An MMA150 Update

If you are a frequent reader of MMA150, you may have noticed a large stretch of inactivity. You would be correct. But I have not shut down the blog, or lost interest, or anything of the sort; I have been very under the weather. I hope to continue work on the blog again as soon as I can get my ass out of bed and start feeling ok. Hopefully it won’t be much longer.

Cheers,

JJ

The Carwin/Nelson Build Up is Just.... Awful

Like a bad hangover, I wish that TUF would just go away, because it leaves me feeling sick to my stomach, sprawled on the couch, clutching my liver, gasping for air and occasionally vomiting into a small plastic bucket. I just can’t take Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin serious as I watch them try to build hype for their upcoming coaching gigs and eventual fight. “Hey let’s trade verbal jabs on twitter, cuz that’s cool, wait, people actually use twitter? Crap, we better delete our comments.” Let’s not forget one of them calling the other a “keyboard warrior” I’m not sure who said it, because I don’t care, and I have no idea what that means unless he was referring to World of Warcraft; the only thing worse than this Carwin/Nelson feud is Nick Diaz calling out Anderson Silva, Busch Lite, or possibly Greedo shooting first, possibly.

Jon Fitch to face Erik Silva

I’m used to being the lone supporter of Jon Fitch in a room full of MMA fans, but that’s cool, I’m also probably the only person you will ever meet who loved “Cowboy’s and Aliens” and at 26 years old still holds on to the childhood dream of someday becoming a Space Pirate… or Warlock, but not the Charlie Sheen kind, the magical, Voldemort kind. As with anytime a Fitch fight is announced, fans have taken to the message boards and Twitterverse to express their displeasure in his “boring” style. Personally I don’t see what is so boring about someone who completely shuts down the game of 90% of his competition, in fact I consider that damn impressive. Jon Fitch will return to the octagon this October at UFC 153 in Brazil where he will take on Welterweight stand out Erik Silva.

Shogun/Vera Winner Gets Championship Fight

Does anyone else think this is a not-so-clever attempt to entice new fans into buying PPVs? Vera does not deserve a title shot even if he does upset Shogun; also FOX’s “Road to the Octagon” made no mention of his previous fight with Jon Jones so are we supposed to assume that never happened? Likewise I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone clamoring for Shogun/Jones 2. But it’s doubtful that new fans will know any of this, they will think they are getting a true number one contender fight, which in turn will cause at least some of them to throw down $50 on Vera/Shogun v. Jones 2 (I’m aware I’m not even entertaining the idea of Dan Henderson beating Jon Jones, but that’s because I’m not even entertaining the idea of Dan Henderson beating Jon Jones.)  

Nick Diaz is Joking, Right?

Finding out Nick Diaz wants a “comeback” fight with Anderson Silva was one hell of a way to wake up this morning. First of all, a “comeback” fight? Dude is suspended, let’s not glorify that; the only reason he is pseudo-retired is because he “quit” MMA when he didn’t get his way against Condit which is the equivalent of a toddler storming off the playground when he can’t have the monkey bars. He also only wants “fights that matter” now; remember when he was supposed to fight GSP for the championship, did that not matter? BJ Penn? The Interim Title? What about the Strikeforce title and Frank Shamrock? Nearly every fight he’s had for the last four years “has mattered”. But seriously, Anderson Silva, really, this is the road he wants to go down? It’s ridiculous to think Silva wouldn’t pick him apart in under a round. 

Frank Mir Moving to Strikeforce

I take one day off from MMA only to come back and be more surprised than Cloud calling Aeris a “slum drunk” only to have Barret show up knocking on his door late one night at the Gold Saucer asking him to go on a “man walk” with him, because it’s not a date. Things get stranger when they cram inside a romantic carriage for two where Barret starts talking about the women they’re traveling with while Cloud remains silent. Barret takes this silence to mean that Cloud is interested in his five year old daughter and starts firing off live ammunition. The “man walk” abruptly ends. Still, Frank Mir crossing over to Strikeforce to face Daniel Cormier surprised me a little more. It’s a welcome surprise that will show if Cormier really has it and if Frank still has it. Afterward both men will land safely in the UFC.

Palhares Injured; Out of Okami Fight

I found myself wondering if apes gained hyper intelligence and took over the planet if they would create combat sports and their own form of ape Jiu-Jitsu; if they did, that would be crazy, could you imagine getting into a grappling contest with an Ape, they have like four hands and I would be terrified of the ones that have tails. An Ape Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt with a tail is about the most frightening thing I can think of next to Christopher Walken. Let’s hope our world never gets to that point. Rousimar Palhares could probably hang with an AJJ Black Belt longer than most, but unfortunately he has suffered an undisclosed injury and has withdrawn from his fight with Yushin Okami, drag. Okami now faces Buddy Rogers. And yes, I just watched Planet of the Apes.

Let's Remember Why We Love BJ Penn

If movie quotes have taught me anything it is that the Devil’s greatest trick was convincing the world that he didn’t exist, that’s from the Usual Suspects, which I have never seen all the way through even though I have seen the entire movie on more than one occasion, wrap your head around that. Anyway, I think that was the Devil’s third greatest trick right behind putting Football on Sunday during church hours and convincing us that a 5’6 featherweight punching bag from New Jersey could beat BJ Penn not once, but twice. It stills breaks my heart when I think about that, but I am in a BJ Penn sorta mood right now and you should be too, so take 5 minutes out of your day and enjoy this highlight reel.

(Thanks to TheEmperorMMA for putting this all together)

Alan Belcher v. Vitor Belfort Going Down in Brazil

(Adorable)

Alan Belcher is finally getting some attention after failing to pick fights with just about everyone in the middleweight division. After failing to secure a bout with Michael Bisping, Belcher turned his attentions to Vitor Belfort and the Brazilian was eager to take the fight. The two have agreed to meet as part of the main card of UFC153 in Rio de Janeiro which will be headlined with a Featherweight Championship fight between Jose Aldo and Erik Koch. Belfort hasn’t fought since an early January submission victory over Anthony Johnson; Belcher is riding a four fight win streak, most recently defeating Rousimar Palhares by TKO in May. A win over a high profile fighter like Belfort would put Belcher in great position to challenge MW King Anderson Silva, who is currently still seeking his next opponent. UFC153 goes down October 13th.

BJ Skips Press Conference; MacDonald Threatens Injury

BJ Penn made headlines yesterday when he was a no show for the UFC 152 Press Conference. Penn cited a “family circumstance” as the reason for his absence but his opponent, Rory MacDonald, took it as a sign that BJ is not properly preparing for the fight. MacDonald went on to warn BJ that he has no qualms about seriously injuring him during their fight. I’m not a fan of the BJ/Macdonald match up and I think BJ should be left alone on a pristine Hawaiian beach drinking an exotic cocktail out of a hollowed out coconut. He has nothing left to prove; if he wants another fight it should be at lightweight, not welterweight, he’s too small. Penn/MacDonald goes down September 22nd in Toronto. It is unclear where the bout will be placed among the main card.