Paige Van Zant Is Tough As Nails

I haven't seen the official scorecard yet, but it is possible that 3 (maybe 4) of those rounds were 10 - 8. Think of that. If it was 3 rounds that would mean it was potentially a 50 - 41 fight had it gone the distance... and when a fight is that one-sided it usually doesn't make it into the 5th round.

Usually I don't give people credit for just taking a beating, but as long as Paige learns from this fight I say she deserves credit for not giving up.

Van Zant could have easily given up and said "I don't want to deal with this shit because it's not fun tonight" but she didn't.

So PVZ can take that as a positive, that she was able to be "outclassed" (as she called it in the post-fight press conference) and still almost make it to the final horn.

I feel she also deserves credit for realizing her (current) limitations. Like she said last night - she's new, and she is still young. She still has room to grow & develop the skills she doesn't currently have in her arsenal. PVZ wasn't a "one trick pony" but think of how scary she will be when she does add the necessary skills to compete with the elite in the division!

It is understandable that Paige was disheartened after what happened last night, anyone would have been. Even Ronda Rousey felt the way Van Zant did after her loss... so maybe PVZ can learn from the former Bantamweight champion and hopefully she can get back up and come back stronger than ever!

I saw many articles posted last night that appeared to be happy that Paige lost, and even some people asked Dana White questions about how he felt now that another fighter he was heavily promoting was defeated. I say that people who were happy to proclaim that the "hype train was derailed" should be ashamed of themselves.

She was a young fighter trying to prove herself... to dismiss her accomplishments as only "hype" is insulting to all the hard work this amazing young woman has put in. It's no secret that I'm not a fan of many Team Alpha Male fighters... but I don't deny that they are an elite gym - and for someone like Paige to be able to hang with those thoroughbreds is proof that she's not "hype".

She lost... it happens. Get over it people. She was someone who was positive & not prone to :poop: talking - so if you're one of the people reveling in her loss and how she was emotional at the post-fight press conference, that says more about you than it does Paige. (and not in a good way)

I have faith that PVZ will be back to her winning ways soon. I believe that this loss will teach her more about herself & what she can do than all of her success has up to this point in her career.

I look forward to what is next for Van Zant. In a division of tough competitors & talented fighters Paige won't just be some undeserving fighter thrown to the sharks... she will become one of those sharks.

I wish Paige the very best in everything she does!

10 Questions With Mark Cherico

 

I should have got around to this interview/article awhile back. I have been a fan of Mark Cherico for a long time. I have been telling people that the Central/Western Pennsylvania MMA scene is strong... and Mark is one of the main reasons this is true. The "Pride of Bloomfield" was 9 - 0 as an amateur(holding titles with 4 promotions)  before turning pro. He is currently 8 - 1 as a professional with one title. Cherico will be fighting this weekend for Gladiators of the cage against Nate Landwehr for the GOTC Featherweight title. According to Tapology, Mark is ranked #3 for Pennsylvania Featherweights (#4 for Bantamweights) and #7 for US Northeast Featherweights. (#5 for Bantamweights)

I have known about Mark since 2011 when he fought at NAAFS Rock N Rumble 5 as an amateur. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing him fight live, but thanks to StandThemUp & NAAFSTV on YouTube I have been able to follow his fight career.

For a long time I have been saying that Mark would definitely be one of the Pennsylvania fighters to make it to the UFC, but sadly that doesn't seem to be in Mark's future... because recently Cherico announced on his Facebook page that this fight at GOTC 19 will be his last fight. I understand his reasoning, but (in my opinion) this is a shame, because Mark is someone I believe has the ability to compete with the very best fighters the UFC has on its current roster at either Bantamweight (135 lbs) or Featherweight. (145 lbs)

But before he says a final goodbye to fighting, you have one last opportunity to see this exciting fighter in action. If you are anywhere near Pittsburgh this weekend, I highly suggest you get out to Cheswick, PA for the fights, but if you can't be there live you can watch the live stream at Gladiators Of The Cage 

 While I will be sad to not see mark be an active part of the Pennsylvania MMA scene, I wish him the very best in whatever he chooses to do next. Recently I had the privilege of asking Mark a few questions... here is 10 Questions With mark Cherico.

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Mark Cherico. I am 29 years young. I fight in the featherweight division (145), I held 4 amateur titles for (Brawlroom, Rocktagon, Cage of Chaos & NAAFS) & also currently hold 1 but hopefully soon to be 2 Pro Titles. Currently The PinnacleFC Featherweight Champion. I'm from Pittsburgh's Lil Italy aka Bloomfield. I represent Fight Club Pittsburgh & Pridelands Pittsburgh.

2. How did you get started in MMA?

I started MMA just by chance. I had been watching it online for quite sometime when one day I was sitting on my porch and a neighbor Mike Colamarino walked by and he had a gear bag with him. We got to talking & he told me he trained in MMA. I asked him to work with me so we started that night. After a few weeks with him in my garage he sent me to train under Donnie Kaecher at PTT Fight Team. From there I trained and started to take fights.

3. What do you feel your strengths are as a fighter? 

I feel my biggest strength is that I'm always looking to improve. I'm never satisfied with my skill set so I never rest on my laurels. I'm always trying to improve every facet of my game.

4. Of all the fights you have had, which was your favorite and why? 

I would have to say my fight with Donnie Walker was my favorite. I think it was my best performance of my career and it will always stick with me because it was a dominate victory and really opened my eyes to how good I could be.

5. Is there a fight that you wish you could do again and is there someone you wish you could have fought? 

Yeah the main one would be my only loss (Brian Kelleher). I've been trying to get it but it appears he's not gonna oblige. I really wish I would have never agreed to a fight at 135. It was just too much for my body. I think 145 is the lowest I should ever fight.

6. Who are some of your role models? 

I would have to say the biggest role model in my life would be my mom. My dad passed away from cancer when I was young and she raised not only myself but my little brother & sister. She always worked so hard to make sure we always had everything we could ever want growing up. As for a role model in mma not really anyone. I don't feel like I should look up to someone who I hope to one day surpass.

7. You have said that this upcoming fight will be your last. Can you explain this decision and what led you to decide this will be your final fight? 

I think it's time. The last few fight camps have taken a toll on my body. I think this year really showed that as I've had a lot of injuries. My family also played a huge role in my decision. I want to spend more time at home with my wife and daughter.

8. What do you think your legacy will be in MMA as a fighter? 

I don't know. I hope it's that I was a hell of a fighter and entertainer.

9. What would you like top accomplish in your post-fight career? 

I want to get my black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

10. Is there anyone you would like to thank? 

I wanna thank my wife for always supporting me, my management team at Guardian, my training partners (Wilkins, Worthy, Burdette, Grossman, Hier, Patton, Philly Chris, Chaka, Mazzotta, Holt & everybody else who helped me this camp.) and my coaches ( Lou Jitsu, & Bob Meese). Also like to thank all my sponsors for supporting me during my career.
 

 Mark's Links:

https://www.facebook.com/mark.cherico.5

https://twitter.com/MarkChericoMMA

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/f/D0DA7BEB9EB5C79B/Mark-Cherico/

http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/26360-mark-cherico

Some photos courtesy of Christopher Nolan's MetConPhotos.com

Mark talking about the upcoming fight at GOTC 19

 Mark on GOTC MMA Talk

Lessons To Learn From McGeary Vs Ortiz

Re-watching the main event from last night & recalling the McGregor Vs Mendes main event fight gives me two conclusions.

1. Just because it looks like someone is winning the fight doesn't mean they are actually winning the fight.

2. Wrestling isn't as important as people would like us to think in comparison to other forms of grappling.

Now before you wrestling advocates go off on me, I didn't say wrestling isn't important at all.  I am saying that if you have a "wrestling only" approach to grappling you are doing yourself a dis-service.

Wrestling has shown to be a positive for MMA fighters in terms of conditioning & discipline. However fighters who depend too heavily on wrestling (or wrestling alone) find themselves at a huge disadvantage over more well-rounded MMA fighters who have a balanced grappling arsenal.

In last night's fight Tito Ortiz seemed to have an easy time getting Liam McGeary to the mat. It was a sloppy (telegraphed) takedown but Tito did manage to get Liam on his butt & then on his back.

I'm sure Tito supporters will say that the inverted triangle submission "came out of nowhere" and that Tito was "winning the fight until he wasn't" but neither of those are true.

Just like with Conor the McGregor/Mendes fight, Liam remained calm while on his back & was dealing with the attempted ground & pound of his opponent.

And just like with Mendes, Ortiz was thinking he was winning the fight, but this proved to be a false sense of security that was exploited by the fighter on his back that eventually resulted in a win for the non-wrestler.

If you were paying attention, Liam was attempting submissions almost the entire time Tito was on top of him. There were a few moments where Tito did have control of McGeary's hand/wrist, but
because Tito was so focused on GnP he wasn't realizing how he was putting himself into dangerous positions.

Commentator Jimmy Smith recognized that Liam was working for a chance to launch a good submission, and almost as soon as you hear Smith say the phrase "inverted triangle" Ortiz was tapping from that exact technique.

It wasn't a case of "bad luck" for Tito or a "good luck" situation for Liam... what happened last night was a case of preparing for a bad situation & executing the remedy for being put on your back.

Just like with the McGregor/Mendes fight.Chad was thinking that all he needed was a takedown or two and some GnP to win the fight. But that gameplan goes to "poop" if the opponent can withstand punches, or even get back to their feet.

Conor took everything Chad tried to land & then after getting back to his feet McGregor used his superior striking to end the fight.

Ronda Rousey has shown that Judo can be used to not only negate other forms of grappling (such as BJJ and Wrestling) but can be superior to them.

Tito (like Chad) was counting on a "wrestling first" gameplan being all that was necessary to win. That may have worked back when Tito was UFC Light heavyweight Champion... but in this modern era of MMA it is not enough.

Most (successful) fighters have at least a basic understanding of wrestling in addition to other forms of grappling and various styles of striking. The fighters at the top have a well-rounded arsenal of attacks - even if many of the champions in the top promotions have a wrestling background.

The two fights I mentioned show that getting too secure with just one style can lower your chances of success. Just because something used to work in the past doesn't mean it will always work.

Chad Mendes has time to develop a more well-rounded fight attack, but I believe Tito Ortiz is out of time. He is on the wrong side of 40 and last night was his 31st fight. His glory days are in the past, and he should be thinking of what to do after fighting instead of trying to prolong his career beyond his abilities to compete at the top tier of fighting.

Fighting isn't about luck, it's about hard work & preparation... but even that can't keep you competitive forever. Everything has its time. Nobody stays undefeated forever - just like nobody stays champion (or on top) forever.

Tito Ortiz is a victim of age & a narrow approach to his craft. Chad Mendes doesn't have to suffer that fate... just like other fighters don't have to. The lesson to learn from Ortiz Vs McGeary is to prepare for any opponent, and give yourself the best chance for success by having a well-rounded gameplan.

Nick Diaz Is Not A Victim

The Nick Diaz "situation" and fighter/public reaction is just crazy. People are being ridiculous. Joe Rogan is wrong, Diaz is not a "victim" of NSAC overreach. He is a grown man who made a choice, and his choice had consequences.

Diaz was suspended for five years by the NSAC because of his positive drug test for marijuana following his fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 183. People are overreacting, because they are looking at the punishment out of context.

This was not the first time Diaz tested positive for a banned substance, it was his THIRD time failing a drug test. If he had been given 5 years for a first offense of the banned substance aspect of the rules/regulations people outrage would be justified. But this is his third offense, and Diaz should be grateful that his failed test happened BEFORE the new rules took effect, or Diaz might have been suspended for more than five years.

Several fighters have come to the defense of Diaz. Some say they will no longerfight in Nevada as long as the NSAC has Diaz under suspension. I believe this is just talk, and that if the UFC books them for a fight in Nevada they will accept. To pass on any fight the promotion offers is basically job suicide. The UFC isn't going to tolerate anyone protesting in this manner, even if it is thier "stars".

UFC exec (and former Middleweight champion) Matt Hughes called Diaz a "punk" and UFC Heavyweight Matt Mitrione responded to this in not a positive way. I say this is also not smart. Dana White has shown that he isn't very receptive of people who criticize the promotion of its policies.

It doesn't matter that some states allow the use of marijuana for medically approved reasons, including the state of California where Diaz lives. It is illegal on a Federal level, and (more importantly) it is on the banned substances list. Several legal substances are on that list, so even if all 50 states allow the use of marijuana as loing as it is on the banned substances you can't use it if you choose to make a living as a professional fighter. It is that simple.

Diaz knew that marijuana is not allowed, and he chose to use it anyway. The punishment is justified under the current rules/regulations. PERIOD.

Ronda Rousey went on record saying that she feels no state athletic commission should test for marijuana. And while she is allowed to have that opinion she is wrong because not only state athletic commissions but other governing bodies (such as the International Olympic Committee) have stated marijuana is on the banned substances list. I realize that marijuana isn't a "[erformance enhancing drug" in the same category as HGH, TRT or steroids, but it does have positive benefits under certain circumstances. Diaz allegedly uses it to deal with anxiety, so in this instance it does enhance his performance compared to how he would perform without using marijuana. USADA & WADA tests for marijuana, and if caught a competitor deserves to be punished just as if they got caught testing positive for steroids, HGH or TRT.

Joe Rogan (a well-known stoner & marijuana advocate) says the NSAC screwed Diaz over, but he is wrong. I reassert the point that Diaz knew that the use of marijuana is not allowed, and still he chose to use that banned substance. If anyone "screwed" Diaz it is he himself, not the NSAC. He knew the rules and he chose to ignore them - and it cost him $165,000 and 5 years of his competition career.

While Matt Hughes was a bit insensitive by calling Diaz a "punk" the over-all idea that Diaz is to blame for his cuurrent situation not the NSAC is true.

Several thousand people signed an online petition for the White House to get involved. Reportedly 25,500 people signed the petition in the first two days. Usually the White House requires 100,000 signatures before someone from the Obama Administration looks over the petition... but I feel that in this situation even 200,000 signatures (or more) isn't going to make the Obama Administration come to Nick's defense. As mentioned above, marijuana is still illegal at the Federal level... and I don't see the laws getting changed just so one mixed martial arts fighter can get back to fighting after being suspended for five years for his third offense.

People need to be realistic. Regardless of how you feel about marijuana being illegal at the federal level, or how sports governing bodies classify the drug... it is currently not allowed if you wish to get paid to be a fighter/competitor. You either follow the rules or accept the consequences of you get caught. It is that simple.

If you disagree with the classification of marijuana in sports and in general you should work towards changing the laws/rules/regulations as the system allows. Signing an online petition is a symbolic gesture that won't gets the results you desire. And even if the rules change in the near future, Diaz most likely will have to serve a large portion of his suspension before he can request for the NSAC to reduce/remove his suspension.

Bottom line: Nick Diaz is not a victim. He's an adult who made a decision knowing what the consequences would be if he got caught using a banned substance. He made a choice, and now he needs to take responsibility for his actions and accept the consequences like an adult.

I wish him well, but I can't respect him being a crybaby after he did what he did. I always enjoyed seeing him fight, but he has always been his own worst enemy.

Miesha Tate's Fatal Flaw

Re-watching the rematch between Ronda Rousey​ & Miesha Tate​ and I realize that either Miesha's delusional thinking attracts like-minded people, or she got that way because her cornermen are out of their minds giving her unrealistic advice.

Recently Daniel Cormier​ said that Bryan Caraway​ has a "great grasp of MMA" but you can't tell that by what he was telling Tate in between rounds.

After Miesha got lit up by Ronda (and taken town twice with Judo throws) Caraway was yelling "She's already breaking... she's already breaking!" which was crazy if you look at what actually happened. Maybe that was why Tate started Round 2 smiling, because she believed what she was being told.

Then after 4 more Judo throw takedowns (contrary to what Joe Rogan​ says in the post fight commentary it wasn't "the same throw over & over" Ronda used 4 different throws in this fight) and Ronda dominating the striking Tate's corner told her she was "out-striking" Rousey and that "she used up everything she has, she's done!" and if you look at the fight metrics that was not true about Miesha out-striking Ronda, let alone that Ronda was gassed out.

The proof that Tate's corner was wrong about Ronda's cardio or being "done" was how quickly Ronda was able to get Miesha on the Octagon floor and secure the armbar submission win.

If you look at the fight metrics for the entire fight, Ronda had more total strikes, more significant strikes, more takedowns/knockdowns, more submission attempts, and more time controlling Miesha on the mat.

In no category did Tate has a positive advantage over Rousey. And if you look at the faces of both fighters after the fight at the post-fight press conference Miesha looks like she was in a bad car wreck while Ronda looked fresh and ready to fight again.

Ronda took several up-kicks to the face as well as some unblocked punches, yet at no time was she in serious danger of being knocked out.

And if you needed more proof that Tate wasn't having a realistic view of her performance, listen to the post-fight interview with Rogan where she tried to discredit Ronda's beating of her by saying "she worked on her right SOME" and that "she was the better fighter TONIGHT" - which means she didn't believe what she was saying, but she said it so people didn't think badly of her.

In the post-fight press conference she expands on those concepts & says Ronda allows Miesha to realize how strong she really is... when she should have been seeing it as proof of how mismatched these fighters were/are.

That delusional thinking from Tate is why she thinks she has a chance against Ronda. Miesha's flawed thinking that her wrestling can not only negate Ronda's Judo, but that it can defeat her... when in reality Ronda was using Miesha's over-use of wrestling to her advantage by the MANY Judo techniques she used to take Tate down at will.

Until/unless Tate get realistic in how far apart her & Ronda really are talent-wise she has NO CHANCE of seriously challenging the champion.

Miesha thinks she took Ronda farther than anyone else has... when in truth she SURVIVED longer than anyone else did. Round 1 could have been a 10 -8 round for Rousey... Round 2 definitely was a 10 - 8 in my opinion. It is possible that Miesha was down 20 - 16 going into that 3rd round when her corner was having her think that she might actually be ahead in scoring and in place to win the fight.

Bottom line, as long as Tate thinks the way she does she won't be able to identify all the things she does wrong when fighting Ronda. The sloppy technique that she can get away with when fighting other opponents doesn't work when she is in the Octagon with the most dominant fighter/champion the UFC has.


Even if Miesha is correct in thinking she is the next best fighter after Ronda, that doesn't mean she is in Ronda's league.

Saturday night after Ronda KO'd Bethe Correia in 34 seconds Miesha tweeted "I guarantee that she won't do that to me" - which shows that she still isn't looking at Rousey realistically, especially based on the previous times they faced each other. This is part of why Miesha won't win if she can't be realistic in how she matches up against Rousey.

Miesha would be better off getting rid of the people who can't be HONEST with her and how well/badly she is doing so that she can improve what is wrong and try to get better.

That is her only hope because Tate's time is running out. She is not going to get a 4th chance at Ronda... so this next title shot needs to be done PERFECTLY or it will be a wasted effort.

Miesha needs to realize that it doesn't matter that she is working hard because Ronda is also working hard. The difference is that Ronda isn't just training to be the best in the world on her best day... she is training to be the best in the world on her worst day. Tate needs to understand that Ronda is training so that even if her opponent does everything perfectly, it isn't going to be good enough for them to defeat her.

That is a near impossible thing to overcome. Not totally impossible... but a major hurdle for Tate is this delusional thinking when it comes to her & Ronda.

I wish her the best... but I think her trying to rush this third chance at Ronda will only end with Tate losing to Rousey... again.

Keeping It Short Is Ronda's Best Bet At UFC 190

While Ronda says she wants to punish Bethe Correia tomorrow night I don't think she is going to extend the fight to do that. It's not the smart thing to do & Ronda is a very smart fighter.

Sure it is personal, but the gameplan in Ronda's best interest is to finish the fight as quickly as possible because every second she extends the fight is another second that Correia could pull off an upset.

Bethe is coming in as a HUGE underdog, but that doesn't mean she can't win.

Chael Sonnen has said this is the toughest fight for Ronda Rousey​ because it is in Brazil (even if he admits he hates when people say that about every fight Ronda has) but I disagree.

Ronda CHOSE for this fight to be in Brazil. She didn't have to do that. And while Chael is right that (normally) Brazil is a HUGE advantage for Brazilians because the fans get behind their fighters... this is not necessarily the case for this fight.

Rousey has been very well received by the Brazilian crowd. People were crying when they saw her & one young fan even ran out during the open workout to hug Ronda.

While it is true that Bethe "Pitbull" Correia​ will have her supporters, it is quite possible that Rousey will have more support in Brazil for this fight.

So while I normally agree with Chael Sonnen​ I disagree with him that this fight being in Brazil is a disadvantage for the champion.

I predict that it will be a short but exciting fight & that Ronda will do what she has always done - find what needs to be done & do it to win the fight.

I also predict that Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos​ attending the fights will get more attention than the actual main event will because of how Ronda will quickly defeat this previously undefeated opponent.

I have gone on record that I feel Dana White​ will book Cyborg Vs. Ronda for #UFC200, and that #UFC190 will be the beginning of that hypetrain.

I am looking forward to this event as a whole, but it is possible that after all the build-up the main event can seem anti-climactic if Rousey once again proves that she is far beyond her competition in the division.

So many exciting match-ups for tomorrow nights fight card. SEVEN fights on the PPV and 4 more for the televised prelims according to the current Wikipedia info for this event. That is about as many fights as a regular UFC fight card... but this event also has 2 UFC Fight Pass​ prelims making it 13 total fights for a very STACKED fight card!

There are so many amazing match-ups, but I predict that the women will steal the show! Ronda Vs. Bethe is exciting, but I am equally excited to see two of the very best Strawweights in the world do battle! Seeing Jessica Aguilar make her UFC debut against a very tough Cláudia Gadelha is going to be a "Fight of the Night"  contender for sure!

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Why I Knew Werdum Would Win At UFC 188

Today on The Dammage Report​ #FightNightRecap #UFC188 edition I explained what I meant when I said I "had a feeling" that Fabricio Werdum​ would beat Cain Velasquez​.

If you saw my posts just prior to the PPV portion of the fight card beginning I explained a little about what it was that caused me to come to the conclusion I did. Between last night & on the show earlier today I briefly explained why the altitude was the major factor why I knew Cain wouldn't win... here is a more detailed post letting you know why this was the reason Werdum won the fight.

Almost any other location for this fight most likely means Cain wins the fight... but because UFC 188 was in Mexico City (at 7,900ft above sea level) what normally is Cain's advantage becomes a fatal flaw in his game-plan.

Cain has been the best Heavyweight in MMA for the past 5 years because of his HUGE advantage in cardio. This allows him to have a furious pace & high output of strikers - even for a fight going the full 5 rounds. Opponents just can't match his pace or output, especially over a five round 25 minute fight.

Normally it is a "pick your poison" situation when you fight Velasquez... do you get taken out by his standing attack, or do you lose because of his wrestling takedowns & ground-and-pound - but last night wasn't a normal situation.

Cain trains in San Jose, CA - which is at sea level. Almost ever other location for UFC events is at or near sea level, so Cain has a distinct advantage. But Mexico City is not sea level... so the "gas tank" that Cain normally has is essentially negated when you fight more than a mile above his normal training elevation.

But that is just one aspect of why Cain wasn't going to win the fight. The other reason why he lost was because his coach (Javier Mendez) either completely failed to realize how the severe elevation would effect Cain's performance, or he was so confident that Cain would be able to do what he has always been able to do (because of the advantage of his cardio) that Mendez didn't even consider having a "back-up plan" to deal with any negative effects the severe elevation might have on Velasquez's performance in Mexico City.

The reason I blame Javier Mendez​ is because of how late in the training camp they chose to have Cain arrive in Mexico City to prepare for the fight.

Is it no secret that the way to deal with fighting at an elevation like 7,900ft is to acclimate your fighter to that elevation by arriving on location as far in advance before fight night as possible.

If you look back you will see that I locked in my pick for Werdum a week before UFC 188 was to happen... this was not by accident. I already knew that Werdum had been in Mexico City for several weeks (almost 2 months) to fully acclimate to the elevation and to maximize his performance potential.

In contrast to Werdum arriving way early the Velasquez camp didn't arrive in Mexico until the week before the fight. While this might seem like enough time to overcome the difference in altitude between San Jose & Mexico City, it wasn't.

The reason it wasn't enough time was because Mendez didn't change the game-plan that Cain usually has for his fights. But the combination of high pace and high output at high altitude without proper/full preparation was destined to end exactly the way it did last night.

I was posting how I felt the experience of Werdum would be an advantage for him... and it seems like he was being the smarter fighter last night.

While his coach was screaming at him for more action - even at the pace this fight had - Fabricio seemed to be pacing himself, and if he was doing this intentionally it was exactly the right thing to do.

Cain started off with some success, as was to be expected. He was fresh & had tons of energy... and he scored some solid strikes for the first minute. But as that first round continued with Cain keeping with the "fast pace, high output" game-plan his strength & power were quickly decreasing.

Halfway through that first round it was clear that while Cain was slowing down, Werdum wasn't looking tired at all. And as the second round was progressing it should have been come clear to Mendez that they needed to come up with something else because going with the usual game-plan wasn't going to work this time.

But Mendez wasn't giving Cain good advice - and in between rounds 2 & 3 he told Cain that he wanted Velasquez to take the fight to the ground. Why Javier thought it was a good idea for Cain to willingly take the fight where Werdum has a huge advantage because of his BJJ skills is a mystery.

Had Cain been at full strength it might have been OK, but Mendez should have seen that his fighter was basically just going through the motions as the second round was ending. Cain had almost zero power in his punches & kicks, and if he did manage to get a takedown he couldn't keep Werdum at a disadvantageous position.

Give Cain credit for not giving up. His will was trying to keep him going, but his body was failing him in that effort. You could see as the 3rd round began that it was only a matter of time before Fabricio was going to win the fight... it wasn't IF it was WHEN and HOW.

Werdum remained calm & executed his game-plan perfectly. He was picking Cain apart and he seemed to have full strength while Velasquez was getting wobbled with every significant strike exchange.

Even when Cain landed a high kick (that would normally rock his opponent) it had almost no effect on Werdum, except in Rogan's mind. Joe was screaming as if Velasquez has snatched victory from the edge of defeat... but really it was the beginning of the end for Cain.

Velasquez was grasping at anything that might pull out the win for him, and rushing in for a weak takedown ended up being Werdum securing the guillotine, and Velasquez went form having a glimmer of hope to needing to tapout because Fabricio locked in the choke & won the fight.

My "feeling" was that after finding out how late Cain arrived in Mexico City I expected that he would quickly run out of power/strength but that he would still keep trying to win the way he usually does. I knew that if they still went with the "fast pace/high output" game-plan all Fabricio had to do was weather the attack until the high altitude sapped everything from Velasquez and it was a matter of time before Werdum would find an opening to finish the fight.

It should have been something that Javier Mendez should have expected, and could have worked to avoid... but he was over-confident in Cain's ability or some similar reasoning, and because Mendez didn't even consider that Werdum COULD win the fight, he didn't properly prepare Cain for any possibility - and that resulted in Cain not having every opportunity to win.

The moment I saw Cain first slowing down I knew it was over. He was basically spent by the end of the 2nd round... and he had nothing to offer as a serious attack for the 3rd round. And because it wasn't going to get better for him as the fight progressed, the best Velasquez could have hoped for was a quicker ending that didn't mean he would take too much damage.

That might not seem like the "best" thing for Cain, but it is. It would mean that he might not have a long recover period (or lengthy mandatory medical suspension) and Velasquez might be able to return to the Octagon soon & hopefully get back to a title shot sooner rather than later. (which would be the case if the fight had lasted longer and/or Cain had taken more damage)

Usually Dana White​ likes automatic rematches when the champ loses... but I don't think he's going to do that in this situation. It is more likely that instead of Werdum/Velasquez II I think the UFC might book the rematch between the champ & the #1 contender in the UFC rankings (as of fight time last night) Junior dos Santos.

This is a possibility because JDS defeated Werdum when they fought... but more likely is that we will see Werdum, Vs. Stipe Miocic​ because that is the fight most fans probably want to see next.

Last night was a great fight to unify the UFC Heavyweight title... and I look forward to a rematch between Cain & Fabricio.

I stand by my assessment that if this fight happened anywhere else except where it did (and maybe Denver and Albuquerque) Cain would probably win, but it most likely goes the distance. I also stand by my assessment that Cain probably wins 3 times out of 4... and because of a combination of the Altitude & Mendez not fully preparing Cain for this fight in this city it could only end with Werdum winning.

That is why I knew who would win... and so many people either didn't see what I saw, or weren't open to the possibilities I knew were not unreasonable, given the circumstances.

Cain is still bad-ass... but last night wasn't going to be his night. But it didn't have to be that way if his coach had not been blinded with overconfidence. Hopefully Javier Mendez learns from this huge mistake he made at the expense of his fighter.

Chris Weidman on Garbage Time

Chris Weidman was on this week's episode of "Garbage Time with Katie Nolan" and he had some interesting things to say. Katie asked him about his upcoming title defense against Vitor Belfort at UFC 187 this Saturday, as well as other topics such as his nickname, the system of numbering UFC events, cutting weight, and other subjects. As we find out in this interview, both Katie and Chris graduated from Hofstra University. I feel this was an excellent interview with Chris Weidman, and I learned some things about him that I didn't know before this interview.

Nolan began the interview by asking Weidman about Belfort failing 2 drug tests. His response was: "I can't control what he's taking. I just know that there's an insecurity there obviously that he's trying to fill a void. And I'm going to find that insecurity when I'm in the cage with him and I'm going to beat him up."

When Katie pointed out that she felt Chris's nickname "The All-American" was 'so boring' he agreed and then responded: "I denounced my nickname literally like three years ago. There was another guy named the All-American [referring to former Marine/UFC fighter now commentator, Brian Stann] and he won a fight. He was like a war hero and stuff like that, so I'm like I'm no longer All-American, that's his name, I'm done. And then people just didn't pay attention to me, the just keep calling me All-American."

Nolan had asked Weidman how much he weighed at the moment and he jokingly responded that you don't ask fighters that question, before saying "I weigh, I'm pretty light right now. I'm 205." Then Katie asked him: "How do you lose 20 lbs in one week?" so he could get down to Middleweight limit of 185 lbs and Chris replied: "It's complicated... basically you do no sodium, so you don't retain the water. And then you drink lots of water, it flushes out your system. Then 24 hours before you actually make the weight just do a bunch of sauna workouts, running, and just kind of sweat it out. I'll end up cutting about 10lbs in 24 hours is what it usually comes down to, which is not that bad." When Nolan said: "That's insane." Weidman replied: "I've done 32 lbs in ten days." Nolan said again: "That's insane." and Weidman told her: "I almost died, I don't recommend it."

Then Katie asked Chris: "So it's hard for you to be 185, what is your food weakness? If you were on death row and you got to choose your last meal - entree, desert, and beverage - what would it be?" and he replied: "I'm going pizza and bagels. Together, I have to do it together... maybe bagel bites, but big bagels. For desert, chocolate. Just a brownie with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge & peanut butter somewhere on there. Beverage, am I getting put to death? If I'm getting put to death then I'm going to need something that's strong. I'll go with, just because I'm from Long Island a Long Island Iced Tea."

Katie moved on to a game she called "Punch, Drunk, Love" where she names three people and Chris has to say who he wants to punch, who he'd want to get drunk with, and which person he loves. The first set of options were - Ronda Rousey; The Rock [referring to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]; and Floyd Mayweather. After Katie cleared up that 'Love' didn't mean making love with that person, but 'Oh, I love...' Chris went with: "Drunk, The Rock; Punch, Floyd Mayweather; and Love, Ronda Rousey." The next set of options were - Kanye West; Justin Bieber; and Miley Cyrus. Chris went with: "Justin Bieber is getting punched. First time I saw him walk out with Floyd Mayweather for his boxing fight I was like 'That dude needs to get punched'. Miley Cyrus; Love, and Kanye West; I guess we're going to get drunk, Kanye West." before joking: "I knind of want to punch them all."

Nolan advised Weidman to go hit the sauna because he had some weight to cut, and to wrap up the segment Katie offered some luck to Chris with the old actors saying of 'break a leg", which is an obvious reference to the main event of UFC 168 where former UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva broke his leg in a rematch with Chris in December of 2013. (Weidman had knocked out Silva to become the UFC's Middleweight champion a few months prior at UFC 161.)

As mentioned earlier, both Katie and Chris went to Hofstra University in the Hempstead Village section of Long Island, New York. Chris earned All-American wrestling honors twice at Nassau Community College before transferring to Hofstra. He became the first junior college wrestler in history to be a NYS Collegiate Champion. At Hofstra, he became a two-time Division I All-American, placing 3rd at the NCAA tournament his senior year. Weidman graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. During the interview Chris says he "graduated a couple of times" but his Wikipedia page & UFC profile only mention the bachelor's degree in Psychology. Katie Nolan graduated from Hofstra in 2009 with a B.A. in Public Relations. Before hosting "Garbage Time" Nolan was a 'digital correspondent' for the former Fox Sports 1 show "Crowd Goes Wild" and hosts a web series on FoxSports.com called "No Filter with Katie Nolan".

"Garbage Time with Katie Nolan" is a weekly 30 minute show airing on Fox Sports 1 at 9:30PM Eastern. I am a big fan of Katie Nolan because I like the way she brings he unique perspective as a sports fan to not only her weekly show "Garbage Time", but on all of her appearance on the Fox Sports family of channels & shows as well as what she posts on the Fox Sports website and her YouTube channel.

I find it refreshing to have a "fan's view" on the current events in sports, and I would rather see a show like "Garbage Time" over the 'sports news' shows with their 'cookie-cutter' format, because you can see former athletes and commentators with a background in communications or journalism talking about sports from a predictable (meaning BORING) perspective on any of several channels devoted to sports all hours of the day to the point where things blur together and you can't tell who is who, or even what show you are watching.

Give me a show with someone like Katie's anytime. I can appreciate a fresh approach to a tired format, and I enjoy how she will ask the 'unexpected' questions rather than see a guest answer the same questions that get asked 100 times on every other show. Thinking "out of the box" is one of the main reasons I make sure that Sunday night at 9:30PM I am tuned to Fox Sports 1 for "Garbage Time with Katie Nolan".

You can find past episodes of "Garbage Time" at Katie's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/KatieNolanOfficial 

 The Chris Weidman episode can also be seen at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-7infXzszY

Why The MMA Unified Rules Need Updated

UFC 182's main event between Jon Jones & Daniel Cormier is a perfect example of why the Unified Rules for MMA need to be updated.

I believe that this fight shows why some rules need to be more clearly defined, and why some rules need to be added.

I am specifically talking about what is considered an illegal action, and what should be done when a fighter engages in illegal action.

Several times during the fight Jon Jones was breaking clearly the rules. Some of these incidents were seen by referee Herb Dean, some weren't. Many were seen & commented on by Joe Rogan - much of the time Rogan was speaking of illegal actions by Jones in a positive way, as if he was doing something right when the rules clearly say he wasn't.

Fort he purposes of this article I will reference two webpages on the rules. One is the Wikipedia page on the unified rules (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts_rules) and the other specifically references the California rules. (http://www.dca.ca.gov/csac/stats_regs/calregs_ch2.shtml#ch2art1)  I realize the event took place in Nevada & not California... but the rules generally cross over among states once implemented.

Violating one or two of these rules might not matter, but when you repeated violate the rules it has a cumulative effect that can negate the legitimate actions of a fighter. At the very least, engaging in illegal activity (or "dirty tactics" not technically against the rules) can alter the overall outcome of a fight.

Some of the infractions I witnessed by Jones for this fight were:

Eye poke
Grabbing the opponent's glove
Strike to the throat/neck
Strikes to the knee
Reaching inside an opponent's glove
Grabbing the fence
Flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions


The main tactic that I feel drastically effected the outcome of this fight is the way Jones repeatedly used the "oblique kick". I stopped counting after 25, but I can say that only 3 (or less) actually landed on the thigh... the rest were clearly attacking the knee, which is illegal.

Another major offense was how Jones repeatedly grabbed Cormier's gloves. Sometimes he was inserting his fingers inside Cormier's gloves, sometimes he was grabbing the gloves (not the wrist) and more than once it either prevented Cormier from doing anything, or it helped Jones engage in other illegal actions and/or "dirty tactics".

A third major offense was the way Jones repeatedly extended his arms with open palms, with the fingers aimed at Cormier's face. More than once Herb Dean warned Jones about not doing this, as seen when Jones eye poked Cormier & the action had to be stopped.

Sometimes Jones used a combination of these illegal/dirty tactics, like when he held on to Cormier's glove and kicked his knee area. Another example is when Jones went from a strike to the knee into an eye poke.

An illegal action that had an effect on the outcome was in the 5th round when Jones grabbed the fence as Cormier went for the takedown. Sure, Cormier ended up getting the takedown, but the fact that Jones grabbed the fence prevented Cormier's takedown from having maximum effect. There have been times when a takedown/slam has resulted in a fighter getting knocked out... so for Jones to grab the fence potentially saved him from losing by KO/TKO.

One illegal strike by Jones was a side kick to the throat/neck that was so obvious Joe Rogan commented about it. However, Joe failed to mention that a strike to the neck/throat is illegal... he was too busy praising Jones for the attack to actually do his job as commentator.

Speaking of that, Rogan was definitely a cheerleader for Jones through-out this fight. More than once he used spin to say a strike by Jones that actually landed on Cormier's knee landed on the thigh. Rogan also down-played the constant tactic by Jones of grabbing Cormier's gloves/hands by saying he was grabbing the wrist. Rogan even excused the way Jones constantly extended his arms with open hands that meant his fingers were potentially very close to being able to poke Cormier in the eyes.


I feel that the NSAC needs to review this fight, and have Herb Dean, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, and even Joe Rogan present as they explain what was done wrong, and why techniques that Jones did were illegal.

In addition to this I feel the NSAC needs to change the rules to clearly say that the "oblique kick" is illegal, regardless of whether the person is TRYING to strike the thigh or not. As I stated above, more than 25 times Jones used this technique & ONLY about 3 times did it land NOT on the knee.

Here are some screen-grabs to show a few of the times Jones engaged in either illegal actions or dirty tactics.

Jones grabbing Cormier's gloves

Jones grabbing Cormier's glove

Jones extending an open palm playing "patty-cake"

Eye poke from extending an open palm

Oblique kick to the knee

Oblique kick to the knee

Grabbing the gloves & kicking the knee

Kick to the throat/neck

Grabbing the cage

Jones may have won by unanimous decision... but these are just a few examples of why he didn't win the fight without needing to cheat.