CHAPTER 270: Arlovski in Boxing?.....

"…Andrei will definitely go in the boxing field after this fight
and he will challenge for the heavyweight championship of the world soon."
– Freddie Roach

Among the news now emanating from the MMA world is the buzz that Belarusian Andrei Arlovski will be fighting in the the boxing arena soon.
Freddie Roach already mentioned about this back at during Affliction 2: Day Of Reckoning.

Still, the question here is that if Arlovski’s chin can withstand the hits and the punches that will definitely be in abundant in boxing?
Granted that maybe he won’t be fighting the top dogs yet if he were to make the pugilist switch, but it does make you wonder considering that chin of his is his kryptonite and that in a competition that’s only focus on one aspect (boxing) it’s a bit complicated to see how Arlovski can fare in it. Roach seemed confident though.

CHAPTER 268: GreaseGate [Post UFC 94]

“ The whole greasing thing is pretty ridiculous. You can’t grease somebody up. You just couldn’t do it. They check your body before you get into the cage, there’s an inspector right there. In order for us to grease him up, it would be insane. There are cameras everywhere. We don’t cheat. We don’t need to cheat to win. ” - Greg Jackson

Or should I rename the title of this chapter/post as VaselineGate?
Seems that GSP's big victory is being disputed by some people.

A day after his monumental victory over BJ Penn, the latest circulation in the MMA world at the present moment is that GSP’s victory is alleged to be greased up.

The allegations, and whatever condemnations/defense from either camp is going to bring probable hassles and difficulties in the next coming periods of time.
If this thing is true, it would be a real sour taste in the affair.

Now, this thing is the hot topic in MMA presently. And everybody is having their views and opinions on this matter.
I’m in the boat of opinions that GSP definitely beat BJ regardless of greasing.
Nevertheless greasing is cheating, but let’s see what the commission/relevant party decide on the matter.

I however though, would like to see how this whole thing finishes.
Perhaps a third fight between GSP and BJ Penn could be happening. Whether or not that would be a good option or the people want to see it happening is a different matter.
Although at this moment surely the UFC will set up a GSP - Alves welterweight clash and a BJ – Florian lightweight clash first (and then maybe see how things unravel).

My take is that a ‘worse case’ scenario that could happen is that if the UFC decide to make a TUF season with both BJ and GSP as the opposite coaches in the show.
Then you would be seeing the nonstop bickering and battle that would last for months before a fight finally happens for both of them.
That could be a long time of perhaps what some people would not want to see.

CHAPTER 265: INTERLUDE - - Hélio Gracie (1913 - 2009)

"The Jiu-Jitsu that I created, was to give chances for weaker people to defend themselves from stronger people. This martial art became of such success that a Jiu-Jitsu for competition was created. I would like to make clear the I am in favor of practicing sports, as well as studying martial art techniques, in any style, as well as a good nutrition, sexual control and abstaining habits that may harm ones health. The problem is the creation of a Jiu-Jitsu style for competition with rules and inadequate bout times which favors the more trained, stonger and heavier practitioners. The goal of Jiu-Jitsu , is mainly, to benefit the weaker. My Jiu-Jitsu is an art of self-defense that does not accept certain rules and determined timing in bouts. These are the reasons for which I can't, with my presence, promote events, which results in an anti Jiu-Jitsu."
- Hélio Gracie

Hélio Gracie (1913 - 2009)

CHAPTER 257: MMA's P4P Discussion 2009

" My business is hurting people. " - Sugar Ray Robinson

As we’re coming into this new year of 2009, it’s obvious that in the world of sports different kinds of expectations of various sorts are anticipated from multifarious supporters, spectators (and also sponsors if I might add).
And it isn’t different when discussing the sport that is Mixed Martial Arts.
No doubt that MMA’s Pound-For-Pound debate will be lingering on numerous minds and discussions, each having their opinions and saying (and support of the respective fighters on the consensus P4P list), and this would perhaps be a never ending subject (and it definitely will be a ‘touchy & sensitive’ topic through the whole of the year) among fans alike.

Now for this particular chapter, I’m just going to highlight what is my P4P list, and how I think it would change throughout the year (that of course would be effected by factors such as the fights the P4P fighters would be in and their prospective challenges), and on a final note how the P4P list would fare against each other.
I am not going to go into the debate whether or not all this P4P is relevant or necessary to have.
What I believe in is that such P4P list or debate/discussion is good to have so that we can gauge the performances and achievement of the top MMA fighters in having a good comparison between them and how they stand out compared to their opponents in their respective weight divisions, and that is why I am writing this chapter.

First up, let’s see the general consensus of who makes the P4P list.
There’s Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Georges St-Pierre and Fedor Emelianenko (and I have arranged them according to alphabetical order).
And with these fighters, different people have their different list of who comes in at the top of the list, and then the remaining second, third and fourth position of such list.

Here is my P4P list (for the present moment):

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Anderson Silva
3. Georges St-Pierre
4. BJ Penn

Now we know that this year those four fighters (especially in the first quarter of the year) will be involved in MMA events that could shape up how the list would change (in my opinion). Fedor is defending his WAMMA belt at Affliction’s Day Of Reckoning on January 24th, GSP and BJ Penn will clash in their highly anticipated rematch at UFC94, and around mid April Anderson Silva will be defending his UFC MW title at UFC97.
What I think will happen is: Fedor, GSP and Silva winning their fights (and am sure some will share of the same prediction as mine).
And for me, I see the following as the P4P list come after April:

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Anderson Silva
4. BJ Penn.

I think that should both GSP and Silva win their respective bouts, I would give the edge to GSP since he would beat a fellow P4P contender and no doubt top fighter of a division (you have to say that GSP faces a much tougher opponent in BJ than Anderson Silva would in facing Thales Leites – a fight that I believe that everybody believes in having the ‘easiest’ fight out of those four fighters). Thus for GSP in moving up the list.
I still think Fedor is ‘unquestionable’.

Now, the other big thing is when the first quarter would be over, we would then see the next challenges for the P4P contenders. As according to my predicament, I think that Fedor will be matched up with Barnett come mid of the year (at last…) and GSP will clash with Thiago Alves and BJ would face Kenny Florian. The only question mark would revolve around Anderson Silva as at this moment it’s blurry and undetermined to see which MW fighter will go up next to face the Spider.
I still see Fedor at top (beating another top comp and another former UFC HW champ), and GSP still on second (if he beats Alves, then that’s another top and tough rival in his division). The rest of the list would remain the same, Silva at third and BJ at forth.
Their events would most probably take place during summer, and there would then bring to possible events at late of the year.
Fedor would perhaps be back in Japan (Overeem maybe?) or maybe then finally signs with the UFC (?!).
Maybe Dana White, (Joe Silva) and the UFC would then make another P4P big match pitting up GSP and Anderson Silva, and for BJ,…. perhaps would face another LW contender at UFC’s last event of the year.
If that were to happen, I see Fedor, Silva and BJ winning.
And thus bringing to my P4P list come end of the year:

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Anderson Silva
3. Georges St-Pierre
4. BJ Penn

Basically, the same as what my P4P list is for the beginning of this year.

Whatever it is, I would like to stress that the above writing are my views on the P4P matter, and my personal opinions and predictions. MMA (just like in any sport), nothing is conclusive, and anybody can win or lose any given fight.
Thus whatever outcomes would occur in the fights the fighters in the consensus P4P list would be involved in will strongly affect that list. I am sure that any lost that any of the fighters would have would drop their position downwards the list. And a devastating win would surely helps up the cause for any one of them to go up further.
If BJ were to beat GSP in a devastating fashion, then that would make a real strong argument to perhaps bolster BJ going all the way to the top of the P4P list.
And should Silva some how lose to Leites, ….., well, that would change tings drastically (!).
(And if Fedor loses, that just doesn’t matter with the P4P list, it would matter the entire MMA community.)
There’s also the other things to consider such as some other fighters coming in the scene (shaking things up differently). For instance, Rampage with his win against Wanderlei Silva last December might be poised to be involved in important battles in the UFC’s 205 division this year, and he might move up the rankings. Lyoto Machida’s another potential 205 and P4P contender as well…….so there’s many factors that would revolve around the (forever endless) MMA P4P debate, and thus the fans and the critics will forever talk ‘bout it.
And there’s other factors such as how competitive BJ, Fedor, GSP or Silva would be against their challenges, how tough their probable opponents could be, and there’s also the matter of how active they would be (injuries happens).

Anyway, the P4P discussion will always be on the performance of the respective fighters in their respective divisions, and how they dominate their respective divisions (as that’s the credible circumstance that people are talking about them in the P4P debate/discussion), and this is where uncertainties arise as who is truly the P4P king (as time and fights go by).

But there’s always the fantasy that fans and critics alike like to imagine out, that how they’d do if they were to fight amongst each other. And the MMA world will be seeing how the fight between GSP and BJ Penn to turn out as that’s an important fight in P4P discussion.
However, one can make the argument that if they were to be matched up against each other in a fight (regardless of the fighters’ weight component), then this is how things most probably could turn out:

Now, I'm expecting BJ Penn to put a good fight at UFC 94;

but I'm picking on St-Pierre to win that fight:

Anyhow, I don't think either of these two guys:

can win in a fight against this guy:

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and none of these guys:

could win against this guy:

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END of discussion.

CHAPTER 197: A Crazy Turn of Events

" Is everybody fu-king everybody in this crazy God damn town? "

- Bobby Cooper(U Turn)

These last several days have seen to a crazy turn of events in football’s transfer businesses, the Robinho to Manchester City transfer, and in MMA scope, Randy Couture returning back to the UFC (and more so the fight he’s gonna be in……and defending his title).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robinho’s move to Manchester City is just not about Robinho, but the latest sensation is that of City’s new owners. Once again a billionaire will pour millions into the clubs spending activities and I’m not sure how frikkin big this is gonna cause mad stuff like high inflated price. Abramovich already caused a commotion, then more came on, and now the latest guy’s in town. All talks of City offering a crazy 100 million plus pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo (and crazy last minute deals for Berbatov, Villa, …), dunno how long football is going to get even more crazier.
They have a good ambition of breaking into the top four of the league and planning to get into the Champions League next season, but I believe that it wouldn’t be much possible for them yet. Perhaps in several seasons, with better players being added to the team than I think that they can truly challenge the EPL’s current top four.
Even though City’s current scenario is almost parallel to the Chelsea had when Abramovich took over and Mourinho lead their team, the major difference was that Chelsea already were challenging the top four and they were in the Champions league for several seasons already, with seasoned players both in the EPL and in European competitions. Thus I believe that City wiould have a tougher time to gain such successes.

So what about Robinho’s future/career?
No doubt with the magnitude of his transfer price and furthermore adding that he’s a Brazilian football star, Robinho will be City’s main man. Whether he’ll able to be as big and influential to his team as Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Fabregas or Lampard are to theirs remains to be seen, with the fact that Manchester City is below the level of the big four of the EPL. But what can be considered is that at least now the EPL will have a Brazilian flair spearheading among it’s teams. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, UFC 91, and HW Title Fight
After all the hits, all the accusations, all the bickering, and all the sh-t stirred between Randy and the UFC/Zuffa, it is a total turn around of craziness that we’ll be seeing Randy back at the UFC. IMO, nothing wrong much with Randy fighting again (after all, he’s a fighter lots of people love to watch him fight) just that the fight’s with the UFC’s latest and upcoming probable superstar in Brock Lesnar can’t escape from certain creeps of controversies and justice (as regarding that Lesnar only fought three fights so far and he’s probably getting the quickest cut to that HW title) but what can you do as Dana and the UFC looks at money making more for their business.
Nevertheless it shall be a very intriguing fight indeed, and yet again Couture is the eternal underdog. But the crucial and dangerous thing is that Couture now seems on an excruciating collision course on the final twilights of his career. Brock with his physical capabilities and his NCAA wrestling credential will be a huge challenge for the Natural (and considering the guy is already 45 years old and age keeps creeping up). And if he gets through Lesnar, then there’ll be the impending eagerly awaited fight against Noguiera (or Mir if that other fight’s outcome goes the other way).
And with Couture signing on a three fight deal, is there’s enough for him to get his so long desired fight against Fedor? Could we be seeing Fedor against Couture in the Octagon in his third fight…………if he’s able to last? (perhaps a UFC 100 main event fight)……or perhaps the Fedor fight is outside the UFC? How long will that take? Or is that even possible? For all the MMA enthusiasts, it seems that the Couture-Fedor fight could now be more of an unrealized dream.

Whatever happens, IMO these coming 3-6 months could be the last run of Randy Couture in the MMA scene.

CHAPTER 193: Here we go,..... GSP - BJ PENN II

“ Let’s go. Let’s do it George. You wanna do it? ” – BJ Penn
“ Of course I want. I wanna give a shot everybody who deserves it. ” – Georges St Pierre

After the end of the St Pierre – Fitch fight, we get to see the reunion between GSP and BJ Penn in the Octagon.
BJ Penn seemed overly eager to fight for his rematch (and the welterweight title) as soon as he stepped into the Octagon. Whereas GSP kept hinting when he kept saying that he’ll give anybody WHO DESERVES A SHOT a shot at his title. …………………………..

Well,… here goes to a possible second fight between these two. And with how things are standing between these two in their careers at this moment, one and many can expect perhaps once of the most anticipated rematch in MMA history.

CHAPTER 188: Looking Back ,the Rampage - Griffin fight

" Blood is just red sweat. " - Enson Inoue

I have to say that I was disappointed with Jackson’s loss at UFC 86. With Forest Griffin creating another upset and taking another monumental victory, it perhaps further proves the TUF hype machine. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is now more than never you would probably see more bunch of people and even more probable, dumb wits who don’t give a sh-t about other potential fighters who are not in the UFC. Looking back at the fight, disappointed with Jackson since he did not display his usual strengths of his fighting prowess and characteristics. The only thing going was his boxing. Not sure if Forest’s kick during the 2nd round really hindered Jackson’s ongoing performance throughout the fight as the fight went on, but it was obvious that Forest did more to win than Jackson did (and looked as having more to his gameplan than Jackson did), even though in the end it was Griffin who looked more beat up than Jackson. I think that at the end of the fight, Griffin received more damage.

Perhaps the fight should have been declared a draw (that's what I thought), but then ultimately Rampage just didn’t do enough to get not only the win but also points on that night. Rampage now has a tough ladder to climb back on top of the 205 mountain. A very arduos challenge in the UFC’s most stacked division.

CHAPTER 160: DREAM's debut

" Not only do you need to build a strong body, but you must also build
a strong mind to enhance it. "
– Dan “The Beast” Severn

I suppose all the lightweights expected to proceed to the next round won their respective fights. With the exception of the Galcavante-Aoki fight, I think what can be expected is Ishida, Hansen, Kawajiri should proceed even further. But I think that Eddie Alvarez looked special too, and I’d make an early pick for him to go even further than the rest. It was nice seeing CroCop back on winning track as well (although against an unknown opponent). Hopefully he’s finally sorted himself out and hope to see him against and winning against tougher, more profile fighters in the coming future.

So far DREAM looks the closest so far in replacing PRIDE. Lots of similarities. Let’s all hope for the good sake of MMA that DREAM really prospers. The first step has been outlaid.
Bring on the second DREAM event.

CHAPTER 120: Fertittas buys PRIDE...

“ The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict.
He must inflict them once and for all. ”
- Niccolo Machiavelli

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, or should I say Zuffa, or should I say the Fertittas brothers, have purchased PRIDE FC. What does this bring to and for the MMA landscape? Well, for one, now we can be hopeful of seeing all those top PRIDE performers fighting in the UFC octagon, up against UFC’s stalwarts. Looking back at it, it reminds me of the WWE buying out WCW, and then seeing all those WCW wrestlers in the WWE arena. Things look interesting, intriguing (but also skeptical in some opinions) in seeing how the UFC will make of their purchase. But whatever it is, for those who have faithfully followed PRIDE, it’s sad that PRIDE is no longer will be what it is. Nevertheless, memories will always remain. I just hope that the move made by the UFC brings more positives in different scales, rather than bringing in more negatives.

CHAPTER 117: A New Chapter in 'The Natural's' Career Begins....

" Complete ownage, Randy Couture. "

- Eddie Bravo

Randy Couture is now the Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight champion.
The Natural has beaten Tim Sylvia in UFC 68 in a 5-rounds decision, and thus becoming the only 3 times Heavyweight champ, 5 times UFC champ, and the only man to have won in 2 different weight categories in the UFC.

So, a new direction now begins for Couture.
So what does it lead to?
Well, it would lead to a potential summer showdown with CroCop (in a championship match).
And that will be interesting and intriguing indeed.

Of course, there are those who are wishing to see that Randy fight Fedor, but at this moment Randy going up against the 2006 Pride Open Weight GP will definitely be enticing.

Let’s see how things pan out in the UFC in the coming months.
As for now, Randy proves to a point that age is not a barrier in whatever you do. Big props man.