As we all know, Josh Koscheck isn’t a bad guy — he’s just a misunderstood victim of selective editing. And now that he’s put together his own reality show, we can finally get to know the man as he really is.
Just kidding. The above “sizzle reel” from Koscheck’s latest entertainment venture does absolutely nothing to dispel his A-hole persona. The show opens with the insane premise that a former attorney named David Spitz quit his job to become Josh’s personal whipping-boy, living under the slave-name Chuy. “I don’t have very many friends,” Josh says, “but the friends that I have, I try to keep dear and close to me.” Cut to Josh de-pantsing one of his “friends,” then kicking him to the floor.
Well, this is it, folks — Gary Goodridge‘s last column for CagePotato. Big Daddy decided to blast through a bunch of questions lightning-round style, so if he still didn’t get to your question, 1) Learn to write better questions, and 2) Stay tuned for the start of Dan Severn‘s mailbag column on CagePotato, coming soon. Thanks so much to Gary for doing this for us; follow him on Facebook and Twitter, and visit bigdaddyfightteam.com.
‘danomite’ asks: Have you ever known anybody to work a fight or take a dive? You don’t have to name names, just wondering how much it happened, especially in Japan.
Yes that type of stuff happened all the time in Pride. There are some pretty famous examples that the old fans all talk about. Chances are if you think it’s shady, it might have been. Naoya Ogawa’s camp offered me money to throw the fight but I didn’t want to sacrifice my integrity for a buck.
‘ReX13′ asks: I always wondered what Gary’s first thought was after he killed Paul Herrera. Well, after the adrenaline damped down a bit. I was shocked like everybody. Since I practiced my counter-move the night before I was ready, but surprised it worked that easily. I didn’t have too much time to celebrate though since I had another fight coming right up.
From last night’s Spike TV broadcast previewing UFC 133 on August 6th. Listening to Tito Ortiz retell the story of his redemptive victory over Ryan Bader, it’s hard not to view Ortiz as a sympathetic figure — the “good guy” in his matchup against Rashad Evans — especially since MMA fans still resent Evans for killing Chuck Liddell. Parts 2-4 of “Countdown to UFC 133″ are after the jump, running down the Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama co-main event, as well as the welterweight feature between Rory MacDonald and Mike Pyle. Check it out while it lasts…
If you watch MMA long enough, every fight, knockout, and submission begins to look familiar — which makes these classic bouts that much more special.
Wanderlei Silva Wins Via Choke vs. Bob Schrijber @ Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round, 1/30/00
Though he has two other submission victories on his record due to strikes, Wanderlei Silva has only ended one fight in his 15-year career with a legit, bonafide submission hold. It went down during his third PRIDE appearance against renowned kickboxer Bob Schrijber, in a reserve bout for the 2000 PRIDE GP. After some standup brawling, Wandy secures a takedown, immediately lands in mount, and slugs “Dirty Bob” until the Dutchman is forced to roll. From there, Silva sets up a rear-naked choke — you can tell that grappling’s not really his strong-suit — and eventually gets the tap.
Tito Ortiz Fights Outside of the UFC vs. Jeremy Screeton @ West Coast NHB Championships 1, 12/8/98
After going 1-1 in his Octagon debut at UFC 13, Tito Ortiz took a tune-up fight at an NHB tournament in Los Angeles. The result was a fast, gnarly, PRIDE-style victory for the future superstar. Screeton shoots in on Ortiz, but the Huntington Beach Bad Boy uses his own formidable wrestling skills to reverse his opponent onto the mat. Two brutal knees to the head later, and Screeton was tapping out the morse code to “get me the fuck out of here.” Ortiz was invited back to the UFC the following month, and has never left. Seriously, we can’t get rid of this guy.
(Oli Thompson, back when he used to lift heavy shit for a living. Photo via powershotsmag.com)
UFC 138‘s main event might be a little underwhelming, but there will be more than enough local talent to keep the Birmingham, England crowd engaged. In addition to well-known names like Paul Taylor, John Hathaway, Brad Pickett, and Terry Etim, there will be at least four U.K. fighters making their UFC debuts at the November 5th event. Here’s a quick rundown, with some videos after the jump…
Philip De Fries and Oli Thompson: The two heavyweight fight-finishers will be facing off against each other. De Fries is an undefeated BJJ specialist from Sunderland whose seven victories have all come by way of submission, with six in the first-round. Earlier this month, the 25-year-old choked out Stav Economou at an Ultimate Warrior Challenge event in Essex. Thompson is a former strongman competitor who won first place in the 2006 Britain’s Strongest Man tournament, and qualified for the 2008 World’s Strongest Man championships. As an MMA fighter, his 9-2 record includes five submissions and three KO/TKOs. He is the reigning heavyweight champion of the London-based Ultimate Challenge MMA promotion.
Following his release from the UFC, Denis Kang has kept a somewhat lower profile, competing for promotions like W-1 in Canada and Impact FC in Australia. But a return to the big leagues is even less likely now that he’s dropped two straight. In May, Kang suffered a first-round submission loss at the hands of Jesse Taylor — not a good look for a formerly top-ranked fighter who once went 23 consecutive fights without a loss — and last Sunday he was flattened by local talent Seung Bae Whi in a slugfest at Road FC 3 in Seoul, South Korea.
Here’s the video of round 2 of that fight. Things really start to heat up around the 2:30 mark, and Kang is face-down taking knees to the head on the mat by the 3:00 mark. Good to know that at least in South Korea, PRIDE neva die. Are we seeing the end of the line for the Super Korean?
As you’ll see in the above video (starting at the 0:57 mark), Maynard catches Veres with a lead left hook almost immediately, and makes it official with some gnarly shots from the top. Total time expenditure: 9 seconds. Since that night, the UFC lightweight contender has spent two hours and 10 minutes of fight time without a stoppage. But hey, there’s always next time…
Damn. So they really just yank ‘em out of your head, huh? Thankfully I’ve never had to get my wisdom teeth removed like the UFC heavyweight shown above, but I hear it’s The Absolute Worst. Quick poll: Most painful medical procedure you’ve ever had. Go.
(Papy wears that hat in memory of his late grappling coach, Fred Sanford.)
With three unanimous decision losses in his last four fights, former welterweight title contender Thiago Alves is going to need to start rackin’ up the old W’s if he wants to stay relevant (and keep his job) in the UFC. His next bout will give him the opportunity to rebound like a boss or crash and burn. MMAWeekly reported yesterday that Alves will face recent UFC signee Papy “Makambo” Abedi at UFC 138, November 5th in Birmingham, England.
A Congolese fighter who now fights out of his adopted home of Sweden, Abedi has racked up an 8-0 record (5 TKOs, 2 subs) competing throughout Europe, most recently scoring a first-round submission against Nathan Schouteren at a Superior Challenge event last October. The 32-year-old holds a black-belt in judo, and trains at the HILTI NHB camp in Stockholm. Though Abedi has spent the majority of his career at middleweight, he’s decided to drop to 170 for his UFC debut. Check out some vids of Papy in action after the jump, and let us know how you think he’ll fare against Alves…
(Another nomination in the “worst MMA referee of all time” awards. Props: caposa)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
- Brittney Palmer’s Ring Girl Profile Back on UFC.com [Before and After Pics] (5thRound)
- Dana White Doesn’t Rule Out Tito Ortiz as No.1 Contender With a UFC 133 Win (MMA Fighting)
- Rampage Jackson: I Guarantee Jon Jones Won’t Fight Me Like a Man (LowKick)
- Phil Baroni Faces Yoshiyuki Yoshida at September Event Featuring PRIDE Rules (Five Ounces of Pain)
Cruising through a bad Wikipedia Hole this morning, I realized that I’d never seen the full video of Wanderlei Silva‘s first victory in the UFC, a knockout of Tony Petarra. This went down at UFC 20 on May 7th, 1999, about seven months after Silva’s steamrolling at the hands of Vitor Belfort, and a year before his unsuccessful light-heavyweight title bout against Tito Ortiz (which would be Wandy’s last Octagon appearance for seven years).
Petarra was a 32-year-old submission fighter from Rancho Cucamonga who was making his UFC debut that night, and was in way over his head. Petarra clinches immediately, looking to take the fight to the mat. Silva stays on his feet and starts firing knees, first to the body, and then right into the rookie’s grill. Wanderlei snatches the full plum at the fight’s 2:45 mark, and the fight is over seconds later.
Later in the video, Mike Goldberg has a sit-down with Ortiz, who gives it up to Silva’s performance and calls out Frank Shamrock. Also, Bruce Buffer looks so young in the fight introduction that he could pass for Shia LaBeouf‘s older brother. Ah, memories!
(Clash of the Titans? So which one’s the kraken? Props: shosports)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
Falcao (27-3, 1 no-contest) met journeyman Julio Cesar Bilik (10-7) in the main event of a Centurion Mixed Martial Arts show in Itajai, Santa Catarina, Brazil, and went home with the 22nd knockout victory of his career. Watch as Falcao drops Bilik with a stiff jab, then smashes him with strikes from the top until the referee puts a stop to the action.
After the fight, Falcao said…something. I don’t speak Portuguese, so I’m absolutely no help to you in that department. Anybody care to translate?
M-1 Challenge 26 was in Costa Mesa, California and on Showtime last night, but we forgot to mention it yesterday so you probably didn’t watch. That’s our bad; allow us to make it up to you. The promotion known chiefly for being the only negative thing most people can say about Fedor Ememlianenko has a roster full of names that are virtually unknown in the western hemisphere, but damn if they don’t produce some exciting fights.
The first video is a quick fight featuring Russian middleweight Arthur Guseinov versus American Team Quest product Tyson Jeffries. Things start out well for Jeffries; he easily takes the first ninety seconds of the fight. After that, Guseinov gets in touch with his inner Shlemenko for a second, AND IT’S AAAALLLLLL OVER!!1!!!!1!!one1!
Come on in past the jump and we’ll run down the rest of the broadcast; we’ve lined up the videos just like you like them. Thanks to MrSfc16 for doing all the capture work.
Can we just call it even now? We love you, Nation.
Jason Miller clearly knows what’s expected of him in this quickie promo for The Ultimate Fighter 14. Put a camera in front of the dude, and suddenly he hates Michael Bisping‘s stupid accent and funny-looking face. Fair enough. Meanwhile, the Count calls Mayhem the class clown. Yep. Not exactly Sonnen-level eloquence, but it’ll surely be a step up from last season, in which Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos managed to make it through ten episodes without ever speaking to each other. Man, remember how awful that season was? So awful.
After the jump: The Brazilian trailer for UFC 134, which manages to be understated and evocative despite what apppears to be a very random F-bomb at the 0:09 mark.
This little gem comes to us from an X Series event in Knoxville, Tennessee on June 25th, where bantamweights Dre Milley and Jamie Norton made their pro debuts against each other. After a hard-fought first round — scroll back to 3:46 to see the fight from the beginning, or to 5:36 to see Milley toss Norton on his head in athletic, explosive fashion — Norton opened up the second frame throwing punches to set up a perfectly-timed face-kick. This Milley kid has potential, but for now, he joins Rashad Evans and epically knocked out Asian dude in the ranks of Worst Coma Faces in MMA History. Better luck next time.
(Wanderlei Silva: You couldn’t last five minutes in this man’s world.)
UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber goes down Saturday night in Las Vegas, and in case you’re feeling some MMA fatigue after five consecutive weeks of events, let us remind you — this card has the potential to be a real son-of-a-bitch. Familiarize yourself with the lineup here, and get your juices flowing again by watching some career highlights from the fighters on the card. Enjoy…
(Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine, UFC 110, 2/21/10)
(Melvin Guillard vs. Dennis Siver, UFC 86, 7/5/08)
(Carlos Condit discusses Dong Hyun Kim matchup at UFC 132, vows to beat Kim up until he doesn’t move anymore. Props: foxsports)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
- 10 Memorable Sports Moments Since Tito Ortiz Last Won a Fight (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
- Nate Marquardt Incident Highlights Need for Comprehensive HRT Policy in MMA (MMA Fighting)
- UFC on Versus 4 Photo Gallery – The Main Card (TheFightNerd)
- Matt Mitrione Post-Fight Video: “Gonna Get Drunk” (NBC Sports MMA)
- Miguel Torres Took a Picture of the Worst BJJ Injury He’s Ever Seen *WARNING: Graphic!* (MiddleEasy)
- Diego Sanchez Not Impressed with Charlie Brenneman or Rick Story (5thRound)
- Tito Ortiz Is “Not a Stepping Stone to Anyone,” Plans to Test the Will of “Disrespectful” Ryan Bader (LowKick)
- Donald Cerrone Fills Vacancy Opposite Paul Taylor at UFC Live 5 (Five Ounces of Pain)
- Under New Ownership, Pro Elite Rises From The Ashes For Possible August Return (MMA Convert)
- Keith Kizer Explains Therapeutic Use Exemptions for Testosterone Replacement Therapy in MMA [Audio] (MMA Mania)
Ahem. As you can see, Wanderlei Silva is hard at work at Kings MMA, preparing for his UFC 132 bout against Chris Leben with the kind of ferocity normally reserved for gay beer commercials. Man, Wandy and Shogun have so much fun together. The next time I host a barbecue, I’m going to make everybody play this game. Shirts off, gentlemen. Shirts the fuck off.
Greatest comeback knockout in UFC history? Last night‘s main event clash between Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry is certainly up there with previous shockers like Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell and Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee, considering how close it came to being stopped. Kongo earned himself a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus for his efforts. The other performance bonuses went to Joe Lauzon, who picked up the Submission of the Night award for his first-round kimura over Curt Warburton, and Nik Lentz and Charles Oliveria, who were awarded the Fight of the Night despite the fact that an illegal knee from Oliveira near the end of the match may result in the fight being declared a no-contest.
After the jump: An excerpt from the night’s other epic battle — Rampage vs. Ariel.
(The good old days — when men were men and briefs were shiny.)
Hello to all of my Cage Potato friends and thanks again for your interest and questions. It’s been a busy 2011 so far and things are only looking better from here. Thank you for the wonderful night before UFC 129 in Toronto. To those who missed it, there was a Cage Potato: Banned party that week and I had the opportunity to meet many loyal readers and Cage Potato “Big Wigs.” As you may know, I’ve reached a different stage in my career and I hope to provide you with more honest insights into many of the things that I’ve learned. I’m pleased to be black by popular demand. Ask away for my next column. Also, add me on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog www.bigdaddyfightteam.com.
All the best and Happy Humping,
Gary Goodridge
‘Bob Villa’ asks: How do you feel about all the lay and pray we’ve been subjected to lately? What do you think about guys like GSP who seem to fight not to lose and never go for the finish?
You’re asking the wrong guy because I always went for the finish. I think just lying on top of somebody is just crap and ridiculous. However, when fighters start doing that they pay the price because the promotions are not going to bring you back. You already know I like Wanderlei Silva and Chris Leben; I also like a lot of the U.K. fighters like Dan Hardy because they always provide entertaining fights.
GSP is a different animal though. He is a champion. He doesn’t have to finish these guys. They have to finish GSP. His job is to keep his belt any way that he can because the belt means prestige and, more importantly, money. If I were him I would use every fibre in my body to walk away with the belt. I never won a championship beyond the International Vale Tudo Championship so I was never in a position to have to try and retain my belt. I was the guy who tried to shatter the myths of others fighters as champions.
People need to understand that guys like GSP are facing the top competition in the world every fight. There is no room for a mistake. It may not look like he’s doing much but trust me, he is.
‘bgoldstein’ asks: At PRIDE 11, you gave Yoshiaki Yatsu one of the most savage beatings I’ve ever seen in my life. Why did PRIDE book a rematch of that fight the next year? Did you feel bad accepting it?
(Barnett has his throat-slash. Roy Nelson has his belly-rub. Lorenz Larkin just stands there and poops in his diaper. Props: Strikeforce)
Tomorrow night, Strikeforce returns to the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington for one of the most compelling ‘Challengers’ events in recent memory. “Fodor vs. Terry” kicks off on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET, and features a pack of exciting prospects. Here’s a quick rundown of the five-fight main card, plus videos of some of their recent performances…
Caros Fodor (10-3) vs. James Terry (10-2)
Fodor is a Washington native who trains under Matt Hume at AMC Pankration. Eight of his ten victories have come by way of submission, but he was able to score his first stoppage-via-strikes in his last fight, battering a worn-out David Douglas until he earned a standing TKO in the third frame. He’s a perfect 3-0 in the Strikeforce organization, and will be looking to move another rung up the lightweight ladder against Cung Le protege James Terry, who has won his last three fights, two by first-round knockout.
Brett Rogers has been publicly M.I.A. since February, and it was starting to worry us a little bit. So it was a relief to see this interview he did with Ariel Helwani yesterday, in which the Grim appears to be in a healthy but reflective state of mind before his match with Josh Barnettthis Saturday. Discussing his two-fight losing streak at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem, Rogers said:
“I was moreso in that mindset of my amateur days, you know, I was kind of like ‘just give me a date and I’ll be there,’ and hope for the best. The proof is in the pudding, I can’t always flow with that mentality. That attitude will get me in a hole.”
(Duffee vs. Overeem at Dynamite!! 2010. Match starts around the 5:15 mark. Props: sidiro55)
Bulky UFC vet Todd Duffee has been a ghost since getting stormed by Alistair Overeem last New Year’s Eve in Saitama. But he finally has his next fight booked, and once again it’ll be in front of a Japanese audience. According to Nightmare of Battle, Duffee will compete on the Dream.17 card against undefeated KOTC standout Nick “Afrozilla” Gaston, who had to have been signed at least partly for his nickname.
(For those of you who were just struck by a weird feeling of deja-vu, let us clarify: Dream.17 is the event coming up on July 16th at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. The Dream event that happened on May 29th was known alternately as “Fight for Japan!” and “Japan GP – 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament,” even though many people, including ourselves, referred to it as Dream.17. Anyway, we’re back to the numbers now, which are always easier to deal with.)
The public service announcement has been part of American culture for decades. Popularized by the perpetually foxy Nancy Reagan in the ’80s, the PSA has taught us everything from not smoking crack to not dumping a pot of boiling oil on your face, and a whole bunch of other not’s. It has also served as a way to punish celebrities and athletes who did something incredibly stupid and got caught.
MMA fighters eventually began to get roped into this as the popularity of the sport rose; some are good, while others should be avoided as much as strangers in pick-up trucks who offer to let you see their puppy. That is why today I present to you the top eight public service announcements featuring MMA fighters. Why? Because knowing is half the battle…
8. Randy Couture VS Crystal Meth
Just say no to drugs! Randy Couture enters the battle against Methamphetamines in this PSA, because when you think crystal meth, think Randy Couture. For a video that is meant to appear sad and claustrophobic, it comes off like an amateur snuff film and loses its impact with the soft-spoken UFC veteran.
Couture has done plenty of these ads, so don’t be surprised if he pops back up on this list. Am I saying he will for sure? No, but if I did, would you stop loving me? I can’t handle any more rejection…oh man, sinking back into that pit of despair. I need some meth. But if I do that, then Randy won’t love me either. Argh, what a vicious cycle! But seriously kids, don’t do drugs. If you feel yourself losing power to your addiction, go punch a hobo instead. It’s much more fulfilling, but don’t take my word for it.
Oh, and I lied. Randy does not appear again on this list. That was the crystal meth talking.
(Legal Disclaimer: Actual Bud Light contest winners will not be nearly as attractive as the people featured in this commercial. Props: officialbudlight)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
- Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to Defend Strikeforce Title Against Luke Rockhold (5thRound)
- UFC 131 Tickets ‘Cannibalized’ by Vancouver Canucks NHL Finals Run and More (MMA Mania)
- Shane Carwin on Dos Santos: I’m Going to Knock Him Out or Tap Him Out and Feel No Remorse For It (LowKick)
You may know Kurt Pellegrino as the wacky-ass UFC fighter who will fart and shake-weight for your amusement, but listening to his new interview for MMA Diehards, it’s clear that his decision to walk away from the sport was something he took very seriously. As he explains, he didn’t want to be away from his new son in the same way that he missed spending time with his daughter due to the demands of training, and retirement has been on his mind since his fight against Rob Emerson back in February 2009. He also claims that he would still be retiring even if he won his last fight against Gleison Tibau. As he says at the 2:44 mark:
Two Saturdays ago at Superior Cage Combat 1 in Las Vegas, lightweight UFC veteran Justin Buchholz became the third person since February to score a front-kick knockout in an MMA fight, which came in the closing minute of his headlining bout against Steve Lopez. In a bizarre and tragic coincidence, Lopez happens to be a member of the Xtreme Couture camp, just like Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort, who previously fell victim to the suddenly-hip technique in the UFC. Damn, those guys have to be spooked right now.
2011: Year of the Front Kick. Don’t try to fight it.
The last event of Bellator’s fourth season went down last night in Lake Charles, Louisiana, featuring the finals of the light-heavyweight and featherweight tournaments. Christian M’Pumbu earned his way to the LHW finals by knocking out Chris Davis and Tim Carpenter, and it was business as usual against co-finalist Richard Hale. M’Pumbu dropped Hale once in the first round, but was unable to finish him with a D’arce choke. The Congolese-French standout didn’t make the same mistake twice; after scoring another knockdown in the third, M’Pumbu threw down leather until the ref was forced to stop the fight, picking up a $100,000 check and the title of Bellator’s first-ever light-heavyweight champion.
In the featherweight final, Patricio Freire edged out Daniel Straus to a unanimous decision, earning a rematch with champion Joe Warren, who he lost a split decision to last June. Full Bellator 45 results are after the jump…
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