It seems in the UFC headlines there is neverending talk of TRT. That and marijuana.
So Nate Diaz makes a derogatory comment about Bryan Caraway, putting the Diaz brothers back in the headlines. He and Nick continue on their efforts to make marijuana legal in MMA.
Look, whether it’s a PED or not, the fact is it’s illegal. I agree with Caraway. If you smoke weed before your fight, you have to be willing to deal with the consequences. In Pat Healy’s case, it was a loss of a substantial amount of money. But that’s the way it is.
As for the ongoing saga of TRT, there may be people who by doctor’s orders are legally allowed to do it as long as they’re within legal limit. But I feel it’s an unfair advantage. These guys can manipulate doctors, get them as friends, and get testosterone prescribed when they don’t necessarily need it and still be in the allowable range. It’s a big advantage in the off-season and during training camps if they take testosterone and then make the needed adjustments come fight time.
It’s unfortunate because there are people out there who really do need TRT. It’s been on the record that Dan Henderson has been taking it, and for guys like him in their 40s, it’s a legitimate case. But guys in their 20s and early 30s, I find it hard time to believe they need to be on TRT.
The UFC will have to crack down on it. There can’t be any grey area. Of course, I’m talking directly about Vitor Belfort. A few years ago, he seemed to be on the way out, with his career on the downside. All of a sudden, he admits to taking TRT and he’s a new fighter. He’s completely different than he was two years ago, and you can’t make a valid argument that TRT is not a huge part of it.
I respect what Luke Rockhold said. The TRT didn’t allow Vitor to land that kick at that moment in time — it was a beautiful kick, and a great KO — but for sure there will always be a constant cloud of controversy. Every win by Belfort will be tainted by that. Did it help him train an extra six hours over the course of the training camp? Was he able to train that particular kick a extra few hours because he had that unfair advantage? That’s the real argument. It doesn’t make the difference in that moment in time, but it does in training. That’s why people take steroids. They can train longer, harder and recover faster. The commissions just need to make it clear. It’s all or nothing. It’s either legal or illegal.
The other big news is that Renan Barao is hurt and so the UFC event in Winnipeg has a new main event in Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson. Now that is a fight that people will pay to see. It’s much better than the Barao vs. Urijah Faber headliner in Calgary last year.
Unfortunately it’s not a title fight, but that’s the nature of the sport now. There are so many cards, they couldn’t possibly have every one set up with a title fight. I think the event itself is kind of a token one for Canada. They realize Canada has a big market, and are sprinkling some UFCs throughout Canada to keep fans happy. Winnipeg is a city that doesn’t have many MMA organizations to speak of with regular shows.
The city doesn’t have a huge MMA community, but the UFC felt they should bring an event there. I think they should come to a city like Edmonton, which has tons of MMA gyms and tons of promotions, and is in close proximity to other major towns. Winnipeg is kind of isolated. It just doesn’t make much sense to me to bring a UFC there. What about Calgary and bringing the show you promised? I would like to see Dana stand behind his promise to make up for last year’s show (and I’m not just saying that because it’s closer to home for me!)
Now on to my UFC 160 picks…
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva
This is a tough one for me, they’re two guys I kind of always bet against, but they always seem to win. Silva absolutely destroyed the last two people he fought. Cain beat dos Santos last time, but it was fairly lacklustre. I’ll go back to my belief that size does matter when you’re talking about guys with fairly equal skill levels. Silva is so much bigger, and has so much strength behind his punches, so I’m going to go with Silva by TKO.
Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt
I’m just not a believer that JDS will stand up and trade with Mark Hunt. I think JDS will take the fight to the ground and outwork him there. Everything in Hunt’s world revolves around him not getting taken down and knocking his opponent out. I’m going with dos Santos by decision, even if it will be against everything he would do in training camp, which is prepare for a war against a guy who fought in K-1 for years.
Glover Teixeira vs. James Te-Huna
I think there’s no contest here. Teixeira is the next up and comer. I don’t think Te-Huna has any way to match him. I think Teixeira beats Te-Huna in every area.
T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard
I’m excited for this fight. My buddy, a fellow Maritimer, Grant has a good chance but he’s got tough challenge in former No. 1 contender Maynard. One thing I know is T.J. is always well prepared. He brings in guys to emulate his opponent perfectly. He and Scott MacLean are smart about training camp. I think he will be well prepared for Maynard’s hard hitting and takedown attempts. I’m going with Grant. I think it will be an upset in some people’s minds but I think he gets this one, by decision.
Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons
Everybody knows I’m a Cerrone fan. I’m not a Noons fan, I don’t think he’s nearly as good as he thinks he is. I’m going with Cerrone, I think he will out-kickbox him.
Bonus pick: Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story
I’m going to go with Pyle. How can you pick against this guy? Definitely a case of old age and treachery being on his side.