UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson Preview & Predictions

(column I wrote for gerweck.net)

It took eleven years, two months and eight days for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to make the journey back to Japan. This is Zuffa’s first foray into the land of the rising sun and they endured numerous cultural, political and criminal road blocks along the way that stemmed from their acquisition of Pride back in 2007. The MMA market in Japan is a cracked shell of what it once was as its glory days when the grandest events and the best fights on the planet took center stage. Fans are used to their MMA events encompassing a professional wrestling atmosphere. Dana White has gone on record stating there will be no mention of Pride or any hint of theatrical spectacle to UFC 144. This is the time for the company to introduce a new business model that, hopefully, a new generation of MMA enthusiasts will latch on to. This Saturday we will be treated to 4 hours and 7 fights on pay-per-view instead of the usual three and five.

Continue reading “UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson Preview & Predictions” →

Nick Diaz Tests Positive For Marijuana After UFC 143 Loss to Condit

Today, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Keith Kizer, released the e-mail below to members of the media:

“The following athletes were tested: Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Koscheck, Renan Barao, Ed Herman, Dustin Poirier, Max Hollaway, Matt Riddle, Henry Martinez, Edwin Figueroa, Alex Caceres, Matt Brown, Chris Cope, Rafael Natal, Michael Kuiper, Stephen Thompson and Dan Stittgen. All results received thus far have been negative, except Mr. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites. A complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed.“

This is the second time Nick Diaz has tested positive for Marijuana in the state of Nevada. The first time was on 2/24/07 when Diaz defeated Takanori Gomi via submission. The victory was changed to a no contest when Diaz’s drug test came back positive for Marijuana. Diaz is currently not licensed to fight in the state of California due to skipping out on a pre-licensing drug test thus, canceling a Strikeforce title fight against Jay Herion. Diaz was quoted in a 2009 edition of the Los Angeles Times saying “I can pass a drug test in eight days with herbal cleansers,” “I drink 10 pound of water and sweat out 10 pounds of water every day.”

He no-showed several press conferences leading up his October title fight against GSP. The UFC removed him from the bout as punishment for not fulfilling his contractual obligations to promote the fight. This drug test renders Nick Diaz a liability to the sport. Millions all over the world want to see Diaz fight. He should be a millionaire by now and fans all over the world will never get to see him in he mega bouts because he can’t put the blunt down. This is his second offense and that usually carries a 12 month suspension. In my opinion, he is unreliable as a professional fighter and the UFC should just release him.

UFC 143 Results: Condit wins Interim title.

Prelims

Stephen Thompson defeated Dan Stittgen via switch kick KO at 4:13 of Round 1

Rafael Natal defeated Michael Kuiper via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Matt Riddle over Henry Martinez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Matt Brown beat Chris Cope via knockout at 1:19 of the 2nd Round

Edwin Figueroa defeated Alex Caceres via split decision (28-27, 27-28, 28-27) Caceres lost 2 points due to two low blows he landed.

Dustin Poirier defeated Max Holloway via submission in the 1st Round

Main Card

Ed Herman defeated Clifford Starks by submission via rear-naked choke at 1:43 of Round 2

Renan Barao defeated Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision 30-27 across the board

Josh Koscheck defeated Mike Pierce via split decision 28-29, 29-28, 29-28

Fabricio Werdum def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision 30-27 across the board. (Werdum displayed improved striking that kept Nelson at bay)

Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz via unanimous decision 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 to become the UFC Interim welterweight title.

After the bout Nick Diaz said about the loss

“I’ve not going to accept the fact that this is a loss,” Diaz said. “I pushed him back the whole fight, I walked him down, and I was the guy on top.

“You guys pay me a ton, but I don’t think I’m getting enough to keep going on. … I don’t need this shit. I pushed this guy back the whole fight. … I don’t want to play this game anymore.”

Fight Bonuses $65,000 each.

Fight of the Night: Nelson vs. Werdum

Submission of the Night: Dustin Poirier

KO of the Night: Stephen Thompson

My thoughts:

I was a close decision that will be disputed by some. I scored the fight 48-47 for Nick Diaz with him winning rounds 1,2 and 5 and Carlos Condit winning rounds 3 and 4. Condit usually fights for the finish but after the the second round he realized the only chance to win is to become a point fighter. He also looked shocked when his name was announced which tells the story. Judge Junichiro Kamijo gave Carlos Rounds 1,3 & 4 while judges Patricia Morse-Jarman & Cecil Peoples gave Condit Rounds 1,2,4 & 5. Another Greg Jackson play it safe fencing match gets the win but fans lose as it wasn’t the war we hoped for. It will be interesting to see who Gregg Jackson chooses to corner when Condit fights GSP in November.

Fight-Metric stats:

Condit out-struck Diaz in the fight by a 159-117 count overall, and a 151-105 number in “significant strikes.

In strikes to the head and body, Diaz landed 111 to Condit’s 91.

In strikes to the legs, it was Condit 68, Diaz 6.

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Preview & Predictions

The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues their Superbowl weekend tradition to provide MMA fans with a memorable encounter. Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz will unquestionably set the Mandalay Bay Event Center on fire with action and excitement as the sport’s top welterweight fighters will go to war at UFC 143. It’s a tale of two fighters who couldn’t be more different outside the cage and harness the same killer instinct inside the cage. Nick Diaz perfectly put this fight into perspective when he stated “You’re more in danger of losing a decision to St-Pierre; you’re more in danger of losing your teeth to Condit”

Continue reading “Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Preview & Predictions” →

UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller results

(Coverage I provided at gerweck.net)

UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller

Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN

Color Commentators: Jon Anik & Kenny Florian

– Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft (Referee: Herb Dean)

Round 1

Pat Barry throws a leg kick and but Morecraft catches it and takes him down. Morecraft is on top and is working for the rear naked choke. Barry turns away and gets back to his feet and lands three stiff jabs. Morecraft ate a few leg kicks as he attempts to shoot for thetakedown. Morecraft shoots again and takes him down and ends up on top in the full mount. He works for a head and arm choke but Barry escapes and Morecraft lands an arm bar but Barry steps over to the right and escapes. Barry misses a head kick and Morecraftthrows a left hook and Barry slips it to land a right hook that drops Morecraft. Jumps on him to land three more punches and Morecraftis out and the ref steps in to call it.

Winner: Pat Barry via KO @ 3:38 of the 1st round.

Pat Barry said during the post fight interview that he knows everyone says James Toneyis his BJJ coach but he proved he can escape submissions and he is here to put on a show. Barry also gave a shout out to all the plankers out there.

– Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian (referee Mario Yamasaki)

Round 1

There is some bad blood coming from Easton in the pre fight interview. He says he is going to make Papazian’s UFC debut a debacle. This bantamweight fight is under way and Easton runs to the center of the cage and they are not wasting anytime and swinging for the fences while tied in the clinch. Easton holds Papazian against the fence but Papazian sinks the under hooks and reverses Easton. They continue to land punches and knee in the thai clinch against the fence. The ref breaks it up and they restart in the center. Papazian is keeping him at bay with jabs while Easton is looking for his range with combinations. Easton misses a spinning back kick and eats a left hand for his trouble. Easton lands a thunderous leg kick and they trade punches once again in the thai clinch to close the round.

10-9 Papazian

Round 2

Papazian lands two straight right hands and Easton took it like it was nothing and lands a leg kick. Papazian is circling away from Easton’s power but Easton lands a nice left hook. Easton is control the cage while Papazian is looking for an uppercut. Easton lands another leg kick and a nice right hand and pins Papazian against the fence. Papazian reverses while lands some knees to the body. The fans boo andYamasaki breaks it up right away to restart the fight in the center. Easton uses a three punch combo to get Papazian against the fence and secures the takedown. Easton peppers away at Papazian while in half guard until Papazian gets back to his feet. The round ends with Easton stuffing a Papazian takedown and winds up on top to land a few more punches.

10-9 Easton

Round 3

The competitiveness fight this fight is pretty good as both fighters are keeping a non stop pace. They trade some punches in the center of the cage until Easton pushes Papazian against the fence and Easton lands a knee as the ref breaks up the fight for a restart. Papaziansays the last knee hit him low and takes a few seconds to rest. The fight continues and both men are trading punches back and forth in the clinch. Easton has found his range while Papazian is finding the mark with the uppercutt on the inside. Man, these guys are fighting in close and only using a small amount of the octagon. Easton lands several leg kicks and drops Papazian with a right hand but Papazianpops right back up but looks stunned. They clinch and Papazian gains control against the cage. Easton escapes and they trade back and forth, again, for the last 30 seconds. This will be a tough fight to score.

Easton 10-9

Winner Mike Easton via majority decision 29-28, 30-27, 29-29

Easton in the post fight interview says he knew Papazian was tough and he knows he has a lot to work. Says he will continue to work his way up to prove he belongs in the UFC.

– Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer (referee Josh Rosenthal)

Round 1

Ludwig caught Neer with a right hand as he came forward but Neer secures a bodylock and works for the takedown. Ludwig avoids thetakedown and hits Neer with another right hand and follows up with a knee to the body and Neer is hurt but signals to the ref that he lost his mouth piece. Fight stops. Ref inserts mouth piece and we resume. Neer eats some serious shots until Neer shoots for a high single and takes him down. Ludwig tries to create some distance with his legs and Neer jumps into his guard. Ludwig tries to get back to his feet but Neer sinks and locks up a high elbow guillotine choke. The ref checks Ludwig’s right arm and he is out and the ref calls it.

Winner Josh Neer via submission at 3:04 of the first round.

Neer said in the post fight interview that he wanted to stand and trade more but Ludwig was getting the better of him and he had to look for the takedown. Says his biggest strength is that he doesn’t like to lose and will to whatever it takes to win. This is Neer’s second straight win in the welterweight division and will fight whoever the UFC puts in front of him.

They air a video package hyping UFC PRIMETIME featuring an inside look at Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on 2/4/12. Jon Anikinterviews Dana White about the primetime series and White says they are two completely different people outside the cage but the same exact person inside the cage. White says Diaz is a fighter who truly wants to do nothing but fight and is looking to finish you.

Main Event

– Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller (referee Herb Dean)

Pre-fight interview hype, Miller says there is not a guy on the planet he can’t finish when he fights at his best and Guillard guarantees he is going to finish Miller. Miller comes out to “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Melvin gets the lights out superstar entrance treatment and “Fire Breazze” by Al Bizzare is his entrance music of choice.

Tale of the Tape

Age:

Miller 28

Guillard 28

Height:

Miller 5’8

Guillard 5’9

Weight:

Miller 155 lbs

Guillard 156 lbs

Reach:

Both 71

Round 1

Guillard misses two flying knees and drops Miller with a left hook. Miller presses forward and with a takedown attempt but Guillard uses his power to stop the take down and lands another knee and right hand. Miller pushes Guillard against the fence but can’t take him down. Guillard pushes him off and lands a right hand down the pipe and goes for another flying knee but Miller catches him and takes him down. Guillard fights back to his feet but Miller is still on on his back with his hooks in. Miller takes away Guillard’s balance and Miller cranks Guillard’s neck and moves it enough to get his forearm under the chin for the choke and Guillard taps out.

Winner: Jim Miller via RNC @ 2:04 of the 1st round

Post fight interview: Miller says Melvin is tough and there are a lot of people in lightweight and “the other division” who don’t want to fight him. Says he is the most dangerous lightweight in the world and is ready to prove it against anyone. Also asks for everyone’s thoughts and prayers for his nephew (son of UFC middleweight Dan Miller) who is going through medical issues.

– Nick Denis vs. Joseph Sandoval (referee Josh Rosenthal)

Round 1

They air the first prelim from earlier in the night and Denis opens with some combinations. Sandoval fires back but take a few punches for his trouble. They are tied up in the clinch and Denis unleashed and plethora of elbows and Sandoval is out cold before he hits the ground.

Winner: Nick Denis via KO at 0:22 of the 1st round.

– Ariel Helwani interviews Pat Barry in the locker room and Barry says wrestling and BJJ will always be his weakness. Also says that everyone thinks the Deathclutch is done since Brock Lesnar retired but they are wrong and Deathclutch is moving forward.

– Ariel Helwani interviews Josh Neer and Ariel informs Neer that Ludwig said he spit his mouth piece out on purpose. Neer denies it and says he fought for 30 seconds after the mouth piece fell out. Says he is not going to call anyone out but he wants his next fight to be against a tough veteran.

– Prelim results

Daniel Pineda beat Pat Schilling via RNC @ 1:37 of Round 1

Fabricio Camoes beat Tommy Hayden via RNC @ 4:03 of Round 1

Charlie Brenneman over Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision

Khabib Nurmagomedov beat Kamal Shalorus via RNC @ 2:08 of Round 3

Jorge Rivera defeated Eric Schafer via TKO due to strikes @ 1:31 of Round 2. (Rivera announced his retirement from MMA before the fight and will go out with a win)

Bonuses $45,000 for each fighter

Fight of the Night: Barry vs. Morecraft,

Submission of the Night: Jim Miller

Knockout of the Night: Nick Denis

$45,000 for each fighter

The Ultimate Warrior lays Some Truth on Kevin Nash

The Ultimate Warrior and Kevin Nash are in the midst of conflict. Nash made some comments about the Warrior and the Warrior responded in kind and Nash went on the deep end on Twitter and challenged him to an MMA fight where each puts up $100,000 and winner takes all in Miami the night before Wrestlemania 28.

Mr. Warrior’s response

Continue reading “The Ultimate Warrior lays Some Truth on Kevin Nash” →

Thoughts on Brock Lesnar Leaving MMA

lesnar-out-ufc106 — What’s next for Lesnar?

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Brock Lesnar decided to step away from Mixed Martial Arts after his 1st round TKO loss at the hands of Alistair Overeem at UFC 141. To say that he will be missed by Dana White and company is an understatement. Brock Lesnar was the UFC’s biggest draw, and his departure leaves a big void in the pay-per-view market, which is Zuffa’s main source of revenue. UFC charges $44.95 for a pay-per-view event and $55.95 a pop for the HD version. Here is a list of PPV buys for all of the events Lesnar fought on.

Continue reading “Thoughts on Brock Lesnar Leaving MMA” →

UFC 141 results: Lesnar retires in defeat

UFC 141 Lesnar vs. Overeem results 12/30/11 MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV

Diego Nunes defeated Manny Gamburyan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jacob Volkmann defeated Efrain Escudero via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Dong Hyun Kim defeated Sean Pierson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ross Pearson defeated Junior Assuncao via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Jim Hettes defeated Nam Phan via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)

Alexander Gustafsson defeated Vladimir Matyushenko via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:13

Johny Hendricks defeated Jon Fitch via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:12

Nate Diaz defeated Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Alistair Overeem defeated Brock Lesnar by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 2:26

-Brock Lesnar announced his retirement from MMA during the post fight interview. Lesnar said he promised his family he would retire if he lost this fight and if he won, he would have taken the fight and retired either way.

-Dana White said in the post fight press conference that he had no idea Brock was going to retire and said that can’t fight at the “other place” for the length of the contract. Dana said he didn’t know what the length of Brock’s current contract is.

-Johny Hendricks won Knockout of the Night & Nate Diaz/Donald Cerrone won Fight of the Night. $75,000 each

HEART #2 Review

Oren “Rooster” Redmond has tasted the fight life, and he never wants to go back to the 9-5 grind ever again. The second installment of this mixed martial arts tale chronicles Redmond’s journey from amateur to professional fighter. We meet the entire cast of characters at the gym where he works out, and they all have their own little story.

The life of a professional MMA fighter is brutal as the training is some of the hardest in all sports. It’s something you need to be 100% committed to to be successful. Redmond doesn’t want to be another weekend warrior or some guy who likes wearing skin-tight Tap Out shirts. He wants to be a world champion, and he is going to enjoy the ride. We discover how Oren got the nickname “Rooster,” and we see him in his first professional bout.

If you watch G4, you know Blair Butler is a huge fight fan. Speaking as someone who has dabbled with MMA training, Butler’s approach is pretty authentic, and her insight shows in her writing. It was a smart move to only make this series a limited run. That’s not a knock at all. The story can become redundant since it lacks a little of that comic element that fans long for. Anyone who is a fan of MMA or looking for something different on Wednesdays will not be disappointed.

Can The Count Handle A Little Mayhem?

Spike TV’s swan song to The Ultimate Fighter has produced one of the most exciting seasons in years. The coach’s battle between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Michael “The Count” Bisping is an evenly matched fight that should produce a lot of action. This will be Mayhem’s first fight since September 25, 2010, when he submitted a past his prime and first ballot hall of famer, Kazushi Sakuraba. This will also be Mayhem’s first fight back in the UFC since he lost a unanimous decision to Georges St. Pierre in 2005.

Miller was a dormant member of the Strikeforce roster despite CBS denying him entry on shows because he caused a post-fight brawl with the Diaz Brothers on live television. On the other hand, Dana White had no reservations about bringing the Bully Beatdown host into the promotion for a second go-around.

The Ultimate Fighter season III winner, Michael Bisping, finds himself coaching his second squad of UFC prospects. He has remained a staple in the middleweight division for quite some time, and now, the Englishmen look to shut up the loud-mouthed Mayhem and be next in line to fight Chael Sonnen.

Bisping is riding a three-fight winning streak with his last victory against middleweight journeyman Jorge Rivera. His second-round TKO finish of the Massachusetts native made him no friends when he spit on Rivera immediately after the fight was called to a halt.

Yes, Rivera taunted him with a plethora of slanderous YouTube videos leading up to the fight. Still, fans thought they were funny. “The Count” is a fighter people love to hate. He is booed more than most and has never been able to embrace the villain role.

Their styles will surely make for an exciting fight, but the most likely scenario for a finish is if Mayhem can control Bisping in his guard long enough for a submission off his back. Bisping will look for the knockout with his technical acumen, but his lack of punching power will make this an impractical task. Miller’s striking is elementary at best, and he needs to take the fight to the ground if he wants to win.

Bisping will look to stay off the ground but has been known to jump into someone’s guard to apply a little ground and pound. Miller’s takedowns are seldom clean, and he has to work from the clinch to achieve his objective. Bisping’s experience with high-caliber wrestlers will pay off for him, and thus, he will control the majority of the fight.

The Pick: Michael Bisping by unanimous decision.