UFC 131 Preview And Predictions

My first attempt at predicting the fights for UFC 130 did not go as well as I had hoped. After stunning those watching UFC 130 with me by predicting the winner of the first bout on the main event by KO, I spent the rest of the night feeling sheepish and listening to endless teasing as my last four picks looked completely ridiculous.

UFC 130 was the only thing more disappointing then my picks that night. The card as a whole was underwhelming, even in the eyes of UFC President Dana White. Even more disappointing than the overall card was the performance of Roy Nelson. As a fan of Big Country, I thought he was evolving in all aspects of his fight game. Nelson has since claimed to have been suffering from walking pneumonia, which would certainly hinder ones performance, but surely he was not suffering from pneumonia through the duration of his camp. I thought Big Country was talented and willing to work hard enough to overcome his love for food. As Dana White said after the fight, the fat thing was funny for a time, but it is not funny anymore.

UFC 131, like 130, has changed its main event. The card is more promising than 130 though, and the main event seems like a sure hit amongst fans that want to see a knockout.

Vagner Rocha vs Donald Cerrone

Rocha is not well known outside of his adopted home of Florida. He is a fighter with tremendous BJJ and is looking to make the most of his opportunity to join the big leagues. Since 2008 Cowboy Cerrone has gone 7-3. What makes Cerrone unique during that stretch is his six fight of the nights during that ten fight span. Cerrone was 4-2 in fight of the nights, but all three of his losses came in championship bouts.

While it is hard to say who wins, with Cerrone involved the fight is sure to be exciting. I expect Cerrone to try and keep this fight standing and use his Muay Thai to put away Rocha.

Damian Maia vs Mark Munoz

Damian Maia has four submission of the night honours in the UFC, and if you erase the embarrassing fight between Maia and Anderson Silva, Maia has only lost once since joining the UFC.

Mark Munoz has a decorated wrestling background and is 5-2 since coming to the UFC. Munoz has gained a lot of steam during his recent win streak, but I expect Maia to dominate this potentially ground heavy fight with yet another exciting submission.

Dave Herman vs Jon Olav Einemo

Hard to say much about either newcomer to the UFC, but Herman has been the busier fighter while Einemo has not fought since 2006. Herman is also almost ten years younger, which makes him my pick in this battle of newcomers.

Kenny Florian vs Diego Nunes

This fight is Kenny Florian’s first at Featherweight, and according to Dana White, a win will get Florian a shot at Jose Aldo’s belt. Since joining the UFC/ WEC Nunes has gone 5-1 with all of his fights going the distance. The X factor in this fight will be Florian’s weight cut; if he has a healthy cut and comes into the fight 100%, Florian should have no problem taking home the victory. If 145 pounds is too small for his 5’10” frame, Nunes should be able to grind out another decision victory.

Junior Dos Santos vs Shane Carwin

The main event of the fight card between Dos Santos and Carwin looks very promising. There are two things that are almost certain when it comes to this fight; it will not go the distance, and it will not end via submission. Two of the heaviest hands in the Heavyweight division should result in a boxing match with four ounce gloves. Neither fighter has had their chins tested yet in their careers, but it is almost certain that both will be taking heavy shots in this bout.

Both fighters’ records in the UFC are amazing; all four of Carwin’s UFC victories have come in the first round by KO. The only time Carwin has had to go past the first round he gassed and could not stop Brock Lesnar from getting on top of him, despite owning Lesnar through the entire first round.

JDS has won all six of his fights in the UFC, four by KO and another by verbal submission after his heavy hands broke Mirko Cro-Cop’s orbital bone. The only person he was not able to finish was Roy Nelson, whom no one has yet to be able to finish.

In what might be both the fight of the night and knockout of the night, look for Cigano to continue winning and finish Carwin to set him up for a title shot against Cain Velasquez.

UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill Preview

Brian Stann vs Jorge Santiago

This is a hard fight to judge because of Brian Stann’s huge push as the next Captain America. As all North Americans have already heard too many times, he is a former marine captain and all round good guy. Jorge Santiago on the other hand is a huge talent out of Japan, but has had very little media push here in North America.

Since coming down from the Light Heavyweight division, Brian Stann has gone a long way to back up the hype train that is following him. A big knockout over the granite chin of Chris Leben in his last outing showed he is indeed for real. Santiago has only one loss in the last five years, and is coming to America after owning Sengoku and its middle weight division for the last two and a half years. He is a BJJ black belt and skilled Muay Tuai striker, but on this night I see the American Brian Stann continue his impressive streak at 185 and KO’ing Santiago in the second round.

Thiago Alves vs Rick Story

Thiago Alves is back on the main card after a unanimous decision win over John Howard. Before that, Alves suffered back to back defeats against the legendary GSP and the hard working Jon Fitch. Rick Story is looking to continue a remarkable five fight win streak that includes a fight of the night honour. While Alves is the better known fighter, and a huge favourite to win the fight, Story has quietly put together a remarkable winning streak against solid fighters such as Johnny Hendricks and Brian Foster.

I expect the Pitbull to get his name back with the division’s elite with a big KO on the main card.

Stephan Struve vs Travis Brown

You may remember that Travis Browne was able to fight to a draw against the once highly touted Cheick Kongo. Other than that, he does not have a lot to speak about in his career. Stephan Struve has had two TKO defeats against the rock hard hands of Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson, besides those losses is 5-0 in the UFC with a submission of the night and a knockout of the night under his belt. Struve is one of the future big names in the UFC`s heavyweight division, and why he does not get the push that other up and coming heavyweights do is most likely because of the knockouts he has taken. Look for Struve to dominate the fight, finishing with a second round submission to set up a fight against a big name heavyweight next.

Frank Mir vs Roy Nelson

This might be the fight of the night. Frank Mir looks to redeem himself despite winning his last fight by KO, while Big Country looks to improve off an impressive decision loss to Junior Dos Santos. It is remarkable that the fighter coming off a win may have more to prove then the one coming off a loss. Frank Mir has juggled camps working on his boxing, his wrestling, & a number of different things, but nothing seems to have worked since his first win against Brock Lesnar. Despite being 5-2 in his last seven fights, Mir needs to answer a lot of questions to UFC fans in order to once again be considered an elite Heavyweight.

Nelson wins this in the second round via brutal ground and pound, pushing yet another nail in Mir`s coffin as a main event fighter.

Quinton Rampage Jackson vs Matt Hamill

Really?

This is the main event?

This is a fight that would be better placed third or even fourth on this very card. Sportsinteraction.com has Hamill as a 3.2 underdog, and this is not even a title fight. Hamill is a solid wrestler with a decent power shot. Some might wonder if this is the UFC’s attempt to push Rampage back into mainstream status after back to back fights that left viewers wondering if Jacksons’s exciting days were behind him. When you look at Hamill’s five fight win streak, nothing but questions show up. Should he be proud of the Jon Jones win? Do wins against big nineties names really mean anything in 2011? Does this man have any serious shot of title contention in the UFC?

A lot of questions, but the biggest question is how Quinton has prepared for this fight? In my opinion I feel that Rampage does not have enough respect for Hamill, or for MMA itself. I am predicting a huge upset here and expect The Hammer to walk away with a rather uneventful decision win against a bored Jackson. It’s either that, or the Rampage we all know and love makes a rare appearance and KO’s Hamill in the first round.

May 2011 MMA Fighter Rankings: Light Heavyweight

The light heavyweight division is possibly the toughest division in MMA. Aside from UFC champion Jon Jones, every fighter in the top ten has a real knock against them in recent memory. This is without a doubt a testament to how level the division is; any one of these fighters’s can win on any given day.

10. Matt Hamill
Unfortunately for Hamill, the five fight winning streak he is riding is probably the most unimpressive streak of that length in UFC history. Right in the middle of that streak is the Jon Jones fight, where, along with his win purse, The Hammer got to take home a shattered nose and separated shoulder. Two straight decision wins to Keith Jardine and a past his prime Tito Ortiz are only slightly more impressive. A big win against Rampage will go a long way to helping fans believe he is a legitimate threat.

9. Ryan Bader
While I still consider Bader to be one of the top prospects in the division, Jones dominated him from start to finish and showed that Bader will need a lot more training and work to become a well rounded threat amongst the division’s elite. The most shocking part of the Jones versus Bader fight was how easily Jones dominated Bader on the mat.

8. Phil Davis
While Mr Wonderful is still undefeated, his decision win against Lil Nog is not anything to write home about. While Nogueira is a legend in his own right, he has not looked particularly good since coming to the UFC. Davis’ wrestling was more than enough to handle Lil Nog, but he was unable to do anything else the entire fight. Davis will get his chance to prove his MMA skills are legit when he fights Rashad Evans this summer, a fight that many think is pre-mature for the still developing Mr. Wonderful.

7. Dan Henderson
After being out-wrestled by a much smaller Jake Shields, many thought Hendo was finished as a legitimate fighter. He has since bounced back with a KO over Babalu, and a third round TKO over former Strikeforce champion Rafael Cavalcante. Other than the disappointing performance against Shields, Henderson has not lost since he fought pound for pound great Anderson Silva. Look for Hendo to continue winning when he faces an aging but iconic Fedor Emelianenko this summer.

6. Lyoto Machida
Most people would agree that knocking out a 47 year old man sounds more like cruelty then greatness, but Machida got back into the win column after a disappointing loss to Rampage and a sound beating at the hands of Shogun Rua. While Randy Couture might not be a great litmus test, it did appear as if Machida had regained his elusiveness and speed after two poor performances. Some may say he should have been given the victory over Rampage, but regardless of the winner, that fight was not impressive for either fighter.

5. Forrest Griffin
Back to back decision wins over Rich Franklin and the well aged Tito Ortiz are not as impressive as they would have been five years ago. Before that, Forrest got knocked out by Anderson Silva while The Spider was back-stepping and throwing a light jab. Hard to believe that is the same chin that won the epic fight against Stephan Bonnar in The Ultimate Fighter’s Inaugural series finale.

4. Shogun Rua
Jon Jones made Rua look small and slow when he took the belt away, but Jones has done that to everyone he has faced in the Octagon so far. Past that, Rua is 3-2 which includes a KO over Machida, a controversial decision loss to Machida and TKO’s over MMA legends Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman. A rematch against Griffin will let us know if his loss to the TUF original in their first fight was a fluke due to past injuries or not.

3. Quinton Jackson
Rampage is coming off of a weak decision win against the Dragon, and an even weaker decision loss to Rashad Evans. Yet, with a win this month against Matt Hamill, Rampage will again be looking for his shot at the belt. The fact that Rampage still has a strong enough following to headline a PPV, certainly helps his cause.

2. Rashad Evans
Hard to place a man that has not fought in over a year in the number two position, but no light-heavyweight in any corporation has had an easy time since Suga has sat down. His absence is not as much a positive, but the absence of a negative that has allowed him to stay near the top of the rankings.

1. Jon Jones
Jon Jones has rolled through everyone he has faced since breaking into the UFC a short time ago. This includes a win over one of the most respected and feared fighters of all time in Mauricio Rua. Bones made Shogun look like a common bouncer in any busy downtown nightclub. Rua has lost before, but he has never looked so overmatched in his career. In my opinion that says a lot more about Jones than Rua, and I expect Bones to continue to amaze in the future. He is the future of MMA fighters: a man whose athletic skills would have made him successful in any sport he focused on.

Chael Sonnen Suspension Upheld

Chael Sonnen was in court today, and it did not go well. The commission voted to uphold his indefinite suspension, and if we are to believe Sonnen’s own testimony, he may never be back in the UFC.

According to ESPN’s Josh Gross’ live tweet by tweet reporting in the courtroom, Sonnen told the commission, “If I don’t get my license today I’m effectively retired. That came from the boss, Dana White.” Sonnen also went on to say that if he does regain his license he would be opposite Micheal Bisping as the next pair of TUF coaches, with the winner getting a shot at the middleweight title. Gross also reported that Sonnen became very emotional while giving his testimony; it did seem as if he understood how serious the situation has become.

Dr. Giza, one of the commissioners in California, had a serious problem with Sonnen’s inconsistent statements made in the past. The Dean of the commission, John Frierson, took this one step further when telling Sonnen “It’s very hard for me to believe in your second chance.”

Dr. Van Lemons also made a point during the commissioner’s deliberation that he has a problem with testosterone being used in competition. At the end of the hearing, Sonnen’s mother got up to speak and stated that she believed her son had to take testosterone whether he was competing or not.

In the end, the commission voted 4-1 to uphold the indefinite suspension. The lone vote came from Anthony Thompson, who was not on the commission last December.

The indefinite suspension means that Sonnen will be suspended until his license expires on June 29th, but Sonnen can still apply elsewhere for a licence. However, historically, the commissions tend to stick together, and it may be hard for him to find a licence anywhere in the USA. On top of this, it is doubtful the UFC will allow any fighter that is suspended from any state to fight anywhere else.

If we are to believe Sonnen’s statement that Dana White now considers him retired from MMA, this could be a very sad ending to an entertaining career. In addition to this, fans and media alike will possibly never get the opportunity to see a re-match between Sonnen and Silva. The news is unfortunate, in that Sonnen’s career will now likely be remembered as the guy that almost beat Anderson Silva.

5 Most Wanted Fights In MMA

With all the top talent available within Zuffa’s grasp, high profile fights become more and more realistic. Here are a few at the top of the list of most wanted super fights in MMA.

Georges St-Pierre versus Nick Diaz

This seems like the perfect (and possibly final) welterweight fight for GSP. Nick Diaz just finished off Paul Daley in the first round, and is willing to go toe to toe with anyone. This should make it very hard for GSP to once again go the distance. Diaz is a BJJ demon off his back as well, which will help prevent GSP from any lay and pray style his fans might be tired of. This fight would clean out the division for Rush if he wins, and should provide the excitement that many fans have claimed to be missing in his last few fights.

Georges St-Pierre versus Anderson Silva

The dream match MMA fans have wanted for years has lost some steam due to the sudden and seemingly unstoppable emergence of Jon Jones. This fight would still be one of the biggest of all time if signed, and if I were Dana White or Joe Silva, it would be the one fight I would want to headline the next stadium event (someone’s got to headline Cowboys Stadium). It would be interesting to see if GSP would be able to use his dominant wrestling to take the bigger Silva down, or if Silva would be able to use his expert striking skills to neutralize and dominate the smaller GSP.

Anderson Silva versus Jon Jones

Many fans find Jones’ long, lanky body and giant wingspan to be a larger version of the Spider. Even more find Jones to be an unstoppable force in the UFC, similar to the way Silva entered the UFC years ago. Silva walks around with enough size that a trip up to the light heavyweight division would not be a problem, as he has proved with his easy KO’s over James Irvin and Forrest Griffin. The similarities of the two champion’s physical build, as well as the unpredictable and often lethal striking of both men, have many asking for this fight to happen.

Jon Jones versus Rashad Evans

Much has been made of the idea that Jon Jones somehow disrespected Evans by stating in an interview that he was willing to fight Evans if that was what the UFC wanted. Since then the two men have been arguing back and forth on Twitter and in interviews without either side taking a breath. Whether the fighters are trying to create hype for a fight, or the animosity between the two is real, a fight between them would be a real treat for fight fans. The fight would also put Jones to the test to see how he fares against a truly elite wrestler.

Jon Jones versus Cain Velasquez

Seeing Jones and Velasquez next to each other during interviews in Toronto at the UFC 129 fan expo makes it easy to see this fight happening in the future. Velasquez does not look much bigger then Bones when they are both at their natural weight, and if Jones can continue his impressive streak of dominating fighters in the light-heavyweight division, a move up in weight class might make sense for him. At only 23 years old, it is easy to see Jones one day outgrowing the light-heavyweight division. If that day comes, it will be interesting to see how he handles being in the ring with elite fighters when he no longer looks to be a weight class ahead of his opponents. Both Shogun and Bader looked small in the ring next to Jones, and he handled them as if they were just that: small. A bout against a big, but not huge, heavyweight like Velasquez will test Jones in ways that no one in the light heavyweight division can.

May 2011 MMA Fighter Rankings: Heavyweights

With Zuffa taking ownership over Strikeforce the heavyweight division in the UFC will likely see some new faces in the near future, which calls for some interesting match-ups. However, until that day arrives, the heavyweight rankings are not affected by a large degree. With Brock Lesnar forced to withdraw from his title eliminator match, Shane Carwin steps in with a chance to move up the rankings, and a chance to get another title shot. Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments section.

10. Sergei Kharitonov
These days a victory over Andrei Arlovski is hardly a cause for celebration, and a recent loss to Jeff Monson makes Kharitonov hard to take seriously. But he was the last man to defeat Allister Overeem, which tells me that Sergei is indeed for real. Paying out 4 to 1 to win the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, Kharitonov could be a good value bet to win the tournament.

9. Fabricio Werdum
His only loss since 2007 came courtesy of the heavy and unbeaten fists of Junior Dos Santos. With a decision win over Bigfoot Silva and his upset heard around the world when he beat Fedor in just 69 second, you may wonder why he is not ranked higher on this list. Honestly, if the heavyweight division was split and a 225lbs or 235 lbs division were created, Werdum would no doubt be much higher. But in today’s fighting world with so many heavyweights tipping the scales right near the 265lbs limit, it’s hard to picture a much smaller submission specialist taking either crown anytime soon.

8. Antonio Silva
He dominated the man who was once rightly thought of as the best fighter in the world. The much bigger Bigfoot proved that he was more than just a large man as well, holding the legendary Fedor down and landing strike after strike on a man many thought was unhittable.

7. Shane Carwin
A solid punch away from wearing the belt, sadly Carwin instead showed his dire need for a gas tank and exposed himself as a largely one sided fighter. That won’t cut it in today’s MMA world. But entering the UFC with four straight KO’s is an impressive feat. At 36 years old it is probably too late for Carwin to learn a ground game, but the stand up war coming up between Carwin and JDS will be fun to watch, if just for a minute.

6. Brendan Shaub
A 78 inch reach has helped him end the UFC careers of both Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Cro Cop. Of all the TUF 10 fighters, Shaub has easily made the greatest improvements as a fighter since the end of the show. A big name showdown awaits, and many likely wouldn’t mind seeing him take on Minotauro once he returns from knee surgery (UFC Rio anyone). A win would propel him into the mix at the top of the Heavyweight division.

5. Roy Nelson
His loss to JDS proved that Big Country has a granite chin and is always game, even if he did not have the talent to test the much more technically sound Cigano. While he lost the decision, he took many hard shots that would have KO’d most fighters and was still standing at the end of the fight. He will embarrass Frank Mir and solidify his status in the upper echelon of the Heavyweight division.

4. Alistair Overeem
The man has not lost since 2007, but the biggest name he fought in that time, Mirko Cro Cop, resulted in a no contest. Add to that the rumours of steroid use along with only fighting once in North America during the span and the dominant fighter only has more questions than answers.

3. Brock Lesnar
Both Cain and Shane Carwin exposed Lesnar and his weaknesses. He is a beast of a man, but he wilts when the fight is taken to him and he cannot handle another man his size punching him in the mouth. He is still the most intimidating figure in MMA, and if Lesnar is capable of getting on top of you and pinning you down, your weekend will be ruined. With a second bout of Diverticulosis at age 33, sadly the baddest man on the planet might not have enough time to grow and train to his true potential.

2. Junior dos Santos
Easily the best hands in the heavyweight division. But to be recognized as the elite heavyweight in the world, Cigano is going to have to develop a ground game to prevent himself from being a one sided fighter. He won’t have to worry about this in his upcoming fight against Carwin though, a fight that doesn’t look like it’ll last very long regardless of who gets KO’d.

1. Cain Velasquez
He weighs in as a heavyweight but fights like a middleweight, except when it comes to pure power. Expect Cain to come back from injury and continue his dominant streak in the UFC’s biggest division. All opponents should be well prepared for a beast with an unlimited gas tank and a man who is dangerous in any scenario.

UFC & Twitter: Moving Towards Mainstream by Going against the Stream?

MMA and the UFC in particular have been working very hard over the years to gain mainstream acceptance, both in sanctioning and in the sporting world. It has been a steady climb during this time, with nearly all states and provinces being sanctioned, and with major sports stations covering UFC events on a more regular basis.

Perhaps the best example of the MMA world gaining mainstream acceptance here in Canada was the recent success of UFC 129. Selling 55,000 seats to any event has to be considered a huge success and proof that the sport is quickly becoming significant in the sporting world.

While becoming more and more relevant in recent years, Dana White has never made any attempt to behave like a mainstream commissioner or president of any other league. In fact he has often gone the complete opposite way most mainstream sports generally operate.

At the MMA summit this year Dana White announced that the UFC approach to Twitter will also be drastically different than any other major sport. While the NFL, MLB and NBA are putting more and more restrictions on players tweeting or using other forms of social media during sporting events, Dana White and the UFC are encouraging it.

The UFC announced this week that they will begin separating their fighters into four different groups based on the number of twitter followers they have. They will then begin giving awards out each quarter to three fighters from each group. One for who gained the most followers, another for who gained the highest percentage of followers, and finally one for who has the most interesting tweets. The last award will be judged by Dana White himself, and is certainly the most interesting.

While it is debatable whether or not fighters twitter accounts are interesting enough to follow, the move is certainly a 180 when compared to mainstream sports such as baseball, football and basketball. This is not the first time that Dana White has made a friend out of social media though. His experiment with playing undercard fights on Facebook has to be considered a success to hardcore MMA fans that now have access to almost twice the number of live fights during each event.

Will this move to lead the UFC closer to the mainstream acceptance they so covet? Or will inappropriate tweets by fighters give more ammunition to the anti-MMA community?

Should Teammates Fight Each Other

Rashad Evans made headlines while champion when he said he would not fight his teammate and friend Keith Jardine. Although, not many seemed to care as Jardine never got far enough in his UFC career to warrant a title shot, hence, a championship bout between the two fighters was never seriously discussed.

UFC fighters Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch also stated they would never fight each other. Kos even went as far as to say he would “cut his leg off and move down a weight class” rather than fight Fitch.

Even more people began talking about friends and teammates fighting each other when Jon Jones won the light heavy-weight title and said during an interview that he would fight whoever Dana White told him to because that was his job. Teammate Rashad Evans took that as a slap in the face, and left Greg Jackson’s camp not long after. Evans has since taken to Twitter to engage in a battle of insults with his former teammate, a battle that is usually reserved for a playground.

The problem with teammates choosing not to fight each other is that it takes away from the fans and leaves the organization with one less high-calibre fight to put out. In the case of Bones Jones and Evans, two of the very best fighters in the Light Heavyweight division would potentially not have squared off. By choosing not to fight a teammate, the fighter is limiting his value to the company, and limiting his value to himself by placing further restrictions on how he will earn money.

There are three ways to look at a fighter’s choice to fight or not to fight a teammate. There is the perspective of the fans, the organizations perspective, and the fighter’s perspective.

From a fans view the idea of a good fight not happening because the fighters are friends is a hard pill to swallow. Fans want to watch the best possible fights, and as a fan I can tell you that I really don’t care if the men in the ring like each other or not. If the best matchup for the light-heavyweight belt is indeed Evans versus Jones, then as a fan I want to watch that fight especially when my hard earned money is going towards the purchase of this fight (whether watching live or on TV).

Looking at the issue from the eyes of the organization is not very different from the point of view of a fan. The organization wants to put on the best fights it can, because the better the matchups, the better the event and the more money the organization can make as a result.

It is the perspective of the fighters that makes the idea interesting. Fighters have said they do not want to fight teammates because they need to have complete trust in one another while training. If a fighter feels he may eventually be meeting his teammate inside the Octagon, they may naturally be more inclined to hide weaknesses during training. Teammates also have a better chance of finding each other’s weaknesses, which could then be exposed in the Octagon when the two meet. Fighters have also mentioned how it would be harder to get in the Octagon and try to hurt someone they consider to be a good friend. But by choosing not to fight someone, a fighter may also be taking money away from his own family. If a fighter is friends with a title holder, and instead of fighting for the belt chooses to take another fight because he does not want to fight a teammate, he will not be making as much money as he could in a title fight. When the average career of a fighter is only a few years that money could be very important to the fighter, and to his family.

In my opinion the best fighters have to fight the best fighters. They owe it to the fans, which ultimately pay for the luxurious lifestyle that the best fighters enjoy. The fans also pay for the middle class lifestyle that lesser fighters enjoy. While they may not be rich, they are still getting paid to do what they love and are making a living without having to get a job that they are not as passionate about. It will always be hard for a fighter to train with someone that they may eventually meet inside the Octagon, but most fighters evolve quickly these days and train not just for fights anymore, but for the actual person that they are going to fight. The chance to spar or roll with someone in the past does not mean you will know any special knowledge that will give you the upper hand, because each fighter will have the same opportunity to gain inner knowledge of their opponent.

Should UFC 130 Be Free On TV?

The UFC announced this afternoon that the main event at UFC 130 will not be taking place due to injuries to both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Edgar has broken ribs while Maynard suffered a knee injury in training camp.

The Co-Main event will be moving up to take the headline spot, as Rampage Jackson will square off against Matt ‘The Hammer’ Hamill in a battle of light-heavyweights. This has many people wondering if the UFC will remove the event’s PPV status and allow the fights to air live on free television.

The card is still strong enough to draw decent PPV numbers, even though it is clearly lacking a main event draw. Rampage still has a strong following, and while Hamill has had ups and downs in his career, he is a fighter capable of providing highlight finishes.

The middle of the card is also very strong. The Frank Mir – Roy Nelson fight will likely be moved to the co-main event, which has the potential to provide fans with either a highlight reel Knockout or an equally impressive submission finish.

With Stefan Struve, Brian Stann and Thiago Alves all having bouts on the main card, UFC 130 still has a lot of big names on the card, and should still be an exciting event to watch for the average MMA fan.

The omission of the lightweight championship fight leaves UFC 130 lacking true PPV status. With that in mind, should the UFC remove the card from PPV and allow fans to watch it on TV for free? Let us know in the comments section below.

MMA Judging — A Real Issue

As we all know, the judging system in MMA has to be changed. Fighters get robbed at almost every major event because of bad judging, and the athletic commissions seemingly want nothing to do with it. Despite a clear problem with both the system and the people that are using the system, the Nevada Athletic Commission for some reason is choosing to sit still and stay the course.

There are hundreds of issues that we could talk about when it comes to the state of judging in MMA, but the biggest one has to be the fact that the Nevada State Athletic Commission will not allow judges to use video or video replay while judging a fight.

This is absurd in every way. Even baseball, the sport that holds on to tradition more than any other, is now allowing instant replay. To not allow the judges to use every available tool they can get a hold of to fairly judge a contest is to say that the outcome of these fights does not matter.

As anyone that has been to a live fight and up close to the action will attest to, you can only see half of the Octagon at best when watching it live from floor seats. At UFC 129, I was convinced that Pablo Garza had dominated his fight from start to finish when he applied a flying triangle to finish the fight. It was not until the next day that I saw the real story, Garza was the one being dominated from the opening bell, but all the action was on the opposite side of the octagon and out of my line of sight.

By not allowing the judges to use televisions to assist in watching the fights, you are taking away from any human beings ability to watch and correctly judge a contest. Until something is done to move the judging system into the 21st century, we will continue to see bizarre judges’ decisions that anger and upset not just the fighters and MMA management, but all fans in general.

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