I'll keep this short and sweet.

I never hesitate, not even for a moment, to give Jonathan Snowden sh*t when he posts articles that I view as completely ridiculous. 

However, even I have to admit that he hit the nail on the freaking head with his review of UFC 129.

To me, the night was shaping up to be the greatest UFC event of all time - right up until the main event between Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields.

Here's the sentence that sums it all up:

For all the talk of Georges St. Pierre leading mixed martial arts into uncharted mainstream waters, it's something that is never going to be accomplished by a fighter who doesn't excite emotions in the cage.

Think about it. Did you feel an ounce of excitement during that fight? Or tension? Or happiness? Or joy? Anything besides frustration? 

I don't know about you, but I felt like I was watching some random Bellator fight between two guys I've never heard of - not a UFC title fight before the biggest crowd in the promotion's history, involving one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the history of the sport.

I just had no reason to give a sh*t about what was going on. I can't even point out exactly what was wrong with the fight. It was just... ...BAD!

Everyone has a mediocre fight now and then, but GSP/Shields was just as lacking in excitement as GSP's last two fights against Koscheck and Hardy.

So is GSP boring? I don't know, but he's no longer the monster that put all his might into brutalizing guys like Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, BJ Penn, and Jon Fitch.

No, that GSP, the guy that spent every second of every round trying to completely dominate his opponents is gone, replaced by someone that just reliably gets the job done.

I can't fault the guy for winning, but he brings none of the action and excitement that drew me to the sport in the first place. 

There's really nothing else to say, except that it's truly pathetic that UFC 129 would have been better without the main event.

Jonathan Snowden sparked a conversation on homophobia in MMA  with his recent article entitled "Kobe Bryant Punishment Underscores the UFC's Problem with Homophobia."

If you haven't been following the story, Kobe was recently fined $100,000 for throwing a nasty homophic slur referee Bennie Adams following a technical foul call.

Mr. Snowden argues the following:

"David Stern set the right example for White and UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. Action must be swift and meaningful."

I couldn't help but disagree more.

Stern's punishment was swift, but meaningless.

$100,000 sounds like a lot of money, until you consider the fact that Kobe's base salary is $24,806,250 a year. Spread out over 82 regular-season games, that means Kobe makes about $300K per game.

This means that Kobe earns enough money to pay the fine by the second quarter of a game.

Lame, especially since that $100K fine will probably be tax-deductible. And it's not like Kobe was some beloved man of the people, so he probably didn't lose many fans.

On the other hand, the UFC does have the ability to swing a mighty hammer when it wants to punish a fighter.

Dana White pulled Michael Bisping's bonus pay after the spitting fiasco at UFC 127. Now that was a real fine. Bisping's last reported win bonus was $150,000 at UFC 114, so the UFC took away a pretty big chunk of his income - way more than the pitiful 0.4% taken from Kobe Bryant.

However,  Jonathan is correct on the bigger issue.

If the UFC wants to be taken seriously as a professional-sports organization and responsible-corporate citizen, it has to respond to homophobic comments made by staff and fighters with significant fines and/or suspensions. 

The UFC has shown that it is willing to selectively dole out punishment - it just has to extend the heavy hand to homophobia.

I don't have an awful lot of time so I'm going to make this quick.

Consider the following to be a response to Jonathan Snowden's article UFC 127 Results: Michael Bisping Does Not Deserve Your Scorn:

First, let me say that I have no problem with Michael Bisping intentionally spitting on anyone in Jorge Rivera's corner.

When you talk smack, and especially when you take it as far as Rivera's camp did, you lose the ability to complain when your intended target gets mad and retaliates. I'm not saying Bisping's actions were classy or appropriate, but I don't blame him for taking the chance to get his digs in at Rivera's team.

Rivera and his camp did not show any class leading up to the fight so they certainly weren't entitled to be respected by Bisping after the fight. If Bisping wanted to make nice and be the bigger man, fine. But it was not required.

Now, on to the knee, and why Michael Bisping does indeed deserve my scorn. 

When I was watching the fight, I though the illegal knee was intentional. I though Bisping took his time in setting it up, which indicates that he wasn't just caught up in the adrenaline-fueled action of a grudge match. 

But regardless of whether the knee was intentional or not, remember what Bisping did while the medical team was assessing Jorge.

He was clapping his hands together and waving them in the air, celebrating like he was named champion of the world - a detail the MMA media somehow missed in virtually all articles I've seen covering the affair.

If Bisping had at that moment just cleanly (as in with no illegal blows) won the fight, he could have done the whole Tito Ortiz gravedigger routine for all I cared. But no, he was celebrating knocking his opponent down with a blatantly illegal blow. 

If that's not worthy of scorn, somebody please tell me what is.

AddictedMMA.com is reporting that welterweight contender Paul "Semtex" Daley missed weight for his BAMMA fight with Yuya Shirai:

Latest reports from the Bamma weigh-ins have confirmed that "Paul Semtex" Daley has failed to make weight.

After coming in at 2lbs over weight at the weigh-in, Semtex was given a further hour to drop the 2lbs. Unfortunatly for everybody it seems that it wasn't possible and Semtex only managed to drop another pound.

Paul Daley announced before the weigh-in on his facebook page that there had been an issue with the sauna that he was using.

More reports are confirming that Paul Daley is now refusing to appear at the press conference.

Assuming this report is true, it is a major problem for Strikeforce, which had been planning to put Daley in against its star welterweight champion Nick Diaz.

Strikeforce has had trouble finding appropriate challengers for Diaz, who himself admitted that his last opponent, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, was basically the only guy they could find to fill the spot.

This is the third time that Daley's missed weight in the past 13 months, and that means Strikeforce would be absolutely crazy to book him for a title fight when there's a pretty good chance he'll miss weight.

Keep in mind that the weight limit for a welterweight title fight is 170, as the typical one-pound allowance isn't allowed when a belt is on the line.

Tyron Woodley, step up!

I love the Zuffa machine and believe 100% that the UFC's benevolent-dictator business model is the best way to move the sport forward.

However, the sport's leading promotion does occasionally do things that I just can't understand, case in point being the way Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama is being brought along.

In fact, Akiyama's UFC career is turning into the biggest series of matchmaking debacles in MMA history.

Let's recap Akiyama's tenure in the UFC.

Akiyama debuted against Alan Belcher at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009. While many fans, myself included, thought Belcher won the fight, Akiyama was awarded a split-decision victory. But let's call that battle what it was - too close to complain about.

Okay, let's move on. 

Akiyama's next bout was with Chris Leben at UFC 116. After a pretty solid showing in the first two rounds, Akiyama succumbed to a triangle choke with just twenty seconds left in the fight.

Following that loss, the UFC matched Akiyama up with Michael Bisping at UFC 120, with the latter taking a unanimous decision victory.

And what did the UFC decide to do with Akiyama after two straight losses, and one razor-thin victory? They booked him to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 128 in March 2011. 

But it wasn't to be. Sonnen's suspension/sabbatical from the UFC following his PED scandal meant he was out, and Nate Marquardt was in to take his place. 

Now I want to ask you folks a question. 

What is wrong with the following sequence of events?

1) Akiyama wins a very close decision over Belcher at UFC 100.

2) Akiyama gets choked out by Chris Leben at UFC 116.

3) Akiyama loses by decision to Michael Bisping at UFC 120.

4) Akiyama is booked to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 128.

5) Sonnen is pulled from the fight, and Nate Marquardt is his replacement.

Look closely and you'll see that the worse Akiyama performs, the better his next opponent is!

Akiyama went from 1) barely beating Belcher and 2) getting subbed by Leben to fighting Michael Bisping, the #12 guy in the world, as ranked by USA Today/SB Nation.

Fast forward to October 16, 2010. Bisping wins by unanimous decision, and what happens?

Akiyama is booked to battle Chael Sonnen, the #2 guy in the world. 

Sonnen is suspended/pulls out, and who is there to replace him? Nate Marquardt, the #4 guy.

Is anyone else baffled by this?

Bisping beats Akiyama and gets #25-ranked Jorge Rivera.

Akiyama loses to Bisping, and is put up against #2-ranked Chael Sonnen, then #4-ranked Nate Marquardt when Sonnen is pulled.

My conclusion: If Akiyama can manage to lose to Marquardt, he should be right in line for a title shot.

And yes, we now have indisputable proof that Michael Bisping is being protected.

BJ Penn looked like crap last night.

BJ Penn hasn't lived up to his potential.

BJ Penn is a front runner.

BJ Penn needs a new training camp and a sports psychologist.

BJ Penn talks a lot of smack, and it doesn't always make much sense.

I think we can all agree on these points.

But Mr. Snowden, BJ Penn's career has most certainly been anything but ordinary. He's had by far one of the most extraordinary careers in MMA history. 

In fact, that storied career may have led you to pick BJ to win the fight before making this statement post-event:

Many people were shocked by Penn's two losses to Edgar. Not me. Looking carefully at Penn's career leads you to one conclusion-despite his inflated reputation, the extraordinary BJ Penn is merely ordinary

Why didn't you pick Edgar to win if BJ is merely ordinary? 

BJ hasn't been the most successful in title fights, but if you're going to sum up the man's career, you may want to consider the following before tossing him under the bus:

1) He is one of only two men to win titles in two different UFC weight classes (kind of a big deal).

2) He successfully defended the lightweight title three times - something never done before.

3) In his 15 career victories, he finished 12 of his opponents, including Matt Hughes, Takanori Gomi, Kenny Florian, and Sean Sherk.

4) His win/loss record is partially a reflection of the top-flight competition he's faced. BJ has never had a gimme fight in his career, except his rematch with Jens Pulver, and he's taken chances like no other.

5) BJ debuted in the UFC. If he started in smaller shows he could easily have 20+ wins on his record and even more impressive finishes.

Now can anyone explain to me what exactly makes BJ Penn ordinary? Because if a guy like BJ Penn is ordinary, what does that say about guys on the level of, say, Kenny Florian? Guys that fought well and fought hard, but never made it to the top - are they just a bunch of hacks?

Yes, BJ is flawed and perhaps could have done more with his natural physical skills, but we can't deny the man's place in MMA history.

***************

P.S. Frankie is pretty damn good. No, that's wrong, the two biggest wins of his career are over that oh-so-ordinary BJ Penn.

I've noticed quite a bit of bellyaching over the UFC's signing of Jake Shields - particularly over the question of how "marketable" he is. 

Remember one thing - Strikeforce does not tell stories. Strikeforce relies on name veterans instead of making investments to build up fresh fighters.

On the other hand, the UFC is very, very good at building up new talent. The UFC uses TUF to build name recognition for young guys and their coaches, and the Countdown/Primetime shows to give in-depth, pseudo-behind the scenes looks at fighters.

So let's ask the question - what can the UFC do with Jake Shields?

Well, let's see.

Let's start out by looking at this picture:

He's a pretty good-looking guy.

What else?

Jake's a single dad, which automatically gives him a compelling back story. It worked with Houston Alexander, single father to six kids, and it will work with Jake Shields.

I don't care about how Jake Shields became a single Dad. Did the Mom die? Did he dump her for cheating on him? Was she just some fat chick he met at a bar? Did she dump him after he couldn't fulfill her emotional needs?

The story of Jake Shields is going to be an interesting story no matter what. And most importantly - the UFC will actually tell that story. That's a sharp contrast to Strikeforce, which would rather run promos of Frank Shamrock churning out half-baked philosophical nuggets about the beauty of the sport.

So Jake Shields is a handsome single dad who dropped out of college to pursue fighting to provide a better life for his daughter - sounds like a pretty f*cking marketable story to me! 

And oh yeah, Jake Shields can fight. 

He laid a beating down on Dan Henderson, who held titles in two weight classes in Pride. Former UFC LHW champion didn't dominate Dan the way Jake did. And Jake's a natural welterweight.

On the Countdown show you'll see highlights of Hendo delivering KO's to Wanderlei and Bisping. Then they'll cut to Dana White and Joe Rogan talking about how Jake took Hendo's best punch and still went on to dominate.

Jake has also finished 8 of his past 10 fights (Jake is on a 14-fight winning streak, beating some very tough bigger guys), the two survivors being the aforementioned Henderson (who is very tough and durable), and Jason "Mayhem" Miller. If Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, one of the best grapplers in history and a top middleweight prospect couldn't sub Miller, then we can't knock Jake for failing to finish.

Who else has Jake beaten? Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Mike Pyle, Renato Verissimo, Dave Menne, and Mach Sakurai, among many others. Jake also defeated Yushin Okami and Carlos Condit in the same night.

So add it up.

The UFC needs new competitors for Georges St. Pierre and a handsome single Dad that can kick some ass just might fit the Zuffa marketing department's needs.

Godsmack just put out a music video for a song entitled "Crying Like a Bitch," and it's packed with highlight moments from the UFC.

Here's the monstrosity in all its glory:

Now I normally view the UFC as being pretty savvy media-wise, but allowing their footage to be used in this video is a disgrace.

Let's look at the lyrics:

Strut on by like a king
Telling everybody they know nothing
And long live what you thought you were
And time ain't on your side anymore (anymore)

And so you tell me I
Can't take my chances
But I told you one too many times
And you were crying like a bitch

I'm tougher than nails
I can promise you that
Step out of line
And you get bitch-slapped back
And you can run
Your little mouth all day
But the hand of god
Just smacked you back into yesterday

And so you tell me I
Can't take my chances
But I told you one too many times
And you were crying like a bitch

And you wonder why
No one can stand you
And there's no denying
You were crying like a bitch
You were crying like a bitch

Blinded by your sacred faded past times
Only time is your enemy
Granted a second chance
To prove that your arrogance
Is stronger than you'll ever be
Is stronger than you can be

Oh stronger than you can be
Oh stronger than you can (be)

And so you tell me I
Can't take my chances
But I told you one too many times
And you were crying like a bitch

And you wonder why
No one can stand you
And there's no denying
You were crying like a bitch

You were crying like a bitch
You were crying like a bitch
You were crying like a bitch

Oh Bitch

I have no problem with Godsmack's lead singer explaining how tough he is (I mean who would lie about such a thing?), but the UFC should want NOTHING to do with a song called "You Were Crying Like a Bitch."

If MMA wants to be taken seriously as a sport, it must actively fight the notion that its athletes and fans are comprised of wannabe tough guys (most of the tough guys I've ever known never talked about being tough) - not supporting it by participating in these types of idiotic videos.

This sport is about courage in the face of danger - not looking like a tough guy and making people cry "like a bitch."

If you're reading this Zuffa, leave this crap to Felony Fights, not the UFC.

I recently wrote the first extensive, in-depth review of BJ Penn's new book Why I Fight, and wanted to share an excerpt with you. Why I Fight is truly one of the better MMA fighter autobiographies out there, and despite having no support from the UFC, just made the NY Times Best-Sellers List:

So without further delay, here is an excerpt of my Why I FIght review:

BJ paints a colorful picture of his childhood, in which he generally raised hell while hopping around beautiful Hilo, Hawaii.

Hilo looks like paradise on TV, but it prepared BJ well for the rough-and-tumble world of MMA. Getting into street fights, holding boxing matches on one’s front porch, and jumping off 80-foot cliffs are apparently all great way to prepare yourself for competing in a violent, unpredictable sport.

After turning 18, BJ was shipped off to California to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ralph Gracie. Under Gracie, Penn significantly advanced his BJJ skills and began making waves in California’s competition circuit.

And this is where Why I Fight turns into one of the best MMA books ever written.

BJ was among the most-hyped rookies in MMA history – a rare fighter that made his professional debut inside the UFC’s famed octagon. Thus, every detail of Penn’s MMA career has been painstakingly detailed by the MMA blogosphere.

But what we haven’t heard is details regarding BJ’s jiu-jitsu days beyond what old training partners have mentioned on forums, and from what we’ve read in the few old interviews that are out there. And this is where Why I Fight gets really interesting, and surpasses other MMA autobiographies.

BJ reveals which member of the Gracie family was crazily rooting against him at the 1999 Mundials. And how well Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta’s first BJJ lesson went. And how the Gracie Barra guys behaved at tournaments. And what it was like to fight a referee that previously disqualified him from a tournament.

And so on. And so on. And so on.

********

Read my full review of BJ Penn's Why I Fight

The MMA blogosphere is getting all riled up over a passage in BJ Penn's new book Why I Fight in which he describes just how tough the UFC can get in the negotiating process.

Here's the entry, courtesy of Michael Rome:

K-1 was offering me $187,500 per fight - five times what the UFC was offering - and I was still willing to stay with them for one-third of that amount. This was when the relationship took a turn for the worse, and my view of White changed drastically. From that point on, I knew when it came to money, we couldn't trust him to treat us right. Did I like him at the dinner table? Sure. But at the negotiating table? Not at all. The pressure to perform and safeguard other people's money had changed him, even though he was constantly bragging to anyone willing to listen about how 'big this thing was going to be.' Things between us would never be the same.

When it was finally official I was going to fight in Japan, White called me up and told me his true feelings. 'You motherfucker! You're fucking done! You'll never fight in the UFC again! You're finished. You're scorched earth, motherfucker. Scorched earth. Don't call me crying saying you want to come back because you're fucking done!' And on and on and on, like a true professional - even going so far as to tell me I would never see my face again in a UFC video, promotion, or anything else. He also planned on removing my fight with Hughes from the UFC 46 DVD so no one would even know who I was. 'It doesn't have to be this way,' I told him. 'You know it wouldn't take that much to make this work.' But he just kept yelling.

I'm going to ask a question here - and you won't have to think very hard to come up with the logical answer:

Why is everyone acting surprised that Dana White can be a pain in the @$$?

After all, this is the same man that:

1) Buries popular fighters on the undercard for not jumping to sign new contracts

2) Berates members of the media on a regular basis

3) Terrorized fighters for not signing away likeness rights

If you've read Why I Fight, you know that Dana White does not come across as a sympathetic character.

Rather, he comes across as exactly what we already think he is - tough-minded, cunning, and well-aware that running the world's most important MMA promotion gives him a lot of leverage in the negotiating process.

I am a big fan of Dana White, but he's a serious businessman, and that's why the UFC has thrived as rivals keep crashing the burning. It's easy to criticize Dana for being such a pain, but the reality is that not many people can relate to being the boss of a big, fast-growing, and complex operation.

So seriously blogosphere, don't pretend to be surprised at something that you already know to be true.

*************

P.S. Read my full review of Why I Fight