Video: Big John talks Tito fence grab and more UFC 73
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July 10th, 2007
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Why isn’t he in the UFC? 260lbs: Ben Rothwell
A lot of fighters have benefited from the exposure they have received in the IFL, but none have more than "Big" Ben Rothwell.
As a member of Pat Militech's Quad City Silverbacks, Ben has yet to be defeated, going 7-0 in IFL play. Add in his previous contests, and the big man has won his last 11 contests.
At 25-5, Rothwell is no stranger to winning, but early in his career it seemed like every time Rothwell fought a quality opponent, he lost. Even though he has only five losses, they have all come against higher quality opponents like Mike Whitehead, Carlos Berrato, Ibragim Magomedov, Dan Christinson and current teammate, Tim Sylvia.
Since he started his run in the IFL, Ben has defeated talent such as, Krzysztof Soszynski and Devin Cole. So has Big Ben turned the page on his career? It's hard to make that proclamation without seeing him fight better talent. That is where the UFC could come in.
The UFC has a much greater, maybe too great, talent pool in the heavyweight division than the IFL. If Rothwell continues to fight in the IFL, he'll need to find a way to fight a higher level of talent, and, outside of a super fight with the now light heavyweight Matt Whitehead or a rematch with Dan Christionson, it appears as if the big man will continue to fight fighters with half of his resume.
So will Rothwell go to the UFC? I doubt he will anytime soon. Rothwell has yet to truly prove himself and while the UFC would most likely be willing to offer the heavyweight a contract, it would not be as lucrative as what the IFL can offer. Even if the UFC offers the same or more money, being a star in the IFL or being just another heavyweight that probably won't be championship material in the UFC isn't a hard decision.
If you are interested in trading links or just want to contact me feel free to throw me a line: ufcfightblog@yahoo.com
Written by admin on July 10th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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UFC 76: Jon Fitch vs. Diego Sanchez being discussed
UFC welterweight Jon Fitch (14-2) has been contacted about the possibility of fighting Diego Sanchez (17-1) at UFC 76 on September 22 in Anaheim, Calif., according to the Ft. Wayne, Indiana, native.
UFCmania finally tracked Fitch down yesterday afternoon after learning that his cell phone is broken — apologies for the delay. Numerous readers sent me emails and left posts trying to determine if the bout was indeed legit after news of the match up emerged late last week.
“There’s nothing on paper yet, we’re just in early discussions,” said Fitch. “I won’t know for sure until I receive a bout agreement. However, I’m hoping this fight happens.
“I think it will,” he added.
Fitch is fresh off a submission win over Roan Carneiro at UFC Fight Night 10 in June, extending his unbeaten streak inside the Octagon to six. The former Purdue University wrestling captain is also riding a 13-fight win streak.
In fact, he hasn’t dropped a bout since 2002.
Sanchez, on the other hand, will look to rebound from his first career loss to Fitch’s training partner at the American Kickboxing Academy, Josh Koscheck, at UFC 69 in April. The season one middleweight winner from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is also recovering from a severe staph infection, which may or may not have hampered him during the Koscheck bout.
Regardless, this would be the most high-profile fight for Fitch, who up until this point has flown under the radar despite his remarkable achievements. There’s no doubt Sanchez is looking for redemption, while Fitch will attempt to elevate his status to a larger audience with a win over the popular and well-known “Nightmare.”
For those who have been following this story, Fitch has mentioned numerous times that he wanted to face Karo Parisyan. There’s no word yet on the reason he wasn’t offered that bout — it seems like the UFC has other plans for the Armenian-born Judo fighter.
Rest assured, however, Fitch is extremely pleased with this opportunity if it comes about. And I’m pretty sure most fans will be, too.
Fitch is headed out to Japan tomorrow for a week. He’s cornering Katsuhiko Nagata at the upcoming HERO’s 154-pound tournament at Yokohama Arena on July 16.
Hopefully, when he returns we’ll have an update on whether or not both he and Sanchez are offered bout agreements for UFC 76 and sign them, thus making this dynamite 170-pound clash official.
Stay tuned.
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Random Rant: Takedown interference
I watched IFL Battleground last night and there were yet again some fighters holding onto the ropes. I thought Tito Ortiz’s comments on Saturday that “you’re not trying if you’re not cheating” but the more I think about it, the more I think there’s some validity to what he said.
As someone who has fought on low-level amateur cards and has no takedown skills, I can’t think of a time where I didn’t use the cage to help stop a takedown. Hell, there were times during sparring practice when I would hold the cage. Part of it is instinctive and the other part is just being competitive and trying to do everything in your power to avoid a situation where there’s a high percentage chance you might lose.
Personally, I can’t blame a fighter too much for grabbing the cage or the ropes. I also believe that the way the infraction is dealt with in MMA should be changed. Forget warnings! A fighter’s first and only warning should take place before the fight at the rules meeting. If a fighter holds the ropes of the cage, that’s it, he’s violated the rules and should be penalized.
The first penalty right now is to have a point deducted but my thinking is that if a fighter uses the rope or the cage to prevent a takedown then the fight should be stopped and re-started with the fighter who attempted the takedown being awarded top position. Losing a point might not be a big enough deterrent if its means allowing yourself to be taking down could lead to the end of the fight.
I compare grabbing the cage/ropes to pass interference in football. If a cornerback gets burned by a wide receiver and grabs the guy’s jersey, the ball is awarded where the infraction is committed. I think placing the ball at the point of the infraction is better than just awarding 10-15 yards. If it was only a 15-yard penalty, then it would be stupid for a defensive back that got burned not to interfere with the receiver. I think that being deducted one point is almost the equivalent to only being penalized 15 yards.
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Jeremy Stephens to fight outside of UFC (updated)
UFC lightweight fighter Jeremy Stephens is scheduled to fight on July 28 for the Full Contact Fighting promotion. Stephens, who lost in his UFC debut a few months back, is still believed to be contracted to Zuffa but is being allowed to fight outside of his contract. However, if he loses, he will risk having his UFC contract terminated.
Updated: UFCJunkie.com is reporting that Stephens is on temporary leave from the UFC at the urging of UFC V.P. of talent relations Joe Silva and will be fighting Nick Walker on July 28 at a Midwest Cage Championship event. With a win, Stephens could return to the UFC as early as September.
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Ben Askren to fight for the UFC?
There’s a small piece at AOL.com about the top U.S. amateur freestyle wrestler, Ben Askren. According to the story, Askren has his sights on the UFC:
And my favorite thing about him is that he said that while he knows he can’t equal the professional careers of Durant, Oden and Smith (well, maybe he can equal Smith), he does plan to turn professional. It’s just that he’ll turn professional in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which he says he has his eyes on for the future.
You can read the story here.
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The Winners Edge
Every moment in the day we are always talking to ourselves and we seldom realize it. We all have a running commentary in our heads on events and our reactions to them. Here are some thinks to be aware of:*What are you saying to yourselve silently are you positive or negetive? a coach or critic? Be aware of the silent conversations you have with yourself. Are you a nurturing coach or a critic?
*When you fail, is it a learning experience, an isolated event, and a stepping stone instead of a situation you beat yourself over.
*When you have even a small success, do you reward yourself by feeling pride rather than lucky.
*When you receive a compliment for any reason, simply respond: "Thank you." and accept it.
Remember to keep the running commentary positive in your head and remain teachable to be the best mixed martial artist you can be.
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