Flyweight Respect

Flyweight Respect

On Saturday July 27, 2013 the UFC brings us another stacked UFC on FOX card. In the main event UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, puts his belt on the line against #1 contender John Moraga at Seattle’s Key Arena.

Despite being a former bantamweight divisional contender and the first UFC flyweight champion, Johnson has not received the recognition and praise from fans that his fellow UFC champions have garnered. Even though the title fight is the main event slot on a nationally televised event, a majority of the focus has been on the two participants in the co-main event between top welterweight contenders Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger. Both welterweights are maybe a fight or two away from a shot at the UFC welterweight strap and the hype is well deserved. Both fighters are extremely well rounded fighters with power, excellent wrestling, very effective striking and clinch games. Both have power and the ability to finish their opponents. Making the fight even more intriguing Ellenberger and MacDonald have engaged in a heated battle of words via social media, thus, making the co-main event fight much easier to promote. So, why hasn’t the flyweight title fight between Johnson and Moraga received as much attention?

First of all, fans love to see fighters finish their opponents. ‘Mighty Mouse’ has amazing footwork, head movement and lightning fast takedowns. Conversely, when his opponents try to take him down, he has the athletic ability to jump right back to his feet like a bop bag springing back up. Johnson has gone to the judges scorecards in each of his seven fights inside the octagon, gojng 5-1-1 during that stretch. Johnson’s last finish was in the now defunct WEC in November of 2010. Even with all of his athletic prowess and technical superiority, Johnson is somehow perceived as “boring”. Some fans and pundits cannot appreciate the subtleties of his game, preferring to focus on his lack of finishing ability. This is an opinion I do not ascribe too. There are other flyweight fighters in the UFc that have plenty of finishes on their records. Moraga has 2 finishes in each of his 2 UFC appearances. In his first fight, Moraga recorded a first round pummeling of Ulysses Gomez at UFC on FOX 4 and a third round submission of Chris Cariaso at UFC 155. Former bantamweight and flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez has finishes in 2 out of his last 3 victories. The man who ‘Mighty Mouse’ beat in his first title defense, John Dodson, has 2 finishes in his last 3 wins as well. So the argument that the flyweights don’t have finishing abilities is a moot point.

Another facet of the failure of most fans to give the flyweights their due is the size factor, (insert crass joke here). When we look at athletes and their abilities, we tend to look at physical appearance. For example, when we see a muscle bound Alistair Overeem or a tattooed monster like Brock Lesnar, we know he is a fighter. We know that this is a man who you don’t want to mess with. The flyweight’s body type is not as intimidating. At 5’ 3” tall, Johnson is a lot less redoubtable in his appearance.  

When Ellenberger and MacDonald step into the octagon Saturday, we know that these two fighters genuinely dislike each other. Because of their verbal sparring via social media, they have promoted themselves and their fight to make this match an even more compelling encounter. Aside from a few barbs from Moraga calling Demetrious boring with no threatening skills, there has been little else said between them to hype the fight. Other than a coveted UFC title, there does not seem to be anything personal to make this main event more compelling. Johnson prefers to do his talking in the cage and let his skills speak for themselves.

I submit for your consideration that we should not pigeon-hole these lighter weight class fighters for a perceived lack of excitement. The athletic ability, speed, fighting prowess and technical skills are something to be marveled at. We hear stories all the time in sports where athletes have been told their whole lives that they are “too small” to compete at the highest levels of their respective sports. These criticisms because of a lack of physical stature are untrue, unfounded, ridiculous and disrespectful. They fight and train with determination and self confidence to overcome these prejudices. They not only deserve our attention, they deserve and demand the respect they literally fight for everyday in the gym. These are world class athletes who have made it to the biggest stage in the world of MMA and all of this under a veil of scrutiny and misconception. If you disagree, get into the cage with any one of these guys. You will be taught some humility and respect.

Thank you and stay safe.

Randy Casjens
Twitter-@SavageRandy

The Fight to Make

The Fight to Make

In the world of mixed martial arts there are a lot of talks about “super fights.” Most of the talk had been centered around Anderson Silva fighting current UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre. Then, after the continued rise of current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, the super fight talk revolved around Silva vs. Jones. After Anderson was knocked out by the new middleweight champion Chris Weidman at UFC 162, all talk of those possible fights came to a screeching halt. Still, there is one super fight that is just as compelling, Cyborg vs. Rousey.

When talking about Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, there a lot of opinions about her legacy. Cyborg failed a drug test after her Strikeforce fight with Hiroko Yamanaka in December, 2011, and all of her critics seemed to be validated in their belief that she had been using steroids for her entire career. Justino’s victory was overturned to a “no contest” by the CSAC, she was suspended for a year, fined $2,500, stripped of her Strikeforce featherweight title and subsequently cut by the promotion. The failed drug test tarnished her reputation and, in many pundit’s eyes, negated anything she had done in her career. Still, Cyborg has done almost everything there is to do in wmma…almost. She was the first to headline a major mma promotion’s card. She fought the popular and always tough Gina Carano to win the inaugural Strikeforce women’s featherweight title. On July 13, 2013, she became the first Invicta FC featherweight champion. Yet, with all of these accomplishments there is still one unanswered question that keeps the mma world buzzing. Can she beat the current UFC women’s bantamweight champion and #1 ranked female fighter in the world, Ronda Rousey?

In the world of women’s mixed martial arts, there are no two bigger names than Rousey and Cyborg. They do not even need to be mentioned by their birth names to be recognized. One simply needs to refer to “Cyborg” and we know who you are talking about. When mentioning “Rowdy”, we automatically think of Ronda Rousey. When we talk of “superfights”, there is no bigger fight to make in all of mma than “Cyborg vs. “Rowdy.” As we have seen in the last few weeks, these potentially big money fights that pit the #1 and #2 fighters in the world to settle who is actually the best, those superfights can easily be dissipated with one hungry challenger. This is mma, and anything can happen.

While a huge pay-per-view fight between Cristiane and Ronda is the only option at a champion vs. champion fight at the current moment, there are a few hurdles to overcome before this epic battle can materialize.

First and foremost is Ronda’s title fight against former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion, fellow TUF coach and nemesis Miesha Tate. The two will square off on December 28^th, 2013 with the UFC women’s bantamweight title hanging in the balance. Rousey beat Tate in March of 2012 to capture the Strikeforce title via armbar in the first round. Even though the potential fight between Justino and Rousey is what all of the fans want to see, Rousey’s fight with Tate is not simply a formality. As evidenced in Miesha’s August, 2012 fight with Julie Kedzie, Tate is as tough and talented as they come. Kedzie dominated fight for the first 2+ rounds before Miesha was able to pull off the victory via armbar at 3:28 of the third and final round. Tate was rocked early on in that fight with a well timed headkick by Kedzie and then brutally battered through the next 2 ½ rounds. Even after being pummeled by her opponent, Miesha was able to collect her faculties and show her champion’s heart by pulling out the late submission. Never look past Tate. She could be the X factor in all of this. Rousey is not looking past her, and neither should we.

The second issue is that of what weight Rousey and Justino would take place. Will it be at 135lbs or at a catchweight? The substance that “Cyborg” tested positive for is a steroid called stanozolol that aids in “cutting weight.” The anabolic steroid is usually used to cut weight by preserving lean body mass while losing fat. Justino has repeated several times that she has trouble making the 145lb limit and she has come in heavy for fights before. Another issue for “Cyborg” is that she doesn’t want to ruin her chances of bearing children in the future and putting that much stress on her body could prevent her from getting pregnant if/when she decides to have children. Ronda has stated that champions do not make exceptions for a challenger. If Justino wants to take a possible fight with Ronda, it appears at this moment that Justino will need to make the bantamweight limit of 135lbs. A catchweight of 140lbs has been discussed, but Justino has clearly stated that she doesn’t think she can even make 140lbs.

This “super fight” between the two best female fighters in the world is one that fans and the brass at UFC parent company Zuffa, LLC are clamoring to see. This fight would make the promotion and both fighters millions of dollars in pay-per-view revenue alone.

Since Chris Weidman put the kybosh on any super fights in the near future, we need to see the Rousey vs. Cyborg fight ASAP. Both women are at the top of their games, they are both big names with world class skills and they would put on an epic show for us rabid fans. The hype for this fight would be justified by the performance of these fighters, but the significant hurdles that have plagued potential super fights in the past must be dealt with first. I, for one, would love to see who the true #1 female fighter in the world is. Not only do fans deserve to see this fight, the UFC needs this fight to happen. We might feel a little bit cheated if this fight does not happen. God forbid.

Thank you and stay safe.

Randy Casjens
Twitter- @SavageRandy  

Before the Fall

Before the Fall

There are a lot of ways to define the word pride. Pride can be a good thing. We have all felt proud of ourselves when we accomplish something. A new job, a marriage, having children, winning the “big game” in crunch time are just a few of the ways to justify reasonable self respect. However, pride can also lead to prophecy.

Whoever coined the term “pride comes before the fall”, must have been a genius or merely observant.

On Saturday July 6^th, 2013, the entire MMA community witnessed the fall of the single most successful and dominant legend the sport has ever seen. A man whose accomplishments inside the UFC octagon are nowhere nearly matched. The most successful title defenses (10), the most knockouts in UFC history (11), the longest title reign of any single fighter (nearly 7 years). It cannot be overstated how dominant Anderson Silva has been in the UFC. His records may never be broken. In the annals of MMA history, “The Spider” may go down as the single greatest fighter to walk the face of the earth and definitely the greatest fighter of our generation.

 

Anderson has done it a few times when fighting. He puts his hands down to his side, struts around as if he is toying with his opponents, faking being “rocked” by his opponent. It’s as if he is trying to get in their head to throw them off of their game and break them mentally before HE decides to finish them. With a seemingly disdainful confidence that he knows whenever he decides to open up and throw punches, he can knock anybody out. Anderson did it to Forrest Griffin looking like a character in the matrix. He did it to Stephan Bonner. Stand against the fence and begged him to take the fight to the floor or to punch him at will. After all, he is Anderson “The Spider” Silva, the greatest fighter on planet earth. Nobody can touch him…right? Um, not so fast.

While Anderson is still the best fighter that MMA has ever seen or ever will see, he did himself, the UFC and the fans a great disservice by playing that same game last night. In the weeks leading up to UFC 162, Silva seemed jovial, playful and even amused at times. On FUEL TV’s UFC TONIGHT, Silva was even joking around with his long time nemesis Chael Sonnen.  

There are several ways to define pride. Reasonable and justified self respect, the best in a group or class. These are the terms I used to described his display of pride. That is, before Saturday at UFC 162. “The Spider” repeated several times in interviews that he respects all the fighters in the UFC. He fights for his fans and the UFC because he likes his job fighting.  What Anderson showed on Saturday night was not respect. Silva proved the one definition of pride that brings even the most successful and accomplished people to their knees; ostentatious display. Vainglorious and pretentious.

Not only did Anderson Silva learn the fine line between definitions and materializations of the word pride, he fell off of the highwire, and in doing so he taught all of us a life lesson. To be proud of what you have done with your life is one thing. Displaying disdainful behavior will get you humbled.

 

Chris Weidman was not going to simply back down and let Silva get into his head by being coy. Weidman came forward and kept throwing punches. In between the first and second round, Silva was yelling at Weidman from across the cage to please stand up and fight. Even after pleading with Chris to throw fists with him, Silva still played his pretentious game. The FAULT does not lie in Silva’s corner. The CREDIT goes to Chris Weidman. He is mentally strong, he has the ability and willingness to beat anybody at their own game even when facing the greatest fighter of our generation. What Chris Weidman did in taking Silva out should never be overshadowed by the lack of respect that Anderson showed. Weidman just knocked out the best pound for pound fighter in the world. He didn’t just win, he knocked him out cold!

 

Conspiracy theorists have inundated twitter, Facebook, the blogosphere and MMA websites with ridiculous accusations being levied at Silva. They say he “threw the fight”, or he wanted to get knocked out. Or they say that the only reason Silva lost was because he was fooling around and just got caught. Not only is this a ludicrous notion, it is disrespectful to Weidman. Chris has worked his butt of to get to where he is at in his career. He is the middleweight champion of the UFC and he did it by not only beating the best in his division. He did it by beating the best EVER. Great job, Mr. Weidman.

 

Be proud of what you accomplish. Live your life with confidence. Let your pride be reasonable as to not fall into arrogance. After all, isn’t that what martial arts is all about?

 

Thank you and stay safe

 

Randy Casjens

Twitter-@SavageRandy

UFC Lightweight Chaos

UFC Lightweight Chaos

On August 31^st, 2013, UFC lightweight champion Ben Henderson is set to defend his title against #1 contender T.J. Grant. Coming into the UFC 164 matchup, Ben will attempt to defend his title for a fourth time. Even after beating Frankie Edgar twice (once to win the belt and once to defend it), running through Nate Diaz and pulling out a very controversial split decision win over Gilbert Melendez, the UFC’s lightweight division is as murky as ever. A plethora of contenders has created some parody in what many consider to be the most competitive division in the UFC.

First let me say that T.J. Grant is, without a doubt, the most deserving of a shot at Henderson’s lightweight strap. Since Grant dropped from welterweight to lightweight, T.J. has reeled off 5 straight victories, with 3 of the wins coming by way of stoppage, including 2 tko/ko performances against Matt Wiman and Gray Maynard. Grant has truly solidified his place in the division. However, there are some big questions about the future of the division.

 

Before I break it all down I will have to take a deep breath. Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more.

While Ben Henderson is the current UFC lightweight champion, his victories have been less than convincing. With the Nate Diaz fight being the exception, Henderson has defended his belt three times via extremely close decisions. Many people thought that Henderson should not have received the unanimous decision victory over Frankie Edgar in their first fight and even more people believed he lost their second fight as well. After beating TUF champion Nate Diaz in a one sided match in December 2012, Henderson again came out the victor in a controversial split decision win against former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez at UFC on FOX 7 in April 2013. Yet another fight that a majority of fans and fellow fighters thought Henderson had lost.

On the same show on FOX that Henderson defended his title against Melendez, former Strikeforce lightweight contender Josh “The Punk” Thompson returned to the octagon in devastating fashion. With one headkick and several unanswered punches to the head of Nate Diaz, Thompson announced his arrival and presence in the UFC’s lightweight division adding yet another top contender. After not only beating but finishing Nate Diaz, Thompson, finally healthy after struggling with multiple injuries for a couple of years, cannot be ignored. Nate had never been finished in the UFC and for Josh to do so in such a convincing manner, “The Punk” should not be brushed to the side. While I agree that Josh needs one more fight against a top contender to further solidify his place in the division, there could be an argument made that he is ready now.

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis adds yet another interesting element to the lightweight title picture. Not only is Pettis the last W.E.C. lightweight champion, he is the last person to beat current UFC champion Ben Henderson. When the W.E.C. folded in December of 2010 and the ranks of the bantamweights, featherweights and lightweights were merged with the UFC roster, Anthony Pettis was promised an immediate title shot against then champ Frankie Edgar. Unfortunately for Pettis, Gray Maynard and Frankie fought to a draw in their UFC 125 fight the following January, precipitating a rematch for Maynard. After an injury forced the delay of the scheduled rematch between Edgar and Maynard, Pettis was forced to take a fight against fan favorite Clay Guida. Things didn’t quite go as planned for Pettis as he was out wrestled and left the building with a unanimous decision loss. Pettis has since put together a 3 fight win streak that includes brutal finishes over Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone. With those wins Pettis put himself in a great position to get his long overdue title shot against Henderson, but Pettis did not want to wait. He wanted a title shot in the UFC. Instead of waiting for the winner of Henderson vs. Melendez, he opted to drop to featherweight for a shot at the 145lb champion Jose Aldo. A good move? Not so much. In preparation for his fight against Aldo, Pettis injured his knee and was forced to withdraw from their scheduled fight at UFC 163 on August 3, 2013. Yet another title fight was taken from Pettis. We all know that “Showtime” will get his long awaited UFC title shot in his next fight. We just don’t know whether it will be at 145lbs or 155lbs. This causes further confusion in the lightweight division.

 

When we talk about the depth of the UFC’s lightweight division, we cannot ignore perennial contenders Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Jim Miller, Pat Healy and the fast rising Rafael dos Anjos. Dos Anjos has reeled off 4 straight wins and has won 8 of his last 10 fights. While dos Anjos needs another couple of wins to make a case for a lightweight title shot, with all of the craziness we have seen in the stacked lightweight division, do not consider it out of the realm of possibility.

If this doesn’t confuse you, I have done my job. If it does mess with your head a little bit, don’t feel bad. We are all a little bemused.

Thank you and stay safe.

Randy Casjens

Twitter- @SavageRandy