YAMMA Chapter VI: A Lesson in Metal.

(Warmup)


Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this latest edition of YAMMA. I took a break last week since I was just absolutely beat from the weekend, but I'm back, I'm well rested, and ready to go. Anyway, last night (Nov. 7) was a great night to be an MMA fan. Fedor vs. Rogers was broadcast for free last night on CBS, and the UFC countered by showing Nogeuira vs. Couture on free for Spike. I, for one, chose to watch Rogers pummel Fedor until the Russian unleashed a furious right hand that connected square on the jaw of Rogers. From my POV, Rogers was out before he hit the ground, regained consciousness when he impacted the ground, then Fedor was on him like Dwight Freeney on an opposing QB. Yes, I am watching the Colts dominate the Texans, and I'll go out on a limb here and say that Bob Sanders's services (sitting on the bench injured) will not be required next season by the Colts.




(The Bullhorn)


So last night I was (as stated before) watching the Strikeforce card on CBS, and there are two things that I remember clearly: Fedor knocking Rogers's block off, and Jason "Mayhem" Miller's entrance. Most fighters chose to not take full advantage of the entrance, using some minimal pyro. But Mayhem went all out, using pyro and backup dancers to herald his entrance into the cage. As I watched this hilarious spectacle, I texted some of my friends to ask them their thoughts on it. The consensus was that Miller was entertaining, and some of the more casual fans mentioned that they were rooting for him solely because he (gasp) entertained them.

There is one aspect of MMA that the fighter's need to work on. Most, if not all, want to entertain the fans. All want to win. But there is more to entertainment than just in the ring. The fighters need to have personalities. A fighter has two choices: Be loved by the fans, and have them tune in to cheer for you as you fight, or be reviled by the fans, and have them watch in order to see you get a whuppin'. Here are some quotes from a very famous boxer. Those of you who were around during his reign will know exactly who said them:

"Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children."

"My main objective is to be professional but to kill him." 

"I could have knocked him out in the third round but I wanted to do it slowly, so he would remember this night for a long time."  

"There are nine million people who see me in the ring and hate my guts... That's okay. Just spell my name right."

If you haven't figured it out by now, the aforementioned boxer was "Iron" Mike Tyson. His record of 50-6-2 is impressive, his in-ring skills were dominating, his personality was legendary, and his name conjured up either love or hate, depending on your view. His most infamous act, biting the ear off of Evander Holyfield, is known everywhere, even today. If you were alive in the world and had the mental capacity to be active, you knew who he was. A master self-promoter, he knew how to get his name into the papers. Tyson played a huge part in bringing boxing to the mainstream, and etched his name into the public consciousness.

In MMA today, there are exactly two fighters that I can name that have even a measure of "Tysonness" (R). One: Jason Miller. He's parlayed his ability to talk into a TV hosting gig on "Bully Beatdown" on MTV, and he's a good fighter to boot. He may not be a champion, bu he still has the personality to be the face of an organization.

My second pick is one that definitely causes more controversy. The current UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar, has the tools to take MMA to the next level. His postfight interview after his pummeling of Frank Mir was the essence of Tyson. In one speech, Lesnar managed to embarrass his vanquished opponent,  insult a major sponsor of the UFC, and, my personal favorite, say he is going to "get on top of my wife tonight". That, ladies and gents, is the stuff of MMA legend. Yes, he was yelled at by Dana White. Yes, the keyboard warriors all made mention of the fact that his behavior was highly unsportsmanlike. Yes, his wife probably made him sleep on the couch for a few weeks. But, for all the negative comments thrown Lesnar's way, he was in the news. The fans may have hated Lesnar's guts, 

 but they knew how to spell his name. And that, readers, is the quintessence of Tyson. 

(Echoes)

 

So Fedor vs. Roger's was last night. A pretty decent card, with the main event definitely taking the FOTN award. I have a couple comments about it though:

1. Why weren't elbows legal on the ground? 

 

I know that they can be brutal, but throwing 'bows a legitmate strategy. If you're going to ban them, why not ban some other brutal moves, such as knees or headkicks?

2. Why did (Strikeforce light heavyweight champion) Gegard Mousasi fight a nontitle bout in his own weight class? 

This one really irked me. A champion should never, ever, ever fight in his own division without the title being at stake. This doesn't apply to Fedor, however, because I don't consider the WAMMA belt a real title.

There is never a three.

Four: Strikeforce cannot afford to have another Miller vs. Shields

While the match was fun for me to see, since I enjoy good ground work, to the average fan the fight was pretty boring. The crowd definitely is going to take a more prominant role in a primetime card, since they will directly influence the TV audience's opinion on what they are watching.

Overall, it was a pretty good free card, and it showed that Strikeforce can handle the pressure of putting on a prime time card. If they can keep from placing all of their hopes on Fedor, than Strikeforce should be just fine. The rumored signing of Dan Henderson should go a long way towards this goal.

 (Closing Thoughts)

So that concludes this latest issue. I'm slowly working my way to double digits in (regular) columns, and hopefully I can keep this streak up. Anyway, same old spiel at the end here, thanks for reading, vote in the poll to the side, tell your friends, follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/Evan_C. Overall I just hoped you enjoyed this one. Feedback is appreciated, so just drop a comment if you have anything to say. Speaking of which, as I always say:

Peace out, and Rock on.

-Evan

 

YAMMA Chapter V: EduMMAcation

(Warmup)

So yeah, UFC 104 was last night. I know everyone is going to be writing a HUGE post on their thoughts of the main event controversy, but I'm never one to stick with trends, so I'm going a different way. That's not to say I won't say some things about the card in general, but I've said my piece on various sites, especially on my Twitter (Cheap Plug: www.twitter.com/Evan_C). In any case, The various visitors to this site surprised me by choosing Shogun to win, by a margin of 65%-35%. Most thought that Shogun would take care of Machida by KO/TKO, while in second was a tie between Machida by KO/TKO and Shogun by submission. That takes care of this poll, now onto the next UFC main event. UFC 105 will feature "The Natural" Randy Couture against Brandon "The Truth" Vera, in a light heavyweight fight. Vote in the poll for who you think will win, and in the issue of YAMMA after UFC 105 I'll post the results.





(The Bullhorn)


During the fury of the storm that surrounded last night's event, I realized an important fact: Most people are still new fans to the sport of MMA, and they don't know some of the most essential aspects of the sport. Sure, most everyone knows how you win, and what the refs do, and the like. But these MMA newcomers need to be educated about the finer points of the art of fighting. Thus I, being the Midwestern gentleman that I am, compiled a list of top (Not sure about the number right now, let's just see how it goes) things any MMA fan should know. For those of you who think you know everything already, skip to the next section, cause it's aimed squarely at you. Anyhoo, onto the list.

Evan's Top 8 Things Any MMA Fan Should Know


1. Condom Depot is a legitimate sponsor.
I know it's funny to see the words "Condom Depot" on a dude's backside, but there are quite a few fighters who are sponsored by the good suppliers of prophylactics (Fancy word for condoms there). So next time you're tempted to laugh loudly at a sports bar and say "lolz that dudez gots condums on his butt!!" Just remember that the rest of the people there will look at you like you're an idiot.

2. Groin shots are indeed illegal, as is poking into any orifice. ANY orifice.
Again, it seems like these should be logical, but you always hear that one idiot say "kick him in the nuts!" You can't kick someone in the groin, because it's against the rules, and if it's intentional the fighter will most likely be deducted a point. Also, you can't stick a finger into a mouth, ear, eyes, nose, or... other... orifices. So again, don't be that guy who thinks he's funny yelling "shove yer thumb up his..." Well, you get the picture.


3. There is never a three.


4. The ground game is a huge part of MMA.
I know that stand up wars are fun to watch. Heck, Bonnar vs. Griffin was a brawl that put the UFC on the mainstream map. But there is no reason to boo just because a fight goes to the ground. Some of my favorite fights have been two fighters displaying fantastic technical skills on the mat (Namely Cerrone vs. Henderson from WEC 43). If you would just give the fight a chance, it will either: A) be stood up, because the fighters aren't doing any work; or B) lead to a fight ending submission; or C) end up back on the feet due to some fantastic defensive wrestling.


5. Wrestling is not two dudes wanting to get "intimate"
This is another one of those, "don't be an idiot", rules. If two fighters are in the clinch, they aren't just "hugging". Any position on the ground is not "ha, they want to get freaky!". And I swear if I hear giggles one more time when the announcer says "he's mounted him!" I will scream. Actually, maybe not, cause that is kinda funny, I'll admit.


6. Fighters have to fight other fighters in their weight class.
While it may be fun to debate who would win, Anderson Silva or Brock Lesnar, the fight would never happen. While it is more of a rookie mistake, it still just draws attention to you as an MMA newcomer, as innocent as a guppy. And thar be sharks in them thar waters.

7. The weight classes, the big name fighters in each, and the champions.
Pretty much self explanatory. Here's a handy guide:
155 lb.- The lightweights, champion- B.J. Penn, notable fighters- Diego Sanchez, Clay Guida, Kenny Florian
170 lb.- The welterweights, champion- Georges St. Pierre, notable fighters- Anthony Johnson, Mike Swick, Martin Kampmann, Jon Fitch
185 lb.- The middleweights, champion- Anderson Silva, notable fighters- Vitor Belfort, Cung Le, Dan Henderson
205 lb.- The light heavyweights, champion- Lyoto Machida (barely), notable fighters- Rashad Evans, Randy Couture, "Shogun" Rua, Forrest Griffin, Gegard Mousasi, Tito Ortiz
265 lb.- The heavyweights, champion- Brock Lesnar, notable fighters- Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Cain Velasquez, Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett

8. The referees/judges are not a part of the UFC organization.
After the fight last night, I heard several people comment, "Dana must have told the judges to score it for Machida". This is totally incorrect, and Dana actually had it for Shogun. But I digress. The judges and referees are actually appointed by the state athletic commissions (In the case of UFC 104, the event was held in California, thus the California State Athletic Commission, or CSAC, appointed the judges). Dana would never use Steve Mazzagatti if he could avoid it, but it's a state thing. Same reason for Big John McCarthy not refereeing. He's not licensed by Nevada, thus he can't referee in Nevada.



So, there we go. The top 8 things any MMA fan should know. Now onto the boys and girls who decided to skip the list, saying "I already know everything! Stupid nubs should already know this stuff!" You, the seasoned MMA fan, are part of the reason the MMA gets a bad reputation. Instead of making fun of the people who may not know as much, why don't you answer their questions patiently, much as a parent answers a child. If you just berate them for being ignorant of some minor detail, you can turn them off from the sport altogether. But, if you guide them, they can grow into an MMA fan we can all be proud of. And you get the satisfaction of watching them grow in the sport.



(Echoes)


So, here's the UFC 104 part. Not gonna be big, but it needs to be discussed nonetheless. My favorite bout of the night was the main event actually, because I love technical displays such as those shown last night. Anthony Johnson had a nice KO on Yoshiyuki Yoshida, but because he came in overweight, he was ineligible for the $60,000 bonus. So a lesson, boys and girls- always make weight, because you pay for it in some way.

The controversy over last nights decision has many people in an uproar, and had Dana White guaranteeing an instant rematch. For those of you not in the know, in the light heavyweight title fight of Machida vs. Shogun Rua (pronounced hoo-ah), many people watching the fight scored either 3 out of the 5 for Shogun, or 4 out of 5 for Shogun. The judges saw differently, and awarded Machida the victory. This lead to many people being angry on the interwebs, and now we get a rematch. I personally think that the rematch is the best option, since I myself had Shogun winning the card. Anyway, that's pretty much it. A decent card, don't know if I would recommend the $60 price tag for it, but still a good watch. Especially since I got to watch my boy Ryan Bader fight for free on SpikeTV just before the event.




(Soundbytes)

1. Dana White guarantees rematch for Rua and Machida
Not much more to say about this, I totally agree with it.

2. Dana White says Henderson wants to be highest paid guy in UFC
In my opinion, Hendo does NOT deserve that high of a salary. He doesn't even have a belt for cripe's sake. Henderson has denied the claims, but still there has to be some truth in it. I suggest that he sign a couple fight deal, try to get the middleweight belt when Silva retires, and then ask for the high priced contract.

3. There is never a three.

There's also no more news. Kinda a slow newsweek in the MMA world.





(Closing Thoughts)


I hope that today's YAMMA was educational for some of you out there. It was fun writing it, since I got to go into my inner "Hulk" and just think about what I get so angry about. I'm kinda written out tonight, so this closer is going to be a short one. Just a quick favor to ask, if you out there could click on the ads on the bottom of the posts one or two times, it would really help me out. They're spyware free, I swear, and it's all MMA related, so you could find some cool stuff on the sites. Anyway, as always, comments are appreciated, vote in the polls, follow my twitter at www.twitter.com/Evan_C, and as I always say,

Peace out, and rock on.
-Evan

YAMMA: UFC 104 Preview

(Warmup)

Ladies and Gentlemen, children of proper age, welcome to this special (for now) edition of YAMMA. I am currently on fall break, and bored as heck, so I decided that I would write a preview of the upcoming UFC event. If I like what happens, I might decide to make this a common feature. Your feedback helps as well, so leave a comment if you like what you see, or hate it and just want to tear my self-worth to shreds. Although you won't get very much out of it, it's already kinda torn up.




(Whispers) 
 

Just in case I get a little bit jumpy and publish a regular YAMMA column, I might as well give this a snappy name that ties in with the whole "Yelling About MMA" gimmick. Which is what YAMMA stands for, in case you didn't know. Anyway, I'll be going through both the undercard and maincard, adding my own secret 11 herbs and spices to each fight, along with betting lines. All betting lines are from Bodog.com. For explanation of how the lines work, click here
The headers go like this:
Fighter A (Line) (MMA record, UFC record) vs. Fighter B (Line) (MMA record, UFC record)
Records are as shown: (Wins-losses-draws, no contests)

UFC 104:

Undercard:


* Middleweight bout: Yushin Okami (-260) (23-4, 7-1 UFC) vs. Chael Sonnen (+200) (23-10, 2-3 UFC)

Yushin Okami has perennially been in the top tier of the middleweight division, and was even in a No. 1 Contenders match against Rich "Ace" Franklin, which he lost via unanimous decision. His record includes an oh-so-rare (disqualification) victory over the current middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, and was actually scheduled for a rematch with the champ until a broken hand forced him to pull out.

On the other hand, Chael Sonnen is a refugee from WEC's abolished middleweight division, his last fight in which was with then-champion Paulo Fihlo, who weighed in several pounds over the weight limit. This inability to make the 185 lb. limit forced the match to be changed to a non-title bout, which Sonnen then dominated for all three rounds, obtaining the W.

I believe that, while Sonnen is considered by many to be the last WEC middleweight champion, he hasn't shown that he can make it in the UFC. Okami has been *this* close to the golden ring, only to be shoved down the mountain time and time again, and he just feels hungrier to me than Chael. But this fight is most likely a do or die situation for Sonnen, who has been cut from the UFC before and is most likely on his way out if he loses yet again. Overall, I think the Okami just has the skills and will take the victory.

Winner: Yushin Okami via Unanimous Decision.


* Middleweight bout: Rob Kimmons (-155)(22-4, 2-1 UFC) vs. Jorge Rivera (+125)(16-7, 3-2 UFC)
 Rob Kimmons might take a few votes in the "Most Awesome Nickname" category, with his moniker being "The Rosedale Reaper". Nicknames aside, Kimmons is a submissions beast, with 14 of his wins coming via submission. At the UFN I attended in Nashville, Tennessee, he earned SOTN by making Joe Vedepo go to sleep with a nice rear naked choke.

Jorge Rivera also possesses a sweet handle, going by "El Conquistador". He also appeared on the very same UFN, earning a close split decision win over Nissen Osterneck.

While this fight may not have a the ramifications the previous fight might have, this classic "submissions vs. striking" bout has the potential to rock the house. Neither man is either a heavy favorite r underdog, but my vote here goes to the 28 year-old Kimmons, who has a nine year advantage over the 37 year old Rivera.

Winner: Kimmons via submission



* Light Heavyweight bout: Razak Al-Hassan (-105)(7-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (-125)(7-2 with 1 NC, 0-1 UFC)
Both men in this fight have lost their respective debuts in the UFC, so it's most likely a must win situation for Al-Hassan and Kingsbury. In his debut, Razak Al-Hassan was the victim of a nasty armbar that dislocated his elbow, and I personally believed at the time that his arm was broken. It was that nasty.

Our other fighter, Kyle Kingsbury, is on a two fight losing streak, and he is definitely in more danger of being cut if he loses. Kingsbury was also a member of TUF during the season of Frank Mir and Minotauro Nogueira, in which he lost his opening match via decision.

Al-Hassan has shown a propensity for BJJ, owning 5 wins via submission, but has never been able to truly stop an opponent with standup. His lone TKO win came via doctor stoppage, so Kingsbury has the advantage on standup with his Muy Thai ability. Overall, Kingsbury is a slight favorite in this fight, but I personally think that Razak takes this to the ground, neutralizes Kingsbury's wrestling game, and sinks in a submission for the W.


Winner: Razak Al-Hassan via submission.




* Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve (+190)(17-3, 1-1 UFC) vs. Chase Gormley (-250)(6-0, 0-0 UFC)

 Chase Gormley is currently on a tear, and is one of the new generation of heavyweights coming up from wrestling. This boy is 6' 3", 270 pounds, and is hungry for competition. Before Affliction folded up, he was slated to fight Ben Rothwell (who is facing contender Cain Velasquez on this same card), which might have determined who was in line to fight Fedor Emelianenko for the WAMMA (World Association of Mixed Martial Arts) Heavyweight title.

Stefan Struve's star does not shine nearly as bright as Gormley's, although his most recent loss to Junior Dos Santos is nothing to be ashamed of. But his next victory over Denis Stojnic (Stoy-nick) means nothing, since Cain Velasquez absolutely destroyed Stojnic in the fight preceding Struve, and Stojnic is no longer in the UFC. 


Gormley will definitely have the wrestling advantage on the ground, but Struve is so tall that he might be able to keep him at bay. For those of you who aren't in the know, Struve's nickname as "The Skyscraper" is well deserved, seeing as he stands at over 6' 11" tall. If Stefan can keep it standing and stuff Gormley's takedowns, he should be able to pull out the victory. However, is Gormley gets Struve on the ground, it'll be all over except for the crying. I'm thinking that's exactly what will happen, so:

Winner: Chase Gormley via TKO





The following fights are on the undercard, but will be broadcast on Spike TV directly before UFC 104, at 9 PM eastern.


* Light Heavyweight bout: Ryan Bader (-450)(9-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Eric Schafer (+300)(11-3-2, 3-2 UFC)

Ah, Ryan Bader. The man who has some of the most awesome walkout music in all of the UFC, a TUF winner, and one of my favorite fighters to boot (he's on the banner, if you haven't looked), Bader is just a beast. I mean, his nickname is "Darth". "Darth" Bader, how much more awesome can you get? The answer is, not much, for those of you playing at home. In his last fight against Carmelo Marerro, Bader suffered an injury which kept him out for several months. 

Eric Schafer is on his second go-around in the UFC, having lost to Michael Bisping and Stephan Bonnar before being cut. He fought his way back in, and owns wins over Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes. Schafer is a humongous underdog in this fight, and the line on this fight is tied for second along with the main event for lopsidedness.

Bader here is widely regarded as the favorite, and this D1 wrestler from Arizona State should be able to neutralize any BJJ that Schafer can come up with, thanks to his training partenr Thales Leites. Schafer should have the advantage on the standup, as Bader has shown that he is not as comfortable on his fight as he is on the ground, so Schafer should try to keep this fight standing. Overall, Bader is most likely going to be unstoppable in this fight, and will show that he deserves a main card spot.


Winner: Ryan Bader via TKO




* Heavyweight bout: Patrick Barry (+110)(4-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Antoni Hardonk (-140)(8-5, 4-3 UFC)

Aspirations are high for Patrick Barry in the UFC. A former K-1 kickboxer, he debuted on the annual year-end card with a TKO victory over Dan Evenson, but his momentum was derailed after a submission loss to Tim Hague. Now, Barry looks to get back on the path to current heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar with a win over the UFC vet Antoni Hardonk.

Hardonk is a longtime UFC fighter, with half of his fights coming in the Octagon. Hardonk most recently suffered defeat at the hands of Cheick Kongo on the UFC 97 card (you know, that one where Anderson Silva had a dance party with Thales Leites).

Both men here are kickboxers, so if you want to see fireworks, this is one where you want to tune in on. Antoni Hardonk has shown that he's not able to defeat the top tier talent, while Barry is still a relative novice to MMA. My belief here is that the oddsmakers are wrong on this one, with Patrick Barry taking it to Hardonk over three rounds.


Winner: Patrick Barry via Unanimous decision.




Main Card


* Welterweight bout: Anthony Johnson (-500)(7-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (+325)(11-3, 2-1 UFC)
While it may seem that Anthony Johnson has a pretty good record on paper, you can't just look at the history books to see what's real. His second loss of his career came against Kevin Burns, who won the fight after an illegal eye poke allowed him to gain the TKO victory. A subsequent rematch against Burns showed who should have truly won that fight, after Johnson KO'd Burns with a vicious head kick. "Rumble" Johnson has shown that he has the skills to be a welterweight contender, and the line shows that everyone else believes so as well. However, Yoshiyuki Yoshida is a rather good fighter as well, with his only loss in his last 11 fights coming from Josh Koscheck.

You don't really need to say much more about this fight. The line has it perfectly in my opinion, and I give very little hope to Yoshida. He *might* survive till a decision is rendered, but probably not. Johnson takes it.


Winner: Anthony "Rumble" Johnson via KO.



* Lightweight bout: Spencer Fisher (+210)(23-4, 8-3 UFC) vs. Joe Stevenson (-270)(30-10, 7-4 UFC)

 Joe "Daddy" Stevenson is a TUF winner, 2 time winner of FOTN, and another contender for the lightweight title. However, he's recently fallen on hard times and really needs to get a win streak going in order to gain momentum. His most recent win over Nate Diaz broke a 2 fight losing streak (with losses to Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian), but he seems to be another gatekeeper for the lightweight division. Spencer Fisher is a longtime UFC veteran as well, with a FOTN honors to his name due to his war with Sam Stout. He's currently riding a 3 fight win streak, and needs to keep his momentum up.

Overall, Stevenson is a better equipped fighter. Fisher has a reputation as a brawler, while Stevenson has more highly refined ground game. If this fight goes to the ground, Joe "Daddy" will win it, hands down. Standing up, it's more up in the air, but Spencer Fisher just doesn't seem to me to have the juice needed to beat Joe. Stevenson wants it more, and will pull it out with a nice submission.

 Winner: Joe "Daddy" Stevenson via submission.


* Lightweight bout: Josh Neer (+105)(25-8-1, 4-5 UFC) vs. Gleison Tibau (-135)(19-6, 5-4 UFC)

 Josh Neer is again one of those people that you need to look past the record in order to see the true story. His last lost against Kurt Pellegrino was a controversial decision, in which Neer expressed frustration in the third round that Pellegrino wasn't trying to do anything. Josh "The Dentist" Neer is
 currently on his third go-round in the UFC, and a loss here might send him packing for the third time.  
Gleison Tibau was originally supposed to face off against former lightweight champ Sean Sherk
 here, but an injury forced him to withdraw, causing Neer to take Sherk's place. Tibau most recently lost to Melvin Guillard at the TUF 9 Finale after defeating Jeremy Stephens and Rich Clementi.

You know how there are those people you just have to root for, because you just feel bad for them? Neer is that way for me. He's been bounced out of the UFC twice already, and the lines are against him here again in this fight. His wrestling might be able to take Tibau's BJJ out of the equation, and his proficiency in Muy Thai will give him an advantage on the feet. I don't really feel strongly about either of these fighters, so I'll just go with the underdog here.


Winner: Josh Neer by unanimous decision.


* Heavyweight bout: Ben Rothwell (+275)(30-6, 0-0 UFC) vs. Cain Velasquez (-350)(6-0, 4-0 UFC)

 This bout could very well determine the next No. 1 Contender for the heavyweight title. Cain was slated to fight current No. 1 Contender Shane Carwin, but circumstances dictated that Brock Lesnar would face Carwin instead. Cain is a massive beast, is yet another D1 wrestler from Arizona State, and is just blossoming on the heavyweight scene after a victory over Cheick Kongo (Kongo again, man this guy is like the Keith Jardine of the heavyweight division. For those of you who just had that joke cruise over your head at 35,000 feet, Keith Jardine is seen as a gatekeeper, one who separates the top level from the rest.)

Ben Rothwell is nothing to sniff at either, with an impressive 30-6 record and his only loss in his last 15 fights coming from Andrei Arlovski, a former UFC heavyweight champ. He was thought to be in the running for a shot at Fedor, but Affliction's folding put an end to that talk.

This will be either FOTN or the worst fight on the card, mark my words. There is potential for a great show of wrestling from both men, but also it could just be a lay-and-pray fest. Either way, the odds are unbelievable for this fight. You might as well put some money on Rothwell, because those are fantastic odds for a fighter of his caliber. That's not to say that I don't think Cain won't win, but you can definitely break even if you play your bets right. Overall, I think Velasquez is just too much of a beast, even though he's shown he needs to work on his submission technique.

Winner: Cain Velasquez via Unanimous Decision



* Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Lyoto Machida (Champion) (-450)(15-0, 7-0 UFC) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (+300)(18-3, 2-1 UFC)

 Finally, after typing all of these out, we reach the the main event. My thoughts when this match was announced went like this: "Wow, why is "Shogun" Rua getting a title shot already? They must have already booked everyone else." But, as I did research on him, I found out that an argument for his title shot can be made. While it may not be as great as an accomplishment as before to defeat Chuck Liddell, it still shows what  "Shogun" can do in the cage. He was highly feared in Pride, and was the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion (Note: In Pride, the middleweight division was held at a weight of 205 lbs.). He has had some issues in the past, like other Pride fighters, adapting to the rule changes of the UFC, but it seemed that all issues had been resolved after his KO of Liddell.

Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida has what few fighters can claim today, a double digit undefeated record. Opponents he has beaten are a laundry list of "who's who" in the UFC, with names such as B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Stephan Bonnar, Soukoudjou, and, most recently for the Light Heavyweight strap, Rashad Evans. His style is highly unorthodox, and even the vaunted Greg Jackson (Evans's coach at Team Jackson) couldn't come up with a game plan to stop him. For a while, I believed that he was a boring fighter, and every time he was described as "highly technical", I would remark, "Yeah, it means he runs away." But his fights against Thiago Silva and Rashad showed just how deadly he can be. He has a black belt in BJJ as well, making him a very well rounded fighter. This fight could determine if it truly is the age of "The Dragon", as many sportswriters has dubbed it.

Overall, Rua is a huge underdog. We know it, Machida knows it, and most importantly, Rua knows it. An article by Derek Bolander (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/10/20/shogun/index.html) had a quote by Rua that stated "I even like being the underdog. This way I feel I have much less pressure and it's the other guy's obligation to beat me. I feel like I have only the obligation to do my best and I have much more to gain than I have to lose". It's obvious that he's able to deal with his moniker as the underdog, and I think that Rua will shock the world at UFC 104. Nobody is untouchable, and "Shogun" will prove that tomorrow night.


Winner: Maricio "Shogun" Rua by KO.

(Closing Thoughts)

Well that's a wrap. It took a while, but it was a nice way to spend an afternoon. It was either this or watch MTV, and we all know that I'd rather kill myself than see if Tila Tequila can find her true love. As always, comments are appreciated, vote in the poll on the side, and you can always follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/Evan_C. Anyway, like I always say

Peace out, and rock on.

-Evan

YAMMA Chapter IV: Make Me a Referee!

(Warmup)

Welcome to this latest edition of YAMMA. If you look around, you might notice some snazzy new changes. A guy on an internet forum that I frequent hooked me up with the sweet new banner, and I owe him. But he does it for free, so I really don't owe him. Anyway, if you want to know how to contact him, leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Thanks again, PIG-E. So, moving on to the main business, today's topic is something near and dear to my heart, which doesn't explain why I'm having so many issues getting this out. I blame the Amazing Race. It is totally distracting me. They are currently in a desert, and have to search for water in order to complete a roadblock. I'm going to stop now, because it probably won't get any better if I don't move on.

(The Bullhorn)

As I'm watching some old fights that I have taped (DVR FTW), I am suddenly jarred by a realization. Most of the attention in a given fight is directed towards the two fighters in the cage, as it should be. But little to no consideration is given to the man who really controls the action: the referee. We all have our favorites (personal: Yves Lavigne), and we know who possesses the ability to properly officiate the fights. And we most certainly know who should never, ever, ehehehehever be in the middle of the action (Here's looking at you person whose name rhymes with... pazzagati. I don't want to name names ya know). The referee is the single most important outside participant in a bout, even higher than the judges. My reasoning is straightforward: A referee has the power to stop a fight at any time, and thus declare a winner. The judges may get a higher percentage of the decisions, but they have to wait until the three rounds (if it's a normal bout, five if a title fight) in order to render the decision. Thus, a referee has much more authority and power in a fight.

I've seen many fights that have been stopped at exactly the right time, but for every one that's been perfect (RE: Lesnar vs. Mir II), there's been one that has been stopped at an improper time. If a fight is stopped too early, it can be extremely disappointing to a fighter. Few things are worse than training for months on end for a fight, one that could be your shot at the big time, only to have a referee take away your chance for glory. But on the other end of the spectrum, if a fight is stopped too late, the consequences could be potentially deadly. One example that clearly stands out in my mind is the Mostapha Al-Turk vs. Cheick Kongo fight from UFC 92, which saw Kongo take the win due to KO. This was the UFC's year end show, one that was supposed to deliver big time. What we witnessed was a man, defenseless and bleeding on the ground being relentlessly pounded by a superior opponent, who had no choice but to continue raining torment until directed to cease by the official. The referee in that fight was extremely incompetent, and Al-Turk was deemed ineligible for six months by the athletic commission. Six months. Half a year, because Steve Mazzagatti (Oops, so much for no names) was, shall we say, asleep at the switch. That, ladies and gentlemen, is an exemplar of what kind of power refereeing has.

A few months back, I started toying with a little notion. I realized that I have no future as a fighter in MMA, it's just too late for me to start. But maybe I could be involved in a different way. I started researching ways to become licensed as an MMA referee, and after a few tedious seconds of googling "how to become an MMA referee", I stumbled across John McCarthy's website, MMAreferee.com. He runs a program with the snappy acronym "C.O.M.M.A.N.D." (Certification of Officials for MMA National Development. A little cumbersome spelled out, but it works, I guess.), and it apparently is in high demand. I read through the literature available, and was astounded at how much John requires in order to pass his program. $500 dollars for the class, have to travel to California, a very limited passing rate for the class, and that's just level one certification. I quote directly from his site the submissions you are required to know: "Americana or Key lock, , Anaconda Choke, Ankle Lock, Ankle Lock from Back Control, Armbar, Arm Triangle, Bar Arm Choke, Bicep Slicer/Lock, Calf Slicer or Calf Lock, Crucifix Neck Crank, Darce Choke, Double Armbar, Double Wrist Lock/ Kimura, Eziquel or Front Choke, Gogoplata, Guillotine Choke, Head & Arm Control Straight Arm Lock, Head & Arm Control Shoulder Lock, Heel Hook, Inverted Heel Hook, Knee Bar, North-South Choke, Omaplata, Peruvian Neck Tie/De Souza, Rear Naked Choke, Reverse Naked or Front Naked Choke, Reverse Triangle Choke, Rolling Knee Bar, Straight Arm Lock, Toe Hold, Triangle Choke, Twister, Von Flue Choke, Windshield Wiper Choke or Head & Arm". Not content to stop there, separate lists exist for the takedowns, submissions, and positions that you are required to know. On top of all of this, level two certification, which is where you are an actual MMA ref, requires much more training, to my dismay. So, for now, I am giving up on my MMA ref dreams.

So, you might think this is just a sob story about how my dreams were shattered, and now I am a broken mess, stuffing myself with Rocky Road ice cream. Well, here's a newsflash: I don't even like Rocky Road. So there. But my main purpose here is to illustrate what changes need to be made to officiating at events. The above mentioned certification is not necessary in order to be licensed. A disclaimer on the website mentions that you may not receive a license even if you pass the course with flying colors. My question is, why isn't this necessary? Why wouldn't we want the people who fighters trust with their lives to have the absolute best training, in order to safeguard those that we cheer on? When we have instances where a fighter specifically requests that he not be assigned a referee, as was the case when Lesnar refused to have Mazzagatti officiating his rematch with Frank Mir, we need to stop and think about how we choose our refs. Referees need to possess the absolute best in training and, perhaps most importantly, impartiality.

(Soundbytes)

1. Kimbo may again be a contestant on this season's TUF

The hype train needs to stop for Kimbo. If he's coming back, fine, tell us. But don't feed us a bull line about how this could possibly be Kimbo's time to shine yet again. You desensitize us by shoving it down our throat every single week. I can honestly say I don't care if he comes back or not, but he'll always find a way for camera time, since he's such a ratings hog.

2. 2009 World MMA Awards voting begins

This is probably the premier awards for the MMA world, and Fighters Only magazine has done a great job promoting it as such. Check it out at www.worldmmaawards.com.

2.9. I got nothin. But I wanted to put the number up, to remind you that there is never a three.

(Closing Thoughts)

No Echoes section this week, I've been extremely busy with school and the like, so I haven't had the chance to watch any fights. UFC 104 is next Saturday, and I may be driving up north to visit one of my buddies that I haven't seen in a bit. Should be a good card, with my boy Ryan Bader (Who wins the award for most awesome entrance music) on the card. His fight with Eric Schafer is going to be broadcast free on Spike at 9 PM Eastern, so no matter what I get to see Darth Bader throw it down. I don't really have much more to say, so I'll close it up with another plug for my twitter account, (www.twitter.com/Evan_C), and that I hope to see you next week. Oh yeah, quick note: Thanks to the No Holds Barred show and Silver Star for hooking me up with some free goodies, everyone should seriously check them out at thenhbshow.com. Anyway, if you have any questions or concerns, comment below, and feedback is always appreciated. In finis,as I always say:

Peace out, and rock on.

-Evan

YAMMA Chapter III: Unbreakable.

(Warmup)

Welcome to this week's (month's? year's?) edition of YAMMA, hosted by me, Evan. I was laying off on the columns, because frankly school is taking up most of my free time. All I have to say is, economics is absolutely terrible. Prounounced teh-ree-blay. That's Spanish for you. Anyhoo, I was inspired to write this after watching the masterpiece of a main event that WEC put on last night, so I hope you all enjoy.

(The Bullhorn)

Last night, we witnessed something incredible. Donald Cerrone (Seh-roe-nee) faced off against Benson Henderson (Hen-du....Ok, maybe you don't need that one.) for WEC's interim lightweight strap. For those of you not in the know, the back story is that Cerrone and the current champ, Jamie Varner, have fought over the belt before, with Varner getting the W via split decision. This set off a chain of events that saw Varner successfully defend the strap against one Marcus Hicks, while Cerrone choked out James Krause for his own win. A rematch was set in place, on the WEC 43 card. Obviously that didn't happen, due to a broken hand suffered by Varner. An interim title belt was created, and Benson Henderson was given the nod for the other participant against Cerrone.

As the opening round started, Benson (Who came out to Kirk Franklin's "He Reigns") was caught in a deep guillotine choke by Cerrone. I was certain that he would tap here, but amazingly he powered through. Next, Cerrone transitioned to a triangle choke, and I was again sure that there was no way that Henderson could hold on. But, again he did. Time after time, Cerrone threw up submission after submission, using beautiful transitions and textbook jiujitsu. But Henderson would not quit. In fact, I was quite sure that I saw his shoulder pop out during an armbar. It was beautiful to watch these two work, and for those of you who follow my Twitter (Cheap plug: www.twitter.com/Evan_C), you know how entranced I was by this work of art. It was without a doubt the best fight I've seen in a while, and the valiant struggle between these two had the crowd following their every move, not caring who was winning, but just enthralled by the men in the cage giving it their all. Finally, in a close decision, Benson Henderson won the title by a score of 48-47 from all three judges. The determination that he showed in holding on, not giving in to a little pain, and never giving up is a valuable lesson that we all can learn from.

But, let us speculate for a moment. I just rained adulation upon these two fighters, but what if it happened differently? What if, caught in a deep submission hold, Benson just couldn't hold on any longer? Sure, the belt would go to Cerrone. Sure, we would still say awesome fight. But would we really think the same about the entire match if Ben tapped out? He came into this match an underdog. Everyone was ready for the rematch between Varner and Cerrone. Nobody would have faulted him for giving up. Would people really be saying, "Fight of the Year" if it hadn't gone all five rounds, with neither man giving an inch?

In sports, we want a struggle. We want our heroes to never fail. But the reality is, even Superman died. We all falter, we all stumble. In that fight, Henderson faltered. His inability to avoid submissions nearly cost him time and time again. But, because he was able to hold on, he came out on top in the end. And isn't that what a true hero is? To bend, but not break is the mark of a true exemplar of heroism. And that, my friends, is why we shower accolades upon this fight. Because it is a reflection of the best of human nature, the element that we all aspire to be. For that, I salute you Benson Henderson.

(Soundbytes)

1. Junie Browning arrested for assault, released from UFC contract.

I feel pity for Junie. Not many people will, but it is obvious that he is still struggling with the demons inside of him, and I can only hope that he receives help before he does something that hurts himself or the people around him.

2. Forrest Griffin will face Tito Ortiz at UFC 106

I am so stoked for this card, you can't even believe it. Not only will my man Brock Lesnar face off against Shane Carwin, I get to see the return of Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest? That right there is pure excellence. Anyway, Forrest needs a strong showing here. Three straight losses will not look good for him, especially after his embarrassment vs. Anderson Silva.

2.9. Herschel Walker signs with Strikeforce.

Feed this guy to Bobby Lashley, let Lashley get the rub from beating the football great, then cut him. There is no room in MMA for a 47 year old rookie. Maybe next Strikeforce can sign the quadruple amputee and have him fight Hong Man Choi.

(Echoes)

This is the newest section, where I throw in a quick blurb about the cards that I've watched, and what fights you need to see in order to believe.

First off, WEC 43. If you didn't watch it live (shame on you), go look for a replay of it. Now. It had fantastic action, and a spectacular main event. The triangle hold on Wagnney Fabiano was also a thing of beauty. This card seriously had something for everyone, from the casual fan looking to see a standup war to those of us who love a good ground battle.

Secondly, for those of you without the benefit of HDNet, they have a show airing on Friday nights called InsideMMA. They showed a fight from MFC 22: Payoff featuring Mike Nickels and David Heath. If you want to see two guys throwing bombs at each other, and neither one of them blinking, you need to watch this fight. As I saw it, my jaw was on the floor as Heath took roughly nine blows consecutively. And then he smiled at Nickels. Absolutely nuts.

There is never a three.

Fourthly, FOTW was most definitely Donald Cerrone vs. Benson Henderson. I've already spoken about this in volumes, so if you haven't seen it, go check it out. Now. I'm serious.

(Closing Thoughts)

So today's topic felt more natural, more flowing for me to write. Like others that I know who write columns have said, the more you write, the more ideas you get. That's starting to take place with me, it's only a matter of getting the motivation to put the fingers to the keyboard and bring out what I'm thinking. As always, comments below are appreciated, and you can always keep up on the latest in my life and other news by following my twitter at www.twitter.com/Evan_C. According to a twitter stats website, I'm supposed to have 368 followers by this time next month. So it's up to you all to get me there, and prove that math works! Until next time:

Peace out, and rock on.

-Evan

YAMMA Chapter II: Competition

(Warmup)

Welcome back to the second edition of Yelling About MMA. A lot has happened in the two odd weeks since I've posted, but that'll be discussed in the Soundbytes section later. Today's topic is not what I originally planned to do, but the original just wasn't turning out the way I wanted it to, so I'll save it for another day. Anyway, I'm your host, Evan, and this is Yelling About MMA.

(The Bullhorn)

The old adage goes, "Competition breeds excellence". Time and time again, this has been proven by the giants of industry, and the very notion of competition is ingrained into the American psyche. In fact, we actually have laws that ensure that one company does not control all of one single industry, and these regulations date all the way back to Teddy Roosevelt. When you think of computers, it used to be that you thought of Windows, with a small smattering of people using Linux or some other platform. Now, a growing portion of people are accessing the web on Macs, and even their Iphones. Without competition, we most likely would have never had that wondrous device that allows us to Google "101 Ways to Kill Miley Cyrus" while we wait for whatever is it we are waiting for. But is competition good for all of business? Sure, it may be good for the consumer, as competition usually forces companies to make their product cheaper and better. But it must be a certain type of competition, specifically, good competition. Looking at the aforementioned Windows/Mac example, Apple has created an excellent product that people wish to use, forcing Microsoft to become creative again.

Now to bring this all home to you, an MMA fan. For the past several years, the UFC has been the dominant force in MMA. Sure, they have had adversaries in Affliction and EliteXC, but the two companies were laughably run, even if they put on entertaining card. Affliction, with its affinity for putting on excellent cards with an extremely heavy price tag, and EliteXC with its horrible decision to rely on Kimbo Slice, were bad competition for the UFC. They did nothing but hurt the sport by keeping good fighters from the big show. Sure, there were those who needed to prove themselves worthy, but then there were others who were not in the top organization for seemingly petty reasons (here's looking at you Fedor). In the end, those two companies flopped, and now a new contender has risen to the challenge. Strikeforce had a solid business plan, using lesser-known fighters to anchor entertaining cards, all without the pricetag. But with the signing of Fedor Emelianenko, this solid business plan has gone down the tubes. Sure Scott Coker and co. get the rub from the name of Fedor among the hardcore fans such as myself, but to the casual fan, Fedor is still an unknown compared to the Brock Lesnars and Anderson Silvas of the world.

In all sports leagues, there is one dominant force ,whether it be the NFL, MLB, or NBA. The good thing about this monopoly is that we get to see all those we wish to see, in one convenient place. In MMA, we nearly have this scenario, and thanks to the marketing genius of Dana White, we, the fans, get to see who we want to see, with some notable exceptions. Not all top level fighters are in the same place, and thus we get to see Fedor, who some say is the top Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world, fight against old veterans who may or may not be past their prime. But, never fear, I have a solution to this problem. If the UFC were to aquire Strikeforce as a sort of minor league, they could absorb the top fighters, while still cultivating the next crop of fighters. This would give us, the fans, what we want, and we would avoid the horrible fate that has befallen boxing, what with the multiple champions that no one even cares about any more. Like a quote I found today says, "competition creates a better product, alliances create better companies." The UFC already has a fantastic company, and competition does nothing but prevent fans from enjoying the highest caliber fights that we can. It's time for Strikeforce to be folded into the Zuffa empire, and help create an even better company for years to come.

(Soundbytes)

1. Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg airs tomorrow at

Here's the deal. If Carano loses, will anybody really care about WMMA (Women's MMA) any more? She is the shining face of the women's division, and the only viable spokesperson for it. This is really make or break for WMMA, and hopefully it won't break.

2. UFC 101: What the heck?

The title pretty much says it all. I don't know if it was the Philly air, but the card was weird all not long, apparently from the unaired undercard to the main card bouts. It was unfortunately one of the worst cards I'd seen in a while, save for Silva showing us who's boss again, and BJ showing why he should stay at 155.

2.9. Miguel Torres KO'd at WEC 42.

So much for your pound for pound rankings, eh?

(Closing Thoughts)

Well, this wraps up my second edition. I guess since this is finally out, it means that I haven't just abandoned this after one post. I'll be doing some different things in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. Again, you can check out my twitter at http://twitter.com/Evan_C

Peace out, and rock on.

-Evan

YAMMA: Chapter One.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Yelling About MMA. While I've done columns before, it's been a couple years since I've done so, and am thus a bit rusty. Let me tell you a little bit about myself to begin. While I'm not going to go into in-depth details about my personal life, I think a few anecdotes could be helpful to those reading. My name is Evan, and first off, I'm one of the newer fans to MMA. While I'm not one of those brought in by the recent video game UFC Undisputed, I haven't been around since the blood feud of Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock. I clearly remember my first UFC pay per view, UFC 84, which featured a vicious knockout of Keith Jardine by the Axe Murderer Wanderlei Silva, as well as a title fight between lightweights BJ Penn and Sean Sherk. I didn't know the backstory of how Sherk had been suspended for steroid use, which he vehemently denied, I didn't know about the freakish flexibility of Penn, I didn't know anything, other than a brief explanation of the rules by my friend Cory. I wasn't even there for the first couple of fights, I walked in just as Jardine had his jaw broken by a brutal display of force from Silva. From that moment on, I was hooked. When the main event finally rolled around, I wanted to know more and more about this "UFC thing". From that time on, till present day, I've missed few fight cards, been to a live event myself, and branched out to the other organizations. I even partook in a few Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kickboxing classes, though a lack of time quickly put an end to that. Now, I decided that it was time for me to get my voice out there among the millions of others. But I aim to distinguish myself from all the other idiots out there (I'm looking at you Perez) with my particular brand of wit, intellect, and pure unadulterated love for combat sports.

In any case, enough about me. Time to get down to the real stuff.

(Soundbytes)

This is the section where I breakdown the news from around the world of combat sports, from the ridiculous to the reheaheaheallly ridiculous.

1: Fedor announced today that he's the headliner for EA Sports MMA.

An old song once said that you don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with Dana White. Well, maybe not the last part, but it still rings true. Dana has specifically stated that anyone in the game would be barred from the UFC. While former heavyweight champion Minotauro Nogueira is featured in the game, his is a special case since it was a part of his contract negotiations with the UFC that he be allowed into the game. But Fedor seems to want to make Dana look like an idiot, which does not bode well for for the contract negotiations.

2: Nick Diaz will face Jay Hieron for the Strikeforce welterweight title.

After Joe Riggs was forced to pull from the fight for a yet-to-be-disclosed reason, we now learn that Jay Hieron will be fighting for the title. I haven't seen much of Jay "The Thoroughbred", but his 17-4 record with six coming by knockout and five coming by submission speaks for itself. Diaz is no pushover either, possessing a 20-7, 1 NC record, and a BJJ black belt from Cesar Gracie. I nany case, Strikeforce has another good bout on its hands for its "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" fight on August 15.

3: There is never a three.

4: CNBC premieres its second documentary about the UFC tonight.

Tonight at 10 pm ET, CNBC's special on the UFC "Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars" premieres tonight. Check it out.

(Closing Thoughts)

If you haven't already, you can check out my twitter at http://twitter.com/Evan_C

I'll be tweeting the UFC press conference on Friday real-time, and I'll post everything on here when it's all said and done.

Peace out, and rock on.

-Evan