Mirko Cro Cop UFC 119 Interview about his Injuries (via CroCopTRH)

I am amazed every time I watch Mirko fight in the UFC that Joe Rogan keeps wondering why Mirko does not kick that much anymore. The answer to that question is obvious. Mirko has had multiple knee surgeries and he does not want to have another one.

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MMA fans and writers have been complaining recently due to the fact that some of MMA’s most dominant athletes like John Fitch, GSP, Gray Maynard and others keep winning without finishing fights.

I am afraid that this is only the beginning. I strongly believe that in the near future, all champions in all weight divisions will have a wrestling background.

More after the jump.

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If you’ve seen Ronaldo Jacare compete in BJJ and ADCC, then you know that this guy is destined to become a champion in MMA. His athleticism, speed and explosiveness and his creativity in pulling of impossible submissions will make him a force to be reckoned with in MMA. Strikeforce does not have any fighter in its roster that can stop him.  Even in the UFC, there is nobody that can take Jacare down and not pay for it.

I strongly believe one of the main reasons that Jake Shields was so anxious to leave Strikeforce is that he would eventually have to fight Jacare. Shields would never have survived against Jacare on the ground or standing up. Jacare shows great improvement in his kickboxing skills every time he fights and was also one of the best takedown artists in modern BJJ competition.

I am wondering why the UFC never cared to sign athletes like Jacare, Andre Galvao, Bibiano Fernandez and even Roger Gracie. Instead, they just sign every wrestler and brawler that comes their way asking for a job.  It seems that only the Japanese MMA have an appreciation for BJJ legends.

Here is a recent Ronaldo Jacare interview:

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Here is a collection of Chael Sonnen's best quotes from the past few years.

Source: http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84058

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When Fedor lost via a modified triangle choke/armbar in his recent fight against Werdum, everybody started saying that he made a rookie mistake and that he is not a good fighter anymore.

Since his submission loss to Ryo Chonan via a flying scissor heel hook, Anderson Silva is very careful when fighting against submission experts. He refused to follow Thales Leites  and Demian Maia on the ground when he knocked them down because he knew that  was the only way he could lose against them.

Fedor does not do that. He goes for the kill. But, the main difference between Silva  and Fedor Is that Silva is just being careful because he was submitted in the past and Fedor had never even lost a fight.  

In his previous fights, Fedor was able to escape from submission attempts against BJJ fighters like Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He never cared if it was the beginning of the fight and his body was not sweaty enough to escape from submissions. Whenever he got a knockdown he went for the kill using a very aggressive top game from within his opponents guard.  If something works for you, why should you try to change it, right? Wrong.

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Chael Sonnen Lowlight (via xvideoproductionx)

Wow, the Brazilian community is REALLY pissed off at Chael Sonnen

The following is from TATAME.COM

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Most UFC fans seem to hate Fedor. I personally believe that these same fans will be excited if Fedor ever joins the UFC roster. I created this poll to find out what BE visitors think about the whole idea of Fedor coming to the UFC. If it never happens the whole debate of who is better will never stop and to be honest it is really pointless. I personally think Dana should make it happen.  Let's get it on!  What do you think?

Photo via cdn.cagepotato.com

Let's get this out of the way first: Brock Lesnar started to learn BJJ and boxing at the age of 31 if I am correct. It is very difficult to learn those two aspects of fighting at this age. He may perform better in BJJ, especially using a catch wresting mentality, submitting opponents from the top. With boxing and muay thai though, getting better is more difficult because striking requires natural talent. That being said his jab against Carwin had a lot of snap in it and his boxing is fundamentally correct although not very fluid.

 
Brock Lesnar is obviously working hard on his technique. He hired top level guys for his training and he actually respects the various aspects of fighting as a student. For example wrestlers rarely give credit to BJJ training like he does. I hate how Team Quest members, after inviting so many Brazilians to roll with them in order to learn how to avoid submissions, always disrespect BJJ. I also remember Matt Hughes claim the he only used his wrestling to beat Royce Gracie although he obviously used classic BJJ techniques to achieve the victory. Brock is different. He trains in both boxing and BJJ with top level instructors and always gives them credit. But, starting at this age, it is rather unlikely that he will ever be as well rounded as Fedor is.

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Fabricio Werdum is a decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter. He stands 6'4" with long legs and I believe that it would be a big mistake for any of the current top ten heavyweights to follow him on the ground and try to ground and pound him from the guard. In addition, having him on top of you while on the ground is not a good place to be. Most UFC fans believe that Frank Mir is the best ground specialist in the heavyweight division. Frank Mir is not even close to Werdum’s level who is a decorated ADCC champion that can submit other BJJ heavyweight champions.

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Let’s start with some simple facts:

1 Huge guys, with thick sculls and no neck like Brock Lesnar are very difficult to knock out. It takes an accumulation of punches combined with exhaustion to finish them. They have huge arms so when they cover up you cannot hit their chin. There is always the danger of breaking your hand on their forehead if it connects. In my experience guys like that are more vulnerable to body blows like liver punches or knees.

2. Punching is tiring and wrestling is tiring but the combination of the two is exhausting. Wrestling makes your arms stiff and it is very difficult to punch for a great period of time.

3. Muscle mass can provide strength and explosiveness but the downside is that you get tired faster.

4. No matter how many rounds you can fight in the gym, only experience and clever use of energy can help you fight at a high pace for 5 rounds.

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