MMA Planet Featherweight Rankings

As noted in ‘About SMT’, I would love to be in a position to at least have the option of purchasing every combat sports par-per-view event. Unfortunately, one must be employed to even begin considering such things.

It is pretty darn easy to see virtually any fight on the Internet if one knows where to look. It never makes me proud to do so, and I often miss out on so many of the nuances of an MMA event (post-fight interviews, announcements, entrances, introductions, etc.) when I do, but if it’s what it takes for me to get my fix of MMA and boxing, I scour the web for working links.

It is rare that I do this with an MMA card without feeling a little guilty. After all, I have long held that most MMA fighters are terribly underpaid, and pirating their fights can’t help the situation.

Then there are cards like UFC 85, Pride: Shockwave 2005, UFC 78, and now UFC 106.

Admittedly, 106 has been plagued by injuries, cancellations, ill-timed illness, and even the galling news that Karo Parisyan backed out of his scheduled bout with Dustin Hazelett at the last possible second for reasons he wouldn’t divulge. This doesn’t excuse the fact that we, as fans, are being asked to drop $50 to watch one potentially exciting fight, an overall weak undercard, and a main event featuring a pair of marginal light-heavyweights.

It may not be worth the dough, but at least I’ll have a clear conscience while I dig it up online.

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WEC 44 Notebook

Featherweight Championship Analysis

Incumbent WEC 145-lb. title holder Mike Thomas Brown had shown great composure since entering the World Extreme Cage. He seemed to thrive when facing furious impulsive assaults, showing an uncommon ability to remain calm and make his opponents pay for their mistakes while making virtually none of his own.

Surging Brazilian whirlwind Jose Aldo, for all his explosiveness and talent, seemed tailor-made for the champ. His aggressive, freewheeling style, and supposed lack of size for the division had me believing that Brown would cement his status as the fighter of 2009 with his third successful defense against a top-5 opponent during the calendar year.

Unfortunately for the champ, MMA is a sport where even the most assured assumptions are often proven false. From the opening “Bring it on!” Aldo had Brown on his heels with a combination of speed, power, and shocking size. It was thought by some observers–SMT included–that Aldo could cut to 135. After watching him the other night, it seems amputation would be the only route.

What shocked me most in this bout was the fact that Aldo’s furious assault managed to rattle Brown and force him into an uncharacteristic mistake. A second-round scramble ended with Brown falling to the mat and giving up his back. It took the challenger mere seconds to pounce on his opponent and claim the title with a series of punches.

While it was my least favorite kind of stoppage–the type where a fighter is hopelessly stuck in a bad position rather than genuinely hurt–Aldo deserves a ton of credit for the resounding victory, and will likely face the winner of next month’s Urijah Faber-Raphael Ascunciao tilt in his first defense.

WEC/Zuffa brass has to be pleased that Faber, their most marketable star, is once again on the verge of a shot at the title that was once synonymous with him.

Other notes from WEC 44

Is there a more hard-luck fighter in the promotion than Rob McCullough? Since losing the belt to current champ Jamie Varner, the guy has consistently delivered exciting performances against extremely tough opposition, only to go 2-2 in that stretch. My sympathy for ‘Razor’ aside, newcomer Karen Darabedyan was extremely impressive in his WEC debut, and will be a top contender in the division in short order.

Manny Gamburyan, for all his talent, hasn’t been involved in an exciting fight since he was a contestant on TUF. As for his vanquished foe Leonard Garcia, I’m left to wonder if this guy will ever correct the holes in his wrestling game that have led to two underwhelming performances in a row since he fought for the title.

I wasn’t particularly impressed with Kamal Shalorus or Will Kerr. One guy threw long, sloppy punches, while the other seemed to think dropping his hands constitutes a feint. I know Zuffa tends to put its best 155-lb. prospects in the UFC, but is this really the best they can do for their feeder promotion?

Shane Roller turned in the night’s gutsiest performance, dispatching Danny Castillo via choke in the waning stages of a highly competitive tilt. Afterwards, he stated that he would be disappointed if his next fight was not a title shot. I don’t think he’s quite ready.

Finally, I must give a shout-out to Antonio Banuelos–the only professional athlete I know of who shares my surname–and congratulate him on his victory over Kenji Osawa.

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Unintentionally funny person of the week:

ESPN’s Mike Wilbon

I can’t help but find it funny when so-called “mainstream” sports writers talk MMA and boxing. There’s always this brief moment of, “Oh yeah, that still exists!”

On yesterday’s episode of Pardon The Interruption, the question of whether or not a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight would take place in the near future was posed to Wilbon and his PTI co-host Tony Kornheiser. Both were justifiably confident that the match will be made, but Wilbon spouted two things that nearly put him into Bob Arum territory.

He began by implying that MMA (“or whatever that is,”) can’t produce great fights, then went on to say that, “Some of us are old enough to like boxing.” Note to Mr. Wilbon: I’m 20 years younger than you, and I LOVE boxing. I’m also fan enough to appreciate both.

Though they compete for the same fans and pay-per-view dollars, I still can’t get my mind around how a person can like one and not the other. Kudos to Tony Reali for giving Wilbon the L for the odds-makers segment, in part because of the shot he took at MMA.

I admire Mr. Wilbon, and have faith that one day he’ll grow to appreciate MMA.

Pictured: a typical boxing fan according to Mr. Wilbon

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto – Redux

It was literally five minutes after SMT was published last Sunday that I was finally able to dig up a working link for last Saturday’s boxing feature.

Much has been made of Manny Pacquiao’s ascendance into the all-time pantheon since he brutally took apart a game, yet overmatched, Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao deserves every word of praise lavished upon him by the media, and then some. His tremendous speed and footwork were on full display, and he showed a previously unseen ability to absorb power shots from an A-list welterweight.

For a few fleeting minutes last Saturday, it looked as if Cotto might have the goods to derail the Pac Man train. He was jabbing effectively, controlling the pace, and walking the Filipino superstar down with calculated aggression. Even when Manny scored a flash knockdown in the third round, I still felt Cotto had the upper hand.

In fact, Cotto looked to be taking over the fight in the middle stages of an action-packed round four, but it all changed in the blink of an eye. You might assume I’m referring to the beautiful combination that floored the Puerto Rican at the end of the period, but it was what I saw a little earlier in the frame that caught my eye as the true turning point in the bout.

Somewhere along the line, Cotto had to figure he was going to get tagged. The unfortunate thing for him was that he stopped fighting with his head, and started fighting with his emotions once it happened. Between rounds four and five, Cotto’s corner pleaded with him to, “Box intelligently,” but by then the shift in his mindset was irreversible.

Perhaps the greatest single factor in Cotto’s demise was his changing trainers. Virtually every boxer reaches a point where they need a change in order to improve and evolve, but by all appearances Cotto’s firing of his uncle and long-time trainer Evangelista Cotto was over personal issues. All due respect to new trainer Joe Santiago, but it seemed as if his charge was setting his own strategic agenda for most of the fight, and it cost him dearly in the end.

The loss of composure was the proverbial blood in the water for the current king of the sweet science. Pacquiao proceeded to batter his foe into a bloody, swollen mess over the next seven rounds. Cotto’s toughness cannot be questioned, but he took a lot of unnecessary punishment, and one has to wonder whether his career will suffer for it.

One of the hallmarks of greatness in combat sports is when a fighter reaches a point where his dominance becomes as routine as a morning cup of coffee. I found myself growing almost bored with Pacquiao’s systematic dismantling of yet another world-class opponent as the rounds wore on. In over 20 years as a boxing fan, I’ve never seen an offensive virtuoso on Pacquiao’s level. Roy Jones came close in his prime, but the difference is that Manny is cleaning out world-class opposition in multiple weight classes in a way Jones never did.

As detailed in last Sunday’s SMT, a fight with undefeated former pound-for-pound monarch Floyd Mayweather, Jr. looms as the next challenge for Pacquiao. Early odds released on the potential matchup have Pac Man listed as an 8-5 favorite.

I don’t gamble, but if I did I would bet on Mayweather. I’ll be glad to tell you why if and when the bout agreements are finally signed.

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SMT’s Top 10 TV Shows of the 2000’s

For my countdown I’ve instituted the following criteria:

1) A show must have premiered within the decade. This disqualifies such amazing series as The Sopranos and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

2) A show must have aired for more than one season. This disqualifies Firefly, one of my favorite shows ever produced; and the superlative ESPN football drama, Playmakers.

3) I’ll be leaving out several well-reviewed programs that I’ve simply never watched. I beg the pardon of fans of The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Flight of the Conchords, Entourage, and Chuck (among others).

4) Reality and contest shows won’t be considered. I offer no apologies for this.

5) In paring down my list, I’ve disqualified otherwise decent shows for lousy seasons. This led to the axing of Heroes (which nearly flushed itself in its second season) and Dexter (great show, but the third season was just plain lame).

Without further ado:

#10) Eureka

This smartly written, Earth-based science fiction drama deftly balances serious predicaments with light-hearted humor. Through three seasons it has been consistently compelling and entertaining.

It certainly doesn’t hurt its case that it also features a cornucopia of astoundingly beautiful women.

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Uncommonly held opinion

I’m an enormous fan of Roald Dahl, and have been since I was a child. He gave us some of the best stories ever produced in children’s literature.

This fandom makes me a major purist when it comes to film versions of his work. As such, I present you with my belief that Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is better than the 1971 rendition directed by Mel Stuart.

This isn’t to say that I don’t like the older version, but I feel that Burton and Danny Elfman gave us a better glimpse into Dahl’s imagination–despite the dentist twist.

Excoriate away!

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UFC 106 Recap and Analysis

The fights I have seen from this card have proven to me beyond any doubt that SMT’s First Commandment of MMA: Thou shalt not forget thy base, is absolutely unquestionable. Those who remembered their bases won, those who didn’t lost.

Jason Dent vs. George Sotiropoulos

Sotiropoulos looked to be breaking Commandment One early on in an effort to display his improved striking game. To his credit, he landed some great kicks in the early going, but when Dent began timing George and bouncing fists off of his cranium, the highly-touted Greek-Australian deftly switched gears and dragged Dent to the floor.

From there, Sotiropoulos proceeded to put on a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu clinic, eventually finishing Dent with a slick armbar from the mount. Not many UFC lightweights are equipped to roll with Sotiropoulos, a fact that he fortunately remembered.

Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders

In a battle of boxing and Muay Thai, it was Saunders who employed his bread and butter to earn a very impressive win. Despite his measured disadvantages in height and reach, Davis’ best chance in this fight was to use his head movement and boxing skill in an effort to plant one of his vaunted power shots on Saunders’ somewhat questionable chin.

Instead, Davis opted to enter the clinch game with Saunders, a strategic blunder that led to him being opened up with one knee, and removed from consciousness by another. Saunders definitely deserves praise not only for his impressive performance, but for his adherence to his strengths.

Kendall Grove vs. Jake Rosholt

In perhaps the only fight of the evening that called Commandment One into question, Rosholt looked to be bullying Grove early with his world-class wrestling, only to flagrantly violate Commandment Four (Thou shalt not lose thy composure) and dive face-first into a beautiful triangle choke.

This is the second time Rosholt has practically begged an all-too-happy-to-oblige opponent to submit him since he entered the UFC. Perhaps it’s time he rounded out his grappling game. As for Grove, the submission was slick, and probably earned him a fat bonus that should have gone to Sotiropoulos, but his performance wasn’t exactly overwhelming.

Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni

The night’s most painfully predictable bout pitted TUF7 winner Amir Sadollah against the utterly irrelevant, but still tough Phil Baroni. Virtually every pundit had predicted an early blitz from Baroni, followed by several minutes of Sadollah picking him apart. For once in this mostly unpredictable sport, we got exactly what we expected.

I like Amir a lot, and think he has great skills and instincts, but all he showed me in this one is that he can take out a professional punching bag. I’d like to see him matched with Matt Brown in a rematch of their TUF exhibition. It would be a great test for both fighters at this point.

Luis Arthur Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

SMT salivated over this matchup of top-10 light-heavyweights from the moment it was announced, and it didn’t disappoint despite lasting just under two minutes. Minotouro used crisp boxing and excellent timing to turn Cane’s aggression straight back on him, eventually finishing him with what should turn out to be a $70,000 left hand.

I’ve always contended that Nogueira is one of the world’s most underrated 205’s, but even I didn’t expect him to steamroll Cane the way he did. Rogerio’s technical boxing skill has been well-known since his days in Pride, but he’s obviously developed a great deal of power to go with it. Add this to his top-shelf grappling skills, and you are looking at a guy who belongs right in the middle of the title picture.

And speaking of salivating, the idea of finally seeing Nogueira tangle with Mauricio Rua again with a belt on the line just made me drool like a mastiff missing a chromosome. If you haven’t seen their 2005 fight of the year-caliber war, you owe it to yourself to click here.

Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson

There are fighters I love to hate, and there are fighters I just plain can’t stand. Josh Koscheck falls into the latter category, and did nothing to change that last night.

After milking an illegal knee attempt in a flopping display worthy of Manu Ginobili, Koscheck used his world-class wrestling–and a couple of blatant eye pokes–to wear down Johnson, eventually submitting him with a rear-naked choke. Afterwards, Koscheck called out newly-minted #1 welterweight contender Dan Hardy in what was yet another display of his complete lack of class.

Somebody should tell Josh–who pocketed a nauseatingly undeserved $140,000 in bonuses (seriously, who the hell decides who gets these?!)–that he’s lost his last two fights against ranked opponents, and has a decisive loss to the current champion.

Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin

The main event in name only turned out to be a spirited contest between two big-name and largely irrelevant light-heavyweights.

Griffin took a well-deserved decision over Ortiz, whose lack of cardio was stunning. I’d tell you more about it, but even if you haven’t seen the fight, you’ve seen it. It was that predictable, and was easily the poorest excuse for a UFC main event since Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans at UFC 78.

Some fans have made a point of calling UFC heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez “pillowhands”, but Griffin deserves the moniker twice as much. The Ortizasaurus just needs to walk away while he still has a shred of his legacy left.

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Next Up: The TV countdown continues, SMT recaps the TUF10 finale, and a rant about the infuriating practice of regional movie releases. But first, Turkey-coma. Happy thanksgiving!

Props: MMA Junkie

WEC 44 is in the record books, and it definitely aimed to please the fans.  The main event, as you can tell if you’ve followed the sport for more than a month, was between Mike Brown and Jose Aldo.  Definitely a #1 vs. #2 match-up prior to the event, and it was a great fight! After the jump you’ll find the quick results, as well as my awesome post-event thoughts that are naturally better than every other legit MMA news site/blog out on the interweb….no seriously, my thoughts rule.

Jose Aldo def. Mike Brown via TKO (strikes) – Round, 1:20 (to become new WEC featherweight champion)

Manny Gamburyan def. Leonard Garcia by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Karen Darabedyan def. Rob McCullough via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)

Shane Roller def. Danny Castillo via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:32

Kamal Shalorus def. Will Kerr via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:26

L.C. Davis def. Diego Nunes via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Cub Swanson def. John Franchi via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 4:50

Antonio Banuelos def. Kenji Osawa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ricardo Lamas def. James Krause via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Frank Gomez def. Seth Dikun via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

November is an exciting month for MMA with many exciting bouts on tap.  Here are the best fights of the month…

13. Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson – UFC 106 – Nov. 21

Someone is going to sleep in this one.  Can Johnson fight the elites of the UFC? 

12. Leonard Garcia vs. Manny Gamburyan – WEC 44 – Nov. 11

A potential slugfest.  Both guys look to get in the title picture again.

11. Jorge Gurgel vs. Billy Evangelista – ShoMMA – Nov. 6

This fight does not have a huge impact on the world of MMA or even the Strikeforce lightweight title picture, but Gurgel always brings it and that means excitment.

10. Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy – UFC 105 -Nov. 14

This fight is for the number one contender spot and that carries enough storyline.  Swick has the experience edge, but Hardy is no slouch.  Willa  Brit finally get a title shot? 

9. Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

Mousasi is the clear favorite and this makes the list just because Mousasi is exciting and fun to watch. 

8. Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Silva – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

A great stylistic match between two great ground fighting heavyweights.  This fight could be a Fight of the Year candidate as both guys seem evenly matched.

7. Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin – UFC 106 – Nov, 21

A re-match of a great fight a few years back.  The return of Ortiz.  The return of Forrest Griffin after his loss to Anderson Silva.  A lot of storylines, but we have to wonder if the fight will deliver and live up to the hype.  I’d say it does as both guys want this win. 

6. Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov – Sengoku 11 – Nov. 7

A non-title fight, but still good.  Santiago the champ will face highly toutted Khalidov.  This could be a classic.  I think Khalidov sees this as his chance to make it really big.

5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luis Cane – UFC 106 – Nov. 21

Not getting a huge amount of attention, but this is the best fight on UFC 106.  Two top 10 light heavyweights collide and move one step closer to the UFC title.  Plus the debut in the UFC of the other Nogueira.  Exciting fight here folks.

4. Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo – WEC 44 – Nov. 11

This fight is exciting.  I believe the WEC featherweight division is one of the most exciting in all MMA.  Aldo is a quick and serious striker.  Will he be able to walk through Brown like he has everyone else? 

3. Jake Shields vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

Shields is a tough dude, especially at 170 lbs.  Now he moves up to 185 to try to get the title.  How will he fair against the well-rounded “Mayhem”?  Will he be able to submit Miller?  Interesting to watch and certainly not a gimme for Shields.

2. Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera – UFC 105 – Nov. 14

Randy dropping to 205 to make a run at the light heavyweight title.  Enough said.  Vera has been less than stellar since dropping to 205, but he will hope to out strike the MMA legend, which is no easy task.

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Roger – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

The reason this is the best fight is because  of Fedor.  Not to mention the event will air on CBS.  People will be curious to see if Rogers can KO Fedor.  Also, the other storyline has to be the fact that the last time MMA was on CBS was when Kimbo got KO’d.  If fedor loses this fight somehow it would hurt Strikeforce.  However, it is good to see a real MMA fight with real credentials being promoted.

A tip of the hat to WEC matchmaker Sean Selby and to WEC president Reed Harris. I do not have any ideas what type of numbers WEC 43 pulled in, but I have to say that I enjoyed the fights. I would assume that the event received poor ratings, but it did not lack quality fights.

I have been so impressed with the fights in the WEC. Saturday just proved that they consistently put on good fights. The Cerrone vs. Henderson fight was a legit fight of the year candidate. The Crunkilton vs. Jansen fight was action packed. I thought the Assuncao vs. Jabouin fight was great and is not getting the attention it deserves. Damacio Page is always entertaining. From top to bottom one of the best fight card as far as quality fights.

The reality is that WEC 43 and the Cerrone vs. Henderson fight is not the exception, but apparently the rule. Look back at the WEC fights this year that are viewed as fight of the year worthy: Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber 2 at WEC 41, Miguel Torres vs. Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 40, and Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone at WEC 38.

The WEC also has star power and fighters that always perform. They have guys like Faber, Torres, Brown and Bowles. Not to mention guys like Assuncao, Cerrone, Henderson, Varner, Roller, Crunkilton, Fabiano, Page, Garcia, Cruz, Mizugaki, and the list goes on.

I doubt that the WEC will fold into the UFC anytime soon, but the UFC sure would benefit from it. The WEC guys bring it every time. I believe the WEC might be the most consistent promotion as far as putting on solid and entertaining fights.

Just finished watching the latest WEC. Torres getting his face caved in by Brian Bowles got me thinking about who is the best guy in the 135 and 145 WEC divisions to dethrone the current champion? I don’t feel like discussing the 155 division, for the WEC’s 155 lacks much merit as the UFC has leaps and bounds better competition with very few exceptions.

What better place to start than the WEC’s Bantamweight division? Brian Bowles is obviously the new champion. Making the best of a great opportunity presented by an over eager Miguel Torres. Bowles is a tough scrapper who is good off his back. His biggest issue is his inexperience. I think his slickness on the ground is something that anyone at 135 would have difficult penetrating. He is crisp and strong on his feet, but as we just witnessed in his fight against Torres, he can be hurt. While unable to put him out Torres planted several strikes on his chin that staggered and backed up Bowles.

Based on this, I am venturing that a precise, crisp and powerful striker would be the key to unlock the undefeated Bowles. I feel that Takeya Mizugaki is the man for the job. The reason I choose him for this over Miguel Torres is the fact that he put up a very competitive fight against Torres with several disabling factors working against him – it was his first fight in the US, the first fight in the WEC, he came in on short notice and he had to adapt to a new ruleset. Bearing all that in mind, it was a very competitive fight. When you combine this with his performance against Jeff Curran, I can see him giving Bowles a run for his money. However, Torres would be in the mix as well. I can see this division being a revolving door between these three fighters, especially considering the drop off in talent after them.

At 145 we have a different story. We have Mike Brown, ever the competent, working man’s champion. He has shown the grit and determination to rip the title from the hands of long time champion Urijah Faber. Shortly after, he silenced heavy-handed challenger Leonard Garcia within minutes. Then he broke Urijah Faber’s hand on his face before shutting down Faber at all corners in their 5 round battle of attrition in Sacramento. Brown seems to perform best in the limelight and his game seems very solid. However, what we have not seen a lot of from Brown is his ground game. There is no doubt that it is a solid aspect of his abilities, but he definitely has a tendency to keep things standing. There is nothing wrong with this considering his unusual strength for 145 and his precise punches.

The best challenger for Brown would be someone that could effectively take him to the ground and put the BJJ screws to him. As much as I want to suggest Jose Aldo as the next man to take the belt from Brown, I’m leaning more towards Wagnney Fabiano. Fabiano has been wrecking shop in the WEC after destroying the now defunct IFL’s competition.  His last and only loss was three years ago, and that was a razor thin split decision loss to perennial journeyman Jeff Curran. Fabiano’s stand up is competent but not excellent, but he nearly always manages to get the fight to the ground where he is slick as hell. Fabiano’s BJJ is the strongest in 145 right now and if there is anyone to threaten Brown, it’s this guy.

Here are the quick results from the WEC event:

• Brian Bowles defeats Miguel Torres-1st Round KO (Punches)
• Dominick Cruz defeats Jospeh Benavidez-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Danny Castillo defeats Ricardo Lamas-2nd Round TKO (Punches)
• Takeya Mizugaki defeats Jeff Curran-3rd Round Decision (Split)
• Leonard Garcia defeats Jameel Massouh-3rd Round Decision (Split)
• Cole Province defeats Fredson Paixao-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous) 
• Shane Roller defeats Marcus Hicks-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Ed Ratcliff defeats Phil Cardella-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Rani Yahya defeats John Hosman-1st Round Submission (North-South Choke)
• Diego Nunes defeats Rafael Dias-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• LC Davis defeats Javier Vazquez-3rd Round Decision (Split)

Sorry for not writing this review last night, got kinda lazy. Anyways the WEC once again provided another quality show. The little guys can really fight and its a shame they’re not getting more exposure in the UFC. Hopefully the UFC can merge with the WEC in the near future. I went for 4 for 11 with my picks last night. Really awful and that makes my overall record since starting this blog 15 for 33. That’s terrible, I stink at making predictions, FML. I will say though there were a couple huge upsets and some shitty decisions on the undercard that affected my picks. Ok onto my thoughts:

Bantamweight Title-Torres/Bowles Fight

Huge, huge, huge upset here. Totally thought Torres would run right through Bowles. Torres had Bowles hurt, but rushed in to finish and got clipped and put to sleep on the ground. Even though Bowles was hurt, I would have given him the round up to that point. He had already knocked down Torres early in the round and wasn’t threatened when he took the fight to the ground. Outstanding performance by Brian Bowles, a guy who I really underestimated. Even though Torres is from East Chicago, I’m actually happy Bowles won. It was becoming very stagnant at the top of each weight class in the WEC and UFC with Torres, Brown, Penn, St-Pierre, Silva, Machida, and Lesnar all looking like dominant champions that would reign for a long time. It’s nice to see change at the top of the bantamweight division, especially since Torres has looked unbeatable. It proved to me once again that anything can happen at any time in MMA and that on any given night anyone can win. Bowles as champion has shook up the division and made things exciting again. I wonder how the WEC will market him though as he’s always been a soft spoken guy with not much charisma. One random note is that he looked huge compared next to Torres and is a huge bantamweight in general. That combined with his good power, wrestling and submission skills make him a worthy champion. Bowles will probably have to defend his title next against Dominick Cruz in what should be an outstanding fight. Torres will most likely get one fight against a tough guy before getting another title shot since he’s reigned so long. Someone suggest Torres vs Mizugaki 2 and I like that idea.

Benavidez/Cruz Fight

Another upset here. I underestimated Cruz in this fight, but it looked like Benavidez was just way too small for him. Cruz is another big, tall bantamweight fighter and he used that to his advantage. He peppered Benavidez from the outside with his long reach and then outwrestled the on paper better wrestler, taking him down multiple times. Really exciting fight though as Benavidez was super active and never quit, getting himself off the ground and always attacking. Unfortunately I think Benavidez may just be too small for the top guys in the division and I would suggest him moving down to 125 lbs when that division gets created. It seems like he has no power in punches at this weight. As for Cruz, again really impressive and a true breakout performance. I think he can be real force in the bantamweight division, with his size, good boxing ability and great timing on his takedowns. He will most likely get a title shot with this huge win against Brian Bowles in a fight that will be a toss-up.

Lamas/Castillo Fight

Big win here for Castillo as the two great wrestlers canceled eachother out in the wrestling department, so the whole fight took place on the feet. The fight was moving along at a decent clip until Castillo rocked Lamas with a huge straight right before finishing him off on the ground. Castillo has probably put himself now in the mix for a title shot in the paper thin WEC lightweight division. Seriously the 155 lb weight class isn’t all that great and I don’t think either of these guys would be contenders for awhile in the UFC lightweight division. The WEC should just fold the 155 lb class into the UFC’s. Castillo probably gets a tough fight in his next bout. I suggest maybe Richard Crunkilton if he wins his next fight. As for Lamas, I don’t really know who he gets next, and I honestly I don’t care.

Mizugaki/Curran Fight

Even though Mizugaki won the fight on the judges’ scorecards, Curran did enough to win that fight. This is another case where the damn judges think the guy on top on the ground is winning. I’d give Mizugaki the first round, but Curran definitely won the 3rd round with his near triangle choke finish on Mizugaki late in the round, which btw was fuckin beautfiul. He baited Mizugaki with a sweep attempt before throwing over his legs for a triangle. It was so masterful and real high level jiu-jitsu. If any judge gave Mizugaki that round for surviving the triangle choke they outta be fired from ever judging MMA. The guy on the bottom that is threatening the guy on top and putting him on the defensive by constantly attempting submissions and sweeps should be the man that gets the round. A takedown alone means nothing if you’re having to constantly defend yourself from the guy on the bottom. Some of these damn judges don’t recognize the fuckin art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and think this shit is Ultimate Wrestling or something. Anyways so the round in contention here is the 2nd round, which I felt Curran won. Curran was outstriking Mizugaki on the feet, and then Mizugaki got the takedown, but was constantly threatened on the bottom by Curran who took no damage and was even attempting a guillotine choke at the end of the round. Honestly, this shit was a robbery and even though I picked Mizugaki, Curran deserved to win. I didn’t understand Mizugaki’s game plan to take down a great black belt like Curran. I thought he could’ve outstruck Curran. Mizugaki gets his first win in the WEC despite a flawed gameplan and will probably get another contender in the bantamweight division. As for Curran, I hope the WEC doesn’t cut him. He’s lost 4 in a row, but all to tough guys. I’d like to see him get a pick-me-up fight on the undercard or something.

Garcia/Massouh

We got a bonus by getting this fight live as it was originally slotted for the undercard. This fight isn’t as bad as the Mizugaki/Curran fight, but I think I would have given the win to Massouh, even though the judges scored it for Garcia. Garcia definetly won the 1st with a knockdown, and Massouh dominated the 2nd. The 3rd round, I feel Massouh did enough to win, but it could have been went either way. Garcia was a little more active on the feet, but he was swinging and missing a lot. Honestly, I feel the judges gave the win to Garcia b/c it was such a close fight and they just went with Garcia b/c he’s more popular. Unfortunately for Massouh, that’s 0-2 in the WEC and he will probably get cut. Garcia should another contender in his next fight. If Mizugaki doesn’t fight Torres next, then I would like to see Garcia vs. Mizugaki. That fight has fireworks written all over it.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, pretty solid even from the WEC. Next event from the WEC will be in September featuring an Interim Lightweight Championship bout b/w Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson. Should be a pretty good fight.

So this Sunday on Versus (it’s a channel), the WEC will be airing a huge show. It’s kind of being overshadowed right now by UFC 101, which btw was stupid of Zuffa to have a WEC event on the same weekend as the UFC, by that’s another topic for another discussion later. Now if you’re not a big MMA fan, you may not know what the WEC is. It is the same thing as the UFC, a mixed martial arts organization. Same rules, same octagon, same everything. WEC stands for World Extreme Cagefighting, and contrary to a lot of people’s beliefs, they are not in competition with the UFC. In fact, the same entity, Zuffa, that owns the UFC, also owns the WEC. So what’s the difference? The UFC is for fighters 155lbs and up, while the WEC showcases fighters that fight at 155 lbs or lower. The WEC currently has 3 weight classes: lightweight (155 lbs), featherweight (145 lbs), and bantamweight (135 lbs). This Sunday night will pit the top 2 bantamweights in the world along with a host of other great fights. Once again I’m placing the rankings next to each fighter according to http://www.bloodyelbow.com/rankings. I have to admit, I’m not as familiar with all the fighters in the lower weight classes, so my previews for each fight may not be as in depth as they normally are, especially for the undercard bouts, but I’ll do my best.

Main Card Bouts:

Bantamweight Title: #1 Miguel Torres (37-1 Overall, 5-0 in WEC) vs. #2 Brian Bowles (7-0 Overall, 4-0 in WEC)

Undoubtedly the best bantamweight in the world and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world from East Chicago, Indiana, Miguel Torres takes on top contender Brian Bowles in the main event. If you don’t know who Torres is, you definitely need to look him up. This guy is amazing and if he was getting exposure in the UFC he’d be a top star. This man has amazing cardio, great heart, tough chin, great Muay Thai, awesome jiu-jitsu, he has it all. This guy pushes the pace in all his fights and never stops attacking. He has only lost once in 38 pro fights and has been apart of 2 fight of the year fights already in the WEC. He takes on Bowles who is a guy who should not be underestimated. He is undefeated and has looked impressive in all of his fights in the WEC. He has a solid all around game, being able to knock out and submit his opponents.

These 2 men are currently the 2 best in the bantamweight division in the world. This has all the makings for another fight of the year candidate fight. In analyzing this fight, Bowles is good at everything but not great at anything. He doesn’t really pose a threat anywhere to Torres. Torres is way better on the feet and on the ground. The only advantage Bowles has may be his wrestling. Torres has a huge experience advantage and that will be key in this fight. Torres will use his experience to frustrate Bowles standing and on the ground and will catch him making a mistake. This is Torres’ fight to lose. I predict he further cements his legacy with this outstanding performance. Prediction: Miguel Torres 3rd Round Submission – Rear Naked Choke

Bantamweight Bout: #5 Joseph Benavidez (10-0 Overall, 2-0 in WEC) vs. #11 Dominick Cruz (13-1 Overall, 3-1 in WEC)

This fight is the co-main event of the evening and the winner will most likely get the next title shot at the winner of Torres/Bowles. Joseph Benavidez is undefeated and is a protege of popular featherweight Urijah Faber. He takes on Dominick Cruz who since dropping down from 145 lbs to 135 lbs has looked impressive. I’ve seen both men fight in person and this has all the makings for a very exciting fight.

The X-factor in this fight is the fact that Urijah Faber fought and demolished Dominick Cruz already, and Benavidez trains with Faber, so he will have a distinct advantage in knowing how to beat Cruz. Benavidez is an exciting fighter who fights similarly to Faber. He has good wrestling and throws a bunch of unorthodox punches and kicks. His only knock so far seems to be the fact that he doesn’t have much power in his striking and isn’t a finisher. Cruz is very tall for a 135 lb fighter and has pretty good wrestling and decent striking. With that being said, I think WEC wants Benavidez to win this fight and they made this match-up knowing that Benavidez could probably beat Cruz. I see this being an entertaining fight in which Benavidez uses his speed and quickness to beat Cruz. Prediction: Joseph Benavidez Unanimous Decision

Lightweight Bout: Ricardo Lamas (6-0 Overall, 1-0 in WEC) vs. Danny Castillo (7-1 Overall, 2-1 in WEC)

This match-up pits two contenders in the WEC lightweight division. I’m honestly surprised to see this fight on main card instead of Leonard Garcia’s fight, since neither of these 2 guys are all that popular right now. Lamas surprised everyone by coming in on short notice and upsetting Bart Palaszewski in his WEC debut. Castillo also came in on short notice and lost to WEC lightweight title challenger Donald Cerrone, but has since reeled off two straight wins. I see this fight being a match-up of fighters that like to take fights to the mat and pound their opponents. Having seen Lamas fight against Palaszewski, he impressed me enough with wrestling ability for me to give him the nod in this fight. Prediction: Ricardo Lamas 2nd Round TKO

Bantamweight Bout: #4 Takeya Mizugaki (11-3-2 Overall, 0-1 in WEC) vs. #22 Jeff Curran (31-11-1 Overall, 1-3 in WEC)

Japanese contender Takeya Mizugaki takes on MMA veteran Jeff Curran. I saw each of these men’s last fights in person and they both had pretty good performances in their losses. Mizugaki lost to Torres in a fight for the WEC bantamweight title, where he displayed tremendous heart and grit in surviving 5 rounds with Torres before losing a decision in a fight of the year fight. Curran lost at the same event in Chicago to Joseph Benavidez in his first fight from dropping down to 135 lbs from 145 lbs. Both men need a win in this fight to get back into title contention. Mizugaki has a pretty good striking game with decent wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Curran has fantastic boxing and great BJJ. This match-up comes down to who can impose their will. Can Mizugaki keep it standing or can Curran get it to the mat? Both men are well-rounded, but would have distinct advantages over the other in certain areas. Curran hasn’t really impressed me at all in his fights in the WEC, while Mizugaki was very impressive in his fight in the WEC even though he lost. I think Mizugaki gets the big time win here over Curran. Prediction: Takeya Mizugaki 2nd Round TKO

Undercard Bouts:

Featherweight Bout: #6 Leonard Garcia (12-4 Overall, 2-1 in WEC) vs. Jameel Massouh (21-5 Overall, 0-1 in WEC)

A fight that should be on tv, as Garcia takes on Massouh. Garcia is coming off a loss to Mike Brown for the WEC featherweight title in which he got demolished. Despite that, this is a total showcase/pick me up fight for Garcia. If he loses, it will be a huge upset. Prediction: Leonard Garcia 1st Round KO

Featherweight Bout: Fredson Paixao (8-3 Overall, 0-1 in WEC) vs. Cole Province (6-1 Overall, 0-1 in WEC)

Paixao is a top BJJ grappler, while I admittedly don’t know anything about Province. So I’m picking Paixao here. Prediction: Fredson Paixao 1st Round Submission – Armbar

Lightweight Bout: Marcus Hicks (8-2 Overall, 3-2 in WEC) vs. Shane Roller (5-2 Overall, 2-1 in WEC)

2 pretty good wrestlers battle each other in this fight. Shane Roller was considered a highly touted prospect while Marcus Hicks is a former WEC lightweight title challenger. This fight may end up on the feet as two good wrestlers often cancel each other out. I think Hicks has more ways to win than Roller, so I give him the nod here. Prediction: Marcus Hicks 1st Round Submission – Guillotine Choke

Lightweight Bout: Ed Ratcliff (6-1 Overall, 2-1 in WEC) vs. Phil Cardella (13-3 Overall, 0-1 in WEC)

This fight pits a striker in Ratcliff versus a grappler in Cardella. Based on the fact that I love Ratcliff’s karate style striking, I’m going with him in this one. Prediction: Ed Ratcliff 2nd Round KO

Bantamweight Bout: #9 Rani Yahya (14-4 Overall, 3-1 in WEC) vs. John Hosman (13-4-1 Overall, WEC Debut)

Total showcase bout here once again, as Hosman fills in on short notice. Yahya is a world class submission artist and will get Hosman down and submit him. Prediction: Rani Yahya 1st Round Submission – Rear Naked Choke

Featherweight Bout: Diego Nunes (12-0 Overall, 1-0 in WEC) vs. Rafael Dias (13-5-1 Overall, 1-1 in WEC)

2 pretty good grapplers square off in this one. I see this being a total grappling match-up between two guys I don’t know too much about. I’m flipping a coin here and going with Dias. Prediction: Rafael Dias Unanimous Decision

Featherweight Bout: LC Davis (13-2 Overall, WEC Debut) vs. Javier Vazquez (13-2 Overall, WEC Debut)

A fight that was suppose to take place at Affliction is not moved over to the WEC. Two of the top featherweights outside of the WEC finally make their WEC debuts in this one. Davis trains out of the Miletich camp, while Vazquez has been a great fighter that no one has heard about. The winner of this fight jumps right into the mix in the WEC featherweight division. I think Vazquez is too slick on the ground for Davis and catches him. Prediction: Javier Vazquez 1st Round Submission – Armbar

Sorry this is late sir, I promise it won’t happen again.

Mike Brown is devasting in the cage.  On Saturday night he put top contender Leonard Garcia on his can in the opening seconds of the fight with a well placed right hand to the temple.  Garcia is no slouch, the dude has a chin of granite.  Brown was selective in his punch and made it count.

Just minutes into the opening round of a scheduled 5 round title fight Mike Brown forced Garcia to tap to an arm triangle that had fans both at home and in the arena on their feets.

Dude is a force to be reckoned with.

Over the weekend I heard a Urijah Faber commercial more than 5 times. It is the commercial where he talks about fear and how it builds up and gets more intense the closer the fighter gets to the cage… and then the fighter realizes he still has to fight Urijah….. Great commercial, but I don’t think Mike Brown is scared or fearful to fight him a second time.  Urijah is good, but Mike Brown is unpredictable and that is the scariest thing in a cage.

WEC 39: Mike Brown vs Leonard Garcia Fight Video. Enjoy the Brown vs Garcia Fight, this is one action packed rumble!

Author: Warren Piece aka Glass Joe

You’re welcome. Also, do us both a favor and checkout my 2 most recent articles (“Mir vs Lesnar 2 or This is What Happens When Bad Meets Evil” and “TWOTHOUSANDNINE“) at mmaratings.net…and RATE THEM! Thanks all.

�I read Never from cover to cover and it kept my attention the entire book. It had me laughing and shedding tears, all at the same time. I was totally hooked and couldn�t put this book down. This will no doubt be a best seller.�
�Pat Miletich, five-time World Mixed Martial Arts Champion and Coach of Jens Pulver

At the age of thirty-two, Jens Pulver, world-class athlete and the Ultimate Fighting Championship�s first lightweight champion in Mixed Martial Arts, has seen and experienced more than most people will in an entire lifetime. He has overcome horrendous abuse and unimaginable odds, and continues to inspire everyone who is fortunate enough to learn about his life.

Little did Jens know, when he stumbled upon a few brothers in the back room of a sweaty gym, that his life would take on new direction. Burdens would lift, friendships galvanize, and his spirit be reborn. Thoughtfully, methodically, and deliberately, he and his brothers would set out to change the world.

Never: Jens Pulver And the Wednesday Group that Will Change the World is available at Amazon for $15.25. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

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Other Products of Interest

• Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter’s Rise to the Top
• Made in America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History
• Iceman: My Fighting Life
• This Is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion
• Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage

Combining the pageantry of wrestling with the excitement and drama of boxing-World Extreme Cagefighting. The WEC is a series of single elimination matches in which top competitors from all over the world use any and all fighting styles – boxing wrestling kickboxing karate jiu-jitsu judo gracie tae kwon do kenpo and more.

WEC, Vol. 11: Evolution is available at Amazon for $17.99. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• World Extreme Cagefighting, Vol. 10: Bragging Rights
• WEC Hitmen: WWC #22
• Rumble on the Rock – The Superstar Collection (5 Event Set)
• Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vol. 64: Unstoppable
• Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vol. 70: Nations Collide

WEC 36 was a night full of upsets.  If I was a betting man I would have been hurting from this card.  If you look at my predictions you can see that.  Quite honestly it was not a good night for the WEC. 

• Let me start with the main event and work my way down.  All I can say is…wow!  I did not expect that.  Urijah Faber has looked unbeatable and finally somebody dethroned the featherweight king.  I still think he is number 1 in the world, but what a KO.  I will be interested to see how the WEC works this situation out.  Will they give Urijah an instant re-match?  Will Leonard Garcia get a shot?  Will Faber fight a top contender like Garcia, Fabiano, Aldo or Tamura?  Honestly, I think he may desere a shot, but I would not be upset if they made him win one and let Garcia get first crack at the new champ. 
• Mike Brown was innjured in the fight witha  broken rib cage and is out a few weeks.  So we will not see him defend his title for a bit.
• The Sonnen vs. Filho fight stunk.  It wasn’t Chael’s fault at all.  What the heck was Paulo Filho doing.  He looked way out of it.  I suspect drugs.  Filho may have been drained from the weight drop.  He may not have all his personal stuff in order yet.  He may have seen this as a senseless fight.  I don’t know what the deal was.  Sonnen won easily.  I scored it 30-26…and that was being nice to Filho.  Can you say Kalib Starnes?
• Who expected Leonard Garcia to KO Jens Pulver.  Urijah Faber couldn’t KO Pulver.  Garcia made quick work of Pulver.  He made it look easy.  I had been a Garcia doubter, but I am believing that he could be a featehrweight champ in the WEC.  He has serious knock out power and he rocked Jens.
• Aaron Simpson looks like a solid middleweight prospect and he may have punched his ticked into the UFC with his one punch KO of David Avellan.  He is worth a shot.
• Jake Rosholt is not just a good wrestler.  He is the real deal.  He is a future MMA star.  He looked very good and I think he will do very well in the UFC.  I’d love to see him vs. C.B. Dolloway. 
• I also think Nissen Osterneck impressed.  He looked very good and nearly finished Rosholt.  The UFC may have lost some in the disappointing performance of Filho, but they may have gained in additions to their roster in the likes of Rosholt and guys like Osterneck and Simpson who emerged from WEC 36 with more respect in the fight world. 
• Looks like Donald Cerrone will fight Jamie Varner for the title in January.  Razor Rob is done.

Results:

This is taking place at 145 lbs. It strikes me before this fight that Jens Pulver will always be employed by Zuffa for as long as he wants to fight.  His pre-match interview is so great and immediately makes you to want to see him fight.  There will always be people ready to tune in at the very mention of his name and, for that reason, he is smarter than most MMA folk even if not as good as them at the fighting thing.