Jake Shields - "I'd Definitely Have A Good Shot (Against GSP)"

(photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)

Elite XC’s first ever, (and current) welterweight champion Jake Shields made time in his busy schedule last Friday for a short chat with Fight Network Radio hosts John Pollock and Mauro Ranallo (who joined the show via phone patch). Shields has been a hot topic in the fight industry over the past week, due in part to rumblings about potential fights with John “The Natural” Alessio in an upcoming Elite XC show and even a middleweight showdown against Matt “The Law” Lindland in upstart organization Affliction’s second show. Shields addressed those subjects, as well as answering questions regarding his teammate Nick Diaz and the state of the welterweight division in Elite XC, in this candid interview.

John Pollock got things rolling by mentioning the big issue of the day, the cancellation of an Elite XC show that was to be held on September 20th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Earlier in the show, Mauro Ranallo called in to the show from California to break the news. There was little information known at the time, and even Shields sounded surprised by the announcement. Regarding an upcoming fight, Shields had this to say:

“I’m not 100% sure when I’m going to fight right now. This is the first time I’ve heard that event was cancelled on the 20th. I had been training for it because I thought that was a ‘maybe’. So it looks like that fight is off (against Alessio). But I’m interested to see what’s going on”.

Speculation had run rampant in various MMA media outlets that Shields was approached as a possible opponent for highly ranked middleweight Matt “The Law” Lindland in Affliction’s next event in Las Vegas, scheduled for this October. While not directly alluding to talks with Affliction, Shields did admit, “We have a few good offers on the table; we’re trying to sort it out. In the next couple of days probably, we’ll know hopefully”. He elaborated on some terms with his Elite XC contract, which does not forbid fighting in other organizations, he believes, but with permission from Elite XC. Apart from that, Elite XC understandably has priority over the other organizations with the option to override potential fights in those organizations.

Addressing the issue of moving up to middleweight, Shields clarified he would only do so for a fight at a time. He shared, “I look at myself as a welterweight and that’s where I want to stay. But I’m also just looking for fights that really excite me and things that will do something for me. And if going up a weight class for a fight excites me, then I’ll do it for a fight. I certainly don’t ever plan on going to middleweight and staying there; it’s not a comfortable weight”. But he grew animated upon mentioning potential matchups at 185 pounds, naming Frank Shamrock, Matt Lindland, and Frank Trigg as fighters he would be interested in facing. “I’d love a really good chance to move up fifteen pounds and fight one of those guys and see how I do”.

Currently the kingpin of Elite XC’s welterweight division, Shields was asked for his opinion on the relatively limited options Elite XC provided him with regards to opponents. Pollock likened Shields to a “big fish in a small pond”. Although profuse in his praise for his home organization, Shields acknowledged, “It’s really frustrating. I love Elite XC; they treat me good. It’s a great show; it’s someone I want to keep fighting for but it would be nice to get an opportunity to go test myself against some bigger opponents, different weights. Obviously, there are some really good welterweights out there that still can test me at Elite XC. I think Alessio is still a really tough fight; I wouldn’t look past him at all. Really, I’m fighting because I love it and I want to test myself. If the tests aren’t there, it’s hard to stay motivated”.

Shield’s ascent to the Top Ten rankings in the welterweight division (in many MMA insider’s opinions, Shields is a Top 3 fighter) have long had fans discussing a possible match-up with Georges St. Pierre, the UFC’s current welterweight champion and arguably number one in the Top Ten ranking. Earlier in the week, Fight Network Radio hosted an interview with Firas Zahabi, one of St. Pierre’s trainers. In the interview, Ranallo recalled, Zahabi said of a St. Pierre-Shields fight that Shields wasn’t at St. Pierre’s level yet. Shields took no offense, and good naturedly said, “That’s GSP’s trainer so of course, he’d better be saying that. My trainers better say the same for me!” He went on to say, “I think GSP looked phenomenal in the last few fights. It certainly wouldn’t be an easy fight for me but I think I’m feeling really good right now and I’d definitely have a good shot. But we won’t know until it happens and hopefully it’ll be something that can happen within a year or so. Who know with all the politics right now but I’m just trying to train my ass off and fight good and look good in all my fights and if that keeps happening, the fight will be forced to happen at some point”.

The topic shifted to Shield’s teammate, top lightweight contender Nick Diaz. MMA fans have been eagerly anticipating a rematch between Diaz and Elite XC lightweight champion KJ Noons since Noons defeated Diaz due to cuts in November of 2007. Tension between Diaz and Noons gradually came to a head during a heated confrontation that culminated in a mini-brawl between both camps after Noons defended his belt against Yves Edwards in June of this year. Mauro Ranallo asked Shields on the status of a rematch between his close friend and teammate Diaz and Noons. Shields had some strong words about the issue.

“I’m actually not 100% sure (about the rematch). I haven’t talked to Nick in a week or so. I believe they were trying to make that fight happen on the September 20th (New Mexico show). But I don’t know 100%. I think that’s what happened. I don’t think KJ wants any part of it. I think KJ is doing everything he can to avoid the fight. In my opinion if you’re the champion, you fight whom the organization throws in front of you, who the #1 fighter is or you get stripped. He should either fight Nick or get stripped. He’s (Nick) the #1 contender. If KJ doesn’t have the balls to fight him, then he has no business being a champion”.

As the interview came to a close, Shields spoke about the uproar the Diaz and Noons’ after-fight altercation caused in the fight industry. He opined, “I think everyone’s freaked out over a little brawl. They forget what our sport is; our sport is fighting. You get into little fights in fighting. It may not be great (for the sport) but is it really that big of a deal? I don’t think it is; we’re fighters. Occasionally, especially right after a fight, emotions are running high; things get said, especially when our adrenaline is going. It’s what we’re trained to do. It shouldn’t be a surprise if a little fight breaks out at weigh-ins, or the press conference or a fight or something. It’s what we’re trained to do”. Ranallo brought up comparisons to the recent Brock Lesnar-Heath Herring showboating incident at UFC 87 and shared his belief that MMA needs fighters like Nick Diaz. Shields agreed, saying, “Exactly; it helps tell the sport. People make it out to be a bad thing but if it’s bringing attention to it, I don’t know why it’s bad. Like I said, we’re trained athletes. When it’s not quite fight time, it’s not really that big of a deal (confrontations). It’s not like assault on an untrained person. It’s a completely different situation”.

While quelling rumors about his bright future in the fight industry and in Elite XC, many will be waiting for updates about Shields’ and his next move. However, no matter what his next fight may be, Elite XC’s newsworthy welterweight champion will be captivating MMA fans again soon.

Kenny Florian - In Cruise Control

(photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)

Kenny Florian is a busy man. Aside from being one of the most exciting lightweights in mixed martial arts, “KenFlo” is a jack-of-all-trades in the sport, hosting MMA Live on ESPN.com and joining the broadcast team during recent UFC pay per view events. He took time out of his hectic schedule to speak with the Fight Network Radio crew about his highly anticipated fight with Roger Huerta this coming Saturday at UFC 89 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, implementing more weight classes in mixed martial arts, and branching out in the fight world.

Co-host John Pollock, running the show while host Mauro Ranallo is on vacation asked Florian about the pressure putting on a great show and being involved in what could be a possible fight of the year. Florian admitted he himself was expecting fireworks, hyping the fight by saying, “You have two very aggressive well-rounded fighters who are going to go at each other from the start of the fight and I expect a very dynamic and fast paced fight. That’s the way I fight, that’s the way Roger fights. I don’t expect any different for this fight. It’s going to come down to the little details, who did all the things right and who can capitalize on each other’s mistakes”. He spoke about his approach to making weight, admitting he’s about 167 pounds at the moment (12 pounds from his weigh-in weight of 155 pounds) and that on weigh-in day he’d be about 162-163 pounds. In training for this fight with Huerta, he’d gained a few pounds of muscle and compared his mental state at the moment as one of “cruise control. The hard training is done and now it’s just about being mentally prepared and keeping the knife sharp”. He further elaborated on his preparation, stating, “I like to do a lot of visualization; I do meditation and kind of just get focused. My body just knows, my mind just knows. I’m not as friendly; I’m not joking around as much. I know that my body’s getting ready for something great. I really feel that after all this hard training, all the pain and suffering I went through for this camp and every camp, it’s time to perform. I get my reward on August 9th; I get to go out there and do my job so I’m excited for that”.

Pollock brought up the Association of Boxing Commission (ABC) Convention held recently in Montreal. A controversial topic discussed at the convention was the possible implementation of additional weight classes in mixed martial arts. Pollock used Florian’s losses against Diego Sanchez (at 185 pounds, with Sanchez noticeably much larger than Florian) and Sean Sherk (at 155 pounds, again with Sherk being bigger) as examples of the difference in weight classes. Florian was outspoken about the subject saying, “ I would love to see a 195 pound weight class for example, maybe a 235 pound weight class or a 165 pound weight class. Maybe every 10 pounds would be very beneficial to a lot of fighters out there who may be in between. We’ve seen problems in the past with fighters trying to make weight. I’m not making any excuses for them or anything like that. That’s their job, they should weigh in on weight obviously but perhaps that would help alleviate some of those concerns, some of those problems. I think at this point with the amount of fighters out there, I think the organizations can certainly sustain the other weight classes so I’m all for it”. However, he noted that he believed he was in the right weight class (155 pounds) for himself.

A trend has emerged with fighters branching out into other divisions of not only the fight world, but in areas such as fashion and entertainment. Florian has stuck mainly to the MMA industry, honing his skills as a host of MMA Live and in the broadcast booth with the UFC. Florian excitedly talked about those opportunities, but made clear his heart still lies with the physical aspect of MMA. “First and foremost my priority is fighting and that’s still something I’m very passionate about. As soon as that dies down, I’ll know its time to hang up the gloves. It’s been a great thing. I was hoping, really, for something like this to come up a little bit later in my career but I’ll take it. It’s an opportunity that I really couldn’t pass up with ESPN. I’m really happy with them over there, everything’s been going great. Hopefully we can get the show (MMA Live) on TV and really take mixed martial arts to the next level and a lot of these opportunities that have come to me, I just feel real blessed. You can’t fight forever and you need a back up plan. It’s always good to have something besides getting hit in the face so these are all good things and I’m looking forward to what the future holds but right now, fighting is my number one priority”. He talked about trying to be an impartial figure in the media, admitting how tough it is to be personally involved with his fellow fighters and having to make fight predictions and the like. He even joked that maybe the reason he hadn’t heard from some of his fighter friends was because they were offended at his predictions or remarks.

UFC President Dana White has put the spotlight on the Huerta-Florian fight as he has indicated the winner of the fight would likely face lightweight champion BJ Penn. But Pollock pointed out Penn’s desire to fight the winner of the welterweight title fight, with champion Georges St. Pierre defending against challenger Jon Fitch (the main event on the same card as Huerta-Florian). He asked Florian if it bothered him in any way that BJ was vocal about hopping from one division to another.

“No, not at all. I know BJ’s motivated by different things. He’s accomplished a lot of great things in his career and just wants bigger and better things. I’m sure that if BJ gets the belt, or he ends up fighting St. Pierre and beats him, I’m sure he’ll be back to 155 pounds. It’s tough for me to say how another person should feel but I know BJ pretty well and I know he’s motivated by very specific things, especially losses that he wants to get back on his record. I’m sure that he’ll be back at the 155 division and if not, no problem. As long as I get to fight the best guys that are out there and the toughest guys, I’ll be happy”. Answering a caller’s question regarding Penn against St. Pierre, Florian held the opinion that he believed Penn has the tools to defeat St. Pierre. After discussing Penn, Florian touched on the subject of lightweights not under contract to the UFC. Eddie Alvarez, Gesias “JZ” Calvacante, and Joachim Hansen were brought up and Florian had respect for them all, especially in regards to Japanese fighters Takanori Gomi and Shinya Aoki. He simplified his earlier statements saying “I want to break into the top ten consistently like those guys and I want to show that I’m one of the best in the world and in order to do that, you’ve got to fight the best and I want to keep fighting the best so I can be regarded as a top ten”.

A listener, Steve, inquired about a game plan Florian was formulating with his trainers against Huerta. Florian didn’t divulge too much, saying, “Mark (Delagrotte) and I have always gone over a lot of things, and with my brother as well. There are specific things that we feel we can expose in Roger’s game, assuming those weaknesses are still there. We’re assuming that Roger’s filled a lot of those holes but based on what we’ve seen, we feel that there are a lot of holes in his game and I think I have the skills to exploit them and God willing, it’ll happen. I’ve got a lot of great trainers around me and we’ve done the work and we’ve done our homework and I’ve put in the long hours and we’re hoping that it’ll pay off”. To end the show, a listener, Charlie from Ontario offered Florian his support, stating he felt Florian would “walk through Huerta easily in the first round”. Florian didn’t overtly disagree saying, “Huerta is tough as nails and I have to be ready for sure. I know I can finish him in the first round and we’ll see what happens but I’m expecting a war”.

Mark Hominick - "I Want To Be On The Biggest Stage"

(photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)

Days after his triumphant victory over Trenell "Savant" Young last Saturday at Affliction: Banned and the day after his birthday, Mark "The Machine" Hominick joined Fight Network Radio to speak his thoughts of his win, his evolution from a stand up fighter to a well rounded mixed martial artist, and the comparison between Affliction and the Zuffa brand.

Hominick surprised host John Pollock and possibly some listeners by divulging he had already been back in the gym training since his win just a few short days prior. He hadn't even really celebrated his birthday yet (although he noted he'd finally be doing so later in the night). The conversation jumped right into the fight against Young, with Hominick revealing part of the game plan against the veteran was to "make him move around. He cut a lot of weight, so I knew his conditioning wasn't that strong. Moving in and out, making him move a lot, I knew would tire him, so I didn't want to stay in the pocket too long. Wear him down; take him into the deep water, trying to see if he could swim". The big revelation in the fight was Hominick utilizing his ground skills, which are growing more and more refined. Although Pollock remarked that most people were expecting a knock out in the fight between the two, they were in agreement that you couldn't force the KO, with Hominick glad to have the opportunity to showcase his ground game.

Pollock observed that Hominick must feel good knowing he has developed a strong skill set on the ground and can now seemingly hold his own against the world's top 145-pounders. Regarding his recent less than ideal run in the WEC, Hominick says, "I needed to make a statement. I couldn't sneak out a decision or just kind of sneak by a win. I had to make a big statement and I think that's what I did. Whether it was a KO or a submission. I'm ready to go wherever the fight is; I just prefer to stand up. Anyone who doubts my ground game, that's who I'm going to fight and I'm going to prove that I'm a lot better than people think. Guys I've been submitted by, like Rani Yahya, he's the Abu Dhabi champion. He's no slouch, you know, he's the world's best. All I can do is prove myself and I think that's what I did". They discussed his seamless transition from a triangle attempt into the armbar that clinched the victory for Hominick. Hominick defended his decision to turn to the armbar saying, "I wanted to finish with the triangle but his neck was so thick and he was so sweaty. A lot of people were yelling to pull the shin down but I felt that if I pulled the shin down he would've just snuck right out the back door because he was so sweaty and he literally didn't have a neck. As soon as he had his arm straight I knew I had to go for the armbar because he was flat on his back and I knew that would be a better finish than the triangle because he was so thick in the neck and so stocky, it was hard to choke him".

Having begun his career as a striker, Hominick has first hand knowledge of the importance of mixed martial artists becoming well rounded. He uses former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes as an example, stating that Hughes was a "dominant, dominant champion for years because he relied on his one strength and guys who stay with that one strength are getting beat now and that's it. If you don't catch up you're going to be left behind. You've got to keep climbing and get better. When you think you've got it all, that's when someone's going to wake you up and tell you, ‘you've got stuff to learn'." Hominick put his striking training on a slight back burner for this fight, opting to focus primarily on his wrestling and jiu-jitsu for the first time in his training camp. He described his training regimen as this, "I do pad work 3-4 times a week; I spar a couple times. I still get that hard work in, my conditioning and timing, but it wasn't my driving force in the training camp. My driving force was my wrestling and jiu-jitsu and it came through".

Hominick was one of many fighters on the Affliction card who had previously fought for the Zuffa brand, both in the UFC and the WEC. Inevitably, he was faced with comparisons and he spoke glowingly of the upstart organization. "I've never been treated, as a fighter; as good as I have with the Affliction group. You could tell they put the fighters and the fans in the forefront. That was their focus and that's who they wanted to please. I really hope to God that they made a ton of money off the pay per view but you could see that wasn't the driving force. They wanted to put on the show of a lifetime and I think that's what they did, with the fighters and fans in mind. Anything extra they could do, they did do for the fighters and I think any fighter who was on the show could reiterate that. I don't know about everybody else, but I could feel the buzz. I've fought in the UFC, I've fought on a pay per view in the UFC and there's obviously a buzz. But I've never felt a buzz like this ever. I've never felt the electric atmosphere before the fight. You knew that there was something special going on". Hominick supported competition between both promotions, likening the UFC to the "Kleenex brand of mixed martial arts. Everyone affiliates MMA with the UFC or ultimate fighting but now there's a new kid on the block".

Discussing the UFC brass' plan to hold an event (UFC Fight Night) to counteract the Affliction pay per view, Pollock stated his belief that the plan indirectly put a lot of focus on the Affliction show, to which Hominick agreed. Hominick believed that move and Affliction's initial foray into the mixed martial arts world now puts pressure on the UFC's way of conducting business, especially in regards to fighter's pay scales. Of this he says, "Everyone's seen what the fighters are getting paid for this show [Affliction: Banned]. The UFC's never paid that much for a purse. Now you can see that the UFC's pay scale is going to have to go up or else they're going to lose fighters". But Hominick is far from critical about his former stomping grounds. "I'm not downing the UFC. I hope they do the best. I hope the fighters in the UFC do the best. My training partner, one of my best friends (Sam Stout) is there and I wish him the best too. I'm not downgrading them; I just hope everyone can be successful".

Much media hype had been made of the Affliction show, Pollock noted, a show that some were calling the "biggest event in MMA history". He asked Hominick if that created any added pressure to the fight and his performance, but Hominick said without hesitation, "Those are the kind of performances I want to have and those are the kind of cards I want to be a part of. I'd rather fight in front of 10 million fans than 10 fans. I want to be on the biggest stage, have the biggest performance. So I like that kind of pressure. I was glad to be a part of that".

With the win over Young behind him, Hominick expressed his desire to fight again before year's end. He revealed his inclusion on the next Affliction card (rumored to occur in the fall) and that his only wish was for a top ten opponent. While Zuffa holds many of the top 145-pounders in its stable, Hominick was confident that Affliction would find him a suitable top contender. "They said I get to pick my opponent and all I'm thinking about was ‘top ten'. I don't care. I don't want to fight anybody unless it's going to raise my stock". He also made mention of a project he'd been undergoing with his teammates, a new gym in London, Ontario called Adrenaline Training Center, on top of the Shawn Tompkins-run gym he was already a part of. Hominick speaks with wisdom and eloquence beyond his years and experience many fighters his age can only aspire to. As his profile rises and Hominick starts to rack up more impressive victories, one can already see the stars aligning for this young and talented fighter.

Review - Elite XC: Unfinished Business

Elite XC: Unfinished Business – July 26th, 2008 at the Stockton Arena, Stockton, CA

Preliminary Bouts

Preliminary Bout #1 – Drew Montgomery vs. Brandon Tarns

I’d arrived towards the end of the fight and by the time I made it to my seat, both fighters were absolutely drenched in blood. It truly looked like a massacre had occurred. Montgomery ended up taking a TKO (doctor stoppage) victory over Tarns and with the first fight, the cage mat looked like it’d already seen ten wars.

Preliminary Bout #2 – Carl Seumanutafa vs. Mike Cook (Heavyweight)

What was shaping up to be a fairly competitive fight ended prematurely when Cook tried a belly to back suplex on Seumanutafa and aggravated a knee injury he suffered early on in the fight. The weight of Seumanutafa caused Cook’s knee to buckle and the Samoan’s weight to fall completely on Cook’s entire body, causing an end to the bout early in the first frame.

Showtime Bouts

Showtime Bout #1 – Wilson Reis vs. Brian Caraway (140 lbs)

Reis looks pumped, as does Caraway but slightly more subdued. This was a great fight to start the program, as both fighters played to their strengths, Caraway on the feet, Reis on the ground. Caraway tagged Reis numerous times with his heavy hands, namely his right hook. Reis was able to completely control the action on the ground, taking Caraway down countless times and effortlessly transitioning to mount. What could have been a pivotal moment in the fight happened when Reis shot for a takedown in the 2nd frame and was met with a hard knee right to the skull. Unfortunately for Caraway and the audience staunchly supporting him, his striking lost out to Reis’ dominance on the ground and Reis was awarded the fight with a unanimous decision win of 30-27.

Showtime Bout #2 – Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante vs. Travis “The Gladiator” Galbraith (205 lbs)

“Feijao” comes out to a strong crowd reaction. What an impressive display by Cavalcante, picking Galbraith apart by the middle of the first round, showcasing his brilliant Thai clinch and stand up. Galbraith gamely tried to hold his own with some solid shots but after successive knees and punches and a last jumping knee from “Feijao”, the tough Galbraith crumpled to the ground in a heap, then took multiple shots to the head before referee Josh Rosenthal waved off the fight. The crowd erupts for what is definitely a rising star in the light heavyweight division.

The crowd tonight is electric, really a great atmosphere for these fights.

Showtime Main Event – Justin Eilers vs. Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (for the vacant Elite XC Heavyweight Championship)

The last bout of the Showtime card starts with an intense stare down between contenders. There is a gigantic size difference between the two with Silva being much larger but Eilers looks in better shape than I’ve ever seen him. The first round was fairly competitive, with Eilers utilizing nice jabs, which Silva keeps at bay with great leg kicks, The first frame ends, with Silva slightly edging Eilers out on the feet, in my opinion. The crowd is really into the fight going into the second. Silva comes out strong, bum rushing Eilers with a barrage of strikes, knocking out Eilers’ mouthpiece. Sensing the end was near, Silva wastes no time delivering blow after blow until referee Herb Dean had seen enough, calling off the fight and awarding the win to Silva. Silva is crowned the Elite XC Heavyweight champion.

Many major MMA stars were in the building and were introduced, garnering a strong audience reaction. Frank Shamrock, “The New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni, “Big” John McCarthy, Gina “Conviction” Carano, Kimbo Slice, and others were in the building. The live CBS broadcast begins with a raucous Stockton crowd, eagerly awaiting the fights to come.

CBS Saturday Night Fights Bouts

CBS Bout #1 – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Shayna “Queen of Spades” Baszler (140 lbs)

“Cyborg” looks focused and intense. Baszler comes out rocking with her guitar and is being cornered by Josh Barnett. She’s such a doll. I can’t get over the energy this crowd is bringing. Almost all of the competitors are getting a great reception, whether positive or negative. This fight was an absolute war from start to finish; the crowd was on its feet for much of the fight. Cyborg’s strikes came too fast and too heavy for Baszler to handle and as both a fan and a journalist, it became increasingly harder to watch Baszler have it taken to her. Baszler tried to use her excellent submission game but wasn’t able to keep Cyborg down for long. In the second round, Cyborg prematurely believed the fight was over after knocking down Baszler but when referee Steve Mazzagatti restarted the fight, Cyborg continued her assault. She was too quick and Baszler unfortunately was never able to get her phenomenal ground game going, and she loses the fight by TKO in round 2. What a fight!

CBS Bout #2 – Jake Shields vs. Nick “The Goat” Thompson (for the vacant Elite XC Welterweight Championship)

Shields receives a warm ovation from the Stockton mass. He looked positively dominant against resilient Thompson, earning the mount fairly easily. From there the end came soon after, as Shields locked in a one-armed guillotine, leaving Thompson no choice but to tap early in the first. Shields wins the vacant Elite XC Welterweight Championship in front of the joyous throng of people.

CBS Bout #3 – Nick Diaz vs. Thomas “Wildman” Denny (160 lbs)

For the Stockton multitude, THIS was the main event, as the buzz in the building made a fast crescendo to a deafening roar. Denny was definitely entering hostile territory. The ovation for Diaz was simply astounding, as nearly everyone was standing and cheering for their hometown fighter. The first round saw frequent and incredible bursts of action, with Denny at times out-striking Diaz, making the fight a nail-biter for the Diaz faithful. Luckily for them, Diaz began finding his comfort zone towards the end of the round, tagging Denny numerous times, wobbling him. The second frame saw Diaz fully into his groove and it wasn’t long before Denny came crashing to the canvas, full of heart, but defeated. The crowd erupted even louder than when Diaz was introduced, causing me to seriously think about later having my hearing examined.

Main Event – “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs. Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (Elite XC Middleweight Championship Bout)

The previous fight would be an extremely hard act to follow, but the task was laid in the very capable hands of Middleweight champion Lawler and Smith, in a rematch of their May 31st bout, which was stopped prematurely due to a doctor stoppage (eye poke) to Smith. The first round started slow but soon picked up the pace as both fighters measured each other up. Exchanges of knees, high kicks, and punches back and forth had the crowd excited and shifting allegiances often between fighters. I saw the round 10-9 for Smith. The second round began with the formerly partisan Smith crowd split practically down the middle. Both fighters had their moments in this round as well, but Lawler seemed to have figured Smith out, as he eventually cornered Smith against the cage and began tearing him down with punches and knees to the body and face. A heavy knee buckled Smith and as he was making his way up, he was met with another flurry of strikes and knees until referee Herb Dean called the fight off. Lawler retains his middleweight belt, having passed this latest test with flying colors.

As a whole, I believe the event was excellent. The pacing of time between fights was reasonable and the action left me very satisfied. The crowd was extremely enthusiastic and I was proud to be a part of such an animated audience. I think any home viewers that caught the fights (Showtime, CBS, or both) should be pleased with the quality of MMA that was presented to them tonight.

Non-Televised Bout Results (after Showtime and CBS fights)

David “Tarzan” Douglas vs. Marlon Matias – TKO (strikes), 0:12, rd 1
Anthony “El Toro” Ruiz vs. Jeremy Freitag – Unanimous Decision, 29-28

Jesse Taylor - Facing Issues Head On

(photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)

Jesse Taylor, controversial figure of UFC reality show The Ultimate Fighter: Season 7, joined the Fight Network Radio crew this past Tuesday for a look at his fight this Saturday against fellow cast member CB Dolloway at UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin. He spoke candidly about being the only Ultimate Fighter cast member to have been kicked off the show after filming ended and how he planned to turn his life around after the unfortunate event that led to his release and subsequent reinstatement into the UFC.

The million-dollar question was raised by host Mauro Ranallo, asking what exactly Taylor was thinking, referencing his drunken antics after the show’s finale was set to be Taylor versus Amir Sadollah. Taylor replied in earnest, “I get this question a lot. I was thinking, you know, that night, I guess I wasn’t thinking. I let the situation get to me too much, I drank a little too much, and I was a really bad drunk”. A common question that is usually asked of Ultimate Fighter cast members from all seasons is whether certain situations are sensationalized to be more appealing to viewers, glorifying the fighter’s good or bad actions, a sentiment that is often echoed by the cast members. Taylor was asked the same question and was in agreement saying, “They want to bring out anything they can find to bring out. If a guy has a couple drinks once in a while, they try to show that a lot, the drinking part”. To strengthen his opinion on the matter, he took the listeners through the fateful events of the night that resulted in his release from the UFC and the finals of the Ultimate Fighter 7.

“The show was done for and Dana took us all out. We all went out to a club, I started drinking, the show was over, I was going to be in the finals and I just made a really stupid mistake and kept drinking. I ended up just getting totally out of hand, breaking limousine windows and just kind of acted like a moron in the hotel. Some of it was blown out of proportion; it wasn’t really how it sounds. The terrorizing women thing was kind of ridiculous; I was talking to a girl. But at the same time, security came up to me about the limousine window and I don’t know if they thought I was doing something or what. But I definitely wasn’t terrorizing any women, I remember that. The only thing that really happened was the limousine window and they were looking for some other things. I definitely messed up but it makes for good TV, so they had to do it.”

Taylor was in shock at being let go from the finals, believing a veiled meeting with UFC President Dana White and coaches Quinton Jackson and Forrest Griffin was an appointment to shoot follow-up interviews. Needless to say, the fallout from the release was a huge blow to the young fighter, having to “sit on” the information he received while the show was being aired to the viewing public. Not being able to tell his family and circle of friends due to the nature of reality television filming guidelines took a toll on Taylor. He says, “It was just tough, it was hard to get that far, to do so good, to know how good I am, and knowing that I messed it up over a stupid mistake like that and not being able to fight it was tough, I knew I had to make some changes. It helped me prioritize what I want in my career and life. It was tough, especially going from one ultimate high knowing you’ve done it to the ultimate low that you’ve done it and messed it up. It was just something I didn’t want to talk about really and didn’t want to even see and when the show aired, I really wanted to disappear but you can’t do that, you’ve got to face these problems head on and fight them.”

Taylor also clarified some of his thoughts about being in the magnifying glass that is reality television, touching on a couple of points like alcohol in the house (Dana White has now stated that fighters must pay for any damages inflicted on the house) and his well-documented dislike for fellow cast member Jeremy May. Of the alcohol issues, Taylor muses, “In the first place, I don’t understand why alcohol is really allowed in the house. Maybe you could bring it in on special occasions here and there. But the guys that got loose when they’re done fighting all of a sudden go on spring break and party all the time. For guys that are still fighting, it can be a distraction sometimes”. Taylor doesn’t pull any punches regarding his feelings about May, proclaiming, “No, what you see is what you got with that. Jeremy May is a dickhead; he’s an ignorant asshole. He just doesn’t know how to deal with people; he’s just an idiot”.

Ranallo brought up Taylor’s affiliation with UFC and Pride veteran Dan Henderson and Henderson’s camp, Team Quest in Temecula, California, asking if that association helped with his reinstatement to the UFC. Taylor gave credit to Henderson and Team Quest, hailing the team as a “who’s who of Mixed Martial Arts” and that he wouldn’t have made the progress he’d made as a fighter if it weren’t for his camp. However, he pointed out that, “Dana said I wasn’t really out of the UFC. Dana said that at first but as the interview went on, he said, ‘give me a call in a couple months and we’ll get you back in there’. Joe Silva and Dana White gave me the call on the Monday after the Finale and I was back in the UFC”.

Regarding his fight on Saturday against CB Dolloway, Taylor is confident saying, “CB’s a tough guy, I’m not going to underestimate his skills. He’s a well-rounded fighter; he’s pretty decent in all areas. I think it’s a good match up, he doesn’t know a lot of the tools that I have so it’s going to be fun for me to show those off, do different things. I think I have some more strengths than him. I got this fight; I’ve been training my ass off for it”.

As the interview ended, Taylor addressed his critics. “Come on, they weren’t young and dumb once? For the ones who hate on me or are critical of me, it’s very motivating for me to prove them wrong. There’s a chance in anything you could fail in but win or lose, I want to put on a great fight and you’re going to see a good fight from me on Saturday. With that in mind, with the reaction I get, I don’t think it’s going to hinder my performance. Believe it or not I have actually noticed a lot more support. Here and there I hear some negative spins but you’re going to get people that like you and people that hate you in anything you do”.

Josh Koscheck - "It Is What It Is"

(photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)

That was one of the frequently uttered phrases Josh Koscheck used in his interview with Fight Network Radio this past Wednesday, July 9th, a few days removed from his memorable victory over UFC veteran and all-around tough SOB Chris “Lights Out” Lytle at UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin. In what was one of the more brutal bloodbaths in recent MMA history (Lytle being the bloodbath), Koscheck won by unanimous decision. It was a quote that held meaning in a matter-of-fact sense, not a cocky or flippant one and one that carried weight as the interview went on.

“It is what it is,” Koscheck remarked when asked by host Mauro Ranallo if he thought the 3-round war should have been stopped in the 3rd round, when two deep cuts above Lytle’s right eye inflicted by Koscheck’s formidable ground and pound during the 2nd round continued gushing blood. He felt it was a judgment call and that the fight should have been stopped at the end of the 2nd round. Even after looking up at referee Yves Lavigne a couple of times and feeling that Lytle wasn’t defending himself, the end didn’t come until much later for the two warriors.

Koscheck was reluctant to dish out any more punishment on Lytle considering the sickening amount of blood loss coupled with his dominating performance in the 2nd round, which many believe to be a 10-8 round for the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 alum. He candidly spoke about how he didn’t like to continue punching Lytle because Lytle is a “good, classy opponent” and as a fellow competitor wanted to “look after his well-being”. He reiterated his opinion that Lavigne should have stopped the fight at the end of the 2nd round, when Koscheck hit Lytle with 5-6 straight punches. He brought up a great point in regards to the massive amount of blood in this fight. He worried about Lytle’s children and wife having to witness the carnage and believed the referee should have “done justice to his family” by stopping the fight. Throughout the interview, you get the strong impression that Koscheck believes he is simply carrying out his job, his passion and sincerely doesn’t want to hurt people, least of all Chris Lytle, in this situation.

Ranallo brought up the critics of MMA who undoubtedly will be voicing their opinions after reviewing the fight and how regardless of the strides the sport has made, will be waiting in the wings to point out its apparent brutality. They continued talking about last Saturday’s fight, and if there were points in the fight in which the two guillotine attempts by Lytle were close to submitting Koscheck. He replied that the first attempt wasn’t close but the one in the 3rd round was “a little bit tight but I knew I’d probably get out of it easy”. He believed the fight held a lot of pressure for both fighters, as the “winner goes on and the loser has to think about where they’re at and possibly start all over again”. Koscheck was grateful to be the former. He disclosed that although he never actually watches fights, he did review this one to see from a judge’s perspective if the fight should have been stopped and it seemed to strengthen his opinion to that end. He wanted to try to submit Lytle and felt he could when he had his back but because of the blood and sweat, not to mention Lytle’s proficiency in jiu-jitsu (he’s a black belt), a submission win became unlikely. Regardless, his goal was to finish Lytle, seeing as he’s never been stopped (save for cut stoppages).

Koscheck’s evolution as a well-rounded mixed martial artist seems to be occurring at a rapid rate, his stand up improving by leaps and bounds. For over a year or so he’s been sharpening his striking skills to be on par with his wrestling. You can hear the change in Koscheck’s mentality from the time he was a stubborn fighter who didn’t listen to his coaches. His proudest moment from last Saturday’s fight was that he actually listened to his coach’s game plan. In his words, he admitted, “I just gotta compare myself to what I was in the past. In the past I was a wrestler and I didn’t know anything about stand up so I’m comparing myself to the old days of Josh Koscheck when I used to just shoot and wrestle and take people down and just pound on people. I have a long, long way to go and I continue to work on that. This fight was my coaches’ game plan. Javier Mendez kept telling me everyday and he actually copied off Chris Lytle’s boxing record and made me stick it in my car so that every day when I’d get in my car and go into training I’d remember what the game plan is.” Those sound like words coming from a swiftly maturing fighter.

Nonetheless, the topic of conversation had to touch on Koscheck’s apparent villain status with UFC fans. Ranallo amusingly pointed out that Koscheck can’t seem to “buy much love from the UFC faithful”, to which Koscheck was pragmatic in linking it to the way he was portrayed/edited on The Ultimate Fighter reality show and pointing to the incident in which he hosed down Chris Leben as a turning point in his portrayal as a baddie. He protested the fans getting on his case for being a one-dimensional wrestler on the show, saying, “There’s one-dimensional fighters in the UFC that they cheer for. There are just straight boxers in there that have no ground game and they get taken down and beaten down on the ground”, sounding perplexed at being singled out. But he made note that his battle with Chris Lytle “wasn’t the least exciting fight of the night; there was one fight that was way worse than mine, so that’s kind of I guess a good sign”, in an apparent dig to another fight on the UFC 86 card (any guesses?). And Koscheck realizes his worth as a fighter who often gets a knee-jerk response from MMA fans.

“It is what it is. I want a reaction one way or the other, whether they’re cheering or booing. For me, that’s what I want. I want a reaction and know that I pretty much have an influence with the UFC fans. If they’re just silent, I’m not doing my job. I want a reaction one way or the other. I honestly don’t care if they boo or if they cheer. I think that there are definitely some things in there that were edited [in The Ultimate Fighter] but it is what it is. That was 3 and a half, 4 years ago. I really can’t dwell on the past, I just gotta try to change their opinions and eventually I can hopefully just keep knocking people out in the UFC and they’ll all start cheering for me at some point.”

Mauro Ranallo was able to get Koscheck’s take on his American Kickboxing Academy teammate Jon Fitch’s upcoming title shot against champion Georges’ St. Pierre this coming August 9th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Having faced the champion previously (at UFC 74 last August), Koscheck had some interesting things to say about the match up.

“I think he matches up very well. Jon Fitch just got his black belt in jiu-jitsu so he’s going to be well schooled on the ground if the fight takes place on the ground. And I think that if Georges St. Pierre plans on wrestling and taking him down, I think Jon Fitch has a great opportunity to get back to his feet. He’s very, very good at getting back to his feet and he’s probably better than me at getting back to my feet from my back. I think that that’s going to play a key role in Fitch’s victory over Georges.”

A tricky moment in the interview came when Ranallo remarked that GSP dominated Koscheck in his realm of wrestling during their fight. Koscheck interjected that he believed Georges did not dominate Koscheck in wrestling but “it’s mixed martial arts. He dominated me in mixed martial arts. If it was just wrestling, I believe that I would kick Georges’ butt in a straight wrestling match”. Koscheck revealed his plan to get in the gym the very next day to be ready for a possible fight in the next 5-8 weeks. He didn’t know of any potential opponents but would be ready for them when the time came. The focus shifted to a caller named Charlie who deemed himself “one of the guys who boos” for Koscheck. He opined that he felt Koscheck was smug on the reality show and that trash-talking Georges St. Pierre definitely wouldn’t win over any fans. He gave Koscheck the opportunity to win him over to which Koscheck unapologetically responded, “The reason for the trash talking against Georges St. Pierre was to sell pay per views. That’s part of the game and that’s part of the sport. The fans need to understand that”. He didn’t hide his respect for the welterweight champion, further saying, “I have nothing but respect for Georges St. Pierre as a fighter and a person. He’s one of the classiest guys in the UFC, if not the classiest guy. He never says anything negative about anybody and I just think he’s just a classy fighter. But that’s part of the game, it’s part of the sport (to sell the pay per view) because at the end of the day, the only way us fighters are going to make more money is by getting more people to buy the events”

The enlightening interview winded down with Koscheck touting his new clothing line, a surf/skate lifestyle line called Mar Clothing. He closed the interview out saying, “It’s a good time to be a mixed martial artist, because there’s plenty of opportunity out there to build careers and different things outside the UFC. Without all my fans out there, whether they’re booing or hating, I just appreciate the opportunity to fight in front of you guys and give you some entertainment and hopefully I can keep winning fights and keep getting cheered and booed, that’s part of the game”.

Nsider Krissie singing on The Fight Network Radio

Fight Network Radio - check it out..it's a hoot! Thanks for having me on the show again, Mauro and John!