Fightmania Mailbag: Cro Cop, UFC 98, Dream 9

With all that has happened in the last couple of weeks in MMA, another Fightmania mailbag seems like a good idea.  Here are a few of the recent e-mails that I’ve received on a variety of topics.  Make sure to keep those e-mails coming, and you may find that your e-mail is included in a future Fightmania Mailbag installment!  Let’s get started.

Chris of De Witt, IA thinks that Cro Cop is done:

I have to tell you: I think that Cro Cop is done for.  He just didn’t have it in his UFC run, and like you said, there weren’t any signs in his Japan fights that he might be ready to be a top fighter again.  I don’t see that he can ever get to where he was again, and his next UFC run will probably not go any better than his last one.  Come on…Brock Lesnar would double-leg him right through the mat!

I would agree if it seemed as if Cro Cop had something physically wrong with him.  He hasn’t been on the receiving end of a ton of devastating knockouts, he doesn’t seem to be any slower than in the past, and I’m sure that his strikes still pack a powerful amount of force.  I’m going to stick with my earlier assessment that his problems were mental, and that he could find himself in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division if his head is on straight.

You’re right though- Brock Lesnar would present matchup problems for Cro Cop, or any of the other top UFC heavyweight strikers.  While Lesnar’s ground game is still a work in progress, I doubt that Cro Cop would submit Lesnar off of his back.  Maybe we’ll get to find out what would happen sometime in the future?  Of course, we could also see Cro Cop-Nogueira 2, and matchups with Cheick Kongo (again), Gabriel Gonzaga (ditto) and Antoni Hardonk would be a lot of fun.  I have to say that I’m looking forward to seeing what Cro Cop will bring with him in his second go at the UFC.

Mike from Rochester, New York wonders what my thoughts are on the latest BJ Penn news…

Did you hear that BJ Penn now says he won’t fight in Las Vegas ever again?  What are your thoughts on that?  Isn’t it time for BJ to just let this whole greasing thing go?  Also, how much do you think this will affect his performance against KenFlo?

In a word, yes.  The athletic commission already said that they aren’t going to act on the allegations, which is why Penn says he won’t fight in Las Vegas again.  At this point, I wonder how much Penn is focusing on his upcoming fight against Kenny Florian.  I’m not saying that BJ is doing anything besides training hard, but if he is still mentally looking backward at his loss to Georges St. Pierre, his performance against Florian still may not be his best.  Don’t think Florian won’t use that for even more motivation, either.

Derek of San Diego wants to know what I think of Frankie Edgar’s potential:

I know that you wrote about Sherk after UFC 98, but what do you think Frankie Edgar can do in the lightweight division?  I was really impressed with him, and he’s only lost to Gray Maynard in the UFC.  Do you think that Edgar has what it takes to contend for the title in such a deep division?  Does he have the ability to take out the Penns, Florians and Diegos of the lightweight ranks?

I was also very impressed, and Edgar always turns in a good performance each time out.  My main concern regarding Edgar is that he may not be as big and strong as some of the other top lightweights (which now include the likes of Diego Sanchez).  Also, Edgar is quick, with good hands and great wrestling skills, but that also describes several other fighters in the division, as well.  I can’t imagine that Edgar is more than a win or two away from a title shot, so we may find out where his ceiling is sooner rather than later.

Finally, Eric of…Japan, I guess…takes me to task for my Dream 9 coverage (or lack thereof):

It’s really sad to me that since Pride was bought out, MMA coverage in the United States and many other areas consists of really just UFC coverage.  As an American who lives in Japan for the time being, I get to see a lot of great MMA and hear about a lot of great fighters that I don’t think other people get to, simply because the UFC is all that is focused on.  In other words, where’s the coverage of Dream, Sengoku and other non-North American promotions?

Good points all.  I am well aware that there is much more to mixed martial arts than just the UFC, but at the same time, there’s really no denying that the UFC is the “big show” when it comes to the sport.  I try to write about what the majority of readers of the site are going to be interested in, while making sure that I acknowledge happenings from outside the UFC, as well.  With Dream, Sengoku, and other promotions, it’s difficult because I rely on the internet to find out what happens and see the fights themselves.  If I can’t see the fights in a timely fashion (as with Dream 9), it makes no sense to write a recap of the fights three days later.  Also, I don’t want to talk authoritatively about things that I didn’t see with my own eyes. 
Don’t worry though, I will be trying to highlight the biggest stories outside of the UFC in the months to come.

Again, thanks for all of your e-mails.  Keep those e-mails coming, and we’ll keep posting the mailbag regularly.  As always, make sure to include your name and where you’re from!

by Jon Hartley for Fightmania.com

Tags: Brock Lesnar, Diego Sanchez, DREAM, Frankie Edgar, Gabriel Gonzaga, Georges St. Pierre, Gray Maynard, Kenny Florian, UFC