Mark Hunt

By Joshua Molina

Around the world in MMA . . .

With the incredible shrinking man Alistair Overeem out with an injury, Mark Hunt has stepped up to fight Junior Dos Santos.

Junior Dos Santos appears on the fast track back to a title shot against Cain Velasquez, whose only challenge against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will be to see if he can extract even more blood from Silva’s head in less time than the first fight.

Dos Santos’ manager has suggested that Overeem didn’t want to fight the former UFC champ. He’s probably right. Overeem folded faster than a lawn chair once he got hit against the slow Bigfoot. Against Dos Santos, the guy who walked into the cage against Bigfoot, wouldn’t stand a chance against Cigano.

. . . Jon Fitch has signed a four-year deal with the World Series of Fighting. Fitch, an incredibly skilled, but notoriously boring defensive fighter, was fired by the UFC after a loss to Demian Maia.

The UFC’s firing of Fitch must be personal because if the UFC is the best MMA company in the world, Fitch deserves to be fighting on that stage. He did afterall, take out rising star Erick Silva to school for a night last October, in a UFC Fight of the Night.

Fitch derailed the rapid fire Silva, shades of a young Roberto Duran, and showed that he can still scrap with the best.

Oddly, Silva is still in the UFC, but Fitch isn’t.

. . . Lots of talk in MMA about transgendered fighter Fallon Fox, born as a man, but is now legally a woman.

Fox’s battle is a big step for the transgendered community. If the International Olympic Committee allows transgendered fighters to compete under strict rules, certainly MMA should.

Besides, if you are a woman it’s probably better to fight a woman, born as a man, who is drug free, than fight a woman, who is doping, who has the muscle mass of a man.

. . . In a battle of ex-Strikeforce stars, Jake Shields will fight Tyron Woodley at UFC 161 on June 15. Shields sure has fallen from his high point of fighting Georges St-Pierre in front of the largest MMA audience in North American history in Canada.

Shields lost in a boring fight to GSP, was then knocked out by Jake Ellenberger and has looked lackluster and drained in his UFC victories over Martin Kampmann and Yoshihiro Akiyama. His decision victory over Ed Herman was overturned because he tested positive for a banned substance.

Woodley was destroyed by Nate Marquardt, but then bounced back with a knockout victory over Jay Hieron.

Shields is a masterful grappler and Woodley is a good wrestler. George W. Bush was still president the last time Jake Shields knocked anyone out, so expect this fight to be fought on the mat, with Shields smothering Woodley.

Woodley best chance is to knock Shields out, but Shields has been hit by Dan Henderson and Ellenberger and knows what it feels like by now to get hit hard. Expect Shields to be on his knees shooting for the takedown as early as he can.

K.J. Noons

By Joshua Molina

By now, it’s safe to say that the vast majority of fans agree: KJ Noons got robbed last Saturday in his fight against Ryan Couture, the son of MMA and UFC icon Randy Couture.

But Noons is over it.

“”I feel like I won the fight,” Noons told fcfighter.com. “But I don’t want to be a crier. It just sucks.”

Noons, according to two cageside judges, lost a split decision to Couture on the final Strikeforce show. Most other observers believed that Noons had not only won the fight, but that he probably won every round. Two judges gave the fight to Couture, 29-28. One judge scored the fight 30-27, for Noons.

It was the latest sad chapter for Noons, who has now lost four out of his last five fights. The loss meant that Noons walked away with only $41,000 for the fight. That’s not a bad payday for a fighter headlining a Showtime Extreme card, but the bad decision cost him a winner’s bonus of $36,000.

Cagefighting is Noons’ only source of income — and prior to Saturday, his last fight was in March of 2012. But despite Noons’ recent bad run, there’s a lot for him to be excited about.

Noons will get at least one fight in the UFC in 2013. Noons, known for his explosive striking and exciting fights, will probably get a few fights in the UFC, as long as he can start winning.

Born in Hawaii and now living in San Diego, California, Noons has fighting in his blood. His father Karl James Noons was a well-regarded kickboxer. That striking ability carried over to his son, who is one of the best stand-up fighters in MMA.

At a time when MMA is dominated by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts, Noons is a breath of fresh air. He comes to fight. His stand-up, coupled with his training in Muay Thai fighting makes for thrilling fights, even if he loses, or falls victim to a bad decision.

His loss last March to Josh Thomson was frustrating because Thomson basically took him down every round and held him down, relying on his wrestling skills. Noons was frustrated that Thomson chose not to stand and fight with him.

Still, the fight forced Noons to work on his wrestling takedown defense. It appeared to work against Couture, who seemed outmatched by the more well-rounded Noons. The most trouble Noons dealt with in the fight came from Couture’s accidental headbutt, a collision that annoyed Noons and briefly slowed him down.

Noons believed he did everything perfectly in the fight.
“There wasn’t really anything that I would have changed,” Noons said.

Noons stopped short of suggesting that Couture’s name may have helped him walk away with a decision.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Noons said.

Noons said the UFC told him to heal up and then when he’s ready the company will find a spot for him on a card. He said he needs to fight more. There is no shortage of fighters in the UFC, so he thinks it won’t be tough for him to find a fight.

“I can go there and be consistent,” Noons said. “I pretty much have been off for a year (prior to the Couture fight).

Noons said he needs to fight for his family.

“My priorities have definitely changed,” Noons said. “My son (Karl James Noons) is three months old. I am trying to provide for my family.”

Noons said he will call the UFC sometime next week and start moving to get on a show. Besides the cut from the head butt and a few bruises, Noons said his body is healthy and he is ready to fight.

Like many of the other ex-Strikeforce fighters, he might be looking to fight on the April 20 UFC on FOX show in San Jose, California.

He might even ask for a rematch with Couture. Calling people out, however, is not his style. He realizes that his recent run of losses doesn’t put him in a position to start demanding who he fights. He is just eager to showcase his exciting fighting style — and get back to winning.

The man who holds a TKO victory over Nick Diaz, and battled him to a close decision loss in a rematch, is hungry to prove himself to the world all over again.

“Of course, the goal is to be the best in the world,” Noons said. “Right now I can’t be that. I have to work my way up. The goal is to fight the best and be the best.”

By Joshua Molina

Nearly seven years ago, 18,265 people packed San Jose’s Shark Tank, not to watch hockey, figure skating or a live concert.

They came to watch “cage fighting.” The legendary Frank Shamrock, a San Jose resident, battled Cesar Gracie in the main event. On the undercard, a young Vietnamese-American fighter Cung Le made his MMA debut.

The show launched a group of Bay Area fighters into the mainstream, under the banner of Strikeforce mixed martial arts, which was owned by Scott Coker and his primary investors, Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment.

What followed were TV deals with Showtime, primetime on CBS, early-morning on NBC and national recognition of San Jose, California as “the hotbed of MMA.”

To this day, the Shamrock vs. Gracie fight owns the record for the largest paid live attendance for an MMA show in California.

Over the next 5 years, Strikeforce would hold 19 shows at what became the HP Pavilion, along with dozens of other shows around the country.

But tonight, Jan. 12, Strikeforce will hold its final show, 1,600 miles away from San Jose, in Oklahoma City, probably in front of less than 5,000 people.

The show will mark the official end to Strikeforce, which became the No. 2 MMA company in the world.
How did the company rise and fall so fast?

Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, now Sharks Sports & Entertainment,  wanted to return its focus to hockey and its other brand, the San Jose Sharks.

Strikeforce, despite its success had also backed itself into a financial corner with a co-promotional partnership with M-1 Global, to promote Fedor Emelianenko.

So at the height of its popularity, Coker and his hockey-centric investors sold Strikeforce to its competitor, the UFC in 2011.

As everyone expected, after the sale, Strikeforce died a death by a thousand cuts at the hands of its owner, the UFC.

On Jan. 12, Strikeforce and San Jose’s once sizzling MMA force dies for good, with a card rich with mostly unrecognizable names.

Nick Diaz, gone. Cung Le, gone. Jake Shields gone.

Even the current titleholders, Luke Rockhold and Gilbert Melendez won’t be fighting. They were too injured to fight on the final show.

A card that was once called “Champions” will feature one championship fight – Nate Marquardt, a former UFC star, defending against Tarec Saffiedine, for the Welterweight Championship.

As we say goodbye to Strikeforce, let’s remember that the organization changed MMA for the better.

It gave birth to stars such as Ronda Rousey, Nick Diaz, Luke Rockhold, Jake Shields, Josh Thomson, Cris Cyborg Santos, Gilbert Melendez, Gegard Mousasi, King Mo, Cung Le, KJ Noons, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, Daniel Cormier, Alistair Overeem and several other former world champions.

It also was the place that allowed Frank Shamrock to build on his legacy and reintroduce himself to a new generation of MMA fans.

He finished the Shamrock vs. Gracie rivalry when he KO’d Cesar Gracie, before eventually becoming the voice Strikeforce, as a Showtime analyst, along with broadcast partners Mauro Ranallo, Pat Militech, and at times Gus Johnson and Stephen Quadros.

It’s where, after a decade, Fedor finally lost.

The current popularity of women’s MMA can be directly traced back to Strikeforce, which staged Gina Carano vs. Cyborg Santos in 2009, another HP Pavilion event with nearly 15,000 people in attendance.

Careers were made – and killed – in Strikeforce. Expect Luke Rockhold, Daniel Cormier and, of course, Rousey, to have big UFC careers.

What Strikeforce ultimately proved was that the UFC is not the NFL of MMA.

Another company can survive, and beat the UFC, as Strikeforce did in California, if it knows what it is doing.

The right combination of talent, financial capital and knowledgeable business people can create a successful MMA company that can compete with, and even outperform, the UFC.

The people behind Strikeforce had that, but then lost it, and, worse, lost faith in the product, just as it was on the verge of major mainstream success.

For the sake of the fans, fighters, even the UFC — because competition will make them better — let’s hope the next group of MMA investors are a lot smarter and more business savvy than the Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment investors who let Strikeforce slip from their hands.

To round out the show Mowatt calls on original co-host Brendan Leier, to get his compelling thoughts on the future of Strikeforce and this weekend’s UFC 153 card.

UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva has nothing to gain and everything to lose fighting Stephan Bonnar

By Joshua Molina

What happens if . . .

Stephan Bonnar pulls off an upset and knocks out Anderson Silva? No, it’s not likely, but stranger things have happened.

Silva, the middleweight champion, will jump to light heavyweight, so the fight won’t be for Silva’s title.

It’s amazing that the UFC would risk Silva’s brand by throwing him into the main event, simply because they are desperate for a big match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What if Bonnar wins?

Shouldn’t the UFC be focused on its superfight between Silva and George St. Pierre? Silva will be heavily favored against Bonnar, who is coming out of retirement for the fight, but the UFC is risking millions of dollars by putting Silva on the show, in a three-round fight that means absolutely nothing, except trying to pop pay per view buys and making the live crowd happy.

Also on the card Glover Teixeira will fight fellow Brazilian Fabio Maldonado, who replaces Rampage Jackson. The legendary fighter pulled out of the fight because of an unknown injury. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who hasn’t fought since Frank Mir broke his arm inside the cage, will battle Dave Herman, who was knocked out by Roy Nelson in 51 seconds in May.

UFC president White continues his weird, contradictory statements in the press. He praised the Rio card in an interview with MMA junkie, and continue his tirade against Jon Jones. White blames the cancellation of UFC 151 on Jones’ refusal to fight Chael Sonnen, after Dan Henderson was injured.

“This is old-school UFC. A card is in jeopardy, but guys that are world champions and superstars stepped up and jumped in and saved the card. This is why the fans love this sport and why we went on a 12-year run without canceling an event,” White said.

But yet, later in a media call White said this about the show.

“Don’t watch it,” White said. “If you don’t like this fight and you don’t think this is going to be a great fight, don’t watch it.”

MMA is hurting for a larger-than-life superstar like Brock Lesnar, who has said goodbye to the sport

By Joshua Molina

Mixed martial arts needs a new star, and Nike deal or not, Jon Jones is not it, thanks to Dana White.

It doesn’t matter if the sport has great fighters, smart promoters or, hundreds of MMA gyms across the country opening its doors to young athletes.

It needs a charismatic star who can communicate on a large platform.

It’s hard to believe that just four years ago the sport’s brightest star was a guy named Kimbo Slice. Somehow, after several backyard brawls, Slice talked his way into a major contract with Elite XC and found himself fighting on national television.

Slice, in the professional sense, couldn’t fight. It didn’t matter. His mystique, aura, and Mike Tyson-like ferocity forced traditional sports media to pay attention to MMA.

The media stories about Slice around this time four years ago are laughable. From the Orlando Sun Sentinel in October 2008 was this gem: “To family, MMA star Kimbo Slice is a hulk with heart.” That same year he also appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” And dozens of other mainstream articles.

It didn’t matter that Slice was one of the worst MMA fighters in the world. The mainstream world didn’t know that. He was a star and people wanted to watch him. He made more money for the fighters around him.

There are, arguably, no mainstream stars in MMA, anymore. In a hilarious twist of irony, the biggest MMA star in the world right now is probably Ronda Rousey. That’s funny because UFC president Dana White has made a career downplaying and dumping on women’s MMA.

It’s no coincidence that Chael Sonnen, the most charismatic, flamboyant and best trash talker in the sport headlined UFC 148, which received one million buys on pay per view. UFC 147, the card prior, raked in a disastrous 200,000 buys.

How many MMA fighters can the average person on the street name? I bet they name Kimbo Slice before they name Anderson Silva, who is regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

MMA took off, with the UFC in the driver’s seat, after an epic fight between Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin on the Ultimate Fighter. At the time, the UFC was on the USA network, with the best time slot in the world – after WWE’s wildly successful Monday Night Raw. A lot of eyes were on that fight.

Griffin and Bonnar, not the best MMA fighters, were the finalists on the first season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. There were overnight stars. The show was an excellent build for the pay per view show a week later between Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, when quickly become major mainstream stars.

Tito Ortiz was also a huge name at the time. His bleach blond hair and no fear fighting style made him someone people wanted to watch. There have been other great fighters and personalities in MMA over the years, including Quentin “Rampage” Jackson, Dan Henderson and Ken Shamrock. Even Tank Abbot was a star who helped popularize MMA.

But for every one of those kinds of personalities, there’s a dozen really good fighters that no one in the mainstream really cares about. Benson Henderson? Anderson Silva? Junior Dos Santos? Nobody in American knows who these people are, outside of the hardcore MMA world.

Dana White pulled off a masterstroke when he signed former WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar to a contract. Even though White rushed him into the main event slot, burning him out before he was ever great, Lesnar was a perfect addition to the UFC. He was a monster with a personality that everyone was already familiar with from his years as a pay per view headliner for the WWE.

The signing of Lesnar fueled the popularity of the promotion and MMA. Lesnar is the biggest pay per view draw in the history of the UFC, even though he was never a Top 10, much less Top 50 fighter in the world. It didn’t matter. He was a star and people wanted to watch him.

In team sports, the company can live off the brand. For example, even though Tim Tebow is the biggest star in the NFL, it doesn’t matter if he crashes and burns. The NFL is the strongest brand and is bigger than its stars.

But that doesn’t work in individual sports. Everybody knows the name Don King in boxing, but that doesn’t make people want to watch. Instead, they want to watch stars like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar de la Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, etc. were all stars who helped bridge the sport over the years.

Pro wrestlers have always had big stars emerge to bridge the mainstream gap. Hulk Hogan, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and now John Cena and CM Punk are huge stars who keep the product hot.

Boxing is not as popular as MMA right now in the television ratings sense, but boxing’s stars, Pacquiao and Mayweather are far bigger mainstream stars than anyone in MMA has ever been. And the mainstream pays money to watch stars.

Mixed martial arts needs a star.

Dana White should be trying to lure someone like WWE wrestler and athletic phenom John Cena or Jake Hager, Jr, otherwise known as Jack Swagger, a 31-year-old All-American wrestler from the University of Oklahoma.

The reality is that, in America, mainstream fans aren’t going to get behind a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who submits his opponent with an armbar, who doesn’t speak English, or isn’t interesting on the microphone, if they can.

American fans in droves are never going to appreciate seeing a fighter get out of trouble by executing a brilliant Muay Thai clinch, then kneeing an opponent in the face.
They are definitely never going to care about skilled lay-and-pray fighter who controls his opponent on the ground for five rounds.

While hardcore, intelligent MMA fans appreciate these styles, the mainstream fans are what MMA needs to survive in the long run.

MMA needs a talker, with a charisma. It needs someone who can tell a story on the microphone. It needs someone who Dana White won’t verbally destroy because he won’t save a weak card. It needs someone who can capture the attention of the middle-America, and not be held back or restrained by White or any promoter.

Who will be MMA’s next big thing?

The sport has potential stars within it. Luke Rockhold, King Mo, Sonnen and Nick Diaz all have the kinds of personalities necessary to crossover and pique the interest of the mainstream – if they are given the platform to do so.

From a business and marketing perspective, it doesn’t matter if you are a great athlete, or the best in the world at what you do, if no one knows you who are. Kimbo Slice proved that.

Contact reporter Joshua Molina at jmolina@fcfighter.com. Or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JoshuaMolinaMMA

UFC Middleweight Champion and pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva

By Joshua Molina

UFC boss Dana White, for years, has wanted people to perceive his company as popular, if not more popular, than the NFL, MLB or NBA.

But in those mainstream leagues, the best teams play each other, regardless of whether those in power like the team.

Imagine a world where the New England Patriots couldn’t play the New York Giants because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell disliked Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Goodell then regularly went on tirades about how Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is overhyped, spoiled and won’t ever be considered a great quarterback because he doesn’t play in the NFC East and because he’s never beaten Eli Manning in the Super Bowl.

In fact, most football fans probably don’t even know the name of the NFL commissioner. And that’s a good thing. They know the players, the teams, and every Sunday they know where to find the games. Goodell isn’t canceling the week because he didn’t get his way.

How many MMA fans don’t know the name Dana White?

If the UFC were ready for primetime, fans would see the matchups that they derserve to see. The best fighters in the world battling each other. Instead, we get the best fights the UFC can make – that fit the company’s egos and marketing goals.

If the world of MMA were free of politics, personalities and a near monopoly, here are the fights that fans should see in the next year.

6. Nick Diaz vs. George St. Pierre. Once Diaz’s suspension is over, Diaz deserves a shot at St. Pierre. Pierre before his injury was considered pound-for-pound No. 1 or 2 in the world. Diaz is a fighter’s fighter and he was on a tear before his loss to Carlos Condit and subsequent drug suspension. Because of their styles, someone will get knocked out or submitted in that fight.

5. Gilbert Melendez vs. Benson Henderson. Melendez is probably the best lightweight in the world. His defeat of Shinya Aoki, at a time when Aoki was seemingly unbeatable, was a spectacular display of Melendez’s athleticism and cage intelligence. He’s beaten everybody he’s faced but, for reasons unclear,  Strikeforce champion Melendez will not be  fighting UFC champ Henderson any time soon.

4. Alistair Overeem vs. Daniel Cormier. Cormier looks absolutely unstoppable. If he can avoid more hand injuries, he could have a long run in the sport on top. His combination of power and wrestling make him unique in the heavyweight division. Overeem is a hulking giant who has looked unbeatable. Both are smart fighters – and both probably are the top two heavyweights in the world. (Junior Dos Santos needs to be in a fight before he can claim that title. He knocked out an unprepared, flustered Cain Velasquez and beat an outmatched Frank Mir, but we don’t know how he respond after he gets hit in the face).
3. Ronda Rousey vs. Cris “Cyborg” Santos. Let’s face it. We all want to see cocky, brash Rousey get her ass kicked. We all want to see the cocky, brash Santos get her ass kicked. That fight wouldn’t make it out of the first round. And one of these destructive divas is getting KO’d or tapped out.
2. Jon Jones vs. Gegard Mousasi. Mousasi’s career directory was derailed after he couldn’t stop King Mo’s takedown, losing the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship to the flamboyant All-American wrestler. But Mousasi is one of the best on the planet. He’s slick and fast in cage, with knockout power in his feet and hands. He might be someone who could submit the phenom Jones.
1. UFC champ Anderson Silva vs. Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold. Rockhold is the sport’s brightest youngstar. The Strikeforce champ dismantled submission specialist Jacare Souza to win the belt and then beat slugger Keith Jardine and an awkward Tim Kennedy. Rockhold is big, strong and aggressive. He has the perfect style and mindframe to take on Silva, regarded as pound-for-pound the best in the world. These two middleweights would put on a show. If Silva could beat the young star, he would cement himself as the greatest. Or he could pass the torch to Rockhold, if the Santa Cruz surfer could pull of the victory.