Did Rashad Do The Nipple Tweak?

Wow, what a weekend of fights! From UFC 98 in Las Vegas on Saturday to Dream 9 on Monday, MMA fans were certainly in for a treat if they wanted to see intriguing, nail-biting fights. From a clash between undefeated fighters for the light heavyweight title belt to a grudge match between two aging pioneers, UFC 98 had no shortage of drama. This blog will detail my thoughts of UFC 98's main card plus the televised prelims)...here we go!

ANDRE GUSMAO vs. KRZYSTOF SOSZYNSKI - Gusmao came into this fight having lost previously to up and comer Jon Jones whilc Soszynski was riding a 2-fight win streak. From the beginning of the fight, it was clear Soszynski had the advantage on the feet. Gusmao never took the opportunity to take the fight to the ground, which was a grave mistake. Soszynski tagged Gusmao at will and once Gusmao had his back to the cage, it was all over. Strike by strike, "The Polish Experiment" disposed of Gusmao easily. A great win for the TUF 8 veteran. This win should catapult him into contention in the light heavyweight division. (SOSZYNSKI by KO, 3:17 RD 1)

PAT BARRY vs. TIM HAGUE - Pat Berry's inexperience in submission defense was exposed in this fight as he clearly had Hague in trouble with his superior striking. The debuting Canadian Hague hung tough until he had the chance to lock in a guillotine choke. The end came early in the first round, surprising many people who considered Barry a dynamic new force in the heavyweight division. Maybe a move to light heavyweight along with continued ground training is in the cards for Barry? Either way, congratulations are due to the former King of the Cage fighter, Tim "The Thrashing Machine" Hague. (HAGUE by Submission - Guillotine, 1:42 RD 1)

BROCK LARSON vs. MIKE PYLE - Mike Pyle, a 23-fight veteran had undoubtedly been waiting for his shot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He had previously fought in promotions such as the International Fight League, Elite XC, and Affliction. But when his chance arose to be a standby fighter in case Chris Wilson wasn't cleared to fight, Pyle jumped at it. He was severely dehydrated at the weigh ins and that certainly didn't help him against the aggressive and talented Brock Larson. A transfer from the WEC, Larson had a lot to prove to people who weren't as familiar with him as they were with other UFC welterweights. He proved it Saturday night with a dominating submission victory against "Quicksand". Hopefully we see more of Pyle in the UFC soon as I'm positive fans haven't seen the best of the promising fighter. As for Larson, I can only forsee bigger and better challengers for him. (LARSON by Submission - Head/Arm choke, 3:06 RD1)

SEAN SHERK vs. FRANK EDGAR - Many were doubting if Edgar would be able to beat "The Muscle Shark", taking into account his last fight, a loss against Gray "The Bully" Maynard. Fans figured Sherk would provide the same challenges against Edgar that he would not be able to overcome. But luckily for Edgar's supporters (myself included!) he fought a beautiful fight with a brilliant gameplan. Considering Sherk's strange need to keep the fight on its feet, Edgar tagged Sherk and ducked punches terrifically. His head and foot movement were light and swift and Sherk looked clueless as to how to counter Edgar's gameplan. In the end, Edgar was awarded the W and Sherk, upset with only his 4th loss in 38 fights, left the building immediately, only to have to return to finish checking out with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I'd love to see him face the loser of Sanchez/Guida or the winner of Diaz/Stevenson. Since the lightweight division is so stacked, it's hard to determine where Edgar should place. But if he continues to win impressively, I can see him earning a title shot in 2-3 fights. (EDGAR by Unanimous Decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

CHAEL SONNEN vs. DAN MILLER - Sonnen was another transplant from the WEC, leaving the promotion after the dissolving of the middleweight division. In fact, he left as the middleweight champion, having defeated former champion Paulo Filho. Sonnen faced a roadblock in his first UFC fight in 2 years against Demian Maia but sought redemption in this fight against Dan Miller, a fighter who himself hadn't lost in 2 years. Sonnen was able to stifle Miller's formidable jiu-jitsu and hold Miller down with some light ground and pound to a decision win. It wasn't the prettiest of fights, but Sonnen got the job done. I think it'll be quite a while, however, until he is able to challenge Anderson Silva (or whoever ends up being the champion at the time). (SONNEN by Unanimous Decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

DREW MCFEDRIES vs. XAVIER FOUPA-POKAM - "Professor X" Xavier Foupa-Pokam comes out of Dan Henderson's Team Quest while Drew McFedries is a product of the old-school Miletich Fighting Systems. McFedries is known for his well-documented TKO's of Alessio Sakara, Marvin Eastman, and Jordan Radev and Saturday proved to be no exception. "The Massacre" essentially destroyed Foupa-Pokam with thundering strikes until referee Yves Lavigne jumps in to stop the fight. A sound stoppage from the sometimes questionable referee. (MCFEDRIES by TKO - Punches, 0:37 Rd 1)

MATT HUGHES vs. MATT SERRA - The grudge match that was 2 years in the making, each fighter proclaimed that this fight could mark the end of their respective careers. Hughes, a guaranteed UFC Hall of Famer, almost went against character when he said he would beat Serra to a bloody mess. Serra, always outspoken, continually name-called his rival and could hardly contain his excitement to fight Hughes. The fans were hyped up for the fight, maybe even more so than the main event, but the fight fell short of expectations. After an exciting first round that saw Serra wobble Hughes with an accidental headbutt followed by legit strikes, the action began to slow to a crawl. The fight became a chess match to see who could take who down. In the end, Hughes' hand was raised in a close decision win, but he couldn't have been completely satisfied with that. I wouldn't be surprised to see a rematch so the fans could definitively have their answer. (HUGHES by Unanimous Decision, 29-28)

RASHAD EVANS vs. LYOTO MACHIDA - After a slow but promising start in the UFC, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida was starting to gain notice for his unique style of fighting (often called elusive, sometimes even called boring). Fans of Machida defended this style as an art form in which he inflicts damage while avoiding damage to himself. I had underestimated Evans in the past and was sure not to do it during this fight, but no matter what the TUF 2 winner did, he could not decipher the puzzle that is Machida. "Sugar" and Machida fought a slow-paced first round that saw maybe 4 kicks and strikes total being thrown. It was a dismal start to the main event. That all turned around in the 2nd round. Machida unleashed a killer instinct many did not know he even possessed and once he wobbled Evans with his unorthodox striking, laid into the champ with combinations that were a thing of beauty to witness. The end came with Evans hunched in the corner of the cage, his leg slightly twisted under him and his head only being held up by the cage. It was a scary sight to see, in both Evan's defeat and Machida's explosive victory. Not a few called the passing of the guard the beginning of the Machida Era, and they very well may be right. Until someone can figure out how to get past Machida Karate, we could see a long title reign for "The Dragon". As a fan, I can only hope so! By the way, did anyone see Rashad do the Jackson camp "nipple tweak"? I didn't....maybe that's why he lost! Kidding, kidding...(MACHIDA by KO, 3:57 Rd 2)

This blog ended up much longer than I thought it would but that's what normally happens when I start writing about MMA. I'll save my thoughts on Dream 9 for the next blog.....til then, stay NTheKlinch!

Happy New Year, 'Klinchers!

(photo courtesy of Misty's Photostream)

I wish I could say that 2008 was an awesome year for me, but that wasn't the case. However, I'm confident that 2009 will be a success and I won't accept anything less from it.

The year started off incredibly promising. I graduated college (finally) with my degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management. I capitalized on my goal to make a name for myself (or at least a sustaining career) in the tourism industry and I decided to start in Las Vegas. I packed my twenty billion bags (yes, that many) and headed to the City of Sin with $200 in my savings and $60,000 of debt in student loans. I thought I could make some money and put a dent in that debt. However, the downturn in the economy had already begun to show and by the time my positive self arrived here in May, there weren't many potential jobs to be found.

I made ends meet with odd jobs here and there before finding what I believed was a diamond in the rough. Out of respect, I won't name the company, but I became their resident "Onsite Corporate Administrator" or in simpler terms, their Director of Human Resources. I was stoked, believing I'd hit the jackpot. Not only did the company seem stable, but it was trendy and the people seemed awesome. Well, most of the people. I soon realized I was grossly underpaid for the amount of work I was doing. After being run roughshod with duties and developing an extreme dislike for many of the higher-ups, it was time to part ways with the company. 5 months of misery and I didn't save a dime. But I did get a pretty awesome boyfriend during my duration at that hellhole ;)

I moved on to yet another odd job and now here I am, at the beginning of the year. I've got interview after interview lined up and I'm confident I'll find something that fits a wayward soul like me. Now as long as I can keep blogging while I work, I'm all good! So, cheers to 2009 and f*ck you very much, 2008!

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.