SB Nation User Blog: BJJDenver

Local Fighter Love: Tyler Toner

BJJDenver — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:46:08 -0000

So, I thought I would share some info on a local fighter from my area who is climbing the ranks to some bigger shows. Tyler "Thunder" Toner is a coach and teammate at Easton BJJ Boulder/Denver and he fights at 145lbs. Currently he is the Ring of Fire 145 lb. Young Guns Champion and you might have seen him smash Ricky Johnson in Strikeforce-Payback, the last HDNet Strikeforce broadcast. Tyler is currently 8-1 in mma, with his lone loss coming by decision and is a BJJ Purple Belt.

What spurred me to write this, is that yesterday Tyler pulled off a huge upset, the kind that could lead to some bigger opportunities for him. A couple of weeks ago, his Muay Thai coach, Duane "Bang" Ludwig, was scheduled to fight at ShootBoxing Champions Carnival at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Ludwig opted to return to Strikeforce to take on Lyle "Fancypants" Beerbohm, thus leaving an opening on the ShootBoxing card. As is often the case, Duane's student was offered the slot and he accepted, despite having only a full week to train for a fight against the 2006 ShootBoxing World Superwelterweight Champion, Kenichi Ogata. Ogata is a veteran of over a hundred fights and against some of the best kickboxers in the world. Not only that, but Tyler would be fighting a style of fight that was new to him and at a weightclass above his normal weight.

Toner arrived at the weigh-in at the agreed upon 158 pounds, but was told that it was instead, at 156 pounds. He went back and cut the extra 2 pounds only to discover that what was once a title fight, would now be just the main event of the card, despite several other title fights. After getting a few problems settled, the fight was on.

Tyler entered the ring, widely considered to be a huge underdog. Several minutes and a big head kick later, he emerged the victor! 2:57 of the first round and the 2006 champion lay defeated on the mat.

As we see more and more promotions, reality shows and schools emerging, we need to realize that these are the type of fighters that we will be watching in the UFC and others in the near future. Get out and see some of your regional shows and keep your eyes open for the next wave of champions on their way to the big time.

Congratulations to Tyler and I look forward to seeing him further his fight career in the future. Yet another product of the Mile High Air that trains alongside Ludwig, Eliot Marshall and many others.

via photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net

What I Did On My Brazil Vacation by BJJDenver

BJJDenver — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:07:05 -0000

Well, I guess I should start with a little about me. I am a 4 stripe blue belt at Easton BJJ in Denver and this was my first trip to Brazil. I was very excited about the trip, but just as apprehensive about stepping onto some of the world's legendary mats and wondering how my game would translate. I weigh about 250 pounds, so much of my game is based on that, though I try and develop away from it and focus more on technique. Needless to say, I was fully prepared to spend 2 weeks tapping.

We stayed in Recreio at a friend's condo, basically the next part of Rio down from Barra. It was beautiful and a very nice area, but you never really feel completely safe down there. A lot of poverty and desperation, combined with government corruption, make people do some crazy things, like rob gringos, lol. If you have not seen City of God, do so, it is a very realistic portrayal of life in the flavelas of Rio.

If you go down, I suggest a few things. Learn a little conversational Brazilian Portuguese. Don't exchange money, just use the ATMs. Don't drink the water. Go to a pharmacy and buy a 3 day antibiotic treatment. Wear mirrored sunglasses (for obvious reasons, lol).

So on to the training! Our first week we trained at Gracie Barra, which is located on the top floor of a health club. The mat is reasonably new and not nearly as bad as all the stories I had heard. It was in the 70's, but pretty humid, so you sweat almost instantly and continuously while training. I went with a GB blackbelt, so it was like a reunion for him and a lot of pressure for us to represent him well. The first thing I noticed, is that NOTHING starts on time in Brazil. We thought we were late for class and instead, we were amongst the first on the mat. There were students from all over, USA, Japan, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany and others.

The classes weren't huge, usually about 30 students or so, but many were black or brown belts. I must have rolled with 15-20 different black belts on the trip! I think being a bigger guy, they put you with higher belts as a sort of equalizer. Right off the bat I find out that they love doing wristlocks at GB! Tap. Tap. Ok...enough. Time to tighten it up a bit and no more damn wristlocks!

Next thing is they love to attack from knee-on-stomach. Now while this is amazingly effective, it plays into my game pretty well and I manage to hold my own for most of the time at GB. Now, when I say "hold my own", I mean make the guys work for it and give them some trouble of my own. I managed to tap a blackbelt while down there, the first time I have done that. Swept him from half-guard, passed to mount and he left his arm across...arm triangle!

On our second or third day, I walk up to GB and look out on the mat at a female black belt...Kyra Gracie. Hell yeah! Of course, they don't allow 250 pound bluebelts to roll with Kyra, but it was still pretty cool being on the mat with her. In case you were wondering, I watched her tap some pretty decent guys her size.

So we leave GB and walking down the street is Jacare. Apparently he is no longer welcome to train at GB, but does his physical therapy at the health club. Pretty cool to see him, and he is a big dude.

So everyone at GB was really welcoming and nice to us. We did a couple of Ginastica Natural classes, led by Raphael Romano (his dad developed GN) and a lot of training there. The basic structure of the class was, warm up then train. they only showed technique one time for guys over white belt. But whatever you are having trouble with, they take you aside and work with you after the training. Most classes had at least 10 black belts in them, and they went however hard you did. If you spaz and go crazy, they will shut you down. If you use control and roll hard, that is what they will do.

So, most days, we trained in the morning, went to the beach, then went to train at night. The weekends we took off for tourist stuff, shopping and so on. On the first Friday, we decided to go to a MMA card in Niteroi, which is across the bay from Rio. One of the GB guys was in the main event and won. It was the WFC, and the fighter we went to watch is Gustavo "Ximu" Machado. So this was equivalent to a regional show in the US, but let me tell you, every fighter went after it as soon as the bell rang. This was the most action packed card I have ever seen, by far. No feeling out process, no tentativeness, just getting it on! Not only did we see great fights, but we payed like 10 Reals more (about 5 US dollars) to sit in the VIP area around the ring and got free drinks and food. Unfortunately, they sold more tickets, than they had chairs set up. So they brought out some plastic chairs and we got stuck sitting in the front row ringside! Next thing I know, some guys ass is bumping me in the shoulder. I look up and see he is pretty jacked and wearing a sleeveless, muscle hoodie...yep, Ricardo Arona. Then the fans start going nuts and it is the Nogiera brothers, who proceeded to get absolutely mobbed, but we managed to get pics! Also saw WEC up and comer Jose Aldo there. Pretty damn awesome time.

Week 2 and we spent a couple of days at the beach town of Buzios, absolutely beautiful area. Training, we trained some at GB, but focused more on getting to Roberto "Gordo" Correa's academy. On Monday, we trained 2 hours at GB in the morning, then 3 hours that night at Gordo's. So we roll in and start with a fairly lengthy warm-up, then 100 takedowns (only go down on every tenth one), then about 45 minutes of king of the mat takedowns, then about an hour and a half straight king of the mat from knees. Now these guys are no joke. You go, go hard and don't stop until you are on your way home. I have never been so tired in my life! Now, let me tell you about the mat! It is orange and it is a wood frame filled with shredded rubber tires. Sounds great, right? Problem is, all the rubber has been packed down HARD, and the wood for the framing sticks up about an inch above the rubber! You have to really watch yourself or you will be in pain.

Next, we trained at Gordo's newer academy. Same type of training, but much, much better mat, thankfully. Unfortunately, I got a little sick the last few days and it zapped a lot of my energy. No way I would miss the training, but I definitely was much weaker. Now, let me tell you, when you are 250 pounds, you don't want to get beaten by a 150 pound purple belt...and I didn't. Instead, I got thorougly manhandled by one! It was great fun and we laughed about it afterwards, but I'm pretty sure I heard him laughing while he was working me over! Got to meet Raphael Dos Anjos there, and he was about 190 pounds. He fights lightweight.

I know this is a lot to read, but I easily could make it 2 or 3 times as long. Instead, I will let you guys post any questions you might have and do my best to answer them. It was an amazing experience and I plan to try and make it an annual trip.

Going there was like making a trip to the Mecca of BJJ. Guys were great, but hardcore. It is a tremendous sacrifice for most of them to pay to train BJJ in Brazil. Guys had gis that looked centuries old, because they couldn't afford to buy new ones. I learned a lot about how good most of us have it, and we should never =, ever take that for granted.

Here are some pics I took:

That is me in the blue gi at Gordo's.

With Gordo, Marcio "Mamazinho" Laudier and Rafael Dos Anjos.

Me at Gordo's.

Me getting choked, my buddy getting armbared and another friend looking on. That guy is a super cool blackbelt at GB. He is 57 and didn't start training until he was 40.

Me at the WFC with Big Nog. So many cameras, he didn't know where to look!

Arona with the usher girls.

Kyra Gracie with my Professor Mario "Busy" Correa.

Me applying the half-guard guillotine to a brown belt at GB.

The classic Gracie Barra picture!

Strong Possibility of Marcelo Garcia in Dream GP!

BJJDenver — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:59:08 -0000

via sherdog.com

This would be awesome, especially if Andre Galvao also enters. The GP begins April 5 and airs on HDNet. While nothing is signed, it looks highly likely from everything I have been able to find so far, that Marcelhino will enter.

From Gracie Mag:

American Top Team coach Ricardo Liborio confirmed the likelihood Marcelo Garcia will sign with Japanese promotion Dream, which will host a 77kg Grand Prix this year. The tournament has already confirmed such high-profile fighters as Japanese idol Shinya Aoki, as well as a likely appearance from Andre Galvao, Marcelo’s rival from the days of their competing in sport Jiu-Jitsu.

"There’s a good chance. Nothing’s in ink yet, but there really is a good chance Marcelo will be in the GP," said Liborio to Portal das Lutas.

January: The best MMA month ever?

BJJDenver — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:14:40 -0000

Ok, so we knew going in, that January 2009 would be a huge month for the sport. Two UFC ppvs, Affliction ppv and the WEC on VS. Additionally, there were regional shows (Ring of Fire for me), M1, HDNet highlight shows, UFC preview shows and about anything else you could want. I also enjoyed a great seminar from Royler Gracie on the last day of the month.

Now we have to break it all down and see where we stand.

Local activity:

-Ring of Fire was fun, but not the best card I have seen from them. It seems they are in the midst of losing big names like Eliot Marshall, Alvin Robinson and so forth, and cultivating the next wave of regional talent like Cat Albert and Tyler Toner. This has always been a solid promotion and I expect there to be a lot of growth at this level across the country in the near future.

-Yesterday I was privileged to attend a half day seminar with an all-time great, Royler Gracie. The fact that his father passed away a matter of hours prior to this, in no way held him back. Royler was funny, entertaining and a great teacher. He inspired us to try and achieve as much as we can. While most of us will never be able to fill the footsteps left behind by people like Master Helio, we should all try and follow them. Royler was the first Gracie I have been around, and he far exceeded any expectations I had. What a great guy. I was lucky enough to go eat with him and a small group after the seminar, and getting to be around him in that more relaxed atmosphere only gave me more insight into what a genuinely good guy he is.

UFC 93:

-Franklin looks better at 205. Henderson seems more of a fit at 185. So despite the result, I think this is what we will see in the future. I still think if this was a 5 rounder, Franklin would have pulled it out.

-Coleman is done. Give him a farewell fight in Columbus, then let him coach or fight elsewhere, but he should move on from the UFC.

-Shogun...while disappointed, I will reserve judgement for a year. let him recover and see what we have. This was a tougher fight than people may have thought. Coleman is hard to finish and is still a great wrestler.

-Kang? Kang? I know you are out there, we are waiting for you.

-Kampmann is a good fighter and may have a good future at 170.

-I love watching Palhares fight, I'm just afraid reach/height is going to pose a big problem for him in the future.

-Belcher deserves a big fight. A win puts him on the contender list, if he isn't already.

UFC 94:

-Decisions..decisions...PAYDAY! While I thought the card in about no way, lived up to the potential, I have little doubt that Zuffa lines their pockets off this one. I have never seen excitement like this in the weeks leading up to a card.

-GSP was to big, to strong and to good for BJ. Anyone who thinks he is just a great athlete, is a fool. He is a great fighter. GSP is the best WW and perhaps the best period. How much better can he get???

-BJ was in fine shape. I don't care who you are, if you have to contend with a guy like GSP on top of you, you are going to wear down. That said, BJ is the best LW in the world and a top P4P guy, now stay at LW!!

-Lyoto. Most impressive performance of the night, imo. Was it enough to remove the stigma that has become attached to him? Not for the people looking for a train wreck every time out. So what now? How about the most elusive LHW in the game against the most athletic LHW in the game? If you aren't pumped about possibly seeing Rashad vs Lyoto, then...

-Nate. The inevitable finally happened. I'm not a Diaz brothers fan, but Nate is definitely talented. Last night he ran into the guy that held him down and neutralized much of his game, without getting caught in a triangle. Many people have predicted this every fight out, but Nate always found a way to pull out the win.

-Clay. I just don't think he has the tools to be an elite UFC LW. I think he will always be the guy that strings some wins together, then loses before the title shot. I like him, and I hope I am wrong.

-Jon Jones. I love watching this guy strike, just crazy moves. I think he has a future for sure.

-Bonnar. Good fighter, but can't overcome great athletes. He will always be in the mix as a gatekeeper, imo.

-The card. Honestly, I was disappointed. Not so much because it was bad, but I think I had set almost unrealistic expectations.

WEC:

-Cowboy and Varner. great fight. Need a quick rematch. Does anyone recover from big shots as fast as Cerrone??

-Pulver. Still a top guy, but not THE top guy.

-Faber. He is who we thought he was. Like him or not, he is the best 145er and he will hold the belt at the next opportunity.

-The card wasn't as good as usual for the WEC, and the presentation on VS dragged at an almost unbearable pace. Good thing the title fight was exciting.

Affliction:

-I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was the best card of the month. To bad it carries little relevance.

-Fedor is...Fedor. I don't see anyone beating him anytime soon. Sure Arlovski was doing pretty well, but Fedor doesn't make the mistakes that seemingly, every other fighter does.

-AA. Nice payday, congrats. Can't wait to have you back in the UFC.

-Vitor is back and Lindland may be done. The age difference and the fact that Matt will never be back in the UFC are the big factors, imo.

-Jay Heiron was robbed! And so were the fans! Until Inside MMA. Another guy that should be fighting in the UFC.

-Lauzon. Ice bin is over there.

-Barnett not very impressive. Buentello pretty impressive. Yvel hung in there pretty good, despite the bad position and Barnett had trouble fnishing him. Buentello picked Baby Fedor apart. We need to see Fedor vs Barnett asap. And Hell, why not Beuntello vs Yvel?

-Babalu, call AA and catch a ride with him back to the UFC.

So there it is, my thoughts on what was a very busy month for MMA. I think 93 lived up to and probably surpassed expectations to a degree. 94 missed wide left and lost on decision to extremely high expectations. Affliction was pretty darn good and exceeded most expectations. Of course the one expectation that Affliction will probably, unfortunately meet, is its demise. The WEC also fell short, imo, but they have been on a roll, so I can give them a pass. Still a great month to be a fan and probably a sign of what we can expect as the sport continues to grow.

Now, take a breath and get ready. UFN 18 is Saturday on Spike and there are some decent fights to sort out some young fighters. Then 2 weeks later is UFC 95 on Spike and Diego's move to LW.

What is your vote for event of the month??

One final R.I.P. to the legendary Master Helio Gracie.

Poll

What was the best event in January 2009?

UFC 93 Henderson vs Franklin

1 votes

Affliction: Day of Reckoning

30 votes

WEC Varner vs Cerrone

2 votes

UFC 94 GSP vs Penn

12 votes

Other (please clarify in the comments)

0 votes

45 votes | Poll has closed

Hey kids!! Build your very own UFC!!!

BJJDenver — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:20:44 -0000

Ok, let's have a little fun. Things have been pretty stressful around here, arguing about some of the events of this past weekend, so it is time to lighten things up a bit.

I really want the UFC to have a full ppv event in Denver soon, and it got me thinking what the card could look like. I am going to put a location, venue and maybe 6-8 fights that would be a draw for the area and sell ppvs. Now don't go crazy with four title fights or some ridiculous stacked card, just try to put together a legit, solid UFC ppv with realistic fights and draws for your area. Will it be easy? Or perhaps a little more difficult than you might think? Anyone can put together a dream card, but this is your chance to form a solid card with fights you want to see that will also make $$$. Good luck!

Here is Mine:

Denver, CO

Pepsi Center

via www.pepsicenter.com

Main Event: MW Championship- Anderson "The Spider" Silva vs Nate "The Great" Marquardt

HW contender- Shane Carwin vs Cheick Kongo

LW contender- Joe Stevenson vs Sean Sherk

WW- Anthony Johnson vs Mike Swick

LHW- Eliot Marshall vs Vinny Magalhaes

MW- Jeremy Horn vs Ricardo Almeida

LW- Alvin Robinson vs Jim Miller

LW- Shane Nelson vs Cole Miller

So what would yours be???

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Shane Carwin at UFC 96

BJJDenver — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:28:23 -0000

This Fan Post was promoted to the front page by Nick Thomas.

Sam Caplan has the report up over at 5 ounces. In my opinion, this is a HUGE jump up in competition for Carwin and could very well set up the next challenger for the belt. It looks to me as though Shane has jumped ahead of Cain Velasquez in the UFC pecking order. Could it have anything to do with the AKA/likeness rights fiasco? It always appeared to me that the UFC had more plans for Cain, but this clearly is the biggest opportunity for either rising star, so far in the UFC.

As for Gonzaga, a win over one of the UFC's up and coming heavyweights, would certainly cement his place as one of the top contenders for the championship. This would be a big fight between two huge fighters. Very compelling match up to say the least. Let's hope it comes to fruition:

Even though the event has yet to be officially announced, the UFC is poised to return to the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the third consecutive year with UFC 96 on Saturday, March 7.

And while no matchups have yet to formally be released to the public, FiveOuncesOfPain.com can exclusively report that a heavyweight clash between former heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga and former NCAA Division II wrestling champion Shane Carwin is now set to take place.

TUF 8 Finale Afterthoughts...

BJJDenver — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:56:28 -0000

Yeah Eliot!!!!!! Way to go!

Ok, now that I got that out of my system, lol, let me start with a couple of things.

Awesome job by the UFC, using their platform to give back to our soldiers via the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Agree or disagree with the war, supporting our troops and their families is absolutely neccessary and anything short of that is despicable.

Thanks to Zuffa for 3 free cards in the past week and a half. No matter how the cards turn out, having these events makes it much easier for me to justify the money I spend on ppv each month. And by "free" I mean not having to pay an additional amount beyond my normal monthly bill and watching commercials. Sorry, but there is always somebody ready to redefine the term, "free".

So the sometimes entertaining, often disgusting season has come to an end. The ripple effect has yet to be seen...

-One last thought on the antics. When TUF 1 came on, it was a new venture and nobody knew what to expect. We all saw the drama that surrounded Chris Leben and the attention that brought him. I can say without hesitation, that he probably would have been out of the UFC long ago, if not for the recognition TUF garnered him. So, we shouldn't be surprised that the amount of poor behavior has escaleted to this point, when fighters know they can get as much, or more, attention from misbehaving as they can from fighting. The question now is, "who will be the new and improved Junie Browning in future seasons?". Fasten your seatbelts and grab that little paper bag from the seatback in front of you.

-Junie vs Kaplan. Very impressive performance by Junie, albeit against a clearly inferior opponent. Refreshing statements from him, but it is going to take a lot more than that for me to forget TUF Junie and support UFC Junie.

-Eliot vs Jules. Very impressive performance by Eliot, albeit against a clearly inferior opponent. Noticing a trend here? Was Eliot's striking impressive? Yes. Was his ground attack? Of course. But most impressive was his focus, determination, confidence and overall mental state. I'm glad we got to see a couple of guys like Eliot and Krystof get televised, they deserved it. Now obviously, Jules needs to go back to the minors, but the confidence a win like this gives a fighter, can not be overstated.

-Krystof vs Primm. Mildly impressive performance by Krystof, albeit against a clearly inferior opponent. I think Brookhouse may be correct in the misplacement of all the Krystof love appearing on the net. He is just such a cool dude, that I think we all want him to be a world beater. I hope at this point in his career, he can still find ways to improve.

-Wilson vs The Athlete. Wilson is clearly on the upswing and i just don't know what MacDonald's place is right now, though it appears to be gatekeeper. I hope he doesn't get cut by the UFC, but he really could use a big win soon.

-Johnson vs Burns. Pretty good fight, though I had Johnson winning both rounds. I think Johnson's size is amazing and difficult to deal with. I hope he continues to improve and round his game out. Oh, by the way, OUCH! Best head kick since Gonzaga vs CC?? Burns is also very tough and should have a nice UFC career before it is done.

-Bader vs Vinny. Damn, Vinny is huge at 205. My guess is we will see him several more times at least. Note to Darth Bader: Metallica does a version of "The Imperial Death March", get it and use it! Bader fought smart and has a lot of power in his strikes. When he caught Vinny and put him down, I think what won him that fight, was his ability to control himself and not dive onto Vinny, who went down and rolled to replace guard. Bader stayed up, avoided the ground and landed the hammer strikes that finished the fight. Job well done. Lot's of potential in the TUF 8 LHWs.

-Nover vs Efrain. Good fight, not a great fight. I still believe that Nover has more skills, but Efrain used the Kryptonite and took him down at will. Efrain put the fight where he wanted it and controlled position, was more effective and forced Nover to swing for the fences, which he easily ducked and slipped. I really look forward to seeing both of these guys in the near future.

Overall, I think it was a pretty good show, even though it didn't have the coaches fighting or any traditional fan favorites to anchor it. We saw some devastating strikes, some good subs and some competitive fights.

I know that some people don't have a lot of interest in the preliminary fights, but i view it as a nice reward for guys that contributed to TUF and otherwise may not ever get the chance to fight on a UFC card.

I really appreciated the flow of the broadcast tonight. I watched it live and it still seemed to flow very well in comparison to past Fight Nights and Finales. The one thing I truly dislike about free cards is not seeing the corner time between rounds, so this was a big improvement to me.

Lastly, I can't wait to see Mall Cop, featuring MMA supporter Kevin James and some bald headed Dutch guy...I mean very handsome Dutch guy. Damn, that scene where he was rolling in front of the glass doors so awkward and slow, really had me laughing!

Next up in 2 weeks, UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008, should be a great event!

Renzo Gracie: Legacy Review

BJJDenver — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:31:56 -0000

I have to say, I was already a Renzo fan, but after watching Legacy, I find myself even more fascinated by him. How can he be such a family man, such a good guy, be so funny and good natured, yet so crazy and intense?? As a student at a Renzo affiliated school, I get to hear stories and get some insight into the Gracie family. My Professor and owner Amal Easton, was one of Renzo's first American Black Belts and I have to say, everything I have heard about him seems spot on. Renzo just is who he is and doesn't put on for anyone. What you see is what you get.

The movie gives us a little history of the evolution of BJJ and the Gracie family. If you are interested, here is a link to a Gracie Family Tree.

We get to see the evolution of Renzo's career from Gracie kid to Vale Tudo fighter to MMA pioneer. Some highlights are:

-Renzo's last Vale Tudo fight, which erupted into a full blown riot and contributed to the sport's controversial image in Brasil. You will not believe what happens and the way the crowd behaves during the fight.

-The events leading up to his fight with BJ Penn, which show a little bit of the political side of the sport.

-A lot of behind the scenes footage from his fights. This is very interesting to see how a world class athlete reacts before and after fights.

Also there is a lot of footage of him training, including:

-Training Daniel Gracie for his fight with Wes Sims in the IFL. Hilarious, shocking and motivating.

-Rolling with his brother, the late Ryan Gracie. The action on the mat was amazing, some of the best straight rolling I have seen.

Best of all, there is a ton of interview footage with the man, himself. Some great quotes, motivational wisdom and just plain crazy stories from his life.

The movie was very entertaining, flowed well and had excellent narration. My only complaint was that it isn't twice as long! I definitely didn't want it to end and got the feeling that it could have just gone on and on and on.

There is a lot of strong language, but beyond that, I would recommend Legacy to everyone, whether you already are a fan, or are looking for a little insight into an amazing family.

To me, Renzo is what BJJ is all about. He has built himself, his academy and his family through hard work and dedication. He has a great sense of humor, but is one of the most intense guys I have ever seen. He loves to fight and will take on anyone who challenges him. He has overcome adversity and exceeded family expectations. If you haven't seen Legacy, do so, you will not be disappointed.

UFC 91 Afterthoughts...

BJJDenver — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:29:16 -0000

So this was supposed to be the biggest UFC card ever. Probably not, but no doubt it will be highly successful. So considering the headliner, are we to assume that many casual fans and FOLs (fans of Lesner) bought the ppv? If so, and I agree, then the UFC may have struck gold. They had a card full of exciting fights that would surely impress even the least knowledgable viewers. I think that even if this doesn't approach UFC buy records, it will be a giant success that will boost the sport even more in the future.

Let's start at the top:

Brock--UFC HW Champion. Like it or not, he is. Brock is improving every time out, and the fact that he could stand and hold his own in the striking department is pretty scary. This sets up a big fight with Mir, which can be touted as the revenge match OR it sets up a huge match with Big Nog, which is what I expect to see. I give Brock props, but also keep it in perspective. He fought a 45 year old guy that hadn't been in the cage for a year. If he next beats Mir, I will be pretty convinced and if he beats Nog, I will be completely convinced. Of course, even then, there is the one thought I always end up with no matter who we are talking about...could he beat Fedor? We can only hope one day, to have all our questions answered. I think the UFC is doing a pretty good job of doing as much as they can to give us some of these answers.

Randy--So many questions. Certainly, can he still fight, is not one of them. Dude is a freak to be doing this at 45. Unfortunately, to an extent, he is a man without an island. At this point in his career, I see him having a lot of trouble with guys like Lesner, Carwin, etc.. Big explosive guys need a class of their own. I am all for a 206-235 weight class, maybe cruiserweight. It would extend the careers of guys like Randy and Chuck and set up the opportunity for even more "superfights". It would also give the UFC the opportunity to promote another title fight for their cards and shrink a huge division that currently spans 60 pounds. I think this has to get done and would have many benefits with few drawbacks. I don't see Randy as a LHW anymore and I don't think he can win regularly against the future of the HW division. If he continues fighting, it will have to be in carefully selected fights. Randy is no gatekeeper.

Florian--Is this guy the least scary looking fighter out there, lol? But you better believe he is for real and should never be overlooked. Unfortunately, I think he "poked the bear" last night and will get hammered by BJ. Of course, losing to BJ is no demeaning thing. This was the most impressive victory of the night for me. Was it his BJJ? No. His striking? No. It was the apparent added strength he displayed. Joe is strong, and Ken seemed to control him with relative ease. Ken deserves the title shot, and may hold the belt someday if BJ vacates. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would like to see a Ken/Sherk rematch at this point.

Stevenson--Sometimes, even great fighters need to take a step back. Something just doesn't look right with him. Not sure if it his mindset, his gameplan or what, but I think he may need to take a break and re-evaluate his training, technique, coaching or something. Maybe he just needs a break. I still think he is very dangerous, but he definitely needs a change of some type.

Hazelett--Shave that creepy beard, lol! What a fun guy to watch. UFC needs to do a good job of promoting him, as he is entertaining and a fan favorite. Would anyone like to see him fight Condit in the UFC?

McCrory--6'4"?? Damn, some more good training and that could get him places. I hope the UFC has some patience with him. And "The Barncat" has got to be one of the best nicknames around.

Gonzaga--The exit of Werdum opens a huge door for GG, imo. Honestly, this is the guy that should be the future of the HW division. He has good striking, powerful kicks and amazing BJJ. He is big and strong and athletic. If he had Florian's mindset, he would be unbeatable. Hopefully he has regained his mojo, can face either Mir or Nog (whomever loses) and get in the mix for a title shot. Anything but wearing the belt is underacheiving for him, in my eyes.

Maia--I absolutely love watching this guy fight. He has proven himself to be a legit top 10 type of fighter, so let's see some of the matches we know will be great. Almeida, Palahares, Marquardt, etc... Just like the LWs, imo, take the top guy away and the division is very competitive. Not ready for Anderson...yet.

Quarry--I think we all knew what was coming for him last night. Maia is just to good on the ground and he is on a roll. Get Quarry a fight to keep him on track and let's see him in entertaining slugfests where he excels.

Gurgel and Robinson--Please get these guys in the WEC. Gurgel can take a beating and Robinson has a lot of heart, but it is clear they do not belong in the UFC.

Bocek--He needs to get his game rounded out, but his BJJ is awesome. I hope he lasts long enough to develop.

Riley--Some great striking, could provide us with some entertaining fights before he faces BJJ guys that actually use their ground skills.

Brown--Definitely a tough guy, but I see him as a .500 fighter in the UFC. I hardly recognized him without his goatee, lol.

Dos Anjos--I think he has a future, but...

Stephens--...look out for the uppercut!!! All I have to say is, DAMN!

So, overall, i would say this was a very entertaining card. We saw about everything there is to see, without a lot of controversy and negatives. I think what we witnessed was a preview of what should be a very interesting 2009 for the UFC and the sport of ultimate fighting...I mean mma, lol.

And finally, if you are declaring the sport tainted by the fact that Brock was a wrassler, then you clearly have issues. This guy is a world class athlete, great wrestler and developing mma fighter. If anyone thinks just any pro wrestler can cross over into mma, then they are ignorant to the sport. Many of today's mma fans originated as pro wrestling fans, and found something real and better in mma. I think this will only continue as the sport grows.

UFC 90 Sunday Morning Musings...

BJJDenver — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:31:38 -0000

Ok, so the train derailed last night. I won't go so far as to say this was a bad card, but the main event always leaves a lasting impression, and this one wasn't good. UFC has put on some great shows this year, and I can live with the quality of 90, in that respect.

-Silva. I have called for him to retire, but that is just me being a selfish fan. I actually don't want him to even consider it. I do want him to come in and be the pro that he is, and destroy subpar competition. Cote was out of his league and should have been finished early in this fight. Some have called Silva cautious, but in reality, he was bored, clowning and trying to put in a show. He failed. MMA has room for flamboyant, flashy stars, but the respectful, professional is always appreciated.

-Cote. I like Cote, but he is what he is, a very solid, but not contending, fighter. Hanging your hat on getting to the 3rd round with Silva, is not something to brag about. You did absolutely nothing to Silva. Go rehab, keep training hard and get back at it. While I don't see him ever being champ, if Silva is gone to 205 or retires, there isn't any one I wouldn't at least give him a slugger's chance against.

-Alves. What a great fight it would be against GSP. Two large WWs getting after it. I think we need to see Alves destroy Diego, while GSP battles BJ. Then, whether GSP wins or loses, Alves vs GSP. I do think GSP's superior technical striking, will help keep Alves at a distance and make for a very interesting fight.

-Koscheck. Great athlete with amazing recovery. I expect him to improve every time out, and even in a battering loss, he showed a lot of good things.

-Maynard. Many people think he is the next great LW. I think he almost bored me to death last night.

-Sherk. Not sure if he won, but what a great fight. Two guys whose ground game cancelled the other's out, resulting in 15 minutes of slugging it out. Damn, the LW's are deep and muddled, lol.

-Griffin. See Sherk.

-Werdum. Damn! You just knew this was going to happen. I really wanted Fabricio to be the HW tournament spoiler, but we can forget that for a while.

-Dos Santos. I think this guy maaayyyyyy have some striking power. I'm not going crazy about him, but lets see him vs Kongo.

-Franca/Maximus. Where was the most intriguing match of the night? Why do we not see this fight (or Miller/Horowich) instead of McFedries getting choked and 20 minutes of Rogan and Goldy? This was a perfect opportunity to make up for the main event, and instead they only made it worse.

-Rogan and Goldy. Please shut up. These guys are really starting to grate on me. Please stop describing a turd like it is a bar of gold. Just tell us like it is, we can handle it.

High points...Rachelle Leah, Chicago, Sherk and Griffin and Kos and Alves, oh my.

Low points...main event, Maynard and Clementi, lackluster card to an extent.

If 89 and 90 were combined, we would have a very nice card. is the UFC getting diluted? Or was it just a hiccup in scheduling/match making?

The answer? UFC 91. If this card lives up to its potential, we will forget the low points of the last two weekends.