SB Nation User Blog: MMAEruption

Tim Sylvia Wants to Be on Bully Beatdown

MMAEruption — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:54:00 -0000

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia would like to appear in the next season of hit MTV show Bully Beatdown.

Sylvia (24-6) wants the show to let him face two of his childhood tormentors. He says he would donate the prize money to charity.

"I was bullied all through high school, where I was never a big guy. I grew and became a big guy. I still have a chip on my shoulder for all those assholes who picked on me and beat me up," he told Fighters Only recently.

As improbable as it seems now, Sylvia says he was "picked on a lot" in school. He also had a traumatic youth due to alcoholism in the family home.

"If everything goes right, I will be on the second season of Bully Beatdown. What I want to pitch to them is, bring in one or two bullies that bullied me, and what I want to do is take the money - the ten or twenty thousand dollars you win - and donate it to charity, I don’t need it," he revealed.

You'd think that the success Tim has achieved in MMA would be the best revenge against his tormentors. Even with his dramatic knockout loss to Ray Mercer, he has a lot to be proud of. With few discernible natural athletic abilities beyond sheer size, he managed to become a UFC champion with a 24-6 MMA record in MMA. That's nothing to sneeze at.

However, this revelation doesn't look good for Tim's future MMA, because it shows that his eye is off the ball. When an MMA fighter 1) assumes he can waltz into multi-million dollar big-time boxing matches with no effort and 2) cares about going on a silly TV show to even scores from decades ago, he's just not focused on moving back up in the heavyweight division.

Poll

Does Tim Sylvia Want to Be a F*cking Fighter?

Yes

26 votes

No

111 votes

137 votes | Poll has closed

10 Quick Thoughts on Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields

MMAEruption — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:28:29 -0000

Just got done watching Strikeforce, and I thought I'd put down the first 10 thoughts/questions/ideas that popped into my head tonight. Overall, the fights were entertaining but the production came off as amateurish and tacky.

Okay, here we go!

1) Gus Johnson needs to go. He reminds me of myself when I was 18 years old - ready to kill myself because I couldn't stand my job. I'd rather have Bill Goldberg back for the pure insansity. Gus doesn't seem to be all that interested in MMA as he probably dreams of working Monday Night Football. Can they not find an actual MMA fan and supply media training?

2) Strikeforce needs more/better cameras on the action. There were some truly awful camera angles in there that were incredibly distracting - almost as bad as the BJ Penn/Rodrigo Gracie fight at Rumble on the Rock when the cameraguy decided to follow the fight in the crowd instead of the one in the cage.

3) What the f*ck is a Bar Arm Choke?

4) Nick Diaz is truly the top P4P jackass in the sport. He dominated his fight, but crapping all over Scott Smith's camp crossed a line that I don't think has ever been crossed before. So I guess I'm an even bigger Nick Diaz fan today than I was yesterday.

5) Gina/Cyborg is coming, but at what weight? Will one/both of them fail to make weight for the biggest fight in the history of women's MMA?

6) I feel really bad for Andrei Arlovski. He really needed an impressive win to get his career going, and getting KO'd twice in a row won't do much for his fledgling boxing career. And the stoppage was 100% on the money.

7) Nick Diaz vs. Joe Riggs seems like an awfully good idea to me. They have some of the baddest blood in the history of MMA.

8) Strikeforce needs some new middleweights. Two of their top guys were finished by two fighters coming UP in weight to fight them, and champion Cung Le is out shooting movies. Jason McDonald might be interested...

9) Jake Shields needs to finish out his contract and come to the UFC. There is no competition for him in Strikeforce, and it's time for him to step into the cage with the UFC's top welterweights.

10) Fire Gus Johnson. NOW!

10 Quick Thoughts On Kimbo Slice Joining TUF

MMAEruption — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:43:22 -0000

Gosh darn it I'm exhausted and drunk but the news regarding Kimbo Slice appearing on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter is just boggling my mind right now.

Here are my 10 immediate thoughts:

1) Kimbo Slice + Rashad/Rampage feud + NFL Veterans = Huge Ratings

2) Gary Shaw must be PISSED. He destroyed EliteXC by betting the company on Kimbo Slice, and now Dana White will reap all the benefits of Kimbo's notoriety.

3) Now we know why there is no eliminator round - the UFC wanted to guarantee Kimbo would be on the show.

4) Did the UFC cut Kimbo a special deal? He made some big paydays with EliteXC - I assume the standard TUF contract doesn't apply to him.

5) If Kimbo somehow wins the season, he'll be the next big PPV draw for the company. Either way, he'll be on the TUF finale.

6) The UFC will likely influence the coaches to delay Kimbo's first fight as long as possible to keep people interested in the show.

7) Could Kimbo be the newest member of the Jackson camp? Rashad will likely be bringing those guys in to be his assistant coaches. What can the maestro Greg Jackson do with Kimbo Slice should he end up on Rashad's team?

8) Dana White is officially the master of the calculated freakshow risk. Brock Lesnar has been a huge PPV success and at the very very very least, Kimbo Slice will keep TUF going strong for one more season and guarantee a big fat ratings pop for the finale.

9) With Rampage, Rashad, and now Kimbo, the UFC could make some ratings breakthroughs with the African-American community.

10) There will be 15 other guys hungry to make a name for themselves in the sport. They will all be gunning to fight him - should make life in the TUF house interesting.

Goodnight!

Apparently, this monkey was trained by Lyoto Machida.

MMAEruption — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:58:30 -0000

Apparently, this monkey was trained by Lyoto Machida.

Rampage vs. Rashad is Now Officially Official, Machida's Opponent TBA

MMAEruption — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:19:57 -0000

This just in from the UFC via twitter:

"The Ultimate Fighter 10 - Heavyweights" premieres on Spike TV on Wednesday, September 16th at 10pm...And the coaches are...

...Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. Don't miss these two rivals coaching against each other on The Ultimate Fighter 10, premiering in Sept.

This disclosure could be in reaction to Rampage's announcement of his status as a TUF 10 coach early this morning - unless Dana White has something else to announce tonight at the Spike Video Game Awards.

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UPDATE:

USA Today is reporting the following regarding Rampage's decision to take on coaching duties on TUF 10:

UFC President Dana White and Jackson said he was chosen as a coach because he wanted to face Evans. Jackson said he remains angry that Evans confronted him in the cage immediately after Jackson's March win over Evans' teammate, Keith Jardine, at UFC 96.

And as a result it looks like Machida/Rampage will have to wait until 2010:

With Jackson out of the picture, the new champion's next opponent likely will be named today or tomorrow, White said. A report on Machida's website that he will be fighting at UFC 103 in September is not true, White said.

I would assume Shogun Rua will be Machida's next opponent for the following three reasons:

1) He's coming off two wins in a row (maybe not best-quality wins but it's something most guys in the LHW don't have)

2) A victory over Shogun will help build Machida up for a mega-match with Rampage

and most importantly...

3) He's free on the schedule

Rampage Jackson Coaching on Next Season of TUF - Confusion Ensues

MMAEruption — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:27:49 -0000

As you may know, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson announced via Twitter that he will be one of the coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter:

about to watch myself in the movie midnight meat train & packing my stuff to move to vegas to coach TUF!!

We'll find out in early June (maybe tonight on the Spike VGA's if we're lucky) who the other coach is but there are three possibilities that come to mind:

1) Lyoto Machida - Dana White said that Rampage will get the first shot at Machida's belt, so this would be an obvious choice. However, Machida's manager Ed Soares indicated to Sherdog that this is unlikely for now:

"I don’t think he’s going to be coaching [TUF]," Machida’s manager Ed Soares told the Sherdog Radio Network’s "Beatdown" show Wednesday. "There’s a lot of things in the works to be honest with you and things are already set in stone."

So to get Machida to coach and keep the LHW division from exploding in confusion, Dana might have to break out the almighty checkbook.

2) Rashad Evans - Given his intense rivalry with Rampage, Rashad would be an ideal choice. Their post-UFC 96 staredown combined with Rampage's intonation that Rashad ducked him equals bad blood, and bad blood gets the fans interested. Of course, this would mean we'd have to wait for Rampage to fight (and beat) Rashad before taking on Machida for the belt.

3) Shogun Rua - Shogun is obviously the dark horse here, as aside from the fact that he demolished Rampage in Pride, there's no good reason to put him on TUF. This is especially true since his English skills are fairly limited. However, he was at Zuffa's offices yesterday with a big smile on his face, so maybe he signed something. (Fight with Rashad?)
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While I am eager to see Rampage fight Machida, I also don't want to wait 6 months to see it happen. So what could happen here?

Machida makes his first title defense against Shogun?

Rashad coaches against Rampage on TUF and Rampage/Machida goes on hold indefinitely?

Forrest fights Machida if he beats Anderson Silva? (you never know!)

Any ideas folks?

UFC Signs Frank Trigg - Hughes/Trigg 3 Coming?

MMAEruption — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:55:59 -0000

MMAJunkie has the scoop:

Veteran fighter Frank Trigg (19-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is returning to the Ultimate Fighting Championship after signing a four-fight deal with the organization.

Trigg, who's a daily host for MMAjunkie.com Radio, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) about the signing, which took nearly nine months to complete.

Trigg, who recently turned 37, went 2-3 in his first UFC stint from 2003-2005, but he's perhaps best remembered for two unsuccessful attempts at Matt Hughes' UFC welterweight title.

The Xtreme Couture fighter is expected to fight in late fall or early winter, though no specific date or opponent has yet been determined for his UFC return. Although he's competed as a middleweight in some recent fights, he'll remain at welterweight in the UFC.

As far as this "no specific date or opponent has yet been determined for his UFC return" business goes, there is a good chance that the UFC is planning Matt Hughes/Trigg 3..

There was serious bad blood between the two during Trigg's first tenure with the UFC, and their second match produced one of the most exciting moments in UFC history when Hughes slammed Trigg to the canvas after recovering from a groin shot.

Given the outcome of their past two matches, both of which Hughes won, giving them a third go at it could allow Hughes to exit the UFC on a high note.

EXCLUSIVE! - Dana White's Special Announcement Revealed - New UFN Event Unlike Any Other

MMAEruption — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:00:26 -0000

As you may know, UFC President Dana White is set to make a special announcement during the 2009 Video Game Awards on Spike TV this coming Thursday. However, somebody at Zuffa's new (and probably soon to be fired) PR firm, Manning Selvage & Lee, unwittingly sent this press release out to a limited number of reporters. One at a major daily located in the midwest, forwarded it to me.

UFC AND SPIKE TV Present - UFC Fight for the Fighters

Three-Hour UFC Live Event On August 19, 2009, From Las Vegas, NV, To Raise Money For Underpaid UFC Fighters

May 28, 2009 - NEW YORK, NY: The Ultimate Fighting Championship® and Spike TV have joined forces to present "UFC Fight For The Fighters", a special three-hour live televised event on Wednesday, August 19, 2009, starting at 9:00 PM ET to raise funds for UFC fighters in need of financial assistance.

Patriot Communications will provide the overall telecommunications, call center, and Internet donation processing support for this extraordinary event.

The goal of "UFC Fight For The Fighters®" is to raise the necessary funds for UFC fighters to take care of themselves and their families, and to live with dignity upon retirement.

"With this event on August 19th, we hope to raise hundreds, or even thousands of dollars for UFC fighters, many of whom have been significantly underpaid relative to their contributions to the company and the sport," said Dana White, UFC President. "The days of Keith Jardine eating cat food are over."

"Spike TV has the deepest respect and admiration for the fighters who put their lives on the line for us in the cage," said Kevin Kay, Spike TV President. "Spike TV is proud to be a part of raising funds to help fighters live a decent lifestyle. With this announcement, Dana White has shown that he truly is the Ultimate Philanthropist®, and not just a ruthless, Ferrari-driving multi-millionaire."

"I have not been this excited for a UFC event since UFC 78. Giving something back to these struggling fighters is something I will talk about at dinner parties for years to come, said Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC co-founder. "An added bonus of this event is that fans will be able to do the same at their own dinner parties. This is the twenty-first century equivalent of adopting an African child."

Spike TV will telecast "UFC Fight For The Fighters" live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV, Wednesday, August 19, 2008, from 9:00 PM - Midnight, ET. The event will feature a full UFC fight card as well as celebrity appearances and an all-star lineup of UFC fighters. A phone bank in Los Angeles, CA, will also be created where donors can interact with the celebrities and UFC fighters answering phones. Further details on appearances and event information will be released soon.

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While Dana & Co. have been widely criticized for underpaying fighters, this is a good way to right the wrongs of the past. The UFC is far from perfect, but they are doing their best to take care of the fighters.

Some may argue that the UFC itself should pay fighters more, rather than asking fans who routinely pay $44.95 for pay-per-views and upwards of $500 for a UFC ticket to do it for them. But the way I see it, anything that gets bucks in the pockets of fighters is a good thing.

file under satire

"What do you want f*cko, you want some?" Found this on Fightlinker, origin unknown.

MMAEruption — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:29:29 -0000

"What do you want f*cko, you want some?"

Found this on Fightlinker, origin unknown.

Excellent review of UFC 2009: Undisputed from GameTrailers.com

MMAEruption — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:24:56 -0000

Excellent review of UFC 2009: Undisputed from GameTrailers.com