Eddie Bravo out to change the game once again

Building another bridge between jiu jitsu and MMA, Eddie Bravo introduces combat jiu jitsu.

Julien Solomita | Staff Writer/ Journalist

    MMA is growing at a pace consistent with the sport’s ever improving talent pool. With so many different aspects of a mixed martial artist’s game coming into play in every bout, the ability for a fighter to utilize his or her strengths in a fight is what separates success from frustrating failure in this intricate sport. Many ground specialists that have made the switch to MMA find certain roadblocks that prevent them from playing their game in a fight. While it is difficult for MMA fighters to bring fights into their comfort zone and attack with their strengths, it is very possible in almost every scenario. The founder of 10^th Planet Jiu Jitsu and creator of an unconventional no-gi style of jiu jitsu designed for fighters, Eddie Bravo is now bridging the gap from jiu jitsu to MMA in attempts to revamp a sport within a sport.

    Bravo joined me on Fighting Solo Radio and we discussed his new project. It is called combat jiu jitsu and it is simply a grappling match with strikes allowed once one fighter has gone to the ground. Elbows and punches to the head and body, kicks and knees to the body, and up kicks are all permitted as long as one competitor is on the ground. Until the fight reaches the ground it is purely wrestling with takedowns and no striking. Bravo believes this new sport will serve the purpose of filling a void that exists between MMA and pure grappling.

    “There is a hole in between MMA and grappling,” Bravo said. “The hole is combat jiu jitsu, right there in the middle. It’s not quite MMA but it is way more brutal than standard jiu jitsu.”

    Making the leap from jiu jitsu directly to MMA is no easy task, in fact many grapplers turned fighters struggle with having to begin fights vulnerable to strikes. Bravo thinks that not only will the sport serve as a middle ground for grapplers transitioning into MMA, but that seeing world class grapplers compete in jiu jitsu with punches will test them in a way that 10^th planet has built its style off of.

    “There are so many amazing grapplers out there that will never do MMA,” he said. “Before combat jiu jitsu we would never see how [these grapplers’] jiu jitsu looks when someone is trying to smash them.”

    For Bravo, the objective for this new concoction is simple.

    “The goal is to have a sport thrive that will prepare grapplers better for MMA than regular grappling does,” Bravo said. “It is also a sport for people that don’t want to do MMA at all but do want to punch on the ground.”

    A prime example of a jiu jitsu expert failing to employ his grappling in an MMA fight was on the first live fight of The Ultimate Fighter season 15. Cristiano Marcello, a fourth degree BJJ black belt under Royler Gracie, fought against Black House MMA’s striking specialist Justin Lawrence, and was unable to employ his ground game. Bravo mentioned this fight to highlight the importance of a grappler knowing how to effectively pull guard in a fight.

    “Obviously Cristiano is amazing at jiu jitsu but he couldn’t get the fight down, so he was left to strike with Lawrence,” he said. “Pulling guard is not mastered enough by jiu jitsu guys. Most guys aren’t willing to pull guard, but you have to pull guard, you have to have faith in your guard. [As a grappler] if you don’t have that third option you are going to hit a (expletive) wall.”

    Now fully sanctioned under the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) with the help of U of MMA (a popular southern California amateur MMA promotion) president Turi Altavilla, combat jiu jitsu is set for its debut. On May 20 at the Nokia Center for U of MMA’s ‘Tomorrow’s World Champions’ event, combat jiu jitsu will share the stage with three matches to take place in the MMA cage. Bravo envisions the sport moving from the cage to an open mat (similar to the venue of grappling tournaments), in hopes that the sport will become it’s own entity.

    “When you put combat jiu jitsu on an open mat, that is where it is going to shine,” he said. “This is just the beginning, we are just testing it out.”

    Until then, Bravo is simply aiming to get his new sport off the ground.

    “Right now we are just trying to get it through the door, just to have some matches and some history,” he said.

Three 10th planet grapplers are set to christen the combat jiu jitsu canvas. Brown belts Jeremy Shields and Justin Milos, and blue belt Jared McCourt are all awaiting the announcement of their opponents for May 20.

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Johnson making best of rough situation

After going through the weirdest possible scenario for a fighter, Demetrious Johnson has set his sights on the future.

It was just a few short weeks ago when Johnson was told he was victorious in the inaugural UFC flyweight bout against Ian McCall, and had his hand risen in front of the Sydney crowd. Only he hadn’t won the fight, and later on in the night, Dana White famously told the fighters a draw was the correct decision and the wrong outcome was announced in front of millions.

I had a chance to chat with Demetrious on ‘Fighting Solo Radio’. Soon after Dana White called him in, Johnson suspected the post fight meeting to regard something entirely different.

“The first thing that went through my mind was when we were fighting, someone in the crowd booed us and then Ian flipped him off,” Johnson said. “Next thing you knew we were called in the office, and I thought Dana was going to take away our Fight of the Night Bonus.”

Johnson was fully concerned with the possible repercussions of McCall’s post fight behavior, and remembered the importance of representing MMA and the UFC internationally.

“We’re trying to be great ambassadors for this sport, and the last thing we need is someone out there flipping off the crowd on national television,” Johnson said.

After losing a decision to Bantamweight Champion, Dominick Cruz, the AMC Pankration wrestler has cut down to 125 pounds hoping for this weight to be his new home. In testing out the waters of the UFC’s newest weight class, Johnson has learned from his mistakes and is preparing for improvements in his return to the octagon.

“I came in really light (two pounds over) and after weigh ins, I didn’t carb back up. My body wasn’t running right, and as you could see in the third round (against McCall) I could move, but I had no juice on my punches,” Johnson said. “I’m going to get my diet correct and be a different fighter June 8.”

As a fighter who has relied heavily on his overwhelming speed for his whole career, Johnson is now at a weight where he will be matched more evenly in the strength department. Johnson is happy with the new weight but knows what skill remains most important.

“I’m blessed with a little power, but I’m gifted with a lot of speed,” Johnson said. “Speed is my power.”

Rebounding from this has been just another speed bump for “Mighty Mouse”, who is now in full preparation mode as the rematch with McCall nears.

“I’ve been working on my overall game,” Johnson said. “You got to be ready for everybody you can’t just sit there and focus on one thing. If you improve your whole game you’ll be ready for the next opponent. “

UFC on FX on June 8 is when the two flyweights will go at it again, as they headline the free card. The winner will be awarded a title shot against Joseph Benavidez who took down Yasuhiro Urishitani. A location has yet to be announced.

Evans can win his long awaited second title shot

As the date approaches, it has become more and more evident that nobody wants this fight to finally happen as much as the two light heavyweights headlining UFC 145, especially Rashad Evans. It has been a long and difficult road for Evans who was pitted against his teammate forcing him to change training camps. Evans moved his life to Boca Raton, Florida, and to make the move even tougher, he separated from his wife. Greg Jackson, Evan’s longtime mentor, friend and head coach will corner Jon Jones in the big Atlanta scrap, giving Evans yet another tough break in his quest back to the top. Jones has done his talking, and Evans is tired of doing his. Come April 21, Evans is entering the Philips Arena looking for nothing other than some payback and UFC gold.

As much as this matchup has grown a bit stale with all the waiting for title shots, injuries and team drama, come Saturday there will be one really exciting fight for the 205-pound UFC strap.

While the champ has proven himself time and time again against the world’s best with vicious submissions, deadly striking and an overwhelming presence in the octagon, he has his toughest test awaiting him. ‘Bones’ will have the reach, and striking advantage over virtually all of his opponents, his wrestling is top tier and his submissions are crisp. But in Atlanta’s blue corner, there will stand a superior wrestler. ‘Suga’ possesses proven knockout power, and an athletic ability that competes closely with that of the menacing Jones.

The former champion showed the world how athletic, explosive and powerful he really is when he kneed Tito right in the heart, yet his performance against Davis seemed lackluster after following such a dominant display, like having to give a speech in class right after the valedictorian finishes his. I believe that the reason for Evans not finishing Davis like he did Tito is simply that it was a wrestling stalemate, and Evans barely resorted to his takedowns in that fight because he knew he could outstrike the Penn State alum. This lack of utilization of his wrestling and more importantly not mixing and rotating of different techniques and dimensions of his game, is what granted this fight five long, exhausting to watch rounds.

When Jones stands across from his former training partner in two weeks, he will again be advantageous in the stand up department, but Evans will be successful if he can create a concoction with each of his refined attributes coming into play in a harmonious rotation. Winner of the second season of Ultimate Fighter as a heavyweight, Evans has never been submitted, and has always been able to escape difficult ground wars with his skillset learned at Michigan State. If this Blackzilian can get out in front with his wrestling, he will be able to dictate the pace, and work his ground and pound like he did against Forrest. And if he doesn’t do exactly that, we can almost be sure to witness another title defense from the youngster.

UFC Featherweight division has entered its prime

In the midst of TRT, heavyweight, and twitter drama, it is the UFC’s little guys that creep their way to the top.

Since the WEC merger in October of 2010, the featherweights and bantamweights have been rapidly solidifying their presence in the octagon, as it was anything but slow and steady as the wildly exciting fighters quickly got in the swing of things. The featherweight division has been a breeding ground for some of the world’s most vicious strikers, grapplers and well-rounded scrappers. And now, with or without Frankie Edgar, the 145-pound weight class is stacked, positively foreshadowing the future of UFC’s lighter weight fighters.

It takes a truly proven champion for a division to be as popular and talented as the featherweight class is. Jose Aldo has time and time again been considered at the top of MMA’s pound for pound list, as he is a critical component in the success of the UFC’s featherweights. He is like a Georges St. Pierre, or Anderson Silva in that every time the doubt or suspicion of Aldo (21-1) being overrated arises, he somehow proves his talent and solidifies all the hype. His knockout of Chad “Money” Mendes was a perfect reminder that Mr. Aldo is one of the world’s best. Having Aldo not only provides guaranteed fireworks in title fights, but it makes the division that much more competitive, as the young 145 pound fighters see what lies ahead, and sharpen themselves in preparation to slay the beast.

The competition is always fierce in the UFC and the fighters know how important each and every fight is. The featherweight talent pool is now dangerously deep and there are a number of participating factors. Season 14’s Ultimate Fighter cast recently made a monster splash with all eight featherweight participants now on the UFC’s roster. Diego Brandao (19-7) was impressive the entire season, and performed when it counted when he grabbed the title of Ultimate Fighter, two bonuses, and some nice coin for his mom.

While the new live format of the Ultimate Fighter grabs the MMA spotlight, TUF: Brazil in one episode has given the U.S. talent a run for its money. Even with high expectations of explosive Brazilian talent to jumpstart the first purely international version of the show, the fighters still delivered. There were wild striking battles, relentless wrestling and grappling on display, and a number crazy finishes that made the entry fights a promising indicator for the upcoming season. Regardless of the show’s winner, TUF: Brazil will ultimately supplement the UFC’s featherweight division even more.

With the young talent mainly originating from the ‘TUF-route’ to the big show, there are still a number of other featherweights that have been making their title runs for some time. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (12-1) has proven himself as a top striker and grappler in the division. One of the most crucial components to Poirier’s success is his toughness, and he continues to prove himself worthy of a title shot. Also in the mix there is Eric “New Breed” Koch (13-1) who recently took down TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins (14-4), chalking up his second win in the UFC. Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson (15-5) who, coming of a razor thin decision loss to undefeated lightweight Edson Barbosa (10-0), jumped right back in the win column by beating Junior Assuncao.

The featherweights constantly wowed fans and UFC brass, as the young division began its lighting quick development, and it isn’t slowing down. The newcomers from TUF 14, current TUF: Brazil participants, and the rest of the division continues to bring the featherweight division atop the UFC. If the division’s success is any indicator of the potential of the new 125-pound weight class, the flyweights are looking at a bright future.

Welterweight tournament could be huge for Strikeforce

Tarec Saffeidine lands a head kick against Nate Moore

Strikeforce is set to have a 170 pound champ by Summer, as a big opportunity for the promotion lies within its grasp.

Ever since the UFC gained one of its biggest marketing machines and talking points in the last few years after grabbing him from Scott Coker’s promotion, the absence of Nick Diaz has actually made the Strikeforce welterweight division quite exciting. There is no longer a juggernaut that reigns atop the division, and although Diaz moved on to the UFC, the competition in Strikeforce has not taken a day off.

Tyron Woodley, Tarec Saffeidine, Bobby Voelker, Roger Bowling, Jason High, and Kazuo Misaki are all contenders on winning streaks shooting for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight belt. As these fighters await their new opponents, the question of how will the promotion will name a champ must be asked.  Although there are rumors of Tyron Woodley facing newcomer Nate Marquardt for the belt, it doesn’t seem like that is what will revitalize the energy that this division once had.

Tarec Saffeidine recently took down Tyler Stinson with a three round split decision victory, and has one fight on his mind.

“I think they are still trying to figure out who Tyron will fight for the belt. I heard Scott Coker tell me there would be a champ at 170 before this summer,” Saffeidine said. “We all want to know who is going to fight next for the belt, and hopefully I get my rematch with Tyron for the belt.”

The next Strikeforce card is coming up in San Jose on May 19, and the welterweights could very possibly be getting the call for that event.

Tournaments are one special thing that has kept Strikeforce original in the shadow of the UFC, but with the current heavyweight grand prix dragging on since Feb. 2011, people seemed to have lost significant interest. Creating a tournament for the welterweight belt, and setting dates for each round of the tournament while keeping injury replacements ready to jump in could potentially be a crucial boost for the promotion. Not only is there a group of hungry 170 pounders all thinking about the belt, but also now a new big name with Nate Marquardt recently being allowed back into Zuffa, and signing with Strikeforce.

Injuries in MMA happen, and there is little that can be done to avoid them and the destruction they often inflict on fight cards. But if a tournament was created with eight welterweight participants (along with two alternates ready to step in for an injured fighter) all competing for the belt, Strikeforce could be making big strides. There would be three rounds of the tournament taking place at three consecutive Strikeforce events. This would keep the energy of the tournament fresh and prevent it from going stale like the heavyweight grand prix has. Fighting this often will be a new pace for the fighters in Strikeforce, but for Tarec Saffeidine, this is something he wants. 

“I would love to fight more,” Saffeidine said. “I fought three months ago and I don’t know when my next fight is. I am just looking to get more fights per year.”

When a tournament is held and the winner isn't crowned with the belt because of odd tournament rules (i.e.: Bellator), the fans feel almost cheated out of a new champion, as does the winner of the tournament. This welterweight tournament would be built around crowning a new Strikeforce champion so the fans will get the excitement of the brackets in MMA while also witnessing a new title holder take reign. 

With the Rousey-Tate war grabbing the spotlight of the MMA world for a number of weeks, Strikeforce must build off the colossal momentum. Creating a tournament for the welterweight belt would be a perfectly timed change of pace, and will make the best out of a division with no champion. 

Aiming to change the fight before the fight

He’s sitting with his head in his palms without daring to look at the clock. It’s 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and despite his team right outside the door, he feels as alone and helpless as ever. Only three pounds to go for the fighter who has gut his body clean of any and all fluids, and repeating in his head is, “how bad do I want it?”

Wrestlers and fighters alike have consciously made the choice to put their bodies through abuse, that much is clear. The grueling practices, the endless conditioning sessions, and the hand-to-hand combat where the athletes leave everything on the mat in pursuit of victory are all components in the lives of fighters. You could say they have the hardest job in the world, but that may still be an injustice.

Yet one of the most difficult things that fighters have on their plate is making weight before a fight. The week leading up to a bout is where the mental toughness of the athletes is put to its ultimate test, and some would say is harder than the fight itself.

Sweet Sweat, a product looking to help the fighters with their unsung troubles endured before a fight. Albolene (a mix of mineral oil, petrolatum paraffin, ceresin and beta-carotene) is a popular weight cutting cream that fighters and wrestlers have used for years, but it poses certain problems with dehydrating and closing pores. Sweet sweat has developed a formula that opens pores, enhancing and accelerating the sweating process during exercise. It is activated by the body’s elevated heart rate, and the effectiveness of the product is directly correlated to how vigorous the activity is. Made of all natural (and pronounceable) ingredients, this cream was made exactly for cutting weight (unlike Albolene that was originally developed for removing makeup).

As long as the weight cutting game is still around, meaning same-day weigh ins are not implemented in the UFC, fighters will always have their own methods. Sweet Sweat, while currently selling their product to hundreds of fighters in big organizations (Bellator, Strikeforce, and UFC), and sponsoring just a handful of them, their goal is to become a official UFC product. They ideally would like for fighters to be supplied Sweet Sweat by the UFC, along with the other included supplies, before cutting weight. 

Companies everywhere constantly try ot become the next biggest thing, yet all too often, products are released that just blend in with the rest. The science and idea behind Sweet Sweat has the fighters in mind, and aims to make what they do, just a little bit easier.

Fighting Solo: UFC 143 Edition

Fighting Solo 3 from Francis Solomita on Vimeo.