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Newsflash: Spike TV Broadcasts of UFC PPV Prelims Are a Good Idea

bfowlkes — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:11:46 +0000

('Dairy is rape, you son of a bitch!' Photo courtesy of Fight Magazine.)

You can file this under the category of ‘Things That Should Have Been Obvious Without Any Supporting Evidence,’ but the ratings numbers from Spike TV’s recent broadcasts of select preliminary fights from UFC pay-per-views prove that fight fans actually like seeing more fights for free. As MMA Payout points out, the UFC 109 prelims scored the highest rating yet, despite the lack of big names (sorry Justin Buchholz fans, but it’s true), with an average of 1.7 million viewers for the hour-long broadcast.

This is one of those ideas that, in retrospect, seems baffling for it to have taken this long to come to fruition. The UFC isn’t doing much with those undercard fights anyway – they can’t show all of them, and it’s not like a bunch of people are willing to pay extra online to see Guillard and Torres go three rounds – and, who knows, you might even convince a couple people who were flipping through the channels on a Saturday night to pony up and buy the pay-per-view. Or maybe they find themselves watching Joe Rogan do a thorough analysis of an attempt to clean up ice and they flip back to “Man vs. Wild” reruns. Either way, keep them coming and we'll keep on watching. Unless Bear Grylls goes somewhere really crazy, like the moon. Come on, Man vs. Moon? Forget about it. There's just no way we're missing that.

Photo of the Day: Fedor Will Smoke Your Ass in Table Tennis, Too

bfowlkes — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:47:38 +0000

(Props: TSGIGOR via the UG)

As much as he likes to portray himself as an ordinary, boring family man outside of his job knocking people's heads off their shoulders, it seems like whenever we get a glimpse of Fedor Emelianenko's private life he is always doing something awesome. When he's not beating up six Koreans at once, hanging out with Vladimir Putin and Silvio Berlusconi at lavish dinner parties catered by miserable teenagers, or wearing a series of unbelievable sweaters, he's playing ping-pong in the world's sweetest rec room in Kiev, Ukraine.

It's not even fair that one man should have this great of a life, while the rest of us have to settle for wearing normal sweaters and playing ping-pong in rooms totally bereft of bizarrely ornate furnishings. We may not be the greatest heavyweight in the world, but does that mean we don't deserve to hang out in the kind of place that has both a ping-pong table and a gold sectional sofa? Maybe it does. Maybe that's just how life is. Even if you can kick a little ass, or perhaps most of the ass, the world will not share such lavish bounties with you unless you can kick all asses. Just ask poor Anthony Johnson...

Video: Chuck Liddell and Anna Trebunskaya Make the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

ben — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:38:23 +0000

Swimsuit 2010: Models | Video | Olympic Stars | Dancing With The Stars | Bodypainting: Soccer WAGS

It's been over two months since we've seen Chuck Liddell throw around Russian pixie Anna Trebunskaya, but the two have been reunited for one last score, thanks to a Dancing With the Stars-themed feature in the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Watch as Anna bounces around in a bikini while Chuck bounces around like a jackass. Obviously this isn't going to be the deciding factor for you to go out and buy the issue — there's an entire spread on bodypainted ex-girlfriends of soccer players, so you should already have this thing pre-ordered.

Josh Koscheck Tries to Sell Us on a Grudge Match Between Him and Tito Ortiz

ben — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:02:23 +0000

Personally, I blame Chael "Epic Troll" Sonnen, who recently proved that even if you have a somewhat dull fighting style, MMA fans will start caring about you as soon as you accuse Anderson Silva of being an overrated punk who's fluent in both English and Spanish. Sonnen's recent success in playing the heel is only encouraging trash-talkers to get bolder with their call-outs, and the latest instigator is UFC welterweight contender Josh Koscheck, who has been on Twitter the last couple of days demanding that Tito Ortiz fight him. Considering that Koscheck is two weight classes smaller than Ortiz, this seems like a fight that Ortiz would actually take, although the HBBB hasn't responded yet.

Obviously, the matchup would never be approved by the UFC or any athletic commission in this country*, even if Kos went on an all-Bojangles diet for the next three months. And in that sense, the call-out is virtually useless, outside of the fact that it gets us talking about Josh Koscheck for a few minutes one Tuesday afternoon. It's like when somebody says "I'd kick your ass if my friends weren't holding me back." In this analogy, the "friends" represent the 35-pound weight differential. You're talking shit with a safety net. Yes, Josh, in the old days of the UFC, you'd occasionally see a guy like Keith Hackney beating the crap out of a guy like Emmanuel Yarborough. But I'm not sure that argument's strong enough to convince Dana to toss out the unified rules on your behalf.

* Wait a minute. Are they just building up heat for a future headlining fight in Abu Dhabi? Oh God, no.

Things That Get Joe Rogan Fired Up, Vol. XVIII: Ice in the Octagon

bfowlkes — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:51:18 +0000

Those of you who missed the Spike TV broadcast of the Melvin Guillard-Ronnys Torres fight at UFC 109 didn't just miss a very close three-round scrap, you also missed a chance to see Joe Rogan flip out over something besides marijuana, locker room meat-gazers, or the craziness of space. I refer now, of course, to an ice spill in the Octagon.

It's no one's fault, really, except maybe the person who decided to use a cheap grocery store produce bag in Torres's corner. The thing comes apart at the most inopportune time, and the result is a group of grown men trying frantically to clean up a large pile of ice while Rogan yells at them and a packed arena boos their efforts. The difficulty these men (or, as Rogan refers to them, "the goddamn Three Stooges") have in this task just goes to show how much more difficult everything becomes in a high-pressure situation. Try unlocking your front door while someone yells at you about what an incapable moron you are, or clean up broken eggs on the kitchen floor as your emotionally unstable girlfriend stands nearby and refers to the situation as "a disaster." Then maybe you'll understand.

The Hammer: Mark Coleman's 5 Greatest MMA Moments

bfowlkes — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:08:36 +0000

(Skip to the 3:15 mark to hear Coleman's thoughts on the rule changes in MMA that forced him to "learn a lot of other skills.")

Those of you who became MMA fans somewhere between "Iron Ring" and “Bully Beatdown” might not realize this, but there was a time when Mark Coleman was a holy terror as a fighter. We know, he didn’t look like it against Randy Couture at UFC 109, but give the guy a break. He’s 45 years-old and has been using his body (and sometimes his head) as a weapon to hurt other men since 1996. That stuff is bound to take a toll on you, which is why Couture is the exception and not the rule.

After his loss on Saturday night it now seems like Coleman is done, or at least done in the UFC. At the very real risk of eulogizing Coleman’s career too soon, as we did with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s – Christ, doesn’t anyone quit this sport when they should? – we’d like to pay tribute to the monster Coleman used to be by looking back at some of his finest MMA moments.

Does Anderson Silva Want to Fight Anybody?

ben — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:23:05 +0000

(I may not agree with their lifestyle, but it's hard to pass judgment on true love. Photo courtesy of Landry Major.)

Anderson Silva is a tough nut to crack. We know he doesn't want to fight friends, and we know he doesn't want to fight guys he's already beaten, and we know he doesn't want to fight guys who got middleweight title shots in the UFC without ever competing in the UFC at that weight class. New #1 contender Chael Sonnen doesn't fit into any of those categories, so you'd think there wouldn't be a problem. But as Silva's manager Ed Soares has proven, you can find an excuse to duck pretty much anybody:

"We've spoken with Chael on many occasions and have the utmost respect for him. He's never really come across in this manner, and it's obvious he's just drumming up hype in hopes to get a bout with Anderson...We are fine if this is what the UFC wants, but if you look at this logistically, Sonnen should fight Demian Maia first. Demian beat [him] easily, by submission, so why not make them fight first, to determine who gets a shot at the title?...

Phil Baroni's Mom Works at Starbucks, Makes Lattes For Matt Serra

bfowlkes — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:12:20 +0000

In this talk with Fox News's "Fight Game" it's difficult to tell whether Phil Baroni is drunk or just on the downward slope of a career spent getting punched in the head. It's like that time you did a terrible karaoke rendition of "Little Red Corvette" before throwing up all over your girlfriend's shoes. There's only one acceptable explanation, and it's 'I was drunk.' Let's hope the seven-dollar beers at the Mandalay Bay were to blame for how this interview turned out, and not ten years worth of abuse in the cage.

The catalyst for this particular discussion is the UFC 109 victory by fellow New Yorker Matt Serra over one of Baroni's Xtreme Couture training partners, Frank Trigg. Apparently, gym loyalties are nothing compared to regional ones. Plus, Serra goes into the Starbucks where Baroni's mom works and gives her good tips, while all Trigg has ever done is make an awkward pass at her at Baroni's wedding. Yet another situation where 'I was drunk' is the only explanation that will suffice.

After the jump, Eddie Bravo discusses his path to jiu-jitsu, and subtly overstates his own importance.

Video: Michael Bisping Gets Ready for the Axe Murderer

ben — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:30:41 +0000

(Props: MMA Mania)

Michael Bisping is less than two weeks away from what could either be his greatest triumph or his ugliest beatdown — a match against legendary fighter Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 (February 20th; Sydney, Australia). The latest installment of Bisping's video blog shows him handling the usual press obligations and keeping sharp at the Wolfslair in preparation for the battle. Skip to 4:06 for a rare sighting of Rampage Jackson outside of a movie set. As for Bisping's expectations for the Silva fight, the Count recently wrote that Wandy reminds him of another old rival:

Stylistically, the fight may be similar to the one I had with Chris Leben in October 2008. Leben was a tough, aggressive guy with some highlight reel knockouts on his record and he really brought the fight to me. He also throws similarly wild and looping punches to Wanderlei. I had to use my speed and straighter punches to beat Leben and the same thing may come into play with Wanderlei. I’d say Wanderlei is a bit quicker and more explosive than Leben overall. Obviously the game plans won’t be the same, but in terms of style there are definite similarities between the two of them. I’m not going to fight Wanderlei the way I did Leben, but I may draw on my fight with Leben to help me beat Wanderlei.

Has Wanderlei Silva fallen so far that one could realistically describe him as a more-explosive Chris Leben? Damn, that's a depressing thought. Silva has lost five of his last six fights, with his only win coming against Keith Jardine in May 2008 — but the guys that have beaten him were all legends and former champions. If the Axe Murderer loses this one, there will no longer be any doubt that the game has passed him by. Will he smash the Brit and redeem himself, or are we about to see Wandy's last stand? Your thoughts, please.

Tito Ortiz: Yep, Still an Asshole

bfowlkes — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:49:15 +0000

(Ortiz chats with Ariel Helwani, before and after heckling Mark Coleman.)

There are any number of reasons Tito Ortiz might have decided to try and steal the spotlight by shouting at Mark Coleman during his post-fight interview at UFC 109. For instance, he’s just always been kind of a prick, so there’s that. Or, if that’s not comprehensive enough for you, he’s also an opportunist prick, which is exactly the type of prick who would try to start a fight with an elderly opponent who had just shown himself to be easy pickings. But Ortiz’s official explanation for kicking Coleman while he was down? It was payback for that time his manager pointed out what we already know about Ortiz’s lady friend.

Of course, Coleman’s manager only said those things in retaliation for Ortiz calling Coleman a “sissy” after he pulled out of their scheduled bout with an injury, and then he apologized as soon as he calmed down and realized that an attack on Ortiz’s famous porn star girlfriend was neither cool nor necessary. But the HBBB isn’t going to let a little thing like that stop him from a) erroneously attributing the remark to Coleman, and b) being really immature about the whole thing. Why would he? This is Tito Ortiz we’re talking about here, who still insists that his ‘Chuck Liddell was an alcoholic’ comments were meant in the nicest way possible. He’s not one to let the truth get in the way of an opportunity to act like a total jerk.