UFC 139: Mixed martial artist set the bar for professional athletes

MMA is a game that stands alone for many reasons. In today’s world of sports, competition often gets diluted with the many regulations and team-based structures. In its introspective temperament, MMA is the purest form of competition. The extreme nature of MMA is so incredibly intricate with so many disciplines involved beneath the violent crust.

Two athletes stand toe-to-toe using nothing but their own highly conditioned body en route to victory. Mixed Martial Artist are required to work harder than most athletes simply because their own well-being depends on the invested effort. These raw athletes push through gruesome training camps, challenging their mental and physical limits in hand-to-hand combat. Every once in a while two athletes will step into the cage and put on a brilliant display of fighting propelled by undying heart and soul. This happened on Saturday.

MMA history was made at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California Saturday night as UFC 139 delivered a night of unforgettable fights. The main event between Mauricio Rua and Dan Henderson shed light on the fact that a truly different breed of athletes is what makes the sport of MMA so special. These two light heavyweight legends clashing for a 25-minute melee redefined the saying “leaving it all out there”. The exhausting battle of back and forth willpower kept the crowd breathless and on their feet, while Henderson and Rua shed blood, sweat, and tears that painted the octagon floor. As soon as one fighter appeared to be inches from finishing the fight, the other would rise from the brink of defeat with his last dying breath and reverse the momentum. Shogun had already proved his toughness with the many wars through out your career, but at no point in his life was he able to conquer such adversity. With the ecstatic 13,000 fans on their feet for this epic fight, at certain moments the chants of “USA! USA” and stark pandemonium revitalized the wobbly light heavyweight warriors.

When the fight ended, people were trying to regain their consciousness, left completely indifferent with who had actually won the fight. There seems to be a correlation with the ability to overcome pain and the fear of it, to the ability to give everything a person has inside them every time. The heart possessed by these two Mixed Martial Artists created something that no other sport is capable of. It wasn’t the result, but the journey that two men had forged in front of the MMA world that will be engraved in history. 

UFC 139 Picks and Breakdowns

Danny Castillo vs. Shamar Bailey:

Shamar Bailey is a tough fighter who can take a punch, and he proved just that in his last scrap with Evan Dunham. Bailey was very relaxed and focused when I spoke with him this morning. Facing Danny Castillo will bring the young lightweight a serious test, but with the wrestling skill and solid chin, Bailey will be able to grind out a win.

Bailey by Unanimous Decision

Seth Bacynzski vs. Matt Brown:

Matt Brown has proved his toughness ever since his days on The Ultimate Fighter. He has solid striking and is very well rounded. Seth Bacyznski is also a TUF alum, yet Brown will be the superior fighter and win decisively.

Brown by (T)KO round 2

Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau:

The veteran UFC lightweight Tibau is facing a younger Brazilian in Dos Anjos. With an impressive knockout over George Sotiropoulos at UFC 132, Dos Anjos proved his stand up is no joke. In addition, Dos Anjos has solid ground game and he will use it to finish Tibau after knocking him down.

Dos Anjos by Submission round 2

Alex Soto vs. Michael McDonald:

Michael McDonald showed some fight of the night action when he went to a victorious decision with Edwin Figueroa. Mayday has great footwork with an athletic base and great hands. His game is too developed for the undefeated Alex Soto.

McDonald by Unanimous Decision

Tom Lawler vs. Chris Weidman:

Tom Lawler is coming off a long layoff since his win over Patrick Cote at UFC 121 as he looks to take down the wrestler Weidman. Chris Weidman has great takedowns, and solid jiu jitsu, yet has less experience than Lawler. Both of these middleweights are well rounded, but the experience of "Filthy" Tom Lawler will give him an edge.

Lawler by Submission round 3 (SOTN)

Jason Brillz vs. Ryan Bader:

Ryan Bader is one of a number of fighters on this card with his back up against the wall. In this must win scenario, Bader will begin with his striking, but will most definitely resort to his background skill of wrestling if he is not initially successful. Jason Brillz looked lean at weigh ins, but his chin was a serious problem when he lost to Vladimir Matushenko, and Bader has power in his hands.

Bader by (T)KO round 1 (KOTN)

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Stephan Bonnar:

Stephan Bonnar is coming off a long layoff and is facing a true scrapper in Kyle Kingsbury. This may very well be fight of the night, but seeing how quick and efficient Bonnar is with his striking will determine how he will fare against the younger Kingsbu. Then again, Stephan can take a punch.

Bonnar by Split Decision

Martin Kampman vs. Rick Story:

Rick Story, who got a little chippy at weigh ins is an explosive and strong young fighter. He has brute strength that was able to manipulate veteran Thiago Alves, and can hurt you with his hands. Although Martin Kampman is accurate and crisp with his strikes, he is facing a must win scenario and Story is too much for "The Hitman" to handle.

Story by (T)KO round 3

Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles:

The two WEC decorated veterans are just part of this star studded UFC 139 cast. Bowles and Faber are similarly tough and well rounded fighters. This fight has experience on both ends, and could really go either way. Faber is itching to get his trilogy with Cruz, and has a bad taste in his mouth after UFC 132. Faber will use his excellent striking and forward attack to win a close decision over Brian Bowles.

Faber by Split Decision

Cung Le vs. Wanderlei Silva:

In his first UFC bout, Cung Le has a lot of hype behind him. The former Strikeforce Middleweight champion has striking that resembles that of Machida, and is facing someone with a complete opposing style. Silva will run at Le like a mad man, but Le is used to this and will keep Silva at bay and pick him apart for three rounds.

Le by Unanimous Decision (FOTN)

Mauricio Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson:

Shogun looked great in his win over Forrest Griffin, and is hungry for another title shot, but before he gets it, Henderson represents a grueling test. Hendo has huge power in his strikes, and will finish anybody he connects with. In addition, the California Native's Greco Roman background bar none and once he starts outwrestling his opponents, they lose all sight of a game plan in trying to survive. Shogun will start off with solid striking, but Henderson will end up wearing Rua down and later knocking him out.

Henderson by (T)KO round 3

All Picks:

Bailey

Brown

McDonald

Lawler

Bader

Bonnar

Story

Faber

Le

Henderson

MMA Sucka and Streetmade UFC 139 Fight Breakdowns

Dos Santos, UFC propel MMA into mainstream sphere

photo via ESPN.com

After Junior Dos Santos shocked the world on a rainy southern California night, ripples of the monumental splash the UFC made in network television has begun to resonate. With all of the immense publicity, hype, and expectation leading up to the UFC’s first date with Network Television, all of the fighters put on their game faces and showed the world what MMA is all about.

With all of the fights except for the main event being broadcast only on Fox Sports website Fuel TV, and Facebook, many of the non-regular MMA fans unaware of these platforms, just watched the heavyweight championship. Before I go into the historic showdown that ended so quickly and dramatically, I believe there is some serious credit due to all of the fighters and how they stepped up tonight under the sport’s biggest spotlight in history.

In every single bout, both men stepped into the cage to fight at their best, as there were even many fighters impressive in defeat (Swanson, Bradley). Ricardo Lamas came out and turned an exciting fight around in Cub Swanson’s face with an excellent submission. Alex Caceres showed maturity and some fancy kickboxing, winning his first UFC fight. And Clay Guida fought Ben(son) Henderson in an epic war that I am sure Dana White wishes had been on Fox as well.

Everyone in the UFC from the production crew, the broadcast team, and most importantly the fighters, collectively took tonight very seriously in turn delivering for the UFC.

There is so much that goes on in the mind of a fighter before battle. As a journalist, I can only speculate what most of it is, but when I start shaking and getting nervous before watching a big fight from my couch, it becomes apparent that there must be a similar feeling for the fighters. Tonight, the victors were simply in the zone.

Think about all the professional athletes (football, baseball or basketball players) competing in front of millions of fans, as they perform at their best and extricate throbbing nerves out of their psyche to win a championship. For so many years sports fans have regarded these competitors to be supreme athletes that athletically and mentally capable beyond measure. And while only ten years ago the sport of MMA was being dismissed as a legitimate sport with so many misconceptions, with the development of the game and it’s participants, tonight the UFC has opened a new chapter in the sport’s history, transforming into one of the elite.

When the Fox Sports theme music kicked in at six o’clock, it was a wake up call for the world of combat sports. Mainstream MMA was now a reality. Junior stepped foot into “Cain Country” propelled by none other than Rocky theme music. And after what seemed like an eternity, the two big men occupied the octagon and the bout was under way. Quickly a few leg kicks from Cain provoked Cigano’s dangerous boxing. All in one swift right hand attack, the striking specialist clipped Velasquez’s temple, rapidly sending the champ to the canvas. Suddenly the Brazilian was standing over the Velasquez pounding his way into history. Dos Santos, with some of the quickest and most powerful punches in the sport, was for some reason counted out as many speculated that the wrestling of Cain was going to dominate this fight. After such an adventure, it is hard not to be satisfied with the UFC network television debut.

The emotions that this victory elicited in Cigano ran parallel with the passionate sports following in the midst of a historic event. With such vital excitement in even a quick ending battle, the main event as put by Dana White made for “a perfect night.”

U of MMA bouts impress under Storm lights

The Lake Elsinore Storm Stadium was home to University of MMA’s November 5^th “Storm Cage Fights”. This chilly evening was no match for the warriors who fought in this event.  The weather hovered at around 45 degrees Fahrenheit and the fighters’ breath was clearly visible.

Opening up the night of fights up was a heavyweight collision between Julian “Bimbo Bear” Reveles and Luis Cruz. With a startling right hook, Luis Cruz planted the dazed Reveles to the canvas. Only six seconds and one single punch into the night, Cruz had earned a mammoth knockout.

Winner: Luis Cruz via Knockout

The next fight was a 135-pound battle between the wrestler Dale Jackson and the Jiu-jitsu practitioner Anthony Cortez. Cortez seemed to be controlling the first two rounds with his takedowns. He was able to find takedowns both by catching Jackson’s kicks and executing a relentless double leg. The main point of Jackson’s offense was in the second and third round when he dropped into guard with a guillotine but couldn’t finish either choke. Jackson didn’t have an answer to Cortez’s non-stop wrestling onslaught, but by having the back of Cortez and attempting (not finishing) a rear naked choke when the fight ended, Dale Jackson left a strong message in the judges mind and won the split decision.

Winner: Dale Jackson via Split Decision (29-28.5x2, 28.5-29)

Ruben Covarrubias from Team Quest took on Quentin Triche for a 145-pound matchup. Triche, the striker and grappler, stormed out of the gates with strong standup consisting of punches and sharp leg kicks. Covarrubias took some punishment and then slipped a big punch into a takedown. For the rest of the fight, Covarrubias earned takedown after takedown but wasn’t able to do big damage from the top as Triche controlled his posture from the bottom. Covarrubias takes the Unanimous decision.

Winner: Ruben Covarrubias via Unanimous Decision (29.5-28)

The Boxer Paul Stone would next face Robert Precie in a 160-pound catch-weight fight. Precie was able to show off his strength and wrestling with an early trip, putting Stone on his back hard. Precie went to work with some ground and pound but Stone found his way back to his feet. As soon as Stone throws another punch, Precie slipped it, lifted Stone off the ground and threw him to the canvas like a ragdoll. Out of position from the impact, Stone gave up his back and Precie sunk in the rear naked choke before the end of the first round.

Winner: Robert Precie via Rear Naked Choke

The fifth bout of the evening featured a lightweight matchup between Team Quest’s Mike Hernandez and Jiu-Jitsu fighter Spencer Spiker. As soon as the fight started, both guys began exchanging and landing blows. After a quick stand up battle, Hernandez clinched and dropped down into his guard with an arm-in guillotine that he ended up letting go. As soon as Hernandez had Spiker in his guard he began looking for submissions. First he tried to slap on a triangle, but after Spiker defended the choke Hernandez swung his hips for a picture perfect arm bar causing Spiker to tap immediately.

Winner: Mike Hernandez via Armbar

The Pennsylvanian wrestler Andrew Detweiler who had taken this fight on 48 hours notice would face Ramon Jauregui from Joe Stevenson’s Cobra Kai in a 175-pound matchup. From the start, Detweiler was getting the better of the stand up exchanges. After being taken down by Jauregui, Detweiler executes a wall walk and reversal. Quickly after threatening with an armbar, Jauregui is saved by the bell. In round two, Detweiler shot for the double leg and got it, as he began his ground and pound attack from inside the guard. Surviving the big shots, Jauregui made it through the second round only to be mounted and finished by Detweiler’s ground and pound assault in the third.

Winner: Andrew Detweiler TKO

The following welterweight fight was between street fighter Ken Ocean from Cobra Kai and Roman Rodriguez. This fight was an all out brawl as both men were throwing big punches and landing the entire fight. The first round was a dirty boxing war from the clinch. Ken Ocean came out strong in the second, initiating the punches. As the two became tired the punches were being thrown from the hip and the fight was a complete war. Doing more damage and staying on the offensive, Ken Ocean took a Unanimous Decision making corner man and former UFC lightweight champion Joe Stevenson proud.

“He worked his but off,” Said Stevenson. “That’s what is great about being an amateur; you start off and see where you are at, and where you need to improve, then you turn pro. Ken did great tonight.”

Winner: Ken Ocean via Unanimous Decision (29.5-29)

John Flores would take on Larry Stroud from Team Quest in bout number eight. Stroud showcased some vigorous stand up as he landed a big portion of the many of punches he threw in the first round. Stroud clinched and grabbed under hooks tripping Flores fiercely to the mat. Flores’ rubber guard was only able to control Stroud for a short time and Stroud finished off the round with strong punches. In the second, Stroud exploded out of his corner and shook the cage with a forceful takedown. He got Flores’ back and worked for the rear naked choke until the round ended, but could not sink it in, as Flores was tough to finish. In the third round it seemed as though Stroud had begun to tire. He wasn’t landing as many shots, and Flores took the center of the cage. After clinch knee warfare for most of the third round Stroud emerged victorious with a clear Unanimous Decision.

Winner: Larry Stroud Unanimous Decision (30-27.5, 30-27, 30-26.5)

The main event of the evening featured a light heavyweight matchup between United Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s Tremaine Rider and Cobra Kai’s Nick Banks. The fight started with back and forth strikes but both guys were throwing conservatively. After clinching, these two seriously powerful fighters were battling for position against the cage. Banks showed off his strong wrestling when he came out in the second round and tripped Rider, and attempted an arm bar. Although he couldn’t finish this submission, he was able to get back up and execute another strong takedown. The two strong light heavyweights came out in the last round and Banks gets another single leg trip takedown. Banks worked from side control to a crucifix as he pinned Rider’s right arm down and ground and pounded till the fight ended. Banks made a last minute game plan change and was still able to earn the win.

“He [Rider] came from a Jiu-Jitsu gym so I was expecting to get better control,” Said Banks. “I’m a stand up fighter. I like to stand and bang, that’s my strength, but I heard the mat was slippery so I drilled wrestling in the locker room before the fight, and was able to win this grappling match.”

Winner: Nick Banks via Unanimous Decision (29-28)

The Panther: Into the Cage

http://www.thepantheronline.com/sports/into-the-cage-1.2684833#.Trsq0lZSnOE

The Panther: Mixed martial arts play a vital role in combat sports

http://www.thepantheronline.com/search-1.1290225?q=Julien+Solomita

The Panther: Exhibition of Scoring in First Victory

http://www.thepantheronline.com/sports/exhibition-of-scoring-in-first-victory-1.2685743#.TrsqiFZSnOE

MMA Sucka and Streetmade UFC on Fox Fight Breakdowns

Bradley eyes UFC victory on Fox card

This Saturday Nov. 12 the UFC will come to Anaheim, Calif. to make history. In debuting its first FOX show the UFC has brought out the big guns in scheduling the heavyweight championship. While Dos Santos and Velasquez prepare square off, the preliminary bouts will christen the Fox Sports Octagon. One of the young talents to take center stage in the Honda Center on Saturday is welterweight Paul Bradley.

After his first close decision loss to Rafael Natal at UFC 133, Bradley will rematch the wrestler Mike Pierce. The welterweights first met in April of 2009’s RIE: Brotherly Love Brawl. After the two battled three long rounds, a close decision went the way of Mike Pierce. The two big welterweights’ strong wrestling canceled each other out in their first fight forcing a stand up battle. Bradley has grown as a fighter since his defeat against Pierce and believes he has improved significantly in both striking and grappling.

“I have watched Mike’s [Pierce] fights and there are some things that he tends to do a lot of and I am going to look to capitalize on. I’m sure he’ll try to take me down, as he tried last fight, but it will probably be a striking battle again.”

In all of Bradley’s past fights he trained in his native town of Minneapolis at The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, but after losing his first fight in the UFC, Bradley implemented geographical changes to his preparation by moving to San Diego. Now part of Alliance MMA, Bradley is training with the likes of Phil Davis, Dominick Cruz, Brandon Vera and boxing coach Eric Del Fierro. With the improved training staff, “The Gentleman” feels ready for battle.

“As soon as I found out I had this fight I knew I needed to get away from home and just kind of seclude myself,” Bradley said. “Here in San Diego there is nothing else to do but train, fight, eat, and sleep, and although being away from home is hard, it was a sacrifice that needed to be made. I look at it as a boot camp before I go to war.”

Being on the UFC on FOX debut fight card, Bradley knows the focus of the event, and is feeling no difference from any of his previous fights.

“The card is more geared towards getting the first UFC fight on the Fox Network, and they are showing one fight: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez. I train for every fight the same whether the logo on the cage is UFC of CFX back in Minneapolis.”

Reflection of previous fights can aid any fighter’s future success as experience provides introspective knowledge. Bradley has 18 wins on his record, but going into the Honda Center Saturday night he is focusing solely on the 19^th, and the man that stands in his way.

“Its all the same. It’s still a fight. Nothing is going to change it once you get in there”

Mixed signals of sportsmanship in Mixed Martial Arts

The fire in the eyes of two opponents standing toe-to-toe and flipping through their arsenal of attacks to win a fight is the last place for amiability. Of course, it’s only just a sport and once the fight ends… the hostility usually does, too. For every fighter touching gloves for a ‘touch of respect’, there are fighters with smiles on their faces while trying to rip limbs off in submission holds. It can be confusing sometimes. Has MMA reached the crossroads when it comes to the age-old value of sportsmanship?

The fight business is also an entertainment business and the animosity between fighters is an unfailing approach in fight promotion. In the UFC, there have been many wild personalities that have clashed to produce some incredibly famous rivalries. Some of these feuds have been genuine to the core (Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock), and others resolve themselves once someone’s hand is raised. While UFC president Dana White knows that such drama can draw large crowds, sportsmanship is becoming increasingly pivotal in people’s perception of the sport.

Fight fans love watching the competition and rooting on their favorite athletes. They crave the energy inside the arena on fight night and invest all kinds of emotion into supporting their favorite fighters. Although there is pride in seeing two fighters show respect after a match, the fans understand when the two participants want nothing more to do with each other. On occasion, it feels like the line gets blurred when two fighters are hugging at the start of rounds and grinning between blows.

Welterweight Nick Diaz was unhappy with the entire situation that transpired at UFC 137 despite putting a historic beating on B.J. Penn. While venting at the post fight press conference Diaz touches on the subject of his connection with Penn and generally the nature of intra-fighter relationships.

 ”If were going to be fighting we aren’t friends. Next thing you know Dana’s going to make us fight. That’s not what I want. That’s not good for the fans, I don’t want to see that either.”

These instances seem to upset many people and certain fighters are uncomfortable with premature endearment. Nick Diaz vocalizes on the topic as though he was thinking of these fights in particular.

“You make two guys that are friends fight and they go out there and give each other a hug and then go into the third round. What the hell is that? Nobody wants to see that.”

Diaz is an extremely emotional fighter who is often misunderstood, but he has a valid point here. He feels like respect only goes so far and that when the fight becomes too friendly, it impedes his mindset and gives a mixed message. It isn’t that Nick Diaz doesn’t want to be friends with these athletes similar in status or tolerate a wide array of graphic personas his rivals bring to the table… He just feels that the cage is not the place for this type of curious camaraderie and the fact that fighters “hug and then go into the third round” sends a rather peculiar message to spectators.

At Ultimate Fight Night Live 24, there was a hot bantamweight battle between Michael “Mayday” McDonald and Edwin Figueroa which showcased both guys at battle for the full distance. The non-stop action progressively drained both fighters until their gas tanks were both empty. As the third and final round started, they met at the center of the cage and hugged, then starting fighting again. At UFC 115 a similar situation arose when Mirko Cro Cop and Pat Barry lovingly embraced each other after a wild exchange. This quick moment of awkward embrace forces the audience to react to the blatant interruption. “What is he doing? Where did that come from?” Without the disruption of a hug, such great fights look a lot more like the TUF 1 finale where both Griffin and Bonnar held back their affection until after the final bell had resonated through the electric arena.

A pressing contributor to this growing issue of confusion in MMA sportsmanship are the fabricated feuds. With so many reasons for two fighters to dislike each other, the level of realism in rivalries varies. You would never expect Brock Lesnar to hug Frank Mir in the octagon nor would you Jon Jones and Rashad Evan and, yet, somehow one of these rivalries is largely more competitive than the other. When Rashad Evans hurt his hand and pulled out of his title fight, he vowed to never fight his teammate Jon Jones. Yet “Bones”, on a separate mission, earned the title shot. Disregarding Evans’ plan to not fight friends lit the fire between the Greg Jackson students. Jones did what all fight promoters advocate competing teammates do in this situation. First, he claimed he would [in a Sherdog Interview] “never fight Rashad Evans”, then quickly changed his mind by implementing the new mantra of just wanting to be the best. With such foggy distinction of real versus fake, what can we really make of the bickering between the two men?

Friendship is important for even the unlikeliest of fighters. For Nick Diaz, apparently fighting B.J. Penn tarnished the prospect of a companionship with the man. He released all of his pent-up emotions at the UFC 137 post-fight press conference.

“I had to fight somebody I know. I had to fight somebody who I might have been friends with some point in time. We could have trained together.”

The UFC has been home to some of the most memorable characters in sports. The electric, animated, and animalistic BJ Penn had just choked out Joe Stevenson in one of the goriest brawls in UFC history. Running around the cage on pure adrenaline, Penn began to slobber his foe’s blood clean off his leather war tools at the end of his fists, staking his claim as alpha male of the lightweight division.

Chael Sonnen continues his diarrhea of the mouth, a mouth which has no filter or shame in attacking anyone in the name of ‘entertainment.’ Claiming to be the people’s champion, declaring all Brazilians are incompetent human beings, or disparagingly snubbing anyone he pleases. Sonnen prides himself in using his wicked vocalization to (try to) get a fight.

“I want an easy fight. Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva. Either of the Silvas. Bigfoot Silva. They all suck.”

The mammoth heavyweight striker Junior Dos Santos is one of the most physically imposing men to be standing across the cage from. Outside the ring, Dos Santos’ true character manifests as a warm and lighthearted individual with a contagious, euphoric demeanor emanating that of a joyous 12-year-old boy. Which is, naturally, why the media doesn’t talk about him as much as they drool over Sonnen’s routine.

These emotionally entertaining humans that put on the gloves and fight for our enjoyment possess an ability that most of us don’t have. It is important for these crazy warriors to remain combative and not let their guards down for kind regards towards their opponent. Sure, the Nam Phan versus Leonard Garcia fights were exciting… but also a slippery slope. It starts as a high five and a smile, but soon enough becomes an awkward and unprofessional fight that many people feel shouldn’t take place on such a big stage. Leave the salutations out of fights and let the natural flow. This is an introspective sport that delves into the raw emotions of the core of the participants. The cage is simply an eight-sided inferno. No time for games or stunts.