Former K-1 champ and competitor Alistair Overeem

By Joshua Molina

If you made a list of MMA fighters who should not start MMA promotions, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz would be at the top of that list.

Yet, Diaz is making noise about wanting to start his own promotion called WAR MMA.

Diaz has applied for a promoter’s license and wants to stage a show this summer in Stockton.

Diaz’s dabbling into MMA promotions is the latest disappointment from the Diaz camp. Diaz is a fighter — not a promoter.

He has clearly lost focus, probably because there’s no one around him to tell him what to do and what not to do.

Everything Diaz does other than fighting is a distraction. He should be calling out GSP and other top fighters, demanding a fight.

If Diaz ends his career like this, it would be a sad display of someone not living up to his potential.

Diaz needs to get hungry again — and fight. That’s what he knows best.

. . . Popular celebrity gossip Web site Media Takeout has posted some recent photos of UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem on the beach.

The Web site makes a point of calling him “huge.” Overeem does look about 25 pounds heavier than he did when he fought Bigfoot Silva

But he also looks fat, at least by MMA heavyweight standards. You can see the photo here.

Overeem, who has a history and reputation for alleged use of performance enhancement drugs, remains a mystery in the world of MMA.

Can he compete for a UFC title? If only Brock Lesnar were still champion.

Lesnar, by the way, returns to the cage this weekend. He will fight Triple H inside a 20-foot-high steel cage at the WWE’s Extreme Rules Pay Per View on Sunday.

Lesnar is reportedly earning $5 million a year to appear at fewer than 20 shows a year.

Beats getting trashed across the cage by guys like Overeem.

Overeem standing over Fabricio Werdum

By FCF Staff

Alistair Overeem will look to rebound from the TKO loss he suffered versus Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in February, and an injury which pulled him from this month’s UFC 160 card at UFC 164 in August.

According to a report from MMA Junkie.com, sources close to the fighter have informed the outlet that Overeem is expected to make his Octagon return at the August 31st card, which will be hosted by Milwaukee, Wisconsin. No information regarding an opponent has been confirmed.

Overeem was scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos on May 25th, however, he was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Mark Hunt stepped in as his replacement.

The Dutch heavyweight has gone 1-1 to date in the UFC, as prior to fighting Silva, Overeem scored a quick, stoppage win over former champ Brock Lesnar in December, 2011.

Full Contact Fighter will have more on his story and UFC 164 as it develops.

Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury (pictured) has been calling out UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez

By Jesse Heitz

Lately, not only the MMA and boxing worlds, but the sports media world itself, has been inundated with never-ending banter about which combat sport is superior. We’ve seen boxers call out mixed martial artists and vice versa. I have read multiple stories that follow this theme over the last few weeks, and felt that it was time to comment on the situation in depth.

Over the last few years we’ve seen a veritable mixed-bag with regards to the overall outcome of the boxer vs. MMA fighter, when featured inside of a cage. A few years ago, we saw one of the all-time great mixed martial artists in Randy “The Natural” Couture, utterly embarrass former boxing great James Toney. Yet, we’ve also seen a less than prime Roy Mercer put down a less than stellar former UFC Heavyweight Champion in Tim Sylvia.

However, we still have a rampant debate, instigated by members of the media and further fueled by prominent fighters from both sports. More recently undefeated heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury (21-0), has issued a direct challenge via The Daily Star to current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez, stating,

“I have challenged him before and would consider taking him on in a one-fight deal. I would beat him and then return to boxing. I’m definitely interested but the money would have to be right. I am 100-percent up for a fight with him. I’ve challenged him to a fight three times but he’s a little boy who doesn’t want to fight and has said ‘No’ to the fight live on television.”

Some MMA writers have scribed scathing articles on how all of the pervasive boxing vs. MMA talk is simply absurd, that there’s little point in entertaining such fantasy matchups between sports. I’m of a different opinion. Certainly, there are fighters on both sides that are merely angling for one last payday before the sun finally sets on their careers. But let’s face it, these challenges stem from the mentality of a fighter, the over-whelming desire to prove one’s mettle inside of a cage or ring. This inter-sport rivalry was the impetus for the development of MMA. Now that MMA has truly showcased well-rounded fighters, it’s only natural for MMA fans to be intrigued by the stylistic competition that boxing can offer. After all, it’s in our sporting DNA.

Since the establishment of MMA as an organized sport we’ve seen a rivalry between kickboxing and MMA. We’ve seen some of the best kick boxers in the world such as Jerome Le Banner try his hand at MMA and find little success. Likewise, we’ve witnessed MMA fighters like Don Frye take on Le Banner in a kick boxing match only to be floored early. We’ve seen kick boxers like Mark Hunt and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic become stars in MMA, while MMA fighters such as Semmy Schilt and Alistair Overeem have become world champions in kick boxing. I would imagine boxing will be no different.

I do agree this discourse not be a debate worthy of serious engagement, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the issue should be void of any discussion altogether. MMA fandom has always been and will always be firmly entrenched in a mindset that ponders the “what if” questions of combat sports. I find no problem with that reality, as it not only gives the sport increased publicity, but it also gives writers such as myself plenty of fodder for our tireless ranting and raving.

Alistair Overeem (far left) and Bob Sapp (far right) went head-to-head in an arm wrestling contest.

By Joshua Molina

The awesome Alistair Overeem appeared in a Japanese Arm Wrestling contest earlier this week.

Doesn’t Overeem have better things to do?

Question the wisdom of locking up with the likes of humongous Bob Sapp a month before he is scheduled to fight Bigfoot Silva.

In fact, Overeem is supposed to go before the Nevada State Athletic Commission Jan. 8 to get relicensed, a year after he crushed Brock Lesnar and tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone.

Overeem is in line for a title shot against Cain Velasquez if he beat Silva. How stupid would Overeem feel if he tore a bicep or injured a wrist competing in a comedic celebrity arm wrestling contest?

Worse, Overeem jobbed to Sapp in the contest. It’s the guaranteed only time the headline will read “Overeem loses to Sapp,” who is strong, but can’t fight.

Overeem, by the way, didn’t look super-jacked like he has in the past. He looked more like a big, well-conditioned dude who lifts weights, than the hulk-ish bodybuilder type who fought Lesnar.

. . . Bellator Fighting Championships debuted its new Bellator 360 show last night on Spike TV – but without its biggest star, the enigmatic Eddie Alvarez.

The UFC and Bellator are competing for Alvarez’s services.

Alvarez has long been considered one of the best lightweights in the world, but as his star grew, so did his salary needs.

Alvarez, tired of being a big fish in a little pond, put himself in a bidding war with UFC and Bellator – a move that has him watching from sidelines as “MMA Comes Home” to Spike TV.

Bellator apparently matched the UFC’s offer, which means Alvarez will have to decide where he wants to fight based on factors other than straight cash.

If Alvarez is smart, he will sign with Bellator. He would get lost in the UFC and probably forced to prove himself all over again. He’s a star, whether he’s fighting for the “A” or “B” company.

. . . The Honda Center has sold fewer than 6,000 tickets for the Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche fight.

The show, which features Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida on the undercard, should sell out by showtime on Feb. 23. The fight will get a ton of press, and Anaheim, California isn’t exactly a hotbed for MMA.

Expect a lot of walk-up, day-of-fight sales for the Rousey show.

Does Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (pictured) stand a chance against Alistair Overeem?

By Joshua Molina

Add Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva to the list of UFC fights we don’t want to see.

That’s because it’s not going to be a fun night for Bigfoot, or the fans, unless you like to see blood spilled everywhere. The UFC announced the fight for Super Bowl weekend at UFC 156.

This fight makes no sense. Chael Sonnen has a better chance of knocking out Jon Jones than Bigfoot has of making the former champion kickboxer and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion break a sweat.

Overeem is one of the best heavyweight’s in the world. Bigfoot is coming off a fluke knockout of a statue-like Travis Browne, who blew his knee out minutes before Silva KO’d him. Bigfoot was also destroyed by Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez.

The fight should give Overeem an impressive, KO victory, before getting a title shot against Junior Dos Santos or Velasquez.

Ronda Rousey’s manager Darin Harvey has challenged Cyborg’s contention that it would be unhealthy for her to cut down to 135 pounds to fight Rousey. Cyborg’s doctor alleged that Cyborg should not cut weight because it would hurt her ability to have children and cause other health problems.

Harvey said Cyborg should get another opinion.

The truth is Rousey wants no part of Cyborg at 145 because Cyborg’s power would be too much. Cyborg knows that cutting weight would weaken her on fight night, and give Rousey any chance she has of winning.

Harvey, according to a published report, also said if Cyborg won’t come down that Rousey would consider going up because it’s a “million-plus Pay Per View fight.”

Unless the UFC books Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko on the undercard, there’s no way Rousey vs. Cyborg would spark 1 million buys. It’s just not going to happen.

With a super-strong promotion, it could get 600,000 buys, which in itself, would be remarkable.

The truth is Rousey should avoid Cyborg for as long as she can. There are plenty of other talented fighters out there and Rousey should spend 2013 enjoying her success, rather than force a fight with a wicked woman who could knock her out.