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.