FB Live Podcast 2-18-17 - SBS on 97.3 FM ESPN AC

Josh Hennig, host of SBS on 97.3 FM ESPN Atlantic City Saturdays from 12-2pm.  On 2-18-17, Josh talks whats wrong with NBA and how to fix it, thoughts on the Philadelphia Sixers at the All-Star break, if Eagles should bring back Desean Jackson this offseason, thoughts on Basketball Hall of fame Finalists, shots fired by Terrell Owens-Cris Carter, and reaction to latest MMA/UFC news

The Rubik's Cube that is the UFC Rankings

When I was ten years old I asked my parents to let me take martial arts classes after I saw a Bruce Lee film and an amazing journey began for me.  My love for Martial Arts has grown over the years and led me to start watching Professional Mixed Martial Arts almost two decades ago.  I remember watching online replays of Bas Rutten Pancrase matches and Royce Grace vs Sakuraba PRIDE Superfight. I also watched the nights Vitor Belfort’s speed blitzkrieg of Wanderlei Silva and Tank Abbott, when Rich Franklin defeated Evan Tanner to become the UFC Middleweight champion, and the amazing technical war between Cung Le and Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce. 

I have been allowed the privilege, thanks to my many years in the radio industry and background in MMA, to cover several Bellator and UFC events.  I have seen the sport grow from a misunderstood “combat sport” to one of the top five highest grossing professional sports in the world.  But along the way a lot has changed, for better and for worse.  The “better” is what gets frequently publicized such as major sponsorship dollars MMA athletes have in today’s world and the mainstream acceptance of MMA.  That acceptance, thanks to fighters like Ronda Rousey, Randy Couture, and Ken Shamrock, paved the way for MMA fighters to crossover into the Television and movie industries.  The major television contracts that the UFC has with FOX, Bellator has with Viacom (Spike, CBS Sports), and World Series of Fighting with NBC Sports has put MMA on television on a weekly basis.

One common thread is that the UFC is the king of professional MMA world, where the most of the best fighters on the planet compete.  The UFC led the way in the 1990’s and helped bridge the gap to bring MMA into mainstream sports conversation.  But the UFC also has made promises to the casual and hardcore MMA fan bases that have loosely been kept.  When the UFC took over MMA organizations PRIDE, WEC, and Strikeforce, the plan was for those organizations to keep going forward and there to be crossover fights.  In each case the UFC slowly absorbed fighters into their own ranks and then dissolve the organizational structure, ending their existence. 

In 2015 the UFC is again giving something that frustrates fans and media alike, whether most of them are willing to admit it or not.  On the UFC’s website there are weight class rankings, allowing fans and media alike to have a gauge of where different fighters stand in relation to potential to championship matchups according to them.  Yet we have seen numerous times the UFC neglect their own rankings and put together fight cards headlined by title fights most people did not expect.

UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler is set to face Carlos Condit in November even though Condit has a record of 2-2 since his title fight loss to George St. Pierre in 2012.  Condit, the former WEC Welterweight Champion, is currently ranked 4^th in the UFC rankings, so he leap frogged three men for his title shot.  Meanwhile Johnny Hendricks (number one contender ranking) and Tyron Woodley (number 3 ranked Welterweight) are facing off in October at UFC 192.  Both men have previously defeated Condit while also having better overall records over the last few years.  Woodley has a 5-2 record since arriving in the UFC in 2013, with his only losses coming via judges’ decision.  Hendricks has 3-2 record over the same time period, his only losses coming via controversial split judges’ decisions.  Yet the UFC chose Carlos Condit for the title shot despite him being ranked behind Hendricks and Woodley.

Another example of mixed messages from the UFC is with the evolving conundrum of the UFC Women’s Strawweight division.  Current Women’s 115 lb. champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk is set to face Valérie Létourneau at UFC 193 in November, yet Letourneau is the number 10 ranked fighter in the division according to UFC rankings.  Letourneau is leap frogging Claudia Gadelha (number one contender in the division), Carla Esparza (former champion and number two ranked in division) and Tecia Torres (number 5 ranked fighter and undefeated in her pro career).  Both Gadehla and Esparza are out of action due to injuries so many people expected Torres would be next in line to fight for the belt.  Instead Torres is scheduled to fight Michelle Waterson next; Waterson is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion.  Meanwhile on her way to a title shot Letourneau has a 3-0 record in the UFC, all victories over women who are currently not ranked in the UFC’s top fifteen for the weight class.

The reality is the UFC is an organization that signed multiple big money media contracts at a time when they MMA landscape was very different.  A few years ago the UFC’s biggest stars were Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and George St. Pierre.  Whether people were fans or haters, they tuned in every fight to watch these men either win or lose.  The UFC was also building the brand of Cain Velasquez, Frankie Edgar and Anthony Pettis after their famous championship winning fights.  In recent years since UFC signed media and sponsorship deals grossing the organization billions of dollars here’s what has happened to their stars:

-Jon Jones is currently suspended indefinitely due to his legal problems after a Hit and Run accident; he has been stripped of his title.

-Anderson Silva lost his title for Chris Weidman and since then tested positive for steroids after his fight with Nick Diaz.

-George St. Pierre retired after his controversial win over Johnny Hendricks in 2012; St. Pierre has stated he is not coming back anytime soon.

-Cain Velasquez has won, lost, won again, and lost again his Heavyweight title all while dealing with injuries.

-Frankie Edgar lost his UFC Lightweight Title in 2012 and has moved down to the Featherweight division where is working towards another title shot.

-Anthony Pettis lost his title in 2015 to Rafael Dos Anjos months after being a featured athlete on Wheaties boxes.

In 2015 the UFC is attempting to bank their marketing power around three current champions:

-Ronda Rousey, A woman who has said she will retire by 2017 and wants to spend more time pursuing an acting career.

-Chris Weidman, A talented fighter from New York whose coach is former UFC champion Matt Serra.

-Connor McGregor, A brash Irishman coming from a boxing background who just recently won the Interim UFC Featherweight title.

So with this shortened list of marque marketable fighters, why is the UFC insisting on putting together title fights that conflict with their own rankings?  The whole point of having these rankings published and updated almost weekly is to attract more fans interest in upcoming fight cards. 

One of the UFC’s biggest media deals is with Brazil’s Globo and is potentially in jeopardy due to poor TV ratings.  It does not help that three years ago there were several Brazilian UFC champions and title contenders.  In 2015 only two Brazilians hold UFC titles, one being Jose Aldo who has been dealing with injuries.  The other is Fabricio Werdum who is not even in the top five list of most popular MMA fighters in Brazil.

Certainly it is perplexing the UFC’s reasoning for many of their recent fighter matchups.  The truth is that the UFC needs the MMA fans to continue their support for the king of MMA in order to maintain financial strength and media visibility.  Their current deal with Reebok is still unpopular in many MMA circles since it cut off many sponsors from the UFC arena and some fighter’s lifelines.  There is nothing wrong with calculated risks, but only time will tell if this Rubik’s cube the UFC has placed in front of the media and fans will continue to produce results or if it will be tossed away due to the inability to be understood.

The Rise and Fall of Professional Boxing

Reports have come out that the recent Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto Pay-Per-View fight card only generated between 400,000 and 550,000 buys and the crowd at the MGM was well short of sellout capacity. In the end, the overall event did not net a major financial profit despite this supposedly being the “Money Mayweather” final fight. Despite all the hype from Showtime and other media outlets, the collective sports world did not put their money up to see Floyd Mayweather dance in circles and play his counter-striking game one last time.

Whether you are a fan or hater of Mayweather, there is a reason he has the nickname “Money” because he has been very profitable for himself and his promoters for over a decade. Despite the 49-0 fight record, the truth is that it does not stack up against the likes of Mohammed Ali, Rocky Marciano, “Sugar” Ray Leonard and “Sugar” Ray Robinson. Furthermore Mayweather’s career is arguably a weak overall resume compared to contemporaries Andre Ward and Oscar De La Hoya in the fact that Floyd never won an Olympic Gold medal. Over the last 55 years all the great boxers from Ali to Joe Frazier to Leonard won Olympic Gold medals. Mayweather supporters would say he was “robbed” at the 1996 Olympics but most of Floyd’s life has been mired in controversy. From the domestic assault charges and convictions to being stripped of his WBO championship title to him hand picking fights with guys who are “past their prime”; some people say Floyd Mayweather has done more hurt the reputation of Professional Boxing than any other fighter.

But I contend Mayweather is just a bi-product of what big time Professional Boxing has become: A convoluted mess. From the alphabet soup of organizations to corrupt promotors to judging controversies, Boxing over the last 30 years has fallen from its pedestal as one of the premiere sporting events. Even the skills of Olympic Boxing competitors has dropped off during the last few Olympics. Let us also not forget that according to the online Journal of Combative Sport 2007 research since 1960 over 667 deaths directly resulting from boxing related injuries in the USA alone. The sport known as “The Sweet Science” sure has left a sour taste for many over the years.

Still, millions of dollars are made every year off a sport whose fighters lack the refined skill of years ago. Men such as Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Ali, Frazier and Leonard were considered among the greatest athletes of their generations. In today’s world the greatest athletes are training to be the best in other sports. You see phenomenal athletes playing sports such as Football that would have been found fighting in the ring 30 years ago. That is because boxing was considered a way out for those who came from working class or poor economic backgrounds. These men would channel their anger and rage against the world into hours at the gym in order to exact that violence on another man to make the money they couldn’t get working at the factories and warehouses across America. In today’s world many great athletes who come from the same backgrounds look to the NFL and NBA to raise themselves and their families out of poverty.

Also the rise of Mixed Martial Arts has drawn men who would have gone to the boxing gym into the local kickboxing club or convinced young kids to wrestle in High School and College. Anyone who has watched MMA champions such as Cain Velasquez, Jon Jones, Nick Diaz, and Connor McGregor know that they have the natural skills needed to potentially be championship Boxers. Instead Jones and Velasquez were amateur wrestlers; Diaz trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since his mid-teens; McGregor has formal boxing training but found professional MMA more appealing so he later trained in Kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Furthermore, MMA is overall a less brutal violence sport than Boxing. Many MMA fights are ended via submission or Technical Knockout via referee stoppage. Even though MMA is a fairly young organized compared to Boxing, we have not seen older or retired MMA fighters suffering from the same psychological and money issues as retired boxers. In fact, there has been only one Professional MMA injuries related death and that was because that organization did not have their fights or fighters sanctioned and overseen by a reputable Athletic Commission. After that incident, that commissioner was removed and there was an overhaul in that state’s MMA regulations.

But still Professional Boxing generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year while MMA grosses out only a quarter of the amount only thanks to television contracts.  Boxing has been making a dent into the television market but many of the cable television fight cards are relegated to average TV slots or they are stuck going head to head with more popular sporting events like the NFL or College Football. The UFC, who is the king of Professional MMA, has a multi-year TV deals with three different media companies internationally and those deals total around a billion dollars. MMA has not been able to draw the casual or hardcore boxing fans mostly because these people do not find the submission and grappling aspects of MMA appealing.

The truth is that the casual boxing fan tunes in for the excitement or violence of the sport.  Similarly to the people who watch sports because they have money invested, these watchers do not appreciate the game or skill involved, they want their money’s worth whether that is made off winning a prop bet or seeing the explosive entertainment they expected. The reality is that most of the people who watched the Floyd Mayweather fight just wanted to see him win or lose and cared less about the rest of the fights on the docket that night.

If Floyd Mayweather is truly done with boxing, it will be a blessing and a curse for the sport. While he made many promoters and opponents money, he also lost many people money and cast a dark shadow over the sport. Mayweather was a counter-striker with great speed who outside the ring had numerous domestic violence charges who promoters and the media turned him into a money making villain. Gone are the days of Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De la Hoya, and Mickey Ward giving the fans an event to tune in for; without Mayweather, Boxing potentially sees their last cash cow walk away.

The future does not look very promising for the professional ranks of “The Sweet Science” with the numerous other sports options out there for people to take interest in and spend their money on. The mainstream sports media has Football, Basketball and Baseball deals that produce money and drive ratings.  Also media corporations such Fox Sports, NBC Sports and Viacom have invested a lot of money into the UFC, World Series of Fighting, and Bellator MMA already, so you know those events will get publicity and marketing dollars. NASCAR is another sport growing in popularity, getting big advertising dollars and TV contracts. Let’s not forget that the NHL and college sports conferences like the Big Ten, PAC 12 and SEC now have their own television networks. 

The market share for Boxing is shrinking with the all the other options out there and most people have no idea who Gennady Golovkin or Roman Gonzalez are, yet both men are undefeated champions. How can Boxing keep the money train going without the recognizable names to sell tickets and PPVs to fans? How will they keep the financial commitments from media outlets and advertisers? The clock is certainly ticking on that conundrum.  

5 Things Learned from UFC 191

Last night’s UFC 191 Fight Card was overlooked by many casual fans, no thanks to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s “Go Big” press conference on Friday.  That press conference cast a shadow over an event that included one of the top fighters on the planet, a match-up of two former UFC Heavyweight Champions, and a top contender in the light heavyweight division.  So here are the top five things the Mixed Martial Arts world learned from last night:

1.  Demetrious Johnson is one of the most underrated, dominate MMA fighters on the planet.

This may appear like a hyperbole, but the casual MMA fan has not seen all of Demetrious’ fights since the 125 pound division was formed in the UFC.  Since winning the UFC Flyweight Championship in in 2012, Johnson has defended his title seven straight times while looking better and more dominant in each match-up.  Johnson has been so exceptional in the octagon that he has made very talented fighters such as Joseph Benavidez, John Dodson, and Ali Bagautinov look underwhelming.  Johnson’s footwork, high MMA IQ, speed, wrestling skills and undervalued striking all set him apart from his competition.

At 29 year old Demetrious still has time to get better and more dominant, which will be a problem for his future opponents.  The UFC has the dubious task of trying to schedule great fights moving forward thanks to most of the fighters in the weight class doing little to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.  Ronda Rousey and Demetrious Johnson both have that in common: they are both dominant in their weight classes and finding future fights for them will become more difficult.

2. “Going Big” can backfire on a fighter, just ask Frank Mir.

The Heavyweight division in MMA is the only weight class that does not have strict weigh in restrictions.  At weigh-ins the major requirement is that a fighter be under the 265 pound weight limit.  This means that the fighters could weigh anywhere between 220-265 pounds.  Frank Mir was hanging around the weight limit thanks to his plans to get big and be the new “big” heavyweight in the UFC.  Mir saw in years past that guys like Brock Lesnar and Steve Carwin had past success as men who had to cut down to 265 pounds in order to compete. 

The problem with this way of thinking is two-fold:

-First of all, Mir has worked to gain weight and become a bigger man.  Lesnar and Carwin have been that size and weight most of their adult lives with most of that weight being muscle.  Mir had a gut last night and physiologically looked sloppy, his footwork was awkward and lacked the speed he has had in the past.  In previous fights Mir had come into the fights weighing between 10-18 pounds less and looked better.

-Secondly a natural side effect of competing at a weight heavier than what an athlete is use to is the potential to be tired more quickly.  Last night Frank Mir was tired early in the fight and it showed as his opponent, Andre Arlovski, was able to stay nimble and energetic.  Carrying that extra weight hindered Mir’s ability to execute his game plan and as a result the fight was underwhelming to watch.

There were expectations for this fight of two former Heavyweight champions, both looking to make another run at the belt.  Instead it was a fight in which one fighter looked like he didn’t belong; Mir looked slow, tired, and lacking initiative.  If Frank Mir has a future in MMA he needs to get back to the aggressive, balanced fighter he was four years ago.  Since his loss to Junior Dos Santos in 2012, Frank has lost four of his last six fights; in those losses he has looked slow and indecisive.

3. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson deserves his number one contender ranking.

Anthony Johnson with his Knockout victory last night showed why he deserves that number one contender spot in the Light Heavyweight rankings.  Johnson’s last fight was a loss to UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier, a fight that he did not perform his best in.  Outside of that loss, Anthony has not lost any fights since January 2012.  His showing at last night’s match-up with Jimi Manuwa was another example of Anthony at his best: staying aggressive, good side to side movement, and was calculated.

With excellent striking power and a good wrestling background, Anthony Johnson has the tools to be a UFC champion.  The weakness of Anthony’s game has been simple over the years and that is his susceptibility to being submitted.  The reality is that four of his five career losses have been by submission.  “Rumble” Johnson has the physical skills to be a champion and after last night he is clearly next in line for another shot at the belt.

4. Corey Anderson is an example of why who you train with is so important.

In his win last night, Corey Anderson showed well rounded striking and grappling skills.  A collegiate wrestler, Corey never aspired to be a Mixed Martial Arts fighter.  But after meeting former longtime Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askrin, Corey Anderson was convinced to come out to Ben’s MMA gym.  After a few pro fights, he got the opportunity to compete on season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter.  The show known as “TUF” is the UFC’s reality TV development/talent evaluation proving ground.  Corey would go on to be the Season 19 TUF Winner; the winner of the Ultimate Fighter wins a guaranteed UFC contract.  As part of that contract, he is required to fight on at least one Pay-Per View fight card; this is a big deal because fighters who compete on PPV cards get paid more since they also earn shares of PPV sale.

Corey Anderson has grown from a raw, athletic wrestler to an up and coming all-around MMA fighter.  This happened because he moved to New Jersey to be coached by Mark Henry and Richardo Almeida after working with former UFC Lightweight champion Franke Edgar on TUF.  Henry is a boxing coach with a high fight game IQ and Almeida is a high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and coach.  Working with great coaches and training in the same facility with top level fighters such as Franke Edgar, Edson Barboza, and Marlon Morales, this type of an environment helps athletes grow and develop their skills.  Anderson has gone from a wrestler with no interest in Mixed Martial Arts to an up and coming MMA fighter who has a bright future in the UFC.  Amazing what happens when an athlete is in the right kind of environment.

5. The sky is the limit for Paige Vanzant.

At 21 years of age, Paige Vanzant is rising up the Women’s MMA ranks and getting attention from advertisers too.  Now one of the faces of Reebok’s MMA promotional campaign, Paige has rewarded the faith placed in her by going 3-0 during her time in the UFC.  Vanzant, who trains at Team Alpha Male, has shown the progression of getting better with each fight and last night she won by submission, utilizing excellent jiu-jitsu skills.

Her all-around MMA skills have been developing at a solid pace and it has been smart for the UFC to bring her along slowly.  Paige Vanzant has the potential to be a UFC champion and also the future face of Women’s MMA.  Ronda Rousey has said publicly she doesn’t want to keep fighting into her 30’s and with a budding acting career, she doesn’t have to.  Paige has everything the UFC needs to build her into the next Women’s MMA star: she’s attractive, good with the media, talented, and fans like her.  Now yes, some fans may like her because of her looks, but her growing set of skills cannot be ignored by any objective viewer of her fights. 

Paige’s only potential downfall will be how she handles adversity in the future.  If she can handle losses inside and outside the Octagon the way she has handled everything else fame has thrown at her, her potential as a fighter is limitless.

Ronda Rousey: Making Sense Of An Enigma

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey will be facing Former WBF Boxing Champion Holly Holm, January 2, 2016, at UFC 195 in Las Vegas.  This announcement comes as a surprise since UFC President Dana White had stated weeks ago that Rousey’s next opponent would be former Strikeforce Women’s Champion Miesha Tate.  Tate, who is on a four fight winning streak, has faced Rousey twice before and is the only woman to take a fight last beyond the first round (UFC 168) versus Ronda.

Rousey will be defending her title for the eighth time at UFC 195 and she had dominated her competition over that time.  With a career record of 12 wins and 0 losses, many claim Ronda Rousey is the greatest Women’s MMA fighter on the planet.  This claim is disputed though, by Christine “Cyborg” Santos-Justino, the current Invicta FC Women’s Featherweight Champion.  “Cyborg” has not lost a fight since 2005 and has talked publicly about fighting Rousey in the UFC.  Since UFC parent company, Zuffa, also owns Invicta FC, there is nothing legally or contractually holding this match up from happening.

What is holding the fight back is the lack of agreement on the when and how to make the matchup happen.  “Cyborg” has fought at 145 lbs for most of her career and UFC President Dana White has said that she needs to cut down to 135 lbs to fight Rousey.  This issue has put the potential women’s “Superfight” on the back burner. It doesn’t help that Rousey has no willingness to make an attempt at compromise, saying the fight “should” happen at 135lbs.

While Rousey is a great fighter, the “Dog and Pony Show” from her and the UFC is getting old.  Almost every opponent for Rousey is billed as “the most dangerous opponent yet” and Rousey typically talks about how hard she is preparing for the fight knowing how she must be ready for anything.  Then fight night comes along and she dominates, walking away with her title again and again.  This is by no means a disparagement of her opponents, who all are talented in their own right.  Top tier MMA fighters such as Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate, Liz Carmouche, and Sara McMann all presented unique challenges for Rousey, but no one has yet to figure out the enigma that is Rousey in the octagon.

While it is true Holly Holm is a dangerous fighter, what makes her such an underdog against Rousey is the same as most of Rousey’s opponents over the years: Rousey is a former Olympic Silver Medalist, Holm is not.  Yes, Holly Holm has won six different boxing championships during her pro career as a fighter, but she has never faced a fighter of Rousey’s pedigree.  The truth is, very few women’s MMA fighters ever have seen anyone like Rousey until now.

What makes Rousey great isn’t her undefeated record; instead it is how she got to this point and what sustains her.  She is not motivated like most athletes, because most athletes could never compete in the Olympics.  In order to be an Olympic athlete, that individual must work their way up the ladder of competition for years, preparing for the chance to be able to go to Olympic Trials.  At the Olympic Trials the athlete must compete for the chance to represent their country at an elite competition that is hosted every four years.  Once chosen, that athlete then goes to the Olympics and has to compete against the best every nation has to offer, all who have spent many years preparing themselves for that moment.  In that moment, all those years of preparation can either prepare that athlete for victory, or compromise them, leading to defeat.

Rousey won the Bronze Medal in Judo at the 2008 Olympics. Judo is a Martial Art discipline that is equally a demonstration of mental chess match as executing physical technique. Most of the women who comprise the professional MMA landscape have Wrestling, Boxing, Muay Thai or Kickboxing as their fight game foundation.  These four fighting disciplines test mental toughness while requiring physical endurance and fluid execution of technique.  Fighters with years practicing these disciplines faced issues decades ago when Royce Gracie won 11 straight fights utilizing a Martial Art discipline similar to Judo: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Like Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is as much of a mental competition because both involve the manipulation of the opponents’ momentum, joints, and offensive mentality.  Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are counter-offensive disciplines based in strategic defense.  When you have a fighter who has been trained for years to take advantage of opponent’s aggression and weaknesses, that fighter has a built in advantage in competition against fighters are not trained with the same mentality.

Like Ronda Rousey, Royce Gracie seemed invincible early on, even when he was in trouble in a fight, he would find a way to walk away with a victory.  But will history view Rousey as they do Royce Gracie twenty-two years later, as a legendary pioneer yet as a fighter who was outpaced by competition that evolved their game plans?  The greatest difference between Ronda and Royce is that she has worked tirelessly to improve the weak areas in her fight game instead of being overly dependent on her strengths. Rousey on many occasions said her goal is to finish her career undefeated, whether that happens or not only time will reveal.

Is Holly Holm the most dangerous opponent Rousey has ever faced?  The argument can be made since Holm has competed as a professional fighter for 10-plus years and has won multiple titles.  This championship fight at UFC 195 is the classic “Striker versus Grappler” matchup, but both fighters are working with coaches who are skilled at the all-around Mixed Martial Arts game plan.  The fighter who comes into the matchup most prepared to handle their opponent’s strengths and can execute properly, that fighter will walk away with the UFC belt.  Rousey’s “legend” only grows with each win, but it is her background as an Olympic Judo fighter that has laid the foundation for her excellence in the UFC Octagon.

Interview with UFC Lightweight Contender Jim Miller

The following interview was originally broadcast on May 31, 2014 on WIBG 1020AM/101.3FM


Jim Miller will be apart of the Main Event of UFC Fight Night 45 on July 16th in Atlantic City.  The event will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.  Miller will be facing off with fellow Lightweight contender Donald Cerrone.




Jim Miller (24-4-1) is coming off back to back 1st round submissions.  His opponent, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (23-6-1) is entering the matchup on a 3 fight winning streak. Ironically, two of Cerrone’s most recent wins are against fighters also fighting on the July Card (Edson Barboza versus Evan Dunham). Miller vs. Cerrone is a matchup between two of the top 155 pound fighters in the world; both fighters have combined for 13 UFC fight bonuses in their careers so this fight is expected to be explosive.


Also scheduled for the July UFC Fight Night in AC is a matchup between two welterweights with wrestling background who have power in their hands: Rick “The Horror” Story (16-8) versus John “Doomsday” Howard (22-9). Both men are coming off closely contested losses by judges’ decision.


July will also be the first time Edson Barboza has fought in Atlantic City since 2010, when he won the Ring of Combat Lightweight Championship. Barboza is 7-2 in his UFC career.

The Friday Five: Derrick Rose, Kentucky Basketball, Steven Jackson, Nate Diaz and Knicks Dilemma

TGIF!  Time to get the weekend started with some quick sports thoughts to carry you through the weekend:

Derrick Rose says he is not ready even though doctors give him the "OK"

Some people are criticizing Chicago Bulls MVP Guard Derrick Rose for saying he isnt "mentally ready" to return.  Yes, he has been running in scrimmages with his team and, yes, the team doctors say his knee looks "great", but Rose is saying "no, not yet".  Rose has stated that when he can dunk off his left knee thats when he is ready to play again.
I do not blame Derrick for not rushing himself back.  I myself have had knee injuries and know it takes time to get over the injury mentally.  Physical rehab only gets a person so far, the next step is to mentally step out.  The Bulls dont want Rose sprinting down court on a fast break and him stoping or second guess himself because he wonders "what happens if I jump and I come down on the wrong angle and my knee buckles?" 

That mental barrier is something Rose must overcome before returning to NBA game action.  He has been a tough player during his basketball career in the NBA and college.  For explosive athletes like Rose, knee injuries mess with you head because you feel "vulnerable" and "weak" when you are use to feeling "tough" and "strong".  Give him time, he will atleast be back next season.  Worst case scenario he comes back before he is completely ready and gets hurt, again.

“I’m so disappointed in the job I’ve done with this team" - Head Coach John Calipari, Kentucky Men;s Basketball Coach

A record of 20-10 is nothing to be ashamed of but since the injury to Nerlens Noel, who tore his ACL on February 12th, this team has a record of 3-4 and are at risk of possibly not making it back to the NCAA Tournament.  Some of the "experts" claimed this group of freshman recruited by Calipari was one of his best recruiting classes.  Yet, they lose one player, all of a sudden they are struggling to win games!

I have to respect Coach Calipari for taking the blame on himself.  He has in the past had a way of getting his players to play up to their talent and potential.  This season, even before Noel got injured, they still had lost games they should have won (Alabama and Texas A&M).  This idea that kids can go to college for a year, be a winning team, then go pro is a bad idea for the college basketball game and brand.  The sad part is the mess at Kentucky wont stem the tide of "One-And-Done" kids using college as a stepping ladder to the pros, but it may hurt Calipari's brand when recruiting new kids.  Some will say "That National Title team didnt win because of their coach but because those kids were just that good together."  Even coaches need to grow and evolve, may Calipari needs to do self-evaluation and I think he is capable of doing so.

Steven Jackson: "Im a starter, not a backup"

The former Rams Running Back has opted out of his contract and wants to go play somewhere to be a starter.  The Rams had him share playing time with Daryl Richardson in 2012.

I admire Jackson for coming out and saying what he is looking for.  I also respect Jackson for not demanding money but wanting playing time.  Jackson wants to win a title and he believes he can help a team win that title.  He has rushed for atleast 1,000 yards for eight straight seasons, including 2012.  He also has caught a minimum of 38 passes for the last eight years also, showing he is not a one dementional player.  Also, in his favor is the fact he is a big running back at 6'3" unlike some guys that are "aging" runners who are smaller guys.  I could see a guy like Jackson being a starter for teams like the Packers, Cowboys, Steelers, and Colts in 2013.

Nick Diaz Goes off during UFC Media Call

For those who do not follow Mixed martial Arts, the UFC is the top MMA organization in the world and before their Pay-Per-View events they have media conference calls.  UFC 158's Main Event next weekend is a major clash of personalities and fighting styles: UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre versus former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz.  St. Pierre, an excellent wrestler, athlete, and striker, will face Diaz, an excellent boxer and black belt in Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu.  Diaz was suppose to fight St. Pierre in 2011 but Diaz's "unprofessional" behavior led UFC President Dana White to remove Diaz from the fight.

Now Diaz gets his second chance at the champ and during the media conference call Diaz let all the world who was listening know how he feels about everything and anything.  He claimed he feels disrespected, said that he respects George but dislikes his "fake ****", said he deserves to fight St. Pierre, and he went off on every subject he was allowed to talk about.  Nick was so unpredictable and "real" instead of "polished" that George called him a "uneducated fool" which caused Nick to go off even more because those "be fightin' words".

The old saying is "styles make fights".  This is what is missing from the boxing world, two guys who are elite fighters who have contrasting personalities and fighting styles.  I suggest you listen to the audio from the media conference call here for full impact and some comedic entertainment: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-158-conference-call

New York Knicks Almost Beat the OKC Thunder....without Carmelo Anthony

The New York Knicks came down to the wire against the Oklahoma City Thunder and almost won at the final buzzer.  All without Carmelo Anthony.  Anthony, who is out with an injury, is considered the best player on the Knicks.  But Anthony is a great scorer who does not facilitate to make his teammates better or bring out the best in their games.

So the question now is are the Knicks better off unloading Anthony?  Well the numbers say that the Knicks are better with Carmello, as without him they only win 44.4 percent of their games.  The real problem with the Knicks isnt that Carmelo is a scorer, its that he does have the teammates around him to help make his team great.

When Anthony was at Syracuse University he had two talented players with him and they won a NCAA National title.  One of those player is someone Anthony has never had in the NBA: a clutch Point Guard who is a leader, James McNamara.  Anthony has Jason Kidd with the Knicks, but Kidd is near the end of his career and cant do what he use to do.  Anthony played with Andre Miller in Denver, but Miller isnt a scorer.  So the Knicks management needs to take one of two directions: put better complimentary talent around Anthony, not players who are getting older and who play same style as him or trade Anthony and rebuild the team.  Decisions must be made, especially since the Knicks are not making it to the NBA Finals this season.

UFC 136 Preview

This Saturday's UFC 136 is one of the biggest MMA fight cards of 2011 with two title fights, a number one contender matchup, and many major names. Lets take a look ahead to this Saturday's major matchups:

1. Frank Edgar versus Gray Maynard III will answer more questions than just who will walk away with the belt
When Edgar-Maynard 2 resulted in a Draw it was more than just a disappointment to both fighters but to the rest of the 155 pound division. Due to their draw and needing a third fight, there is a log jam of top level lightweight fighters who are jockeying to be next in line for to fight for the UFC lightweight belt. The winner of Saturdays fight presents a unique challenge to the rest of the division. Edgar is a talented wrestler with excellent stamina and good kickboxing skills while Maynard is an elite wrestler with excellent strength and major power In his hands. Edgar is a fast paced fighter who utilizes agility and constant movement while Maynard who is a grinder who wants to beat down his opponent. Both fighters present unique challenges to the other 155 pound fighters clamoring to be next in line for a title shot. Clay Guida has six MMA losses by submission; Ben Henderson’s last loss was to a dynamic striker. Gilbert Melendez’s last loss was a grinding decision defeat to a grappler. Meanwhile fighters such as Melvin Guillard and Donald Cerrone are not far behind the top conenders with their recent win streaks. Also, if Maynard beats Edgar Saturday night there may be another fighter who may jump into the pool to via for a shot at the title: former UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn.

2. Kenny Florian gets another shot at a title and this may be the best chance he will ever have at winning a belt
Kenny Florian has accomplished a lot in his MMA career from making it to the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale, fighting twice for the UFC Lightweight Championship, and becoming the first UFC fighter to compete in four different weight classes. This will be his third shot at winning a UFC title and this may be his best opportunity. That is no negative against current UFC 145 pound champion Jose Aldo but Florian is a much different type of fighter than Aldo has faced since he has rattled off 12 wins and defended his championship belt three times. Aldo has faced fighters with wrestling, judo, and boxing expertise. Florian presents a different challenge: a talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter with good Muay Thai skills. Florian’s 5 career MMA losses have been to four wrestlers and BJ Penn and Aldo did not look his best in his last fight. It will be interesting to see how Aldo reacts when Florian throws the type of kicks that Aldo is use to inflicting on others.

3. Will Chael Sonnen's layoff hurt him against an ever evolving Brian Stann?
The last time Chael Sonnen was in an MMA fight he was 5 minutes away from defeating a man considered the best MMA fighter of all and becoming the UFC Middleweight champion. Then Sonnen tapped due to a triangle choke, got suspended for testing positive for high levels of testosterone, then his suspension got reduced and now more than a year later he is back in action. The bad news for Sonnen is that this Saturday night he is facing a fighter who seems unbeatable in Brian Stann. Stann is the former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion and since moving down to 185 pounds he is on a three fight winning streak with notable knockout wins over Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago. The biggest factor in this fight will be Sonnen’s wrestling prowess since Stann’s last loss was to Phil Davis (a NCAA Division 1 Wrestling National Champion). With every fight Stann has improved his MMA game and he will be tested against a tough and relentless fighter in Sonnen. The real question will be has Stann’s MMA game evolved enough to win or will Sonnen have “ring rust”.

4. Melvin Guillard is on a mission, but will Joe Lauzon or fate get in the way?
Since 2008 Guillard is 8-1 in the UFC with only two fights going to decision. Thanks to his work with Greg Jackson MMA Guillard is finally accessing his full potential as a fighter and it seems like he is on track to get a shot at fighting for the title. But first he has to get by Joe Lauzon and the last time he faced a fight with good standup and good brazilian jiu-jitsu was nate Diaz and Guillard was submitted by Diaz. Since that loss Guillard has faced many talented wrestlers but not another BJJ fighter with above avergae standup skills. Also, if Guillard beats Lauzon his Jackson MMA teammate Clay Guida has a fight next month that could set him up as next in line to fight the winner of Edgar-Maynard and if Guida wins the belt will Guillard really fight his teammate? Only time will tell what fate has in store for Guillard.

UFC 135 Preview

UFC 135 marks the first time new Light heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will defend his belt and he will be tested against one of the top 205 pound fighters in MMA for the last decade years: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Here are some reasons why you should be watching this Saturday night's UFC fights:

1. How will Jones handle defending his belt for the first time against a former champion and MMA veteran?Jon Jones has 14 Mixed Martial Art fights in his career and won the UFC 205 pound title back in March of this year. By contrast, Quinton Jackson has 14 Knockout/TKO wins in his career, he is a former UFC champion and is the only fighter in MMA history to defeat Chuck Liddell twice. "Bones" Jones has been getting hyped for the last two years now but he has never faced a fighter with the level of experience as "Rampage" Jackson. Jackson has said in interviews leading up to this championship fight that Jones' chin has never been tested and he plans on testing it. Jones is a very talented fighter who still has not reached his true potential yet and down the road he may move up to the Heavyweight division. Facing a fighter like Jackson will tell us a lot about Jones' growth as a fighterr, how he handles a fighter who may be more intense then he is and certainly much more experienced than him.

2. This may be MMA legend Matt Hughes last UFC fight
With 53 MMA fights and 12 championship bouts in his UFC career, Matt Hughes has nothing to prove to anyone. This is the last fight of Hughes' current UFC contract and his wife has wants him to retire already. He comes into this fight against a fighter who many consider a younger version of himself: Josh Koscheck. Both fighters are talented wrestlers who are hard to takedown and have serious power in their hands. Only 5 fighters have beaten Hughes in his career and before his loss to BJ Penn last November Hughes was on a three-fight winning streak. So if Koscheck does defeat Hughes this Saturday night that will be a major ccomplishment for Koscheck and for Hughes losing to a top tier Welterweight fighter whose last loss was to George St. Pierre, there is no shame in that for Hughes. If Hughes does retire after this fight, atleast he will have done it on his own terms without his body or UFC management ending it for him.

3. Nate Diaz versus Takanori Gomi is a pre-UFC 135 "Fight of the Night" candidate
During his time in the UFC Nate Diaz has earned four "Fight of The Night" bonuses for his gritty, hard nosed performances against top tier fighters such as Marcus Davis, Joe Stevenson, and Clay Guida. This Saturday Diaz makes his return to the 155 pound division to face a fighter who likes to stand and bang: Takanori Gomi. Gomi is 1-2 in the UFC but the two fighters he has lost to are Kenny Florian and Clay Guida and both of those fights went past the first round. Gomi is the former PRIDE Lightweight Champion and went 13-1-1 while fighting in PRIDE. It should be noted that he had a loss that was turned into a No Contest after Nick Diaz (Nate's brother) tested positive for marijuana post-fight. Both Gomi and Diaz are coming into this fight after suffering losses so expect these guys to come out motivated and intense. When you have two fighters who will to leave it all in the Octagon and want to put on a show, the fans are the real winners.

4. Both Ben Rothwell and Mark Hunt need wins to stay relevant this Saturday night
Ben Rothwell was the arguably the best Heavyweight fighter during his time in the IFL where he compiled a fight record of 9-0. But since the IFL shut down Rothwell is 2-2 with losses to Andre Arlovski and Cain Velasquez. Mark Hunt back in 2006 had compiled an MMA record of 5-1 and had wins over Wanderlei Silva and Mirko "Cro Cop" Fillipovic. But then he proceeded to accumulate a 6 fight losing streak in MMA with losses to Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Allistair Overeem Melvin Monhoef, and Sean McCorkle. Rothwell and Hunt won their most recent fights and are looking to gain some mommentum in order to stay in the UFC. There was a time that these fighters were considered top tier MMA fighters, now they are fighting to stay relevant in the UFC heavyweight division.