MMA Staredown

Forrest Griffin talking Noguiera, shaking hands

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:10:00 +0000

The poor guy got chocked out by the Forrest Griffin constant relentless pressure of jokes that don't make any sense. Makes you really apreciate Dave Farra. Check Dave Farra UFC 106 post-fight interview with Forrest after the jump.

Nobody wants to fight Josh Barnett

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:11:00 +0000

Josh Barnett posted today on his twitter

Rumor is that Tim Sylvia and Bigfoot Silva both turned down fights with me in DREAM. IDK, I'm hearing it here...but I do want to fight

Maybe Fedor should take that fight or possibly Gegard Mousasi. Or maybe we should stop following MMA outside of the UFC because it doesn't make much since anymore.

MMA judges or legislatures

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Observing action in the fight then scoring it based on a set of predefined rules, that should be the MMA judge's job.

Instead, judges in our beloved sport observe the action, make up the rules and then score that action based on those made up rules each fight.

What else should they do? they don't have any rules to score fights upon. All they have is some guidelines that everyone interprets his own way.

Unless a fight is one sided (but not too one sided), the three judges, fans, journalists...etc scorecards often turn out differently (sometimes even from their own initial scorecards after re-watching the fight).
That's because everybody makes up the rules (i.e. interprets the aforementioned guidelines) each single fight while watching it.
So, how about we agree on the rules before fights? lock up all those "judges" in a room and not let them out until they agree on those rules.
That way (even if those rules turn out to be absolute crap), fighters will do stuff that score, know for sure where they are on the judges scorecards throughout the fight, fans will get the decisions they expected (the fair ones most of the time), judges will actually agree with each other and journalists will stop whining about it.

to be continued...

A mixed martial arts Utopia

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Imagine if all the bouts in a card were all stand-up wars. Imagine if in almost every card you expect (and get) at least one head kick knockout and probably leg kick knockouts too.
Imagine all the spinning back fists and spinning back kicks, knees, technical striking and/or brawls, imagine people getting knocked out with Axe kicks.
No boring wrestlers or Jiu-Jitsu guys touching each other in inappropriate places and rolling with each other on the floor half naked. No more Lay and Pray.
Imagine if every fighter was like Mirko Cro Cop, if every one fighting Kimbo Slice will stand with him and won't try to take him down. If the referee will separate fighters every time they clinch.

Dana White will get to say his favourite line "I don't expect this thing to go to the ground, I think it's gonna be a stand-up war" about the whole card not just a fight or two. Perfect, right?
If you really like that, then you should watch KICKBOXING.
Me, I don't love watching the wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu in MMA any less than all of the above. Randy Couture fights don't bore me (including the fights with Ortiz, Sylvia and Vera).
I actually find Diego Sanchez vs Karo Parisyan or Nick Diaz, Demian Maia fights and the submissions Frank Mir pulls out of his ass more exciting. What about you?

Henderson to Strikeforce: A lose-lose-lose situation

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:02:00 +0000

For Henderson:

Will Strikeforce pay him the money he wants? Mousasi doesn't think so.
If Fedor doesn't get an immediate title shot, Henderson doesn't get one.
Big fights (against big names) for Henderson in Strikeforce...,anybody?

For the UFC:

The UFC invested too much in Dan Henderson (who is probably a future UFC hall of famer) from the Ultimate Fighter to spot at UFC 100 main card.
Henderson at 39 is probably one or two fights away from being the second "legend" in the "To be a legend, you have to beat a legend" à la Chuck Liddell and Mirko Cro Cop.
Even if he pulls a "Couture" and keeps winning past those "one or two fightes", then the UFC will lose the #2 or #3 middleweight (and probably top ranked light-heavyweight) in the world. It's bad enough they don't have Fedor #1 heavyweight (and probably #1 pound for pound).

For Strikeforce:

If Henderson loses will he be willing to climb the ladder again AT Strikeforce!?
Every win for the unmarketable Henderson at Strikeforce will stop the momentum of a rising, more marketable name (Strikeforce unlike the UFC doesn't have a lot of those).

If Couture thinks UFC 102's performance is not a disappointment, UFC 105's probably will be

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:52:00 +0000

(No Staph this time, huh?)

Ever since his fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102, Randy Couture kept saying that the fight proved he can still fight and that he is not done yet. The fight (like every other Couture fight since the Tim Sylvia fight) really proved that Couture is ageless, still improvig (and has sick submission defense) but it also showed (shockingly) that The Natural actually comes up with bad game plans sometimes (not a single takedown attempt, come on).

A lot of the wrestlers in MMA have this thing where they decide to abandon wrestling and start boxing, Which sometimes results in them losing fights they could've easily won. Of course it's nessecary for fighters to be well rounded but come fight time why not take the easiest way to the win and fight where you're best at. Just see the second Georges St-Pierre - Matt Serra fight.

Couture says he is over it (the boxing thing) and he will try to make Brandon Vera wrestle him. I'm not sure he will though so I'm not gonna predict the fight, I'm still upset about the last one.

I'm not gonna leave you without a preditction though, Swick by the way of first round technical knockout. Hardy is not ready yet for Swick.

10 simple sure fire ways to beat the UFC and be the best mma promotion in the world

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:24:00 +0000

1. Throw your big name fighters into meaningless catchweight match-ups that no body wants to see and wouldn't do anybody any good.

2. Who said champions should defend their belts at least two, three times a year? I say once is enough.

3. If the champion wants to fight more than once a year, give him non-title fights. Don't worry, they're just as good as title fights.

4. But be firm, if a champion won't defend his belt for more than a year because he is busy or just doesn't feel like it, create an interim belt (but don't be cruel and take away his belt).

5. Once in a while let your champion hold the belt for two years without defending it, while fighting six times in other promotions (I still don't know why the UFC wouldn't do this).

6. Then, sign the best fighter in the business, pay him a big load of money and then don't give him an immediate title shot.

7. Have your "best" welterweights fight for the vacant title (the middleweight title of course).

8. Be disrespectful to your fighters, it worked out for Dana White very well.

9. Unify the belts with other promotions from Japan, that way we can finally see all the great "juicy" match-ups we couldn't have seen otherwise.

10. That's all, I've got nothing for number Ten but I'm sure I will "find" one pretty soon (they will make another mistake pretty soon, get it?).

There is no "karate" in Machida

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:48:00 +0000

Now that Machida unofficially lost, it turns out that Karate is not back (or it was only back for a while and then gone again, I don't know!). Vitor Belfort will have to toss his blue belt in Karate and start training in whatever style that this Shogun guy trains in.

Why not? didn't Machida's success at the UFC highlighted by wins over Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans mark the "return" of Karate?

No if you ask me, the way that Machida fights is not the way regular Karatekas fight. It certainly is not Karate.

The Iceman, Georges St-Pierre and many other notable mixed martial artists and world champion kickboxers also come from a background in Karate, yet we don't often see anyone fighting the way Machida does, not even Lyoto's father and brother.

So don't rush to your neighbourhood Karate school, it is unlikely that you'll learn how to fight like Machida there.

And just to be clear, do I think Karate really doesn't work for MMA? Absolutely not, as i said earlier many champions come from a background in Karate, it seems to work pretty well (see the video below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYQlQKUtkwk
How is that for Karate doesn't work?

My point is, Karate is a lot like Kickboxing, Boxing..etc, Fighters choose to be defensive , counter punchers, aggressive or elusive in Karate just like they do in Kickboxing, Boxing or any other striking discipline.

It is wrong to say that Karate is THE BEST style because of Machida just like it is wrong to say it doesn't work because some Karate fighters didn't do very well in MMA in the past. Karate is not the reason behind Machida's success, Machida is.

He deserves a shot at the title, not a shot at the Spider

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:35:00 +0000

While the UFC didn't do right by Henderson promising him with a shot after shot at Silva only to break their promise each time. What they did wrong was the promising itself not the fact that they didn't give him the title shot.

Not that he is not the most middleweight deserving a title shot, he is (confused? it confused me for a second when I read it too). But you see, Silva (specially after his fight with Griffin) has tons of great potential match-ups and only three fights left in his contract (one of them already wasted booked with Vitor Belfort at UFC 108 ). A bout with Henderson certainly isn't one of those great match-ups (neither a bout with Belfort for that matter but at least it is Belfort's first shot).

I say Henderson should wait for Silva to vacate his title or retire and then fight for the title. He already knocked out a Silva, he doesn't have to knockout all the people in the world named Silva.

The MMA chess match of the year

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:32:00 +0000

You know that cliché "It's gonna be a chess match" that a lot of fighters used in pre-fight interviews, only to make it more of a cliché (Anderson Silva for instance used it a lot where he should have gone with "it's gonna be a massacre").

The closest we came to chess matches was with fighters like Randy Couture and GSP where their opponents seemed to have come to play checkers (sorry, but I couldn't resist!!). Ben Henderson vs Donald Cerrone was the real thing.

Cerrone knew that Henderson wasn't planning on standing with him so he worked on his takedown defence. Henderson used a slightly different style of wrestling though, to successfully takedown Cerrone who in turn punished him for shooting with brutal chokes which Henderson obviously trained to defend. Cerrone also seemed to have worked on his transitions and submission combinations from the bottom but Henderson managed to nullify that by controlling Cerrone's legs and pounding on him while on his feet. That was where Cerrone got outsmarted and didn't have an answer for Henderson.

It was absolutely beautiful to watch, maybe even more than the Griffin-Bonnar style slugfests (yes, I said it). The MMA chess match of the year (if not of all time). Who wants to see a rematch?

Nogueira shatters expectations (at least mine), dominates everywhere!

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:23:00 +0000

(Is the old Nogueira back?)

Earlier, I predicted Randy Couture to dominate Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira everywhere, i really couldn't imagine a scenario where Nogueira would win. Well, he sure did show everybody that he is not done just yet. As a follow-up to the prediction post here is my take on the fight.

Standing up

Just like the Lesnar fight, Couture's head movement didn't work with Nogueira like it did with Tim Sylvia.
Nogueira caught Couture in the first round with a right hand to the temple that sent him to the mat (the same punch Lesnar caught him with) but unlike Lesnar, Nogueira couldn't finish the fight and Couture survived.
It was not the only time Couture was knocked down in the fight though, as he also survived a second knockdown in the third round.
Nogueira's chin looked great as Couture landed a bunch of solid shots throughout the fight that didn't seem to bother Nogueira.

In the clinch

Surprisingly, Nogueira went blow by blow with Couture in the clinch.
Interestingly, Couture -behind in the scorecards- didn't shoot for a takedown, not once.

On the ground

Nogueira swept Couture just like he did Fedor but he was able to hold Couture down way longer.
Couture -As expected- showed textbook submission defence as he defended a very tight D'Arce choke, a similarly tight Arm Triangle and a Rear Naked Choke.
While on top in Nogueira's guard, Couture's GNP was not as violent as his submission coach Neil Melanson said it would be.

Why Couture will dominate Nogueira Everywhere

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:49:00 +0000

(Randy Couture pounding on Gabreial Gonzaga with his BROKEN left arm).

Standing up

Couture dominated Tim Sylvia standing up (he knocked him down with the first punch).
If outboxed, Couture can take the fight to the ground at will.

In the clinch

Couture is great at dirty boxing and holding fighters against the fence.
Nogueira doesn't have the wrestling ability to take Couture down.
Nogueira doesn't mind getting taken down so much.

On the ground

Two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu absolute world champion Jacare didn't even score in a grappling bout with Couture (Couture outweighed Jacare with 30-40 lbs but he didn't come to the bout 100% and he wasn't pounding on Jacare either).
Fedor GnP'ed Nogueira from his guard for the most part of thier first fight, so it's not that impossible to do.
Elbow srikes which Couture can use were banned in Pride.
Brock Lesnar couldn't hold Couture down.

P.S. Lesnar is next.

Top 10 Worst Game Plans in MMA

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:43:00 +0000

A game plan is one of the most important aspects of an MMA fight.You could possess all the tools and potential to win a fight and yet manage to throw it all out of the window, whether it's because of ego, mental weakness or just utter stupidity. Here is a list of the top ten most idiotic infuriating potential-wasting game plans in MMA.

10. Thales Leites vs Anderson Silva
Winner - Silva by Decision

Even in pure Jiu-Jitsu competition we don't often see the butt-scoot and pray technique that Leites kept going for. May be that's why they allowed head stomps and soccer kicks in Pride.

9. Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida
Winner - Machida by KO

Nothing, That is what Rashad Evans and his trainer Greg jackson seemed to have come up with for the Machida fight and that is exactly what Rashad did. No countering, no takedown attempts. Lyoto Machida is a very elusive and unorthodox fighter who also drinks his own urine but come on.

8. Jason Macdonald vs Demian Maia
Winner - Maia by sub

I don't know what happened to the good old "fight your opponents where he is weakest", because Macdonald having a huge reach advantage and better stand-up not only went for the clinch and let the fight go to the ground but he also kept trying to submit Maia. Well, We know how that turned out.

7. Sean Sherk vs Frank Edgar
Winner - Edgar by decision

I bet Sean Sherk was telling himself while getting picked apart throughout the fight "I have knockout power, I have knockout power", Until it finally hit him in the third round, "Oh shit, I don't have knockout power", only then he went for the takedown but it was a little too late for that.

6. Frank Shamrock vs Cung Le
Winner - Le by TKO

"It will be a good test for me to stand with Cung," that's what Shamrock said in a pre-fight interview. Let's hope he learned that tests belong in the gym and sticks to fighting in the cage.

5. Pete Sell vs Scott Smith
Winner - Smith by KO

Judging how bad Smith does every time he goes to the ground Pete Sell (A Jiu-Jitsu brown belt back then) could have finished the fight easily on the ground but he chose to stand and trade with Smith to make an exciting fight. That is exactly what he did and hopefully all he wanted.

4. Kalib Starnes vs Nate Quarry
Winner - Quarry by Decision

The distance that Starnes ran backwards in that fight was impressive, considering how small is the octagon, his foot was broken and the fact that Quarry was chasing after him with punches and brutal leg kicks. I say Dana White made him a favor by releasing him from the UFC so he can focus on his Backward running career.

3. Frank Mir vs Brock Lesnar
Winner - Lesnar by TKO

After Mir prepared for his fight with Lesnar by sparring with Forrest Griffin and rolling with Robert Drysdale hopefully he won't train for Cheick Kongo by sparring with Gray Maynard because - you know, He is a faster and a more dynamic wreslter than Kongo.

2. Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson
Winner - Henderson by KO

Circling towards Henderson's power hand was not the right thing to do, I'm sure Bisping knew that, his corner knew that and told him not to do it, even Mike Goldberg knew that. Why did Bisping kept doing it, is beyond me.

1. Forrest griffin vs Anderson silva
Winner - Silva by KO

At the beginning of that fight Griffin tried to pull a James Irvin (right leg kick that silva caught and counterd with a right cross - a mistake that Griffin also did in his fight with Rashad Evans that cost him the fight), When that didn't work he switched to the Chris Leben right away. Way to study fights, Forrest.

May be fighters should use thier heads and set their egos aside so - as Dana White puts it - we can find out who really is the best.

Randy Couture, the man to beat Brock Lesnar

yehia.elbehery@gmail.com (Yehia) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:02:00 +0000

Randy Couture lost the heavyweight belt to BrockLesnar in UFC 91 which was a huge upset because he was coming off two dominant victories over also much bigger heavyweights in Tim Sylvia and GabrielGonzaga.

Couture said after the fight it was due to the six inches reach advantage Lesnar had over him but i think there’s more to it than that.Tim Sylvia had an eleven inches reach advantage in his fight with Couture still that did not pose any problems to Couture in a fight that he outboxed and nullified Sylvia's stand-up with beautiful head movement, great combinations and takedowns.

The mistake Couture made in the Lesnar fight is coming in with the same game plan he brought to the Sylvia fight not bearing in mind that the main reason he dominated Sylvia standing up was in Sylvia’s words in a post fight interview with Joe Rogan “When i thought he was gonna stand with me he shot, when i thought he was gonna shoot he threw the hands -you know, He kept me off balance all night,” which was not true in Lesnar's case.

Because of Lesnar’s wrestling ability he was not worried about Couture shooting on him so he pushed the action and caught Couture with a right “lunch box” to the temple. That in my opinion was the real reason Lesnar won the fight not because of his size and strength advantage.

Lesnar had a hard time taking Couture down and in the brief time he held him down he couldn’t inflict any significant damage on Couture who in turn took Lesnar down once, almost took his back and would have taken him down again if it was not for the fence after Couture literally picked him up off the floor with a single leg (see the picture above) .

Lesnar is a great fighter and he improves each time we see him in the octagon so it will be interesting to see what game plan Couture will come up with when if he faces Lesnar again.

Bottom line is i was surprised when Couture beat Liddell, Ortiz, Sylvia and Gonzaga. This timewhen if he beats Lesnar i would not be surprised.