What an amazing card UFC 117 ended up being, despite the main even not really going the way I had hoped for. I suppose before I continue with the premise of the article, I'll just get something off my chest....God damnit Chael, WTF happened? Please learn how to operate efficiently from half guard, it's the reason Cotoure does not get subbed too often. Getting comfy in a bjj black belt's guard (even if the belt came from a Happy Meal or the Noguiera Brothers) is a very poor strategy. I will say Chael is pretty damned efficient in full guard and is even quite the improviser. The slaps to the ears, I think punctuate that point. Regardless, learing to work for position a bit more instead of just hammering away in full guard may serve Sonnen well.
Chael wasn't the only person resting on his laurels a bit in round five. I had my cell phone out and still have the draft of a text I was going to send Budo. It says "I fucking love it!" Before I hit send, I looked up to see Chael in a full blown triangle choke. He made a valiant effort to escape, but it was not to be. Needless to say, I never hit send, and I learned my lesson for texting during a damn fight.
The buy rates for this card have come in and are quite impressive. Roy Nelson was the first to beat Kimbo, he has the fat guy thing going, a head made of granite, and a TUF championship. Maybe he brought some fans to this card. Legendary Matt Hughes was on the card, and looked amazing. Hughes is a decent draw, but he wasn't even co-main eventing. Anderson Silva, perhaps the greatest champion in UFC history was on the card, but he has never been one to garner a big buyrate and his performance vs Demian Mai left a very bad taste in fans' mouths. Most thought this buy rate would do average at best.
The reason for this amazing buy rate had to do directly with the hole underneath the nose of Chael Sonnen. Relentless shit-talk that bordered between ridiculous and articulate and controversial statements leading up to this fight is what sold it. Not to mention, despite the flash sub in round five, Chael Sonnen did what no other man has ever done. He beat the everliving shit out of Anderson Silva. Even though he has not title, Chael Sonnen comes out of UFC 117 as a winner. He has created what can become an epic rivalry with Anderson Silva. People are critical of fighters who are never really tested, and Anderson without a doubt, answered his critics concerning bravado and heart. He now has a true pariah in the weight class.
Now, let's address Silva's performance. Rib injury or not rib injury, I'd bet Chael Sonnen is capable of winning rounds in dominating fashion with Silva. He can walk through blows, take a beating, and effectively get the fight where he is most comfortable. HOWEVER, a history of dropping the ball and losing fights he is ahead in has plagued Chael throughout his career. His Achilles is certainly submissions created when he tries to posture in full guard. This lead me to believe Anderson was still in this fight the entire time. Not to mention, the fact that rounds begin on the feet also gives him a chance of ending any opponent. Anderson was beaten, humiliated, being shut out, and getting worked over. However, while other fighters may look for a way out, Anderson remained resilient and showed flashed of a sense of urgency to look for a fight ending maneuver. Bottom line is that he found it. Title fights last 25 minutes, and until that round five said 0:00, Anderson Silva was still in that fight.
All I see are pluses to the way this fight went down. Will there be an immediate rematch? I hope so, but I'd also like to see Vitor Belfort fight either fighter. If he can find Anderson's chin, he very well may be able to take that title. I think Sonnen would actually fair very well vs Belfort. It's very exciting to see Anderson challenged at 185. We can now put the dream fight at 205 with Shogun on the backburner.
Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva have shaken up the MMA landscape together. The fight itself parallels the Meldrick Taylor vs Julio Caesar Chavez fight twenty years ago when Taylor dominated the fight right into the final round and was TKO'ed with two seconds left. Meldrick Taylor never recovered from that loss. Chavez stole his soul. I wonder if Anderson did the same thing to Sonnen.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Lull in the landscape?
Is it just me or are the big leagues in a bit of funk as of late? Let's examine the up and coming UFC title fights by weight class.
At 155 we have a rematch of what was a complete snoozer in BJ Penn vs Frankie Edgar II. Nobody was excited for this bout the first time around, and even BJ looking to exact revenge does not have me writhing in anticipation for the rematch.
At 170 there is a rematch between GSP and Josh Koscheck. I honestly don't see a different outcome from the first encounter, but at least the season of Tuf should entertain. Two guys who can be known to keep it safe...hmmm, not super excited for this one.
At 185 I do believe Anderson Silva will have his hands full with Chael Sonnen, but I'm not sure how exciting it will be given Anderson's track record as of late. Sonnen was very impressive vs Okami and Marquardt. I believe he deserves his shot, but even if he pulls the upset, he will only be Anderson's krytonite, and I'm sure he could be toppled by other contenders in the division. Even with Chael's penchant for ludicrous shit talk, I'm not looking very forward to this fight immensely.
205 Rashad vs Shogun for the strap. I'm hoping Shogun blows through Rashad, but you absolutely can't count the kid from Niagra Falls out. He has proven detractors wrong on too many occassions. I just don't see the intrigue with this fight.
Heavyweight will be the battle of the bulge with Lesnar and Carwin. From a purely aesthetic perspective this fight is actually pleasing. Two massive titans with athleticism and power going at it will provide spectacle. I'm sure it will sell well, and I admit to intrigue. However, the fight that would actually mean something and provide a great backdrop story at heavy weight would be Junior Dos Santos and Cain Valesquez. The apprentice trying to avenge the master would reflect the Hughes vs Newton after Newton vs. Miletich fight. While perhaps not as big a seller, this is the bout that would answer more questions for me.
Strikeforce, in my opinion really can't even be on the map as far as truly meaningful fights are concerned. While excited for Fedor vs. Werdum, I just have a hard time taking the promotion seriously when Fedor is not holding the strap or fighting for it. It makes little to no sense. I will say that the fights between Strikeforce and Dream champs were very interesting and exciting though. At least there was promotional superiority on the line.
I suppose the fight I am most looking forward to involved two amazing athletes who are leading men within their primary bases of combat. Ben Askren vs Dan Hornbuckle is for the Bellator title at WW and the clash of styles being represented in the fight is highly interesting. If Askren pulls this fight off, his stock is going to skyrocket. I'll be pulling for him, but won't be the least bit surprised if the seasoned Hornbuckle hands the greener fighter the 1 in the "L" column.
Hopefully, the landscape will shift soon and the lackluster affairs will bring with them room to create new exciting matchups and stories to fill the MMA forum boards and websites. Even during the lulls, mma is still more exciting than any other sport on the face of the planet!
At 155 we have a rematch of what was a complete snoozer in BJ Penn vs Frankie Edgar II. Nobody was excited for this bout the first time around, and even BJ looking to exact revenge does not have me writhing in anticipation for the rematch.
At 170 there is a rematch between GSP and Josh Koscheck. I honestly don't see a different outcome from the first encounter, but at least the season of Tuf should entertain. Two guys who can be known to keep it safe...hmmm, not super excited for this one.
At 185 I do believe Anderson Silva will have his hands full with Chael Sonnen, but I'm not sure how exciting it will be given Anderson's track record as of late. Sonnen was very impressive vs Okami and Marquardt. I believe he deserves his shot, but even if he pulls the upset, he will only be Anderson's krytonite, and I'm sure he could be toppled by other contenders in the division. Even with Chael's penchant for ludicrous shit talk, I'm not looking very forward to this fight immensely.
205 Rashad vs Shogun for the strap. I'm hoping Shogun blows through Rashad, but you absolutely can't count the kid from Niagra Falls out. He has proven detractors wrong on too many occassions. I just don't see the intrigue with this fight.
Heavyweight will be the battle of the bulge with Lesnar and Carwin. From a purely aesthetic perspective this fight is actually pleasing. Two massive titans with athleticism and power going at it will provide spectacle. I'm sure it will sell well, and I admit to intrigue. However, the fight that would actually mean something and provide a great backdrop story at heavy weight would be Junior Dos Santos and Cain Valesquez. The apprentice trying to avenge the master would reflect the Hughes vs Newton after Newton vs. Miletich fight. While perhaps not as big a seller, this is the bout that would answer more questions for me.
Strikeforce, in my opinion really can't even be on the map as far as truly meaningful fights are concerned. While excited for Fedor vs. Werdum, I just have a hard time taking the promotion seriously when Fedor is not holding the strap or fighting for it. It makes little to no sense. I will say that the fights between Strikeforce and Dream champs were very interesting and exciting though. At least there was promotional superiority on the line.
I suppose the fight I am most looking forward to involved two amazing athletes who are leading men within their primary bases of combat. Ben Askren vs Dan Hornbuckle is for the Bellator title at WW and the clash of styles being represented in the fight is highly interesting. If Askren pulls this fight off, his stock is going to skyrocket. I'll be pulling for him, but won't be the least bit surprised if the seasoned Hornbuckle hands the greener fighter the 1 in the "L" column.
Hopefully, the landscape will shift soon and the lackluster affairs will bring with them room to create new exciting matchups and stories to fill the MMA forum boards and websites. Even during the lulls, mma is still more exciting than any other sport on the face of the planet!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Rashad and Rampage- The Demographics
The UFC, and MMA in general, seems to appeal to the 18-34 demographic of caucasian men in the greatest amounts. Sure there are fans that represent various racial backgrounds, and the sport has more than its fair share of female fans as well. However, since the UFC has exploded into mainstream and popular culture, it is safe to say the biggest supporters of the sport have been the aforementioned demographic.
in advance, I'd like to state that this written piece is not meant to convey any bigotry or prejuidice. I simply will be questioning the UFC's opprotunity to expand its African American audience.
This coming Saturday Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will be meeting Rashad "Sugar" Evans in the 8-sided circle in a bout that should have taken place last year. The hype coming into this fight is pretty warranted. Not only are both combatants title contenders, they are also two of the best trash talkers in the business. When it comes to the war of words, these two have put on quite a show, and the UFC has been right there to distribute the "beef" for all to see.
When it comes to capitalizing on opportunity, the UFC is second to none. While other emerging promotions or upstarts are looking to just turn a buck or convert to PPV, the UFC is going places with marketing and promotion that are unprecedented. The fighters write best-selling books. The Undisputed video game is selling in the millions. The Ultimate Fighter is still going strong......but the UFC has yet to really capture the imagination of the "black demographic". Rampage and Rashad may be the answer.
On a small scale, to punctuate a point, I am going to reference the school I work in. I teach in an urban district that is represented largely by minority students. I coach three sports at the school and am very connected with the students, athletes, and staff members. Most are all about boxing and the next Mayweather conquest, but this fight coming Saturday has created quite the buzz. I have heard multiple students and coworkers of color state that they "are getting that fight this weekend."
There had been an initial push to include the black demographic on the series of TUF when Rampage and Rashad coached. Kimbo Slice was brought in, and it appeared that this may become a defining moment in expanding the demographic to include black males. A lot of things backfired on Zuffa during this time though. First of all, Kimbo never won a fight on the show. He showed heart, but was ultimately stopped easily by Roy Nelson. Then Rampage backed out of the fight with Rashad to film The A-Team. What could have been a great moment in demographic expansion seemingly backfired.
Fast-forward to the present day, and the smack-talk has sky-rocketed to an all-time high. Some of it has bordered on being politically incorrect to say the least. Rashad has accussed Rampage of "dummying" himself down to fit stereotypes and making African Americans look bad. Rampage has countered with words that pretty much make him appear to be homophobic and intolerant of alternate lifestyles. I guess in the end, the only thing that matters is.....Is this good for business? The buy-rates will tell that story after this Saturday.
One thing I don't understand about this card in regards to picking up where the UFC left off in terms of inclusion of the black audience is the card itself. The only other fighter of African American decent fighting on the card is Melvin Guillard, and that is an under card fight that may not be seen. It seems Kimbo could have been saved for this card to propel the original thinking with that season of The Ultimate Fighter. Maybe Jon Jones could have been used differently? Hopefully, at the very least his VS fight w/ The Janitor will be highlighted . John Howard could have been fighting perhaps.
I like the card, and I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering if Zuffa is not doing all it could to maximize its growth potential demographically. For one reason or another, they have not been able to captivate the black audience. Rampage vs. Rashad seems like the perfect backdrop to highlight other African American fighters and expand the overall fanbase. As a fan, I'm kind of shocked it's not happening. Instead, the company has replayed Jackson's "black on black" crime sentiments over and over along with the two opponents nose to nose "drilling" one another and purpotrating stereotypes. I confess to finding this as intruiging as the next guy, but in the end, I'm not sure it's whats best for the growth of the sport or educating fans.
in advance, I'd like to state that this written piece is not meant to convey any bigotry or prejuidice. I simply will be questioning the UFC's opprotunity to expand its African American audience.
This coming Saturday Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will be meeting Rashad "Sugar" Evans in the 8-sided circle in a bout that should have taken place last year. The hype coming into this fight is pretty warranted. Not only are both combatants title contenders, they are also two of the best trash talkers in the business. When it comes to the war of words, these two have put on quite a show, and the UFC has been right there to distribute the "beef" for all to see.
When it comes to capitalizing on opportunity, the UFC is second to none. While other emerging promotions or upstarts are looking to just turn a buck or convert to PPV, the UFC is going places with marketing and promotion that are unprecedented. The fighters write best-selling books. The Undisputed video game is selling in the millions. The Ultimate Fighter is still going strong......but the UFC has yet to really capture the imagination of the "black demographic". Rampage and Rashad may be the answer.
On a small scale, to punctuate a point, I am going to reference the school I work in. I teach in an urban district that is represented largely by minority students. I coach three sports at the school and am very connected with the students, athletes, and staff members. Most are all about boxing and the next Mayweather conquest, but this fight coming Saturday has created quite the buzz. I have heard multiple students and coworkers of color state that they "are getting that fight this weekend."
There had been an initial push to include the black demographic on the series of TUF when Rampage and Rashad coached. Kimbo Slice was brought in, and it appeared that this may become a defining moment in expanding the demographic to include black males. A lot of things backfired on Zuffa during this time though. First of all, Kimbo never won a fight on the show. He showed heart, but was ultimately stopped easily by Roy Nelson. Then Rampage backed out of the fight with Rashad to film The A-Team. What could have been a great moment in demographic expansion seemingly backfired.
Fast-forward to the present day, and the smack-talk has sky-rocketed to an all-time high. Some of it has bordered on being politically incorrect to say the least. Rashad has accussed Rampage of "dummying" himself down to fit stereotypes and making African Americans look bad. Rampage has countered with words that pretty much make him appear to be homophobic and intolerant of alternate lifestyles. I guess in the end, the only thing that matters is.....Is this good for business? The buy-rates will tell that story after this Saturday.
One thing I don't understand about this card in regards to picking up where the UFC left off in terms of inclusion of the black audience is the card itself. The only other fighter of African American decent fighting on the card is Melvin Guillard, and that is an under card fight that may not be seen. It seems Kimbo could have been saved for this card to propel the original thinking with that season of The Ultimate Fighter. Maybe Jon Jones could have been used differently? Hopefully, at the very least his VS fight w/ The Janitor will be highlighted . John Howard could have been fighting perhaps.
I like the card, and I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering if Zuffa is not doing all it could to maximize its growth potential demographically. For one reason or another, they have not been able to captivate the black audience. Rampage vs. Rashad seems like the perfect backdrop to highlight other African American fighters and expand the overall fanbase. As a fan, I'm kind of shocked it's not happening. Instead, the company has replayed Jackson's "black on black" crime sentiments over and over along with the two opponents nose to nose "drilling" one another and purpotrating stereotypes. I confess to finding this as intruiging as the next guy, but in the end, I'm not sure it's whats best for the growth of the sport or educating fans.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
MMA- The Recent Insanity!
Every now and then in all sports crazy things happen. Recently, we saw Anderson Silva display about 5 different Shaolin Kung-fu styles in his running shoes while doing a better job mocking his opponent than Andrew Dice Clay did women back in the late eighties. We saw a great "immortal " in BJ Penn come to fight perplexed and underperform vs Franky Edgar. (AT 155 lbs ) We saw a WWEesque Battle Royal in Strikeforce. We got to bear witness to shit talk that included hateful rhetoric, including deragatory usage of language typically and hatefully directed at homosexuals, by Paul Daley. We then got to see a bad acting job by Josh Koscheck followed up by a sensless and classless act by, none other than, Paul Daley. This act actually and ultimately cost Paul Daley his job with the UFC.
Then there is the fans. As a four year posting member of a top MMA website, I am just flabbergasted by the way many are treating Loyoto Machida. Photoshoppe is one thing, but writing about Machida being overrated, and never that good to begin with? HUH? I mean ...hang on, I'm not done scratching my head on this one...I just don't get it. I'm not a big Ed Soares fan, but Loyoto Machida clawed his way to the top of that 205 lb division in devastating fashion without so much as getting a scratch. Before Rua, I think you'd have to go back to BJ Penn to find a round he arguably may have lost. I just don't understand MMA fans sometimes. Loyoto will be back, and within 18 months I believe we will see a third bout with Rua. By the way: HUGE PROPS TO MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA. That win was well deserved, and he will be a great champion.
The MMA landscape is certainly looking pretty crazy these days. Throw in the recent string of arrests of fighters, and it is even crazier. However, I feel that because MMA in still considered an emerging mainstream sport, a lot of the critical press has been BULLSHIT. All sports undergo these things.
Of the top of my head, I'll list some crazy sports moments I remember. I'm not going to do any research. I'm going to just recall them as I remember them.
NBA- I remember a fight a couple years ago between Detroit and Indiana involving Ron Artest and fans that made it's way into the seats.
NBA- Kobe- rape
NBA- Horry throws a towel in his coaches face.
NBA- Sprewell splaps his coach.
NBA- Paul Pierce ...gang symbols...
NBA- Gilbert Arenas brings a gun into the locker room to settle some beef.
NFL- Michael Vick- Dog lover of the year.
NFL- Lawrence Taylor....Cocaine/alleged rape.
NFL- Brandon Marshall refuses to play
NFL- OJ SIMPSON
NFL- Ray Lewis and murder charges
NFL- Ben Roethlesberger and rape accusations.
NFL- Spygate
Golf - Fuzzy Zoeller- racist comments
Golf- Tiger Woods- cheating hubby
Boxing- Golatta and Bowe camps melee
Boxing- Oliver McCall has a "breakdown" in the ring
Boxing- Tyson takes a bite out of Holyfield
Boxing- Tyson rape
Boxing- Tyson says he'll eat Lewis's children
Boxing- Don "Fucking" King
Baseball: Pedro slams old man Zimmer
Baseball: Clemens throws piece of bat at Piazza
Baseball: STEROIDS
Hockey: McSorely assaults with his stick
Hockey: Bertuzzi darn near kills somebody
My point is just that in sports things happen. MMA is no different, and it really upsets me to see the bad press the sport has been getting. It's no different than any other sport. There are "good eggs" and "bad apples".
As for the fans. I know fans are as fickle in other sports as they are in MMA. I'm willing to wager Tiger Woods will show us how fickle golf fans are by the end of next spring.
One thing is for sure. We'll never see Joe Rogan or Michael Schiavallo fall asleep during a broadcast ike Keith Hernandez did during a Mets game.
Then there is the fans. As a four year posting member of a top MMA website, I am just flabbergasted by the way many are treating Loyoto Machida. Photoshoppe is one thing, but writing about Machida being overrated, and never that good to begin with? HUH? I mean ...hang on, I'm not done scratching my head on this one...I just don't get it. I'm not a big Ed Soares fan, but Loyoto Machida clawed his way to the top of that 205 lb division in devastating fashion without so much as getting a scratch. Before Rua, I think you'd have to go back to BJ Penn to find a round he arguably may have lost. I just don't understand MMA fans sometimes. Loyoto will be back, and within 18 months I believe we will see a third bout with Rua. By the way: HUGE PROPS TO MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA. That win was well deserved, and he will be a great champion.
The MMA landscape is certainly looking pretty crazy these days. Throw in the recent string of arrests of fighters, and it is even crazier. However, I feel that because MMA in still considered an emerging mainstream sport, a lot of the critical press has been BULLSHIT. All sports undergo these things.
Of the top of my head, I'll list some crazy sports moments I remember. I'm not going to do any research. I'm going to just recall them as I remember them.
NBA- I remember a fight a couple years ago between Detroit and Indiana involving Ron Artest and fans that made it's way into the seats.
NBA- Kobe- rape
NBA- Horry throws a towel in his coaches face.
NBA- Sprewell splaps his coach.
NBA- Paul Pierce ...gang symbols...
NBA- Gilbert Arenas brings a gun into the locker room to settle some beef.
NFL- Michael Vick- Dog lover of the year.
NFL- Lawrence Taylor....Cocaine/alleged rape.
NFL- Brandon Marshall refuses to play
NFL- OJ SIMPSON
NFL- Ray Lewis and murder charges
NFL- Ben Roethlesberger and rape accusations.
NFL- Spygate
Golf - Fuzzy Zoeller- racist comments
Golf- Tiger Woods- cheating hubby
Boxing- Golatta and Bowe camps melee
Boxing- Oliver McCall has a "breakdown" in the ring
Boxing- Tyson takes a bite out of Holyfield
Boxing- Tyson rape
Boxing- Tyson says he'll eat Lewis's children
Boxing- Don "Fucking" King
Baseball: Pedro slams old man Zimmer
Baseball: Clemens throws piece of bat at Piazza
Baseball: STEROIDS
Hockey: McSorely assaults with his stick
Hockey: Bertuzzi darn near kills somebody
My point is just that in sports things happen. MMA is no different, and it really upsets me to see the bad press the sport has been getting. It's no different than any other sport. There are "good eggs" and "bad apples".
As for the fans. I know fans are as fickle in other sports as they are in MMA. I'm willing to wager Tiger Woods will show us how fickle golf fans are by the end of next spring.
One thing is for sure. We'll never see Joe Rogan or Michael Schiavallo fall asleep during a broadcast ike Keith Hernandez did during a Mets game.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
MMA and its Fans!
The MMA world is filled with all kinds of fans just like any other sport. There are elitist fans who hold tight to tradition and have a difficult time embracing change. There are fans who assimilate their opinions and overall attitude about MMA with the times. In between you have all kinds of fans from the casual water cooler at work discussion types to die hard Internet fans who flex cyber wit in attempt after attempt to "pwn" one another. I'm going to attempt to break down the various types of MMA fans I have personally encountered in my years of being a regular forum writer and just being a fan in general! I'm sure I'll miss a few, but it's all just in fun anyway.
Fan Type 1: "I've Been Watching Since UFC 1 Fan" A majority of this type of fan are lying in the first place. It seems to be a common trump card used by fans to try and one up each other in terms of MMA wit and knowledge. Every now and then, you can differentiate and actually believe one of these fans, but those types are rare. For every fan who honestly makes this claim, I believe there are 20 who are full of shit. Not to mention, I know plenty of people who have watched from the inception who have very misguided attitudes about MMA.
Fan Type 2: "Dimension of MMA Fan" This type of fan roots mostly for MMA participants who come from the base dimension that they prefer. I myself may get accused of this, as I have a tendency to really root for the athletes who come from amateur wrestling backgrounds. The difference between myself and others who are truly a number 2 type pretty much boil down to the fact, that I don' t find it necessary to shit on other dimensions. Many Muay Thai /kick-boxing in general or BJJ lovers find it absolutely 100% necessary to take a dump on the skills involved in other dimensions. I find these types of fans to be in serious denial and working with very narrow scopes. Let's face it, "the modern day warrior" (I'm laughing as I type that) must have some semblance of skill in all areas.
Fan Type 3: "The Purist or MMA Snob!" This type of fan does not welcome any sort of revolutionary change that will alter the current perceptions of MMA. Case in point, the arrival and tenure of Brock Lesnar. Brock's brief WWE tenure completely overshadowed the fact that the man is a University of Minnesota former NCAA Divison 1 champion. The purist snobs could not get past the fact that this guy was doing F-5s in Vince McMahon's traveling circus, and his arrival on the MMA scene made them feel super threatened. This group also spent a great deal of time calling for Kimbo Slice's head on a platter, but then turned around and rooted for him when he came to the UFC to do The Ultimate Fighter. This leads to..............
Fan Type 4" The Fickle Fan": This type of fan will build a fighter up when they are winning and then pull a vanishing act upon the first loss. I see this type of fan all the time. They are the worst in my opinion. Here is a great example of fickle fandom. Anthony Rumble Johnson is being polled as the next serious legitimate threat to GSP's throne. He's an amazingly HUGE super athlete who is actually bigger than the French Canadian. He was knocking out people in devastating fashion, and he possesses crazy athleticism. The boards were loving them some Rumble. Josh Koscheck comes along and defeats Rumble and now you can't hear a pin drop in relation to Rumble's future title implications. AndreArovlovski is another fighter who has been victimized by Fan Type 4 .
Fan Type 5 " The Promotional Fan" This type of fan feels the need to either hate all things Zuffa because rooting for grass roots or smaller shows makes them feel like part of a counter culture or they root for Zuffa exclusively and feel the UFC is the only promotion offering quality MMA. In my opinion, both suck ass. Let's be real. There are entirely too many quality fighters that need to make a living for them to all be housed under the Zuffa banner. Being a fan of the sport should mean being a fan of the athletes involved and wanting them to have success. This is not possible under one promotion. On the other hand, anybody not recognizing the roads Zuffa has paved for MMA along with the superb quality of its products is an utter moron. However, in the end I'd like to slap the shit out any fan who roots for Zuffa to squash the smaller promotions and crush fighters' dreams.
Fan Type 6: " New Fans" This type of fan comes with a high level of enthusiasm but often offers too much insight in relation to thier knowledge of the sport. In other words, they love...love...love the sport, but don't know what the Hell they're talking about. They are a necessary type of fan though. Without them, demand for MMA will slow down. All fans should take the time to nurture new fans and educate them, as they are the backbone for potential growth. Be patient with this type of fan please!
Fan Type 7 "The Casual Fan" The water cooler guys who hook into TUF, Fight Nights, and go the bars to watch UFC ppvs. The WEC had caught on a lot with this type of fan, and shows on CBS have given some exposure to other organizations. Boy Elite XC came very close to misguiding MMA fans during thier CBS tenure though. (Thank you Seth Petruzelli, and no offense to Kimbo. I appreciate the interest Kimbo has generated in our sport.) This type of fan is extremely good for business and a complete necessity for MMA growths. A minority of this type of fan ends up becoming more serious and becoming one of the other types.
Fan Type 8: "The Internet Fan!" This type of fan is co morbid with at least one of the above types. I for example am an internet fan w/ a sprinkle of Fan Type 2 and possible others. I enjoy internet conversation about MMA. Sure many false rumors (RIP Kimo) are spread through cyber land, but I do believe the greatest place to learn about MMA in on the Internet by interacting with fans representing all of the above types.
Fan Type 9: "Juvenile Clown Fans" This type of fan usually does not compete at all or have any idea about what any actual combat sport it like. Next to their Ed Hardy shirts are all of their Tapout and Affliction duds. They may sport heavy tattoos like fighters, and they lurk around Internet forums looking to pick arguments with anyone who has a slightly different take on any subject MMA. These types of fans all secretly worship guys like John Cena and love Brock Lesnar for all the wrong reasons!
Fan Type 10: "The Die-hard" This type of fan eats, drinks, breathes, and shits MMA. They recognize that the sport doesn't grow without all the other types of fans. This fan is very pro-fighter and always looks out for fighters' best interests when forming their takes. This type of fan will also be quick to point out when fighters are being greedy or selfish and hurting the forward movement of the sport. This fan knows what is going on with the current MMA landscape and has the ability to not only offer insight, but to accept others. This type of fan is very rare, although most claim to be one. In all of my years posting on Internet forums, I have only come across a few. I can say with some degree of certainty that some of them have blogs on this site. I consider this type of fan to be the black belt of fandom. I'm not quite there myself upon serious introspection, but I eventually hope to be. The more of them our sport gets, the better off we're going to be.
Long Live MMA and All its fans!
Fan Type 1: "I've Been Watching Since UFC 1 Fan" A majority of this type of fan are lying in the first place. It seems to be a common trump card used by fans to try and one up each other in terms of MMA wit and knowledge. Every now and then, you can differentiate and actually believe one of these fans, but those types are rare. For every fan who honestly makes this claim, I believe there are 20 who are full of shit. Not to mention, I know plenty of people who have watched from the inception who have very misguided attitudes about MMA.
Fan Type 2: "Dimension of MMA Fan" This type of fan roots mostly for MMA participants who come from the base dimension that they prefer. I myself may get accused of this, as I have a tendency to really root for the athletes who come from amateur wrestling backgrounds. The difference between myself and others who are truly a number 2 type pretty much boil down to the fact, that I don' t find it necessary to shit on other dimensions. Many Muay Thai /kick-boxing in general or BJJ lovers find it absolutely 100% necessary to take a dump on the skills involved in other dimensions. I find these types of fans to be in serious denial and working with very narrow scopes. Let's face it, "the modern day warrior" (I'm laughing as I type that) must have some semblance of skill in all areas.
Fan Type 3: "The Purist or MMA Snob!" This type of fan does not welcome any sort of revolutionary change that will alter the current perceptions of MMA. Case in point, the arrival and tenure of Brock Lesnar. Brock's brief WWE tenure completely overshadowed the fact that the man is a University of Minnesota former NCAA Divison 1 champion. The purist snobs could not get past the fact that this guy was doing F-5s in Vince McMahon's traveling circus, and his arrival on the MMA scene made them feel super threatened. This group also spent a great deal of time calling for Kimbo Slice's head on a platter, but then turned around and rooted for him when he came to the UFC to do The Ultimate Fighter. This leads to..............
Fan Type 4" The Fickle Fan": This type of fan will build a fighter up when they are winning and then pull a vanishing act upon the first loss. I see this type of fan all the time. They are the worst in my opinion. Here is a great example of fickle fandom. Anthony Rumble Johnson is being polled as the next serious legitimate threat to GSP's throne. He's an amazingly HUGE super athlete who is actually bigger than the French Canadian. He was knocking out people in devastating fashion, and he possesses crazy athleticism. The boards were loving them some Rumble. Josh Koscheck comes along and defeats Rumble and now you can't hear a pin drop in relation to Rumble's future title implications. AndreArovlovski is another fighter who has been victimized by Fan Type 4 .
Fan Type 5 " The Promotional Fan" This type of fan feels the need to either hate all things Zuffa because rooting for grass roots or smaller shows makes them feel like part of a counter culture or they root for Zuffa exclusively and feel the UFC is the only promotion offering quality MMA. In my opinion, both suck ass. Let's be real. There are entirely too many quality fighters that need to make a living for them to all be housed under the Zuffa banner. Being a fan of the sport should mean being a fan of the athletes involved and wanting them to have success. This is not possible under one promotion. On the other hand, anybody not recognizing the roads Zuffa has paved for MMA along with the superb quality of its products is an utter moron. However, in the end I'd like to slap the shit out any fan who roots for Zuffa to squash the smaller promotions and crush fighters' dreams.
Fan Type 6: " New Fans" This type of fan comes with a high level of enthusiasm but often offers too much insight in relation to thier knowledge of the sport. In other words, they love...love...love the sport, but don't know what the Hell they're talking about. They are a necessary type of fan though. Without them, demand for MMA will slow down. All fans should take the time to nurture new fans and educate them, as they are the backbone for potential growth. Be patient with this type of fan please!
Fan Type 7 "The Casual Fan" The water cooler guys who hook into TUF, Fight Nights, and go the bars to watch UFC ppvs. The WEC had caught on a lot with this type of fan, and shows on CBS have given some exposure to other organizations. Boy Elite XC came very close to misguiding MMA fans during thier CBS tenure though. (Thank you Seth Petruzelli, and no offense to Kimbo. I appreciate the interest Kimbo has generated in our sport.) This type of fan is extremely good for business and a complete necessity for MMA growths. A minority of this type of fan ends up becoming more serious and becoming one of the other types.
Fan Type 8: "The Internet Fan!" This type of fan is co morbid with at least one of the above types. I for example am an internet fan w/ a sprinkle of Fan Type 2 and possible others. I enjoy internet conversation about MMA. Sure many false rumors (RIP Kimo) are spread through cyber land, but I do believe the greatest place to learn about MMA in on the Internet by interacting with fans representing all of the above types.
Fan Type 9: "Juvenile Clown Fans" This type of fan usually does not compete at all or have any idea about what any actual combat sport it like. Next to their Ed Hardy shirts are all of their Tapout and Affliction duds. They may sport heavy tattoos like fighters, and they lurk around Internet forums looking to pick arguments with anyone who has a slightly different take on any subject MMA. These types of fans all secretly worship guys like John Cena and love Brock Lesnar for all the wrong reasons!
Fan Type 10: "The Die-hard" This type of fan eats, drinks, breathes, and shits MMA. They recognize that the sport doesn't grow without all the other types of fans. This fan is very pro-fighter and always looks out for fighters' best interests when forming their takes. This type of fan will also be quick to point out when fighters are being greedy or selfish and hurting the forward movement of the sport. This fan knows what is going on with the current MMA landscape and has the ability to not only offer insight, but to accept others. This type of fan is very rare, although most claim to be one. In all of my years posting on Internet forums, I have only come across a few. I can say with some degree of certainty that some of them have blogs on this site. I consider this type of fan to be the black belt of fandom. I'm not quite there myself upon serious introspection, but I eventually hope to be. The more of them our sport gets, the better off we're going to be.
Long Live MMA and All its fans!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Directv and VS make nice! UFC intervention?
As a MMA fan, about 8 months ago I was faced with a big decision. Time Warner decided to drop HD-Net from their programming schedule, and any die hard fan of MMA knows that HD-Net offers a treasure's trove of MMA programming. It was a no-brainer in regards to what my only alternative was
... Enter Directv.
I shelled out a good chunk of money to make the switch and ensure I got my weekly dose of Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten on Inside MMA along with Sengoku, Dream, M-1, and many other smaller promotion's shows. I was a relieved happy camper. Between Spike, HD-Net and VS I was able to pretty much watch MMA at any given time!
Enter...Murphy's Law.
Out of the blue Directv and VS fail to reach a contractual renewal agreement, and VS is dropped from regular programming. So much for WEC cards, and my big switch in cable providers ended up being pretty God-damned counter productive. Not to be deterred, I called Directv to voice my displeasure with this set of circumstances. Why all this prejudice regarding programming that features great MMA products. In the case of VS, NHL fans also felt the plight of the channel's absence from Directv programming. Throw in the fact that I love hunting shows, and I was fit to be tied. However, I was contractually bound to Directv and in the grand scheme of things, HD-Net would be harder to live with out than VS. I mean I love the WEC, but HD-Net with the Japanese cards, Inside MMA, and other smaller scale shows was still the better choice. There was no cable providing option that would offer me both. I missed Cowboy vs. Henderson, Cruz vs. Bowles, Benevidez vs. Torres, etc... Fans began really talking up the WEC shows, and I was beginning to wonder about my decision.
Enter...The UFC comes to VS
When I heard the Jon Jones and Brandon Vera main event fight night card was being shown on VS, I really began to seriously second guess my decision. As a hardcore MMA fan, I always pull for the smaller promotions and those that try to rise to share even a sliver of the stage with Zuffa. I am opposed to Zuffa's counter programming campaigns to ruin Affliction and now Strikeforce. However, there is no denying the force of the UFC and the quality of their product. When I found out I would now be missing UFC cards shown on VS, I felt literally punched in the solo plexus by these cable giants. I began to make plans to go watch the UFC card at a friends house.
Enter...Great news!
I am sitting here right now in front of the TV watching, of all things, Indy racing on .............VS. Oh, and I'm sitting on my couch in my house, and Directv is still my cable service provider. I didn't see this coming, but I have to tell you, it has made my day. The Treaty of Paris has nothing on this reconciliation in this fan's eyes!
I don't know much pertaining to the parameters of this new deal and negotiations. However, I don't believe that it's a coincidence that an agreement was reached the week before the UFC's promotional debut on VS. The ratings for this UFC show is projected to garner the largest ratings that the VS network has experienced . With staggering PPV and live gate profit, not to mention building the Spike Network pretty much single handedly, the UFC has become a major player in all network programming. There is no denying the demand for UFC programming. The WEC is a great product, and also Zuffa owned, but in realms of demand and popularity it isn't coming close to the UFC's numbers. These great quality WEC cards that I have missed out on with fight of the year candidates could not remedy the impasse. It took Zuffa's UFC bargaining chip to make the agreement work. Directv had to know that they were going to lose a lot of contracts with UFC programming on VS, and it's my belief that they are meeting VS demands more so than VS is meeting there's. I can't say that with a degree of certainty, but VS is without question on the up and up.
One thing I am wondering about is the Spike reaction to Zuffa airing a UFC event on VS. I'm thinking Spike executives can not be happy sharing their king pin program with another network. Perhaps the company's are inter-related? I'm not sure. I just know when money or "potential money" is missed out on in the business world, there is usually some sort of reaction or lashing out. Time will tell.
Anyway, I'm sure there will be a slight spike in my cable bill due to the re-addition of VS, and that's fine. In the meantime, I'll hold my breath and pray that Directv doesn't drop HD-Net now to make room for VS in their budget!
... Enter Directv.
I shelled out a good chunk of money to make the switch and ensure I got my weekly dose of Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten on Inside MMA along with Sengoku, Dream, M-1, and many other smaller promotion's shows. I was a relieved happy camper. Between Spike, HD-Net and VS I was able to pretty much watch MMA at any given time!
Enter...Murphy's Law.
Out of the blue Directv and VS fail to reach a contractual renewal agreement, and VS is dropped from regular programming. So much for WEC cards, and my big switch in cable providers ended up being pretty God-damned counter productive. Not to be deterred, I called Directv to voice my displeasure with this set of circumstances. Why all this prejudice regarding programming that features great MMA products. In the case of VS, NHL fans also felt the plight of the channel's absence from Directv programming. Throw in the fact that I love hunting shows, and I was fit to be tied. However, I was contractually bound to Directv and in the grand scheme of things, HD-Net would be harder to live with out than VS. I mean I love the WEC, but HD-Net with the Japanese cards, Inside MMA, and other smaller scale shows was still the better choice. There was no cable providing option that would offer me both. I missed Cowboy vs. Henderson, Cruz vs. Bowles, Benevidez vs. Torres, etc... Fans began really talking up the WEC shows, and I was beginning to wonder about my decision.
Enter...The UFC comes to VS
When I heard the Jon Jones and Brandon Vera main event fight night card was being shown on VS, I really began to seriously second guess my decision. As a hardcore MMA fan, I always pull for the smaller promotions and those that try to rise to share even a sliver of the stage with Zuffa. I am opposed to Zuffa's counter programming campaigns to ruin Affliction and now Strikeforce. However, there is no denying the force of the UFC and the quality of their product. When I found out I would now be missing UFC cards shown on VS, I felt literally punched in the solo plexus by these cable giants. I began to make plans to go watch the UFC card at a friends house.
Enter...Great news!
I am sitting here right now in front of the TV watching, of all things, Indy racing on .............VS. Oh, and I'm sitting on my couch in my house, and Directv is still my cable service provider. I didn't see this coming, but I have to tell you, it has made my day. The Treaty of Paris has nothing on this reconciliation in this fan's eyes!
I don't know much pertaining to the parameters of this new deal and negotiations. However, I don't believe that it's a coincidence that an agreement was reached the week before the UFC's promotional debut on VS. The ratings for this UFC show is projected to garner the largest ratings that the VS network has experienced . With staggering PPV and live gate profit, not to mention building the Spike Network pretty much single handedly, the UFC has become a major player in all network programming. There is no denying the demand for UFC programming. The WEC is a great product, and also Zuffa owned, but in realms of demand and popularity it isn't coming close to the UFC's numbers. These great quality WEC cards that I have missed out on with fight of the year candidates could not remedy the impasse. It took Zuffa's UFC bargaining chip to make the agreement work. Directv had to know that they were going to lose a lot of contracts with UFC programming on VS, and it's my belief that they are meeting VS demands more so than VS is meeting there's. I can't say that with a degree of certainty, but VS is without question on the up and up.
One thing I am wondering about is the Spike reaction to Zuffa airing a UFC event on VS. I'm thinking Spike executives can not be happy sharing their king pin program with another network. Perhaps the company's are inter-related? I'm not sure. I just know when money or "potential money" is missed out on in the business world, there is usually some sort of reaction or lashing out. Time will tell.
Anyway, I'm sure there will be a slight spike in my cable bill due to the re-addition of VS, and that's fine. In the meantime, I'll hold my breath and pray that Directv doesn't drop HD-Net now to make room for VS in their budget!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Cain Valesquez/Fedor Emelianko: Compare and Contrast
Let me start by giving big props to Budo and wishing him all the luck in the world with this endeavor. I'm very excited to be a part of it and in the company of so many other outstanding MMA writers.
Now before you all begin to ostracize me based on the title of my thread please hear me out. I am not likening Cain's accomplishments to date with those of The Russian Experiment, however, I will concede to putting the cart in front of the horse.
Cain Valesquez is an eloquent soft spoken, gracious human being. When asked recently on Inside MMA if he felt he deserved a title shot more than the Mir Carwin winner he replied, "No, those guys have done more than me and deserve it more." I beg to differ, but the point is that Cain is a Hell of a nice guy.
Fedor when asked about fellow fighters and potential match ups reserves judgment, never having a bad word to say about another fighter. So in my estimation, it's safe to say both fighters are pretty decent fellas.
Both fighters are very loyal to their origins. Fedor is an ambassador to his mother land of Russia and Stary Oskel where he surrounds himself with family and friends. He does not let his ego rise above his star. He remains very attached to his roots. Fedor also was a Russian soldier.
Valesquez was also queried about his "Brown Pride" tattoo that he has brandished across his chest in the same segment of Inside MMA. He went on to discuss his father risking the crossing from Mexico into the US and having to travel through Death Valley to give his kids a better life. He is proud to be Mexican and states growing up that the term "Brown Pride" was what motivated him and his loved ones when the chips were basically stacked against them. Now I realize that if Brock Lesnar replaced his dagger tattoo with a big "White Pride" tattoo, that it wouldn't fly. However, it is what it is. Cain represents a minority and anybody judging him based on that "ink" likely has not taken the time to listen to the man defend his stance. So while expressed differently, both Fedor and Cain have great pride in their ethnic backgrounds.
Now the above may seem like a reach. I mean shit, Marcus Davis is proud to be Irish, and he's a Hell of a nice guy too. The real comparison between Fedor and Cain for me lies in the way they fight. OK, Cain doesn't even have 10 fights, but talent of his caliber speaks for itself. I'll go ahead and bullet my observed likenesses.
Now before you all begin to ostracize me based on the title of my thread please hear me out. I am not likening Cain's accomplishments to date with those of The Russian Experiment, however, I will concede to putting the cart in front of the horse.
Cain Valesquez is an eloquent soft spoken, gracious human being. When asked recently on Inside MMA if he felt he deserved a title shot more than the Mir Carwin winner he replied, "No, those guys have done more than me and deserve it more." I beg to differ, but the point is that Cain is a Hell of a nice guy.
Fedor when asked about fellow fighters and potential match ups reserves judgment, never having a bad word to say about another fighter. So in my estimation, it's safe to say both fighters are pretty decent fellas.
Both fighters are very loyal to their origins. Fedor is an ambassador to his mother land of Russia and Stary Oskel where he surrounds himself with family and friends. He does not let his ego rise above his star. He remains very attached to his roots. Fedor also was a Russian soldier.
Valesquez was also queried about his "Brown Pride" tattoo that he has brandished across his chest in the same segment of Inside MMA. He went on to discuss his father risking the crossing from Mexico into the US and having to travel through Death Valley to give his kids a better life. He is proud to be Mexican and states growing up that the term "Brown Pride" was what motivated him and his loved ones when the chips were basically stacked against them. Now I realize that if Brock Lesnar replaced his dagger tattoo with a big "White Pride" tattoo, that it wouldn't fly. However, it is what it is. Cain represents a minority and anybody judging him based on that "ink" likely has not taken the time to listen to the man defend his stance. So while expressed differently, both Fedor and Cain have great pride in their ethnic backgrounds.
Now the above may seem like a reach. I mean shit, Marcus Davis is proud to be Irish, and he's a Hell of a nice guy too. The real comparison between Fedor and Cain for me lies in the way they fight. OK, Cain doesn't even have 10 fights, but talent of his caliber speaks for itself. I'll go ahead and bullet my observed likenesses.
- Recovery Powers: Fedor was clocked by Fujita and literally had his head spiked like a football by Randleman. He went on to end those fights within a minute each. Cain on the other end of it was hit with bulls eyes by Kongo and on his way down miraculously turned what looked like an inevitable knockdown into a double leg and brutalized the big Frenchman for 15 minutes.
- Killer instinct: Both fighters have an imminent sense of working feverishly to end the fight. When blood is smelled by these guys they become killers. The pace they can both fight at is mind boggling.
- Well rounded fighters: Fedor can beat nearly anyone standing or on the ground. There is no facet of the game that he is giving up a glaring advantage in. He rips arms off, pounds guys out, and KOs them. Cain, while not exhibiting any crazy submission skills so far, has become menacingly good on his feet. His fluency with his hands and his leg kicks were technique personified. He's only going to get better, which is scary.
- Neither man has been defeated. Now I completely acknowledge a decade of arguable dominance by Fedor. Regardless, there was a 5 year period when he crushed the best HWs in the world. As for the circus side show Japanese fights, well I'm of the rare fan who was impressed by them too. I don't believe Randy Cotoure could survive in full guard with a 350 lb Hong Man Choi bringing down leather.
- Size: Fedor and Cain are both undersized HWs.
There are some vast differences between the fighters. First of all, let's hope Cain's business sense and practices don't parallel those of Fedor and his Russian leash holders. Fedor is seemingly faster and his ground skills are just unbelievable from a submission perspective. If they were to fight right now, I'm confident Fedor would win. However, I believe that for where he's at in his career, Cain is capable of rising to equal heights. There is a lot of buzz around Valesquez. Every coach or insider who goes to AKA to watch him train comes out completely "WOWed!" Many are calling him the future of the division and state he is excelling at break neck speed.
I can't end this article without mention another HW force that comes from the Brazilian Black House camp. Junior Dos Santos could have likely been the topic of this piece. The man is young, hungry, and hits like a Mack truck. When asked about a title shot, he had previously stated he would concede a title shot if there was any chance at all that Big Nog was involved in title implication fights. So, it's safe to say Jr. has his priorities straight and is a decent human being as well. I'll be honest, the fight I want to see more than any in the world presently is Cain Valesquez and Junior Dos Santos. I almost pissed my pants in excitement just typing the sentence prior to this. That's a fight that will tell us a lot about the state of the division. Dana White, make it happen!
The HW division has become the most exciting MMA division in the past year and a half in my opinion. Fedor remains an enigma, Lesnar helped give the sport more exposure, and the new crop of talent and re surged vets including Carwin, Cain, Dos Santos, Mir etc are painting a very promising future. In the rear view mirror are fighters like Pat Barry and Todd Duffy. Lets not forget, we may get a Fedor vs Barnett or Overeem fight after Werdum as well. The HWs are bringing down the house!
So in closing, it's my belief that Cain Valesquez is going to separate himself from this pack of amazing HWs and is going to skyrocket into a top five pound for pounder in the next two years.
Thanks for reading-
Brewland
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