by Todd Yeakle
2007 was definitely a year to remember in MMA. With many highs and many lows it will definitely be a year to remember.
Who can forget "The Croation Sensation" getting a dosage of his own medicine with a kick to the head from Gabriel Gonzaga that would send most people into a permanent dream state. Or how about the werewolf Quinton Jackson dethroning one of mixed martial arts greatest strikers with a vicious right hook to the head. There were many moments that defined mma in 2007 but for me one thing came to mind when I thought of the best way to describe this year in mma. It was the year of the upsets.
2007 had some of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history. It is often said that "anything can happen" in mma. But Forrest Griffin submitting Shogun Rua was not anything. It was more than anything. Randy "The Natural" Couture defeating the 68" giant was more than anything. These fights were everything to the winners and made them superstars overnight in the crazy world of MMA.
I wanted to wrap up the year by talking about some of the greatest upsets of all time. Things most hardcore mma fans never thought would happen. These fights were proof that anyone can conquer if they believe in themselves and have the perseverance and willingness to succeed in life. In the world of mixed martial arts truly "anything can and will happen".
Upset #1 Nick Diaz def. Takanori Gomi - I have never been more excited at the end of a fight than I was after Nick Diaz submitted Takanori Gomi with a Gogo Plata at Pride 33 Second Coming. Not only is this one of the biggest upsets of 2007 it is my personal favorite fight of all time. Talk about exciting, I was jumping up and down at the end of this one.
This fight was a total knock down, drag out war. At one point Nick Diaz was bouncing Gomis head off the ropes with his punches like a punching bag. Diaz got rocked in the beginning but weathered the storm and turned it into a signature Nick Diaz brawl eventually tapping Gomi out with a Gogo Plata at the beginning of the second round. Diaz won the fight but you couldnt tell by looking at him. His face was a bloody mess, an indication of how hard Gomi punches, considering he took a lot more than he gave.
This was truly a fight for the ages and one I will never forget. Unfortunately Diazs win was overruled and the fight was considered a no contest.
Upset #2 Randy Couture def. Tim Sylvia - Anything is possible when you think of the name Randy Couture. He is one of the greatest mma fighters of all time and a legend of the sport already. Everyone thought he was finished. He had hung up his gloves after his second loss to "The Iceman" and many thought that was it.
But that wasnt the end of Couture. He was still a commentator and he was still hungry for more. Couture was unimpressed with the heavyweight competition and felt he could still compete at the top level.
So he did the impossible and the then 43 year old fought Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight belt at UFC 68. It was one of the greatest upsets of all time. The wrestler out struck the striker in a 5 round all out war of attrition that left spectators in complete amazement. Randy completely took Sylvia out of his world and dominated the stand up for 25 minutes. He even dropped the giant within seconds of the first round with a ducking right hand that stunned and surprised "The Maniac".
This fight was a battle royal and is considered, in my book, one of the biggest upsets of 2007.
Upset #3 Quinton Jackson def. Chuck Liddell - Many thought Chuck was unstoppable. Many thought it couldnt be done. I myself wondered, is anybody going to be this freakin guy? He had so much confidence with wins over the highest level of competition including Tito, Jeremy Horn, Sobral, Belfort, Mezger, Randleman, and Couture twice.
It seemed like nobody could break "The Ice" or even last a round with him for that matter. His counter striking with the power to end fights alongside his superior take down defense enabled him to knock off his opponents with the precision of a sniper. Who could stop the unstoppable? Was anybody up for the job?
In May of 2007 we found out. It wasnt the first time Liddell and Rampage had entered to cage. In their first bout Rampage stopped Liddell in dominating fashion ending the fight with a TKO. Now it was time for Chuck to redeem himself. Would his loss to Quinton play a role in their second fight? Well either way Rampage was on that night. He came out swinging and with improved striking skills. All it took was one little mistake and it was all over. Rampage caught Chuck on the chin with a quick right hook that dropped Liddell. He then went in for the kill the fight was over. Chuck quickly sat up with glazed eyes trying to figure out where he was. It can happen to anybody and this night it happened to "The Iceman".
This was truly one of the greatest upsets of 2007.
Upset #4 Forrest Griffin def. Mauricio Rua - Obviously I saved the best for last. This upset takes the cake by a mile. I could see Diaz over Gomi and Rampage over Liddell but Griffin over Shogun. Give me a break. I didnt think in a trillion years that Forrest Griffin could ever beat Mauricio "Shogun" Rua from Pride. That fight completely shocked me.
On the other hand it looked nothing like the Shogun I know and have watched so many times in all of the old Pride FC events. He was not aggressive at all and looked like a fish out of water. Something definitely happens when Pride fighters come to fight in the UFC. I cant pin point exactly what it is but its not the level of competition. I think it has to do with the pressure to make it big in the US and of course the rules and the octagon.
On the other hand I take nothing from Forrest Griffin as he fought his heart out and without a doubt defeated the former Chutes Box star. Shogun was considered the best in the world by many at the time of this bout, making this truly one of the biggest upsets of all time. To top it all off Forrest choked out Mauricio with a rear naked choke in dominating fashion. Forrest finally believed he has what it takes to fight with the best of the best. That is what gave him the ability to win this fight and to continue on as one of the best light heavyweight fighters in the world.
I rank this as the years biggest upset for sure. This fight was truly unbelievable.
2007 was a crazy year in MMA and its not even over. With two more of the years biggest cards still to come, 2007 is shaping up to be one of the sports biggest years ever.
Visit RedSweat.com for more Mixed Martial Arts news!
Todd Yeakle is editor in chief of the mma news syndicate RedSweat.com
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Georges “Rush” St. Pierre vs Matt “Terror” Serra
After a long awaited postponement, the anticipated Welterweight showdown will commence when UFC Welterweight champion, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, faces challenger and TUF 4 Welterweight Winner, Matt “Terror” Serra. Also on the card is an epic clash of original TUF Welterweights, Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez and Josh “Kos” Koscheck, when they face off to see who will be next in line for the elite in the Welterweight division, or maybe even a title shot. All-in-all, this card is one to be watched when things heat up in Houston
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History of UFC
The UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championships, was off to a rocky start in 2001. The first pay per view special went overtime and the viewers did not get to see the end. Additionally, the early era, when rules were much less strict, was seen as spectacle instead of sport. This has completely turned around. The UFC was able to enforce standards, recast from no holds barred to MMA, or Mixed Martial Arts, and now threatens to KO boxing.
UFC is sanctioned in twenty states, and the current leadership intends to regularize it across the nation. The lucrative deal with Spike TV is certainly helping, and UFC fights and television shows are very popular. They are currently averaging 2.2 million viewers in the third season of the show “The Ultimate Fighter,” which has been picked up for at least two more years. Additionally, “UFC Unleashed” and “UFC Fight Night” are showing on Spike with first run and repeat fights. In the last quarter of 2006, UFC had four pay per view events averaging 482,000 viewers. UFC is now shown in 36 countries around the world. UFC is running shows in Canada and the UK, and intends to open a UK office to expand into the European market. The increased visibility provided by the television shows has allowed the UFC to market stars, creating a media draw in their own right.
While as late as 2004 the owners, Zuffa LLC, still had $34 million in losses. However, in 2006 the UFC generated $222,766,000 in revenue on pay per view, passing WWE and boxing with the largest events nearing 800,000 viewers. There is even an agreement with THQ for worldwide rights to develop UFC based video games.
While some still see the sport as if it were still no holds barred, the most dangerous moves have been rendered illegal, and the competitors require great training and skill to succeed. With elements from various martial arts, wresting and boxing, the sport really is mixed martial arts. Failure to provide a firm grounding in all three areas will result in defeat. While the typical UFC fighter will have a preferred style, it is utterly normal to constantly evaluate strengths against weakness, and to go with whatever style seems likely to play to an opponents weakness. Matches can feature a great deal of movement as fighters dance around the ring trading blows, or can be very still, as both fighters grapple and seek submission holds.
The current rules were established by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, and have been adopted as the “Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts” by several other states.
On 27 March 2007 Dana White, president of the UFC, announced the purchase of Pride Fighting Championships, the main competitor for the UFC. The organizations will remain separate as organizations, they will cooperate and co-promote supercards with champions and top contenders from both organizations in the same event. It is being dubbed “The SuperBowl of MMA!”
UFC is sanctioned in twenty states, and the current leadership intends to regularize it across the nation. The lucrative deal with Spike TV is certainly helping, and UFC fights and television shows are very popular. They are currently averaging 2.2 million viewers in the third season of the show “The Ultimate Fighter,” which has been picked up for at least two more years. Additionally, “UFC Unleashed” and “UFC Fight Night” are showing on Spike with first run and repeat fights. In the last quarter of 2006, UFC had four pay per view events averaging 482,000 viewers. UFC is now shown in 36 countries around the world. UFC is running shows in Canada and the UK, and intends to open a UK office to expand into the European market. The increased visibility provided by the television shows has allowed the UFC to market stars, creating a media draw in their own right.
While as late as 2004 the owners, Zuffa LLC, still had $34 million in losses. However, in 2006 the UFC generated $222,766,000 in revenue on pay per view, passing WWE and boxing with the largest events nearing 800,000 viewers. There is even an agreement with THQ for worldwide rights to develop UFC based video games.
While some still see the sport as if it were still no holds barred, the most dangerous moves have been rendered illegal, and the competitors require great training and skill to succeed. With elements from various martial arts, wresting and boxing, the sport really is mixed martial arts. Failure to provide a firm grounding in all three areas will result in defeat. While the typical UFC fighter will have a preferred style, it is utterly normal to constantly evaluate strengths against weakness, and to go with whatever style seems likely to play to an opponents weakness. Matches can feature a great deal of movement as fighters dance around the ring trading blows, or can be very still, as both fighters grapple and seek submission holds.
The current rules were established by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, and have been adopted as the “Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts” by several other states.
On 27 March 2007 Dana White, president of the UFC, announced the purchase of Pride Fighting Championships, the main competitor for the UFC. The organizations will remain separate as organizations, they will cooperate and co-promote supercards with champions and top contenders from both organizations in the same event. It is being dubbed “The SuperBowl of MMA!”
Friday, August 17, 2007
Rich Crunkilton to challenge Rob McCullough for WEC title
WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough will defend his title for the first time against UFC and WEC veteran Rich "Cleat" Crunkilton.
Team Oyama fighter McCullough won the title in January of this year when he beat world thaiboxing champion Kit Cope by submission in the first round. His impressive 14-3-0 record is topped off with a recent eight fight win streak including, seven of which have ended before the distance.
Crunkilton, from the American Kickboxing Acadeamy (AKA) holds a 14-1-0 record with his only loss coming against UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca. He has amassed a six fight win streak since then, beating Mike Joy to earn his title shot.
Team Oyama fighter McCullough won the title in January of this year when he beat world thaiboxing champion Kit Cope by submission in the first round. His impressive 14-3-0 record is topped off with a recent eight fight win streak including, seven of which have ended before the distance.
Crunkilton, from the American Kickboxing Acadeamy (AKA) holds a 14-1-0 record with his only loss coming against UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca. He has amassed a six fight win streak since then, beating Mike Joy to earn his title shot.
Randy Couture on Jim Rome Today
From UFC.com: ESPN’s Jim Rome is Burning will be running a feature on Randy Couture as he readies for his title fight against Gabriel Gonzaga. They show how Randy trains and how his regimen helps him in the cage. He takes a rare moment to reflect on his bout with Tim Sylvia and analyzes Gonzaga’s knockout of Cro Cop. The show runs Friday, August 17 at 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT.
Man, Randy is everywhere these days. If he wins his upcoming fight the momentum will just continue to grow. However, if he loses, will that be a step back in coverage for MMA in the mainstream? Randy is so popular not only because he’s an amazing athlete but also because he’s well spoken and likelable. What if Gonzaga takes the title? He’s a great fighter and likeable guy, but not the most well spoken fighter out there. This fight probably has more implictions than most think.
Man, Randy is everywhere these days. If he wins his upcoming fight the momentum will just continue to grow. However, if he loses, will that be a step back in coverage for MMA in the mainstream? Randy is so popular not only because he’s an amazing athlete but also because he’s well spoken and likelable. What if Gonzaga takes the title? He’s a great fighter and likeable guy, but not the most well spoken fighter out there. This fight probably has more implictions than most think.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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