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Bloody Elbow
"The person I wanted to fight right off the bat was Brock Lesnar," Toney said in a live chat with MMAFighting.com. "He's a champion, I'm a champion and I wanted to do it. But they said I couldn't do that. Then they said, 'How about Kimbo?' But I said, 'That's too easy. That's like kicking a little kid's butt.' But then Randy started saying he wanted to fight me, so I said, 'OK, you're the first one getting it.'"
From the MMA Fighting Live Chat with James Toney
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"The person I wanted to fight right off the bat was Brock Lesnar," Toney said in a live chat with MMAFighting.com. "He's a champion, I'm a champion and I wanted to do it. But they said I couldn't do that. Then they said, 'How about Kimbo?' But I said, 'That's too easy. That's like kicking a little kid's butt.' But then Randy started saying he wanted to fight me, so I said, 'OK, you're the first one getting it.'"
From the MMA Fighting Live Chat with James Toney
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Zuffa Sues Ken Pavia, Bellator for "Alleged Theft of Trade Secrets"
Zuffa LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting, has filed suit against Ken Pavia, one of the sport’s most prominent fighter agents, alleging Pavia passed along trade secrets and confidential Zuffa documents to rival mixed martial arts promotion Bellator.
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An email which Zuffa’s lawsuit alleges is from Rebney to Pavia on July 4 was attached as an exhibit to the 16-page suit. In it, Rebney writes, " … You’ve been great about sending us ‘All’ of the seminal docs from the UFC, so that we can re-do them and implement them for Bellator."
Later, the email Zuffa alleges to have been written by Rebney continues, "Please list each in terms of what it is for and how the UFC uses them/implements them. … Then I’m going to have our team Monday re-type them and we will sufficiently alter them such that they will appear to be ours and not theirs."
The response that is purported to have come from Pavia is brief and says, in its entirety, "Still I (sic) vegas. May take 24 hours to organize as some forms go to the guys in my office."
I'm not a lawyer, so I can't comment on the actual legal proceedings here, but a couple of things stick out to me.
1. How did Zuffa obtain these e-mails? It seems odd to me that this sort of communication would reach eyeballs not belonging to Bjorn Rebney and Ken Pavia. Someone else must have received them, however, if they fell into Zuffa's hands.
2. Rebney's use of quotation marks around (and capitalization of) the word "all" makes my head hurt. It also makes the e-mail sound extra sinister.
3. Is this something that actually hurt Zuffa's bottom line or is it another ploy to keep a smaller organization in check?
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Zuffa LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting, has filed suit against Ken Pavia, one of the sport’s most prominent fighter agents, alleging Pavia passed along trade secrets and confidential Zuffa documents to rival mixed martial arts promotion Bellator.
...
An email which Zuffa’s lawsuit alleges is from Rebney to Pavia on July 4 was attached as an exhibit to the 16-page suit. In it, Rebney writes, " … You’ve been great about sending us ‘All’ of the seminal docs from the UFC, so that we can re-do them and implement them for Bellator."
Later, the email Zuffa alleges to have been written by Rebney continues, "Please list each in terms of what it is for and how the UFC uses them/implements them. … Then I’m going to have our team Monday re-type them and we will sufficiently alter them such that they will appear to be ours and not theirs."
The response that is purported to have come from Pavia is brief and says, in its entirety, "Still I (sic) vegas. May take 24 hours to organize as some forms go to the guys in my office."
I'm not a lawyer, so I can't comment on the actual legal proceedings here, but a couple of things stick out to me.
1. How did Zuffa obtain these e-mails? It seems odd to me that this sort of communication would reach eyeballs not belonging to Bjorn Rebney and Ken Pavia. Someone else must have received them, however, if they fell into Zuffa's hands.
2. Rebney's use of quotation marks around (and capitalization of) the word "all" makes my head hurt. It also makes the e-mail sound extra sinister.
3. Is this something that actually hurt Zuffa's bottom line or is it another ploy to keep a smaller organization in check?
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UFC on Versus 2 Preview: Mark Munoz and Jake Ellenberger
HT: shootmedia.tv
USAT/SBN July MMA Consensus Rankings: Lightweight
Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.
| Rank | Fighter | Points | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Edgar | 349 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | B.J. Penn | 335 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Gilbert Melendez | 309 | Strikeforce | 3 |
| 4 | Kenny Florian | 304 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Eddie Alvarez | 286 | Bellator | 5 |
| 5 | Shinya Aoki | 286 | DREAM/Strikeforce | 7 |
| 7 | Gray Maynard | 276 | UFC | 6 |
| 8 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | 228 | DREAM | 8 |
| 9 | George Sotiropoulos | 182 | UFC | 15 |
| 10 | Evan Dunham | 181 | UFC | 14 |
| 11 | Benson Henderson | 144 | WEC | 10 |
| 12 | Jim Miller | 137 | UFC | 12 |
| 13 | Tyson Griffin | 133 | UFC | 13 |
| 14 | Mizuto Hirota | 130 | WVR | 11 |
| 15 | Sean Sherk | 125 | UFC | 9 |
| 16 | Joe Stevenson | 93 | UFC | 16 |
| 17 | Takanori Gomi | 85 | UFC | 17 |
| 18 | Diego Sanchez | 83 | UFC | 18 |
| 19 | Kurt Pellegrino | 72 | UFC | 19 |
| 20 | Gesias Cavalcante | 68 | DREAM/Strikeforce | 23 |
| 21 | Josh Thomson | 66 | Strikeforce | 24 |
| 22 | Gleison Tibau | 49 | UFC | 20 |
| 23 | Luis Palomino | 44 | Bellator | 22 |
| 24 | Joachim Hansen | 42 | DREAM | 25 |
| 25 | Kazunori Yokota | 41 | WVR | 21 |
At UFC 118 in August, we'll see if #1 Frank Edgar's win over #2 B.J. Penn at UFC 112 was a fluke or a precedent.
#4 Kenny Florian and #7 Gray Maynard will also meet at UFC 118, ostensibly to determine the next title challenger.
#3 Gilbert Melendez has graciously declined #5 Shinya Aoki's invitation for a rematch at DREAM.16 and will instead be recuperating from injuries until late this year.
#5 Eddie Alvarez has also been eager to get a date with Melendez and his bosses at Bellator are all about it. Strikeforce's Scott Coker hasn't been quite as eager for that dream match. Alvarez will defend his Bellator title against tournament winner Pat Curran sometime this fall.
The emergence of #9 George Sotiropoulos and #10 Evan Dunham as bona fide contenders definitely injects some excitement into the UFC's lightweight division. Sotiropoulos earned his bones by dominating #19 Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 116. Dunham's rise has been even more meteoric, coming largely at the expense of #13 Tyson Griffin at UFC 115.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
We are now moving to what JCS of Fight Matrix has described as assumed rankings in an attempt to rank fighters who move between weight classes. This has been the biggest problem with the consensus rankings and we believe this new methodology will rectify that.
Let's take Anderson Silva for instance. 87% (13 of 15) of our panelists have him at Light Heavyweight and 100% (15 of 15) at Middleweight. On the 13 ballots that ranked Silva at 205, we took the average (21.2). We then reduced that number by half the percentage of Light Heavyweight ballots that he was not included on. Say he's not on 30% of them, then we do a 15% penalty on the average that we found in the previous step. That number is then used instead of the usual "normalization number" to provide points from those not ranking the fighter in the weight class in question. This avoids fighters being excessively penalized by confusion about which weight class they belong.
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Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank 1 Frank Edgar 349 UFC 1 2 B.J. Penn 335 UFC 2 3 Gilbert Melendez 309 Strikeforce 3 4 Kenny Florian 304 UFC 4 5 Eddie Alvarez 286 Bellator 5 5 Shinya Aoki 286 DREAM/Strikeforce 7 7 Gray Maynard 276 UFC 6 8 Tatsuya Kawajiri 228 DREAM 8 9 George Sotiropoulos 182 UFC 15 10 Evan Dunham 181 UFC 14 11 Benson Henderson 144 WEC 10 12 Jim Miller 137 UFC 12 13 Tyson Griffin 133 UFC 13 14 Mizuto Hirota 130 WVR 11 15 Sean Sherk 125 UFC 9 16 Joe Stevenson 93 UFC 16 17 Takanori Gomi 85 UFC 17 18 Diego Sanchez 83 UFC 18 19 Kurt Pellegrino 72 UFC 19 20 Gesias Cavalcante 68 DREAM/Strikeforce 23 21 Josh Thomson 66 Strikeforce 24 22 Gleison Tibau 49 UFC 20 23 Luis Palomino 44 Bellator 22 24 Joachim Hansen 42 DREAM 25 25 Kazunori Yokota 41 WVR 21 At UFC 118 in August, we'll see if #1 Frank Edgar's win over #2 B.J. Penn at UFC 112 was a fluke or a precedent.
#4 Kenny Florian and #7 Gray Maynard will also meet at UFC 118, ostensibly to determine the next title challenger.
#3 Gilbert Melendez has graciously declined #5 Shinya Aoki's invitation for a rematch at DREAM.16 and will instead be recuperating from injuries until late this year.
#5 Eddie Alvarez has also been eager to get a date with Melendez and his bosses at Bellator are all about it. Strikeforce's Scott Coker hasn't been quite as eager for that dream match. Alvarez will defend his Bellator title against tournament winner Pat Curran sometime this fall.
The emergence of #9 George Sotiropoulos and #10 Evan Dunham as bona fide contenders definitely injects some excitement into the UFC's lightweight division. Sotiropoulos earned his bones by dominating #19 Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 116. Dunham's rise has been even more meteoric, coming largely at the expense of #13 Tyson Griffin at UFC 115.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
We are now moving to what JCS of Fight Matrix has described as assumed rankings in an attempt to rank fighters who move between weight classes. This has been the biggest problem with the consensus rankings and we believe this new methodology will rectify that.
Let's take Anderson Silva for instance. 87% (13 of 15) of our panelists have him at Light Heavyweight and 100% (15 of 15) at Middleweight. On the 13 ballots that ranked Silva at 205, we took the average (21.2). We then reduced that number by half the percentage of Light Heavyweight ballots that he was not included on. Say he's not on 30% of them, then we do a 15% penalty on the average that we found in the previous step. That number is then used instead of the usual "normalization number" to provide points from those not ranking the fighter in the weight class in question. This avoids fighters being excessively penalized by confusion about which weight class they belong.
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2010 Bloody Elbow Reader Awards: Fight of the Mid-Year
I missed the first two rounds of this fight live. The Chicago Blackhawks had defeated the Nashville Predators in game 5 of their quarterfinal series earlier in the day (it was the miracle comeback in which Kane tied the game shorthanded in the third and Hossa put in the winner in overtime). In my hockey rage and an addiction to digital pucks, I hopped on the ol' XBox 360 for a few games of NHL 10 while I waited for the Aldo vs. Faber pay-per-view to start.
Now, to be fair, I loaded up a questionable stream of the prelim fights on my laptop while I played. I am an MMA journalist afterall. I just let my ears passively pick up the action.
Mike and Joe seemed incredibly excited from the get-go. I glanced over to the fight from time-to-time, but still had no intention of putting down my sticks.
I knew I made a mistake when the hyperbole didn't die down through two rounds. I finished my game, checked out the third round, and hoped it would make the pay-per-view show, so I wouldn't look like an asshole.
Fortunately for me, the Zuffa production staff wanted to milk this one for all it was worth.
I won't bore you with a description of the fight. Just go watch it.
Full voting results after the break.
| Fight | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
| Garcia vs. Jung | 30 | 4 | 4 | 166 |
| Leben vs. Akiyama | 8 | 19 | 8 | 105 |
| Lesnar vs. Carwin | 8 | 3 | 6 | 55 |
| Hominick vs. Jabouin | 4 | 5 | 3 | 38 |
| Condit vs. MacDonald | 3 | 5 | 7 | 37 |
| Bonnar vs. Soszynski | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Munoz vs. Grove | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| Nogueira vs. Brilz | 3 | 9 | ||
| Varner vs. Shalorus | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Rua vs. Machida | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
| Evans vs. Jackson | 2 | 6 | ||
| Team Gracie vs. Team Mayhem | 1 | 5 | ||
| Aldo vs. Faber | 1 | 5 | ||
| Lawlor vs. Simpson | 1 | 5 | ||
| Werdum vs. Emelianenko | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Filipovic vs. Barry | 4 | 4 | ||
| W. Silva vs. Bisping | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Stephens vs. Stout | 1 | 3 | ||
| Sotiropoulos vs. Stevenson | 1 | 3 | ||
| A. Silva vs. Maia | 1 | 3 | ||
| Imada vs. Vanier | 1 | 1 | ||
| Koscheck vs. Daley | 1 | 1 | ||
| Le vs. Smith | 1 | 1 | ||
| Diaz vs. Zaromskis | 1 | 1 | ||
| Nelson vs. Struve | 1 | 1 | ||
| Doerksen vs. Lawlor | 1 | 1 | ||
| Pellegrino vs. Camoes | 1 | 1 | ||
| Sonnen vs. Marquardt | 1 | 1 | ||
| Franklin vs. Liddell | 1 | 1 | ||
| Leben vs. Simpson | 1 | 1 |
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I missed the first two rounds of this fight live. The Chicago Blackhawks had defeated the Nashville Predators in game 5 of their quarterfinal series earlier in the day (it was the miracle comeback in which Kane tied the game shorthanded in the third and Hossa put in the winner in overtime). In my hockey rage and an addiction to digital pucks, I hopped on the ol' XBox 360 for a few games of NHL 10 while I waited for the Aldo vs. Faber pay-per-view to start.
Now, to be fair, I loaded up a questionable stream of the prelim fights on my laptop while I played. I am an MMA journalist afterall. I just let my ears passively pick up the action.
Mike and Joe seemed incredibly excited from the get-go. I glanced over to the fight from time-to-time, but still had no intention of putting down my sticks.
I knew I made a mistake when the hyperbole didn't die down through two rounds. I finished my game, checked out the third round, and hoped it would make the pay-per-view show, so I wouldn't look like an asshole.
Fortunately for me, the Zuffa production staff wanted to milk this one for all it was worth.
I won't bore you with a description of the fight. Just go watch it.
Full voting results after the break.
Fight of the Mid Year Fight 1st 2nd 3rd Total Garcia vs. Jung 30 4 4 166 Leben vs. Akiyama 8 19 8 105 Lesnar vs. Carwin 8 3 6 55 Hominick vs. Jabouin 4 5 3 38 Condit vs. MacDonald 3 5 7 37 Bonnar vs. Soszynski 2 1 1 14 Munoz vs. Grove 1 2 2 13 Nogueira vs. Brilz 3 9 Varner vs. Shalorus 1 1 1 9 Rua vs. Machida 2 2 8 Evans vs. Jackson 2 6 Team Gracie vs. Team Mayhem 1 5 Aldo vs. Faber 1 5 Lawlor vs. Simpson 1 5 Werdum vs. Emelianenko 1 1 4 Filipovic vs. Barry 4 4 W. Silva vs. Bisping 1 1 4 Stephens vs. Stout 1 3 Sotiropoulos vs. Stevenson 1 3 A. Silva vs. Maia 1 3 Imada vs. Vanier 1 1 Koscheck vs. Daley 1 1 Le vs. Smith 1 1 Diaz vs. Zaromskis 1 1 Nelson vs. Struve 1 1 Doerksen vs. Lawlor 1 1 Pellegrino vs. Camoes 1 1 Sonnen vs. Marquardt 1 1 Franklin vs. Liddell 1 1 Leben vs. Simpson 1 1
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USAT/SBN July MMA Consensus Rankings: Welterweight
Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.
| Rank | Fighter | Points | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georges St. Pierre | 350 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Jon Fitch | 333 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Thiago Alves | 318 | UFC | 3 |
| 4 | Josh Koscheck | 298 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Nick Diaz | 273 | Strikeforce | 5 |
| 6 | Dan Hardy | 268 | UFC | 6 |
| 7 | Martin Kampmann | 264 | UFC | 7 |
| 8 | Paulo Thiago | 220 | UFC | 9 |
| 9 | Matt Hughes | 211 | UFC | 8 |
| 10 | Paul Daley | 204 | Impact FC/Shark Fights | 10 |
| 11 | Jake Shields | 178 | UFC | 11 |
| 12 | Mike Swick | 152 | UFC | 14 |
| 13 | Matt Serra | 146 | UFC | 12 |
| 14 | Jay Hieron | 130 | Free Agent | 13 |
| 15 | Carlos Condit | 122 | UFC | 15 |
| 16 | Ben Askren | 94 | Bellator | 17 |
| 17 | John Hathaway | 88 | UFC | 16 |
| 18 | Anthony Johnson | 74 | UFC | 18 |
| 19 | Mike Pierce | 63 | UFC | 19 |
| 20 | Ricardo Almeida | 61 | UFC | 22 |
| 21 | Akihiro Gono | 55 | WVR | 21 |
| 22 | Dan Hornbuckle | 53 | Bellator | 20 |
| 23 | Jake Ellenberger | 51 | UFC | 23 |
| 24 | Chris Lytle | 43 | UFC | NR |
| 24 | Evangelista Santos | 43 | Strikeforce | 25 |
Not a lot of action in MMA's toughest division in July. But August will change that when #2 Jon Fitch finally gets to rematch #3 Thiago Alves at UFC 117.
That bout is likely for a title shot, although the winner will have to wait until 2011 because #1 Georges St Pierre and #4 Josh Koscheck are busy coaching The Ultimate Fighter and won't meet until the end of the year.
#5 Nick Diaz, Strikeforce champ and the top ranked welterweight outside the UFC is currently serving out his suspension for his role in the post fight brawl at the last CBS Strikeforce show. He's currently cooking up a YouTube feud with middleweight Jason "Mayhem" Miller that may or may not come to anything.
#6 Dan Hardy looks to get back to the top against #15 Carlos Condit at UFC 120.
#7 Martin Kampmann will welcome #11 Jake Shields to the UFC and back to the 170lb division at UFC 121. The winner is likely to be fast tracked to a title shot.
#9 Matt Hughes and #20 Ricardo Almeida will face off at UFC 117. Win or lose, Hughes is on the senior circuit and won't be challenging GSP anytime soon. If Almeida wins, he could very well find himself in the hunt.
#10 Paul "Semtex: Daley racked up a win in Australia at Impact FC: The Uprising Sydney. He'll fight again on September 11 for Texas-based Shark Fights. That is IF the Canadian authorities ever decide whether or not to suspend him for punching Josh Koscheck post-fight at UFC 113.
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Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank 1 Georges St. Pierre 350 UFC 1 2 Jon Fitch 333 UFC 2 3 Thiago Alves 318 UFC 3 4 Josh Koscheck 298 UFC 4 5 Nick Diaz 273 Strikeforce 5 6 Dan Hardy 268 UFC 6 7 Martin Kampmann 264 UFC 7 8 Paulo Thiago 220 UFC 9 9 Matt Hughes 211 UFC 8 10 Paul Daley 204 Impact FC/Shark Fights 10 11 Jake Shields 178 UFC 11 12 Mike Swick 152 UFC 14 13 Matt Serra 146 UFC 12 14 Jay Hieron 130 Free Agent 13 15 Carlos Condit 122 UFC 15 16 Ben Askren 94 Bellator 17 17 John Hathaway 88 UFC 16 18 Anthony Johnson 74 UFC 18 19 Mike Pierce 63 UFC 19 20 Ricardo Almeida 61 UFC 22 21 Akihiro Gono 55 WVR 21 22 Dan Hornbuckle 53 Bellator 20 23 Jake Ellenberger 51 UFC 23 24 Chris Lytle 43 UFC NR 24 Evangelista Santos 43 Strikeforce 25 Not a lot of action in MMA's toughest division in July. But August will change that when #2 Jon Fitch finally gets to rematch #3 Thiago Alves at UFC 117.
That bout is likely for a title shot, although the winner will have to wait until 2011 because #1 Georges St Pierre and #4 Josh Koscheck are busy coaching The Ultimate Fighter and won't meet until the end of the year.
#5 Nick Diaz, Strikeforce champ and the top ranked welterweight outside the UFC is currently serving out his suspension for his role in the post fight brawl at the last CBS Strikeforce show. He's currently cooking up a YouTube feud with middleweight Jason "Mayhem" Miller that may or may not come to anything.
#6 Dan Hardy looks to get back to the top against #15 Carlos Condit at UFC 120.
#7 Martin Kampmann will welcome #11 Jake Shields to the UFC and back to the 170lb division at UFC 121. The winner is likely to be fast tracked to a title shot.
#9 Matt Hughes and #20 Ricardo Almeida will face off at UFC 117. Win or lose, Hughes is on the senior circuit and won't be challenging GSP anytime soon. If Almeida wins, he could very well find himself in the hunt.
#10 Paul "Semtex: Daley racked up a win in Australia at Impact FC: The Uprising Sydney. He'll fight again on September 11 for Texas-based Shark Fights. That is IF the Canadian authorities ever decide whether or not to suspend him for punching Josh Koscheck post-fight at UFC 113.
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UFC on Versus II Preview: Can Takanori Gomi Prove He's Still Relevant Against Tyson Griffin?
As I've covered extensively in the past, Japan has long been one of the superpowers in mixed martial arts, but it has had a steady decline in the skills of the fighters it produces and the amount of prospects sprouting from its roots. While we have spent considerably time mulling over how those problems can be remedied, there is still hope among some fans that Japan's greatest stars of the past can still prove they have the skills to compete with the best in West.
We've seen those fights actually happen in more recent times, most notably Shinya Aoki vs Gilbert Melendez and Takanori Gomi vs. Kenny Florian. The major difference in these two battles is that Aoki is considered Japan's best right now whereas Gomi is seen as a declining legend of Japanese mixed martial arts. While Aoki suffered defeat and abruptly reclaimed some interest in a rematch with Melendez after successfully submitting Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gomi's chance will come on Sunday evening as he battles long-time UFC veteran Tyson Griffin (14-3, 7-3 UFC).
We can view this fight in many different ways from a broad look to a more specific and meticulous angle. Some might refer to it as PRIDE vs. UFC, the old guard vs. the new era, or the typical American "wrestleboxer" prototype vs. Japan's best version of the American "wrestleboxer". In any case, these fighters are on similar footing in terms of style, but there are plenty of questions that have come to the forefront of discussion surrounding this match-up after both fighters' most recent performances.
Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi (31-6, 0-1 UFC) finally entered the UFC back in March after a very disappointing string of appearances that saw him lose considerable status in Japan with losses to Satoru Kitaoka and Sergey Golyaev. Even in an easier match-up against Tony Hervey, Gomi didn't look like the dominating PRIDE champion we had known and loved, and the reports and first-hand accounts of Gomi's motivation problems also surfaced and worried fans.
His debut against one of the UFC's best in Kenny Florian didn't help matters in terms of his motivation, but Gomi did look as if he had taken the fight rather seriously considering the fact that his last few performances hinted at the notion that he didn't train as well as he could have. Following the loss, questions were asked, but none were answered. Is Gomi in the midst of a rebuilding phase? Or is the UFC's best simply too much for a fighter who once crushed opponents with his heavy hands and solid wrestling?
Tyson Griffin will surely answer those questions as he has top notch wrestling, great cardio, good power, and a solid kickboxing game on the feet. Questions also surround Griffin, although I'm not exactly sure how relevant they will be in a battle with Gomi. His loss to Evan Dunham at UFC 115 certainly put some scrutiny on Griffin's ground game and his effectiveness in the stand-up game, and while I would normally believe it pertains to any fight -- Gomi is only a ground threat if he can land cleanly and pound on his opponent from top control.
Let's get down to brass tacks here. Griffin's wrestling is the major key in this fight, but Gomi's heavy hands are still a legitimate threat in the stand-up game. While I wouldn't normally push the wrestler vs. puncher cliche too far, I think that's exactly how each fighter wins respectively. Gomi's chin has shown resiliency and toughness in the past, and he's willing to eat a few blows to land one devastating shot. Griffin hasn't show exceptional power though, and he's remained relatively quiet in terms of takedown shots and wrestling in his more recent appearances.
I have a feeling that will change in this fight however. It's no secret that Gomi's wrestling was once solid enough to compete with some of the best in the world, but it's obvious he's let that portion of his skill-set slump. With age or without motivation, we don't know why it's declined or been neglected, but it'll need to make a comeback if Gomi wants to win.
I'm torn on this bout. Griffin's inability to finish on the feet along with the fact that he can be reluctant to go to the ground in exchange for the opportunity to punch someone out has me on the border. On the other hand, the perfect gameplan for Griffin is to constantly shoot and put Gomi in a grappling match, an area that Gomi has obvious problems.
I'm taking Gomi. Yeah... because I'm still a PRIDE fanboy despite not caring at all about stupid PRIDE vs. UFC debates. I simply want to see Gomi succeed, and I think Griffin is an opponent he can capitalize against. A motivated Gomi must show up, but having reach and height on Griffin along with knockout power helps. His wrestling must improve, or it's going to be three rounds of hell for Gomi. Here's to hoping!
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As I've covered extensively in the past, Japan has long been one of the superpowers in mixed martial arts, but it has had a steady decline in the skills of the fighters it produces and the amount of prospects sprouting from its roots. While we have spent considerably time mulling over how those problems can be remedied, there is still hope among some fans that Japan's greatest stars of the past can still prove they have the skills to compete with the best in West.
We've seen those fights actually happen in more recent times, most notably Shinya Aoki vs Gilbert Melendez and Takanori Gomi vs. Kenny Florian. The major difference in these two battles is that Aoki is considered Japan's best right now whereas Gomi is seen as a declining legend of Japanese mixed martial arts. While Aoki suffered defeat and abruptly reclaimed some interest in a rematch with Melendez after successfully submitting Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gomi's chance will come on Sunday evening as he battles long-time UFC veteran Tyson Griffin (14-3, 7-3 UFC).
We can view this fight in many different ways from a broad look to a more specific and meticulous angle. Some might refer to it as PRIDE vs. UFC, the old guard vs. the new era, or the typical American "wrestleboxer" prototype vs. Japan's best version of the American "wrestleboxer". In any case, these fighters are on similar footing in terms of style, but there are plenty of questions that have come to the forefront of discussion surrounding this match-up after both fighters' most recent performances.Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi (31-6, 0-1 UFC) finally entered the UFC back in March after a very disappointing string of appearances that saw him lose considerable status in Japan with losses to Satoru Kitaoka and Sergey Golyaev. Even in an easier match-up against Tony Hervey, Gomi didn't look like the dominating PRIDE champion we had known and loved, and the reports and first-hand accounts of Gomi's motivation problems also surfaced and worried fans.
His debut against one of the UFC's best in Kenny Florian didn't help matters in terms of his motivation, but Gomi did look as if he had taken the fight rather seriously considering the fact that his last few performances hinted at the notion that he didn't train as well as he could have. Following the loss, questions were asked, but none were answered. Is Gomi in the midst of a rebuilding phase? Or is the UFC's best simply too much for a fighter who once crushed opponents with his heavy hands and solid wrestling?
Tyson Griffin will surely answer those questions as he has top notch wrestling, great cardio, good power, and a solid kickboxing game on the feet. Questions also surround Griffin, although I'm not exactly sure how relevant they will be in a battle with Gomi. His loss to Evan Dunham at UFC 115 certainly put some scrutiny on Griffin's ground game and his effectiveness in the stand-up game, and while I would normally believe it pertains to any fight -- Gomi is only a ground threat if he can land cleanly and pound on his opponent from top control.
Let's get down to brass tacks here. Griffin's wrestling is the major key in this fight, but Gomi's heavy hands are still a legitimate threat in the stand-up game. While I wouldn't normally push the wrestler vs. puncher cliche too far, I think that's exactly how each fighter wins respectively. Gomi's chin has shown resiliency and toughness in the past, and he's willing to eat a few blows to land one devastating shot. Griffin hasn't show exceptional power though, and he's remained relatively quiet in terms of takedown shots and wrestling in his more recent appearances.
I have a feeling that will change in this fight however. It's no secret that Gomi's wrestling was once solid enough to compete with some of the best in the world, but it's obvious he's let that portion of his skill-set slump. With age or without motivation, we don't know why it's declined or been neglected, but it'll need to make a comeback if Gomi wants to win.
I'm torn on this bout. Griffin's inability to finish on the feet along with the fact that he can be reluctant to go to the ground in exchange for the opportunity to punch someone out has me on the border. On the other hand, the perfect gameplan for Griffin is to constantly shoot and put Gomi in a grappling match, an area that Gomi has obvious problems.
I'm taking Gomi. Yeah... because I'm still a PRIDE fanboy despite not caring at all about stupid PRIDE vs. UFC debates. I simply want to see Gomi succeed, and I think Griffin is an opponent he can capitalize against. A motivated Gomi must show up, but having reach and height on Griffin along with knockout power helps. His wrestling must improve, or it's going to be three rounds of hell for Gomi. Here's to hoping!
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UFC on Versus 2 Preview: Mark Munoz Talks About Training at Reign for Yushin Okami
Mark Muñoz on his final day of training camp with Jason "Mayhem" Miller (0:40), Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski (0:56), Benji Radach (1:20), Jake Ellenberger (1:56), Abel Nunez (2:26), Allan Goes (2:38) and Jay Silva (3:00) - all weighing in on Mark's chances at the "UFC on Versus" show. They're extremely confident that Mark will defeat Yushin Okami on August 1, 2010.HT: mmaheat.com
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Mark Muñoz on his final day of training camp with Jason "Mayhem" Miller (0:40), Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski (0:56), Benji Radach (1:20), Jake Ellenberger (1:56), Abel Nunez (2:26), Allan Goes (2:38) and Jay Silva (3:00) - all weighing in on Mark's chances at the "UFC on Versus" show. They're extremely confident that Mark will defeat Yushin Okami on August 1, 2010.
HT: mmaheat.com
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Is the Dearth of Challengers for Georges St Pierre the UFC's Fault?
That's what the gang at Pro MMA Radio think, including our man from MMA Mania, Jesse Holland (transcription via Fight Opinion):
LARRY PEPE: So, here's my thing, like what I don't understand with this division is you have now basically mowed down an Anthony Johnson fight that I think was marketable, a Paul Daley fight that I'm sure that was marketable, and you're risking a Shields fight that's ultra-marketable and instead, you got a Koscheck fight that, yeah, they'll market it, they'll work it with TUF and everything else, but at the end of the day, I'm sure if you did a poll, Jesse, and maybe you should, if people said hey, would you rather see Koscheck fight GSP, Shields, at the time Daley, Fitch, Alves, I'm willing to bet that the three guys that have fought him already finish in the three last positions because at the end of the day, I think we all want to see new challengers for champions. We're not that interested in re-matches unless the first fight was really close or controversial."
JESSE HOLLAND: "Well, I'll tell you, there was... there was one reaction in the history of in doing this for MMAMania, there was one reaction that I would say was equal to this and that was when they announced Liddell/Ortiz III. The fan reaction to this, nobody was screaming from the roof tops, nobody was applauding, just a complete and total indifference and we had the same exact thing when they announced Koscheck/St. Pierre after the Daley fight. Nobody really cared and nobody was really interested and you know it's one of those things... Good heat is what you want, bad heat is what you don't but it's still OK because it sells fights, no heat at all? Then you're in big trouble. I mean you got St. Pierre coming off two straight decisions. You've got a guy in Koscheck who doesn't really fight, you know, the kind of fight the fans want to see. And what happens, you know, after that? And here's my question - if Kampmann pulls off the win against Shields, does Kampmann goes into a GSP fight or does he get the winner of Fitch/Alves?"
Basically the complaint boils down to this -- GSP has already utterly dominated Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Thiago Alves, but they keep feeding potential challengers like Anthony Johnson and Paul Daley to Koscheck and now they're risking a Jake Shields vs GSP megafight by putting Shields in against Martin Kampmann.
While I understand the logic, I have to disagree. The worst fights we've seen from GSP have been his dominating wins over Dan Hardy and Thiago Alves where he was reluctant to trade on the feet and unable to finish on the ground. I don't see what would have been different about GSP fights with Johnson or Daley. Against both fighters, GSP could simply score take downs and dominate from the top while grinding out a tedious decision win.
Shields I agree presents some interesting challenges for GSP and would likely be an entertaining fight as GSP would keep it on the feet and avoid the ground.
Also, they characterize the Koscheck fight as a blowout for GSP, when it was actually more back and forth than that. Josh Koscheck, with his combination of knock out power on the feet and top notch wrestling, presents the most formidable challenge for GSP. There's every reason to believe that Koscheck has learned from his first loss, when he blithely assumed that GSP wouldn't be able to take him down, and will be prepared to fight for position in the rematch.
Fundamentally the problem, if there is one, in the UFC's welterweight division is that Georges St Pierre is that rare athlete who stands head and shoulders above his competitors. If the UFC had cleared paths for lesser competitors like Daley and Johnson to get title shots, fans would only be complaining more after watching GSP "lay and pray" to easy decision wins.
Having said that, it will be deeply unfortunate if Jake Shields can't get past Martin Kampmann and get a title shot. MMA is about styles as much as it is about fighters and Shields' combination of wrestling + jiu jitsu makes him uniquely dangerous to GSP, or at least presents a more novel challenge than one dimensional strikers like Hardy or Daley.
But that would imply that Martin Kampmann isn't a worthy challenger and I'd have to disagree there. He's incredibly well-rounded and has gone 4-1 as a middleweight and 4-1 as a welterweight in the UFC. Kampmann could provide a stern test for GSP, or give GSP a chance to score a dramatic KO win. Either way, fans win.
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That's what the gang at Pro MMA Radio think, including our man from MMA Mania, Jesse Holland (transcription via Fight Opinion):
LARRY PEPE: So, here's my thing, like what I don't understand with this division is you have now basically mowed down an Anthony Johnson fight that I think was marketable, a Paul Daley fight that I'm sure that was marketable, and you're risking a Shields fight that's ultra-marketable and instead, you got a Koscheck fight that, yeah, they'll market it, they'll work it with TUF and everything else, but at the end of the day, I'm sure if you did a poll, Jesse, and maybe you should, if people said hey, would you rather see Koscheck fight GSP, Shields, at the time Daley, Fitch, Alves, I'm willing to bet that the three guys that have fought him already finish in the three last positions because at the end of the day, I think we all want to see new challengers for champions. We're not that interested in re-matches unless the first fight was really close or controversial."
JESSE HOLLAND: "Well, I'll tell you, there was... there was one reaction in the history of in doing this for MMAMania, there was one reaction that I would say was equal to this and that was when they announced Liddell/Ortiz III. The fan reaction to this, nobody was screaming from the roof tops, nobody was applauding, just a complete and total indifference and we had the same exact thing when they announced Koscheck/St. Pierre after the Daley fight. Nobody really cared and nobody was really interested and you know it's one of those things... Good heat is what you want, bad heat is what you don't but it's still OK because it sells fights, no heat at all? Then you're in big trouble. I mean you got St. Pierre coming off two straight decisions. You've got a guy in Koscheck who doesn't really fight, you know, the kind of fight the fans want to see. And what happens, you know, after that? And here's my question - if Kampmann pulls off the win against Shields, does Kampmann goes into a GSP fight or does he get the winner of Fitch/Alves?"
Basically the complaint boils down to this -- GSP has already utterly dominated Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Thiago Alves, but they keep feeding potential challengers like Anthony Johnson and Paul Daley to Koscheck and now they're risking a Jake Shields vs GSP megafight by putting Shields in against Martin Kampmann.
While I understand the logic, I have to disagree. The worst fights we've seen from GSP have been his dominating wins over Dan Hardy and Thiago Alves where he was reluctant to trade on the feet and unable to finish on the ground. I don't see what would have been different about GSP fights with Johnson or Daley. Against both fighters, GSP could simply score take downs and dominate from the top while grinding out a tedious decision win.
Shields I agree presents some interesting challenges for GSP and would likely be an entertaining fight as GSP would keep it on the feet and avoid the ground.
Also, they characterize the Koscheck fight as a blowout for GSP, when it was actually more back and forth than that. Josh Koscheck, with his combination of knock out power on the feet and top notch wrestling, presents the most formidable challenge for GSP. There's every reason to believe that Koscheck has learned from his first loss, when he blithely assumed that GSP wouldn't be able to take him down, and will be prepared to fight for position in the rematch.
Fundamentally the problem, if there is one, in the UFC's welterweight division is that Georges St Pierre is that rare athlete who stands head and shoulders above his competitors. If the UFC had cleared paths for lesser competitors like Daley and Johnson to get title shots, fans would only be complaining more after watching GSP "lay and pray" to easy decision wins.
Having said that, it will be deeply unfortunate if Jake Shields can't get past Martin Kampmann and get a title shot. MMA is about styles as much as it is about fighters and Shields' combination of wrestling + jiu jitsu makes him uniquely dangerous to GSP, or at least presents a more novel challenge than one dimensional strikers like Hardy or Daley.
But that would imply that Martin Kampmann isn't a worthy challenger and I'd have to disagree there. He's incredibly well-rounded and has gone 4-1 as a middleweight and 4-1 as a welterweight in the UFC. Kampmann could provide a stern test for GSP, or give GSP a chance to score a dramatic KO win. Either way, fans win.
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USAT/SBN July MMA Consensus Rankings: Middleweight
Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.
| Rank | Fighter | Points | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anderson Silva | 350 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Chael Sonnen | 329 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Jake Shields | 299 | UFC | 3 |
| 3 | Nate Marquardt | 299 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Vitor Belfort | 280 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Demian Maia | 272 | UFC | 6 |
| 7 | Dan Henderson | 269 | Strikeforce | 7 |
| 8 | Yushin Okami | 231 | UFC | 8 |
| 9 | Jorge Santiago | 219 | WVR | 9 |
| 10 | Robbie Lawler | 171 | Strikeforce | 10 |
| 11 | Ronaldo Souza | 150 | Strikeforce/DREAM | 15 |
| 12 | Chris Leben | 149 | UFC | NR |
| 13 | Wanderlei Silva | 140 | UFC | 13 |
| 14 | Alan Belcher | 137 | UFC | 12 |
| 15 | Michael Bisping | 132 | UFC | 14 |
| 16 | Thales Leites | 95 | MFC | 16 |
| 17 | Mamed Khalidov | 93 | WVR | 17 |
| 18 | Yoshihiro Akiyama | 86 | UFC | 11 |
| 19 | Alessio Sakara | 74 | UFC | 18 |
| 20 | Paulo Filho | 74 | Impact FC | 19 |
| 21 | Hector Lombard | 62 | Bellator | 20 |
| 22 | Kazuo Misaki | 58 | WVR | 22 |
| 23 | Rousimar Palhares | 55 | UFC | 23 |
| 24 | Tim Kennedy | 53 | Strikeforce | 25 |
| 25 | Patrick Cote | 41 | UFC | 24 |
Cross your fingers fight fans, #2 Chael Sonnen has made a lot of promises about his title shot against #1 Anderson Silva at UFC 117, with the most important one being that he's got the skill set to force Silva to fight rather than goof around in the cage.
That's what Silva did in his title defenses against #6 Demian Maia, #16 Thales Leties and #25 Patrick Cote. We'll just have to wait and see what kind of performance Sonnen can tease out of the mercurial champ.
#3 Jake Shields made news this month by (finally) signing with the UFC. But apparently they feel that welterweight champ Georges St Pierre is in even more dire need of a challenge than Anderson Silva because Shields will be fighting at 170lbs in the big show.
#8 Yushin Okami will be fighting Mark Munoz at UFC on Versus 2 this Sunday. A win could possibly put Okami back in the title hunt.
#9 Jorge Santiago will rematch #22 Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku Raiden Championships 14 on August 22. Strikeforce boss Scott Coker has spoken openly about wanting the winner to participate in his might still happen middleweight tournament.
But before the tournament, #11 Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza will face #24 Tim Kennedy for the title at Strikeforce: Houston.
The biggest jump this month is #12 Chris Leben who's back-to-back come from behind wins over Aaron Simpson and #18 Yoshihiro Akiyama at the TUF 11 Finale and UFC 116 respectively have propelled him into the rankings and into title contention. Akiyama will face #15 Michael Bisping at UFC 120 in London this fall.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
We are now moving to what JCS of Fight Matrix has described as assumed rankings in an attempt to rank fighters who move between weight classes. This has been the biggest problem with the consensus rankings and we believe this new methodology will rectify that.
Let's take Anderson Silva for instance. 87% (13 of 15) of our panelists have him at Light Heavyweight and 100% (15 of 15) at Middleweight. On the 13 ballots that ranked Silva at 205, we took the average (21.2). We then reduced that number by half the percentage of Light Heavyweight ballots that he was not included on. Say he's not on 30% of them, then we do a 15% penalty on the average that we found in the previous step. That number is then used instead of the usual "normalization number" to provide points from those not ranking the fighter in the weight class in question. This avoids fighters being excessively penalized by confusion about which weight class they belong.
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Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank 1 Anderson Silva 350 UFC 1 2 Chael Sonnen 329 UFC 2 3 Jake Shields 299 UFC 3 3 Nate Marquardt 299 UFC 4 5 Vitor Belfort 280 UFC 5 6 Demian Maia 272 UFC 6 7 Dan Henderson 269 Strikeforce 7 8 Yushin Okami 231 UFC 8 9 Jorge Santiago 219 WVR 9 10 Robbie Lawler 171 Strikeforce 10 11 Ronaldo Souza 150 Strikeforce/DREAM 15 12 Chris Leben 149 UFC NR 13 Wanderlei Silva 140 UFC 13 14 Alan Belcher 137 UFC 12 15 Michael Bisping 132 UFC 14 16 Thales Leites 95 MFC 16 17 Mamed Khalidov 93 WVR 17 18 Yoshihiro Akiyama 86 UFC 11 19 Alessio Sakara 74 UFC 18 20 Paulo Filho 74 Impact FC 19 21 Hector Lombard 62 Bellator 20 22 Kazuo Misaki 58 WVR 22 23 Rousimar Palhares 55 UFC 23 24 Tim Kennedy 53 Strikeforce 25 25 Patrick Cote 41 UFC 24 Cross your fingers fight fans, #2 Chael Sonnen has made a lot of promises about his title shot against #1 Anderson Silva at UFC 117, with the most important one being that he's got the skill set to force Silva to fight rather than goof around in the cage.
That's what Silva did in his title defenses against #6 Demian Maia, #16 Thales Leties and #25 Patrick Cote. We'll just have to wait and see what kind of performance Sonnen can tease out of the mercurial champ.
#3 Jake Shields made news this month by (finally) signing with the UFC. But apparently they feel that welterweight champ Georges St Pierre is in even more dire need of a challenge than Anderson Silva because Shields will be fighting at 170lbs in the big show.
#8 Yushin Okami will be fighting Mark Munoz at UFC on Versus 2 this Sunday. A win could possibly put Okami back in the title hunt.
#9 Jorge Santiago will rematch #22 Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku Raiden Championships 14 on August 22. Strikeforce boss Scott Coker has spoken openly about wanting the winner to participate in his might still happen middleweight tournament.
But before the tournament, #11 Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza will face #24 Tim Kennedy for the title at Strikeforce: Houston.
The biggest jump this month is #12 Chris Leben who's back-to-back come from behind wins over Aaron Simpson and #18 Yoshihiro Akiyama at the TUF 11 Finale and UFC 116 respectively have propelled him into the rankings and into title contention. Akiyama will face #15 Michael Bisping at UFC 120 in London this fall.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
We are now moving to what JCS of Fight Matrix has described as assumed rankings in an attempt to rank fighters who move between weight classes. This has been the biggest problem with the consensus rankings and we believe this new methodology will rectify that.
Let's take Anderson Silva for instance. 87% (13 of 15) of our panelists have him at Light Heavyweight and 100% (15 of 15) at Middleweight. On the 13 ballots that ranked Silva at 205, we took the average (21.2). We then reduced that number by half the percentage of Light Heavyweight ballots that he was not included on. Say he's not on 30% of them, then we do a 15% penalty on the average that we found in the previous step. That number is then used instead of the usual "normalization number" to provide points from those not ranking the fighter in the weight class in question. This avoids fighters being excessively penalized by confusion about which weight class they belong.
- Read More
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