Korean Zombie Calls Out Jose Aldo

I assume the Korean Zombie is a member of the Undead; that entire premise makes his fights more exciting. His opponents aren’t trying to win, they are clinging to life as he attempts to consume and digest their brains, and various body parts. That being said, I learned that zombies can also utilize social media, because he has taken to twitter, campaigning for a fight against Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. Aldo, of course, pulled out of his title fight with Erik Koch citing a knee injury and will be sidelined until fall. Originally it was assumed that Koch/Aldo would be put on hold, but recently Dana White has said he’s unsure. I thought Koch/Aldo was weak. Seriously, can you name one person he’s fought? Go look, I’ll wait. Chad Mendes, right? Aldo/Zombie is much more intriguing, and I have a feeling it will go down this fall, as Koch rejoins the line.  

Sarah Kaufman Plans on Standing with Ronda Rousey

That’s great, she can plan on that all she wants. I plan on being a millionaire before the age of 30, but barring an unlikely mega-millions lottery win, that is just not in the cards. Kaufman said she isn’t focusing too much on defending grappling and submission attempts, because as she sees it, she shouldn’t play to Ronda’s strengths. Well, Miesha Tate spent an entire training camp learning to defend just one move and this still happened, albeit it took Ronda almost an entire round instead of her usual 30 seconds. I’m hoping this is some bizarre-o form of psyche out attempt from Kaufman, because not training submission and grappling defense before fighting Ronda Rousey is the common man’s equivalent of not brushing your teeth before the dentist. You can do it, sure, but why?

Ortiz/Griffin III

My Xbox gets confused when I try matching these two up. I did this yesterday and instead of prompting with “Continue with selected fighters” it said, “Are you sure you want to see this again?” It’s very hard for me to feign interest in this fight; I don’t care enough about either man anymore, and judging by fans around the net, I’m not alone. However, I came to the realization this fight is not for me, this fight is not even for the fans, this fight is for Tito. He is being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame prior to the fight, and he gets to finish out his career in an organization he helped build. I’m not expecting much for either man, and no outcome will surprise me (except a modified gogoplata off the cage), but I’ll watch because Tito deserves my respect for everything he’s done for MMA.

Alistair Overeem is a Clean Fighter

…And he’s going to prove it to you by submitting to his own randomly scheduled drug tests. Think about that for a second, think about that until it hurts. Overeem, of course, is still under suspension until December 27^th, but that hasn’t stopped him from campaigning for a shot against Junior Dos Santos and his Heavyweight Championship. Frankly, I am just bored to tears with this story. Reem insists he is a clean fighter, but 14:1 test results prove otherwise. His response was that he received doctor approved injections to treat an injury, though never once did it cross his mind to find out what exactly what was being injected into his body. So either way, Reem is a liar or just plain stupid. Whatever, I’m going to go take a breathalyzer and submit the results to my parole officer via email so he knows I’m not drinking.  

Gray Maynard Wants 4th Edgar Fight

My perfect world is set in an alternate universe during medieval times with fantastical elements. Wizards and Warlocks exist, as do werewolves, vampires, and demons. Magic is very prevalent but only a dedicated few can truly harness its awesomeness. I am not one of those few. Instead I am wandering rogue who travels from city to city seeking adventure. Basically my perfect world is Skyrim. Gray Maynard gave us some insight to his perfect world recently. Maynard would like to see Frankie Edgar recapture the title from Ben Henderson setting up Maynard/Edgar 4, for the title. I understand Gray’s desire to avenge his only loss, but I hope I never have to see an Edgar/Maynard fight again. I’ve seen it three times, and if horror movies have taught me one thing, it’s that once things go beyond a trilogy they get very, very ridiculous. 

Joe Rogan is Now a Black Belt

I firmly believe there are secret Reptilian Bases located around the globe, and they have one goal: Total Human Domination. I believe they’ve infiltrated every aspect of human life: CEOs of major corporations, international bankers, political leaders, even Hollywood. They have positioned themselves in these places of power to easily subdue us when the time comes. That time is approaching; December 21^st, 2012, the Reptilian Take Over begins. Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo know what I am talking about, and when the final battle goes down I want to be on their side. Eddie Bravo is the founder of 10^th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, of which Joe Rogan is a student. A few hours ago Eddie tweeted this picture announcing that Joe has achieved his Black Belt. Congrats to Joe. If Joe Rogan can do it you are officially out of excuses for why you haven’t started Jiu-Jitsu training, just saying.

Fighter Futures: Rich Franklin

Rich Franklin is now 2-0 against Wanderlei Silva; the most recent win is even more impressive because Franklin took the fight on short notice and fought Wandy in his home country of Brazil. Post-fight, Franklin expressed interest in making one more run at the middleweight title, which was unceremoniously taken from him via the knees of Anderson Silva six years ago. Since then Franklin has been in and out of the win column posting a record of 7-4. I like Rich, but at almost 38 years old, his better days are behind him and I don’t see him posing much of a threat to the upper echelon of the division. But Rich bailed the UFC out huge taking this fight, and if he is serious about making a title run I think Dana White will oblige. My best guess is that Franklin will be paired with Bisping later this year.

Fighter Futures: Clay Guida

I have accepted that Clay Guida’s performance Friday was a poorly executed game plan. Still, he did what was in his best interest, he wanted no part of Maynard’s striking power, nor did he want to find himself underneath The Bully. In fact, Guida did exactly what I would have done against Maynard, only I would have cried. Still, he lost the fight, and judging by the booing, several fans. Dana White was very critical calling the fight an “[expletive][expletive][expletive]” and the internet has been ablaze with Guida bashing. So where does he go from here? Dropping his last 2 has effectively shut him out of the title picture and given his performance I doubt he will be given a high profile opponent his next time out. I would like to see him paired with Melvin Guillard, both fighters are on 2 fight losing streaks and in desperate need of a win.

Fighter Futures: Fabricio Werdum

I have spent the better part of my day searching the internet for a Fabricio Werdum CAF formula that satisfies me while I continuously to eat BLT sandwiches and watch reruns of Jersey Shore. This is simultaneously the best and worst day of my life. After a first round TKO victory over Mike Russow, Werdum made it clear he is gunning for one man, Junior Dos Santos. With JDS/Cain going down later this year, Fabricio will have to wait a little longer, and realistically he is still two fights out from number one contender status. I’m doubtful the UFC will match him with Overeem this December simply because their lackluster meeting from Strikeforce is still fresh in everyone’s mind. My pick for Werdum is a returning Mark Hunt who is on a 3-0 tear and deserving of a step up in competition. 

Anderson Silva Just Went Chael, on Chael

I don’t even care if the Mayan’s are right and the world comes to an end on December 21. As long as I live long enough to witness the sheer brutality Anderson Silva has promised to unleash on Chael Sonnen during their rematch I can die happy. The usually reserved middleweight champ let his temper flare and promised to change the face of the sport with the violence he will bestow upon Sonnen. I’m expecting a Mortal Kombat type fatality that ends with Silva using Sonnen’s severed leg as a baseball bat to decapitate the “Gangsta From Oregon” while Dana White channels his inner Shao Khan and shouts “Finish Him” from cage side. I don’t really know how to top that, so I’m just going to end this article. 

Fighter Futures: Gray Maynard

With his win over Clay Guida, Gray Maynard has again positioned himself securely in the lightweight title picture. Nate Diaz is still the confirmed number one contender, until otherwise stated, and I have said all along I doubt Nate will risk his shot. Also I don’t think rebounding with a win over Guida is enough to warrant a fight with the eventual winner of Bendo/Edgar/Diaz. With Nate effectively sidelined, only one fight makes sense for Maynard: Anthony Pettis. Pettis was guaranteed a shot when he came to the UFC but settled on a bout with Guida when he learned Maynard/Edgar were rematching. Pettis lost and had to work his way back to the top, but he is treading water waiting for Nate. Pettis/Maynard should happen to set up an eventual number one contender who will fight for a title by Spring time next year.

Sunday Soccer Kicks

I am so exhausted right now. You can’t tell because when you read this you will see everything as it is finished, but after I wrote “I am so exhausted right now,” I spaced out for about fifteen minutes wondering why coffee only warms the base of your head when you’re very sleep deprived; just spaced out again. Anyway, remember Roger Huerta? You probably know him from his war with Leonard Garcia at UFC69 which is still hailed as one of the best fights in MMA history. After starting his career going 20-1-1, 1NC, Huerta hit a rough patch and is 1-6 in his last 7. Well he fought again this weekend for the ONE FC promotion which employs Pride Rules. Things did not go his way and he was soccer kicked into oblivion. So you start your Sunday out with this, while I go bartend for 12 hours.

(MMA150 suggests you disregard the text appearing in the video, or don't it doesn't matter to us.)

Maynard Wins; Guida Embarrasses Self

HA!! And you thought Condit was bad! Guida ran to the other side of the cage for five full rounds. Point fighting is not the most exciting style, but like lay-and-pray, it is a style to contend with. That being said, you still need to fight. If your plan is to stick and move for five rounds, you need to remember to stick before you move, not just run for five minutes at a time. I think the game plan was “it worked for Condit” but the difference was Maynard adjusted to figure out Guida’s rhythm as opposed to just walking forward the whole fight. So congrats to “The Bully” on his win. Besides, tell me you didn’t jump off the couch screaming when an obscenity hurling Maynard gave Guida the double bird, smiled while eating two shots, before sprawling and sinking in a guillotine choke.

Stout/Fisher 3, Surprisingly Amazing

When Stout/Fisher 3 was first announced I nothing-ed it. I didn’t understand why we needed to turn this into a trilogy. I still don’t understand what the reasoning was behind this fight, or its co-main event status, but let me you something, I’m glad it happened. To echo Ken-Flo cage side, this was the best looking Spencer Fisher we have seen a long, long time. Fisher and Stout stood toe-to-toe for three rounds, and by the end I was wishing we had three more. In the end however it was Stout who got his hand raised. I don’t agree that the contest was scored 30-27 across the board, but I do think Stout won that fight. I expect Fisher will stick to his words and retire shortly and Sam Stout will continue to evolve as a fight. As far as a possible title run for the Canadian, doubtful.

Ebersole Defeats Waldburger

I have two theories on Brian Ebersole’s performance last night. 1) He used the snow ball effect, he started out slow before ultimately culminating in a full on avalanche of awesomeness that TJ Waldburger was powerless to stop. 2) He purposely gave away the first round to show that he was confident enough in his abilities and could cruise through rounds 2 and 3. In all likelihood it is probably a perfect combination of the two. Either way, Brian Ebersole extends his winning streak to 11 and records his 50 professional win. Congratulations, Brian.

Cub Swanson KO's Ross Pearson

I take comfort in knowing that I nailed all of my picks for this event, except for Story/Jardine, but honestly, who really cares about that fight? Cub Swanson doesn’t, he is probably too busy exorcising the ghost of Eddy Gordo that possessed him in his KO of the Night performance over Ross Pearson. Not familiar with Eddy Gordo, click here. He was always my favorite character to use when playing Tekken simply because you could pull off the most amazing combos just by button mashing. I once went on a 75 fight winning streak and had no idea what the hell I was doing. Of course only years later will I admit that, at the time I just pretended I was that good. Congrats to Cub on an awesome knock out and for Pearson, well, as the song goes, “Dust Yourself Off and Try Again, Try Again.”

The Truth Behind Fedor's "Retirement"

Fedor was a product of Soviet engineering designed for the purpose of advancing the Communist Agenda. The Cuban Missile Crisis was caused when Fedor’s security detail arrived for an unsanctioned MMA bout. America was panicked at having nuclear weapons so close, but the Russians assured us it was necessary for our protection from Fedor, should he become loose. However, he won the fight and went home, ending the crisis. When the Cold War came to a close, Fedor was never deactivated, but continued to travel the world forcing opposition to bend to Mother Russia. He wandered the wilds for years before returning last night to present President Vladimir Putin with the dismantled corpse of Pedro Rizzo. It was then that Fedor was officially deactivated. In all seriousness, we wish Fedor the best and thank him for twelve years of fights and everything he has done for MMA.

Fedor Fights Tonight

Between UFC on FX and Bellator tomorrow night, and UFC147 this Saturday it is very possible that this little piece of knowledge slipped your mind: Fedor fights tonight. In what was originally billed by M1 as his last fight, The Last Emperor squares off against Pedro Rizzo. This fight would probably mean something a couple years ago, but now it is just a stain on his legacy. Don’t get me wrong, I like Fedor, but in this day and age, especially in the heavyweight division, if you’re not fighting under Zuffa, you are not fighting the best. Fedor went 1-3 under Strikeforce before his release, and at 35 years old the chances of seeing him in the octagon are slim. Still, we wish Fedor the best but really hope he considers hanging up his gloves after tonight, after all even wins aren’t really wins anymore.

Guida Thinks Beating Gray Makes Him #1

My parents were ruthless about the Tooth Fairy. They kept the charade going long after I found out the truth about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. They never came clean, and went so far as to sprinkle me with glitter in my sleep in an attempt to convince me I had killed her by rolling on top of her during the night, henceforth she would not be returning, because she was dead. It took me years to forgive myself. Clay Guida believes some ridiculous things too; he thinks a win over Maynard will make him the number one contender. Apparently he missed the memo because that honor has been bestowed upon Nate Diaz. A win will definitely put either man back in the title hunt, but best guess is that they get Pettis or Miller. Guida/Diaz would be an interesting matchup, but I doubt Nate will risk his shot. 

JJ's Miller Lite induced UFC on FX4 Picks

Once you are over the age of 22 there is no appropriate way to shotgun a beer, people just look at you like you’re “That Guy”. This was a particularly hard fact of life for me because one of my main interests is shotgunning. I like it so much I’ve written it down on job applications under special skills; to this day I use it to win arguments with my friends, “Yeah, I don’t care if you have a real job, and health insurance, and a 401k because I shotgun more beer than you.” In retrospect I have become “That Guy”. The Miller Lite Punch Top is the greatest invention of the last twenty years because it allows for covert shotgunning. Anyway, I’m five beers deep and it’s time for some UFC on FX Predictions… but you have to check them out over at Arm Chair Nation, so click HERE 

Guida/Maynard Goes Down This Friday

Lately I’ve wondered who would win in a fight between Godzilla and Voltron. Godzilla is unpredictable because he uses Beast Logic. Voltron has the ability to strategize due to being controlled by humans, but he is prone to human error. I tend to think Voltron would win because Godzilla would fight out of fear without truly understanding what was happening, but at the same time would go for broke every second and could therefor slip in a lucky shot incapacitating the robot. It’s a tough call, but applying knowledge I have learned from every science fiction/monster movie I have ever seen, mankind will prevail in the end. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Gray Maynard is Voltron and Clay Guida is Godzilla. It will be nice seeing Gray fight someone other than Frankie Edgar and I pick him to grind out a decision over Guida.

(For my more professional approach to breaking down this fight, check out by contribution to Arm Chair Nation by clicking HERE )

Dan Hardy to Fight on Nottingham Card

We all knew it was only a matter of time before Dan Hardy was linked to the Nottingham card. It was announced today that “The Outlaw” will fight in his hometown against TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah. Hardy recently snapped a four fight losing streak with a victory over Duane Ludwig. Sadollah has continued to remain relatively unimpressive and I am just having a hard time feigning any interest in this fight. I like Dan Hardy, but I think he belongs in Strikeforce for the time being, and I don’t have an opinion on Sadollah. Regardless, Hardy/Sadollah is slated for UFC: Nottingham. 

Overeem Says He Will Fight in December

Alistair Overeem’s debacle with the UFC is the MMA equivalent to putting all your eggs in one basket and then hurling that basket off the rooftop of the Empire State Building. Seriously, the guy didn’t just fail his drug test, but he failed leading up to the most anticipated HW title match in recent memory. The Reem optimistically took to twitter claiming he will be fighting in the octagon this December. His suspension ends on December 27^th and the final UFC event of the year will likely take place December 29^th. This gives him exactly 48 hours to apply and receive his license. While it’s entirely possible Overeem will fight this year, it’s highly unlikely he will be given an immediate title shot. He broke the trust of Zuffa execs and fans alike, and he will need to rebuild that trust by staying clean. 

Palhares/Okami set for UFC150

(Go ahead, call him Paul Harris, I dare you)

I hope and pray to your selected higher deity that you are not in the same boat as me today. The boat is metaphorical; I don’t own a boat. However owning a boat is not as expensive as you would think, where they get you is the docking fees, and unless you live along the gulf coast you also need a place to store it every winter. Rich people problems. Anyway, my metaphorical boat crashed on the shores of Whiskey Island sometime last night and right now my head is throbbing. Rousimar Palhares knows the feeling, though his throbbing head was caused by Alan Belcher’s elbows and not a night of increasingly poor decisions. With the loss behind him, Palhares looks to get back to his winning ways and will fill in for an injured Luiz Cane, squaring off against Yushin Okami this August at UFC150. 

Jon Fitch Eyes Fall Return; Wants Penn Rematch

Jon Fitch and I are kindred spirits. He is wrestling with a draw to BJ Penn and I am wrestling with the USPS because they lost my package and I will now be waiting two weeks for my copy of Skyrim. Like Penn/Fitch, Skyrim is old news, unless you also made the mistake of buying it for PS3. I’m an idiot; and with the announcement of Dawnguard I knew it was time to shell out $30 for an XBOX copy. Fitch plays Skyrim, probably right now since he is rehabbing an injury. But he’s also eyeing a return as early as September and the one fighter on his mind is Penn. If BJ is returning to competition then there’s no reason why Penn/Fitch 2 shouldn’t happen; it needs to be settled. You might not like his style, but dude wins fights… and beats Hendricks nine out of ten times.

Big Nog Drops Out of UFC149

I wish I had had a prewritten template so I could just plug in the name of the fighter, the extent of the injury, how long they will be out, and their replacement. Wait, I do, but I got bored writing it so instead I just linked a sick video tribute to soccer kicks. Big Nog is the latest to drop out due to his arm not fully being healed. Legit excuse, though I’m bothered he waited a month before his fight to say something. He should have waited until he was fully recovered before accepting a fight. Anyway, Shawn Jordan is now stepping in against Cheick Kongo at UFC149. Jordan is a recent Strikeforce import currently enjoying a 2-0 win streak. Give yourself an extra 200pts if you started your Sunday out watching the soccer kick compilation. Or don’t, the points don’t really matter. 

Struve/Miocic to Headline UFC: Nottingham

My knowledge of Nottingham is lacking. In fact everything I know about Nottingham has come from Robin Hood, so essentially I know they have a Sheriff. I also know they have Sherwood Forest which is where Robin Hood lives. Apparently robbing from the rich and giving to the poor isn’t very lucrative because dude still lives in a forest. One would think he could skim a little off the top, maybe buy a small cottage. They also have an arena, because the UFC is coming to Nottingham with recently announced main event Stefan Struve v. Stipe Miocic. Both men are coming off wins at UFC146. Struve tapped Lavar Johnson to win Submission of the Night honors, while Miocic finished Shane Del Rosario via TKO, snapping his 11 fight winning streak. UFC invades Nottingham September 29^th and will air on Fuel TV for the five people who actually get that channel. 

Paul Daley Signs With Bellator

Well that didn't take long. Bellator continues to aggressively sign free agents to its talent pool. After picking up the likes of King Mo and Brett Rogers, it was announced today that the organization has signed recently released Paul Daley. Since his welterweight title match with former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz last April, Semtex has hit a rough patch in his career going 2-3 in his last five outings. With his recent signing he is now set to enter the Bellator welterweight tournament and compete for a shot against reigning champion Ben Askren. No word yet on when Daley will make his BFC debut, but perhaps signing with the organization is just what he needs to refocus and revive his MMA career. 

**Daley's debut is now set for Bellator 72 on July 20th

UFC on FOX 4's LHW Title Implications

When I first heard about Vera/Rua I was not that excited, but seeing it paired with a co-main event of Machida/Bader, I’m a little more thrilled. It’s tough to find anyone in the LHW division that will pose a threat to current champ Jon Jones; Dan Henderson is going to try, but I am expecting him to come up short just like everyone else. I would expect the winners of Rua/Vera and Bader/Machida to meet in a title eliminator, it makes sense. If Vera can beat Rua and then Machida/Bader an argument could certainly be made that he is “reborn” and ready for Vera/Jones 2. The same can be said for Bader. Finally a rubber match between Machida/Rua would have fans salivating, especially with title implications. Given Jones’s history with all four men any one of the options would make sense.  

Bisping's Knee Surgery a Success

My hatred for Michael Bisping stems from the fact that the UFC video game franchise seems to think he is unbeatable. I’ve never even taken the guy to a decision, he always KO’s me or forces me to tap, usually inside of a round. I guess a fairer thing to say would be that I hate digital Michael Bisping; the real Bisping I like. As many of you know, Bisping was forced out of his fight with Tim Boetsch so he could undergo surgery on his knee. Well, it happened, and it was successful. Bisping hopes to return to the octagon in time for UFC 151. We wish Michael a speedy recovery while continuing to curse his digital counterpart. Now, check out these pictures Bisping tweeted of the stuff they removed from his knee.

TUF Needs to Go Away

I dislike TUF, mostly because they seem to crank one out 3 times a year and the fighters produced are mediocre at best (there are exceptions), who quickly fade into a career of Facebook preliminary fights. The recent live format did nothing for me, I bartend at night so 99% of MMA that I watch is tape delayed. As far as Tivo’ing TUF, I saw no reason, I don’t care what pranks a guy I’m never going to hear about it pulling on another guy I’m never going to hear about. My solution is to do away with TUF and instead focus on the athletes the UFC already has. A new fighter each week, take a look at their history, why they fight, etc. It would give fans a chance to acquaint themselves with lesser known fighters that will soon be headlining events as current favorites enter the twilight of their careers. 

Chris Lytle, Post-Retirement

I am slowly accepting that I will never be important enough to demand bottle service underneath my private cabana at an exclusive Vegas pool. Nor will I ever be privy to watching underground MMA in a stuffy, cigar smoke filled room, sipping $300 scotch while betting a common man’s mortgage. Instead I am destined to spend my time scouring the Vegas strip for $1 beers, watching MMA next to a guy from Texas who doesn’t understand how “two guys humping each other" is a sport. This is my lot in life, which is a shame because I will never see Chris Lytle fight again. The recent retiree only sees returning in such a high stakes underground bout similar to Fight Club for millionaires; it’s a bit far-fetched. Nonetheless we wish Chris the best and thank him for the years of physical abuse he has given and received for our viewing pleasure. 

Tito Ortiz to be Inducted to Hall of Fame

Any day I wake up without finding another fighter sidelined I consider it a small victory. Nothing that I would write home about, but with the way fighters have been falling a headline of “No Injuries Today” is reason enough to spike your OJ with Vodka at 9:30 AM. Tito Ortiz is probably mixing his OJ with $1,200 champagne right now because he is the newest inductee to the UFC’s Hall of Fame. Tito’s recent performances have overshadowed his past and every time he steps into the octagon it becomes harder and harder to remember that he is still the longest reigning LHW Champion. Tito is a warrior as well as a poster child for brand loyalty, spending his entire career, save one of his 27 fights, inside the UFC. Tito fights one more time on July 7^th to finish out a trilogy with Forrest Griffin. Congratulations, Sir, you’ve earned this.

Let's Enjoy Some Soccer Kicks

Officials just announced that ________ has suffered an injury to his ________ and has pulled out of his scheduled bout with ________ at _______. The recovering time table is _______ to ________ weeks. We wish __________ a quick and speedy recovery. Now, let’s just enjoy this video tribute to soccer kicks, head stops, and knees. It was a kinder, gentler time in MMA.

(thanks to seaneric69 for taking the time to manufacture this brutal tribute)

Mighty Mouse Will Undergo Surgery

Bummer, but the good news is that the surgery will only sideline him for two weeks. Mighty announced that he suffered a hernia during his fight with Ian McCall and he will be undergoing surgery to repair it, along with a few other nagging injuries. Altogether it does not seem like Mighty’s recovery time will be anything to worry about, nor will it have any effect on the time frame for his Flyweight Championship fight with Joseph Benavidez. No word yet on when the fight will take place but Dana White has stated that he would like to see it, “Sooner rather than later,” given the state of injuries plaguing the UFC. 

Brandon Vera Talks Shogun

Apparently Brandon Vera thinks beating Shogun will guarantee him a tour of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, because The Truth just referred to him as a Golden Ticket. How awesome would that be if Vera entered by handing out chocolate bars surrounded with an army of Oompa-Loompas singing, “Ver-A, Ver-A, Ver-A-dee doo, he’s got a little bit of chocolate for you.” He would instantly become the most popular fighter ever. Vera acknowledged critics and naysayers when he said he hasn’t been himself since the Couture fight; that he stopped caring, but has “that fire” back. He went on to say he would love to stand and trade with Shogun. It seems like he is trying to gain as much exposure as he can because his job is most likely on the line. Personally I hope he wins, only because I’m upset Shogun wouldn’t fight Teixeira. Vera/Shogun headlines August 4^th on Fox. 

Strikeforce releases Paul Daley

Paul Daley, the British fighter notoriously known for sucker punching Koscheck post-fight during their title eliminator at UFC113, has been released from Strikeforce. According to Daley’s camp he asked for the release citing Strikeforce’s inability to provide him fights on a regular basis. I guess fighting under their banner three times in one year with a contract that allowed him to fight for BAMMA and Ringside-MMA wasn’t enough. Daley scoffs at 5 fights a year he wants fights every day. If he took that mentality into training maybe he wouldn’t 2-3 in his last 5 right now. Either way, Paul Daley has left Strikeforce behind and with a move to the UFC highly improbable one could only assume he is Bellator bound. When he gets there maybe he can trade MMA war stories with Brett Rogers about a time when they were both relevant. Cheers!

Fighter Feature: Carlos Condit

I have never seen fans turn on a fighter so quickly. Condit/Diaz was hard to score; I had a draw starting the fifth, which went either way depending on who you had. The right call would have been a draw and rematch, the fight was that close. The bout did not unfold like many expected; Condit favored a conservative game plan; He had no intentions of scrapping with one of the best boxers in MMA. Instead he constantly brought the fight back to the center not allowing Diaz to pin him against the cage. Condit adjusted to fight Diaz, Diaz did not adjust to fight Condit and somehow that’s Carlos’s fault. Since, he has been faulted for remaining inactive even though he was lacking a number one contender. He just can’t win. But these days are almost behind him; he is set to return this November in a unification bout with GSP. 

GSP Returns: 17 November 2012

I can only assume that GSP grows stronger by feeding on the pain and disappointment of others. As injuries continue to plague the UFC he is recovering and regenerating. Every time someone withdraws from a fight GSP gains 200 HP. All signs are pointing towards a title unification bout this fall at UFC154 in Montreal between the returning Champion and Interim Strap Wearing Carlos Condit. The card is also expected to host a co-main event bout between Martin Kampmann and Johny Hendricks to finally decide the number one contender. Hypothetically speaking, by this time next year the true champion will have faced the true number one contender and the welterweight log jam will finally be over. 

Dana White talks UFC152

Dana White announced what we can look forward to in the future. I mean the future of the UFC, not the future like robots and lasers and single colored skin tight body suits, though it would be cool to hear Dana’s thoughts on that. Maybe he will explain his vision of the future at the post fight press conference of UFC 152, which as it stands will be headlined by Velasquez/JDS 2 for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Sharing in the night will be co-main eventers BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald. Other fights are still to be announced but UFC152 is set for September 22^nd in Toronto.  

Shogun Preferred Being Cut Over Fighting Glover Teixeira

If Shogun is ducking Teixeira I can’t say I blame him, dude is scary; of his 18 wins 16 have come from stoppages and he hasn’t lost since 2005. Shogun turned this fight down because he wanted a top ten opponent but jumped at the offer to face Brandon Vera, who last I read was ranked somewhere between 21-26 depending on what you read. According to Dana White, Rua preferred being cut to fighting Teixeira and no one in the division wants to fight him, consider the source, but that’s what he said. I think Shogun turning down this fight and taking Vera is unacceptable. Teixeira is not a friend, not a training partner, he’s nothing to Rua except for a relatively unknown fighter with a high chance victory. If you care, Shogun/Vera goes down August 4^th, and Teixeira is still awaiting his next fight. 

Jose Aldo Injured; Off UFC149 Card

I wish I could use injuries as an excuse to not do my job. Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that I think the current injury epidemic is a result of fighters not wanting to fight, I think every man is legitimately injured, I just wish I could get away with that. Mostly I just want a day off because I worked 16 hours yesterday and I have to do it again today and I really just want to lay around on my couch watching TV. But I have to deal with the fact that I can’t, just you have to deal with Jose Aldo’s injury. Details were scarce when the 145lb champ’s camp announced he was out of his title bout with Erik Koch. Barao/Faber now headlines UFC149 for the Interim Bantamweight Championship. It is unclear if Koch will be given a replacement opponent. 

Brock Lesnar and Dana White had a Meeting...

…and it didn’t go well. I can’t imagine why. Brock has a history of doing this. Back in 2002 WWE spent boat loads of cash priming him to be the face of the organization, and he was for two years. At the end of those two years he just walked away. Sounds familiar right? Fast forward a few years and now he is the face of the UFC until he realized that they won’t let him just pound on Mir over and over again and he actually needs to fight tough opposition (no offense Frank, we love you). He did, he lost, and like a three year throwing a tantrum (Nick Diaz), he quit. Dana won’t reveal the exact nature of their conversation, he only said it was one of the worst meetings he has ever had with Brock. Frankly I wish he never said anything at all. 

Anderson Silva is not Injured, says Dana

UFC fighters seem to be dropping like flies. I’m not sure what saying means; I’ve never seen a fly drop. I’ve seen them explode when swatted with rolled up newspaper, I’ve seen them digested by Venus Fly Traps, and I’ve seen my cat pluck one from mid-air, but I have never seen one drop. If flies do indeed drop, and if the fighters are not unlike flies, then Anderson Silva is not a fly. Recent rumors of a knee injury have circulated putting his rematch with Chael in jeopardy; however at the UFC on FX 3 post fight press conference Dana White put these rumors to rest. White denied any injury to the middleweight champ and confirmed his fight with Chael is still on next month. So thank which ever deity you pray to that the rematch is still on.  

Ronda Rousey Defends Her Belt August 18th

Ronda Rousey is not a mystery, in fact her game plan is very simple: Grab arm, break off. Everyone knows it, but no one can defend it; she is that good. Ronda Rousey/Sarah Kaufman is going down August 18^th for the Strikeforce Woman’s Bantamweight title and I see no reason why this fight won’t end the same as her previous five: Rousey by arm bar in round one. Kaufman is a striker and her only chance is keep Ronda away and jab her for the duration of the bout, unlikely. Rousey, on the other hand, is the female equivalent of Chael Sonnen complete with trash talk and an amped up ground game; she drives forward, takes you down and submits you, usually in under a minute. There’s a reason this girl is new face of women’s MMA and on August 18^th she’ll show why once again. 

Pettis/Diaz: Awesome, But Unlikely

When I was younger my dream was be a Space Pirate like Corsair from the X-men, don’t act like you don’t know him, he’s the leader of the Starjammers. There is an element of that in my life everyday but I am coming to terms with reality: there are no space pirates and the Starjammers only exist in comic books. Anthony Pettis needs to realize he will eventually fight Nate Diaz, because it makes sense, but it will be after Nate fights for the title. When Nick was in a similar situation, Cesar Gracie said if victorious he would wait as long as it took for GSP to return. This is no different; Nate has a guaranteed shot, unlikely he gambles it on someone as dangerous as Pettis. The only way this fight happens soon is if Bendo/Edgar draw and continue the log jam. More likely, Diaz/Pettis next summer. 

Fighter Feature: Brock Lesnar

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Brock Lesnar. I have openly criticized him as a fighter and have been against his possible induction into the Hall of Fame. That’s not to say I don’t respect him for his athletic talents or what he has done for the sport. WWE celebrity or not, Brock still brought the UFC into mainstream and holds notable wins Couture, Mir, and Carwin and held the most prestigious title in combat sports. While I hope that Brock’s MMA career is really over, I still appreciate what he did for the sport: he was the right personality that came along at the right time and propelled the young organization forward by leaps and bounds, and for that we thank him. He may not have been the best technically skilled fighter but he shared a title held by few: UFC Champion.