Now, it’s pretty much a given that the one-sided beatdown that Michael Bisping gave Jason “Mayhem” Miller isn’t going to rate all that highly. We also didn’t have a coach fight after season two (friends Matt Hughes and Rich Franklin coached, and were in separate weight divisions, to boot), season four (there were no coaches), season six (Matt Serra couldn’t fight), and season thirteen (Brock Lesnar fell ill, forcing Junior dos Santos to fight Shane Carwin). In season eleven, Tito Ortiz backed out of the fight due to injury and Rich Franklin was awkwardly inserted as coach right at the end of the show, but I’ll count that to give us an even ten. Let’s rank them in reverse order:

10. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans (TUF 10)
9. Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck (TUF 12)
8. Michael Bisping vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (TUF 14)

These three are all grouped together in my mind, and could really go in any order. I ranked them this way because at least Bisping-Mayhem saw a finish, even if it was just one guy collapsing out of exhaustion while his opponent pounded away. Still, we were spared the fight going the distance, which was not a consideration given to us in the other two fights. Also, at least Bisping and Miller fought with a little fire, at least as long as they could (in Mayhem’s case).

The three fights all share something: they were three of the more highly-anticipated coach fights because of the supposed dislike between the fighters in each pairing. However, the hype and the feuds never translated into great bouts. Evans was content to wrestle his way to victory in a by-the-numbers, rather uninspiring win, St. Pierre did the same thing with his jab, refusing to open up his striking even though he effectively blinded Koscheck early in the fight.

7. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock (TUF 3)

It only adds to the audaciousness of Dana White’s claim that Bisping-Mayhem was the most lopsided fight he’d ever seen that he featured this ridiculous bit of matchmaking not once, but twice after The Ultimate Fighter 3.

In another bout where the hype was better than the actual action (a theme in the fights on this list, of course), Ortiz took down Shamrock and pounded him a few times en route to a quick stoppage at just 1:18 of the first round. It may have been a bit hasty, but nothing was going to change if the bout had been allowed to go on.

After another seemingly unnecessary three month training camp for both men, there was a rematch on Spike TV in order to give the fans their money’s worth…or something. Well, in a fight that was like a carbon copy of the first bout, Ortiz took Shamrock down with ease and got a TKO stoppage due to punches not quite halfway through the second round. This one gets ranked this highly mostly because in each case, it was mercifully short. Still, it was a fight that never should have happened a second time (Shamrock had already had a one-sided loss to Ortiz at UFC 40), let alone a third.

6. Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (TUF 8 )

Even if this wasn’t the best fight, we’re at least out of the territory of awful and/or disappointing bouts. Mir shocked us all in this one, besting Nogueira with ease on the feat before putting Nogueira away midway through the second round in a fight he dominated throughout.

It was only afterward, when persistent rumors that Nogueira had a staph infection going into UFC 92 were confirmed, that fans and pundits started to realize why Big Nog looked so listless in this one (remember, Big Nog had never been stopped before this fight). Still, it’s memorable for many reasons: the surprise we all felt when first watching it, Mir’s strange right uppercut that he kept landing at range, and his great reaction afterward where he called out Brock Lesnar.

5. Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell (TUF 11)

This was a good fight, even if substituting Franklin for Ortiz at the end of the season just because Ortiz couldn’t fight was weaksauce. I’m also tempted to ding this one a bit because it was depressing to see Liddell’s career definitively end, but that’s just part of the sport and a seemingly-inevitable end for a fighter like Liddell.

Liddell looked great for about four minutes and fifty seconds of the fight. He was using a more crisp, clean approach than he had in years and even throwing leg kicks- leg kicks! He seemed to be in great shape and it looked as if he was serious in extending his career by revitalizing his striking, taking care of his body and using his wrestling more.

Then, Liddell over-committed and ran into a short counter right that put him down for the last time.

Even if everything else is on point, if you can’t take a good shot, you can’t keep fighting. The sad thing is, this fight is a reminder that this is the end awaiting every fighter, no matter how good, if they stick around a bit too long. Still, it was a good fight and even a bit historic, as it was Liddell’s last appearance.

4. BJ Penn vs. Jens Pulver (TUF 5)

Not a bad fight, if a little anticlimactic. Penn took control of the fight from the start, though Pulver showed his talent in a few choice moments, landing a couple of good shots as well as escaping an armbar and standing back up after being taken down in the first round.

Penn took Pulver’s back in the second round and we all knew it was over at that point. Sure enough, Penn finished it before long, choking Pulver until the tap and beyond before finally letting his adversary go a couple of seconds after the stoppage.

Since then, the two insist that things are cool and much of the animosity the two supposedly shared- as well as the fight itself- have been largely forgotten. It was a pretty good fight and a finish is always appreciated, but nothing extremely special.

3. Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (TUF 7)

This was the rare coach fight where the fight itself was better than the feud beforehand. I never bought into any of the hype during the season, and even when Griffin got frustrated and flew off the handle, it wasn’t quite believable and felt a bit forced.

The fight didn’t have the level of aggression we’re used to seeing from either man, but that wasn’t so disappointing because we weren’t fed a bunch of b.s. about the two hating each other beforehand. Griffin used a strategy that we’ve seen used liberally against Rampage since then, peppering the powerful fighter with leg kicks to keep him off balance. Rampage was never able to land a big shot and won a very close decision in a pretty good bout.

Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (TUF 1)

Had this been Couture-Liddell 3, it may have topped the list. Their second bout was a good one, but only lasted a couple of minutes before Liddell turned Couture’s lights out. Still, it was a highly-anticipated battle in which Couture was favored by many, as he had shown very few weaknesses in their first battle.

Suddenly, the strategy he employed in his first bout with Liddell wasn’t working so well, though. He was still sticking to mostly straight punches, but Liddell was landing with increasing frequency, which was never a good sign in “The Iceman”‘s prime. Sure enough, Liddell erased Couture from consciousness before too long, finally winning the light heavyweight championship in the process.

1. Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping (TUF 9)

This had it all- it was a great fight with a highlight reel finish that followed an entertaining feud. Henderson was the no-nonsense veteran who didn’t like Bisping’s cocky attitude, and all season long he said he was going to shut Bisping’s mouth for good. He may not have managed to do that, but he did it in the short term in their explosive UFC 100 fight.

Both men fought, well, like themselves- Henderson stalked Bisping, looking for that one big shot, while Bisping used his jab and tried to stay out of trouble while finding openings. Bisping actually turned in a pretty good performance for much of the fight, landing his jab and slipping Henderson’s big punches. He showed very good recovery when Hendo caught him in the first round, as well. However, this fight is all about the finish, which was one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history whether you’re a Hendo fan, a Bisping fan or none of the above. While the unnecessary follow-up flying elbow smash was either really sweet or extremely sour depending on your allegiances, this was likely the best TUF coach fight we’ve seen thus far.

So…who wants to bet where Cruz-Faber will go on this list after TUF 15 concludes?

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For ducking Chuck Liddell and finding every reason from their past friendship (which Liddell still says wasn’t that big of a deal) to injuries to movie commitments to settling the score with Ken Shamrock, the fans had begun to turn on Ortiz. Liddell and Couture were the talk of the UFC’s light heavyweight division, while Ortiz was an afterthought of sorts, despite still being the official champion of the weight class.

In the years to come, the sport would not be very kind to Ortiz. While his contemporaries experienced even greater levels of success, Ortiz floundered through injuries and underwhelming performances. Couture would win the title from Ortiz later in 2007 and go on to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship again, as well. Liddell would take the light heavyweight strap from Couture and go on to have more successful consecutive title defenses than anyone in the history of the division, including Ortiz. Silva would win the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, beating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson brutally in the final round, then defeating him again the following year in an official title defense.

Meanwhile, Ortiz would win five straight after consecutive losses to Couture and Liddell, but they weren’t the most impressive wins. One was against Patrick Cote, an inexperienced true middleweight; two more were against an aging Ken Shamrock. His two wins against reputable competitors were both by narrow split decisions, as he got the nod over Vitor Belfort and Forrest Griffin. After that? He went five straight years without a win as a second TKO loss to Liddell kicked off a long slide.

Fast forward to last Saturday night. Tito came in as a heavy underdog against Ryan Bader, a top ten light heavyweight who appeared to be better than Ortiz at most facets of MMA. With greater athleticism, a better wrestling pedigree and heavy hands, the fight seemed to be a bad matchup for Ortiz from the get-go. However, we all know what happened, as Ortiz cracked Bader with a short right hand and tapped him out with an arm-in guillotine in just a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, the formerly dominant Silva competed on the same card and was knocked out by Chris Leben in just 27 seconds. Couture and Liddell? They’re both retired now and watched from the audience as Ortiz soundly defeated a very talented young light heavyweight fighter.

Who would have thought that of those four current or future Hall of Fame light heavyweights, Ortiz would be the last to have any sort of relevancy? Who would have thought that when Ortiz was struggling with multiple back surgeries and lethargic performances? Who would have thought that when Ortiz was losing decisively to the likes of Matt Hamill at UFC 121?

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Ortiz has fought through a lot to get to this point. I don’t know of any fighter of his stature that has probably gone through more in the late stages of his career and rebounded to this level. From having the fans turn on him and becoming one of the most-jeered fighters in MMA to going five long years without having his hand raised, Ortiz has had a lot to fight through in recent years. Let’s not forget the multiple surgeries and even the personal issues with former girlfriend Jenna Jameson, as well.

Sure, a lot of the stuff Ortiz has gone through has been because of his own actions and decisions, but it’s still a lot to come back from. I think that’s why there’s a resurgence right now in his popularity, as many fans have gotten caught up in Ortiz’s improbable win last Saturday night. Maybe for many of us, it’s just fun to see one of the last guys from that old era of MMA actually enjoying a little success. No matter what though, even those who aren’t Tito fans should agree that he’s got a little more in the tank than we had thought. And even if his win last Saturday turns out to be his last in the UFC, it was both surprising and impressive to see that he had outlasted some of his fellow greats, after all.

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Five round non-title fights are on their way

During the Fan Expo Q&A that was a part of the UFC 129 weekend in Toronto, Dana White gave very welcome news by saying that the UFC is “very close” to implementing five round non-title fights.

Now, this wouldn’t be for all fights, of course, but instead for “big fights”, with White’s example being Brock Lesnar’s upcoming heavyweight title eliminator versus Junior dos Santos. In other words, it sounds like many of the fights that I wished had been given five rounds in the past- Liddell-Wanderlei, Couture-Vera, and most recently Penn-Fitch being examples that come to mind- may be the kind of fights he is talking about.

There are still a lot of questions, for instance: would a big name non-title fight like Penn-Fitch 2 be a five-rounder if there was also a title fight on the card, or will this only be implemented when a non-title fight is the main event? But still, this is a step in the right direction. I may be in the minority on this one, but I wouldn’t mind seeing all main card fights being five rounds. Some would say they’d rather watch the prelims, but in most cases, the main card fights are the ones you most want to see; why not give them more time on the telecast? For every three-round stinker that you wouldn’t want to see two more rounds of, there are great three-round fights that would be even more epic if they had ten more minutes of time.

Besides, since we basically get to see nearly all preliminary bouts on most cards these days between Spike TV, ION and Facebook, what’s the difference? Let’s see some more of these big non-title bouts get decided by the fighters and not by the judges. Lastly, having five rounds to judge gives the judges themselves two more chances to get it right. Of course, it’s also two more chances to fuck it up. Let’s just move on.

Dana White has a lot to say

What else is new though, right? The always-entertaining (and always controversial) UFC president has weighed in on a lot of topics recently. Like what, you ask? Well, how about that he thinks Lyoto Machida’s recent string of bad luck has to do with money (he thinks Machida’s success made him change his style), and that Royce Gracie wants Matt Hughes again, but he’s reluctant to make that fight (or any other fight for Gracie) happen?

He’s also had time to get into a brief Twitter battle with Jenna Jameson, who took exception to jokes about Tito Ortiz not being liked by fans in the recent “Executive Iceman” video White posted (which depicted Chuck Liddell going about the duties of his new job in humorous fashion). Jameson pointed out that White pays Ortiz “a ton of money”, which makes little sense as an argument against Ortiz being disliked by fans (bad guys sell tickets, too), and White told her to kindly “shut the fuck up”, advising Ortiz to “put her on a leash”. White did say that the skit was nothing personal and that the Ortiz portion was just to play up the rivalry between Ortiz and Liddell, to which Ortiz said “thanks”.

Most interestingly, White has indicated that he’s going to talk to Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz about all of his recent boxing talk. “I know for a fact that boxing isn’t for him, because I’ve been in boxing for years. All of the boxers wish they were involved with us.” He added that he’ll be flying out to see Diaz and discuss the issue as soon as UFC 129 is over. On that note, I say good for Dana, as I’m similarly unconvinced about the notion that boxing has greener pastures for MMA fighters than mixed martial arts does. Diaz would not be a big name in boxing, and to depend on MMA fans to support his boxing endeavors is an iffy proposition, as well. He’d have to essentially start all over, and only the big names in boxing are doing extremely well financially, anyway.

Quick Shots

–Randy Couture had some interesting comments for MMAFighting.com recently, telling them that one of his main reasons for wanting to retire while he’s still near the top of his game is to avoid the awkwardness that Chuck Liddell had to deal with at the end of his career. “But I don’t want to stick around too long and have everybody talking behind my back like that and forcing me to make a decision that I really don’t want to make. I want to go out on my terms.” Of course, it would have been easier for Liddell to do so if Dana White would have kept his advice between them and not been preemptively announcing the Iceman’s retirement for him at press conferences and during interviews, right?

–Strikeforce may not be mixing with the UFC completely at this point, but it’s also far from “business as usual”, as Lorenzo Fertitta is assisting in the negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko’s constantly frustrating management team for a possible fight with Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Henderson. It’s a fight both fighters seem to want, but the key here, as always, is whether M-1 Global can feel that they’re leeching off of Fedor enough. After all, Fedor’s only got so many fights left in him, and then M-1 will have to do what every other promotion in the world has had to do and try to make it on their own steam, instead of financing their shitty promotion with money earned by Fedor’s own greatness.

–In a fight that I really like, Matt Hughes will be returning to take on Diego Sanchez at a UFC event this upcoming fall, according to UFC officials. The fight has been verbally agreed to at this point, and should be a good test for both men. I’m excited to see what Hughes has left in the tank against a fighter who fights a somewhat similar style. I thought this fight would eventually happen back when Sanchez had first won “The Ultimate Fighter”, but a lot has changed since that point. Still should be a fun bout.

–Another fun bout that will actually be taking place outside of Planet Zuffa is the one this weekend between longtime MMA standout Jeremy Horn and former UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites. People hate on Leites for the Anderson Silva fight, but this matchup could make for some great jiu-jitsu. Also of note on the Superior Challenge card is a title fight between UFC veteran Rich Clementi and Swedish bad boy Reza Madadi, which should be a furious one if the near-altercation at the weigh-ins is any indication.

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UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell sits down with Mike Straka and talks about his UFC career.

Anyone who doubts this can take a look at fellow athletes such as Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, and others to see how they are remembered. While no one has forgotten Ali being defeated by Larry Holmes or Jordan’s run with the Washington Wizards, those aren’t the enduring memories of either athlete. Just wait, even Brett Favre will in time be remembered more for his exploits in Green Bay than his un-retirements and apparent naughty text messages to attractive media personnel. Well, maybe.

The point is that though Liddell retires without being at the top of his game, the discussion should not be one of relief due to Liddell finally realizing that he is better off moving on, but instead of the greatness that Liddell displayed during his lengthy time as a top competitor in the sport. Being that MMA is still a young sport, Liddell has the honor of not only being one of the best to compete, but also an innovator: a template that other fighters have already begun building upon, but that no fighter before him had been able to assume the role of.

Here was a man who presented a nightmare of a matchup problem for nearly every other fighter on the planet: he couldn’t be taken down, and striking with him was a recipe for disaster. Though he liked to keep his hands down and eat punches in order to land them, his granite chin allowed him to do so with impunity. Meanwhile, those who did take him down, even the great Randy Couture, had trouble keeping him down. Nowadays, it has become fairly common to see fighters simply stand back up after a takedown, but Liddell was the first to do so on a regular basis against top-flight competition.

Many times, fans do not appreciate the particular mental focus and self confidence that is required to succeed in big fights. In recent years, we have seen quality competitors fold under pressure and heard fighters be accused of “choking” when the stakes were highest. Liddell would never have been accused of such, however.

Whether it was when taking a fight against a top ten fighter with a title shot on the line, facing a future Hall of Famer for the title itself, or finally taking on a long-time nemesis that everyone knew would never shut up if he somehow snagged the win, Liddell was up to the challenge more often than not. This was important for a career that was built upon big fights: for most of his UFC career, Liddell was either one of the biggest draws the company had or was the face of the promotion as a whole.

Liddell was also the epitome of a fan favorite: a fighter who would truly take on all comers and who always fought to finish fights. Chuck would never be accused of being a tactician, at least not in the way that we hear the word slung around today, as a backhanded compliment for an often-boring fighter. You knew exactly what Liddell was going to try to do in his fights, and many of his interviews featured him saying the same thing with his trademark shrug and unyielding stare: “I’m gonna go out there and knock him out.”

It’s tempting for many Liddell fans to be bummed out about the way his career has ended, but should they be? Is there a more appropriate ending for a fighter who seemingly never considered the risks of letting it all hang out, and who never considered another route to victory than working to decimate his opponents, no matter the cost? Everyone who steps in to compete in an MMA fight is a fighter, but not all are warriors in the way that Liddell was and is.

Liddell loved fighting, whether it was for a title or just to see who was better at it. He wasn’t just going to walk away because he had enough money in the bank or because he got tired of training camps. In his fights, Liddell was not going to stop coming at you unless you knocked him out cold, so in retrospect, it should have been obvious that it was also the only way that his career would end. Even in his last fight against Rich Franklin, with his career obviously on the line, Liddell couldn’t restrain himself when he appeared to have Franklin hurt. He plunged forward at full-speed, doing what he always had done- looking to finish his foe.

Maybe at some point in the future, you’ll have the chance to talk to another MMA fan about Liddell’s career and his place in history. Please, tell these unfortunate souls who won’t understand the dominance that Liddell displayed or the context of the fights he competed in at the time that they actually happened that Liddell undoubtedly belongs among the all-time greats in the sport.

Liddell was a great representative for the sport, known to all who met him as a good guy outside of the cage, and always accommodating to the fans. In the cage, though, he was a stone-cold killer. With men like Liddell, there’s only one way that things can end.

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Are you feeling well? I know it’s been a few weeks, but how did we get through Strikeforce without you saying anything about Mauro Ranallo’s hair? What do you think about the slicked back look?
–KC from Toronto

I know! It’s almost as if Ranallo looked at himself and thought, “Mauro, you classy son of a bitch, you, how can you get anyone to take you less seriously?” Then, I imagine him looking around his living room as his eyes pass by rows of leather-bound books, his framed Dennis Miller autograph, and the pile of dead hookers in the corner before resting on a industrial-sized vat of hair goo. Just then, I imagine his eyes widening, then quickly narrowing, as he nods knowingly.

And thus, Slick Mauro was born.

Seriously, between Mauro’s new look and Frank Shamrock’s braces, what commentary team in any sport can even come close to the unintentional hilarity presented whenever Strikeforce’s commentators are shown on screen?

So, Zoila Frausto “beat” Megumi Fujii after “advancing” past Jessica Aguilar in the Bellator women’s tournament. Who do you see winning in a rematch? Would Fujii be foolish enough to stand with her the whole time again?
–Nathan from Chicago

That’s the thing…there’s a chance Frausto will never even defend that particular title. She has already said that the weight cut was way too hard on her, and that she thinks she’ll fight at 125 lbs. instead in the future. For Fujii, who was already undersized in the Frausto fight, it’s clear that a move up of even ten pounds is too tall an order.

Then there’s the lack of takedown attempts, which traces back to that very issue. Fujii admitted after the fight that she was hesitant to work for takedowns because of Frausto’s strength advantage. Personally, I’d have liked to see her go for them, anyway. What’s the worst that can happen? She’d burn some energy going for unsuccessful takedowns, but she’d also force Frausto to expend energy. Furthermore, we’ve seen that judges will favor a fighter who spends literally all round clinching and working for takedowns, even if they never succeed with any of them.

Now, here’s a question: Why not just move Frausto up and make her the 125 lb. women’s champ, and have Jessica Aguilar and Fujii fight for the 115 lb. title? Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has already said that there will be no women’s tournament in season four, but you could still do Aguilar-Fujii next season and then do women’s tourneys for one or both divisions in season five.

To put it lightly, you seem to be skeptical about Michael Bisping. Why is it that you don’t want to give him his due? He should be a top ten middleweight. I also don’t remember ever seeing you pick him to win a fight. What gives?
–James from Stockport

Let’s look at this as a two-fold thing. First there are my comments regarding Bisping, or, if you prefer, my tendency to rip on him whenever given half a chance. This just has to do with overall dislike for his persona. I’m not going to say dislike for him as a person, because I don’t know him personally. As much as I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what the dude is probably like, I know that for some reason, some MMA fighters think it’s a good idea to act like douchebags as if it will help their careers somehow (see: Koscheck, Josh). Maybe that’s what Bisping’s doing. Regardless, I’m not digging it.

Then, there’s the aspect of Bisping as a fighter. He does everything pretty well. Some things, like standing up after being taken down, he does very well. However, it’s sometimes hard to pick him to win fights because he doesn’t have a lot of finishing skills when it comes to pure power or the technique to submit top guys. Furthermore, even things that are supposed to be his strengths have been exposed occasionally in the past (i.e. his striking in the Matt Hamill fight). And hey, the middleweight division isn’t the easiest one to compete in. His opponents over the last couple of years have been fairly tough, which also leads me to pick him to lose.

As far as why he’s not ranked, well, I pretty much went into that in the last rankings post. He lost to Wanderlei Silva (Bisping fans: he did lose) not too far back, and Silva’s not ranked. That’s reason enough, isn’t it? If he keeps surpassing expectations, he’ll be in there in the future.

It seems like there are always superfights that either don’t happen or that do happen, but only after they just aren’t as exciting anymore. What are some fights that you wished would have happened in the past?
–Carter from Pennsylvania

Hmmm, good question. In no particular order and off the top of my head, here’s a few that come to mind:

–Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell, circa 2005. Yeah, the fight eventually happened, but at least two years too late. This needed to happen when both were just about at their respective apexes. Pride rules would have been nice, too. There’s also Wandy-Couture back in 2004, Wandy-Bas Rutten in the early Pride days (Rutten said he’d be interested from the commentary booth, but it was never pursued), even rematches between Silva and Tito Ortiz or Vitor Belfort would have been nice to see at some point. I could write a whole column of fights I would have like to seen including Wanderlei Silva, really.

–Fedor Emelianenko vs. Randy Couture, circa 2007-08. This is another one that lost its luster anyway, since both fighters have lost since this fight should have happened, and Couture is mulling retirement. I almost said Fedor vs. Brock, but I think the tactical side of Couture’s game and the similar sizes of the two makes this one a more interesting matchup.

–Urijah Faber vs. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, circa 2006-07. Yeah, there’s a slight weight difference, but a catch weight could have solved that, and these two were absolutely tearing through everybody back in 2006 and 2007. This is a fight many hoped to see, but then Yamamoto decided to take a year off and train for the Olympics. Since coming back, he’s had a tough run of things, and Faber has lost his “invincible” tag, as well.

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Disaster Strikes! Silva Out, Replaced by Leben Against Akiyama

Yoshihiro Akiyama, better known on many MMA forums by the puzzling and rather hilarious nickname of “Sexyama”, will not be facing an axe murderer on July 3rd…he’ll have to settle for a crippler, instead. In news that instantly sent me into a spiral of depression, one of our semiannual viewings of glorious Wanderlei Silva violence has been ruined by what is being reported as fractured ribs. And just like that, we already have a reported sub, as Chris Leben has stepped up on the heels of a knockout win over Aaron Simpson.

It’s not that Leben and Akiyama won’t put on an entertaining fight, as both will clearly be down to put it all on the line, as they have in the past. However, there simply is no substitute for Silva, and it sucks to see that the ongoing trend of injuries to MMA fighters will continue probably for good. It’s strange- fighters are fighting less often, but seem to be pulling out of fights with injuries more often. Anyway, enough about that. On to less-depressing matters.

Lesnar and Couture Hug it Out

It’s always heart-warming when people who beat the living snot out of each other can enjoy activities like hunting, fishing, and beating the crap out of each other again, but just for practice this time. Such is the story of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, who just finished some training time together in Lesnar’s Minnesota gym and have released a video of the lovefest to commemorate the event.

For his part, the always-articulate (and diplomatic) Couture gave Lesnar his props, saying that while he may not be quite as heavy as before, he is just as strong thanks to his new emphasis on being leaner. He also said that Lesnar has used the last year to greatly improve on the technical aspects of his game, making him a more dangerous opponent for Shane Carwin in the process. Couture and Lesnar agreed that Couture wasn’t the type of guy to come into Lesnar’s gym and try to take over, and Couture simply noted some differences between the two, such as that Lesnar seems to “taper off” a bit quicker in his workout sessions, probably due to his being bigger than Couture is.

Aside from that little shot, the two seem to have gotten along quite nicely. It’s good to see Lesnar embracing some aspects of the sport, such as camaraderie between former opponents, that he didn’t seem to “get” early on in his career. I’m not sure how training with Lesnar will help Couture in his fight with former boxing champion James Toney, but it’s not like Couture isn’t already prepared to walk into a cage at this very moment and destroy that guy, so whatever.

Speaking of Lesnar, he also commented on Fedor possibly retiring (“He’s the greatest champion ever, of all-time, in his own little world. Good for him.”) and former WWE Champion Dave Batista getting into the sport (“Get in line, everybody and their dog wants to get into fighting”). I actually really enjoy Lesnar’s frank quotes and opinions, even if Fedor probably doesn’t have the kind of ego that Lesnar may believe he has.

Liddell Done…or Not?

Not so fast, Dana White! Though White swears up and down that Liddell will never fight again, Liddell is still unsure about whether he will retire, citing how good he felt during training and how well he was doing against Rich Franklin up until he over-committed with a big right hand near the end of round one, eating a right hand counter in the process.

“I thought I did great before I was caught. I have to look at it some more and think about it. I think I looked good and I definitely was in great shape. I could have kept that pace up for another four rounds, without a doubt,” Liddell said to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. The thing is, it’s not just about keeping pace and mixing up your strikes. If you can’t eat a counter-punch with any consistency while remaining conscious, what can you do?

Still, my brother and I had a talk about this, and it’s hard to say with any accuracy that Liddell fighting again would be “unsafe”. If he was 32 would we be saying he should retire? How about 27? It’s not as if Liddell took a lot of punishment in his career up until about 2-3 years ago. If he wants to fight again, I wouldn’t be among those to predictably proclaim that it’s a travesty. It’s funny that people are so worried about a guy getting knocked out another time or two in the cage, when the repetitive beatings taken in sparring are probably just as dangerous, if not more so. If Wanderlei Silva, Keith Jardine, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and others who have been on the receiving ends of brutal knockouts in recent times are still fighting, I don’t see why Chuck can’t, too.

Quick Shots

–I mentioned former WWE Champion Dave Batista earlier (who wrestled under the very creative name of “Batista”). Well, Batista says that he will be fighting for Strikeforce, but a spokesman for the promotion has said that Batista has definitely not signed with the organization. We had a similar issue with Jose Canseco a while back, if you all remember. Canseco seemed to think he was a lock to become a Strikeforce fighter, and the company had to come out and embarrass the guy by essentially saying, “Uh…no.”

If fellow former WWE champ Kurt Angle is crazy for his annual “I’m going to fight in MMA” comments, Batista is doubly crazy for thinking he can make a true splash in the sport at 41 years old. Batista never displayed out-of-this-world athleticism like Angle or Lesnar did in his WWE days, and has no combat sport experience to fall back on. At least Angle would have among the best amateur wrestling credentials in the sport if he ever took the plunge. Perhaps Batista figures that if Herschel Walker can get a few easy fights and some sponsors at his age, he can do the same? Certainly he hasn’t been hit with a steel chair enough times to think that he can become a future champion in a reputable organization at this point in his life.

–There is a big deal being made of Shane Carwin supposedly not doing any media during the last part of the lead-up to his fight with Brock Lesnar on July 3rd. According to the man himself, he simply isn’t working with media directly at this time, and is instead doing media appearances booked through Zuffa until the fight goes down. Carwin mentioned that all the little 15-minute interviews add up, which makes sense. It seems that there are about 10,000 MMA websites anymore, and most fighters (Carwin included) have been great about doing interviews for any of them, even if no one has heard of them before. Having said that, Carwin isn’t doing anything wrong by limiting his media appearances for the last month or so until the biggest fight of his life.

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Don’t Get Too Comfortable

If there was any advice to give a fighter on Saturday night’s card, it would be to not get too comfortable with their success during the night’s fights. Nearly every main card fight featured the kinds of momentum swings that are not often seen in high-level MMA. The Martin Kampmann-Paulo Thiago match was the only bout that featured one fighter really taking it to the other for the duration of the bout.

We got a wide variety of fights, too. Gilbert Yvel and Ben Rothwell gave it their all in an often-sloppy but completely gutsy brawl that featured plenty of reversals between the two on the mat. Rory MacDonald looked good enough early on in his fight against Condit (although the first round was closer than most are saying due to Condit’s activity from the bottom and MacDonald’s lack thereof), but Condit had what it took to keep the pressure on and get a stoppage in the third stanza. Pat Barry hurt himself and possibly gave Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic a pass or two before the MMA legend took control and dominated the final two rounds en route to a submission victory. And who can forget what may be Chuck Liddell’s last MMA fight, where he looked great right up until a seemingly-hurt Rich Franklin hit him with a right hand out of nowhere to end his chances of victory?

These kinds of fights are great for the sport, and the card itself was full of the kind of action that has been somewhat sparse throughout many of this year’s UFC cards. Those that complained before the fights about the lineup had to eat their words, as each fight delivered on what was a very entertaining night.

What More Can Cro Cop Give?

It’s funny: for my money, Chuck Liddell looked better in his loss to Franklin than Cro Cop did in his win over Barry, but you don’t see anyone saying that Liddell still has what it takes. Sure, that has a lot to do with Liddell’s chin not being trustworthy enough to carry him through an exchange with even a somewhat hard-punching light heavyweight. Still, though, why are people getting ahead of themselves and saying that Cro Cop can regain his relevancy at heavyweight?

The guy fought a lot more like the Cro Cop of old on Saturday night than he had in his previous few fights, but that still doesn’t mean that he’s back to his old form. Let’s not forget that he faced someone who was perfectly happy to play into his strengths, and he still barely got out of the first round alive. What did we see that would show us that Cro Cop is ready to face the division’s “holy trinity” of big wrestlers? Furthermore, what showed us that even a rematch with someone like Cheick Kongo or Junior dos Santos would go differently?

I hope that Cro Cop re-signs with the UFC, if he decides to keep fighting. However, I wouldn’t call him even a dark horse when it comes to UFC heavyweight title contenders…not just yet. He needs to face someone who will take him where he doesn’t want to be, first. He at least needs to rematch- and defeat- either Kongo or Gabriel Gonzaga before we get ahead of ourselves with Cro Cop mania.

What About Franklin?

Amidst all of the Liddell career eulogies and talk about the refereeing at UFC 115, it seems like Rich Franklin has once again had his performance lost in the shuffle. Hey, I’m just as guilty as anyone, but I think it’s time to give Franklin his due. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Franklin is one of the most underrated fighters of his generation. It’s unfortunate that because Liddell hasn’t been the same lately, Franklin’s win over the UFC Hall of Famer will be devalued by fans and pundits alike.

I think this is wrong, honestly. Liddell looked better than he has in years, and was finally in good fighting shape. Sure, Liddell hasn’t been as hard to knock out as he would have been earlier in his career over his past few fights, but who’s to say that Franklin’s right hook wouldn’t have done the job at any other point in Liddell’s career. Liddell ate one on the chin when he wasn’t protecting himself, and that can spell “knockout” for any professional fighter at any stage of his career.

Furthermore, Franklin once again proved himself to be one of the gutsiest fighters in the game by completing the round with a broken left ulna (a bone in the forearm), which he sustained while blocking one of Liddell’s more powerful kicks. Franklin is always prepared to fight, has a ton of heart, and is one of the more well-rounded competitors in the sport. I’m not saying he’s going to win the light heavyweight title, but I wouldn’t count him out, either.

Quick Shots

–I’m going to surprisingly side with Dana White when it comes to the officiating of the Condit-MacDonald fight. Serious injuries and brain damage don’t care how much time is on the clock when the punches are thrown, and neither should referees. Seven or eight seconds can be an eternity when someone is beating the tar out of you. White said that referees aren’t worried about the amount of time on the clock, and it’s hard to disagree. A stoppage during the middle of a round should be a stoppage at any point in a round, including seven or eight seconds before the end of it. If this was a Gina Carano-Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos situation where the fight was stopped almost simultaneously with the final bell, I could understand the controversy.

–Martin Kampmann has gotten right back in line for a future welterweight title shot with his ridiculously impressive performance against the underrated Paulo Thiago. Still, Kampmann should have to defeat someone on the level of Jon Fitch or Thiago Alves to earn that right. In the meantime, a fight with Dan Hardy would be a lot of fun. Kampmann deserves a lot of credit for rounding out his game over the past few years. Other fighters should take note of that effort and seek to emulate it.

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For about 4:53 seconds against Rich Franklin, Liddell was winning the fight. He did a better job of utilizing his kicks than he has in years- years! He continued his post-UFC 76 trend of mixing in takedowns with his striking, which would have continued to give opponents an extra thing to worry about when facing the knockout artist. He even appeared to have Franklin on the proverbial ropes as the final seconds ticked off of Round 1.

Appearances can be deceiving, of course, and Franklin was not as hurt as Liddell (or most viewers) would have believed. He was at least well enough to fire off an instinctive counter right hook that may not have been full force, but which did catch Liddell right on the chin, planting him on the canvas. A lack of any reaction from Liddell and two glancing shots from Franklin after the initial punch caused a startling and explosive end to what had been an impressive return to form for Liddell.

Consider that one of Liddell’s vicious kicks- which had barely seen any use during Liddell’s championship reign years ago- broke Franklin’s left forearm (his ulna, in particular). Furthermore, Liddell was widely regarded to have been in better shape than in previous fights due to an all-new focus on a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a consistently low weight. Add it all up, and rounds two and three wouldn’t have looked too good for Franklin. Of course, thanks to Franklin’s right hand, he didn’t have to worry about any of that, and the possible highlight reel knockout or decisive three-round victory that might have been for Liddell now only exists in the imaginations of those who loved watching him fight.

It probably would have been much easier for fans of Liddell to see him drop a three-round decision where he looked lethargic, out-classed or downright slow. Then, seeing their hero’s exit from the sport would still be a sad event, but one that would not have toyed with their hopes of seeing him return- if even just once more- to form.

Instead, we saw what appeared to be a new version of Liddell, who was prepared to use all of his weapons, including wrestling and the kicks that he had long ago forsaken in favor of his distinctive punch-intensive, head-hunting approach. He surely wasn’t as fast as he was several years ago, but he seemed to be willing to make up for that with a new found determination to win, even it it meant abandoning his partying lifestyle and love of slugging it out.

Fans were excited to be seeing a possible resurgence right before their eyes…until Liddell’s chin betrayed him again.

His chin wasn’t the only thing to blame, of course. No matter how much Liddell had obviously worked to mix up his once-predictable game plan, when he smelled blood in the proverbial water, he was unable to keep himself from going in all-out to finish Franklin. In doing so, he left the opening that cost him the fight. The great thing about fighters like Liddell also ends up being their ultimate undoing. Sooner or later, no matter what the age, an aggressive fighter will pay for throwing caution to the wind. Doing so when your chin doesn’t seem to be able to withstand a solid shot anymore is doubly dangerous.

I don’t think Saturday night’s loss hurt Liddell’s legacy at all. What I saw against Rich Franklin was a fighter who would still be very competitive in the sport, if he hadn’t endured the recent knockouts that have left him unable to withstand taking a well-timed shot. It’s unfortunate that to see a fighter who appears to have so much left in the tank perform so well before succumbing to his newly-emerged weakness. Like I said to my brother, though, who is a huge Iceman fan: don’t feel bad for Liddell. He has done more in this sport than most could ever dream of, and has earned considerable riches, as well as the respect and admiration of millions, in the process.

One day, we all reach the point where we can no longer do what we used to. However, to be able to say that you were the best in the world at that particular endeavor is something that very few share in common.

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Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel

While Paul Daley hits the unemployment line following his ill-advised swing at Josh Koscheck after their fight concluded at UFC 113, Gilbert Yvel, who has done everything from biting an opponent to knocking out a referee. I guess since Yvel’s infractions took place awhile ago, didn’t happen in the UFC, and received no mainstream media attention, it’s a different situation? Well, we’re pretty much making up the rules as we go along here, aren’t we?

In any case, Yvel will not be feeling too fortunate following his fight with Ben Rothwell. The Yvel who showed up to face Junior dos Santos looked lumbering and ineffective, creating a stark contrast to the explosive, exciting Yvel of old. Furthermore, Ben Rothwell is a blue collar slugger who will pressure Yvel from the outset, not allowing Yvel to get the distance that he needs to unleash a vintage kick or pinpoint strike. Instead, Rothwell will make Yvel uncomfortable from beginning to end, while Yvel’s gas tank and slowly-eroding skills will betray him. Should be an entertaining brawl, for as long as it lasts.

Prediction: Rothwell by KO/TKO

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann

In an organization full of “Thiago”s, are any of them more criminally-underrated than Paulo Thiago? His stunning knockout of Josh Koscheck actually seemed to do him more harm than good, as the perception that Thiago landed a “lucky” strike overruled any credit that the Brazilian fighter should have received. At the same time, Martin Kampmann has recently gone from welterweight up-and-comer to forgotten fighter, as his run at a title shot was derailed by the afore-mentioned Paul Daley.

This fight should be a great one, as both fighters have skills to display in all areas of the fight. There are two main things to look at with this fight. The first is the stand-up action, where Kampmann has power but is better served to use his technical edge to get the better of Thiago with quantity rather than quality. He can attempt to load up some shots, but Thiago has power himself, as displayed in the Koscheck bout.

The other thing to think about is if Thiago is able to get the top position on Kampmann. This is the one truly bad area for either fighter to end up in during the fight, as Thiago’s top game is excellent, and Kampmann’s guard is rather rudimentary. Kampmann is not exceptional at getting back on his feet, either. For Kampmann to win, he has to stay off of his back and fight smart standing up. I tend to favor Thiago sticking to what he’s good at, since he has a track record of doing so in his career.

Prediction: Thiago by decision

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

Condit came from the WEC with boatloads of potential (and hype), but has not come close to fulfilling it in his UFC tenure thus far. However, both of his fights have been very close, as he lost a split decision to Kampmann and won a split decision against Jake Ellenberger. Meanwhile, MacDonald is a largely-unknown quantity with one lone UFC appearance to complement 9 other wins in organizations such as King of the Cage and Rage in the Cage.

The temptation is to favor MacDonald here, as his wrestling ability is more than enough to control Condit for the duration of the bout. After all, Condit’s lack of takedown defense is the most glaring hole in his game. However, MMA is a weird sport, and somewhere in all of the scrambles, transitions and unpredictable events that take place in a fifteen-minute fight, Condit will get his chances and make the best of them. He’s a more experienced fighter with more fights on the big stage, and also has deadly striking to put his foe in jeopardy at any time. MacDonald’s the safe pick via decision, but I’ll take Condit here.

Prediction: Condit by KO/TKO

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Pat Barry

I would imagine that many would see this as a “changing of the guard” or “passing of the torch” type of fight, but I don’t really see it that way. Cro Cop hasn’t had the torch to pass for a few years now, for one thing. Also, Barry is very talented, but is not exactly the undisputed best striker in the sport at this point, nor has he developed the ridiculous takedown defense that Cro Cop displayed in his prime. Still, this is a great fight that should hopefully provide both answers and fireworks.

The answers would be for questions regarding Cro Cop, of course. Is his mind right? Is he healed up? Is he done for? Cro Cop says that injuries have played the biggest part of his troubles in the UFC, and says he’s healthy now. I guess, then, that we’ll see whether Cro Cop has anything left in the tank tonight. It’s the last fight on his UFC contract, too, so a poor performance will likely mean we won’t see him again in the octagon.

Unfortunately, Barry is just the type of striker to give Cro Cop fits. Compact and explosive, Barry loves to work the legs of his opponents, and Cro Cop will not have the time and space to stalk Barry as he liked to do when he was at his best. Negating a vintage high kick or straight left hand landing, Barry will probably tag Cro Cop early and often. There are some concerns for Barry, such as his gas tank, but I think that such issues won’t hurt him in this particular bout. Sadly, I see Cro Cop taking another step towards retirement tonight. We’ll always have those old Pride DVDs though, right?

Prediction: Barry by KO/TKO

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

Replacing a bout between Liddell and Tito Ortiz (that would have been much easier to predict), this fight will be our main event tonight. While it’s not exactly “do or die” for Franklin, this fight is a must win for both, since each fighter has aspirations of getting into the title mix. If Liddell loses, retirement is possible, and if Franklin loses, he will be three to four solid wins from seriously contending for the title. At 35 years old already (and fighting in an organization that schedules its top guys for two fights per year at best), that’s not a very promising proposition.

I’ve always thought that Franklin was one of the most underrated fighters of the current era. The guy is good at absolutely everything, takes great care of himself and is an underrated tactician. Meanwhile, it seems that MMA fans from all over the world have forgotten that no matter what the state of his chin is, Liddell is a guy that can knock people out. His losses have been dissected and replayed so much that even Franklin may have forgotten what a dangerous foe he is, were he not such a smart fighter himself.

The easy pick here is Franklin by decision. Franklin is adept at creating and maintaining space while landing strikes, and he has the takedown defense to usually keep the fight where he wants it to be. As mentioned earlier, his fight IQ also keeps him from doing anything dumb and sabotaging his own chances to win, the way so many fighters tend to do. Franklin is a guy that can exploit the weaknesses of his opponent and stubbornly stick to his game plan, no matter what.

However, I think that Liddell will be coming in better than ever in many ways. He has maintained his weight at 215 pounds since his appearances on “Dancing with the Stars”, which is a definite first for him. He has also shown an inclination to use his wrestling ability in his more recent fights, beginning with the Wanderlei Silva showdown, where his takedowns certainly helped him to win the decision. I think that Liddell will try to take down Franklin regularly, and will succeed. This will give him the points that he needs from the judges to comfortably execute his regular game plan while on his feet: to stalk and look for the kill-shot. In a straight stand-up bout, fighting this way is a good way to drop a decision, since you will often give up quantity to land a quality shot. If you don’t get the knockout, your opponent has probably tagged you more times than you have hit them, and his hand gets raised.

But since I think Liddell will take Franklin down, he will not only be ahead on the scorecards, but will also keep Franklin guessing when they are standing. Forced to defend strikes and takedown attempts, Franklin will be more likely to leave an opening that Liddell can exploit. Liddell also shouldn’t fade in the 2nd and 3rd rounds like he has in the past, since he’s in much better shape than usual. I may be crazy, but I think we’ll see a vintage Chuck KO here.

Prediction: Liddell by KO/TKO

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