WEC 47: A Night of Upsets

As promised the WEC’s 47th show, Bowles vs. Cruz was an explosive affair. Blood, sweat, and tears stained the cage as the show went on. A new champion was crowned, a former champion destroyed, and a legend retired. WEC 47 shown on free TV delivered for the fans as always. More importantly, the fights proved to fans that in this sport anything can happen. At any given moment a fight may end, a star can be born, and a career can be forever broken. Upset was the theme of the night as the two underdogs in the Co-Main and Main Event of the evening prevailed.

The night began with a highly anticipated bout between Armenian born up and comer Karen Darabedyan who took on tough-as-nails IFL veteran Bart Palaszewski. Karen trains with world class grappling instructor Gokor Chivichyan out of the Hayastan Grappling gym in North Hollywood. The bout began with Darabedyan throwing a plethora of jabs and right crosses stunning Palaszewski, then he promptly dropped down for a takedown and continued to hammer Palaszewski on the ground. It looked as though the referee would stop the fight until Palaszewski swiveled his hips and slapped on a slick armbar. Karen fought it and attempted to escape but it was too deep and he had no choice but to tap. This fight showed the potential of Karen Darabedyan but more importantly showed his inexperience as a 23 year old fighter. Bart Palaszewski on the other hand showed great composure and calm under pressure and displayed why he was the veteran coming into the fight.

Deividas Taurosevicius and LC Davis fought a very technical three round fight, and garnered boos from the crowd of 8,345 Ohio fans. Most of the fight was fought in the clinch with each fighter trying to outmuscle the other. These two were very evenly matched and I myself saw the fight as a majority draw.

The third bout of the night saw MMA legend Jens “Lil’ Evil” Pulver return to cage after four consecutive losses. He fought the crafty Cuban-American and always soft-spoken Javier Vasquez. The two exchanged in the beginning of the first round with Vasquez later taking Pulver down and securing a full mount. Pulver did attempt to reverse Vasquez but was unsuccessful.Vasquez secured an armbar from mount and cranked it until Pulver was forced to tap. It seemed as though Pulver had injured his arm badly, it was later stated that nothing was broken. After the fight Jens thanked the fans and sobbed as he waved goodbye to sport he helped pioneer. At the post-fight press conference the fighters in attendance commented on the impact Lil’ Evil had on the sport. If Jens has retired, he has done so a legend.

The Co-Main Event saw former Bantamweight Champion Miguel Angel Torres take on Team Alpha Male’s Joseph Benavidez. Torres had a tremendous reach advantage on the shorter stockier Benavidez. Coming off a first round KO from Brian Bowles, Torres looked to climb back to the top with an impressive win over the always fast paced and hungry Benavidez. Benavidez had other plans, the two began slowly, sizing each other up with Benavidez landing the cleaner strikes. In the second minute Benavidez faked a big overhand right and shot in for a clean double leg takedown. From there he worked a furious ground and pound and sliced Miguel’s head open with a well placed elbow. The gash was so gigantic that it blurred Miguel’s vision, as he tried to sit up Benavidez sunk in a perfectly timed and tight guillotine choke to end the fight. Pictures from the hospital later showed that Torres’s cut was so deep, the white of his skull was clearly visible. It is expected that Benavidez will take on the Dominick Cruz in a rematch for Cruz’s newly awarded Bantamweight title.

In the Main Event, Brian Bowles looked to make his first defense of the Bantamweight title he had won from Miguel Torres in August of 2009. In the first round the taller and lankier Cruz used superior footwork and angles to tag Bowles, easily taking the first round 10-9. More of the same came in round two, again Cruz utilized his reach with much better angles and head movement. Bowles seemed to be looking for that one power punch he landed on Torres, but Cruz was nowhere to be found. As the second round ended the WEC went for a commercial break but swiftly returned to the fight as it was announced that Bowles could not continue due to a broken hand. Cruz was awarded the Bantamweight title and celebrated his triumph with his mother beside him in the cage, capping off another fantastic WEC show. Fans should expect more of the same when it comes to the WEC. However, my question is whether fans will be willing to dish out the 50 dollars for the next WEC making their debut on Pay Per View. Only time will tell.

Arman Farhangdoust

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March 8 2010

MMA Rankings:

Heavyweight:

1. Fedor Emelianenko - Strikeforce

2. Brock Lesnar - UFC

3. Frank Mir - UFC

4. Cain Velasquez - UFC

5. Shane Carwin - UFC

6. Junior Dos Santos - UFC

7. Alistair Overeem - Dream

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - UFC

9. Brett Rogers - Strikeforce

10. Todd Duffee - UFC

Light Heavyweight:

1. Lyoto Machida - UFC

2. Mauricio Rua - UFC

3. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce

4. Quinton Jackson - UFC

5. Rashad Evans - UFC

6. Randy Couture - UFC

7. Dan Henderson - Strikeforce

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - UFC

9. Jon Jones - UFC

10. Brandon Vera - UFC

Middleweight:

1. Anderson Silva - UFC

2. Dan Henderson - Strikeforce

3. Chael Sonnen - UFC

4. Demian Maia - UFC

5. Vitor Belfort - UFC

6. Jake Shields - Strikeforce

7. Wanderlei Silva - UFC

8. Rich Franklin - UFC

9. Jorge Santiago - Sengoku

10. Mamed Khalidov - Sengoku

Welterweight:

1. Georges St. Pierre - UFC

2. Jon Fitch - UFC

3. Thiago Alves - UFC

4. Josh Koscheck - UFC

5. Paulo Thiago - UFC

6. Dan Hardy - UFC

7. Paul Daley - UFC

8. Nick Diaz - Strikeforce

9. Matt Hughes - UFC

10. Matt Serra - UFC

Lightweight:

1. BJ Penn - UFC

2. Frankie Edgar - UFC

3. Shinya Aoki - Dream

4. Kenny Florian - UFC

5. Gilbert Melendez - Strikeforce

6. Gray Maynard - UFC

7. Tyson Griffin - UFC

8. Eddie Alvarez - Bellator

9. Ben Henderson - WEC

10. Kamal Shalorus - WEC

Featherweight:

1. Jose Aldo - WEC

2. Mike Thomas Brown - WEC

3. Urijah Faber - WEC

4. Bibano Fernandez - Dream

5. Mark Hominick - WEC

6. Manny Gamburyan - WEC

7. Joe Warren - Dream

8. Joachim Hansen - Dream

9. Javier Vasquez - WEC

10. Joe Soto - Bellator

Bantamweight:

1. Dominick Cruz- WEC

2. Joseph Benavidez - WEC

3. Brian Bowles - WEC

4. Miguel Torres - WEC

5. Damacio Page - WEC

6. Jeff Curran - WEC

7. Antonio Banuellos - WEC

8. Rani Yahya - WEC

9. Abel Cullum - King of the Cage

10. Manny Tapia - Free Agent

Pound-for-Pound:

1. Fedor Emelianenko - Strikeforce

2. Georges St. Pierre - UFC

3. BJ Penn - UFC

4. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce

5. Anderson Silva - UFC

6. Lyoto Machida - UFC

7. Jose Aldo - WEC

8. Dominick Cruz - WEC

9. Mauricio Rua - UFC

10. Urijah Faber - WEC

Minotauro's Decline

When Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira hit the mat Saturday night in Sydney, Australia, in breathtaking fashion, it was much more than simply a notch in the loss column. The legendary Brazilian, once renowned for never having been stopped, be it by submission or T(KO), has now been stopped twice in his UFC career.

Many called Nogueira ‘washed up’ and finished when Frank Mir floored him in December 2008 in a massive upset, where Minotauro looked suspiciously slow and stiff as he was overwhelmed on the feet. After that bout, it was made known that Nogueira suffered a staph infection and spent time in the hospital in the weeks leading up to the fight. Some were quick to write it off as an excuse, but others thought it was a legit reason as to why the submission specialist was so sluggish.

Those same people seemed to have their claims validated when Nogeuira finally met Randy Couture in what was billed as a matchup of legends; in the weeks leading up to the fight, many were skeptical of the bout and thought it was simply a match beyond its’ expiration date. The doubters were proven wrong, however, when the two longtime veterans laid out an absolute classic for the fans, showcasing their heart and talent that suggested both men had plenty left in the tank. Though the fight was one for the ages for both men, Nogueira carried a clear-cut decision over “The Natural”.

However, with Cain Velasquez’s swift knockout of Nogueira Saturday night, it has become clear once more that the former PRIDE legend is in the twilight of his career. His chin, which at one time may as well have been steel plated, now seems worn; the man who was once legendary for his ability to soak up an unreal beating and turn the tables with a slick submission as he did in fights with Mirko Cro Cop and Tim Sylvia, can no longer seem to absorb the punishment he once could. This, coupled with Nogeuira noticeably being several steps slower, has seemingly brought his time as a contender to a screeching halt.

Take nothing away from Cain Velasquez. The Mexican-American wrestler is undefeated and with his wrestling pedigree and gradually improving striking ability, has an incredibly bright future that will one day lead to the UFC Heavyweight Title being strapped around his waist. Regardless of whether Nogueira’s chin is worn or not, Velasquez answered questions about his power by dominating Minotauro like no one has before.

In many ways, this fight was a passing of the torch. Nogueira will have more fights; the man has certainly earned the right to decide when he retires, and there are a few intriguing matchups left for him, one of which is a rematch with fellow PRIDE legend Mirko Cro Cop. Cain, on the other hand, will likely have a title shot in less than a year.

I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong about Nogueira. Should he turn around his career and wear gold again, I will happily eat crow. But saddled with this latest loss and the fact that the top half of the Heavyweight division is a veritable shark tank with powerful, heavy handed wrestlers, it would seem that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s days as a champion and contender are over, and his career has precious few chapters left.

Ryan James

March Madness

Fight fans around the world rejoice, as the upcoming month of March involves some of combat sport’s biggest names, along with some of the biggest events. This month, fight fans will witness three stacked UFC events, one explosive WEC event, and a boxing super fight for the ages. Not only will there be star studded cards and a schmorgesborg of KO’s and submissions but fight fans will witness a few firsts as far as the expansion of combat sports. This month, the UFC will be making their debut on the Versus channel holding a free fight night for the fans. Also, Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey will battle it out in the newly built Cowboys Stadium in Dallas Texas, which seats 80,000 fans, also holding the record for the largest high definition television screen in the world.

WEC 47 kicks off this stellar month’s MMA events with an explosive card on Saturday March 6th. Newly crowned bantamweight champion Brian Bowles defends his title for the first time against a freestyle wrestling technician known as Dominick Cruz. Cruz displayed crisp striking mixed in with his takedowns and superior grappling to earn a unanimous decision victory against Joseph Benavidez back at WEC 42. This performance brought him the shot against Brian Bowles who took the crown from Miguel Torres that same night. Brian Bowles shocked the world when he ended Miguel’s night early by a devastating KO in the first round at WEC 42. Bowles has never been defeated in the cage, but fighting Dominick Cruz who’s only loss comes from a guillotine choke from former 145lb champ Urijah Faber is no easy task. The event’s co-main event is a bantamweight contender bout between Miguel Torres on his way back to his title against the relentless Joseph Benavidez. WEC 47 should prove to be an entertaining night of fights, local Vancouverites can catch this event on Saturday March 6th at 7pm PST, the channel broadcasting the event will be The Score (channel 54).

On Saturday March 13th boxing’s pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao returns to action against defensive wizard Joshua Clottey, who originally hails from the African nation, Ghana but currently fights out of the Bronx New York. This twelve round fight will be for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title that he took from Miguel Cotto in a brutal beat down back in November of 2009. A fight between Pacquiao and Floyd “Money” Mayweather was scheduled for this date but negotiations came to a standstill when Mayweather demanded Olympic style drug testing. Pacquiao’s camp had refused to take a blood test close to the fight but agreed to take it one month before and once after the fight, this offer was rejected and the fight fell apart. This fight however will probably be another boxing clinic put on by Pac-Man, hyping up the inevitable fight with Mayweather even more.

It seems as though the UFC has committed to throw it’s a fans a bone or two this month. There will be two free TV fight night events and a card for the ages. The first event for the month is also the UFC’s debut on the Versus channel on Sunday March 21st, local fans will be able to catch it at 7pm PST on Rogers Sportsnet (channel 22). The event is headlined by a light heavyweight contender bout featuring 22 year old Greco-Roman wrestling prodigy Jon “Bones” Jones against Muay Thai wrecking ball Brandon “The Truth Vera”. Jones has managed to build up quite a following for himself during his relatively short stay in the UFC. His arsenal consists of dazzling Greco-Roman throws, unorthodox strikes, and a whole lot of flash. Unfortunately the hype may be coming to a halt. The confident Filipino striker Brandon Vera who is the underdog in this fight has far superior experience compared to Bones. What most people don’t know is that Vera wrestled Greco at a high collegiate level, this may neutralize Jones’s remarkable grappling advantage. I also think that Vera’s Muay Thai may be a little too much for the less experienced Jones. The other bouts on the card are just as, if not more volatile, the co-main event pits heavyweights Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos against the vicious Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga. Gonzaga has been inconsistent in the octagon, nearly kicking Mirko Cro Cop’s head into the crowd at one point but then being dominated by Randy Couture a short while later. Junior Dos Santos however, is a young, hungry, and devastating fighter. He is originally from Brazil and is a training partner of the Nogueira brothers, Lyoto Machida, and Anderson Silva. His boxing is what has impressed me so far, he is riding a four fight winning streak in the UFC, finishing all four opponents with his hands.

Seven days after Vera and Jones face off, UFC 111 will take place in Newark New Jersey. French-Canadian welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre will defend his title against a confident and arrogant Brit by the name of Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy. Georges is one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet, he has destroyed every opponent put in front of him. His only two losses came at the hands of Matt Hughes in October of 2004 and Matt Serra in April of 2007. He has since avenged both those losses in dominant fashion. GSP is known for his perfectly timed wrestling attacks, supreme athleticism, and picture perfect striking. He is a five to one favorite going into this fight. Dan Hardy is known for pre-fight smack talk, and as far as I am concerned he is one of the best. He is best known for getting into the head of many opponents before the fight and then using their anger to his advantage. He has reeled off four impressive wins in the UFC so far earning him a title shot with GSP. The co-main event of the night is another five round title fight, this time in the heavyweight division. Former champ Frank Mir takes on Shane Carwin for an interim title. The winner is expected to take on Brock Lesnar to unify the title, when he overcomes his current illness and is at 100%. Shane Carwin has never gone past three minutes of the first round in his entire career. He is a perfect 11-0 all by first round stoppage, a menacing opponent for anyone. Frank Mir has recently put on some size and seems very dedicated and motivated to avenge his loss tofrom Brock Lesnar. He even went so far to say that he wishes to break Brock’s neck and to make sure Brock is the first man to die due to octagon related injuries. Motivated? I think so. Two fights on the undercard will be broadcasted on Spike TV for free at 6pm PST. The rest of the card must be either ordered on Pay Per View or seen at the movie theatres for the first time in UFC history.

Four days after GSP fights Dan Hardy the UFC has another treat for it’s fans. A fight night is scheduled free on Spike TV on Wednesday March 31st. The main event has former number one lightweight contender Kenny “Kenflo” Florian taking on the “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi. Kenflo is an excellent tactician and at the very top of the lightweight division, but he always seems to choke when it comes time to take the belt. He was thoroughly dominated against lightweight champion Sean Sherk back in 2006, and most recently lost the title shot against current champ BJ Penn at UFC 101. Japanese sensation Takanori Gomi rose to fame back in the glory days of Pride FC. He was on quite a run until he was stopped by BJ Penn and later Nick Diaz. The Fireball Kid will look to reclaim some of his old brilliance with a win over Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu ace Kenny Florian.

As I stated before, March will be an mind-blowing month for fight fans. I cannot wait to witness history in the making, as these modern day masters of the Martial Arts compete at the very summit of our proud sport. Dazzling technique, heart, and perseverance is the forecast for the month of March.

Arman Farhangdoust



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March 1 2010

MMA Rankings:

Heavyweight:

1. Fedor Emelianenko - Strikeforce
2. Brock Lesnar - UFC
3. Frank Mir - UFC
4. Cain Velasquez - UFC
5. Shane Carwin - UFC
6. Junior Dos Santos - UFC
7. Alistair Overeem - Dream
8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - UFC
9. Brett Rogers - Strikeforce
10. Todd Duffee - UFC

Light Heavyweight:

1. Lyoto Machida - UFC
2. Mauricio Rua - UFC
3. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce
4. Quinton Jackson - UFC
5. Rashad Evans - UFC
6. Randy Couture - UFC
7. Dan Henderson - Strikeforce
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - UFC
9. Jon Jones - UFC
10. Thiago Silva - UFC

Middleweight:

1. Anderson Silva - UFC
2. Dan Henderson - Strikeforce
3. Chael Sonnen - UFC
4. Demian Maia - UFC
5. Vitor Belfort - UFC
6. Jake Shields - Strikeforce
7. Wanderlei Silva - UFC
8. Mamed Khalidov - Sengoku
9. Rich Franklin - UFC
10. Denis Kang - W1

Welterweight:

1. Georges St. Pierre - UFC
2. Jon Fitch - UFC
3. Thiago Alves - UFC
4. Josh Koscheck - UFC
5. Paulo Thiago - UFC
6. Dan Hardy - UFC
7. Paul Daley - UFC
8. Nick Diaz - Strikeforce
9. Matt Hughes - UFC
10. Matt Serra - UFC

Lightweight:

1. BJ Penn - UFC
2. Frankie Edgar - UFC
3. Shinya Aoki - Dream
4. Kenny Florian - UFC
5. Gilbert Melendez - Strikeforce
6. Gray Maynard - UFC
7. Tyson Griffin - UFC
8. Eddie Alvarez - Bellator
9. Ben Henderson - WEC
10. Kamal Shalorus - WEC

Featherweight:

1. Jose Aldo - WEC
2. Mike Thomas Brown - WEC
3. Urijah Faber - WEC
4. Bibano Fernandez - Dream
5. Mark Hominick - WEC
6. Manny Gamburyan - WEC
7. Joe Warren - Dream
8. Joachim Hansen - Dream
9. Jens Pulver - WEC
10. Joe Soto - Bellator

Bantamweight:

1. Brian Bowles - WEC
2. Miguel Angel Torres - WEC
3. Dominick Cruz- WEC
4. Joseph Benavidez - WEC
5. Damacio Page - WEC
6. Jeff Curran - WEC
7. Antonio Banuellos - WEC
8. Rani Yahya - WEC
9. Abel Cullum - King of the Cage
10. Manny Tapia - Free Agent

Pound-for-Pound:

1. Fedor Emelianenko - Strikeforce
2. Georges St. Pierre - UFC
3. BJ Penn - UFC
4. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce
5. Anderson Silva - UFC
6. Lyoto Machida - UFC
7. Jose Aldo - WEC
8. Urijah Faber - WEC
9. Mauricio Rua - UFC
10. Brian Bowles - WEC

Notes On UFC 110

It was a g’day for the UFC down under this weekend. Saturday UFC 110 in Sydney Australia showcased the up and coming stars likely to be the new standard bearers in the UFC and quite possibly MMA. Also 3 MMA legends stepped into the octagon and two of the three came away with victories representing what has become a legends fighting category for the Zuffa promotion. There were two legitimate KO's and overall it was a very exciting riveting fight card.

On the main card all of the weight classes were represented in good style. One of the surprise matchups of the night pitted George Sotoropolous an Aussie native against Joe “Daddy” Stevenson. Stevenson recently uprooted from Victorville California and Cobra Kai trains in Greg Jackson’s New Mexico MMA camp. Joe Daddy a former TUF winner and UFC vet is renowned for his wrestling ability but it was Sotoropolous who put on a grappling clinic scarcely permitting Stevenson a moment to breathe. Fight fans saw only fleeting moments of standup action between the two something that might have been more in Stevenson’s favor as he found himself fighting off submission attempts every time the fight hit the mat. We saw none of the ground and pound the vet is known for because Sotoropolous was able to roll out or transition Stevenson’s top position advantage into a submission effort. The only thing George Sotoropolous did not manage was a fight finishing tapout but clearly deserved the Unanimous decision win in front of his home country fans.

Just when you thought Mirko Cro Cop had turned in his mitts and put away the checked togs he returns. Facing a stand in for ailing Ben Rothwell Aussie Anthony Perosh, Cro Cop earned a TKO due to a severe gash from an elbow in round 2. All things considered it was not the worst performance a last minute replacement could have against an MMA legend. Cro Cop at age 36 exhibits none of the standup skills that made him a champion in his Pride Fighting days. He is hesitant to throw the once feared high velocity round kicks and his punching combinations are in need of an overhaul. Mirko Cro Cop may stay around because he is healthy enough and stands upon lofty credentials but he falls far short of being a significant threat in the conversation of UFC contenders.

In the Light Heavyweight matchup something had to give Saturday. Either Ryan Bader was going to lose his first MMA fight or UFC vet Keith Jardine was going earn his first win three outings. While Jardine is known for his time on TUF season 2, his affiliation with Jackson’s MMA and victories over Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell Ryan Bader is one of the young UFC lions.
Bader won season 8 of TUF but he is still best known as a former Arizona State wrestling champion. After his Saturday night demolition job on Keith Jardine his status as an MMA pro has surely been cemented. It should be noted for the record that Jardine even in his losing efforts has not had an easy fight in years. He’s lost to a who’s who of UFC tough guys including Quinton Jackson, Houston Alexander, Thiago Silva and Wanderleigh Silva. Jardine has not changed camps since TUF and his hit and run unorthodox ring movement still puzzles one as to how he made it to the highest level of fighting. Bader was not deterred by Jardines fight history or herky jerky style. He easily shrugged off Keith Jardine’s patented leg kicks and came forward hands high unleashing rocket launched lefts and rights from two of the biggest arms in MMA.
Jardine could hit and run scoring an occasional jab or body kick but he could not hide. Bader appeared to discount his wrestling prowess for a night and backing Jardine toward the cage crumpled the taller fighter with a right hook about the ear. After the match was stopped sadly Keith Jardine did not recall getting hit or falling. He’s been KO’d at least three times in his last five fights and now he and the UFC have a serious decision to make regarding his fighting future. Dana White loves knockouts, so Bader will continue to rise with his new contender credentials and look for him to fight in an even bigger fight matchup this summer.

Wanderleigh Silva versus Michael Bisping was the second most anticipated fight of the night. Could the “Axe Murderer” still compete on a big MMA stage and was Michael Bisping back as a serious UFC contender? Silva’s had cosmetic surgery to remove scar tissue but he also looked made over physique wise appearing more ripped then he has since his Pride days. Michael Bisping coming off of a win over Dennis Kang looked sharp early on complimenting crisp combinations with impressive kicks high and low. Bisping’s known for vicious ground and pound and though he easily shot and took the Brazilian to the mat, Wanderleigh sprang to his feet immediately. Silva, giving away three inches in height was a little tentative in round one but countered aggressively with power shots that made Bisping weary and prompted him into the fatal fighter’s flaw of backing up.

In round 2 veteran Wanderleigh Silva sensing Michael Bisping’s fear of his punching power asserted himself more often and attacked with the intensity that made him a champion a decade ago. Going into round 3 Bisping’s corner emphasized that he really needed to take the fight to Silva maybe and probably needed a KO to take the fight. Beginning the round Bisping pressed the action but Silva had fought off his best takedown attempts and had no fear of Bisping’s standup. It appeared that the Brazilian was conserving and waiting for the right moment in the round to strike. Literally looking at the clock Wanderleigh launched an all out attack up the middle throwing right and left hooks with one of them dropping Michael Bisping in front of the cage as time ran out. Everyone in attendance knew that with a few more ticks of the clock Silva was going to earn a KO or TKO but instead he left Sydney with a savory unanimous decision victory. The “Axe Murderer” is back. With a middleweight division that has become Anderson Silva and then a following of nearly anonymous fighters Wanderleigh Silva is actually a step away from title contention. Post fight Michael Bisping lobbied protested claims that he could have been declared the winner of the contest to little supported fanfare. He needed the win Saturday to be considered a contender for the title. Now he will need two good outings to come around again. Skill wise he still has the tools, but receives failing marks in executing a strong fight plan and continues to make novice missteps in the octagon.

Big Nog Noguiera versus Cain Velasquez had all the earmarks of titanic battle between two masterful grapplers. Jiu Jitsu master Noguiera the former Pride and UFC heavyweight champ has a cast iron chin and maybe one of the most complete fighters in the modern MMA era. Cain Velasquez a former NCAA wrestling champ has steadily climbed the ladder tossing opponents behind him with displays of grappling dominance and punching power. Velasquez is lightening quick for a fighter around 240lbs. Fight experts and armchair fight fans were betting on which heavyweight could execute their superior ground game and take the fight. Fighting out of American Kick Boxing Academy in San Jose California standup fighting and striking in not over emphasized in comparison to good ground attacks but neither is it under emphasized as fighters like Velasquez, Fitch, Koscheck and Swick black each other’s eyes regularly. Big Nog spars with Anderson Silva, Junior Dos Santos and twin brother Rogerio. The former champ is known for his boxing skills and in his previous octagon encounter dropped legend Randy Couture like few men have in MMA history.

It stands to reason in hindsight that this heavyweight clash came down to the fighter with the faster heavier hands. 2:20 into the first round Velasquez unleashed a combo that dropped Big Nog to the canvas and then like a leopard sprang on the fallen ex champ punishing him with a thudding shot that prompted referee Herb Dean to leap in and spare Noguiera a more terrible fate. Outside of a pro boxing ring It was a shocking and awesome display of punching power. Noguirera actually landed a right hand near Velasquez’s temple but not with the speed or power with which he received two shots upstairs. At 8-0 with only six UFC fights Velasquez is in the hunt for a championship belt but he is a rare and able masher who incredibly can only improve. After the disappointing TKO loss Big Nog was composed and coherent. He had to confess that Velasquez was just too fast and too strong on the feet and this may have sounded the death knell towards the ex champs future hopes of attaining another title. Cain Velasquez could vault the winner of the Carwin-Mir battle and face reigning champion Brock Lesnar according to the UFC or another possibility has him matched up with Noguiera protégé MMA manchild Jr. Dos Santos.


Jdon Howard

The Hammer Versus the Shield

Mark “the Hammer” Coleman and Randy “Captain America” were slated to meet in a much anticipated heavy weight tournament match at UFC 17, but Couture had to bow out due to injury. Now twelve years later after scaling the heights of MMA the two Hall of fame fighters Coleman age 45 and Randy Couture 46 are to meet in a light heavyweight bout at UFC 109. They are both on the decline and title shots are unfathomable but still they fight on for their respective reasons

Their careers are parallel. Randy Couture was an All-American Greco Roman wrestler at Oklahoma State, gold medalist in the Pan American Games and an Olympic alternate in 2000. At Ohio State Mark Coleman was an all American freestyle wrestler, NCAA champion and member of the 1992 US Olympic team. Turning to MMA in the 90s Coleman, Couture, Dan Severn and Dan Henderson changed the game of MMA. Utilizing double leg takedowns and slams the wrestlers were controlling their opponents on the mat and then when possible pounding them into submission.

Coleman and Couture are both former UFC champions and also distinguished themselves fighting abroad in Japan. During his bruising career Mark Coleman faced Igor Voychan, Maurico “Shogun” Rua, Minaturo Nogueira and Fedor Emelianenko. He lost to Nogueira and Emelianenko via submission but to his credit the Hammer claimed the 2000 Pride open weight tournament. After turning 40 the Hammer has won 3 of his last 5 fights losing to former Pride foes Maurico Rua and Fedor.

Randy Couture’s list is equally as impressive with championship wins over Maurice Smith, Pedro Rizzo, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. Couture lost the light heavyweight title to Liddell in a series of UFC fights, retired took time off and then battled back winning the heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia at age 40.

Today in the last stages of their careers the paths of Couture and Coleman bend away in different directions. Randy Couture continues to compete in MMA because he loves the sport and believes with honest intent that he continues to get better even though he is not as athletic or iron clad as he was five years ago.


Mark Coleman fights to support his family and maintain a quality of life. He has two young children and outside of coaching wrestling and his work with his Hammer House MMA club fighting is all that he knows. He’s had a distinguished career but he is far behind Couture in popularity and lacks the notoriety that would bring in the kind of earnings to walk away from the cage comfortably. Know as “Captain America and the Natural” Randy Couture has performed fight commentary, owns a string of MMA gyms and has appeared in movies. Couture is 1-2 since coming out of retirement losing to Heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar and heavyweight contender Minatura Noguiera in another hall of fame matchup. Dropping back down to 205 Captain America used his wrestling and clinch game mixed with his brawling style of “dirty boxing” to take the decision away from the talented Brandon Vera. In each of his two losses of 08 and 09 he has been knocked down and TKO’d by Lesnar. Vera dropped him with a kick to the body that could have finished the fight decisively.

Mark Coleman’s record over two UFC fights is 1-1 TKO’d versus Mauricio Rua in a sad affair with the Hammer on his knees gassed and Rua throwing fist to the 44 year old Coleman’s head. Anyone knowing the onetime greatness of the Hammer and the depths of that spectacle at the end of his career wanted him to retire that night. Undaunted, he did not retire returning to take a bout against original Ultimate Fighter runner-up Stephan Bonnar. The Hammer rebounded surprisingly well against the struggling younger Bonnar and mixed his superior wrestling with ground and pound to win unanimously.

Coleman and Couture are still two amazingly talented wrestlers so in the clinch they all but negate the others abilities. The one thing Captain America has maintained well over the years is his cardio perhaps lent to the environment of charged up young fighters he continues to mentor and train along side. Randy Couture should look to carry the pace of the fight at a tempo that will wear Mark Coleman whose cardio has come into question many times down. If you’re Mark Coleman you have to take note of the fact that Randy Couture’s not really shucking off shots the way he used to let your fist fly early and often. A knockdown could pave the way to one last Hall of Fame victory.

Jdon Howard