Premier Boxing and MMA

The Jones vs Rampage Fight was a waste of Money

2011-09-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how setup this fight was. Jones basically choked out Rampage after Rampage basically layed down and gave up his back. Totally a stupid fight that made no sense - Rampage didn't deserve the shot.

Mayweather and Pacquiao getting closer now

2011-09-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Now that Manny Pacquiao has accepted the drug testing it looks like the Mayweather fight will be close to coming to fruition. After the very strange Ortiz fight where both Ortiz and the ref made some really stupid decisions. Let's hope Mayweather is okay with Pacquiao's acceptance of drug testing.

According to ESPN, Mayweather has told Richard Scheafer of HBO that he is ready to fight both Amir Khan and Pacquiao in the next 18 months. If he beats Pacquiao, I would be very interested in seeing Mayweather fight Khan.

Haye vs Klitschko is 99 Percent Done According to Manager

2011-03-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

It looks like Wlad Klitschko and David Haye may actually fight on June 25th or July 2nd according to Wlad's manager. The two sides have negotiated a fight with a 50-50 split after Wlad dropped out of his fight with Dereck Chisora due to an injury. If Wlad is still injured his brother Vitali may step in and take the fight with Haye as both are in the contract. After some pretty crazy trash talking between both sides this heavyweight superfight looks to be ready to go. It could be the biggest fight in boxing outside of Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather. Since the contract isn't signed anything is possible but lets keep our fingers crossed that this fight happens asap.

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Negotiations Starting Up Again

2011-03-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

According to Floyd's uncle Jeff Mayweather, the camps of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd are going to get a letter of intent for a fight later in 2011. If they sign the letter they should probably enter negotiations to set up the fight and if everything goes well we'll have a fight near the end of the year. It seems Mayweather finally needs the money and has probably seen holes in Pacquiao's armor over recent fights. Maybe he's hoping Shane Mosley will further break him down.

Penn and Fitch fight to Draw

2011-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

BJ Penn looked great in the first two rounds but couldn't sustain in the third as Fitch came back with a big round to earn the draw with BJ. It was a tough draw for BJ who should have won the fight as he was controlling it soundly. The potential for a rematch is high although Dana White thought Penn clearly won. If Jake Shields beats GSP then Penn might get the shot at Jake for the title and GSP vs Fitch for top contendor. If GSP wins then maybe Fitch vs Penn for the title and GSP moves up to 185. Lots of possibilities for Penn and Fitch at welterweight. I think ultimately Penn should move back down to lightweight or even down further to 145 for a fight with Jose Aldo and a chance to become the first 3 division champion in UFC history. I think the Aldo fight would be the biggest motivation for Penn and that's what he needs right now is a challenge.

Fedor Beaten Again and Dana White goes Ballistic on Twitter

2011-02-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva battered Fedor Emelianenko's eye in round two of their heavyweight tilt last night causing the doctor to stop it before the start of round 3. This was Fedor's second loss in a row after phenomenally going undefeated basically his entire career. The greatest heavyweight of all time is now contemplating retirement. The bitter fued between M1 Global and Dana White came to fruition last night when White ran his twitter mouth rampant on M1 Management and Fedor with some shocking expletives (doesn't he have a corporate communications group to monitor / filter him??). Dana thinks that Fedor isn't that great in the last 4 years and was mismanaged. I don't think that's way off in terms of the mismanagement but in terms of his greatness - I think he has been the best. He was mismanaged in that he didn't get to perform enough during those years. He's still a great heavyweight.

The best thing here is that Silva now moves on and a fight between Overeem and Silva is possible which would be quite exciting. The loser between Overeem and Werdum could likely get a shot at Emelianenko which would be great as well. For Strikeforce, this is a big win since they have a great amount of talent in their organization (especially at heavyweight). It propels the young Silva into the top ten heavyweights in the world meaning Strikeforce now has Overeem, Werdum and Silva in the top ten on most lists (I would also add Barnett, Fedor and Kharitonov). In the UFC, you've got Cain and JDS. That's pretty much it (maybe Lesnar at the bottom).

Strikeforce Farm System

2011-01-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

It looks like Strikeforce is becoming a true talent development machine similar to the UFC. With talent like Tyrone Woodley and Daniel Cormier among many others they are proving they can develop top flight talent and not just pick up UFC left overs. Brendan Vera is a free agent now that he has been cut from the UFC but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said they don't need to sign UFC cuts exactly because of this talent development capability they now have. I do think that Brendan Vera would be a good signing at least for a couple of fights since he helps beef up their light heavyweight division and could act as a gate keeper for future talent. Mousasi, Feijao and King Mo give them a strong core of light heavyweights that I think could compete at the top levels of the UFC but they need someone to test their up and comers and I think Brendan Vera could do that. It's important to note that Strikeforce didn't bother signing big names Keith Jardine, Kimbo Slice and Mark Coleman after they were released from the UFC. In fact, they haven't even signed former top prospect Todd Duffee who at least has future potential. This is a good sign for Strikeforce and indicates that they may be ready to compete long term at the top levels with the UFC.

Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament set to Determine the Best

2011-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

The best MMA heavyweight in the world will be determined at the end of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament which starts in Feb. It's an eight man tournament that features fights with Fedor Emelianenko against Antonio "bigfoot" Silva and Alistair Overeem against Fabricio Werdum. Josh Barnett, Brett Rogers and Andrei Arlovski are also in the tournament. Once the tournament ends we'll definitely have the best heavyweight in the world determined (regardless of what the UFC/MMA Live family says!). The UFC is struggling with injuries right now. Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos are the only top ranked heavyweights in the UFC. Brock Lesnar is and always was over rated. Frank Mir is also over rated. Shane Carwin (like Josh Barnett) has already been busted for PED use and there really isn't much else from a heavyweight perspective in the UFC.

GSP to Face Jake Shields and Fedor Comes Back

2011-01-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

Fedor Emeianenko will face Antonio Silva on a Feb. 12th Strikeforce card that will also feature Andrei Arlovski versus Josh Barnett. It looks like Fabricio Werdum will take on Brett Rogers in March as well. This is setting up a heavyweight tournament between the best heavyweights in the world (outside of maybe one or two in the UFC). I'm assuming Alistair Overeem will also be fighting in there somewhere early next year (defending his title).

In other fight action, GSP will get arguably his greatest challenge against Jake Shields at UFC 129 in Toronto. That one should be an amazing fight between two top pound for pound fighters. That fight will be happening on April 30th and be sure to expect an interesting tactical fight.

Could we see Pacquiao vs Mayweather in 2011?

2011-01-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's highly unlikely that we will see Manny Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather this year mainly due to Floyd's personal issues and their negotiation problems. They will probably fight once both are out of their primes - maybe 2012 or later. Pacquiao may age quicker than Mayweather given how active he is in fighting top flight challengers. I hope they can get around the steroid testing issues as there are a lot of people out there who think this is a real problem. Mayweather's personal life should eventually calm down and then he'll be looking for another pay day. Unfortunately, Pacquiao is a risky gamble for him - steroids or not. For Manny, he'll need to fight with a resolution that the fans trust. Specifically, a good enough level of testing. Otherwise, any win against Floyd might be tainted for some. The problem is whether Floyd wants this fight at all. I still don't know that he does. Ultimately, as everyone says, the money is too much to leave on the table. It will eventually happen just like Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins eventually fought. Hopefully, it happens while both fighters are still close to their primes as it likely won't be while they are in their primes.

Edgar and Maynard Draw at UFC 125

2011-01-01T22:50:00.000-08:00

In what was more of an exciting fight than expected, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought to a draw in their lightweight title tilt at UFC 125. In a first round reminiscent of Amir Khan's 10th round survival against Marcos Maidana, Frankie Edgar showed incredible heart and courage in surviving a brutal onslaught from Gray Maynard. After taking a first round destruction, Edgar settled down and recovered to fight a brilliant fight and take 3 of the last 4 rounds in my opinion. If you give Gray a 10-7 first round he should have won the fight just barely. I think a draw is fair although I would have probably given it to Gray by a hair with that first round. In boxing you get 12 rounds so losing one round badly isn't that bad whereas in MMA you get 3 or 5 depending on whether it is a championship fight so the judging becomes critical. I had Edgar losing the first fight with BJ and this one with Gray so he's really relied heavily on these close fights and the judges giving him the belt. His amazing courage in this fight really made me a fan of his. I still think he's lost 2 of his last 3 and shouldn't have the belt. Poor Anthony Pettis might have to wait for his UFC title shot unless Dana decides to give him a shot at Edgar regardless of the heated draw tonight.

Steroid Cheater Chael Sonnen Set to Return to MMA in the UFC

2011-01-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

It looks like Chael Sonnen will be allowed back into the UFC despite having "abnormally high" levels of testosterone in his system during his fight with Anderson Silva. His suspension was cut in half to 6 months for no reason. Chael claims to have disclosed the fact that he was using PEDs for medical reasons which apparently makes it okay to cheat. Here's a thought: why not allow the guy to get back to "normal" levels of testosterone rather than "abnormally high" levels. Maybe that's a crazy idea but I figured doping up insanely on PEDs isn't the cure to whatever he's got. We're no doctors here at Premier Boxing & MMA but for crying out loud this is freakin ridiculous. What if I needed a new arm and built a bionic arm that could knock guys into outer space - would all I need to do be tell someone?

Chael's also got a good mouth so they're putting the drug cheater on MMA Live and allowing him to keep fighting meaning the UFC/MMA Live family can make more money and cheat the fans from legitimate competition. Pathetic.

Overeem Destroys Todd Duffee at Dream's Dynamite! 2010

2010-12-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

Alistair Overeem once again made his claim as the top heavyweight in the world. I wonder if Fedor was watching. Todd Duffee looked to be in great shape but didn't have the skill to stay in there with Overeem. Overeem dodged Duffee's attack and then stuffed his takedown attempt before landing several brutal knees in the clutch and then stepping back for a left right knockout combination that sent Duffee to the floor. Hopefully, Overeem will defend his Strikeforce title next. Although he has now become Strikeforce, Dream and K1 world champion, Strikeforce is where the most competition is for him. The likes of Fabricio Werdum, Emelianenko and Antonio Silva are awaiting him. As for Duffee, he should go back to the UFC where he could be a star competing against guys like Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez. He's got a better chance there than in the ring with killers like Overeem and Fedor. The replay of the Dream Dynamite event will be tonight at 9pm EST on HD Net.

Tonight - Alistair Overeem gets his First "UFC" Fight against Todd Duffee

2010-12-30T22:56:00.000-08:00

Okay so it's actually a Dream fight at Dynamite! 2010 but it's against one of the brightest UFC prospects around of recent times. Unfortunately, Duffee is no longer a UFC prospect as he got the boot recently for uncertain reasons. For Overeem, this is a great opportunity to defeat a class UFC fighter and show his ranking as heavyweight king is not an illusion. It's one of a few intriguing fights on the Dream card but has significant ramifications in the heavyweight division. Both Overeem and Duffee have taken the fight on short notice / preparation. Overeem just had a grueling K1 tournament which he won and Duffee just took the fight recently. Expect Overeem to be the more savvy striker but the question will be who controls the fight as both are monstrous heavyweights.

Older Fighters Dominating at the Top Levels Like Never Before

2010-12-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

With conditioning levels possibly higher than ever before we are seeing older fighters competing and in some cases dominating at the highest levels. In MMA, you have fighters like Randy Couture and Dan Henderson in top form in their 40s while others are still peaking into their mid 30s like Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko. In boxing, Bernard Hopkins and Glen Johnson are still dominant in their 40s while you have Sergio Martinez as a consensus top 3 pound for pound fighter at 35. The landscape is changing, fighters are no longer washed up in their 30s. I think a lot of the credit has to go to conditioning levels being like never before. Fighters are in great shape and take care of themselves extremely well these days. Who knows how much longer Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko or Sergion Martinez can figh at the top levels. Regardless, don't put it past them to be great into their 40s if they wish to continue fighting at that point. It will also be interesting to see how other current pound for pound greats like Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and GSP will do into their mid 30s and beyond. Not everyone agrees with this given examples from the past relating to older fighters but I think we are in a unique time period.

Penn Takes Huge Step Up Against Jon Fitch

2010-12-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

Fitch will have a huge size and wrestling advantage against BJ Penn when they meet in the New Year. However, BJ has faced big wrestlers before and certainly has fought bigger guys (Lyoto Machita at light heavyweight included). The x-factor will be Penn's ability to control the fight and keep it standing. Everyone expects Fitch to dominate on the ground since Penn has somehow lost his allure on the ground. He's supposed to be a superb bjj fighter and we need to see his ground game come back if he wants to dominate again. I think the fight against GSP has hurt Penn's confidence on the ground but GSP can do that to anyone (including brilliant wrestlers like Fitch, Matt Hughes and Kos). The fight seems to favor Fitch with his size and wrestling advantage but I think BJ has a great chance in this one especially with his superior striking.

Amir Khan Looking to Unify Titles and Then go After Mayweather

2010-12-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

Amir Khan will likely face someone like a Lamont Peterson next in England before he looks to unify the 140 lb title against the winner of Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander. The hope is that some time in 2012 Khan will get his shot at Floyd Mayweather for the pound for pound title. Khan's training partner, Manny Pacquiao, knows all to well the difficulties of getting a fight with Mayweather. However, for Khan (who is a huge draw), Mayweather may be the only real option at that point. If Khan delivers and unifies the 140 lb division he'll become an instant top 5 pound for pound boxer. The only challenges around his weight class will be Manny Pacquiao (who he trains with) and Floyd Mayweather. There is the outside shot of another challenge to Juan Manuel Marquez assuming he is still in top form but not much else. Fortunately for fight fans it will be an interesting 2011 before we have to cross that hurdle.

Overeem to face Duffee and Fedor Emelianenko to face Antonio Silva

2010-12-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

Alistair Overeem never stops fighting. Just off of a big K1 championship, he is now off to Japan to fight Todd Duffee at Dyanamite! 2010 for Dream. Duffee was a top prospect in the UFC until he pissed off Dana White and got booted. This should be a great test for Overeem against a monster wrestler with solid striking. It's almost like a fight in the UFC for Overeem which should be exciting no doubt. It also looks like Fedor might be coming back soon against Antonio Silva in January or Feb. Fedor has no other options with Overeem booked in Japan and Fabricio Werdum out with injury. Fedor needs to fight asap. At 34, he is probably no longer in his prime and fans would love to see him make the most of his remaining time in the sport. The big Silva is a solid striker and bjj fighter who should be a great test for Fedor.

GSP to Fight Jake Shields Next

2010-12-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

GSP will fight Jake Shields next in what should be an interesting fight with Jake Shields being one of the best ground fighters in the world. A win against Jake Shields for St. Pierre would certainly make me doubt my selection of Anderson Silva as pound for pound king. I think the Shields fight will be far closer than anyone is expecting. GSPs striking is far superior but his ground game isn't at the same level as Jake's in my opinion which is what will make this fight close. Jake had no fear of Martin Kampman's ground game. Martin is an amazing ground fighter and was dominated by Shields on the ground.

Pacquiao Fight with Mosley Probably Best Option

2010-12-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Despite the comments of most of those in sports (especially ESPN), the Mosley fight makes the most sense for Pacman. Don't get me wrong it's not a great fight but it is the BEST option for him given that Mayweather is unavailable. Juan Manuel Marquez got destroyed by Mayweather easily and hasn't beaten anyone good since. Don't give me the BS that tiny Katsidis or Juan Diaz were any where near close to who Mosley has fought recently (Cotto, Margarito, Mora). Their only common opponent was Mayweather and Mosley did better. None of them did well. Berto is not a name yet unfortunately and Sergio Martinez is too big. So, stop whining about the choice since it's probably the best option available.

St Pierre Beats Undeserving Koscheck

2010-12-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

In what I thought was always a terrible fight, outmatched Josh Koscheck lost to Georges St. Pierre once again. Unfortunately, Josh should never have got this fight but somehow did. St. Pierre now has one fight left against Jake Shields - the fans want this one badly. If Georges cleans up in that fight then he needs to move up to take on Anderson Silva. However, he absolutely needs to fight Jake no matter what the so called pundits think. Jake is undefeated for many years and has beaten the best. We have to see the showdown with Goerges now. Koscheck was a huge waste of time. Josh should have fought Fitch (he would have lost thoroughly even to Fitch in my opinion).

GSP knows Silva would destroy anyone at 170 and is on another level altogether. The only guy at 185 even that could touch Silva was steroid induced freak. Silva still beat him. GSP is very weary of that but needs to make the move even if it isn't against Silva right away.

Amir Khan Proves He Has a Chin against Marcos Maidana

2010-12-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

Amir Khan defeated Marcos Maidana in a 12 round decision and in doing so took Maidana's best shots and never went down once. Khan, as expected, showed he was a far superior boxer but to Maidana's credit he kept coming and never relented for the entire fight. Maidana caught Khan with some super hard shots but couldn't put Khan away. By taking shots from arguably the hardest puncher in the sport Khan showed he has an awesome chin. Khan went on to win a unanimous decision. For Khan, now is the time to move on to bigger and better fights. He should learn and grow from the Maidana fight. The ghosts of Breidis Prescott are a thing of the past. Khan is primed to become the pound for pound king and he needs to continue to grow and develop. He certainly has the work ethic and focus to do it. Khan will probably take a fight in England and then meet the winner of the Timothy Bradley - Devon Alexander tilt. That will prove who is the best at 140 pounds. For Maidana, I think a rematch with Victor Ortiz would be a great fight for the fans but I see him taking on another solid 140 pounder. He's just never going to be good enough to beat a skilled fighter like Khan unless he gets lucky. In fact, he got lucky with Khan but it wasn't enough.

BJ Penn Destroyes Matt Hughes in 23 Seconds

2010-11-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

Rampage Jackson won a very close boring split decision against Lyoto Machida. Jackson was the aggressor in the first two rounds even though he was beaten pretty decisively in the third round.

In the other main event, BJ Penn rocked Matt Hughes within 20 seconds and then pounced and finished Hughes for the TKO. It was a huge win for Penn who lost two straight to Frankie Edgar after Edgar ran for 10 rounds and won for running and landing a few Hershey's Kisses. This was a real fight and very different from those Edgar marathons. This fight ended with an exciting finisher. Penn proved once again that he is the most exciting finisher in MMA history. He can knock you out or submit you.

UFC 123 Battle of Old Warriors

2010-11-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

BJ Penn and Matt Hughes rekindle their rivalry at welterweight. BJ moves up after Frankie Edgar ran away from him for two fights and somehow won both. Matt Hughes is looking better and having fun after winning his last three fights. His losses were against Thiago Alves and Georges St. Pierre so certainly not to second tier fighters. Both of these guys are still close to the top of their games. I expect Penn to win by split decision. I don't see Hughes finishing Penn and I see Penn winning the first and second rounds with Hughes coming close in the third but not quite enough to finish Penn. In the other fight Lyoto Machida and Rampage Jackson are both old warriors who are close to the top of their games. Lyoto got smoked by Shogun Rua while Rampage looked sloppy against Rashad Evans. Expect Rampage to be better and Lyoto to be solid. I suspect Rampage will win by TKO or KO. Lyoto is still recovering from a tough loss and this is a very difficult fight to get back on your horse with.

Manny Proves to be Truly Remarkable after Destroying Margarito

2010-11-14T15:59:00.001-08:00

Bring on Floyd Mayweather! Manny Pacquiao just doesn't seem to let up - he was astounding against Margarito despite concerns that he didn't train hard enough. Max Kellerman said he thought Manny was a step off and got hit more often than he has before. I suppose, given his distractions, he had an excuse to be a step off but he still destroyed Margarito. Against someone like Mayweather I suspect there will be no distractions during training. If Mayweather is waiting for Manny to slow down or take too many shots to the head, I don't know if that is a good strategy. Manny is younger than Mayweather and he seems to be getting better and stronger at his natural weight of around 144 lbs. Assuming they fight at 147 lbs, I think Manny will have a decent edge in the fight. However, if I was Manny, I'd accept the drug testing but push for a catch weight of 145 lbs. I suspect Floyd who is smaller as well would be okay with that. If Floyd doesn't accept terms to fight Pacquaio, Manny should look to fight smaller, quicker more Floyd-like fighters like Timoth Bradley or Andre Berto (and do it at 144 or 145). Those fights could be huge once those fighters get another fight or two under their belts.

Fedor Would Have Destroyed Lesnar

2010-10-24T12:03:00.001-07:00

There should be no doubts now as to how technically inept Brock Lesnar is - Fedor would have destroyed him. Brock did great in the little time that he had and Dana White is no stranger to making money. The MMA media is still largely immature and followed along with Dana's hype. Brock lacks significant technical skills to deal with the best fighters in the world. In my opinion, Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko are the two best in the world right now hands down. Cain is third but coming up fast. We need to stop sucking up to the UFC as much as we want one organization ... the NBA of MMA. We're not close to that yet. Brock Lesnar would not make the NBA.

Over Hyped Lesnar Exposed

2010-10-23T21:44:00.001-07:00

Over-hyped Brock Lesnar was finally exposed after just barely beating mechanic and previously caught steroid user Shane Carwin. Cain Velasquez beat Brock tonight in a fight very similar to the Carwin fight with the only difference being the referee stopped the fight this time. With Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko not in the UFC I have to think the heavyweight division just isn't up to snuff in the UFC. Cain is solid and looking like a future heavyweight star but heavyweight talent just isn't in the UFC at the moment. However, I do think Junior Dos Santos and Velasquez can eventually be the top heavyweights in the world. The post Brock era can be truly good (not just a bunch of over hyped box office stars).

I think Brock will be back but probably never win the title again. Potentially a rematch with Frank Mir or Shane Carwin. Brock was humble in defeat and understood that he wasn't at the same level as Cain. Brock was strong at the start coming out with aggression and trying to take the fight to the ground, however, Cain was able to control where the fight played out and eventually got the TKO stoppage.

UFC 121 Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez

2010-10-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

It's time now for Brock's next fight against Cain Velasquez and the excitement and hype are through the roof. The UFC is doing a great job promoting the fight. At the weigh in earlier, Brock looked significantly bigger than Cain. The fight is hard to predict. Are we all over hyping Cain? Will Brock take him down and pound him out? It seems likely but everyone seems to be hyping Cain based on his Nogueira victory. I'm not sure that victory holds much weight given that Frank Mir destroyed Nogueira easier than Cain did. It feels like Brock will destroy him but hard to say. The card is solid with Jake Shields and Tito Ortiz on it as well. This is great news given that last two stinker UFC cards.

Top 3 Most Anticipated Fights Remaining in 2010

2010-10-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Looking at both MMA and Boxing I wanted to highlight the top 3 most anticipated fights left in the year:

1. Amir Khan vs Marcos Maidana: This is the ultimate brawler vs boxer fight. Two of the top light welterweights in boxing go at it in what will be a classic fight. I expect Khan to out box Maidana for a decision but expect some fireworks along the way.

2. Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez: Brock Lesnar is a huge draw no matter who he fights but Velasquez is good so this one should be very interesting. Size and power versus technique is how it is being billed.

3. Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito: Margarito is coming off a layoff and this is unfortunately not the best fight out there but it will be a challenge for Manny since Margarito is way bigger than him. Also, if Pacquiao wins he will become a world champion in yet another weight division at junior middleweight.

Steroids Steroids Steroids ... in the UFC

2010-10-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

With the recent rash of championship calibre UFC fighters testing positive for steroids (Chael Sonnen being the biggest name to date), I wonder what will happen to thwart the danger of one of these guys doing serious damage in the ring to another fighter. It's very much about the integrity of the sport (don't get me wrong) but in the case of MMA there is a serious danger that doesn't exist nearly as much in other sports. That danger is the health of an opponent being put at risk. If Chael had seriously hurt Anderson Silva (the best pound for pound fighter on the planet) can you imagine the repercussions and potential damage to the UFC. To say that Chael was stupid is an understatement (assuming he did this - he is appealing). Anyways, I just think the UFC needs to think about the additional risk they particularly have versus other sports.

Dana White Doing Nothing About Steroids

2010-09-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

It's funny seeing that moronic MMA Live host ask a UFC signed fighter (Kenny Florian) if the UFC is doing enough to counter steroids. Let me think about that one - would a Dana White owned fighter actually criticize the UFC. Not a chance.

The UFC is not doing enough to counter the extreme steroid use in their organization. Shane Carwin and Chael Sonnen are the latest ones we know of ... and these are title contenders for crying out loud (Sean Sherk was a champion and tested positive as well). Did Chael have his bonus or purse taken away or even cut down? Nope. So, you think you're doing a lot? Funny. Laughable. You're doing nothing.

This organization is at a risk of becoming a joke. A bunch of steroid jacked fighters going at it against some amazing natural talents like Anderson Silva. Okay maybe we can become a popular freak show. Please take control before some one dies in the octagon because of some steroid jacked freak.

BJ Penn to fight Matt Hughes as Rampage Machida Co-Main Event

2010-09-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Looks like BJ Penn is back in the ring quickly to fight an old nemesis in Matt Hughes at welterweight. Penn was supposed to fight a lightweight but apparently that guy withdrew so he got the offer to move up. Penn jumped all over it. After two frustrating losses (not to mention incredibly boring no action no nothing fights) against Frankie Edgar, Penn is looking to get back on track.

Chael Sonnen Tests Positive for PEDs

2010-09-19T15:53:00.001-07:00

It looks like what we all suspected was actually true. Chael Sonnen used PEDs against Anderson Silva. With all the UFC fighters that are greasing (Nate Marquardt and GSP), this becomes another significant blow to the UFC and MMA in general. First Shane Carwin and now Chael Sonnen. Sonnen's case is very very bad since he cheated during a main event title fight. Many viewers will and should want their money back. This certainly speaks even more volumes about Anderson Silva's incredible come from behind victory and his standing as the greatest ever.

Question now is what will the UFC do? Will they actually start testing? Funny how everyone always talks about what happens in Japan when all the cheating is going on in our own back yard.

Mayweather Keeping The Focus on Himself and Selling Fight with Pacquiao

2010-09-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Mayweather is the box office king for big fights. Manny Pacquiao is the king of fighters. When the two meet it will be the biggest fight in the history of any fight sport. Floyd's recent rant that crossed every line possible will probably help sell the fight immensely (not that it needed it). Looks like Mayweather will eventually fight Manny and obviously wants that to be a huge fight. I'm guessing Manny's fight with Margarito will also benefit greatly from Mayweather's comments. If Pacquaio dominates Margarito it will set up an incredibly huge fight between Manny and Floyd, the two best fighters on the planet.

MMA Live Should be called UFC LIve

2010-09-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

MMA Live seems to be all about the UFC. Now, the UFC is the biggest MMA promotion out there so that is certainly fair to some degree. However, they seem to be towing the UFC line which is really concerning for what is being represented as an independent MMA show. Is there host - forgot his name - a UFC employee? The guy never says anything against the UFC and seems incredibly annoying. Todd Duffee's release got no airplay on MMA Live - was that because Dana ordered them not to talk about it? What the hell is that all about? The rest of their "cast" is employed by the UFC. Guys like Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, Stephan Bonner and others are all UFC employees.

Steroids and the UFC

2010-08-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

The UFC will have to address the steroid issue head on. They rely on the athletic commissions for testing which doesn't say a whole lot given the money and power some of their athletes now have access to. I'm sure the guys who currently have suspicion looming around there heads like Shane Carwin, Gray Maynard, Chael Sonnen and Frankie Edgar are more than able to get around the weak testing standards that exist today. Steroids will becom a massive problem for the UFC. Look at Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar. I mean we are going to have an MMA nightmare come to life if this problem isn't addressed. Dana, I hope you are on it cuz you know there are a bunch of guys in the UFC heavily doping - there's just can't be any doubt about it.

UFC 118 Snoozefest Wasn't What I Expected

2010-08-28T21:52:00.001-07:00

The UFC 118 card tonight was extremely boring with a bunch of lifetime "decision" guys choking out the fans. Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard will fight next in what will likely be the most boring fight ever. Expect a lot of meaningless taps on the head and back and forth bobbing with little damage to speak of ...

The problem with the UFC style of MMA is that guys are just trying to get decision wins (i.e. trying not to lose). For example, Edgar did nothing tonight against Penn except stick and move and get the occasional take down. Penn actually tried to finish the fight and threw punches with meaning. There was nothing in Edgar's arsenal that could remotely hurt Penn. He was just trying to run and do enough when he wasn't running to win the fight. This is becoming an all to common formula and it will ultimately be terrible for fans. Boxing suffers from a little bit of this too as some fighters are way too defensive and don't take any risks.

I fear that the era of great finishers like Penn and Anderson Silva may be coming to an end with the new generation looking to choke out fans with extreme boredom.

One Dimensional Fighters James Toney and Brock Lesnar Given Opportunity in UFC

2010-08-23T18:52:00.001-07:00

As we approach BJ Penn versus Frankie Edgar the rematch, it's a great opportunity to ask how a multi-dimension potential greatest of all time fighter like BJ Penn could lose his title via a bad decision to no name Frankie Edgar. Edgar's no longer a no name but how UFC judges could allow him to run and bob his way to a title is unbelievable. I always thought you had to earn a championship? Had to win it. I guess clearly not in the UFC.

Anyways, one thing about Frankie Edgar is he is not one dimensional. He's no BJ Penn but certainly he is not one dimensional either. There are several one dimensional fighters that are getting chances in the UFC. Brock Lesnar is one. He is a wrestler with a professional wrestling (WWE) background. No stand up game to speak of (as we saw against cardio-less Shane Carwin). How does a guy get winded after one round in a championship fight anyway?? James Toney is another example except he has no proven ground game but obviously a great stand up fighter given his boxing pedigree. The UFC has given these guys a chance because they are big name draws for the promotion. Lesnar has already succeeded (although against sub par heavyweight competition). If Toney doesn't succeed it might prove that having a ground game without a stand up game is more beneficial than having a stand up game without a ground game. Hopefully, Randy Couture will bring out the best of James Toney and we'll get to find out.

Anderson Silva Still the Best

2010-08-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Anderson Silva showed he is still the most dominant fighter in the game of MMA after submitting Chael Sonnen via triangle choke. I've spoken with many people who thought Chael was heavily jacked on steroids during the fight. I'm not sure there's any evidence of that other than his incredible stamina and what appeared to be massive zits on his back. The fact that some folks thought that way says a lot about this fight. Sonnen dominated Anderson Silva in a way we haven't seen before but Silva still managed to finish him. Silva is the best finisher in MMA when he isn't bored and he showed it against a super hyped Chael Sonnen. Almost no one thought Silva would be able to stop Sonnen past the third round and he did. So, Silva accomplished something that many thought he wouldn't be able to do ... I mean think about that. The guy who was already the best MMA fighter on the planet did something no one thought he could. To me, that means this guy is still the best on the planet. I love GSP but I think Silva is a better finisher and a more well rounded fighter.

The UFC is top notch at middleweight because of Silva, they are also great at welterweight because of all the talent they have. They are good at lightweight and good at light heavyweight (I think Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and some of the other guys not named Machida or Rua are overrated). The heavyweight division is weak especially with the steroid cloud hanging over Shane Carwin (surprisingly a guy who tanked in the second round against newbie Brock Lesnar). However, at middleweight Silva carries the organization. He's the best MMA fighter on the planet among a group of guys who look like they could be jacking 'roids regularly. He's an artist and a master of the sport as it is today.

Juan Manuel Marquez Shows his Worth in the Ring

2010-08-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

JMM still has it in the ring. He proved that this weekend against Juan Diaz. It's unfortunate that it was a rematch of a fight that few wanted to see, however, it did prove that Marquez is still a top notch fighter after his tough blow out loss to Floyd Mayweather (Floyd cheated by coming in 3 pounds over weight). It seems like he will get Amir Khan next at junior welterweight for that title. Marquez can become the first Mexican fighter to win titles at 4 different weight classes. However, Khan is an entirely different league than Diaz so it will be a tough fight for Marquez. Both are managed by Golden Boy so it should be an easy fight to make. Also, it will be a big draw as both Khan and Marquez are extremely popular fighters. If that fight does happen, I can't wait to see it.

Jon Jones Moving Laterally in His Career

2010-08-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

The UFC isn't challenging Jon Jones. That was obvious last night when they put him against a guy who was a step backwards from Brandon Vera who Jones destroyed. Strange match making for sure. Vladimir Matyushenko was a top notch fighter and is still very good but not the kind of challenge Jones needs at this point. He needs to step up. The UFC is trying to hype him on national television but this guy isn't Mike Tyson so not sure how effective that will be ... he's a solid MMA fighter with a lot of creativity. He's very young but needs a challenge. Let's hope he gets his chance to fight against a top guy. I'm not sure why Rashad Evans who got KO'd miserably by Lyoto Machida is getting a shot at Shogun Rua and Jon Jones isn't? Makes no sense. Time to break up the foursome (Quentin Jackson, Evans, Rua and Machida) because Jones has earned his shot - he should fight Shogun immediately. If Rua beats Evans I think Jones takes on an intermediate fight against someone like Forrest Griffin or Little Nog and then gets the title shot.

Shane Carwin Exposed by Brock Lesnar's Chin

2010-07-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

Brock Lesnar defeated Shane Carwin by tapout. Carwin showed he's a one trick pony tonight by not being able to finish Brock on the ground. If Carwin could do anything other than punch like a third rate boxer (which is amazingly good for MMA standards) he would have won this fight. Carwin connected with Lesnar and put him down for a pummeling but couldn't finish Brock on the ground. Part of this was due to Brock's defence and solid chin but the more important thing was that Carwin had no plan B. Carwin had no submission skills or ability in the full mount to finish off the champion. He is a one trick pony and that one trick didn't work against Lesnar. In the second round Lesnar took a tired Carwin down and finished him with a fairly weak triangle choke.

I think someone as skilled as an Emelianenko or Overeem would definitely have a much better shot at finishing Lesnar (likely by submission similar to what Frank Mir did despite being no where near as talented as Fedor or the Reem). The UFC does not have any such talented 5 tool heavyweights. The only two in the division are Overeem and Emelianenko and both are not in the UFC. I see Cain Velasquez getting the next shot at Brock and that too should be an entertaining fight. I think Cain is more skilled but again with a wrestling background he may struggle against the larger Lesnar in ways that a Fedor would not. Cain's skills are similar to Lesnar's but better, however, he is also much smaller. Carwin may get Junior Dos Santos if Junior beats Big Country. The heavyweight picture has four guys in the UFC and three guys in Strikeforce that, in my opinion, are probably the best out there.

Carwin's 35 and probably doesn't have too many more chances left, especially if he loses his next fight. I don't see him getting a rematch with Brock unless he puts together a solid win or two and Brock continues to defend. However, if an Overeem or Emelianenko join the UFC I think Carwin's chances are going to be slim to survive at the top levels despite his great KO record. Carwin proved he can't win outside of one round. Brock took Carwin outside of a round by showing great defence and a solid chin and that was enough to win. Carwin had nothing left in round 2.

Brock Lesnar Defends Against Shane Carwin at UFC 116

2010-07-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

Brock Lesnar returns from a long layoff due to illness today to take on a guy who has made a name for himself recently in the UFC. That guy is Shane Carwin. Carwin and Lesnar both built their names off of Frank Mir whose claim to fame was getting destroyed by Brandon Vera and beating a washed up and ill Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Now these two biggies go at it to see who is the best Mir beater. The most exciting thing about this fight isn't that these two are good MMA fighters but rather that they are huge and Brock Lesnar was in the WWE where he made his claim to fame. I would definitely watch this fight just based on those two factors. These two wrestlers turned strikers will show the world how two behemoths who never trained in striking can smack each other around. You can't get any better than that! I just hope wrestling plays a factor in this fight at some point.

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty of it all. Carwin wants to keep this fight on his feet so that he can dismantle Brock with his proven superior striking. Whether he's against the cage or in the middle of the ring, if Carwin's on his feet he has the best chance to win. For Brock, he needs to get this thing to the ground and out muscle Carwin for positioning so that he can lay on the ground and pound. The strategies couldn't be more obvious given the limited skill sets of these two wrestlers turned brawlers. It'll be interesting to see who gets his way and ultimately wins this fight.

Make no mistake Fedor is still the most skilled and talented heavyweight in the world today. Werdum got lucky but everyone loses eventually. Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre both lost as well. Fedor will defeat Werdum in the rematch and then I hope we'll see a clash of two truly talented MMA artists in Overeem and Emelianenko. Until that happens, lets sit back and enjoy this freak show at UFC 116. Hey, Dana loves the freak shows as he proved when he set up James Toney vs Randy Couture.

Fedor Emelianenko Loses to Fabricio Werdum

2010-06-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Fedor has finally lost a fight after 10 years of going undefeated and only ever losing once before in his career. He got caught by Fabricio Werdum and submitted via arm lock. He made a mistake but didn't necessarily look bad doing it. He dominated the striking but lost when the fight went to the ground. Lots if interesting fights left at heavyweight in Strikeforce. Still think Fedor is the best but for now Werdum will take the mantle of top heavyweight with Fedor dropping to number two. I think a Fedor rematch or a title shot against Overeem makes sense for Werdum. Probably a title shot against Overeem since the champ needs another fight in the US.

In other action, Cung Le looked great in taking out Scott Smith and righting the ship after he got caught late against Smith in their first match. Le basically continued his domination of Smith but finished the fight this time around making no mistakes. Interesting fights with Robbie Lawlor or others await Le if he decides to continue fighting.

In women's action, Cyborg won again against an outmatched lesser known opponent. The girl needs some competition as there isn't really much out there at the moment.

NBA or WWE?

2010-06-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

I know this is a Boxing / MMA site but I had to comment on the recent NBA finals between the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers. I watched most of the series and couldn't help but note how often the referees were wrong when they blew the whistle. Based on my rough count over 80% of the calls were actually wrong! This is quite remarkable given the level of popularity of the sport. It seems the problem is that the sport is so fast and difficult to officiate now that most of the made calls are gut feel reactionary versus a ref actually seeing something. It's going to be hard for fans to continue to watch a sport that has basically no accuracy in officiating. I really have to hand it to the NBA marketing machine - they've done a great job to keep the fan base strong. I really don't know if this is much of a sport anymore though. The athletes are still solid but the sport needs to be fairly officiated in order to be considered a sport versus a drama like the WWE. Many WWE wrestlers are great athletes too. Too bad officiating always gets in the way but if you're less than 80% or heck even 20% accurate on calls than you're not really a viable sport anymore, in my opinion. Given the NBA's recent issues with claims of rigging games from a former referee it's probably in the league's best interest to do something about the officiating before this gets out of hand. Hopefully, someone will let me know how it goes because I certainly won't be watching any more NBA drama err games until this thing is cleaned up.

Chuck Liddell KO'd By Rich Franklin

2010-06-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Chuck Liddell is finished in the octagon. He looked good but once again he got rocked and stretched out. Seemed to be in better shape but got the same result. Rich Franklin got the better of the exchanges with Chuck Liddell and knocked him out at UFC 115 a few minutes ago. In other action, Mirko Crocop had a great comeback by submitting Pat Berry in the third round after getting dropped twice in round one. He still doesn't look like he is ready to challenge the top heavyweights in the UFC but still got a decent win. Crocop showcased his striking and ground game although his striking was inconsistent and his ground game didn't look great. Berry just had no ground game to compete with Crocop. UFC 115 was a good event even though it showcased second class fighters that had little but name recognition left to carry them.

As for Liddell, it seems there is a new generation of fighter now and he hasn't kept up. His chin and defence have both let him down in all of his recent fights. He's just not at the level needed to contend in the UFC today.

Pacquiao Ready to Accept Mayweather's Terms

2010-06-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao has stated that he will accept Mayweather's terms for drug testing up to 14 days before the fight. It seems there shouldn't be any more obstacles unless Mayweather creates some more. This could potentially be the biggest fight in the history of boxing. Both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are 1-2 on every pound for pound list I have seen so it naturally makes sense to have them fight to determine who is really the best. Mayweather just beat Shane Mosley and Pacquaio just beat Joshua Clottey (and destroyed Miguel Cotto before that). There's really no one else left for either one of them. The good thing about negotiations this time around is that they seem to be keeping them out of the press versus last time where all the issues came out into the media. Hopefully, they can resolve things and announce a fight date once ready without have to negotiate in the public eye this time around.

Evans Wins Boring Decision Over Rampage

2010-05-29T22:00:00.001-07:00

I thought this fight would lack lustre and it did. Evans won a boring decision over Rampage in a fight that had only a few shining moments. Rampage looked like he needed a warm up fight and that the layoff impacted him. Rashad looked good and used his takedowns wisely. Probably need a rematch to make this one certain. I just felt like Rampage had his number and could have pushed the pace to take Rashad out at any time but just couldn't for some reason. Anyways, who knows what to expect now. We could have a rematch or Rashad might get Shogun (probably a mistake in my opinion). I think they should give someone else a shot at Shogun right now (maybe little Nog?) and let Rampage and Evans clear any doubt lingering from this fight.

Rampage and Rashad Finally at UFC 114

2010-05-29T16:49:00.001-07:00

UFC 114 is being hyped entirely off of what many think will be a hugely popular fight in Rampage Jackson against Rashad Evans. It's not that big for me because both guys have suffered tough losses recently (Rashad to Lyoto Machida and Rampage to Forrest Griffin). Machida was destroyed by Shogun Rua and Forrest Griffin was destroyed (x2) by Anderson Silva. I'm not really sure where that leaves these two but I don't think I want to see them fight for a title soon. There's not much else on this card that is of any interest but quite frankly what business man would bother spending any money on the rest of this card. Rashad and Rampage will carry it. Enjoy!

Amir Khan Dominates Paulie Malignaggi for 11th Round Stoppage

2010-05-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

Amir Khan had the most dominant victory of his career against a top 5 ranked junior welterweight in Paulie Malignaggi. Khan systematically dominated Malignaggi in one of the most incredible displays of technical boxing skills this year. Khan's victory shows that he has grown significantly since his only loss to Breidis Prescott. This is a new Khan. Anyone fighting around junior welterweight will need to be weary of Khan. Although Malignaggi didn't have the tools to test Khan's chin, he really didn't have many opportunities to break through even if he had the power. Khan is a different fighter now and his chin may no longer be a major concern. His boxing skills may be good enough to shut out anyone in his division. He is a far superior boxer than Marcos Maidana who is technically not in Khan's league. However, Maidana has power and could be the guy to test Khan's chin. Malignaggi is considered one of the best boxers in the sport today but was thoroughly outclassed by Khan. Timothy Bradley versus Khan seems to be the most interesting fight in the division but I would like to see Bradley take out Maidana first. Assuming Maidana isn't scared to fight Bradley and genuinely injured then that fight could happen once Maidana's back is better. Nonetheless, there are a lot of possibilities in the most competitive weight division in boxing.

Overeem Dominates Brett Rogers

2010-05-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Brett Rogers seemed tentative and unwilling to exchange with Alistair Overeem who eventually took Rogers down and ground and pounded him into submission. In what was a very dominant performance Overeem defeated Rogers in much more efficient fashion than Fedor Emelianenko had. The victory clearly sets up a super fight between Overeem and Emelianenko assuming Strikeforce and M1 global can make it happen. Emelianenko needs a fight against a top heavyweight and Overeem is the best out there. The fight between quite possibly the two best heavyweights in the world would certainly be the largest for Strikeforce Lets hope it happens later this year.

In other action, Andrei Arlovski lost to Antonio Silva who looked great in the fight. For Arlovski, it was his third loss in a row but this fight was much closer than his other losses. He may end up getting a rematch with Brett Rogers next.

White Kicks Daley out of UFC for Life

2010-05-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

In another confusing and perplexing move, UFC president Dana White has decided to kick Paul Daley out of the UFC for life. After doing nothing to Brock Lesnar and signing Gilbert Yvel, this seems like a rushed moronic decision. Don't get me wrong, Paul Daley was the ultimate moron for what he did and there absolutely no place in the sport for that kind of thing. However, given that Brock Lesnar got nothing for a similar outbreak (albeit less so because he didn't throw a punch just a lot of bad gestures) and Gilbert Yvel was recently signed despite having a history of several displays of poor judgement this decision just baffles me. White is a genius having brought the UFC to where it is but it seems like he is bending to everyone around him now and changing fundamentally what his organization represented. The UFC was the anti-mainstream organization that every fight fan loved. Now it's becoming the ultimate mainstream organization. I understand that money dictates and it's time to change tunes and become mainstream but at least be consistent. The Daley move was way over the top. Not even another mainstream organization has issued a lifetime ban despite having experienced incidents that were far worse. Anybody remember Todd Bertuzzi? Well, he's playing in the NHL playoffs right now. I mean this seems a bit insane to me to suspend someone for life despite the terrible nature of this act.

Machida Pummeled by Shogun in Rematch

2010-05-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua knocked out Lyoto Machida in the first round with some great striking. Machida looked similarly over matched as he did in the original horrendous blown judges decision. The only difference was that this time Shogun was far more aggressive and eventually knocked out Machida. You have to wonder if Gegard Mousasi and King Mohammad Lawal were watching. I'd give either of those two a decent shot against Shogun. However, it looks like Quentin Jackson or Rashad Evans will get the next shot. In other action, Josh Kosheck defeated Paul Daley and will fight GSP in what is another waste of time fight since GSP has already defeated him. It would be nice to see GSP fight someone else but other than Anderson Silva or Jake Shields (and maybe Nick Diaz) there are no other interesting fights. Silva needs to handle business at middleweight while Shields and Diaz are still in Strikeforce.

Overall, the Machida vs Rua fight was a lot more interesting then I expected and the quick knockout was a big surprise given the close fight the first time. In the end, Shogun always seemed to be a little bit better and when he pushed the pace the fight was over.

Kimbo Slice Struggles Against Matt Mittrione

2010-05-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

With his biggest opportunity to take a step up in the UFC heavyweight division Kimbo Slice was unable to take out Matt Mittrione. He showed great courage and heart in surviving two submission attempts and a furious ground and pound. He also displayed some huge power bombs against a guy much bigger than him that got the crowd excited. However, he didn't have the technical ability to defeat Matt Mittrione who eventually got the referee stoppage in the fight. It's a real shame since Kimbo was training with the best team out there at AKA and is phenomenally popular. He's the most popular MMA fighter in the world but lacks the technical grounding in the sport to be a top tier guy. If he had started earlier in his career I think he would have been a real contender at 205. It's too late now for him to cut to that weight so he sticks to being a lighter heavyweight.

UFC 113 Could be Major Snooze-fest

2010-05-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

After the Anderson Silva and BJ Penn debacle at the last UFC event, I'm very concerned that the Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua fight will be another snooze-fest blown call of a fight. We already know UFC judges probably don't have to pass grade 2 to get their jobs but to make matters worse this fight is as lackluster as it gets. The fight just doesn't get me excited strangely enough. However, I do expect more fireworks than the first yawn fest. The more interesting fight will be Kimbo Slice taking on a decent heavyweight in Matt Mittrione. How the smaller Kimbo handles the true heavyweight Mittrione will be interesting to see. The card also has some other boring welterweight fight that somehow is now to determine the number one contender to GSP. Here's hoping Jake Shields joins the UFC just to give GSP a reason to get up in the morning, however, that seems unlikely given the recent news about GSP's number one contender.

Talks Turn to a Mayweather and Pacquiao Mega Fight

2010-05-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

It was totally expected but after now that Floyd Mayweather has beaten Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao beat Joshua Clottey talk of a super fight is back on. Floyd and Manny will have to (gulp) start negotiations again once Pacquiao is done dabbling in politics back in his homeland of the Philippines. Issues? Drug testing of course. Money split? For sure after Mayweather gets a huge pay per view with for his last fight despite having far greater opportunities for promotion. Both are huge draws so I would consider that issue a wash unless Mayweather becomes stubborn about it. I expect Pacquiao to back off and find common ground on the drug testing issue. If those issues can be resolved we should be clear. Hopefully, Mayweather doesn't invent a new issue for us to worry about and we can finally see one of the biggest fights ever.

Floyd Wins Convincingly by Unanimous Decision

2010-05-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Floyd Mayweather handled Shane Mosley easily after round 2 in their fight last night and won by decision. Shane rocked Floyd in the first couple of rounds and thought he might be able to knock him out. Floyd recovered and went on to shut out Mosley. Mayweather couldn't finish him but didn't seem to be trying too hard given his strong defensive focus. This likely spells the end of the line for Mosley and once again sets up talk of a mega showdown between Mayweather and pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a supreme closer who finishes opponents efficiently while Mayweather is a defensive standout who wins decisions with his great defense. Drug testing is still at the heart of the issue in making that fight as Floyd wants Olympic style testing whereas Pacquiao wants to stick with mandated rules but will follow any rules the commission sets out.

Mayweather has recently made claims of being the best fighter ever but is only the second best fighter of his generation (Pacquaio being the undisputed king). The evidence of Pacquiao's greatness has been delivered by Mayweather himself who has hinted Pacquiao might be using PEDs to achieve his phenomenal results. Pacquaio, of course, has never tested positive for anything in his life or had any evidence of drug use whatsoever.

Regardless of the childish talk, this fight will be huge and both fighters have been clean and will be for the fight so we can all sit back and enjoy it when it happens.

Floyd Mayweather Finally takes Opportunity to Extend Legacy at Welterweight

2010-05-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Floyd Mayweather was forced to accept the challenge from Shane Mosley after backing out of the Manny Pacquiao fight due to a failed attempt to modify drug testing rules. That will give him his first real test at welterweight. Oscar De La Hoya included (he actually fought Oscar at 154), Floyd is the best welterweight Mayweather has ever fought. The fight should be competitive if Shane brings his best tonight. I expect Mayweather to win because of Shane's speed and skill limitations when compared to the better Mayweather. Shane's power will only be a factor if he can land which will be very difficult against Floyd. This is definitely an interesting fight that has made people forget about the Pacquiao fiasco at least for the time being. Expect a huge pay per view given the significant amounts of interest in this fight and given that there are two well known Americans in the ring. Boxing at the top levels is untouchable right now and the very top is Manny and Floyd.

Strikeforce Nashville Ends with Mixed Results

2010-04-17T23:03:00.001-07:00

Jake Shields upset Dan Henderson by weathering an early storm and then dominating him for the final 4 rounds with his wrestling and BJJ. Henderson clocked Shields several times in the first round and Shields was wobbled big time. Dan wasn't able to finish Shields and he survived the first round and went on to win a decision with his ground control. Shields keeps his title and becomes a premier, if not, pound for pound fighter in MMA.

Gilbert Melendez dominated Shinya Aoki for 5 rounds to retain the Strikeforce title. Aoki was unable to get anything going on the ground as Melendez instantly pushed him up to the cage where Aoki had no experience. Melendez used every advantage he had, especially the octagon, to keep Aoki at bay for the entire fight. In the third title fight, King Muhammed Lawal upset Gegard Mousasi in a close fight where King Mo's wrestling and take down ability paid off big time. Overall, the fights had their exciting moments and down moments. I would say the event was a success. Unfortunately, there was an incident after the Shields fight where Jason "Mayhem" Miller entered the ring and asked for a rematch which resulted in a big melee in the middle of the ring. Hopefully, CBS looks past that terrible incident and sees the potential in Strikeforce based on this and previous events.

Strikeforce Nashville Ready to Save the Day after UFC Disaster Last Week

2010-04-17T16:40:00.001-07:00

Only one week after what could have been the worst event in the history of MMA (UFC 112), everyone should be really excited about a competitive top notch Strikeforce card that has 3 titles up for grabs. Dan Henderson makes his Strikeforce debut when he takes on middleweight champion Jake Shields in what should be an interesting fun to watch fight. In an even more interesting exciting fight, top prospect King Muhammed Lawal takes on champion Gegard Mousasi for the light heavyweight crown. These two could well be the future, if not the present, in the light heavyweight division. Expect a competitive fight despite Lawal's inexperience. The final fight may be the best of the three when Japanese superstar and lightweight king Shinya Aoki takes on Gilbert Melendez. Melendez is the Strikeforce lightweight champion while Aoki is the Dream lightweight champion. Aoki is one of the most exciting to grapplers in MMA today. I can't say enough about the quality of this card. You will not see sh*t judging like you did with Frankie Edgar winning the lightweight title after running for 5 rounds and boring us to death. You will not see Anderson Silva being forced to fight a one tool fighter that practically was so easy it almost put him to sleep half way through the fight (not to mention put the fans to sleep).

Make no mistake - this will be a competitive exciting card and better than anything we have seen in the last several years. Not to mention it combines top talent in two top notch promotions which is absolutely wicked and it is free on television. This one is a must watch no brainer for all MMA fans and beyond :)

Edgar Decision a Disgrace to MMA

2010-04-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

Forget about the Anderson Silva fight, the Frankie Edgar fight was the biggest disgrace ever on one of the worst shows in MMA history. Dana White claims he was frustrated with one fight - only the Anderson Silva fight. Well I got news for you Dana, the entire card was pure sh*t. Thank goodness for Strikeforce. I'm not even going to write about the Silva fight to be honest because the rest of the card was more pathetic in my opinion. In one of the worst decisions in the history of the MMA, BJ Penn lost his title. How the hell can the UFC sustain itself with such pathetic judging in title fights for crying out loud. Penn clearly won the first three rounds he landed accurate clean shots while Edgar bobbed and weaved landing nothing. In my opinion the fourth was even and the fifth could have gone to Edgar. How the hell do you win a title like that? He's no champion. The UFC is starting to frustrate me and about a million other fans of the sport like there is no tomorrow. Oh by the way ... the Hughes-Gracie fight was pathetic too. Can't wait for Strikeforce next weekend. I'm this close to giving up on the UFC to be honest with you. Anderson Silva is a problem fine but he is just a fighter. Judging is fundamental to the sport itself and when that goes as pathetic as it did last night it's pretty much over.

Edgar shocks BJ Penn by decision; Silva Dominates Maia

2010-04-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

BJ Penn made a massive tactical mistake by not taking Frankie Edgar to the ground. Penn did not do enough to dominate Edgar and ended up losing his title. The fight seemed close and I would say Penn won by a small margin (3 rounds to 1 with an even round). The problem I had with Penn's performance is the strategic issue around letting the fight go to the judges (who are known to be horrible). Why wouldn't Penn take Edgar down when he was much better than him on the ground? Sure, he was theoretically better than Edgar standing but not as much as he was better than him on the ground. The best fighter in the world doesn't take chances like that ... Georges St. Pierre wouldn't and neither would Anderson Silva.

In the other main event, Anderson Silva played with Damian Maia. He literally played with him as if he was fighting a child. It was ridiculousness. He let the fight go to a decision even though many felt he could have finished it earlier. It was a very odd fight but that is Anderson Silva. Next up will be Georges St. Pierre at 170 pounds. If Silva can actually cut down to 170 pounds, St. Pierre should be a bit worried to say the least.

BJ Penn and Anderson Silva put titles on the line at UFC 112

2010-04-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Anderson Silva and BJ Penn are ready for their heavy underdog challengers at UFC 112. Frankie Edgar challenges Penn and Damian Maia challenges Silva. In both cases, the challengers are being given no chance. I don't think they have a chance either and both of these matches are weak. It's a sign that the UFC is still lacking a decent level of competition. Good fighters still exist in other major organizations like Dream and Strikeforce and overall competition in MMA is still not at the level of other sports. That should change as the sport grows but for now we will have to deal with the level of competition we'll see at UFC 112. Unfortunately, it won't be enough to make it worth the price of admission as much as I hate to admit that. Look out for the April 17th Strikeforce card though as that will be amazing (not to mention free on TV).

BJ the Best Ever?

2010-04-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

He moved up from lightweight to defeat a prime Matt Hughes at welterweight. He moved up from lightweight to fight competitively with Lyoto Machida at light heavyweight. He has dominated the lightweight division to the point where he is considered invincible. He is one of the best finishers in the sport (alongside Anderson Silva). The prodigy has a legitimate case to be considered best ever. However, lets not get ahead of ourselves. BJ has still got some good years ahead of him. He looks to be in his prime and could do some more great things in the sport. Continued dominance at lightweight or a carefully planned move to welterweight will help him improve his status. BJ isn't concerned with his record. He's always looking for the best possible challenge which is part of the reason he is so great in the sport.

April 17th Strikeforce Card Trumps UFC 112

2010-04-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have to admit Strikeforce has managed to put together a better card on April 17th (free on CBS to boot!) than the UFC has on its pay per view UFC 112 card on April 10th. UFC's main event includes Anderson Silva versus Damian Maia which is a good fight but Silva clearly expected to dominate. The co-main event is BJ Penn against Frankie Edgar which will be a Penn obliteration. On the Strikeforce card we have Dan Henderson versus Jake Shields which will be far more competitive than any of the UFC main events. The other title fight is Gegard Mousasi versus Muhammed Lawal which is, for me, the most anticipated fight of the year. King Mo is one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport and Mousasi is a prodigy. The future of the light heavyweight division (outside of Jon Jones) is right here.

The other fight on the UFC card is Renzo Gracie versus Matt Hughes which is an awesome match up - definitely can't wait to see that one. However, Strikeforce counters with an even better match between two of the best lightweights in the world in Dream champion Shinya Aoki and Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez. That one, for me, is the second most anticipated fight of the year so far.

Let's all be glad for Strikeforce. I have to say that Scott Coker has done a great job and by putting it on CBS for free he will generate phenomenal interest for Strikeforce and MMA in general.

Hopkins and Jones Story Coming to an End

2010-04-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

Bernard Hopkins defeated Roy Jones by unanimous decision in an ugly fight on Saturday night. Jones looks like he is definitely done. Hopkins is an x-factor. He looked bad but it's hard to say he won't come out in his next fight and blow us away. Hopkins called out David Haye which is as bold a move as I've ever seen. Haye is a fast prime heavyweight. He is nothing like John Ruiz. Beating Haye would put Hopkins into another stratosphere. Remember, he's already a legend. The problem will be getting the fight after he looked sub par against a shot Jones and Haye dominated a game John Ruiz. Haye has a huge super money fight waiting for him against one of the Klitschko brothers. The Hopkins fight would not be as big. If Haye beats Wlad or Vitali and Hopkins dominates a solid cruiser weight or beats Tomasz Adamek then the fight could be huge. Roy Jones has once again put Hopkins in a difficult position even though this time he won the fight. He needed a knockout; he needed to dominate. Hopefully, he can get back on track with another solid victory.

David Haye Dominates John Ruiz for Impressive Victory

2010-04-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

David Haye landed several bombs while knocking down John Ruiz many times on his way to a stoppage victory. After taking some serious punishment, John Ruiz' corner threw in the towel in round 9. Miguel Diaz made the right decision by stopping the fight as his fighter was game but taking some brutal punishment that could have damaged more than his boxing career. The fight was impressive. The only knock on Haye was that he didn't finish it earlier but that is more about the phenomenal heart of John Ruiz rather than any serious deficiency in Haye. This definitely sets Haye up for bigger and better fights. Specifically, I hope the Klitschko's were watching. Haye has arrived and a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers would be absolutely massive (with apologies to Bernard Hopkins).

David Haye looks to set the Stage for the Klitschko Brothers Tonight against John Ruiz

2010-04-03T08:49:00.001-07:00

David Haye needs a strong performance against John Ruiz to generate interest and a massive pay day against one of the Klitschko brothers. Haye will need to focus on Ruiz and knock him out early in dominant fashion to make the fight with the Klitschkos a mega smash hit for the heavyweight division. If Haye were to lose it would be a huge setback for his career and, quite frankly, for the heavyweight division. Many look at Haye as the x-factor in the division. He is someone who could legitimately challenge the throne if the stars align for him. With his massive punching power and exciting fighting style he is also a potential fan favorite and major draw in the heavyweight division. Ruiz seems to be beyond his prime and not at the same level as Haye. Hopefully, David hasn't taken him too lightly.

Bernard Hopkins, who fights Roy Jones Jr. tonight, is also angling for a potential shot at David Haye and his version of the heavyweight title. That would be a big fight but not as big globally as a Klitschko fight would be for Haye. Ruiz was also beaten by a much smaller Roy Jones Jr when Roy was closer to his prime. Haye needs this win and he needs it in style.

Classic Battle Between Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins Comes to Real Life

2010-04-02T13:42:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow night Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins will battle it out with each other in a rematch that was 17 years in the making. In their first fight 17 years ago Roy Jones defeated Hopkins via decision. Hopkins is looking for revenge tonight after trying to secure a rematch with Jones during the last two decades. Jones is well past his prime despite being 4 years younger than Hopkins. Hopkins, at 45 years old, is still a top three pound for pound fighter in the world and should dismantle Jones easily. Regardless, the fight will be interesting because of the bad blood between the two. Ticket sales are slow and PPV numbers are expected to be relatively weak but this fight is not about that. It's personal for both of them. Jones claims Hopkins only took the fight because he thinks he will have an easy fight against a washed up former champion. Hopkins isn't taking anything for granted and expects the best Roy in the ring tomorrow night. It's an interesting fight worth watching for it's historical relevance.

The New Breed to Challenge Brock Lesnar

2010-03-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

With Frank Mir out of the way for now, it looks like the new breed of UFC heavyweight have finally stepped up to challenge for the title. Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez have all had phenomenal results lately and look poised to challenge for Brock Lesnar's title. Each of them seem technically superior to Lesnar but ultimately it is Brock's power that will determine how far they can go against him. Carwin has the size and technical ability to compete with Brock. He's also a smart fighter who seems to apply strategy effectively. Lesnar is a great athlete but not yet a great MMA fighter. All of these challengers will have a legitimate shot at dethroning Brock. Remember, Lesnar himself is probably more of a neophyte in the sport than any of these guys.

No Serious Challengers in the UFC for Georges St. Pierre

2010-03-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

It looks like Georges St. Pierre's only real welterweight challengers are in Strikeforce. Namely, Nick Diaz or Jake Shields. GSP has already beaten Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch who are the two top guys behind him. Anderson Silva is the only fight of interest at middleweight but St. Pierre has already indicated that Silva may be too big for him. Besides, Silva is talking about fighting at heavyweight let alone challenging a welterweight.

Dana White may be able to sign Jake Shields whose last fight on his Strikeforce contract is coming up this year against Dan Henderson. Assuming Henderson wins, Strikeforce may sign back Shields to move him to welterweight for a challenge against Nick Diaz. If Shields wins Strikeforce wouldn't want to lose their current middleweight champion and would fight to sign him back. Either way, the UFC would want to get Shields to move him to welterweight and challenge GSP. Shields himself wants to be a welterweight.

The growth and phenomenal talent in Strikeforce is going to become a major thorn in Dana White's side. Strikeforce has top three caliber guys fighting at lightweight (Gilbert Melendez / Shinya Aoki), welterweight (Shields / Diaz), middleweight (Henderson), light heavyweight (Gegard Mousasi) and heavyweight (Fedor Emelianenko). In some cases, this is creating a major void in MMA. St. Pierre is one example while Fedor at heavyweight is another.

St Pierre Wins Boring Fight and Mir Brutally Knocked Out

2010-03-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Georges St Pierre had to go five rounds with Dan Hardy and was frustrated as he couldn't finish off Hardy despite getting a solid arm bar and kimura on two separate occasions. Hardy showed heart by not submitting but St Pierre should have taken his arm off for that. Regardless of how boring and painful the fight was a win is a win. Georges was clearly superior to Dan Hardy who had no place in the ring with him. In the co-main event Shane Carwin dismantled Frank Mir with a brutal knockout. Carwin showed his power by backing Mir up against the cage and eventually creating space to land several powerful uppercuts that eventually dropped Mir. Carwin jumped on him on the ground and pounded until the referee stopped the fight. Overall, it wasn't a spectacular event for the UFC. The biggest result was the Carwin result which will set up a fight with Brock Lesnar now.

Marcos Maidana Knocks Out Victor Cayo with Vicious Body Shot

2010-03-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Marcos Maidana took another step forward in the light welterweight division by knocking out future contender Victor Cayo with a solid body shot in the middle rounds. Cayo looked good in the fight but seemed to be weary of Maidana's power. Maidana ultimately caught Cayo with a great body shot that put him down for the ten count. Cayo looked impressive at times during the fight but didn't have the mature defense to hold on against Maidana. Maidana now needs to stop fighting young contenders and find a truly established light welterweight to battle against. Amir Khan is too young, still maturing his defense and, quite frankly, has better options out there. Maidana needs to fight a Timothy Bradley or Ricky Hatton type mature top fighter now who might need this fight to get back into title contention or generate more interest (Bradley).

Andre Dirrell Wins by DQ Over Arthur Abraham

2010-03-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

In an interesting fight of styles Andre Dirrell pulled out the upset DQ win against Arthur Abraham when Abraham hit him while he was down after he slipped to the mat. Dirrell was winning on points with his significant speed and punch output when Abraham started to come on in the later rounds. Dirrell showed great resiliency and a phenomenal chin after taking some hard shots. In the end Abraham made a crucial mistake of hitting Dirrell while he was down. Dirrell seemed to be knocked out after the punch although immediately after he seemed okay. All of a sudden he went down and started twitching as if he was badly out cold. My initial reaction was that he was faking but after seeing the replay it certainly was a clean shot that hit him and he could have had a legitimate delayed reaction. Regardless, the punch landed while Dirrell was down - Abraham deserved to lose the fight by DQ. Dirrell now gets 2 points for the win and will move on to face Andre Ward in his next fight. Abraham will be stuck at 3 points after his great KO of Jermain Taylor in the first round of the Super Six Tournament.

UFC 111: Georges St. Pierre Ready for Challenge from Dan Hardy Tonight

2010-03-27T09:35:00.001-07:00

GSP and Frank Mir look to take it to the next level tonight against relatively new challengers Dan Hardy and Shane Carwin tonight. GSP is the heavy favorite against Dan Hardy who really only has a punchers chance being a solid striker according to most pundits. Frank Mir and Shane Carwin should be a much more interesting and, in theory, evenly matched fight although it might not last as long. Carwin is a power puncher with great wrestling skills while Mir is an experienced striker and ground fighter. I expect both GSP and Frank Mir to win but upsets are certainly possible. St. Pierre claims to be more ready for this fight then ever before so it will be interesting to see the strategy he uses against Hardy. This UFC 111 card is definitely worth peaking into.

Jon Jones stops Brandon Vera

2010-03-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Jon Jones has officially entered the elite of the UFC light heavyweight division by stopping Brandon Vera in the first round after a vicious elbow to the temple last night. Vera had been an outstanding prospect for a long time but never materialized despite wins over big names like Frank Mir. Vera's efforts have been inconsistent to say the least. Jones now becomes a truly top notch prospect who will demand fights with the elite of the division moving forward.

In other action, Junior Dos Santos knocked out Gabriel Gonzaga in a great effort. Gonzaga should have taken him to the ground but didn't and suffered the consequences. Dos Santos in one of the best heavyweight strikers in the UFC but hasn't been greatly challenged on the ground yet. Gonzaga could have been the guy to take him to the ground and test his abilities there but missed the opportunity.

Overall, this card sets up some interesting potential fights for both Jones and Dos Santos moving forward.

Wladimir Klitschko takes on Eddie Chambers tonight for the Heavyweight Crown

2010-03-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

Wladimir Klitschko is fighting the best heavyweights out there. Chambers is certainly one of them despite being a huge underdog. Not sure how interesting this fight will be but it is available online instead of on television PPV for anyone interested. The fight is being held live in Germany (5pm EST time). The heavyweight division is currently ruled by Wladimir Klitschko and his brother Vitali Klitschko. There aren't any serious threats out there at the moment but smaller heavyweights like David Haye and Alexander Povetkin have made some noise. Until someone seriously challenges them we'll have to watch the brothers fight the Chambers of the world and hope for some excitement in the process.

Amir Khan ready to take New York by storm against Paulie Malignaggi

2010-03-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

Amir Khan makes his long awaited American debut against Paulie Malignaggi on May 15th in Madison Square Garden. Khan's time to shine is now at the ultimate boxing venue. Malignaggi is a New Yorker so will have home court advantage but Khan will have the speed, power and talent on his side. Expect Khan to take advantage and propel himself into super stardom. Boxing has the potential to make worldwide superstars like no other sport. Khan is the type of guy that can take advantage of that. Handling the pressure will be essential to determining how far the 23 year old can go. Manny Pacquiao, Khan's training partner, has done superbly well in becoming the pound for pound king of boxing. Khan has the same trainer and similar talents. He just needs the experience. May 15th will be his next growth opportunity against a guy who is a solid talent in his prime.

Manny Pacquiao Would Obliterate Anyone in MMA

2010-03-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of talk recently about boxers crossing over into MMA. Unfortunately, the talk usually centers around guys who are clearly no longer good enough to box and now want to try MMA. Guys like Ricardo Mayorga, James Toney and Ray Mercer are clearly well past their prime but are holding the banner for boxers going into MMA. They may or may not succeed but I don't think that is a true measure of the potential for boxers to succeed in MMA. We should be looking at guys like Manny Pacquiao or Chad Dawson. Boxers in their prime who could take a couple of years to develop their all around skills. The truth of the matter is that those guys would almost definitely make waves in MMA especially given that the washed up fighters have managed varying levels of success.

Everyone is talking about James Toney as if he is a prime heavyweight. The truth is that he was a successful light heavyweight 15 years ago and took advantage of a weaker heavyweight division recently. Don't get me wrong - he is a talented fighter and may well succeed in MMA. It's just that he is no where near his prime from a boxing perspective.

Manny Pacquiao Scores Big Win Against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium

2010-03-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

Last night Manny Pacquiao earned his first win at the full welterweight limit by dismantling solid top welterweight Joshua Clottey in a unanimous 12 round decision. Clottey had no answer for Pacquiao's speed the entire fight. Clottey's defense was solid but he was unable to take any chances on offence for most of the fight due to the barrage of punches coming at him from Pacquiao. Manny also showed once again how solid his chin is by taking several good clean shots from the bigger stronger Clottey.

The win sets up a potential showdown with the winner of the May 1st Floyd Mayweather versus Shane Mosley fight. Pacquiao now has to be considered the best welterweight in the world which is incredible since he is also easily the best light welterweight and lightweight. It's almost become cliche but the sky is the limit for Pacquiao.

The event also seemed to be a huge success for Jerry Jones who pulled off a 50,000 seat sell out for the fight.

Expect a Phenomenal Fight Tonight Between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey

2010-03-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao tends to put on the most exciting fights in boxing. Expect tonight to be no different when he takes on Joshua Clottey. Clottey is one of the most established top ranked welterweights in the world today. Pacquiao is the pound for pound king. This is a huge fight even though Floyd Mayweather is not in it with Pacquiao. Clottey has proven he can hang with the best welterweights in the world including Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. Clottey could also come into the fight weighing a good 10 - 15 pounds more than Manny. Many are expecting Pacquiao to walk all over Clottey but this is not as cut and dry as that. Pacquiao greatness will be tested and taken to new levels if he can take out Clottey with the same ease that he has handled other recent opponents. Remember, this is Pacquiao's first true welterweight fight. His victories against Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto were at catch weights below the welterweight limit. So, this is uncharted territory in many ways for Manny Pacquiao but once again he proves that he is up for any challenge. Just be sure not to miss this fight.

Manny Pacquiao looking to Retire after Joshua Clottey fight

2010-03-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

The Manny Pacquiao camp indicated that his fight with Joshua Clottey may be his last. If Floyd Mayweather beats Shane Mosley and doesn't want to fight Pacquiao then there is really no one else out there according to the camp. Of course, if they get the fight done then that will be the natural showdown. If Mosley wins then Pacquiao fights Mosley and retires after that (or maybe takes on Mayweather for a few extra dollars). Either way, I think it is unlikely Pacquiao will throw away the money of another fight by retiring so close to his prime. He'll almost certainly be back after Clottey so sorry to get everyone disappointed! Boxing is in a good place right now folks.

Frank Mir wants to Kill Brock Lesnar

2010-02-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

Frank Mir is shooting from the hip again with his language. He recently stated that he wants to kill Brock Lesnar in the ring and that he hates the guy. That's probably true after his recent brutal loss to Lesnar. Unfortunately, Mir has to beat Shane Carwin first and hope that he still gets the shot since Cain Velasquez is probably just as worthy. If somehow Lesnar needs more time to prepare it could be Mir vs Velasquez to determine who gets the shot. Lesnar is the big money prize in this division so getting a shot at him is huge.

Mir is probably even better than he was the last time he fought Lesnar so Brock will have to be solid to get back into the ring with Mir or Velazquez. In fact, he'll have to be better than ever or will likely lose against either of those guys. The talent level in the UFC isn't top notch for heavyweights right now but Dana White is ensuring the excitement level is better than the talent level. When it comes to money that's all that really matters.

Velazquez could get Brock Lesnar after big win

2010-02-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Cain Velazquez dismantled Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira last night at UFC 110 in one round. He showed he may be the best guy out there to challenge Brock Lesnar. Of course, there are two other guys who may have a shot as well. Frank Mir and Shane Carwin are fighting next month to decide the official contender for the title. Mir has been just as dominant as Velazquez as of late but already has a loss to Lesnar. If Mir dominates Carwin it will be a tough call as to whether Velazquez gets the shot right away or if Mir gets the shot and Cain faces off against the winner. There is also Junior Dos Sontos looming and he could get either Mir or Cain as well. Although still not quite as strong as Strikeforce's heavyweight division the UFC seems to be getting more competitive especially with the younger fighters.

In other action, Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Filipovic won fights last night keeping their careers alive. Silva is now at middleweight and makes that division more interesting while Filipovic probably needs another big win before he can be considered ready to get back in there with the big boys.

UFC 110 Ready to Take Off

2010-02-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

The next UFC card has two interesting fights with heavyweights Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez as well as middleweights Wanderei Silva and Michael Bisping going at it. Nog or Cain will get a shot at the UFC title with a win. Silva can make a big statement with a win against Bisping. Silva has his last shot to re-invent himself as a middleweight since suffering some crushing losses at light heavyweight. Nogueira is a legend in the sport and looking to make up for a bad loss against Frank Mir where he claimed to be less than 100% and certainly looked it. Velasquez is undefeated, young and hungry to make a big splash against a big name.

The card on the whole is pretty mediocre but nonetheless the top two fights will be interesting. If nothing else, to see who comes out on top so we can start picking where they go next.

Brits storming in ...

2010-02-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

This has been a good millennium for British boxers. First there was Naseem Hamed then Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton. Now there is Amir Khan, David Haye and Carl Froch. Khan could become the best light welterweight in the world. He's young, talented and has a great shot to make it with Freddie Roach and Golden Boy guiding him. David Haye is a solid heavyweight who has beaten Nikolai Valuev and certainly has a shot against the two Klitschko brothers despite being an underdog (and undersized). Haye is more talented than any other option out there at heavyweight for the two champion brothers. Carl Froch is undefeated after having faced solid competition at middleweight. He's in the middleweight tournament with a good shot at winning and making becoming the top middleweight in the world.

There are other British fighters on the horizon with guys like Kevin Mitchell and old warriors still contemplating additional fights like Ricky Hatton. The present and future looks good for the folks across the Atlantic.

Couture and Sonnen win at UFC 109

2010-02-06T21:41:00.000-08:00

In a battle of two hall of famers, Randy Couture dominated Mark Coleman and finished him off with a guillotine choke hold in the second round. In other action, Chael Sonnen dominated Nate Marquardt by taking him down at will and holding him on the ground while peppering him with the ground and pound throughout the fight. Marquardt was always a bit overrated in my opinion. I think Nate is a great fighter but not the guy for Anderson Silva. I'm not sure Sonnen is the guy either as right now there is really no one at middleweight (in the UFC) to challenge the spider.

It's hard to say where Couture goes from here but he should be getting (only a bit) closer to a title shot. Coleman was swearing back and forth with Tito Ortiz after the fight but Ortiz is fighting Chuck Lidell after his stint on the Ultimate Fighter as a coach. It's harder to say where Coleman goes after this fight.

Mayweather Mosley Fight is Signed!

2010-02-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

Floyd Mayweather finally signed the agreement to fight Shane Mosley on May 1st of this year. After some tense moments when we were all wondering whether or not Floyd would sign the contract, he finally signed it. Luckily, this does not look like another Manny Pacquiao Floyd Mayweather scenario. Shane is certainly one of the best welterweights in the world today despite losing to Miguel Cotto recently. Both fighters are already claiming supremacy with the Super Bowl fast approaching expect some major promotions for this fight and the Roy Jones Jr. Bernard Hopkins rematch set for April.

I'm glad I didn't fall into the trap of thinking that the break up of the Floyd Manny fight was a nuclear bomb for boxing. I knew it wasn't and I'm being proven right with recent news. I expect the Floyd Pacman fight to happen later this year and be even bigger than it would have been in March. I'm a little disappointed that Dan Raphael was hinging boxing's "nuclear" destruction on one fight and am glad that has now been proven wrong. There are still many great fights that can be made in boxing and that will not change in a long time.

Strikeforce Miami Hits Hard

2010-01-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

Bobby Lashley and Herschel Walker won their fights last night. Both wins were impressive and I fully expect a step up in challenge for both of these competitors. Nick Diaz also cemented himself as the Strikeforce welterweight champion with his sterling win against solid striker and Dream stand out Marius Zaromskis. Christiane Santos and Robbie Lawler also won their fights. Lawler was losing his fight against Melvin Manhoef but pulled out the victory with hay maker shot that connected. I'm definitely expecting bigger and better things now from Strikeforce after they put together a solid card without any of their superstars. That's right - there was no Gegard Mousasi, Fedor Emelianenko, Jake Shields, Dan Henderson or any other Strikeforce star on this card.

Strikeforce Miami Takes Innovative Matchmaking to New Levels

2010-01-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

The Strikeforce Miami card is one of the most innovative cards I have ever seen. They have managed to put together an extremely interesting card without any one star or major fight but a completely solid card from top to bottom. Starting at the top Nick Diaz vs Marius Zaromskis is a very interesting battle between east versus west as we have a lethal striker in Zaromskis and an all rounder in Diaz battling it out. Christiane Santos just came off a huge win over the most popular women's fighter in the world and now looks to defend her title. In another "east vs west" type battle Robbie Lawler takes on Melvin Manhoef in what will be a very action packed battle between two awesome strikers. Herschel Walker and Bobby Lashley are also on the card and both are going to be just as interesting to watch as any of the main event matches.

Congratulations to the folks at Strikeforce for putting together one of the most innovative and interesting cards I've seen recently.

Mayweather and Mosley Agree to Terms for Fight

2010-01-30T10:18:00.000-08:00

It looks more likely that Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley will be fighting later this year. According to Mayweather's manager the two fighters have agreed to terms to fight. This is great news for boxing as this is probably the second biggest fight in boxing at the moment. It also puts Mayweather up against a true top welterweight for the first time. Mosley is 38 years old so probably getting past his prime but was still solid in his last fight a year ago against Antonio Margarito. You have to assume Mosley will be up for this fight given his strong desire to secure a fight against either Manny Pacquiao (pound for pound king) or Mayweather.

Given Mayweather's lack of interest in fighting top welterweights, it is far from certain that this fight will happen until we have final confirmation on the fight details. For now things look very positive.

Floyd Mayweather has no where to hide

2010-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

After failing to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao (with the blame going to both promoters for not getting it done), Floyd Mayweather's image in the public is at huge risk with the recent availability of Shane Mosley. Mayweather has told his promoters to make the next biggest fight possible. That is Mosley. So, if for whatever reason that fight does not get made, Mayweather's willingness to fight the best talent available will be further questioned by fans. Richard Schaefer has stated he is working on this fight. Mosley has always indicated that he wants this fight. It's really just a matter of Mayweather now stepping up to get it done.

The other important matter is that the possible earnings for both Mayweather and Pacquiao could be astronomical this year. Pacquiao is sure to earn a good amount of money for facing Joshua Clottey in March at Cowboys stadium. If Mayweather faces Mosley he too will earn big. Both of these fights are huge. Now, assume both Pacquiao and Mayweather win their respective fights (not a guarantee by any stretch). That would set up a massive showdown (assuming it gets made) between Mayweather and Pacquiao for later in the year. Both fighters would earn a huge pay day for that fight (especially after the recent build up). Their two fight earnings would certainly be astronomical. Possibly in the $60M range for each of them. Not to mention the value to boxing. No doubt there would be very few questions about the sport's popularity if this scenario played out.

Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley Fight Possible

2010-01-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

Andre Berto had to drop out of his Jan. 30th fight against Shane Mosley due to the effects of the devastating earthquake in his home land of Haiti. Berto has become physically and mentally exhausted. Quite frankly, I was shocked that he was even considering the fight. He is a super talent and will definitely be back. For now, he needs to deal with the most important matter at hand. Berto has lost 8 family members in the disaster but fortunately his sister and niece have survived as he discovered recently (his parents live in the US).

Of course, this news opens up the possibility of a Mosley versus Floyd Mayweather fight in the summer. The biggest questions is weather Mayweather will take a chance on the Golden Boy promoted Mosley who is a very dangerous opponent. The fight would almost definitely be huge. If this fight gets signed, I'll look at these recent happenings as evidence of my original statement that boxing is bigger than Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao (who is facing Joshua Clottey). Instead of Mayweather versus Pacquiao we will get two solid fights that could lead to the big fight closer to the end of the year.

Amir Khan Signs With Golden Boy Promotions

2010-01-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Amir Khan signed a 3 fight deal with Golden Boy Promotions on Thursday and announced it officially today. The merger between Khan Promotions and Golden Boy will set Amir up nicely for big fights in the US. Frank Warren who had been Khan's lifetime promoter had an offer on the table to fight Marcos Maidana. However, that fight is too dangerous at this early point in Khan's career and certainly not worth as much financially as other fights he can make. Remember, Khan just turned 23 years old and is still learning since teaming with Freddie Roach. He has huge potential and needs to develop it fully before tackling the best and most dangerous fighters. Golden Boy will probably set him up with Paulie Malignaggi or Victor Ortiz. Both are interesting fights and bigger than the Maidana fight but safer for Khan to develop. Khan's speed is incredible and his boxing talent is phenomenal. Oscar De La Hoya recently stated that he sees Khan as the future face of boxing. No arguments here - as long as the young fighter is allowed to develop before being thrown into the limelight too fast. All of Khan's fights from now on should be on PPV in the US and possibly on HBO.

Of course, the side note to all this is how Freddie Roach and Khan stablemate Manny Pacquiao will approach Khan's signing with Golden Boy. As we all know, Golden Boy was promoting Floyd Mayweather and there is a Pacquiao defamation lawsuit outstanding against De La Hoya (see previous posts for details). It was Roach who introduced Khan to Golden Boy CEO, Richard Schaefer, so I have to assume things are okay on that front for now.

Floyd Mayweather fighting on March 13th

2010-01-11T00:24:00.000-08:00

It looks like both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will be fighting on March 13th. Pacquiao is fighting the dangerous Joshua Clottey while Mayweather is fighting an opponent not yet named. Hopefully, Mayweather fights someone who is actually good versus taking an easy fight. The battle will now be for PPV numbers until Manny and Floyd fight in the ring. It's too bad but at least it could set up a big fight later in the year between the two of them assuming they both win. It will be interesting to see if Floyd elects to fight someone worth watching as without a reasonable fight he won't be competitive with Pacquiao on the PPV side of the house.

Manny Pacquiao to fight Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium

2010-01-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey is done and dusted.

Also, it will happen at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington,

Texas. The fight could be one of the biggest fights ever.

Even though it is not Floyd Mayweather. Remember,

Clottey is solid and will make this an entertaining competitive fight.

Mayweather would never fight a risky guy like Clottey or Miguel Cotto.

This is what separates Manny from the rest. He fights the best.

I'll be watching this fight for sure. The fight is scheduled for March

13th on Top Rank PPV.

Manny Pacquiao Agrees to Fight Joshua Clottey

2010-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Manny Pacquiao - Floyd Mayweather fight will not be happening according to both sides. The mediator was unsuccessful in getting them to agree on how to do the drug testing. Also, both Joshua Clottey and Manny Pacquiao have not agreed to fight on March 13th. The contract is not signed but apparently the money has been agreed upon. Clottey is part of Top Rank so it won't take much for Bob Arum to make the fight given that Manny Pacquiao has now agreed. It's a shame that the Mayweather - Pacquiao fight won't happen. However, I don't think this is a "nuclear bomb" for boxing. That is way too extreme. It certainly doesn't help and is a huge blow but let's not get crazy. Boxing will survive and continue to thrive. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao will have other fights. Both of them have proven to have huge drawing power (1MM+ ppv buys). There are also a lot of other exciting fighters out there. Amir Khan, for one, has huge drawing potential even as a young 23 year old.

The fight is NOT dead yet. There are a few days left to salvage it so lets see what happens this weekend. The Clottey fight is NOT signed yet. However, if the BIG fight doesn't happen boxing will survive and, who knows, the BIG fight may happen later in the year and be even bigger.

Time to get BJ Penn some Overseas Challengers

2010-01-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

All this talk about BJ Penn fighting Gray Maynard or Frankie Edgar or Kenny Florian again is absolutely ridiculous. Penn should be fighting either Shinya Aoki or Eddie Alvarez (or another top ten overseas fighter). The problem is none of those guys are in the UFC so Penn is stuck with Maynard or Edgar who are both huge underdogs and no where near deserving of the title shot. It's a shame that the best fights out there for Penn may never happen. Wouldn't it be huge to see Aoki versus Penn, the best submission artist in the game (Aoki) against the best stand up boxer in MMA (Penn). Not to mention Penn is also a jiu jitsu world champion. Aoki is ranked number two on Sherdog.com with Penn at number one. How about Penn against number three ranked Eddie Alvarez? Another super exciting fight that I would be very interested in watching. The more likely scenario is that Penn moves up to welterweight and makes a move to challenge for the welterweight title again. That would be a huge loss for all MMA fans. It's odd that Dana White says it would be a shame if we couldn't see Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao. I say it would be a shame if we can't see Penn vs Aoki, Gegard Mousasi vs Lyoto Machida or Fedor Emelianenko vs Brock Lesnar.

Evans gets by Silva in UFC Snoozefest

2010-01-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Rashad Evans executed an almost perfect game plan to get by striker Thiago Silva last night at UFC 108. It was a weak card for a pay per view but sets up a match up between Evans and Quinton Jackson in May. I found the fight lacking in excitement probably more due to the fact that they both lost to Lyoto Machida. After Machida's poor showing against Mauricio Rua the light heavyweight division is in a bit of disarray. Especially with Gegard Mousasi outside of the UFC and unable to fight any of the other top light heavyweights.

An interesting dynamic is under way in MMA with Mousasi unable to fight Rua or Machida, Fedor Emelianenko unable to fight Brock Lesnar, Shinya Aoki unable to fight BJ Penn and Jake Shields unable to fight Georges St. Pierre. It seems the divide of talent between the UFC and other organizations is creating a gap in top flight possible fights for fans to see. Let's hope this gets resolved quickly!

Shinya Aoki, Gegard Mousasi and Alistair Overeem win at Dynamite

2010-01-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Shinya Aoki dominated Mizuto Hirota to retain his Dream lightweight title and once again show that he is a top lightweight and likely best challenger to BJ Penn's throne. In fact, he broke his opponent's arm last night after Hirota refused to tap out. Aoki later apologized for unprofessionally giving the Hirota camp the finger after the fight.

In other New Year's Eve Dynamite action, Gegard Mousasi didn't sweat in his blow out of way past his prime Gary Goodridge. Mousasi desperately needs a serious challenge otherwise it could hinder his growth. Unfortunately, none really exists outside of the UFC right now. Strikeforce will have to attract some serious light heavyweight contenders to make some fights with Mousasi. Dan Henderson is more of a middleweight and Fedor Emelianenko is a heavyweight so none are perfect fits.

Also in action last night was Alistair Overeem, who KO'd Kazuyuki Fujita in a relatively easy victory. Overeem has not defended his Strikeforce heavyweight title for over two years now due to other commitments but indicated that he wants to fight Fedor in May 2010 for the title.

All three of these fighters are worldwide top 10 in their respective weight categories (if not top 5). Aoki is second at lightweight. It will be interesting to see where they go from here as I strongly believe they are each ready to make a bigger impact on the world stage and specifically in the US.