Hey, Josh, I can't wait around for UFC 114 on May well 29. It feels like the initial important UFC affair of the yr to me. Perhaps simply because we were compelled to delay on Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans for what felt like forever. I was so bummed when Jackson was off the card in Memphis because he went to film The A-team, but all the trash speak has me fired up once again. What do you assume about the card? Do you feel it will be the greatest circumstance of the calendar year for the UFC?!? Thanks.
-- Jared Westwood, Memphis, Tenn.
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It's genuinely too lousy about Forrest Griffin's injury. His fight alongside Rogerio Nogueira was intending to be quite telling, and would have made UFC 114 about much extra than just the primary circumstance. Even so, it's challenging not to be intrigued by Jackson-Evans, and not just because it sets up the earliest challenger for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. There are several lingering issues about what Jackson has left, or at least what he wants to give to mixed martial arts, even in the wake of a new six-beat deal with the UFC. As for Evans, who is attempting to maintain up in the pre-battle verbal battle, let's see if he can stay away from psychological and technical mistakes towards Quinton "rampage" jackson. If he does, I imagine he wins.
Lower the bill, I'm searching forward Diego Sanchez's return to welterweight against undefeated Brit John Hathaway. And don't sleep on Todd Duffee versus Mike Russow. Two big heavyweights with opposing designs.
All in all, on a scale of one-ten, I'm about a 7 right here, especially due to the fact I tend to sour on the spoken warfare. There's only so significantly again-and-forth yelling I can cope with in advance of it gets trite. If Griffin were being even so aboard, UFC 114 would be a solid 8 bordering on 8.5.
As a long way as this getting the UFC's main function of the year or so, Brock Lesnar-Shane Carwin in July will make this 1 on Memorial Day weekend experience smaller throughout the board.
I'm e-mailing because of the issue you posed on Twitter about UFC's employing Quinton Jackson's "black on black crime" quotation in its UFC 114 shell out-per-view marketing and advertising. It seemed to trouble you and I can have an understanding of why, but this is just hype, appropriate??
-- Felix Mitchell, Encinitas, Calif.
The quote didn't trouble me significantly. I've recognized Quinton for years. I know in which he will come from. I know how he speaks. My stage in asking the query: There may be a lot of, numerous people today who don't. The UFC 114 ad was good until eventually Jackson's quotation, which transformed the tone of the commercial from two fighters who don't like each other to two black fighters who don't like each and every other. Bottom line, the UFC's use of the quote was unnecessary to market the struggle, and it came off of in weak taste.
A couple of of the 4 Bellator finals are regarded. What do you think of the tournaments so much?
-- Warren Marks, Kansas City, Mo.
High quality competitors in Season 2. Featherweight, easily portable and welterweight all delivered compelling finals. We'll see about 185 future week.
Easily portable has to be the shock. Regular wisdom experienced Roger Huerta advancing to the finals, but the great issue about the format is it enables for fighters like Pat Curran and Toby Imada to emerge.
I'm most searching forward to the 145 finals. Joe Warren is an animal and Patricio Freire seems just about every touch as very good as his 14- record. Welterweight has been hit-and-skip, though the finals between Dan Hornbuckle and Ben Askren will be good well worth watching.
I'll take Freire, Imada and Hornbuckle.
Just understand your column about Rua's challengers. The issue I have is, Why would you comprise Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal?? He fights in a several organization, so the odds of them struggling with are slim. Don't you imagine Antonio Rogerio Nogueira would have been a much better option?
-- John, West Palm Beach, Fla.
I pointed out Nogueira. Their first struggle with was wonderful and a rematch would be hugely anticipated. In terms of model and substance, I think a much more seasoned Lawal has what it will take to give Shogun a true combat.
I have substantial doubts about the outcome of the Alistair Overeem-Brett Rogers combat. Rogers showed no tenacity whatsoever, was uncharacteristically hesitant in throwing the couple of punches he did and turtled up just after taking minor injury. It would make me suspect the repair was in so that Strikeforce could preserve the planned Fedor Emelianenko-Overeem showdown (and presumptive massive capital maker). I don't consider Rogers would have won irrespective, but the quickness with which he gave up just doesn't fit.
-- Adam Hill, Raleigh, N.C.
Or probably Rogers wasn't the identical guy who walked into the Fedor struggle with. Dropping for the 1st time affected him extra than other fighters I've been close to. Why are persons so quick to presume conspiracy theories these days?
I think Fedor will duck this fight with Overeem and his crew will scream PEDs are the motive. Fedor has in no way wished to struggle the finest. I are convinced this is the essential element to cementing your legacy. I wrote to you previous 12 months and told you Brett Rogers gave him difficulties and Rogers is not a prime ten in the Heavies (no way). For the causes stated, he will under no circumstances be No. 1 in my book.
-- Keith K., Waterloo, N.Y.
You lost me with "Fedor has never wished to fight the very best." Give me a split. Anyhow, If Fedor beats Fabricio Werdum on June 26, his next struggle has to be in opposition to Overeem (presuming he doesn't test beneficial). M-1 Worldwide can't play politics on this one not having delivering on each and every perception that exists about them as funds-grubbing obstructionists.
For 4 decades I lived in Korea. It was by way of this know-how that I acquired exposed, pretty much daily, to Pride on the Action Network. I keep in mind extremely properly Overeem staying an above-regular fighter. I recall him having, in my thoughts, demolished by Shogun. That was just a couple of years back. And he weighed in at only 205. Somehow he has place on 40-plus weight of lean system mass at the exact time he is coaching for MMA. Is this even doable?!? Is it doable to split straight down your muscle nearly everyday lifting weights, then train for MMA, and educate for K-1? This just feels scandalous to me. I guess my question is, Does steroid testing efforts?!? It would seem like the whole problem has turn into a joke. Even with Brian Cushing in the NFL obtaining busted, he didn't actually get caught for steroids. He acquired caught for a medicine that kick-starts your method soon after making use of steroids. What is going on?!?
-- Jon Strosser, Medford, Ore.
Overeem was 224 kilos when he fought Paul Buentello in 2007, which was fundamentally his walk-all-around pounds when he wasn't trying to cut to 205. I'm not intending to start off defending the man. Not my task. But I will suggest rather of assuming guilt, we allow the checks from final weekend form how we believe about this.
Are drug tests best?? No. Nor Missouri nor the assessment facility hired by Strikeforce follows Globe Anti-Doping Agency protocols. I would like they would. There will often be folks researching for a workaround. Nevertheless, MMA has been nicely policed in the States. As a lot back as 2002, the Nevada State Athletic Commission tested fighters for steroids, and lots have been caught. In a great country, uniform screening under WADA standards should really be adopted by all regulatory bodies affiliated with the Association of Boxing Commissions. Of course, that expenses capital, and some states purely aren't equipped to meet that responsibility, but right up until that takes place there will be lingering doubts.
As a person who didn't get into MMA hardcore right up until Ken Shamrock's earliest fight with Tito Ortiz, I really like examining intelligent content articles on the historical past of the activity. They are tricky to appear by! I appreciate your 2000s retrospective. It was recently the 10th anniversary of Kazushi Sakuraba-Royce Gracie at Pride Grand Prix 2000. Could you comment briefly on the buildup to this struggle, its significance, the epic come to feel that evening and the two fantastic entrances?!?
-- Marcus
May perhaps 1, 2000. Limitless rounds. No referee stoppages. Sakuraba in his prime. Gracie, fundamentally undefeated. There are so quite a few memories of this struggle with, which lasted six 15-moment rounds in advance of Rickson and Helio Gracie, standing in Royce's corner, threw in the towel for the reason that the UFC pioneer's legs didn't do the job any longer. I'll generally remember Susumu Nagao's iconic photo.
The Satisfaction 2000 Grand Prix seriously was epic, something from a bygone era. If you haven't witnessed The Smashing Device, get a copy. Most of John Hyam's documentary focuses on Mark Kerr, by most accounts the tournament preferred, but you'll get a sense for how big this occasion was at the time.
Think about what Sakuraba did. On a nighttime he would have essential to win a couple of situations -- sure, the champion was essential to win 3 times in a span of 6-7 several hours -- he battled Royce for an hour and a half, then went 20 minutes alongside Igor Vovchanchyn, who at the time was as risky as any person. In the end, Mark Coleman was fortunate adequate to win the overall problem. I will need to acquire some time to re-view this.
Sugar not sweet to Quinton "rampage" jackson
It's not specifically Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock - simultaneously of these guys can truly fight.
But as considerably as trash-speaking and genuine dislike goes, the most important occasion of UFC 114 makes the Ortiz/Shamrock pre-struggle with buildups glimpse tame.
There is tiny really enjoy shed involving brightness-heavyweights "Sugar" Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
In an out-of-command, nearly surreal, call with the media this week, the top rated-ranked light-heavyweights permit loose on just about every other - each digging deeper than the other to insult, belittle and embarrass.
Nor race nor sexuality ended up off of-limits as the two teed off on each other.
Rashad to Quinton "rampage" jackson: "You give black males a terrible name by perpetuating the stereotype we're all stupid."
Quinton "rampage" jackson to Rashad: "I know you're gay simply because you're often actively playing with your nipples and you wear them tight, gay shorts."
In between the lengthy exchanges were being sufficient F-bombs to make even UFC president Dana Light blush.
But White's no dummy. The profanity-laced verbal sparring was pure gold.
"These two have eclipsed any grudge match we've ever had," affirms White, who also announced the winner gets the earliest shot at newly-minted brightness-heavyweight champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
"You can notify this is genuine and these guys really don't like per other and they actually want to struggle. I don't believe anybody can say that these men are placing on an act, even however Rampage is now an actor."
Evans and Jackson coached on The Best Fighter 10 and ended up placed to beat last December after the indicate. But Jackson made the decision to enjoy the position of B.A. Baracus in the new A-Team film instead, drawing the ire of White and Evans and forcing the struggle to be postponed right until upcoming
Saturday.
