SB Nation User Blog: Brett Jones

A Conundrum About Fedor

Brett Jones — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:02:31 -0000

"If you would play the game even a little, you'd be in a position where you could change things around here."

- Dr. Benson, Scrubs

Tonight's Strikeforce on CBS event is arguably the biggest to date for Strikeforce, featuring the world's best fighter. Yet, as important as this card is for Strikeforce, the reality is that Fedor is not a fighter that's shown the ability to draw as a headliner. My latest column on Heavy.com addresses the unfortunate difficulties of promotion the world's best fighter.

It makes Fedor’s relationship with Strikeforce particularly compelling. They are the latest promotion to wind up in bed with M-1, on the hook for similar financial considerations as previous promoters who’ve worked with Fedor. There are a variety of reasons why the move makes more sense for Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, and to be brief, the decision has a greater potential for reward than it carried in the past. Still, we’re talking about a high-priced fighter with limited appeal being used as an international star for a promotion that has only just taken their business national. Calling it a recipe for disaster wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable.

Not that it's destined to fail in the same way that relationships with BODOGFight and Affliction were, but the problem is that Fedor's greatest potential to match his drawing power to his talent level is to be seen by the audience at large as the greatest in the world. Putting aside the fact that promoting a fighter as the greatest in the world has not yet been an effective strategy, Fedor has a very small talent pool in Strikeforce with which to prove his status as the best to a mainstream audience.

Let’s not forget the issue that looms over the entire Fedor circumstance: He’s not fighting the champ. Certainly the champ he should be fighting is Brock Lesnar, the sports biggest star and rightful challenger to Fedor’s proverbial throne, but it’s well documented that the fight won’t be happening. And yet, Fedor can’t even get a fight with Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, who is unavailable due to commitments in kickboxing and with other MMA promotions. That would be fine if Overeem had defended his title, oh, say, at any point ever, but he has yet to do so in his more than two years as champion. Overeem has mentioned that he’d like to fight Fedor in the first half of 2010, but you’ll forgive if I don’t hold my breath for that one.

Of course, in the past couple hours we've learned that Fedor will fight Rogers for the phony baloney WAMMA Heavyweight title, which has about as much significance to anyone as Fedor's days in PRIDE do to the casual audience in 2009. And what's up with the announcement of the title being on the line being made less than 24-hours prior to the match? That's some low-rent stuff right there.

For more on the Fedor Conundrum, check out my full column at Heavy.com.

(art via Heavy.com)

Lesnar's Bad News Could Be Good News for The UFC

Brett Jones — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:28:05 -0000

"You were supposed to be this colossus. You were this great, legendary thing…" -Vizzini, The Princess Bride

My first column at Heavy.com is up, wherein I look at the pros and cons of Brock Lesnar being sidelined with the flu.

A cynic would argue that, had Lesnar not been so stubborn for so long and gotten himself some Tamiflu early on, we could all still look forward to watching him defend his title on November 21. That’s a reasonable position to take, but there is a silver lining to this cloud. It will, however, require some patience.

Fortunately, the re-match of Tito Ortiz v. Forrest Griffin features two high-profile fighters who have both come a long way since their first fight, in which Ortiz earned a split-decision victory.

Griffin, no longer the wide-eyed newcomer fresh out of the original "Ultimate Fighter" house, is a recent Light Heavyweight champion. Ortiz, on the other hand, is coming off of back surgery and returns to the UFC after an 18-month hiatus. Now the main event, the buy rate for Ortiz v. Griffin II will tell us whether or not Griffin’s recent meltdown following his loss to Anderson Silva will affect his popularity (probably not) and to what degree Tito Ortiz is still viable, both as a contender at Light Heavyweight and as a draw. 500,000 buys is a conservative estimate for the event.

Coincidentally, when Tito Ortiz fought Forrest Griffin for the first time on UFC 59 in 2006, the match was billed as the "return of the Huntington Beach Bad Boy." Did you know that when they first fought, the event did a then-record 425k buys? By comparison, Dave Meltzer's latest trending numbers suggest Machida v. Shogun drew about that many buys. You can rest assured that Ortiz v. Griffin II will do better business the second time around.

Not only is the UFC is left with two shows that should generate a sum total of at least 1.5 million buys, but they are also left with a lot of options.

The UFC will have Silva v. Belfort, Machida v. Shogun 2, and ultimately St. Pierre v. Swick/Hardy at the ready. I know a lot of folks lately have been lamenting the lack of strong main events on UFC shows, but it sure looks like that won't be an issue, at least for the first few months, in 2010.

While it’s unfortunate that the UFC will end its year with more of a whimper than their previously scheduled bang, it’s difficult to shed a tear when thinking about the not-so-distant future. It’s ironic that this pandemic, this viral outbreak that’s causing so many people to lose their minds, is responsible for what may wind up as the most successful start to a year enjoyed by the UFC. To think that because Lesnar’s next title defense will be so early in the year he is all but ensured to fight at least three times in 2010, you can’t help but be optimistic.

It’s more than adapting to circumstance; it’s the taming of the flu.

For the rest of my analysis on the domino effect caused by Brock Lesnar's flu, check out the full article on Heavy.com.

(art via Heavy.com)

Super Hulk Tournament Announced for DREAM.9, Jose Canseco to Participate

Brett Jones — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:27:31 -0000

In what may be the greatest news in the yet young history of Mixed Martial Arts, a catchweight tournament "Super Hulk Tournament" has been added to May 26th, 2009's DREAM.9 event. It's a shame that this tournament, which is being called "the tournament to end all tournaments" will overshadow the second round of DREAM's catchweight ("featherweight") tournament, but it does, and how. Here is the line up, courtesy of Nightmare of Battle

Super Hulk Tournament 1st Round Fights:
Minowaman vs. Bob Sapp
Jan "The Giant" Nortje vs. Sokoudjou
Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt
Choi Hong Man vs. Jose Canseco

That's right: the man who outed the steroid problem in baseball, who famously played a ball off of his abnormally large dome to cost the Texas Rangers a home run, will reportedly fight Hong Man Choi in what would far and away be the greatest freak show match in this history of MMA. I say "reportedly," as I have great doubts about Canseco's involvement in this tournament. I'm sure he could use the money, but he's not promoting anything at the moment, and let us not forget the pounding he took in an exhibition boxing match against Vai Sikahema. What business, then, would Canseco have stepping into a ring with a K-1 fighter?

Perhaps that match won't happen. Perhaps it's all just a publicity stunt where Jose Canseco is much more popular in Japan than I imagine him to be. Or perhaps Minowman will just wind up fighting the seven cardboard cut outs. I'll take the cutouts by heelhook, round one.

Additionally, it looks like Gegard Mousasi will be moving up to heavyweight a bit more quickly than he had planned, facing another K-1 veteran in Mark Hunt. It's interesting to me that Moussasi would fight on the same event where his vacated Middleweight title will be contested, and while a title defense against Jason "Mayhem" Miller would have been compelling, Mousasi's move up, at a time when he seems to be at the top of his game, is at least equally compelling. Hunt, in his most recent fight, was knocked out by Middleweight fighter Melvin Manhoef, who took the fight on short notice. Prior to that contest, Melvin was forced to submit at the hands of Mousasi. Obviously, that means Mousasi will beat Hunt via MMA Math.

Also of note is the return of Sokoudjou to Japan, where he ~~fooled everyone into thinking he was a legitimate contender~~ seemingly legitimized his place in the Light Heavyweight division, knocking Ricardo Arona out after having done so to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at PRIDE 33 in Las Vegas, NV. He'll take on Jan Nortje, who most recently upset the homecoming of Bob Sapp, defeating his fellow tournament participant on the Strikeforce at the Dome event in Tacoma, WA in 2008. The rest of the (finalized?) DREAM.9 card is as follows:

Lightweight Fight:
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. J.Z.Calvan

2nd Generation DREAM Middleweight Title Fight:
Ronaldo Jacare vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Featherweight GP Quarterfinal Fights:
Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren
Masakazu Imanari vs. Bibiano Fernandes
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro

art via nightmare of battle.

UPDATE Unsubstantiated Rumor: KJ Noons Signs With UFC, Debut Set for 4/1 Against Melvin Guillard

Brett Jones — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:22:20 -0000

Promoted to the front page from the FanPosts by Luke Thomas. Editor's note: I have no evidence to suggest this scoop is manufactured, but I've had some concerns about the accuracy of some of the claims coming from MMABay. I am not trying to be adversarial, but until this story is corroborated by another source I have some suspicions.

Michael Pepper of MMABay has the rather large news on this relatively small competitor:

The UFC are set to sign one of the hottest free agents in MMA in KJ Noons, the former EliteXC lightweight champion, MMABay can EXCLUSIVELY reveal.

Noons was stripped of the title last year after refusing to defend it in a rematch against former UFC fighter, Nick Diaz. His contract expired last week, making him one of the most wanted free agents on the MMA scene.

Rumour has it that the former pro-boxer could debut at UFC Fight Night 18 against Melvin Guillard. With Noons one of the best strikers in the lightweight division, he could very well make a massive impact in an already stacked division.

Just a few months ago Noons was complaining that Gary Shaw had forgone an agreement to promote Noons boxing career, something which he seemed very serious about perusing after his falling out with EliteXC. With this announcement, it appears Noons has decided to go in a different route, throwing himself in the mix with some of the very best lightweight fighters in the MMA world.

It's no secret that Noons' strength is his stand up. Hence his stated interest in returning to boxing. Noons was able to force a doctor stoppage by bludgeoning Nick Diaz about the face, and earned a quick TKO victory over former UFC and EliteXC Lightweight contender Yves Edwards. Those, of course, are two solid wins for any fighter to have on their resume, particularly one who is still relatively new to the sport as is Noons, who holds just a 7-2-0 record in MMA competition.

Now that Noons has signed with the UFC, two very important questions come to mind. First, is Noons the truth, or was he merely a large fish in a small pond? Second, will the Noons/Diaz feud extend to the Octagon, leading to a match against Nate Diaz? The former we should find the answer to relatively quickly. Hopefully, the latter will be answered both quickly and affirmatively as well.

(art via www.fcfighter.com)

UPDATE: A source close to Noons says the rumors are false. Yet another reason never to believe anything from MMA Bay. And you can quote me on that, take it to the bank and cash it.

UPDATE 2: I am hearing from another source that the rumor of Noons fighting Guillard did not come from anyone within Noons' camp. Stay tuned.

WEC Adding Flyweight Division

Brett Jones — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:35:40 -0000

Promoted to the front page from the FanPosts by Cannon Jacques.

When I asked Luke to discuss Flyweights, I did so thinking that it would be a good way for people to better understand a division in MMA that has little to no representation in the United States. My feeling is that aside from horse jockeys, you'd be hard pressed to find adult male humans who weigh 125lbs. or less in North America. Apparently, then, WEC is scouring racetracks (or, more realistically, SHOOTO), as MMAWeekly is reporting the organizations intention to introduce their own flyweight division this year:

MMAWeekly.com sources on Tuesday revealed that the WEC is adding a 125-pound flyweight division. With WEC 38 in San Diego just three weeks away, no 125-pound bouts are expected for that fight card. The promotion's next event, likely in March, is a more apt candidate to host the WEC's new commitment to flyweight fighters.

The addition of a flyweight division is interesting for a variety of reasons. While SHOOTO currently houses the world's best in the division, it's unlikely that the WEC will be able to build the division around a Shinichi Kojima or Mamoru Yamaguchi. This leads me to speculate that WEC's sights are set on 2008 Olympic Gold Medal wrestler Henry Cejudo, who competed in Beijing at 121lbs. Cejudo has reportedly been training at a boxing gym, however recent rumors suggested that Cejudo could have faced KID Yamamoto at the recent K-1 Dynamite event. Not only would Cejudo enter the UFC with the greatest wrestling credentials, he would also be an easier main-stream sell given his Olympic backstory and his ability to speak English fluently (a characteristic many of the division's early competitors will likely lack).

Regardless of Cejudo's involvement, the addition of the Flyweight division will add even more excitement to a brand known for entertaining cards, top to bottom. It will surely require a lot of promotion by ZUFFA to get the division off the ground, particularly if Cejudo is not involved, but the hardest of the hadcore fans are surely joining me in an ear-to-ear grin at the thought of some of the potential match ups we could see this year and beyond.

Melvin Manhoef to Replace Jerome LeBanner at K-1 Dynamite!! 2008

Brett Jones — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:55:36 -0000

Promoted to the front page from the FanPosts by Luke Thomas.

Japan-MMA has the scoop:

Last minute changes to the Dynamite card! Jerome is out due to the flu and FEG has been working hard to find a replacement, it is announced now that Melvin Manhoef steps in!!

With the tremendous weight difference between Manhoef and Hunt, and the fact that Hunt has at least shown that he's heard of ground fighting, it's going to be a tough road to hoe for Manhoef. Regardless of the outcome, Manhoef deserves a tremendous amount of respect for taking this fight on a day's notice. Credit should also go to FEG for finding a replacement fans could actually care about on such short notice.

(art via www.mmatko.com)

Mark Hunt v. Alistair Overeem at DREAM 5

Brett Jones — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:55:30 -0000

The Fight Network has the scoop:

Alistair "Demolition Man" Overeem (27-11-0) has been confirmed as the opponent for Mark Hunt (5-3-0) at Dream 5 from Osaka, Japan this Monday. Overeem confirmed the heavyweight bout with The Fight Network on Friday.

Overeem, a veteran Dutch kickboxer, was victorious over Tae Hyun Lee (1-2-0) at Dream 4 in June. He holds notable wins over Vitor Belfort (16-8-0) and Paul Buentello (25-10-0), both of whom will be competing at Affliction: Banned this Saturday. The seasoned Pride Fighting Championships star looks to extend his winning streak to three in a row against another fighter who is no stranger to the defunct Japanese promotion.
While Hunt may only have eight fights under his belt, he holds wins over some of the most established names in the sport, including Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2). Since then, however, Hunt has been on a two-fight losing streak, last suffering defeat at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC) and Josh Barnett (25-5-0), two top-five ranked heavyweight fighters. In his first appearance for the Dream promotion, Hunt looks to rebound when he takes on "Demolition Man" at Osaka Castle Hall.

Quite the match up to put together at the last moment. While Hunt has done well for himself in his still young MMA career, Overeem seems to be fighting as well as he ever has.

This is a tough one for both guys on short notice. On the one hand, Hunt had been preparing for a fight, despite not knowing who his opponent would be, on the DREAM 5 show, so he may be in better fighting shape that Overeem. On the other hand, this is Hunt's first fight since losing to Fedor on New Year's Eve 2006. Overeem is not a top heavyweight, which Hunt had become accustomed to facing in PRIDE, but he is a dangerous striker, which will likely make this an exciting fight for as long as it lasts.

Big Announcement Next Tuesday, Not Tomorrow

Brett Jones — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:51:25 -0000

It looks like we'll have to wait a few extra days to learn what Dana White has in store. Dave Meltzer breaks the news:

The announcement today of the UFC action figures deal with Jakks is not the big announcement that has been teased all week. According to the UFC, that announcement will be made a week from today, and not on Thursday.

It seems we'll have to wait a bit longer for that mind-blowing announcement. On the plus side, now I have more time to finalize the brackets for my UFC action figure tournament.

Photo courtesy of Ralph Fountain.

Kimbo Slice vs. Brett Rogers in October

Brett Jones — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:36:29 -0000

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

So much for the notion that Rogers wouldn't get a shot at Kimbo. Michael David Smith of AOL Fanhouse has the news:

If that was Rogers' attempt to hype himself up as the next opponent for Kimbo, it worked. Slice appeared on Dan Le Batard's radio show today and said he'll fight Rogers next, "probably in October."

"They called me out, and now they got the fight," Slice said of Rogers and his camp.

One rumor suggested that Kimbo would take on current IFL Heavyweight champion Roy Nelson his next fight. By comparison, Kimbo v. Rogers is absolutely the better booking as I'm concerned. If Kimbo loses to Roy Nelson, sure, it was his toughest test in his young career and losing to a champion is no indictment on one's abilities. However, Nelson then goes back to IFL, and where is Kimbo left? In EliteXC, battling low level competition for his next handful of fights as Shaw and co. try to rebuild the aura of Kimbo.

With Rogers as Kimbo's opponent, it's a win-win-win for Kimbo, Rogers, and most importantly, EliteXC. Regardless of who wins, Kimbo or Rogers would come out as a significantly bigger star than they entered the match as, and would be the face of the organization going forward. Rogers could even become the "new Kimbo," while Kimbo would have beaten not only his toughest opponent to date, but an undefeated fighter with more than twice as many matches as Kimbo to his credit. From EliteXC's perspective, this will be a grudge match, which has historically been the biggest drawing matches in MMA. While this won't appeal to audiences in the same way as Ortiz v. Shamrock, adding this level on intriguing to Kimbo's already massive, albeit subdued, aura could make this event even more successful for EliteXC than last Saturday's.

All that having been said, I think it's clear that Kimbo will come in as the underdog for the first time in his career. At the very least, Rogers has as much power in his hands as Kimbo. Unlike Kimbo, Rogers was able to stop James Thompson inside of one round. While Rogers isn't known for his ground game, he was able to prevent James Thompson from taking their fight to the ground, something Kimbo struggled with mightily. Questions arise when comparing the chins of each fighter. We have yet to really see Roger's chin tested, while it's understood that Kimbo has a very durable chin. It's a safe bet that Rogers will test it nonetheless in October.

Photo credit: Combatlifestyle.com

Jenna Jameson uses pantomime to motivate boyfriend Tito Ortiz at UFC 84. HT: MMA Fight Girls

Brett Jones — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:35:22 -0000

Jenna Jameson uses pantomime to motivate boyfriend Tito Ortiz at UFC 84.

HT: MMA Fight Girls