud in the sport, and has room to grow, knows about it, and has the ability to do it.  Coming into his third fight in the promotion, Charlie knows it's win or go home after a 1-1 start under the UFC banner.  You could tell from the opening to closing bell that Charlie had prepared night and day for Amilcar Alves and it paid off.  After throwing him two wrestlers, and then a grappler/mauy thai striker, it appears he is well rounded enough for this level of competition.  I hope to see him soon test the deeper waters with a rebounding matt serra or someone of the sort, but more then likely he will get another person fighting for a job and that is really OK with me too.
                                             Another prelim eye candy was Mike Brown and Rani Yahya.  Yahya is just plain FUN to watch scramble around.  If you havn't heard of him, take a 5 minute peek on the interweb and get on the wagon, the guy is a small Demian Maia, and a miniature Fabricio Werdum.  I have never been a huge fan of Mike Brown personally but he is no joke either, especially as a grappler, and Yahya was putting a clinic on him. 

     If you feel bad for one person, feel bad for Cody McKenzie.  The guy tries to get a million wins in a row via guillotine and is stopped short at ten because they fed him to the wolves.  Actually one wolf that is; a self proclaimed 'thug-jitsu' master.  Yves Edwards  might be a veteran, but not all of the veterans fade after time like say the iceman.  You can always count on Edwards to bring some aggression and find a way to win, and that's exactly what he did in that fight.
  
     Cole Miller REALLY disappointed me Saturday night, and probably his tough as nails brother Jim Miller too.  That is all i want to say about that one sided slaughter.

     Patrick Barry might be in the wrong sport.  If you think that's unfair to say after a victory and a decent UFC start, think again.  His standoffish striking style is going to get him murdered in the heavyweight ranks.  You can do that to the Mexicutioner all you like but if you smell blood and don't hop on it then you are going to get eaten alive by and not limited to ; Cain, JDS, Carwin.  Hell even Roy Nelson WILL punish you for your 'I want to win, but not hurt you' mentality.  Please show the world the devastation you can really bring with no restraints next fight, sincerely, your job.
                                    
     My absolute favorite fight of the whole night was Mark Hominick vs George Roop.  I strongly urge you to somehow find this fight. The featherweight division now in the UFC is going to be fireworks everytime and this was a great example.  Hominicks hands looked as precise as A. Silvas on a good night, and that is saying a lot.  It now sets up a fight with Hominick and Aldo, and if you want to see a guaranteed finish then tune in for this one.  The only fight other then that championship bout I'm looking forward to this year is Fedor vs UBEReem, and that's not even guaranteed.
                                                         
     Meat head continues to surprise me.  Not that Tim Hague is top competition, but that Mitrione showed everybody he wasn't.  I will say good job Matty and nothing more because I am not a fan, just very very impressed.
                                       
     The main event on paper coming into the fight was sort of a yawn.  I see the steamrolling Dunham and the very seasoned lightning quick veteran Melvin Guillard and I should of been on the edge of my seat, but a quick analysis of that fight and you simulate Dunham winning by perfect execution of a perfect game plan and saying 'I'm here to stay'.  Now the fight comes and goes and Dunham could be two loses away from fighting for cage of fury or valley fight league.  Melvin scored a nice TKO on his grocery list like resume, and continued to say 'I promise wins in 2011 and a title shot before the year is over, i will have that belt.'  I find that really hard to believe, but a small part of me wants it to come semi-true.  I don't necessarily like Guillard, but I guess I just really enjoy the stand up game.

     So that's all I got for today, I will post again if I come across any cool videos, interviews, or matchmaking announcements.  If I don't come across anything, then I will sure post next week for some big time fight predictions on an action packed February.