Welcome to the UFC, Anthony Christodoulou
When a new lightweight or welterweight gets signed, it usually means someone got injured. These divisions are packed to the rafters with talented fighters waiting for their shot, waiting for that potential short notice callup to step onto the big stage. The newest, and latest member of that cadre of last-minute matchups is Anthony Christodoulou. He’ll make his UFC debut at UFC on Fox 14: Gustafsson vs. Johnson on January 24th in Stockholm, Sweden. Sherdog.com first reported the news. So…
Who is Anthony Christodoulou?
A Greek-born American fighter who has made the bulk of his career fighting out of Greece, 27-year old Tony Christodoulou will enter the UFC most recently having trained out of Fight Lab Yokkao in Bangkok, Thailand. Although, I am almost certain that will not be his camp for his UFC debut. For his most recent US bouts, he’s been training out of Renzo Gracie Brooklyn, where he’ll be for a fight in Sweden, I’m not sure. Christodoulou makes his way to the octagon with a 12-4 (although I’ve seen him listed at 16-4) record having started his pro career 0-3, before going 12-1 over the next four years. His only loss since his early stretch came to current UFC lightweight Yosdenis Cedeno. His record isn’t otherwise notable, although wins over Erik Uresk (wrestling coach for Phuket Top Team) and Alexis Savvidis at least look good on paper. Also notable, in keeping with recent UFC late callups, Christodoulou recently dropped to featherweight, and I’d expect him to return to the division, win or lose after his UFC debut.
What you should expect:
As a grappling based fighter first and foremost, the rest of Christodoulou’s game hasn’t really developed that well. He’s mostly an arm puncher, and while he throws his hands quickly and in volume, he often does so with his chin up and reaching way out over his his feet. His wrestling game isn’t all that advanced either, he’s more dependent on opponents willingly taking the fight to the ground, or making mistakes, than he is a real natural takedown threat. Once on the ground, he’s got a very heavy, positionally solid top game, and does a good job to stay active as he hunts for submission opportunities. His biggest assets, overall, are his size and toughness. He was a pretty big lightweight and will make for a really big featherweight. Despite his striking woes he’s never been KO’d. All of this together means that he’s likely to be one of those fighters that drags better competition into ugly, sloppy brawls, potentially even taking a few upset wins because of it.
What this means for his debut:
There’s every chance that Mairbek Taisumov lets himself be drawn into one of those brawls. He has had notable problems with output, and is far too willing to clinch and grind for a fighter as striking dependent as he is. Still, he’s got a beastly kicking game, and is a much more well rounded and technically adept fighter than Christodoulou. Even in the chance that Christodoulou can make this a very ugly fight, I would still say it’s Taisumov’s fight to lose.
To get us better acquainted, here’s Christodoulou’s 2013 fight against John Ortolani:
Five most meaningful KO’s of the year
Alright, I know right off the bat that this list is going to look weird to a lot of readers, so I want to make it clear exactly what it is that I’m talking about when I say “meaningful KO.” This isn’t a list of the best highlight reel knockouts, or a list of the most decisive finishes on a big stage, this is a list of KO’s in which the knockout itself was instrumental in establishing the narrative between the two fighters. For instance. I’m not including Conor McGregor’s KO’s on this list (although I gave his one over Dustin Poirier some consideration) because, he knocked out people he was expected to knock out. He did the job he was supposed to do in the way he was supposed to do it. For a knockout to be truly meaningful, it should become the narrative for the fight.
This is a list of those KO’s we witnessed in 2014 that set a clear dividing line between the two fighters involved; a line that heretofore may not have existed. (as a quick note, you may find it a good idea to mute some of these videos)
5.) T.J. Dillashaw over Renan Barao at UFC 173 – Going into this fight, the fact that Renan Barao was going to beat TJ Dillashaw was practically common knowledge. Dillashaw had looked great in his run to the top, but there was no way that Renan Barao wasn’t going to be able to do what Rafael Assuncao did, but more decisively. From the first round TJ turned that narrative on its ass, stunning Barao with a beautiful overhand right. Barao was able to work himself back into the fight a bit but was never able to wrest control from the contender. Eventually, the fact that the only really large momentum swing in this bout happened in the first round, keeps it from rising higher up this list. But, Dillashaw’s eventual TKO of the champ put a definitive stamp on the bout, and put a clear separation between himself and Renan Barao.
4.) Fabricio Werdum over Mark Hunt at UFC 180 – I feel like I owe some people an apology or something, because I was less impressed by this KO than maybe I should have been when it happened. I still think that Hunt tiring (he was on his way to one of the worst non-first rounds of his career) had quite a bit to do with it and that’s why this isn’t further up the list. But, in a back and forth battle between two of the world’s best heavyweight talents, Fabricio Werdum came out after a bad first round and put a definitive stamp on the fight by knocking Hunt out. Circumstances aside, Werdum made absolutely sure to establish his spot as the no. 1 contender.
3.) Rory MacDonald over Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night: Macdonald vs. Saffiedine – This is starting to get a lot more firmly into the territory of something definitive, something that creates the entire narrative for the fight before it, something truly meaningful. I’ll be honest, I picked Tarec Saffiedine to win this fight, and for the first two rounds, it looked like he might, potentially have been able to do so. He wasn’t winning the fight to that point, but it was a back and forth affair, with neither man creating much offense of consequence. Then, early in the third, Saffiedine thought he’d found his rhythm and started to open up. The end came swiftly. It turns out MacDonald had been baiting him all fight into his left hook and the moment Saffiedine bit on the opening, the fight was over. It was the kind of definitive KO that tells us everything we need to know about how Rory MacDonald and Tarec Saffiedine stack up right now.
2.) Matt Brown over Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva – Opinion was pretty firmly divided leading up to this bout, with a large camp, firmly of the opinion that Erick Silva would sub Matt Brown out with a quickness, and an equally large camp certain that Erick Silva couldn’t handle the level of unadulterated violence that Matt Brown is capable of dishing out over a five round fight. All of which left an air of mystery as to just what exactly we’d see in the Octagon on that night in May. What we got, was violence in unimaginable proportions, as Matt Brown fought off submission attempts and put the kind of sustained beating on Erick Silva that few other men are capable of. That’s not to say it was all one way traffic, for every 10 blows that Brown landed, Silva seemed to come up with one potential kill shot that would just about finish Brown and leave him battling back from the brink. Eventually he got the finish and finally proved himself a fighter worthy of his top ten ranking, in the same moment giving Erick Silva a boot back to the rest of the welterweight division, clawing for their place among the elite. A definitive stoppage, and a definitive moment in the career of both men.
1.) Will Brooks over Michael Chandler at Bellator 131 – No single KO this year was more meaningful than Will Brooks’ knockout of Michael Chandler back in November for the Bellator LW title. The recent history of the Bellator lightweight belt is a history of questionable judging. Many felt, that even off his game, Michael Chandler deserved the victory against Brooks, for the interim belt back in May. Add to that the expectation that Chandler would look stronger and more powerful having recovered from an apparent injury, and there was a definite air that this was his fight to lose. But, Brooks didn’t seem to get the memo, and slowly but clearly took rounds from the former Bellator champ. Still when, off a scramble from a failed takedown, Brooks clocked chandler hard in the temple and sent him reeling a whole new message was sent. Brooks wasn’t just good enough to take a decision, he wasn’t just better on the day. He was better. A fight between two men that fans saw as near equals suddenly became a fight in which Will Brooks had a claim to being among the world’s best and Michael Chandler did not. A potentially career defining KO if ever there was one.
There were a few other potential entrants here, like Dave Branch vs. Yushin Okami, and Al Iaquinta vs. Ross Pearson, but these five were the most meaningful, for my money, in 2014. Not the best, not the flashiest, not the most unlikely, but the KO’s that set the most important narratives of the year.
My five favorite MMA things this year
So often there’s a lot of dreck to wade through on our journey in MMA fandom. This sport has its good and bad, but be it fans, media, or even promoters and fighters themselves, as a community we often get hung up on the bad things. Well, damn it, it’s Christmas. It’s time to spread a little joy and positivity around the house, even if that house is the seemingly joy- and positivity-proof internet. With that, here are my five favorite MMA things this year.
5.) Bellator Re-invented: It’s been a strange year for the world’s no. 2 MMA promotion. A full blown cleaning of house, a lame duck “season,” and a certain amount of masked-man-ness that had all the verve and life of a taxidermy coyote. Still, it’s hard for me to feel anything other than positive joy for Bellator’s coming out party on November 15th. As fans, many of us had a faint hope of the new and the different, when Scott Coker took the reins. And most of the new and different we got, during Season 11, was a rundown version of the classic. And then, suddenly, like your parents wrapping a PS4 in an ugly sweater, New Bellator was revealed, and it was almost entirely awesome. The promotion as a whole has a much brighter, more entertaining presence, to the point that I’m actually looking forward to their next event on January 16th. And while it’s early days, it looks like they have a strong run of cards building all the way out into March. I realize it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for the first time, it really feels like Bellator isn’t trying to be UFC Lite, and I’m excited for that.
4.) Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier vs. Dave Sholler (as Jon Anik): Few things have offered as much continuous joy this year as Jon Jones’ press conference brawl with Daniel Cormier. Whether it was the pre- and post-brawl banter between Jones and DC, or the constant run of well-wishers that Jon Anik got in the immediate aftermath, despite being in no way involved, or the good nature with which Dave Sholler has taken the non-stop ribbing of fans, fighters, and media, eager to get in on his earnest attempt to stop two of the best light heavyweights in the world from fighting each other. This is the MMA gift that keeps on giving, and I have yet to see, hear, or read anything about it that takes away the warm feeling inside from having watched it all happen.
3.) Josh Samman & Ben Saunders: Really, there’s no way to feel good about MMA in 2014 while leaving these two men out of the conversation. Not only are they both part of the Bloody Elbow family, but they’re both men who have experienced their fare share of hard times outside the cage, only to ultimately find incredible success within it. Saunders was suddenly drifting in no-man’s land after a loss to Douglas Lima in the Bellator Season 8 welterweight tournament final. Despite a record of 7-3 with 4 KOs and sub under the promotional banner, he found himself out looking for a contract. While he landed briefly with Titan FC. Before he could even step in the cage for his new promotion, the UFC snapped him up for a return to the Octagon. A rare thing for a fighter coming off a loss. And Saunders made the best of it, with the first ever Omoplata in UFC history and is now 2-0 on the year.
For Samman the year has, if anything, been harder and the comeback more unbelievable. Off multiple injuries, and a depth of personal tragedy that I can barely comprehend, he finally made his return just earlier this month. His first fight back from a year and a half on the sidelines not only came against a powerful and rising talent in Eddie Gordon, but on the day of his departed girlfriend’s birthday. It seemed like an impossible task to imagine him finding victory under that kind of emotional burden, never mind the ring rust and potential decrease in ability that severe injury can cause. And under the crushing weight of a blanket-esque performance from Gordon, victory seemed further away than ever. Suddenly, a standup, a little space, and one exquisite head kick later, and Josh Samman was the owner of one of the best knockouts of the year. Between Saunders and Samman, it’s been an amazing year to be a fan.
2.) Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2: This isn’t an argument of “best fight of the year” or anything like that, but this was a fight that, I think, fans were generally unsure of for its entertainment value. The first bout between the two men had been over in a flash. Just as things had started to get good, it was done. Since then, Aldo had been dominant, but dominant in a way that rarely offered the thrill that many hope for when one fighter is clearly a class above most of his opposition. Jose Aldo was winning, but he wasn’t winning hearts and minds. All of this made Aldo vs. Mendes 2 something truly special for the MMA world. It was the kind of dig deep, gritty performance that saw two elite fighters tested to the absolute limits of their ability. It was a battle that saw a long time champ fighting to win in ways that we have never seen prior and may never see again. And for those fans really willing to be swept away in the moment, we saw the establishment of a legacy that few other fighters have ever been able to manage. Jose Aldo is entering that rare GSP territory, where he has not only dominated the early generation of challengers and champions, and his own generation of challengers and champions, but he is starting to beat the future generation as well. That’s the kind of feat that a rare few accomplish and it’s an amazing thing to follow in the moment. We are watching a fighter establish a legacy beyond greatness.
1.) “Ruthless” Bob Lawler, UFC champion: This is something that, in any right-thinking, able-bodied universe, would never happen. No number of stars aligning should see a 32-year-old, relative journeyman fighter, become champion of one of the deepest divisions in MMA in 2014. That’s not, generally speaking, how fight sports work. You get your allotted time to be good, maybe even great, and then you fade. Whether that fade happens quickly, as it did with Fedor Emelianenko, or slowly, as it has with Lyoto Machida, there gets to be a point where the younger generation is supposed to eclipse you. At the very least, it keeps you out of the title picture. And yet, here we are, with a fighter who started his career back in 2001, the prodigal son of Miletich Fight Systems, when they were among MMA’s ruling class. And, like many highly touted young prospects do, he failed to ascend, failed to find greatness, and was left to wander the wastes of second banana MMA. When Lawler came back, it was with the same expectation we reserve for other vets, who have managed to claw their way back to the Big Show. Lawler was here to entertain, have fun, and cash a few checks on his way out of the game. So it stands, it’s 2014, and Robbie Lawler has a belt around his waist. Whatever you think of the fight, whatever your rooting interest, pause a moment, and think of how amazingly unbelievable that is. It’s practically folklore-ish. Even if he doesn’t keep it, even if it passes to new hands in the new year, it’s an unbelievable feat and one of the most remarkable things to happen in MMA history.
So, while the MMA world continues on with it’s questionable ethics, never-ending arguments, and uncompromisingly divisive fanbases, keep in mind that there are at least a few things that we can all enjoy moving into the new year. If even that fails, at least have a Merry Christmas!
Welcome to the UFC, Frankie Perez
If you’ve been following Frank Trevino’s career, you may have realized that he’s been one of the most oft-injured fighters in the UFC over the past 6-ish months. After making a surprising debut, with a win over Renee Forte back in March, he’s been booked to fight Joe Ellenberger, Abel Trujillo, and Johnny Case. Each of those fights fell through due to a Trevino injury. This bout against Case is just the latest, but when Trevino has gone down, opportunity has arisen. This time, the opportunity is Frankie Perez’s as he is set to make his debut at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver on January 18th in Boston. So…
Who is Frankie Perez:
Like a lot of east coast prospects, Perez came up through the ranks of Ring of Combat. He trains out of Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu, in New Jersey, alongside Frankie Edgar and Edson Barboza. The 25-year old brings a record of 9-1 with him to the Octagon, his only loss, a split decision, coming against another recent UFC signee, Chris Wade. He bounced back from defeat with a victory over Tom Marcellino at WSOF 13. His record is decidedly submission tilted, with five wins by tapout, three by decision, and just one TKO.
What you should expect:
Perez has been working on building a fundamental striking game, and while it’s not the prettiest thing, it looks like it’s becoming a functional part of his arsenal. He kicks well and consistently at range, and uses his movement and low kick threats, to try and set up big, overhand strikes. Inside, he’s got a decent, stifling trip game, and tends to look for trips and throws from body lock, but his lack of physical strength keeps him from being a real force inside. He has shown the ability to generate good power and change speeds on his strikes when he sits down on his punches. On the ground, Perez works a decent positional grappling/wrestling game, but isn’t terribly heavy on top, often letting opponents back to their feet when he searches for strikes. But, his positional focus does set up his submission game nicely.
What this means for his debut:
I’ll be the first to admit that I was totally shocked by Johnny Case in his first fight in the UFC. He showed great inside combination boxing, as well as very strong scrambling ability. Still, I’m not sure this bout isn’t a tossup. Case’s takedown defense is okay, but it’s not amazing, nor is his ability to stay out of the clinch. His striking is tighter however, and he may be the faster, more dynamic fighter between the two of them. The biggest factor here may be time, although, still 3 weeks out from the fight, I’m not as sold on that as I might otherwise be for a short notice callup. Over all, this looks like a bit of a tossup and may come down to whether or not Perez can control enough of the clinch and ground battles in the fight for long enough.
To get us better acquainted, here’s Perez’s bout with Adam Townsend from 2013:
Hindsight – UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway in retrospect
C.B. Dollaway needed a miracle and, quite frankly, he didn’t get one. I was a little wary, perhaps moreso than I should have been, heading into this fight night. Machida is at the point where most fighters are rattling like an old car, with bits falling off as they roll down the road. But, Machida is that well kept classic, shined up in some collector’s garage still running like new, and as fast as anything younger. Underneath him and his shining main event performance was a fun, and fairly action filled, card. Only three fights went to decision and only one of those was boring. Good young fighters showed up, exciting vets did exciting things, and I went a rough 7-5 on picks.
Disclaimer Time: I took some known dogs on this card, just on the hopes they would shine. A couple of them did, but still lost. Long story short, none of my upset picks won, which is as good an example of any as why I don’t bet. Even when I feel like I can see the tables tilting for an upset, often times the universe has other plans, or fighters display unknown lacks and lose despite themselves. These things happen often enough, that I feel like I could drop some stupid money fairly often. But, I still like talking odds and fight picks as a way of marking fighter development in the face of pre-fight perception. I’ll be using Best Fight Odds for the odds on each fight and taking the mode for each fighter. Now, on to the fights…
Jake Collier (-175) vs. Vitor Miranda (+155) (I picked Collier, I was wrong)
- The Expectation: Jake Collier’s status as favorite had less to do with how good he’s looked regionally than it had to do with how mediocre Vitor Miranda has looked in the UFC. Collier was expected to be aggressive and decent everywhere and that should have been enough to win him this fight. And in reality, it was. And then he let Miranda get back to his feet and got KO’d by a headkick. Sometimes those are the breaks.
- Fallout for Collier: He can say he got caught and, without a doubt, he did. But, it doesn’t change the fact that everything Collier does well, is still a major point of development for him. He’s aggressive, but he’s not so dominant in any one part of his game to continuously overwhelm his opponent. He had this fight in hand, he had Miranda beat. He let Miranda off the hook and he paid for it. He’s young enough in his career that that’s not a terrible thing, but it’s something to watch as he continues to develop.
- Fallout for Miranda: This was a must win fight for Miranda. With the amount of time he’s already spent in the cage, and at his age, his UFC career is hanging on his ability to win now. The prospects of that going forward still don’t look great. Miranda was getting beat up before uncorking that kick and more polished fighters would have made him pay for it. Fortunately for him, MW doesn’t have a lot of polished talent at the bottom and at least with a win he’s got himself another chance to prove he can make a mark in the UFC.
Marcio Alexandre Jr. (+145) vs. Tim Means (-170) (I picked Means, I was right)
- The Expectation: Much like the Miranda vs. Collier fight above, this fight wasn’t so much about what a killer Tim Means is, but how limited Alexandre Jr. has looked. Adding to that, that Means hasn’t really been chinny and packs some power, and this really was his fight to lose. It took him a while to turn up the pressure, but once he did it was a very one sided fight.
- Fallout for Alexandre Jr.: He’s probably just not ready for the UFC. WW is deep enough to get him fights and winnable ones, (after all there are still some TUF China guys floating around) but Alexandre’s pre-UFC career was notable only for his can-crushing prowess. Because of that, his style is decidedly underdeveloped and the holes he has in his game are massive. He could be a fun fighter with a lot more work, but right now he’s not close.
- Fallout for Means: Tim Means has sort of positioned himself as the gatekeeper to the mid-tier. He’s even odds against most of the division, but he’s well rounded enough and dangerous enough that unpolished talent is hard pressed to beat him. This fight doesn’t really change that. Means still has the bad habit of fighting at his opponent’s pace and gave Alexandre a lot of opportunity to hang with him in the cage. That tendency alone leaves his progress somewhat limited. Still, though, he’s fun where he is.
Leandro Issa (+350) vs. Yuta Sasaki (-500) (I picked Sasaki, I was wrong)
- The Expectation: Bettors, fans, really everyone other than Fraser Coffeen were picking Yuta to win this. His debut was electric, and expectations were high. On the other side, Issa had struggled mightily with Jumabieke Tuerxun and got tapped by Russell Doane. It only seemed reasonable that Issa would engage Yuta on the ground and pay the price for it. He did, and he didn’t.
- Fallout for Issa: Much like Vitor Miranda above, Issa is in do or die career territory. He’s been fighting for 8 years already, he’s now in his early 30s, and he’d struggled thus far in the UFC. If he got beat by Yuta here, he could easily have been relegated to the bottom of the division. Now, with a big win, in which his striking and grappling both looked excellent, he might be able to build some momentum and work toward the top 15. He’s been too inconsistent to get a good bead on yet, but I’ll be watching his next fight closely.
- Fallout for Yuta: Hype train derailed. This wasn’t a fight Yuta was supposed to lose, although it certainly could have been considered a trap fight. Leandro Issa is a longtime fighter whose best area was supposed to be Yuta’s as well. Yuta was expected to shine, or at least win. Instead he got dominated, everywhere. His striking was ugly, his wrestling was weak, and when he got on the ground he was bullied into tapping to a neck crank. The road back to hot prospect is a long one after that loss.
Hacran Dias (-230) vs. Darren Elkins (+190) (I picked Elkins, I was wrong)
- The Expectation: The betting public obviously knew something I didn’t. Or, they just don’t like watching Darren Elkins win fights and were betting on hope. I bet on the fight ending up in the clinch, and when it was in the clinch, I thought Elkins would win that battle. I was right on the first part, but dead wrong on the second. Whenever Dias got his hands on Elkins in the first or second rounds he tooled him. By the time Elkins made anything happen it was far too late.
- Fallout for Dias: There’s a sliver of hope that Hacran Dias could actually fulfill his longtime potential and turn into a top 10 talent. It seems ridiculous, and it’s taken him a long, long time to get there, but this felt like his last chance to make something legitimate happen and he did. He’s still got the basic tools of a great athlete and he’s good enough everywhere to get in there and make a good fight with the very best in his division. But, he has to keep winning and the fact that he’s not finishing fights makes that a perilous process against the top 15.
- Fallout for Elkins: It’s not that Elkins wasn’t already a gatekeeper, but that was more a feeling than a definitive reality. This fight established that reality as fact. Hacran Dias has been an interesting Hioki-esque talent: a guy that shined on his regional scene but has fallen totally flat in the UFC. This was a solid fight that Elkins could win, instead he got beat right in his own wheelhouse. He got the fight he wanted and he lost it. That’s a firm setback, and may be a long term one.
Renato Moicano (-130) vs. Tom Niinimaki (+110) (I picked Moicano, I was right)
- The Expectation: Short notice kept the odds on this fight nice and close, for what was otherwise a favorable matchup for Moicano. He fits the profile of guys who’ve been beating Niinimaki lately to a T. It was expected that he’d be able to make that work for him here, even if the fight itself proved to be a tough one. It didn’t. Renato Moicano put a beating on the Finn and made a hell of an entrance to the UFC.
- Fallout for Moicano: I never like “big” wins for young fighters, as it makes me worry about them getting pushed too far too fast. Moicano is a great talent and almost certainly would have made our FW scouting report had he not been signed. But, if a win like this gets him pushed into a fight with someone like Maximo Blanco or Rony Jason, there’s a chance he could hit an early setback. If he can be brought along at an even speed, he’s very likely a future top 10 fighter.
- Fallout for Niinimaki: There really aren’t any fights left in the UFC for Tom Niinimaki now. I hate writing that, as I really wanted to see him succeed when he was signed, but he just isn’t competing at a high enough level. This is the fourth straight fight he’s gotten with a reasonably favorable matchup (all wrestlers and grapplers) and he’s now lost the last three straight by submission. Time comes to bear on everyone and it appears it’s bearing down on Niinimaki fast.
Igor Pokrajac (+350) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (-450) (I picked Rogerio de Lima, I was right)
- The Expectation: Pokrajac was going to get stomped. He got stomped.
- Fallout for Pokrajac: I’m not sure why or how he was still in the UFC. It speaks to how shallow light heavyweight is, but with his overall UFC record dropping to 4-7 (1 NC), and with an effective 5 fight losing streak ongoing, I can’t see him being in the UFC any longer. It’s a tough break in that it looks like he felt the stoppage was early, but even still it was hard to imagine things going any other way.
- Fallout for Rogerio de Lima: He’s a light heavyweight, he’s under 30, and he’s 2-0 in the UFC. Like a rare jewel, Marcos Rogerio de Lima should be treasured. Instead he’ll probably get thrown to Jimi Manuwa or something similar. He’s got all the raw athletic tools to win big fights, but he’s still very hittable, and needs a lot of development to be competitive against really technical fighters in his division, not that there are many of those.
Antonio dos Santos Jr. (+140) vs. Daniel Sarafian (-170) (I picked dos Santos Jr., I was wrong)
- The Expectation: Short notice and name value understandably pushed the odds in Sarafian’s favor for this fight. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine picking him as the favorite to win against most UFC caliber talent. I figured Antonio dos Santos Jr. had a pretty good chance of pulling the upset here, with his heavy handed muay thai, and he looked like he might have, until his finger tried to escape his hand.
- Fallout for dos Santos Jr.: Honestly, he’ll probably get more credit for being the kind of tough bastard that resets his own dislocated finger and wants to keep fighting than he will blowback for losing the fight. He’s still a very promising young talent with a powerful, and potentially technical style. He fought a lot of this fight like a short notice fighter, in that he was basically throwing hard and with abandon, looking to finish early. I’ll be interested to see if he looks more refined for his next time out.
- Fallout for Sarafian: Sarafian is a decidedly middle of the pack middleweight, in a division where middle of the pack is defined by guys like Rafael Natal and Andrew Craig. Getting a guy who was just looking to shoot it out on short notice, Sarafian still got hit a lot, and never really got any of his wrestling or top game going. As far as he is into his career, it just seems like he doesn’t really have an identity as a fighter, and rarely looks comfortable in the cage. He’s still got the athleticism to compete, but the big win here for him is not getting cut, rather than moving up in the division.
Mike Rhodes (+325) vs. Erick Silva (-450) (I picked Erick Silva, I was right)
- The Expectation: Mike Rhodes was going to get submitted with a quickness… Yep… that’s the whole of it.
- Fallout for Rhodes: Hopefully he can get back to the regional level with some shred of his confidence still intact, because Rhodes has the feeling of a prospect severely mismanaged. He’s basically fallen forward in the UFC, to the point where he’s getting a main card fight against a borderline top 15 fighter, on the back of two losses. Now he’s 0-3. But, he’s still green enough to go out, spend a couple years getting regional wins, and come back to the UFC a much more complete fighter. Hopefully that’s what happens now.
- Fallout for Silva: It’s not an especially meaningful win for Silva, excepting that it shows he’s still capable of beating the lowest end of 170 with ease. We know that. Now he needs some fights with rising talent. He should be the fighter that borderline top 15 guys take on to build their name. Not a fallback for top 10 talent looking for a win or an impossible beast for young guys the UFC couldn’t care less about. A fight with Hyun Gyu Lim or Ryan Laflare would be awesome.
Rashid Magomedov (-130) vs. Elias Silverio (+115) (I picked Magomedov, I was right)
- The Expectation: As tight as this fight may have been in the odds, I was really very certain that Magomedov was going to win it. Neither he, nor Silverio are known for their fight ending power, after which Silverio’s offense is built around his ability to come forward and land shots, which plays right into Magomedov’s beautiful counterstriking. Credit to Magomedov, however for getting the late finish and taking a big step forward with it.
- Fallout for Magomedov: Nobody benefited from Brian Stann’s fantastic play calling on this card more than Magomedov did. In the past I’ve heard Magomedov maligned as a boring, even ugly striker, in part just because fans and commentators tend not to know what good striking is beyond constant aggression. Magomedov’s pin-point counter style requires a good eye to pick out. Stann has that and he really set the tone for Magmoedov’s performance. Hopefully the whole thing gives him a big boost toward bigger, more interesting fights.
- Fallout for Silverio: Not just the first loss of the Brazilian’s career, but a stoppage loss as well. This one may take some time to recover from, as it wasn’t a case of getting caught, or Magomedov getting lucky, but a clear showing that between the two of them Magomedov is clearly the better fighter. Still, it’s early days in SIlverio’s career, he has time to recover, but this was a major, major setback. His chasing footwork and inconsistent power were exposed here and need to be worked on if he ever wants to make it to the top of the welterweight division.
Antonio Carlos Jr. (+127) vs. Patrick Cummins (-147) (I picked Carlos Jr., I was wrong)
- The Expectation: The line for a lot of people in this fight seemed to be, “Patrick Cummins by wrestling over BJJ.” My feeling was, that if Antonio Carlos Jr. had the athleticism to hang with Cummins in the clinch, he could possibly win this. The wrestling crowd was more right, but I don’t think I was wrong, and I’d argue that it wasn’t quite Cummins’ wrestling that won him this fight.
- Fallout for Carlos Jr.: Instead, it was Antonio Carlos Jr.’s mind numbingly stupid gameplan. Time and again, Carlos Jr. showed that he had the raw athletic ability to hang with Cummins, be it in the clinch, or on the feet, on the outside. But, he wasted most of those opportunities trying to out-wrestle Cummins, which he was never going to do. Carlos Jr. initiated a lot of the clinch battles in this fight. And when he got the chance to work from range, went for low percentage, energy consuming strikes. He let Cummins walk all over him, and Cummins was more than happy to oblige. He’s headed to MW now, and I don’t doubt he can win there, but he needs to work on his fight IQ.
- Fallout for Cummins: That’s not to suggest that Patrick Cummins didn’t win this fight. He very much did, but rather that Patrick Cummins knows what he wants to do in the cage, and his game is designed for him to do it. Carlos Jr. looks like he’s searching when he’s in the fight, and if the opportunity isn’t there, he’s not creating it. Still, it’s a big win for Cummins as a fighter in a division where every win gets you closer to the rankings and big fights.
Renan Barao (-1000) vs. Mitch Gagnon (+625) (I picked Barao, I was right)
- The Expectation: I can’t tell people I expected Gagnon to do as well as he did. I picked him to get subbed in round 1. But, in hindsight I wish I had told people to expect this kind of performance. Gagnon has been a good fighter in the UFC, and he’s far enough along in his career that he needs to be getting good, big fights. He still lost his bout with Barao, and had it gone to the judges still would have lost, but he’s an athletic, powerful fighter in his prime. It’s not that surprising that he didn’t get run over.
- Fallout for Barao: To that point, I’m not nearly as down on Barao as many fans and pundits seem to be. He looked as fast as ever, his chin was still on point, and he eventually wore Gagnon down and beat him up. Barao hasn’t evolved seriously in a while. And when that happens, (and especially when you’re champ) fighters start molding game plans for how to beat you. They get to see what people have made work against you and make their own plans on how to do it better. Barao faced all that and still got the stoppage win as his same old self. That’s not a bad thing.
- Fallout for Gagnon: In a just world, this pushes Gagnon well into the top 15 and gets him some more big fights. He’s been around for a while, but has been on an incredibly slow development pace, since he can’t get a visa for the US. Because of that, his career has been a bit artificially stalled. This was a big opportunity for him to get his name out there and possibly get a huge win. He didn’t get the win, but hopefully he got enough name recognition to make him relevant.
CB Dollaway (+600) vs. Lyoto Machida (-900) (I picked Machida, I was right)
- The Expectation: I really had no good expectations for this fight. I was sure Dollaway was going to lose, probably getting KO’d while rushing forward. But, nagging doubts about aging fighters were pecking away at me. Not to the point that I thought Machida would lose, but to the point that I wasn’t really sure how he’d look. Whether he’d be his usual, masterful self, or a slightly diminished version. In hindsight, masterful hardly does him justice.
- Fallout for Dollaway: Sorry Clarence, but the potential of you scraping into the top 5 is probably a bit of a pipe dream at this point. He really looked like he’d been putting together a nice run lately, but Machida snuffed it like he was a fly straying too close to a rolled up newspaper. That’s not to say he can’t go out and win fights. He’s still a solid top 15 guy, but the chances of him getting an upset win or two and working his way further up the ranks seem increasingly remote.
- Fallout for Machida: He’s still one of the very best fighters in the world. Forget middleweight, just fighters. So few men are able to do the things Machida is still doing with as many years as he’s put behind him in MMA. He’s had his ups and downs, but things are clicking better than ever and letting him deliver some of the best bouts and most dominant performances of his career. I get that some people are quick to say “We all knew Machida was this good. Stop being so gushy.” But shit, enjoy yourselves a little. Machida is the kind of talent that deserves our awe and amazement and I’m more than happy to feel a bit overwhelmed every time he delivers something like this.
Those are my collected thoughts on UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway. As always, so much of what I wrote seems obvious now, but that’s the benefit of hindsight. We now have a couple week’s break to look forward to, and when I come back I expect to be talking about the amazing thing that is Jon Jones’ LHW title reign. Until then!
This week’s quote via the film Prince of Darkness
Recently retired UFC vets trade shots on Twitter over fighter pay
The recent UFC lawsuit has touched a lot of nerves for fighters. Some are eager to jump in on criticism of their former (or current) promotion, others are rushing to defend it. Michael Bisping categorized the plaintiffs in the UFC lawsuit as “disgruntled ex-fighters” whose “careers didn’t pan out.” It’s the kind of issue that is quickly causing a lot of division in the fight community. Most recently, recently retired UFC veteran Cody McKenzie expressed his dissatisfaction with the UFC’s treatment of fighters, telling GnP TV “Fuck the UFC, I hope they get sued for millions.”
.@TheCodyMcKenzie: “Fuck the UFC, I hope they get sued for millions” https://t.co/s9ufGXBcrB #Interview #M1Challenge54 #UFC by @MarkBergmann
— Elias from GnP-TV (@SweepTheLeg1983) December 17, 2014
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Whether it was those sentiments, or something else, McKenzie’s recent statements drew the notice of another recently retired fighter, Mac Danzig:
@TheCodyMcKenzie There’s alot of unfair shit in life. But we all know what we sign up for. We agree to the contracts.No need to complain now
— Mac Danzig (@macdanzigmma) December 19, 2014
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@macdanzigmma yea you blow Dana
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 19, 2014
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@TheCodyMcKenzie don’t be silly. If u apply @ McDonald’s & get hired, don’t bitch about it after the fact. Why didn’t u speak up b4 u quit?
— Mac Danzig (@macdanzigmma) December 19, 2014
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@TheCodyMcKenzie I’m broke too, I got used too, & yes, we should get taken care of. But whining about it after the fact is bitter and weak.
— Mac Danzig (@macdanzigmma) December 19, 2014
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@macdanzigmma interviewer dude calls me asks me ???s I tell the truth at call it bitchin to my face and I’ll bitch slap you.
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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@macdanzigmma yea and most fighters are broke. Dumb when one show has a monopoly and makes all the fight money but they don’t pay it out.
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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@macdanzigmma ain’t nothing going to change when we all just take it I love the sport to that’s why I commercial fished in Alaska to fight.
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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@macdanzigmma you want to keep talking shit to me and sticking up for the people u say used you. Feel free I hope to run into your dumbass
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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@macdanzigmma I did speak up I ran around the fight summits and tried to get ppl together to have a say in our sport wtf did you do kiss ass
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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@macdanzigmma I’ve seen so many fighters kicking it with Dana like they are best friends I’m sure u were one of those guys.
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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@macdanzigmma yea I talked shit while I was in UFC I told people off to their faces many times, sure you have heard stories. Fucking puppet
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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@TheCodyMcKenzie was never one of those guys. Not once. No need to talk that way, Cody. We both know what’s up.
— Mac Danzig (@macdanzigmma) December 20, 2014
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@TheCodyMcKenzie calm down. There’s no need to play the game…
— Mac Danzig (@macdanzigmma) December 20, 2014
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@macdanzigmma I’m not playing no game puppet
— . (@TheCodyMcKenzie) December 20, 2014
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I imagine we’re going to see a lot more fighters getting into these kinds of discussions as this lawsuit drags on and more fighters detail their experiences working under Zuffa, positive or negative.
Pete Spratt says UFC cut him for refusing to fight Matt Hughes for $8,000/$8,000
Back in 2003, Pete Spratt was one of the better known welterweight fighters in MMA. He was fresh off a defeat of Robbie Lawler at UFC 42, and all lined up do be the next in line for a shot at Matt Hughes, despite his 2-1 record in the UFC (these were very different times). But, that title shot never came to be. At the time, Spratt came out publicly and said that he didn’t feel he was ready for a shot at Hughes. He was released from the promotion and immediately went on to lose to up and coming TKO prospect Georges St-Pierre. Eventually he would make two returns to the UFC, neither of them particularly successful, before playing out the remainder of his career on the North American regional circuit.
That brush with contention never came back around again, but it turns out that, at least according to Spratt, he didn’t miss out on the opportunity because he wasn’t ready for it, but rather because the UFC would only give him the fight on an $8,000/$8,000 contract, which Spratt was unwilling to accept. Spratt posted about the incident recently on Facebook.
@SBNLukeThomas This is what Pete Spratt said about the UFC on http://t.co/QsX5710KtL‘s facebook page earlier. pic.twitter.com/i8eH9zSp1e
— Bang Zoom MMA (@BangZoomMMA) December 19, 2014
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For comparison at the time, Matt Hughes was fighting on $55,000/$55,000, Randy Couture on $120,000/$80,000 and Vitor Belfort on $100,000/$30,000. Although BJ Penn was only pulling down $25,000/$25,000 and recent champion Carlos Newton was making $30,000 flat. The lowest paid fighters were still only making $2,500-$3,000 to show. $8,000/$8,000 wasn’t quite the low end that it is now, but it wasn’t a big purse either.
Michael Bisping on fighters suing the UFC: ‘their careers didn’t pan out the way they wanted’
While Ryan Jimmo may be speaking in favor of the class action lawsuit against the UFC, it’s to be expected that there will be a lot more current fighters speaking out against it. One of the more vocal on the current roster is Michael Bisping, who’s lined himself up as an analyst for Fox Sports when he’s not competing in the cage. Bisping recently spoke out about the lawsuit on UFC Tonight, and his words for the fighters suing were definitely not supportive. (transcription via MMAMania)
“Let me break it down: you got three disgruntled ex-fighters and their careers didn’t pan out the way they wanted it to be,” Bisping told UFC Tonight. “So guess what? They’re suing the UFC.”
But it’s not just the fighter’s coming out against the lawsuit, John Fosco, manager for UFC fighters Travis Browne, Clay Guida, and formerly Donald Cerrone, has added his voice in favor of the UFC while speaking to MMAJunkie. And if anything, he’s been less kind about it than Bisping.
“They don’t have the market value, and they’re a bunch of wimps who got together and said, ‘We’re going to get them this time,'” he said. “They have no clue how much egg they’re going to have on their face when this thing is said and done, because the UFC is not abusing anything. They’re using what they’ve built.
“Maybe there’s a text message from (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva that may have a not-friendly tone, or maybe it’s an email that doesn’t have a friendly tone. But that’s not illegal. You’re not breaking the law. In the business world, we all work very hard to grow our position and status and our power, and if we use it, it’s not illegal.”
I would’t be surprised to hear a lot more voices like these come out of the woodwork in the coming months.
Ryan Jimmo on UFC lawsuit: ‘I want to see the situation for fighters improve’
In a rare move, a current, active UFC fighter is speaking out in favor of an organization actively working against the UFC. Although, to hear Ryan Jimmo say it, it sounds like he feels he has the UFC’s best interests at heart, in hoping that the recent class action lawsuit filed against Zuffa LLC helps grow the sport of MMA. Jimmo spoke to MMASucka about the lawsuit, and about recent statements he’d made in favor of it over social media.
“The thing that people are mistaken of, ‘oh you’re not a company man’ or, ‘you don’t want to be there.’ I do want to be in the UFC and the fact that I’m trying to make a little bit of noise about this, proves it more than someone who’s just going to be in agreeance. I want to see the situation for fighters improve. I want the UFC to go on, I don’t want this lawsuit to cripple them. But I do want some of the business practices in regards to the fighters and some of the pay structure to change. I’m a company man, in the fact that I want to see change for the better so everyone will improve. So everyone is in a better situation. It’s hard to do that, I’ll tell you what, I was getting a little bit of flack, ‘why would you come on social media and say this?’ Well, we don’t have a Fighters’ Union, we don’t have a Players’ Association, there’s no one to go and talk to, to talk about these issues. Our only course of recourse, is social media. I don’t have Dana White’s phone number, I don’t have a union head I could go talk to. Is this legit, like what’s going on here. I have Dana White’s Twitter handle, I can contact him there and we don’t really have any other real recourse for communication for how to go about a change if something’s unfair.”
He also talked about the driving force behind the lawsuit, whether it was about money or principal:
“I think that would be a good portion of it. The money would be like the details, so I think that’s all part of it. Guys have gotten severely raked over the coals with money. While the brass are making money hands over fists. There is more than enough wealth in this sport to go around. So guys who are fighting in the UFC don’t have to work at a coffee shop on the weekends just so they can keep their lights on or put food on the table for their family. You go to any other sport on the highest level – NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, NBA and that just simply doesn’t happen. If you play in the NBA, if they have a second job, they do that because they like serving coffee. Not because they need the money. That’s an important aspect to really look at and understand. One time, I was talking to a really good friend of mine and he said, ‘I feel sorry for guys that fight in the UFC.’ I said why? He said, ‘Right now, I have a UFC fighter living in my basement, he fights in the UFC just so he can afford a piece of crap car. It’s dangerous work, you guys are really passionate about what you do and you’re so passionate about it, that sometimes you forego potential health problems.’ Like I’ve gotten broken bones before, guys are tearing their knees out, guys are getting broken bones in their face. It’s very dangerous work. If you look at the amount of money that it takes to train for a fight, the amount of money they’re paying to managers, agents, plus pay taxes, most guys are barely making it by. Unless something substantial has happened in their career. I’ve been lucky enough to do a couple of ‘Knockout of the Nights,’ but even still, I calculated my pay as $40-grand a year over the three years off what I did. But imagine if someone didn’t get a couple of knockouts of the night, that’s very bad pay. Especially for exceptionally hard work, dangerous work.”
Jimmo also had a lot to say about the potential for a fighters union, as well as his feelings on the Reebok deal, so you should check out the whole thing. At the moment (and apart from named participant Cung Le) Jimmo is the only active UFC fighter that as come out strongly in favor of the class action suit against his employer. It’s tough to say what effect that could have on his career going forward, but he does raise some interesting points about just how little contact many fighters have with people in the UFC office.
A lot of fighters working under Zuffa, in similar positions to Jimmo, may find themselves totally isolated when it comes to fielding questions about this lawsuit and how it might affect them. Many have very little (or even zero) contact with the UFC directly, as their bookings and negotiations go through their managers. That disconnect may lead to a few more interesting responses, as we’re already seeing in the varying reactions to the UFC’s Reebok deal.