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By Anthony De Franco  March 10, 2010, at 4:20 pm  I wrote before the event that was a very important card in the history of the WEC. They needed to put up a strong number to show that there was interest in the pay-per-view that they are putting on next month.
Yea…not so much. According to MMAJunkie, this was the second-worst rating that the promotion has done on Versus in nearly two full years.
WEC 47 (Bowles vs. Cruz): 373,000 viewers
WEC 46 (Varner vs. Henderson): 640,000
WEC 45 (Cerrone vs. Ratciff): 330,000
WEC 44 (Brown vs. Aldo): 414,000
WEC 43 (Cerrone vs. Henderson): 419,000 (first event after loss of DirecTV viewers)
Why did this happen? Well, the event did certainly lack some pop. The only real star on the card was Miguel Torres, and he was coming off a pretty embarrassing knockout loss. The main event was between two bantamweights that only the real MMA fan would know. Bowles was coming off a win, but hadn’t fought in more than six months. Cruz has only one loss, but doesn’t have a resume that screams superstar.
However, I bring you another possibility. This card was on a Saturday night. While me and you may block some prime weekend time for the WEC, Joe Average is out at the bar getting crunk at that time. He might stop for a UFC, but not for it’s awkward little brother.
Well, can the WEC draw on a PPV if they can’t draw on cable on a Saturday night? We’ll see. This next card coming up has a TON of star power on it. The featherweight triumvirate of Urijah Faber, Mike Brown and Jose Aldo are all in action. Donald Cerrone and Ben “Pootie Tang” Henderson go at it in a repeat of WEC’s 2009 fight of the year. Not to mention the possible inclusion of hot prospect Chan Sung Jung, who is best known as “The Korean Zombie. Mmmm…Brains.
Should we assume that the WEC is screwed next month? No, not quite. However, this can’t be good news for Reed Harris and the boys.
By Anthony De Franco March 5, 2010, at 3:27 pm Speaking of things that don’t make sense, It appears that a battle between Matt Serra and Mike Swick is being lined up according to Figure Four Online:
Dana White confirmed today that UFC is running a show on April 17th, head-to-head with the announced Strikeforce show on CBS. The event would air most likely on Spike TV. The Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama match is not the main event. The only thing confirmed is they are trying to finalize a Matt Serra vs. Mike Swick [co-main] semifinal fight today.
There had been talk of a possibility that if UFC scheduled a show on that date, CBS may move the Strikeforce show to April 24th, which would go head-to-head with the WEC PPV in Sacramento.
Even though the April 17th show was not announced yesterday, the issue of the Observer that came out yesterday has a lead story analyzing the whys of this head-to-head battle.
Let’s look at the tactics being used here by the UFC. They are counter-programming a Strikeforce card that is on national television, which they could not do when Fedor stepped into the cage on American soil for the first time. That was the height of the injury-plague that the UFC suffered in late 2009.
As for this fight, I don’t particularly get it. Swick is coming off two consecutive losses and needs a win badly. Serra is coming off a quick knockout of Frank Trigg, but is late in his career and not really in much of a position to fight for titles. Why do they need to fight?
The crazy thing is this simply isn’t an easy win for Swick. While Swick’s striking is crisper and faster, it doesn’t have the same kind of knockout power that Serra posseses. On the ground, Serra should have a leg-up with his BJJ black belt from Renzo Gracie. However, the long limbs of Mike Swick might cause problems for Serra, who is just 5′6.
Swick should have gotten someone he could have beaten and got back on track, not a fight that is almost a toss-up.
Update (3/5): Swick told the world on his twitter that there was no truth to this rumor.
Not fighting Serra guys. Most likely having surgery soon. @oxphos Any truth to Serra fight 4/17? Seems unlikely unless ur arm is better
So much for that one.
By Anthony De Franco March 1, 2010, at 2:25 am There is a lot to report in the world of video game MMA. THQ has begun the UFC 2010: Undisputed news cycle as they are going to release a new blog post every tuesday and Thursday, and do a Q & A with the community every two weeks. Be sure to get your questions in on their forums to make sure that they get answered.
Of course, We’ll be here to break down the news for all the true MMA fans. You know, all the people who are more excited about Gogopalatas than Kimbo Slice.
Let’s get started with some of the answers from this week’s Q & A:
Q: Are there going to be TKO’s due to injury and stoppage in Undisputed 2010?
Yes! Victories in 2010 can be achieved in a number of ways, one of which is stoppage due to cuts and injury. Did anyone tune in to UFC 110 and see the Bonnar fight that ended due to ref/doctor stoppage? ‘Stoppage’ was one of the biggest requests from our fan base, so we just had to implement these victory conditions.
A welcome addition for sure. MMA is a complex sport that has a lot of different ways to end a fight, and as such all of them should be represented in virtual form. It remains to be seen if Herb Dean is going to dive in and pull you off of your counterpart, but I hope he does.
Q: KO animations: have they changed?
Completely. Last year, we divulged that KO animations were a combination of animation and free form physics. The same is still true this year, but we changed a few things…We’ve emphasized the physics share of the equation much more. This makes the Knockout a much more high fidelity experience. How the KO looks will also be a product of how a player gets his lights put out: depending on where and how hard you land a strike, you’ll get a different looking KO. Cant wait to see some community compilations come May!
Last year, one of my biggest gripes with the game was the flying mouthpieces. While it was cool the first few times, it just made the whole thing feel fake. Now, no word on if that still happens, but we do get new KO animations. Let’s just hope that knocked out fighters don’t end up looking like ragdolls.
Q: Whats up with the game menu this year?
We redesigned the entire navigation system so you can get to where you want quickly and easily. ‘Nuff said.
Thank you, Jesus. Last year’s game was so clumsy in terms of menu navigation that it made not want to change the sponsors on my shorts in career mode. Seriously, it took SIX clicks of the “A” button to change one logo on my shorts. Does that make any sense to anyone? It’s good to hear that this complaint was heard. Hopefully the menu system makes more sense the second time around.
Alright, that is it from the Q & A, so let’s move on to the Blog entry regarding submissions.
We’ve kept the bread and butter subs that you know and love from last year’s Undisputed, but we’ve added some great variations and new options for those who want to use them. We saw a ton of people asking for the full Omoplata submission in 2010, which you’ll now be able to execute in the virtual octagon. Even the rare and elusive Gogoplata is making its Undisputed 2010 debut. Nothing spells ‘awesome’ like an shoulder lock to submission, right?
We’ve also added the Americana, D’Arce (think Thiago vs Swick in UFC 109), Peruvian Necktie, Achilles lock, Ankle Lock, Heel Hook, Arm Triangle, and tons of leg locks, just to name a few. You’ll even see some Ultimate fighters breaking out their signature subs on the mat, like BJ Penn’s rear naked choke by way of arm trap (think UFC 101 and his submission of Kenny Florian).
In addition to over twice as many new submissions along with their own distinct animations, there are new positions from which you can attempt a submission. Your posture when in the guard will affect what submission you can initiate. So if you’re down posture, you’ll be going for a Kimura whereas if your postured up, you’ll be going for a kneebar.
Another complaint from last year’s game was that there simply were not enough submissions. Now, that should be solved as just about every submission I can think of that I’ve seen in a fight in the last five or six years is in there. Well, actaully, there is no anaconda choke, which has to annoy Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Nothing lifeshattering, but some good reveals nonetheless.
By Anthony De Franco February 22, 2010, at 3:34 pm I wasn’t surprised that Cain Velasquez won. I was shocked by how he won.
My staunch opinion on this fight was that he was going to have to take Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira down and leap into the danger zone that is Nog’s guard. He would have to show improved Jiu-Jitsu defense and ride out fifteen minutes of danger to get himself closer to Brock Lesnar.
Of course, that didn’t happen. Cain chose to bypass all that hard work for a quick overhand right and a follow up shot on the ground. He finished Big Nog’. He broke the unbreakable.
Get more pictures like this from SHERDOG.COM
Of course, now we all have to sit here and talk about how good Cain is and he is clearly great. However, I’ve noticed a really disturbing trend in the last couple of days. People are beginning to underrate Brock Lesnar. I’m not quite sure the reason why. Maybe it’s been because he is out of action for so long. Maybe it’s because people who follow the sport generally don’t like him very much. Nontheless, I’ve heard more Brock hating in the past few days than I’ve heard in the last year or two.
“The myth about Brock is that he is a great wrestler.” someone turned to me and said after the Cain/Nog fight. I rolled my eyes at him. It’s not that I don’t value his opinion, because he is right. Lesnar is not the super wrestler that people think he is. However, the same people were talking about Lesnar’s size being insurmountable not too long ago.
I think this is part of the reason that I had such an easy time transitioning from being a football writer to a MMA writer. The same kind of bandwagon jumping happens far, far too often in both sports. One win or loss does not a season make. Nor a fighter. Nor anything else. Particularly when it’s an early knockout with four ounce gloves.
The reality is that Cain weights 245 lbs. He has good standup, with power that has finally manifested itself seven fights later. He is a far superior wrestler than Brock. He has all those advantages.
So, what does Brock have going for him? Being roughly the size of Mount Rushmore. He will enter the Octagon roughly 50 pounds heavier than Cain. Here’s what I want you to do. Weigh yourself. Than, find someone who is roughly fifty pounds bigger than you. Now imagine that person had almost zero body fat. Yea, that just happened.
So, here is where I stand on Cain: I’m a fan. I like Cain. I like the no nonsense style. I love the pride he has in his heritage. I adore the “Brown Pride” tattoo. However, I would still pick Brock over him any day of the week.
I hope I’m wrong but I’m not.
By Anthony De Franco February 18, 2010, at 2:21 am There are plenty of careers on the line at UFC 110. That’s part of what makes it the most interesting card we’ve had in months. However, there is some debate in the community about the UFC cutting some of the losers on Sunday morning.
After UFC 109, when the organization cut six fighters, there are worries that the clear-cutting could continue. With legends like Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop, and vets like Keith Jardine on the chopping block, there could be some wholesale changes on the way home from Australia. Let’s take a look at some necks on the line and assume they lose. Should they stay?
- Stephan Bonnar - All these years later, and Bonnar is still living off the good will that he created for himself when he put the UFC on the map with Forrest Griffin. Since that war took place on that magical night in 2005, Bonnar is 5-6 in the UFC. Until UFC 100, you could have made the argument that all his losses had come against top competition, but then he lost to Mark Coleman. Oh yeah, there is also that whole horse steroids thing.Bonnar is fighting a decent opponent in Krzysztof Soszynski, but he still should be out as he loses. However, his saving grace may be Strikeforce. Would Scott Coker want Bonnar if he is cut by the UFC? I think we are going to find out.
In or Out?: Out.
- Wanderlei Silva – The Axe Murderer is an MMA legend. He was the best fighter in the world for most of his tenure in PRIDE. His blinding strikes put down many a fighter for a long winter’s nap. However, that success has not translated to the UFC as he is just 1-3. I personally believe that he won the Rich Franklin fight, but whatever. Now, he makes the drop to 185, which he should have done a long time ago, to fight Michael Bisping.Silva has also just had facial surgery to remove all the scar tissue that 10-plus years of fighting has accumulated on his face. He won’t cut as easy and won’t be as easy to knockout.Silva is a real legend, and his action-filled style always is exciting. He’s safe.
In or Out?: In
- Mirko Cro Cop – No PRIDE star has struggled more than Cro Cop. He claims to have a mental block from fighting in the cage, but I think that it has more to do with lack of steroid testing in Japan and Cro Cop getting up their in years.That’s not mention that his flawed gameplan of relying on head kicks has stopped working as mixed martial artists have become more skilled.If he loses to Rothwell, he’ll be 1-4 in the UFC. At some point, even the most insistent PRIDE fans (Jason) will have to admit it’s over.
In or Out?: Out
- Keith Jardine – Jardine has always been overrated in my opinion. His “unorthodox” (DING!) striking can be neutralized by the fact that he has a tendency to go down VERY early in fights. Of his five UFC losses, three of them have come in the first five minutes. To make it worse, he already trains at Greg Jackson’s. He just doesn’t have what it takes to make it as a contender in the UFC.He simply isn’t all that good, and in a crowded division, there really isn’t any room for him to hang around to be a gatekeeper.
In or Out?: Out
By Anthony De Franco February 15, 2010, at 10:00 am Remember Jason High? He’s the guy who got head kicked by Marius Zaromskis in the finals of the DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix. Now, the young, athletic wrestler is in the UFC and will make his debut on Fight Night 21 against Charlie Brenneman, according to SB Nation.
Although High is coming off a vicious knockout loss to Marius Zaromskis at the finals of the Dream Welterweight Grand Prix back in July, the gifted wrestler and Antonio McKee prodigy has been training hard and keeping a high profile in the Twitter world. The KC Bandit has notable career victories over BJJ phenom Andre Galvao, and UFC vets Kevin Burns and James Giboo.
Brenneman’s signing was announced earlier this week by the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, also home to UFC fighters Dan and Jim Miller. The former D-1 wrestler at Lock Haven University and winner of the first season of Spike’s Pros vs. Joes, Brenneman is riding a five-fight winning streak which includes four stoppages.
High really impressed me on that card. He showed a ton of ability in a short time and is 9-2 total is his career. His best wins are against BJJ phenom Andre Galvao, and former UFC fighter (and intentional eye-poker) Kevin Burns. His losses are to Zaromskis, and MMA’s most underrated fighter, Jay Hieron.
Brenneman is from New Jersey. Shockingly, that means that he’s fought on a Ring of Combat card. That is his only loss of his blooming career, and it came to current UFC fighter John Howard. Charlie is a former college wrestler at Lock Haven University (I’ve called one of their football games. Don’t ask.) and had a top 12 finish at nationals. He lacks high profile wins, but has some wrestling pedigree.
So, what do we get when we throw two wrestlers in the cage? A sloppy boxing match! Look for High to come out on top by being more athletic and explosive.
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