Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Urijah Faber & Dominick Cruz on TUF 13

Here's the basic bits and pieces of what's going on in my head right now about the new search for TUF 13 coaches and whatnot. Eventually, maybe after both win a fight or two, a rematch needs to be made between the California Kid and the Dominator. It's a title fight between two extremely exciting fighters. However, the hype just isn't quite there yet among the casual set who may know absolutely nothing about either. So how do you hype such a fight? By giving both of them the TUF coaching reins of course! Not only can you give the guys some much-needed exposure, but they'll do their own hyping for the fight. Just think about how much people started caring about the Mir/Big Nog fight, or the Rampage/Rashad fight, or especially GSP/Koscheck because of the hype they created during their time in the house. So if either of them can get their best trash-talk on, it could sell a lot of PPVs.

However, I have a better idea than just giving them the reins now, especially since the casting call was for Welterweights and Middleweights. On the next Ultimate Fighter, make it a Flyweight-only season and make the entire show for the belt. It would be the first title fight on national television, which would be a huge media event. Even if Dana & company wanted to make it a PPV, just think of the drama around the final fight that having a tournament would create, let alone a tournament in the context of a reality show!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Top Ten WEC Champions

On December 16, 2010, MMA fans lost a dear friend to a merger with the UFC. The WEC was an utter bastion of amazing fights for its entire nine-year existance. Here are the top ten champions of the WEC, based on their careers in and out of the blue Octagon.
Honorable mention: Scott Smith (17-8, 1 NC)
The Comeback Kid may not be the best technically, but he has always put on a great show and earned his nickname well, with comeback wins over Pete Sell at the TUF 4 finale and former Strikeforce MW champion Cung Le at Strikeforce: Evolution. Other notable victories include Benji Radach and Tim Kennedy. In the WEC he went 3-0, winning the Light Heavyweight title in the four-man tournament at WEC 17 and defending it at WEC 18 before vacating to fight in the UFC.
10. Chris Leben (25-6)
The Crippler is most well-known for being The Ultimate Fighter's original heel, well, him and Josh Koscheck, and for getting absolutely destroyed by Anderson Silva in the Spider's UFC debut. However, before TUF, he was the first WEC Middleweight Champion, defeating fellow TUF 1 alumnus Mike Swick. He vacated that title without defending it in order to sign on to TUF. Other notable wins include Yoshihiro Akiyama (whom he defeated just two weeks after his last fight) and former UFC MW contender Patrick Cote.
9. Karo Parisyan (19-6)
A former UFC star, Karo was MMA's first judo stylist to compete at a high level. His throws revolutionalized the ground game and almost earned him a title shot, had TUF 1 Middleweight winner Diego Sanchez not been in the way. Before that, he was the third WEC Welterweight champion, defeating Shonie Carter before defecting to the UFC. The only reason he is not higher on this list is because of his recently revealed anxiety issues which have forced him to be unable to fight, going 1-2 with one no contest over his last four.
8. Carlos Condit (25-6)
The Natural Born Killer is tied for second on all-time title defenses for the WEC, and who knows how many more he would have had, because the UFC took over the WEC's welterweight division after his third defense. In the black Octagon, he has a record of 3-1; while he had an early hiccup against Martin Kampmann (which just happened to be a Fight of the Year candidate on several sites), he ran off three straight wins, including one over Dan Hardy. His most notable win outside either promotion was over Frank Trigg.
7. Frank Shamrock (23-10)
The legend himself, Frank Shamrock, was a WEC champion as well as a Pancrase interim champion, the first UFC Light Heavyweight champion, and the first Strikeforce Middleweight champion. His lone title fight with the promotion was a win over Brian Pardoe, however, he later forfeited it to fight for fellow upstart California promotion Strikeforce. Notable wins include Bas Rutten, Enson Inoue, and Jeremy Horn. He currently works as a Strikeforce color commentator.
6. Mike Thomas Brown (24-6)
MTB cemented his WEC legacy when he proved that the California Kid, Urijah Faber, had weaknesses when he TKO'd the former champ at WEC 36, later defending the 145 strap twice over Leonard Garcia and Urijah again. However, he was stopped in his tracks by a relative newcomer named Jose Aldo. His most notable win outside the promotion was over Yves Edwards.
5. Jose Aldo (18-1)
The final WEC Bantamweight champion and first UFC bantamweight champion is this low on the list due to not having a true notable win outside of the WEC, therefore I still consider the jury out. However, he has been nothing but dominant inside the blue cage, with eight wins and no defeats, defending the 145 title twice over Urijah Faber and TUF 5 runner-up Manny Gamburyan. Only time will tell whether or not the Brazilian Cobra can stay the dominating course he has had over the much bigger UFC fighters who will undoubtedly drop down to 145 as a result of the merger.
4. Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC)
Nick Diaz was a competent UFC veteran, going 6-4 in the organization, and even had a win over former PRIDE Lightweight champion Takanori Gomi; unfortunately for him it was vacated because of a positive marijuana test afterwards. He is the current defending Strikeforce Welterweight champion as well. In the WEC, though, he was the first Welterweight champion, defeating former KOTC WW champ Joe Hurley, a title which he vacated without defending to fight in the UFC.
3. Gilbert Melendez (18-2)
El Nino began his career in the WEC, taking a fight against Greg Quan on that night's notice. No one suspected that Melendez would win by first round TKO. At WEC 10, he defeated Olaf Alonso, the promotion's first real star, by third-round knockout for the newly-created Lightweight strap. From there, he established his 18-2 record and became Sherdog's #2 Lightweight. His most notable wins have come over Clay Guida and Shinya Aoki.
2. Miguel Torres (38-3, though he says he has 12 wins from before the days of Sherdog, making him 50-3)
Tied with Carlos Condit for most title defenses in the WEC with three, he was the first great featherweight champion that the world could think of. After coming from a relatively unknown background of backwoods events in Indiana, he came to the WEC in style, winning by first round submission. He then proceeded to pick apart former champion Chase Beebe and later three others in an extremely exciting fashion, leading people to wonder if he would ever be defeated. He was, however, by Brian Bowles at WEC 42, then lost again at WEC 47 to future contender Joseph Benavidez.
And finally, number one: Urijah Faber (24-4)
The California Kid put up a GSP-level defense count of five in the WEC and was the first fighter to be considered "unbeatable". And what's even weirder is that he was always an extremely undersized bantamweight. It's almost like Fedor's run through the heavyweight division, only on a much smaller scale. While giving up a lot of fight-night weight to his opponents, he won those five defenses, including a win over current WEC featherweight champion Dominick Cruz. Now that he has dropped to 135, the chance to become a champion in two divisions is very much in front of him.

Interview with Andreas "Big Daddy" Kraniotakes

The first time the American audience had ever heard of the power heavyweight was when he was announced as one of the fighters to be featured in EA Sports MMA, and the only German. I had remembered Andreas' name from the game roster, and when he followed me on Twitter, I fired off a simple question to him, "How'd it feel to get into EA MMA?" His willingness to respond gave me the idea to make it a full blown interview. This is the interview done through Twitter's messaging system, edited for clarity and grammar.
MP: Quick question, how'd it feel to get into EA MMA?
AK: Hey, thanks for the follow. I am looking forward [to] some MMA discussions and lots of great tweets. I feel honored, thanks for the question.
MP: You're welcome. ... UFC 122 was banned from broadcast [until after midnight local time] for "excessive violence". Do you, as a German mixed martial artist, see that same attitude lasting for a long time or will it end soon enough?
AK: MMA was banned from German television. It was a political move influenced by the boxing lobby, but we will be back on TV pretty soon! MMA can't be stopped. As I am working on it full time, it is moving in the right direction pretty quick. I do a lot of media work you know!
MP: I guess the "excessive violence" crowd doesn't do their research. The death toll from boxing is exponentially higher than MMA's.
AK: That's why I try to educate the public. But it is pretty hard to convince hard headed krauts!
MP: I seriously laughed for five minutes after that last message. Did you ever finish your thesis on martial arts and their effect on the public?
AK: I am still writing it. It is pretty hard though. [I] have to train, work, study, that's three jobs. [I] wish MMA would pay the bills already!
MP: Do you know of any up-and-coming German promotions?
AK: The best German promotions [are] Respect FC, GMC, and maybe Mix Fight Gala.
MP: So, a big question on my mind: are you in talks with anyone currently about contracts?
AK: [I'm] always in talks with some organizations. But nowhere [near] closing a deal. I think I'll need one or two more wins in medium organizations for it.
MP: Did you have an inspiration for getting into MMA, besides the fact that it's the best sport in the world of course?
AK: I just liked the challenge at first. Then it became my way of life; now it's like breathing to me.
MP: Do you have any favorite fighters?
AK: [My] favorite fighter of all time is Bas Rutten, just because of his personality. [The] best heavyweight right now is Overeem. Unstoppable!
Afterwards, he used the word "honored" that I would want to ask him questions. I was impressed that he would be honored by me, an American just looking for an internship in the MMA business. Hopefully we'll see him in the States for a big organization pretty soon.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Top Ten MMA Fighters Updated

I posted this online a long time ago, but now that I got my full blog up I figured I'd post it again, with a few updates. This is my top ten MMA fighters. The list stayed the same, but some of the bio stuff was out of date. Comments if you would please.
Also receiving votes: Georges St. Pierre, Quinton Jackson, Mauricio Rua, BJ Penn, Takanori Gomi, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Tito Ortiz
Honorable Mention: Randy Couture (18-10, HW & LH)-Captain America, The Natural, and one of the most loved athletes of all time. His record of 18-10 may not be the most impressive on the outset, but his titles include winning the UFC 13 HW tournament, titles in the UFC Heavyweight & Light Heavyweight divisions (though not concurrently) and epic trilogies with Vitor Belfort and Chuck Liddell. He is also the fourth UFC Hall of Famer and the only member to be inducted on a free UFC event (namely, the TUF 3 Finale).
10. Royce Gracie (14-3-3, WW)-While probablly not as proficient in Jiu-Jitsu as his brothers Rickson (8-0 in MMA but never fought after 2000) and Renzo (13-7 MMA), Royce was the Gracie entry in the first UFC tournament. He went through that tournament like a hot knife through butter, as well as UFC 2 & 4 (he had to quit at UFC 3 because of an injury sustained in his war with Kimo). Therefore he, not his brothers, is on this list because of those tournament wins and how he revolutionized the thinking of martial arts afectionados everywhere who thought striking would never be defeated by grappling. He was the first UFC Hall of Famer ever elected.
9. Mirko Filipovic (27-7, HW)-Better known as Mirko Cro Cop (so named because of his time in the Croatian Special Forces), his devastating kicks led him to become one of the most feared fighters in PRIDE history and the winner of the 2006 PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix. However, his dominance in the ring has not translated to dominance in the cage, only going 4-3 in the UFC.
8. Mark Coleman (16-10, HW, LH)-With a record less impressive than The Natural and a loss to Captain America, many of you are probably wondering why they aren't switched. I have four words for you: PRIDE 2000 Grand Prix. The Hammer, also a UFC Hall of Famer, won four straight matches at that tournament, including defeating Akira Shoji, Kazuyuki Fujita, and Igor Vovchanchyn on one night to win the belt. He also was the first UFC Heavyweight Champion and won the UFC 10 & 11 tournaments.
7. Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1-1, LH, MW)-By defenses, The Axe Murderer is the most dominant champion in PRIDE history, with four. including fights against Ricardo Arona and Quinton Jackson. From the same Chute Boxe Academy that produced Shogun Rua and Anderson Silva, Wanderlei, in his prime, posessed some of the best Muay Thai in the sport and was one of the most feared fighters ever.
6. Fedor Emelianenko (32-2-0-1, HW) Inspiring a bigger fanbase than most fighters will ever dare to dream about, The Last Emperor has made and broken promotions. His one universally accepted flaw is his killer instinct that got him caught by Fabricio Werdum, a top jiu-jitsu heavyweight, with a triangle choke at their fight in June 2010. Many speculate that he will go to the UFC after his Strikeforce contract ends. As of right now, he is the only member of this list to have never fought for the UFC.
5. Chuck Liddell (21-8, LH)-The Iceman defended his UFC Light Heavyweight title four times against Randy Couture (twice), Jeremy Horn (an ultra-Ironman fighter with over 100 pro fights), and Renato "Babalu" Sobral. Other notable wins have come against Pele, Jeff Monson, Tito Ortiz, and Alistair Overeem. However, his main reason for being on this list is because his exciting style has electrified fans the world over. It can definitely be argued that Chuck was the central person behind the UFC PPV boom of 2006, and the number two reason behind The Ultimate Fighter.
4. Dan Henderson (25-8, MW, LH)-In all major MMA promotions, only one fighter has held two titles at the same time in different divisions, and that man is Hendo. He is the only 185 champion PRIDE ever had, and at PRIDE 33, in a rematch against Wanderlei Silva, he knocked Silva cold to win his 205 title. While he was unable to translate that title success into the UFC, losing both titles in unification fights to Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva, he had success inside the Octagon, including the knockout of the year at UFC 100 against Michael Bisping.
3. Kazushi Sakuraba (26-13-1-2, MW) One of the legends of PRIDE, The Gracie Hunter, so named because of his wins over Renzo, Royler, Royce, and Ryan, is one of the biggest fixtures of Japanese MMA. Also known as The IQ Wrestler because of his extremely technical grappling, Sakuraba won the UFC Ultimate Japan tournament and fought 27 times in PRIDE. His biggest wins have been over the four aforementioned Gracies, Guy Mezger, and Quinton Jackson.
2. Matt Hughes (44-7, WW) He is the most dominant champion in UFC history, with ten successful title victories over two reigns. With more than 50 fights under his belt, he is a true veteran of the sport. He is also a ground specialist who, along with the aforementioned Mark Coleman, are generally considered the founding fathers of ground-and-pound. His most notable victories came against Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn, and Royce Gracie.
And the greatest MMA fighter of all time is...
1. Anderson Silva (27-5, WW, MW, LH) The Spider has the most consecutive UFC wins and UFC title defenses, as well as some of the best Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu in the sport. He has titles in Cage Rage, Shooto, and of course the UFC. While only going 3-2 in PRIDE, both losses were by submission due to going in for the kill too early. His win list is a veritable "who's who" of MMA, and he has never shirked a fight. After his win over Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, he has come closer to cleaning out a division than anyone before him.
God bless,
MMAPhreak21