Having spent the past few weeks travelling in and out of the country, I’m finally stationed in my hometown. While I’m just days away from the next flight, I thought it would be prudent to sit down and answer some questions from those who were kind enough to send them my way. Without further ado, let’s get right to it.
@StrengthcoachAl asked: “With Hector Lombard dropping to 170, can you see a title shot in 2014? He looks dangerous at that weight.”
I saw this question coming a mile away. You aren’t the only one who asked either. Let’s be honest for one moment here. Hector is a bad man with serious knockout power, but he’s only won one fight at welterweight. If he was the No. two guy at middleweight, came down and destroyed a top contender, yes, title shot, now. But the UFC has him on a plan and he successfully completed step one. He defeated a guy just outside the top 10. Next up, hopefully is a top10 guy. If he wins, then they move him on to the next step. Mind you, if he destroys someone in the top 10 I could see him getting fast tracked to a title shot.
@UFCFaceSwap asked: “Will a win over Ryan Jimmo get Jimi Manuwa some respect and finally enter the top 10 light-heavyweight rankings?”
Not in my books. To enter the top 10, you have to beat someone in the top 10. There are undefeated fighters out there with records of 15-0, 28-0, etc., who have never competed against anyone near the top 20. Being undefeated, or having a strong record doesn’t mean you should be in the top 10. Beat someone who is ranked and take their position. Jimmo isn’t in the top 10, so defeating him shouldn’t get Manuwa there. Jimi is on the right path, but he has to beat someone ranked, before he can get ranked.
@Skip2MyJays asked: “Are MMA fans too susceptible to the short term memory effect? For example calling Diego Sanchez vs. Gilbert Melendez the best fight ever and UFC 166 the best event ever?”
The vast majority of MMA fans, fighters, managers, promoters, media, etc., are susceptible to short term memory. Their recollection of the past is clouded by current events and anything over a month or two old, gets lost in the shuffle. Far too many pundits have no appreciation for a fighter’s body of work, an organization’s track record, or ever actually sitting down, and putting together a true, detailed list of what are the best of anything MMA related. Just look at some MMA rankings. The body of work of Fighter A is forgotten because he hasn’t competed in nine months, while Fighter B has competed three times in that exact span. Fighter A has defeated a who’s who in MMA, while Fighter B, is on a three-fight win streak against guys who aren’t even ranked — yet Fighter B should replace Fighter A in the rankings… but I digress.
Short term memory in MMA is sometimes fuelled by emotion and UFC 166 was MMA’s version of a super strong stimulant whose high would not go away. It had eight finishes, the final chapter of a great trilogy and fight that could go down as one of the greatest ever. Was Melendez vs. Sanchez the greatest? Being there myself, and watching it unfold twenty feet in front of me, I have to say yes, but I wasn’t there for Shogun vs. Henderson. I was there for Jones vs. Gustafsson and was more thrilled with the lightweights. Bones pulled off a great comeback, while Gustafsson nearly pulled off the upset. Melendez fought an Hispanic Zombie who would not go away and in the third, nearly pulled off one of the most amazing comebacks in UFC history. People that said Diego had no shot must have been grabbing a drink as Melendez was knocked to the canvas, nearly unconscious. That’s sheer excitement to me and I don’t believe it has anything to do with short term memory. Mind you, there are those who hated that fight — and that’s fine by me as well. Cast your opinion, but if someone tells me that fight was boring, well… there’s no point in even putting forth a rebuttal.
@RB_Nick_ asked: “Update on TJ Grant? Who will Gilbert Melendez fight next? Who will be the first fight for Daniel Cormier at 205?”
Unfortunately, I haven’t heard much from TJ since UFC 165 in Toronto. As for Gil, well, how about Grant? And finally for Cormier, like Dana said at the UFC 166 post-fight press conference and my agreement on this week’s UFC Central, hopefully it’s Alexander Gustafsson, in March/April at the UFC’s show in Sweden.
@MikeHutchMMA asked: “Should MMA have corners throw in the towel more frequently, or should stopping fights be left to the ref and doctor?”
I whole heartedly agree that MMA corners should throw in the towel, but the variables that go into making that decision are ego driven. You have to wonder if coaches put too much stock in their fighters or perhaps if they do throw the towel, somehow, their own coaching skills will be graded as a colossal failure. Perhaps the embarrassment is shared by both the fighter and coach, so the towel is never truly an option for them to even consider using to stop a fight. Truth be told, that’s the ref’s job. If the ref fails, then the doctor can step in. If the doctor lets a fight go, the corner has to seriously consider the best option for their fighter. But when it reaches this level, I believe there is a bigger problem at hand.
Fighters take far too much damage as is. We do not see the accumulation of years of punishment they absorb from not just fighting inside the cage, but the preparation during their training camps. I’m going to put forth some EXTREMELY basic math here, but let’s say a fighter spars four times a week. He does so over a 10-week camp. That’s 40 sessions of potentially punishing strikes to their head. On the 41st session, they kick it up to high gear and step into the Octagon. The average fan only sees that 41st time, but that is less than 1 per cent of “damage” that the public gets to see that fighter take. And when it’s bad, guess what: it’s really bad. Now multiply these numbers over a 20-fight career. Then let’s talk to these prize fighters, who are there for our entertainment, 20, 30 or 40 years from now. Yes, the same ones that many fans boo relentlessly while they are drinking their beers somewhere in arena near you.
Should towels be thrown in more frequently? Yes. But they won’t. It’s just not part of the unwritten code.
@Joepratap asked: “Is it likely to see a brand like WSOF or Bellator be purchased and shut down by Zuffa any time soon. I enjoy WSOF myself.”
As per Dana’s comments on topics of this nature, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. History generally has taught us that when Zuffa does this, it is usually to buy out fighter contracts and/or because a promotion has depth and wealth on their roster, with a great fight library that can be used by the organization to promote any of the fighters that can be added to the existing roster.
Here’s a few from my Facebook page.
The MMA Bulletin asked: “How do you think some of contestants will react to Chael Sonnen as head coach for TUF Brazil 3? Which fight was Dana White referring to as one of the “scariest” knockouts he has ever seen during the post-fight scrum at UFC 166? Where do you rank Melendez/Sanchez among the greatest fights in history?”
We’ll start off with Chael. Based on my research, many Brazilians are telling me that the fighters and fans in Brazil are over Chael and finally realized that he was “selling fights” and not purposely insulting them, their country and their culture. But, that’s not all of them. Some still take Chael at his word and want to hurt the American Gangster. Now imagine some of them must now be coached by him? It’s either going to be a Team Sonnen full of Brazilians, some of which despise him, or it will be a squad comprised of Americans, whereby the show is a USA vs. Brazil themed product.
As for the fight Dana was referring to, it was one that took place on the current season being recorded between Team Edgar v.s Team Penn. Nobody knows who the combatants were, but Dana did say it was another example of a referee simply not doing his job.
And regarding my ranking of Melendez vs. Sanchez – it’s definitely up there. Right now, it feels like it’s my top dog, mainly because I was there in person. I’ve never been at an event or at a fight, where some in the media, stood up, and gave a standing ovation. Not many folks realize how big that truly is, but its significance will go unnoticed by most.
I do have others though, that stick out, namely because of the emotional label I have attached to them. Every few years or so, I will connect with my Dad and we will watch fights at my place, or at his overseas, in the south of Italy. Watching an old school, Rocky Balbao type guy lose his mind during MMA fights is heartwarming to me. His reactions during the Royce Gracie vs. Dan Severn bout from UFC 4 and the first time Anderson Silva fought Chael Sonnen were moments I will never forget. Let’s just say, passion personified. Now, I cannot wait to sit down with him, and see his reactions to Melendez vs. Sanchez.
Andrew Pizzola asked: “After Junior dos Santos’s second loss in a row against Cain Velasquez, what are the chances that the two of them have a fourth fight if dos Santos and Velasquez continue to win all their fights?”
The chances are very slim right now, as Cain pretty much put a stamp on the trilogy. But, like you said, if they keep winning, especially in a division (similar to the flyweights) that does not have the depth like most of the rest, I will not be surprised if we see a fourth meeting between these two monsters.
Andrew also asked: “After Gilbert Melendez’s win over Diego Sanchez, is he next in line for a title fight against Anthony “Showtime” Pettis assuming he beats Josh Thomson? Or will Melendez fight previous No. 1 contender TJ Grant for the new No. 1 spot? Or will Jose Aldo move up in weight considering Pettis called him out?”
Your question is basically what many of us refer to as “the stars aligning.” When people consistently asked me “When will GSP fight Anderson,” I would give them the stars aligning analogy, and they would balk. Well, guess what? Those stars never aligned. Now, with that being said, Gilbert is deserving of a title shot. So is TJ Grant. But should one get it over the other? Gilbert already had his crack, and lost – but the problem is, many believed he actually won, hence “the uncrowned champ” label he is riding with. TJ has yet to compete for the belt, so he should he not get it first? But, TJ is out until January. Gilbert is out until November. Should they fight one another to now define a clear number one? Did I mention that the stars need to align for certain things to happen?
As for Aldo, I don’t see him moving weight anytime soon. Pettis is already booked vs. Thomson so Jose will focus on his division. There’s Ricardo Lamas and Chad Mendes knocking on the door. He can’t sneak out the back. He has to answer them first.
Marshall Schey asked: “Dana White admitted he was unsure himself about rules involving throwing in the towel to stop a fight. Are there clearly defined rules in MMA about throwing in the towel? Especially following the recent main event in the UFC.”
There are no clear rules on a corner throwing in the towel. It’s subjective, and up to each individual corner.
Mark Atherton asked: “A UFC event in the Maritimes?”
My fingers are crossed for 2014. Once I know, I’ll let you all know as well. And as you know Mark, I can be greedy. I like my lobster. I want my lobster. And I want it on Canada’s East Coast. Let’s do this UFC Canada!
Antonio Carvalho asked: “Showdown Joe action figure coming soon? I’d buy one!”
You’d likely be the only one. I’d buy a few as well and place them in different parts of the house to simply drive my wife insane. Heck, I’d crazy glue one to the dash of her car. But the real question is would it be an action figure with movable arms and legs, or just a stationary one? Or would it be a bobble head?
Garrett Christian asked: “What kind of precedent was set with Lombard’s win at 170, given that the UFC forced Hector to drop?”
Based on my research, Hector wasn’t forced to drop, but presented with reasons why it would be a good idea. He took those ideas and agreed. The fruits of his labour and the UFC’s suggestion paid off. It should also be noted this isn’t the first time it’s happened in MMA. When I was an executive with TKO in Montreal, some guy with a 2-0 record was scheduled to fight Yan Pellerin in September 2003. I was told to pay close attention. I watched this guy dismantle his opponent, but felt he was in the wrong weight class. I asked him flat out, if he could make 185 pounds, as he looked like a guy who could benefit from the lighter frame while not losing his explosive power.
His name was Patrick Cote, and he went on to one day fight for the UFC’s middleweight title. But I wasn’t 100 per cent right. He’s now dropped down to 170 pounds and will be coaching the first season of TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia. So good for him.