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Written by admin on May 9th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Affliction — one of the most recognized and popular clothing brands out right now — made its bid to become the latest mixed martial arts promoter official today during an episode of “Inside MMA” on the HDNet network.
It’s been known for some time now that Affliction would throw its hat into the MMA ring. In fact, the UFC and Elite XC recently banned their fighters from wearing Affliction gear during events because of the looming competition.
And if the proposed inaugural pay-per-view (PPV) fight card slated for the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on July 19 is any indication of things to come, then Affliction will indeed pose some stiff competition.
Here’s what we can expect thus far:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Renato “Babalu†Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Ben Rothwell vs. TBA
That’s one hell of a star-studded line up … and there’s more than likely still more to come.
Of course, it will be interesting to watch this all unfold — successful MMA promotions are a dime a dozen. It must also be noted that Affliction will have to clear a few regulatory hurdles, too, which the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is mandating for the show to go on.
In particular, according to SportsIllustrated.com, the “CSAC requires a bond that covers twice the fighters’ costs.” That’s no small feat, considering some of the unconfirmed salaries that are being tossed around (Fedor is rumored to be making more than $1 million guaranteed and Sylvia is set to pocket at least $800,000).
Do the math … and that’s just the possible main event purses.
In addition, the CSAC will request urine tests from Sylvia and Barnett — both fighters have tested positive for the banned performance enhancer earlier in their careers.
Regardless, if Affliction can get all its ducks in a row — and not blow its wad straight out of the gate — this could be something special. Let’s just hope those in charge realize this is a marathon and not a sprint.
Check out a video snip of Affliction Clothing Vice President Tom Attencio on “Inside MMA” after the jump.
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Props: HardcoreSportsRadio.com
Quoteworthy:
“… I know there are a lot of people out there doing steroids, cheating and every time I run into one of them, I’m going to call them on it and then I’m going to beat the shit out of them.… It’s going to be a historic night because all the kids out there will realize that you can do it with just hard work alone … he wants to say he has heart and all this different shit, but you can’t confuse steroids with heart…. It’s two different things, a guy with heart is a guy doing it with blood, sweat and tears, waking up with the sore back, the sore body.… What would happen in the old days when you get caught with a couple of aces up your sleeve, they kill the guy right there and that’s why I say Sean Sherk is dead….”
A fired up UFC Lightweight Champion, BJ Penn, talks about his upcoming title defense against Sean Sherk at UFC 84: “Ill Will” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24. “The Muscle Shark” tested positive for steroids after his win against Hermes Franca at UFC 73: “Stacked” in July 2007 and has not competed since because of a six-month suspension. Penn doesn’t like steroids or steroid users very much … this one is personal.
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(Scene from a jiu-jitsu tournament, or an extremely amicable episode of Maury Povich’s paternity test show?)
If you love your title fights with a side of acrimony (and who doesn’t) then the B.J. Penn-Sean Sherk bout at UFC 84 is definitely for you. It’s no secret that these guys don’t like each other. Sherk thinks Penn’s a quitter. Penn thinks Sherk’s a cheater. It’s a fun little back and forth.
But in a recent interview with Sirius Radio’s “Sports Rage“, Penn kicked it up a notch with his anti-Sherk rhetoric. Here are some excerpts from the full broadcast:
” … I know there are a lot of people out there doing steroids, cheating and every time I run into one of them, I’m going to call them on it and then I’m going to beat the shit out of them …
… It’s going to be a historic night because all the kids out there will realize that you can do it with just hard work alone …He wants to say he has heart and all this different shit, but you can’t confuse steroids with heart.
… What would happen in the old days when you get caught with a couple of aces up your sleeve, they kill the guy right there and that’s why I say Sean Sherk is dead…”
Tell me, who’s still not excited for this fight? Anyone?
Nothing makes for an intense fight quite like death threats. I was willing to ascribe the first one to Penn being a little pumped up following his victory over Joe Stevenson, but after he repeated it with a calm rationale to explain why he wants to murder Sherk, well that’s just plain mean. Also pretty awesome.
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(So is the implication here that he causes mushroom clouds, or just poses in front of them with his shirt off?)
The UFC today confirmed what we all suspected. Chris Leben has been pulled from his bout with Michael Bisping due to ongoing legal trouble that will keep him locked up throughout most of the month. Instead of scratching the bout altogether, they’ve tapped Jason “Dooms” Day as his replacement.
Day, a Canadian who’s coming off a TKO win over Alan Belcher when he filled in for Patrick Cote at UFC 83, is a solid replacement for Leben. He’s 17-5, riding a five-fight win streak, and better still, he’s not locked up in jail right now. In fact, the only major criticism we can think of for Day revolves around his nickname. When your last name is Day, you have a lot of options. It just seems like “Dooms” was the first thing they thought of, and the first thing is rarely the best thing.
All I’m saying is, Jason “Dooms” Day sounds like just another dude trying hard to come up with an intimidating nickname. Jason “Sunny” Day, on the other hand, that’s a guy might have a screw loose. Other options include Jason “Wedding” Day and Jason “Oh, It’s Such A Perfect” Day, to name a couple.
In any event, Bisping likes the match:
“Obviously I was looking forward to the Leben fight but I guess it wasn’t to be,†said Bisping. “You have to respect Jason Day for stepping in on even shorter notice than myself. I am looking forward to really putting on a great performance in London.”
“Jason Day looked bloody dangerous in his fight with Belcher and I think this fight has exactly the same potential as the Leben fight to be a real war”
I guess if you’re Bisping and you can’t beat up an American in your home country, a Canadian is the next best thing. With the UFC slashing away at their rosters in recent weeks, you can bet Day is feeling the pressure to turn in a strong performance here. Dana White loves nothing more than a guy who can step in on short notice and put on a good show. And if there was ever a time for an up-and-coming fighter to get on White’s good side, that time is now.
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[sarcasm]Wow, you guys really knocked us out today with all the voting.[/sarcasm] Anyway, Kimbo’s Lice has dragged his way to a victory in this week’s Triumph United Comment Contest. K.L.: Please check out Triumph United’s shirt rack, and e-mail us at feedback@cagepotato.com when you know which shirt you want.
As for the rest of you: We’ve created an even more expansive venue for you to complain with our new forums section, so if you haven’t already, join up and start throwin’ your feces!
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A “Dragon†looks for his coming out party while a “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” looks to be the spoiler in this week’s edition of the Friday Night Throwdown.
In the second part of this three-part series, we will look at the other light heavyweight battle between Lyoto Machida and Tito Ortiz at UFC 84: “Ill Will†at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24.
This fight could be the fight that could reshape the rankings of the light heavyweight division in the UFC and possibly send Ortiz riding off into the free agent sunset in search of his pot of golf at the end of the rainbow.
It’s time to breakdown this fight for both fighters.
Machida’s coming out party?
There is no question that Lyoto Machida is one of the most unorthodox fighters in the sport of mixed marital arts today. His style is more of a defense-first, counter-attacking in-and-out style, which throws off most if not of his opponents (he’s undefeated). He is very patient on the feet and waits for all of his opponents to make the first mistake. Once they do, he unleashes a great balance of kicking and striking that just frustrates anyone he faces.
The knock on Machida, up until his utter destruction of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 79: “Nemesis†in December 2007, was his inability to finish fights. He without question laid to rest that myth as he derailed the “African Assassin†hype train in quick fashion.
From the opening bell, Machida took the fight to Sokodjou and dominated the entire bout on the feet and on the ground. It was on the ground, however, where he just about put the Team Quest member to sleep via arm triangle. It’s because of that brilliant performance that he was given the chance to make a name for himself by fighting the popular, whether you like him or not, former champion in Ortiz.
Let’s not get it twisted here: Machida has beaten quality fighters during his undefeated streak. For example, he knocked out Rich Franklin and defeated others talented stars such as BJ Penn and Stephan Bonnar. Yet many The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) generation fans don’t know much about him unless they are diehard MMA fans. This fight with Ortiz could be the springboard that could launch Machida into stardom and easily in the top five in anyone’s light heavyweight rankings.
I would go as far and pick Machida over at least half of the fighters in the top 10, including the likes of Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva, Keith Jardine and Mauricio “Shogun†Rua. Of course, I’m going to catch some heat with that last statement but I stand by it. I would even be nervous for Rampage if he were to fight Machida.
Put simply, Machida has defeated several of the best fighters in the world during his reign of terror — his record isn’t padded with journeymen or gatekeepers, folks.
In fact, he knocked out Franklin in only his third fight!
Machida is battle-tested and will be a significant player in the light heavyweight division for years to come. All he needs right now is the fight that will put him over the top. Enter a former UFC light heavyweight champion and easily of the biggest draws in MMA history.
Enter Tito Ortiz
A chance to stick it to Dana White and the UFC?
It’s no secret by now that this is Ortiz’s last fight on his current contract with the UFC. He’s also made it clear that he plans on leaving the UFC after this fight and explore his free agent options. Ortiz will clearly be the biggest free agent on the market and the UFC would be hard pressed to try and resign him. Therefore, Tito has to be thinking that if he’s going the leave, he’s going to leave with a bang.
And what better way to do that than defeat Lyoto Machida at UFC 84?
The problem that Ortiz will face is to try to take Machida to the ground. Machida is a fighter like I’ve said earlier, will let his opponent make the first mistake. Throughout his career, I’ve seen no big improvements in Tito’s overall game. He’s a one trick pony: take it to the ground and GNP (ground and pound) from there. His striking is still above average and isn’t going to knock anyone out anytime soon. I’ll give him the benefit of a doubt that he is one of better ground fighters in the world but it won’t mean a damn thing if he can’t take Machida down.
Ortiz will simply have to press the action and force Machida to the fence. From there, he will hopefully get the takedown and start to work on Machida. If that doesn’t happen, Ortiz will have no other choice but to try and get the best of Machida on the feet. That’s where his chances to win will diminish in a big way. Unless Ortiz has some tricks up his sleeve, Ortiz is the heavy underdog in this fight.
I won’t count out Ortiz in this fight even though it seems like he has no chance in hell of winning. Love him or hate him, Ortiz will at least make this fight exciting. He may be training as hard as he ever has in Big Bear as we speak … or being Jenna Jameson’s “Huntington Beach Boy Toy†at the club or something.
My theory is that Ortiz has to win this fight so that the price in signing him will have to be very substantial to leave the UFC. It’s clear that promotions like EliteXC or even Affliction will be chomping at the bit to sign him. Ortiz will have to bring his A-game in order for him to win. If he does, boy I can only imagine his post fight interview if he’s allowed on the mic … that’s must see TV right there!
Considering everything we covered, I’ve got to admit that this fight is the one I’m looking forward to the most. Machida is looking to get a shot at the belt while Ortiz will be looking to get paid. Who’s going to win this fight? Check out the site later in the month for my prediction on this fight. Either way, this could the upset special (hint…hint).
MMA news and other notes
Chris Leben gets 35 days in jail and fight with Bisping is off: It’s unfortunate that Leben was sentenced to 35 days in jail yesterday. After serving the sentence, it’s been reported right here that he would only have less than two weeks of training, which is just not enough time to prepare for a fighter like Bisping. But the man did his part to finish up his probation so that he could be cleared to fight Bisping.
The good news is maybe they could add this fight as the co-main event of UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin.” Unfortunately, since this fight was scheduled to be fought in London there is no way Bisping is being pulled from the card. In fact, we just learned that he’s fighting Jason Day — a very solid Canadian fighter. It’s not Leben, but it could be worse.
The IFL “Hex:†I’m sorry but with the IFL revealing its new plan for a six-sided ring, I’ve officially considered the IFL to be as good as dead before the year is out. I was supporting the company for the sake of MMA, but this whole six-sided ring is too much. It only tells me that they probably think the UFC is the WWE and they’ll be TNA or something. I mean, I had no problem with a four sided ring for the IFL. But seriously six?! I don’t know how much more I can take with the IFL. Good as dead, folks.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) wasn’t that bad this week: Although I ripped this season of TUF, I must admit that I’m guilty as charged because I’m still watching it. And this week’s episode was by far the best one this season and it just wasn’t because of Jeremy May. I mean the whole, “I predict Matt Brown is going to win … by murder†prediction by Amir was down right hilarious. And how he finished off May as well, you might have thought it was downright murder.
But in all seriousness, Brown is some character but has to be considered one of the favorites to win the show. His attitude in the Octagon is the same attitude when he’s not in it, showing he’s determined to win at all costs. He did look lethargic the first couple minutes of the fight but as the fight wore on, he took total control. From there, he ended the fight with a beautiful head kick that would make even Gabriel Gonzaga happy. He’s all business and you have to feel sorry for whoever’s in his way in the semifinals.
My favorite part of the show was the Cramer-Zachrich fight to end this week’s episode. That fight wasn’t the most technical form of striking I’ve seen but it was just pure entertainment. These guys were swinging from the fences until they had nothing left. It was back and forth action that left me on the edge of my seat. In the end, Cramer took Zachrich down in the second round and won the fight via technical knockout (strikes) to give Team Rampage control of the next fight.
Best fight of the season by far and I’m definitely looking forward to next week. Couldn’t help but notice that we could see the blowup between Rampage and Forrest next week as well. Got to love when the coaches get angry and all hell breaks loose. Hopefully it puts the Ken-Tito confrontations to shame, but then again it’s just for entertainment purposes sometimes right?
That’s about it for this week’s edition of the Friday Night Throwdown here on MMAmania. Next week’s will be the third and final part of my three-part series on UFC 84. We’ll look at the main event between BJ Penn and Sean Sherk for the UFC Lightweight Title. Agree or disagree with anything I said in today’s column? Be sure to reply in our comments section below (and THANKS for all the responses last week, I was overwhelmed by the support!) or e-mail me at the address right here.
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