By Joe Ferraro
Having spent all of last week covering UFC 108 in Las Vegas, I am simply amazed at how much news can be generated from stories that are not even related to the fight card.
First off was my interview with Marc Ratner (which will be posted online shortly), who stated that UFC 115 is scheduled for June 12th at GM Place in the City of Vancouver. While no names have been bandied on the card, expect this show to include at least one title fight. I was thinking it would be BJ Penn defending his title, but he posted on his website that his next bout will likely be at UFC 112, April 10th in Abu Dhabi.
I caught up with Georges St-Pierre (as many of you know via my multiple twitter updates) to discuss his upcoming bout with Dan Hardy, as well as to get an answer about all of this talk of him leaving the UFC to pursue an attempt to make the Canadian Freestyle Wrestling Team.
Going into this conversation, my head was made up - Georges was not going to do this, but something tells me he’s now seriously considering it. I get the sense it’s “the challenge” that inspires him more than anything. One thing is for sure - GSP firmly believes he does not want to look back when he’s sixty years old and say “I should have tried”; it’s now or never, and that’s a tough decision to make.
I also spent a fair bit of time talking to a variety of fighters, managers and MMA dignitaries, most of which was recorded and will be placed online over the next few days. Some of the parties I caught up with include Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Roy Nelson, Greg Jackson, Heath Herring, former Octagon Girl Natasha Wicks, Xyience Spokesperson Amber Nichole and more.
By now, many of you have seen various versions of my interview with Dana White and IBA Heavyweight Champion James “Lights Out” Toney. Much has been made about Toney’s attempts to discuss fighting in the octagon with White but it’s raising some eyebrows.
Dana has already told James that boxing and MMA are different, and the UFC does not want to put on a freak show fight, but if Toney can prove to the UFC brass that he’s been training some takedown defence, the checking of leg kicks and simply being proficient in sprawling and brawling, then I really have no issue with him in the UFC.
When I spoke to Toney about the UFC 108 main event between Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva, I personally did not get a sense that he knew much about MMA, as he would only respond by nodding his head and saying “yes” to my suggestions. I was hoping for more of a debate and discussion, but it may have not been top priority on his mind.
UFC 108
Speaking of the main event, many are talking about Silva’s cockiness in the third round. I actually enjoyed him taunting Rashad, as he was trying to goat him into a brawl, but unfortunately, he did not have enough gas to finish the race. He was not only spent, but his back injury might have simply been too much for him. I was made privy to the injury recently, and it’s one that has been plaguing Thiago for quite some time.
Rashad’s stamina also seemed suspect, but his strategy was stellar - that was the Rashad that should have fought Lyoto Machida. That was the gameplan required to defeat Lyoto - set up your takedowns with strikes, but just know that sometimes “The Dragon” will not be there to be take down; and if he is, expect a bunch of knees en route to the ground.
The rest of the 108 card was very entertaining. Paul Daley impressed with his hands again, but why Hazelett didn’t work for his takedowns was beyond me. Such a great fighter but a very strange strategy. Unlike Sam Stout, who put on an incredible performance against an excellent fighter in Joe Lauzon. Very deserving of the Fight Of The Night bonus.
Cole Miller’s kimura from the reverse triangle on Dan Lauzon is already a candidate for submission of the year. That’s the kind of stuff that is pulled off in training, not in the octagon. Kudos should also go out to Junior Dos Santos for his defeat of MMA journeyman Gilbert Yvel, as well as Mark Munoz’ defeat of Ryan Jensen; Mark is one of the nicest guys in the game and I look forward to doing some fight schools with him in the near future.
Fields Dynamite 2009
I finally had the chance to sit down and watch the Fields Dynamite 2009 card from Japan.
Shinya Aoki’s post fight actions after he broke Mizuto Hirota’s arm has most people infuriated, but I am not surprised by it at all. All of my friends that have competed in Japan, as well as most of my contacts overseas, have all told me that this is a guy who is simply not respected by his peers and many of the countries MMA fans. Now that he’s called out Tatsuya Kawajiri, many are hoping this fight can finally happen; and perhaps Aoki receive a taste of his own medicine.
The card was highlighted by some great fights, strange refereeing and questionable judging.
Gergard Mousasi’s defeat of Gary Goodridge may have been stopped a tad early, but really, Goodridge wasn’t offering much of an offence, other than staying in a defensive posture. If the Canadian MMA Pioneer would have been able to scramble out, I’m sure the ref would have let the bout continue…just like Kazunori Yokota did against Kawajiri. He took a beating and did go to a decision with “The Crusher”, but at least he was able to improve his position.
Satoshi Ishi losing his MMA debut to the legendary Hidehiko Yoshida left a sour taste in my mouth - I scored the bout for Ishi, as he did well to win rounds two and three, considering it looked as if Yoshida wanted to get out of dodge as soon as possible. I also thought Kid Yammamoto got the raw end of the deal when the judges awarded his fight to Masanori Kanehara.
Kudos to Minowaman for winning the Super Hulk Tournament, as well as Michihiro Omigawa for showcasing why he so underrated. I was also surprised to see Alistair Overeem KO Kazayuki Fujita with that left knee so quickly and Akihoro Gono destroying Hayato Sakurai like that - I definitely missed the boat in that fight there. I had “Mach” favoured in that fight, big time.
Did I Just Read That?
I was reading a recent article ( http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/01/06/shawn-tompkins-on-joining-tapout-training-coleman-for-couture/ ) by one of my collegues, Mike Chiapetta, which was simply catching up with Shawn Tompkins, but towards the end of the piece, Tompkins stated that one of his more high profile fighters, Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort, was “currently in Brazil, training with Lyoto Machida”…pardon me?
Last I checked, Machida was very close friends with Anderson Silva, who just so happens to be Belfort’s next opponent - is there something more to this story?
Time to start digging…
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