Who is the greatest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter right now? This is a tough question, but I'm going to try to answer it because it's a heck of a lot easier than "Who is the greatest MMA fighter OF ALL TIME?", which I hope to get to later.
First of all, there will be none of this pound for pound stuff. The best MMA fighter alive should be able to step into a cage or octagon and beat anyone else on the planet. Anyone. Bigger, smaller, lighter, heavier, whatever.
The only question is, when 2 men enter and 1 man leaves, who is that man?
I see several worthy candidates: Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez, and Junior Dos Santos.
St. Pierre and Silva are generally acknowledged as the two most skilled fighters out there. Both are extremely experienced, extremely athletic, and in their physical prime. Neither has been beaten in a long time. But both are relatively light guys, compared to the others in the top 5. St. Pierre is 5'10", fights at 170 lbs., and reportedly walks around at 190. Silva is 6'2", fights at 185, and reportedly walks around at 230. Jones is 6'4" and fights at 205. His walking-around weight is 217. Velasquez is not that tall, at 6'1", but he fights and walks around in the mid-240s. Jones and Silva are extremely lean, naturally skinny guys, whereas Velasquez is muscular. And Dos Santos is lean and muscular, at 6'4", 239 lbs.
So let's boil that down. Having seen all of these guys fight, I think St. Pierre is the most skilled martial artist, but they are all highly skilled. And, come fight night, St. Pierre gives up 15 pounds to Silva, 35 pounds to Jones, 69 pounds to Dos Santos, and 75 pounds to Velasquez. And that weight difference is all muscle. None of these guys is fat or out-of-shape; all have excellent cardio. I've seen smaller guys beat bigger guys because of radical differences in skill and/or conditioning. None of that applies here.
Translated: St. Pierre loses. He's just too small.
What about the other 4? All slightly over 6 feet in height. Two skinny guys, Jones and Silva, and 2 muscular guys, Velasquez and Dos Santos.
Who wins if Jones fights Silva? I think Jones wins. He's got an extra 20 pounds of muscle and I think he's smarter and better trained, with more heart.
I doubt Silva could beat Velasquez or Dos Santos either. Velasquez is too good of a grappler and Dos Santos is Silva's equal as a striker, because although he may not be quite as skilled, he's got more power.
The question then becomes, could Jones beat Velasquez or Dos Santos. Maybe. I saw Jones submit Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on Saturday night, and Jackson was big, strong and angry. But Jackson was also a one-trick pony (boxing) and Velasquez and Dos Santos bring more to the table than one skill set.
I think either would beat Jones. They have too much power.
Thus, it comes down to Velasquez versus Dos Santos. And what do you know, we're going to actually see that fight, on November 12 on FOX.
So, the best MMA fighter alive will be whoever wins the first live network MMA fight. It all makes sense. The best heavyweight is the best fighter. Same as it ever was. "A good big man beats a good little man" as they used to say back in the days when boxing was the premier combat sport. And I think the best good big man is ... Junior Dos Santos!
I saw Dos Santos destroy a big, game, powerful Shane Carwin. And I saw Velasquez beat a Brock Lesnar who, while huge, quick and powerful, fought like a confused, slightly frightened polar bear.
I'm more impressed with Dos Santos. I think he's the new heavyweight champ . . . and Earth's greatest (current) MMA fighter.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Diaz v. Penn
Nick Diaz is getting another chance in the UFC -- he's been matched against the legendary B.J. Penn -- and that's a good thing. We all deserve a second chance. Here's hoping that this time he overcomes his fear of the media and does the pre-fight press conferences. It might help him to keep in mind that although the press might ask some embarrassing questions, they are significantly less likely than Penn to put him in a painful submission hold. And although embarrassment feels bad, the feeling goes away much more quickly than, for example, a dislocated elbow. If Diaz is brave enough to step into the octagon, he's brave enough to step into the media room.
Who is the greatest ____?
Found a cool new sports website the other day: http://www.who-is-thegreatest.com/. It's full of articles about the greatest athletes and greatest sporting events. It gives you a chance to vote your favorites into the hall of fame. I think it's a pretty cool idea and I'm going to write an article or two for them about MMA. Check out the site -- it's worth your time.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Nick Diaz: Sick, Not Bad
As I'm sure you've all heard, Nick Diaz got dropped from UFC 137, thereby losing his chance to fight Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title, because he failed to show up for two pre-fight news conferences to promote the fight. People are making Diaz out to be a spoiled, selfish athlete, implying he just couldn't be bothered to attend either press conference. Dana White said that Diaz lied to his face about the two missed press conferences. But the man who knows Diaz best is his trainer Cesar Gracie. And Gracie, while embarassed by Diaz's no-shows, also says Diaz has a social anxiety disorder that he self-medicates with marijuana. If so, then shaming the guy isn't going to change his behavior.
Social anxiety disorder is: "Extreme, persistent and disabling social anxiety . . . having physiological components (e.g., sweating, blushing), cognitive/perceptual components (e.g., belief that one may be judged negatively or looking for signs of disapproval), and behavioral components (e.g. avoiding a situation). The essence of social anxiety has been said to be an irrational or unreasonable expectation of negative evaluation by others.[1] One theory is that social anxiety occurs when there is motivation to make a desired impression along with doubt about having the ability to do so.[12]"
So, here you have a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who knows he is uneducated and has language difficulties. He wants to make a good impression at these press conferences, but he doubts his ability to do so in front of all these educated, verbally adroit journalists. He gets scared, smokes dope to deal with the fear, and is too high to think straight and make sure he gets on that plane. Then he's ashamed of himself and hides from his teacher, his friends, and his boss.
It all makes sense. And no, the logical explanation doesn't change the fact that the UFC needs its fighers to promote the fights so that people watch said fights. And thus it makes sense to drop a fighter who isn't able to do those promotions.
But social anxiety disorder is curable through cognitive-behavioral therapy. And marijuana addiction is curable as well, through good therapy and regular participation in a twelve-step group like Narcotics Anonymous.
Nick Diaz just lost an opportunity to win the title of world's best welterweight mixed martial artist, which means he lost the potential paydays that would have come with winning that UFC title. But he shouldn't waste this crisis.
He needs to learn the lesson life is giving him. Get help. Get a good therapist. Go to NA meetings. Cure his social anxiety disorder and his marijuana addiction.
He is a very talented martial artist. He will get other opportunities to fight. And if he proves, by showing up at all the promotional events, that he has gotten his mind under control, then I predict he will get another opportunity to fight for the title.
After all, America loves a comeback story.
nity to become
Social anxiety disorder is: "Extreme, persistent and disabling social anxiety . . . having physiological components (e.g., sweating, blushing), cognitive/perceptual components (e.g., belief that one may be judged negatively or looking for signs of disapproval), and behavioral components (e.g. avoiding a situation). The essence of social anxiety has been said to be an irrational or unreasonable expectation of negative evaluation by others.[1] One theory is that social anxiety occurs when there is motivation to make a desired impression along with doubt about having the ability to do so.[12]"
So, here you have a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who knows he is uneducated and has language difficulties. He wants to make a good impression at these press conferences, but he doubts his ability to do so in front of all these educated, verbally adroit journalists. He gets scared, smokes dope to deal with the fear, and is too high to think straight and make sure he gets on that plane. Then he's ashamed of himself and hides from his teacher, his friends, and his boss.
It all makes sense. And no, the logical explanation doesn't change the fact that the UFC needs its fighers to promote the fights so that people watch said fights. And thus it makes sense to drop a fighter who isn't able to do those promotions.
But social anxiety disorder is curable through cognitive-behavioral therapy. And marijuana addiction is curable as well, through good therapy and regular participation in a twelve-step group like Narcotics Anonymous.
Nick Diaz just lost an opportunity to win the title of world's best welterweight mixed martial artist, which means he lost the potential paydays that would have come with winning that UFC title. But he shouldn't waste this crisis.
He needs to learn the lesson life is giving him. Get help. Get a good therapist. Go to NA meetings. Cure his social anxiety disorder and his marijuana addiction.
He is a very talented martial artist. He will get other opportunities to fight. And if he proves, by showing up at all the promotional events, that he has gotten his mind under control, then I predict he will get another opportunity to fight for the title.
After all, America loves a comeback story.
nity to becomeWednesday, August 31, 2011
UFC 134: Silva, Shogun, Minotauro, Pearson And The Other Silva Impress
When I remember UFC 134, I'll remember this: Anderson Silva stands still, both hands at his waist, daring Yushin Okami to strike him in the face, and Okami lacks the courage to do it.
Sure, it was a trap. Silva probably had a response all planned if Okami took the shot. But it was also an opportunity, one Okami was too cautious to take. Which is how Okami fought the whole time -- too cautiously -- and it cost him the fight. Silva was quicker, with a longer reach. Because Okami fought so defensively, Silva was able to stay on the outside and throw strikes without fear of being hit. And eventually, those strikes landed and Okami got knocked out.
That never would have happened if Silva had been fighting either Ross Pearson or Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira. Both of those men put on a clinic in how to fight quicker, longer opponents. You have to be aggressive, constantly moving inside and attacking. When you're close enough to hit him or grapple him, then you've negated his reach advantage. And by taking the offensive, you force him to respond to you, negating the speed advantage. But pursuing that strategy takes heart, because coming inside gives your opponent more opportunities to hit or grapple you too. Both Pearson and Nogueria showed that heart.
Yes, Pearson lost. But he went the distance against the heavily favored Edson Barboza and he just barely lost, via split decision. Two judges picked Barboza as the winner, but one judge picked Pearson, and I know from listening to the mmajunkie.com podcast that a lot of people think Pearson should have been given the decision, not Barboza.
And Nogueria did win. He knocked out rising heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub. That was such an interesting fight. Schaub fought like a modern mixed martial artist: lots of movement, lots of different techniques. Nogueria just walked forward and punched Schaub in the head. And Nogueria's strategy worked. KISS, as my grandfather, Pop Pop Joe, used to say: keep it simple, stupid. And he was right: what Nogueria did wasn't fancy, but it was smart. It negated Schaub's youth, speed, and size and gave Nogueria an opportunity to win. He kept coming inside, and yes, he took his licks to do so, but as a result he was able to land a knockout blow and win.
A quick word about the Mauricio Rua -- Forrest Griffin fight. As soon as I saw Griffin walk out, I knew he would lose. He was so stiff. His back never moved. I think he was having back problems. I say that as someone who has had back problems myself. You can't perform at your best with a bad back. And he didn't. And he lost.
The other memorable moment of the night was the way in which Erick Silva knocked out Luis Ramos. It had been a good fight, a classic welterweight matchup between two quick little guys without a lot of power, full of sound and fury signifying nothing, as Faulkner would have said. And then . . . suddenly, Silva morphed into the second coming of Bruce Lee, throwing a straight lead, the foundational jete kune do technique: a long, lunging punch with some power. It stunned Ramos for a split second and then immediately on its heels came the overhand right, with a lot of power, and Ramos was knocked out. It was a beautiful combination by Silva.
The Little Dragon would have been proud.
Sure, it was a trap. Silva probably had a response all planned if Okami took the shot. But it was also an opportunity, one Okami was too cautious to take. Which is how Okami fought the whole time -- too cautiously -- and it cost him the fight. Silva was quicker, with a longer reach. Because Okami fought so defensively, Silva was able to stay on the outside and throw strikes without fear of being hit. And eventually, those strikes landed and Okami got knocked out.
That never would have happened if Silva had been fighting either Ross Pearson or Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira. Both of those men put on a clinic in how to fight quicker, longer opponents. You have to be aggressive, constantly moving inside and attacking. When you're close enough to hit him or grapple him, then you've negated his reach advantage. And by taking the offensive, you force him to respond to you, negating the speed advantage. But pursuing that strategy takes heart, because coming inside gives your opponent more opportunities to hit or grapple you too. Both Pearson and Nogueria showed that heart.
Yes, Pearson lost. But he went the distance against the heavily favored Edson Barboza and he just barely lost, via split decision. Two judges picked Barboza as the winner, but one judge picked Pearson, and I know from listening to the mmajunkie.com podcast that a lot of people think Pearson should have been given the decision, not Barboza.
And Nogueria did win. He knocked out rising heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub. That was such an interesting fight. Schaub fought like a modern mixed martial artist: lots of movement, lots of different techniques. Nogueria just walked forward and punched Schaub in the head. And Nogueria's strategy worked. KISS, as my grandfather, Pop Pop Joe, used to say: keep it simple, stupid. And he was right: what Nogueria did wasn't fancy, but it was smart. It negated Schaub's youth, speed, and size and gave Nogueria an opportunity to win. He kept coming inside, and yes, he took his licks to do so, but as a result he was able to land a knockout blow and win.
A quick word about the Mauricio Rua -- Forrest Griffin fight. As soon as I saw Griffin walk out, I knew he would lose. He was so stiff. His back never moved. I think he was having back problems. I say that as someone who has had back problems myself. You can't perform at your best with a bad back. And he didn't. And he lost.
The other memorable moment of the night was the way in which Erick Silva knocked out Luis Ramos. It had been a good fight, a classic welterweight matchup between two quick little guys without a lot of power, full of sound and fury signifying nothing, as Faulkner would have said. And then . . . suddenly, Silva morphed into the second coming of Bruce Lee, throwing a straight lead, the foundational jete kune do technique: a long, lunging punch with some power. It stunned Ramos for a split second and then immediately on its heels came the overhand right, with a lot of power, and Ramos was knocked out. It was a beautiful combination by Silva.
The Little Dragon would have been proud.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Konrad v. Buentello: THE WORST FIGHT I'VE EVER SEEN
Have you ever watched two half-naked fat guys posture for 15 minutes, circling, sweating, jiggling, always jiggling, but never actually fighting? If you had the misfortune, as I did, of watching the Bellator heavyweight "super" fight between Cole Konrad and Paul Buentello last night, then yes, yes you have, and you'll never get those minutes back.
I like Bellator. I like that they are challenging the market dominance of the UFC. I like that they have an intelligent strategy -- tournaments -- and a television partner -- MTV2 -- that enables them to air their fights on free TV. And their lighter weight divisions are great, filled with talented mixed martial artists who actually, you know, fight.
But, good God, that heavyweight fight last night was the worst fight I've ever seen, bar none. The "combatants" were so out of shape, so unskilled, so afraid ...
Words fail me. Except one.
Jiggle.
I like Bellator. I like that they are challenging the market dominance of the UFC. I like that they have an intelligent strategy -- tournaments -- and a television partner -- MTV2 -- that enables them to air their fights on free TV. And their lighter weight divisions are great, filled with talented mixed martial artists who actually, you know, fight.
But, good God, that heavyweight fight last night was the worst fight I've ever seen, bar none. The "combatants" were so out of shape, so unskilled, so afraid ...
Words fail me. Except one.
Jiggle.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
UFC in Pittsburgh: Judge's Horror Story
Poor Rick Story. He travels across the country from Vancouver, Washington to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to fight Nate Marquardt. But Marquardt flunks his physical for undisclosed reasons and gets banned from the UFC (Banned! For flunking a physical! That doesn't happen lightly. No way to know for sure, but I'm guessing recreational, illegal drugs were found in his system. Dana White seems like the kind of guy who wouldn't tolerate a heroin addiction.) and Story ends up having to fight a local boy, Pennsylvania's own Charlie Brenneman.
Obviously, that's a home court advantage for Brenneman, and it showed up in the judging. Yes, Brenneman was the more athletic fighter. (And he definitely had the more impressive beard and hair -- guy had like a lion's mane thing going on.) He was quicker and he took Story to the mat time and again with double-legged take downs. But once they were on the ground, Story always dominated with his jiu-jitsu. Brenneman did no damage, throwing weak punches while barely evading -- and I mean just barely -- submission attempts by Story. Numerous times, Story nearly finished the fight on guillotine chokes and triangles. All Brenneman did was survive. Yet, somehow, Brenneman won a decision.
The fix was in.
Obviously, that's a home court advantage for Brenneman, and it showed up in the judging. Yes, Brenneman was the more athletic fighter. (And he definitely had the more impressive beard and hair -- guy had like a lion's mane thing going on.) He was quicker and he took Story to the mat time and again with double-legged take downs. But once they were on the ground, Story always dominated with his jiu-jitsu. Brenneman did no damage, throwing weak punches while barely evading -- and I mean just barely -- submission attempts by Story. Numerous times, Story nearly finished the fight on guillotine chokes and triangles. All Brenneman did was survive. Yet, somehow, Brenneman won a decision.
The fix was in.
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