Tag: Jon Fitch (Page 3 of 4)

      Despite poor showing, St. Pierre still one of the best in MMA

      May 1, 2011 /

      nullLet me start by once again stating that I am a Georges St. Pierre fan (pictured, AP Photo).

      I know this article may come off as fandom, but I am merely sticking up for a great fighter.

      While I will even admit that St. Pierre’s performance at UFC 129 was anything but impressive against Jake Shields, I don’t think that the long-reigning UFC Welterweight Champion deserves to be as criticized as he has been.

      Finishing fights is a big aspect of MMA and a big part of the reason why fans love fighters like Anderson Silva. However, everyone has their flaws or even their bad fights.

      I would compare GSP’s performance on Saturday night to the likes of Silva’s performances against Demian Maia or Thales Leites.

      Clearly St. Pierre was the better fighter on Saturday, but he didn’t go for the kill when it was there. And after his eye was damaged, he balled up into somewhat of a shell.

      But, I don’t think that his performance at UFC 129 was typical of his other performances.

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      Events, Fighters, UFC

      Top 10 Welterweight Rankings

      April 27, 2011 /

      nullThis week I turn my rankings to the welterweight division.

      Like my middleweight rankings, the No. 1 spot is quite obvious and everyone else isn’t really all that close.

      Still, here is my take. If you need to go back and find my pound-for-pound, heavyweight, or light heavyweight rankings, click on the links.

      1. Georges St. Pierre (21-2) – GSP is the clear leader of this group and close to being the best fighter in any weight class. I would argue that St. Pierre is the most complete fighter in all of MMA as he exhibits diverse striking, superior wrestling, and solid submission skills. The beauty of GSP is, he is always looking for ways to evolve and stay ahead of the game and I am curious to see how he attacks his UFC 129 fight with Jake Shields this Saturday.

      2. Jon Fitch (23-3-1) – Fitch is the fighter that can do no right. All he does is win, for the most part, but he isn’t able to do it in a flashy fashion, so he is often overlooked. He dominated B.J. Penn in the third round of their fight in February, but a slow start forced a draw and unfinished business. If St. Pierre is to beat Shields and move up to middleweight, I would suspect that Fitch is the favorite to become the new 170-pound champion in the UFC.

      3. Jake Shields (26-4-1) – I am still a little unsure of what to think about Shields. He has some impressive wins, but I think he is kidding himself if he thinks getting St. Pierre to the ground is going to be a walk in the park. He is a world-class grappler, but I would dare say he is one of the worst strikers in the division. You would think a guy of his talents would really work at striking to become a complete fighter, but he still clerly lacks in that department. A win over St. Pierre on Saturday would be an upset, but it would surely catapult him to the top of my rankings.

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      Fighters, Strikeforce, UFC

      Brock Lesnar top paid MMA star

      April 21, 2011 /

      nullIn the world of not surprising news, ESPN released the list of top paid athletes in 30 different sports and Brock Lesnar was the top-paid MMA star of the last year.

      Lesnar brought in $5.3 million according to the report, which factors in all the money he made through the UFC as part of base salary and earnings. That total doesn’t include endorsements, appearance fees, or sponsorship money.

      Needless to say, Brock Lesnar is doing pretty well.

      Some may argue that Lesnar shouldn’t be the highest-paid athlete in MMA, but the numbers back up the fact that he should. Lesnar’s PPV events do over $1 million buys, which put more money in the UFC’s pocket, thus putting more money in his pocket.

      Love him or hate him, he is a draw, and the UFC is paying based on who will make them the most money, not just who is the best fighter.

      Jon Fitch is a great fighter, but people aren’t lining up to see him fight on the main event of a card.

      Lesnar made a base salary of $400,000 for his win over Shane Carwin at UFC 116, which means that he has some hefty bonuses and gate percentages in his contract.

      On a side note, Lesnar ranked 12th on this list of highest paid athletes in each sport, just edging women’s tennis star Kim Clijsters. Essentially that means that MMA ranks about 12th on the pay scale of all sports.

      While it is unknown just how much money most fighters make these days, it is clear that you can make a healthy living in MMA if you climb your way to the top and you are a polarizing figure.

      Fighters, News, UFC

      The 5 books that need to be written in MMA

      April 18, 2011 /

      nullAs MMA has grown in popularity a common occurrence amongst the fighters has been to write books.

      The latest is Brock Lesnar, who is set to release “Deathclutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival,”on May 24.

      Lesnar joins the likes of Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture, B.J. Penn, and Forrest Griffin as fighters who have come out with books, all of which have been best sellers.

      Look for this trend to continues as the sport continues to progress. Here are some ideas I have for potential books featuring mixed martial artists.

      “You Can’t Handle My Rhythm,” by Georges St. Pierre – The UFC welterweight champ finally breaks down his walls and talks about his “rhythm” and what makes him one of the best fighters in the world. While the hard cover edition may not be a hot seller, GSP’s self-spoke audio book will be a must own.

      “Clay Guida: My Life as a Rock Star,” by Clay Guida – The UFC lightweight showman talks about his hair, his tattoos, and his undying love for the Carpenters and Millwrights union. Tie in the book release in a promotion with a new version of “Rock Band” that features walkout songs of the UFC, and the book is sure to sell quickly.

      “How to Cope with Trash Talk,” by Michael Bisping – In this book, the UFC middleweight talks about finding your Zen and not letting opponents get to you with their trash talk. Tips include bottling up your rage and fun ways to kill time after you get suspended from fighting due to losing control in your post-fight celebration.

      “Decisions, Decisions” by Jon Fitch – Fitch discusses his ability to continually win in the octagon without ever finishing opponents. This book includes an autographed mouth piece to help prevent grinding your teeth.

      “Urine For A Treat,” by Lyoto Machida – The karate master provides a great recipe book for meals that compliment his morning glass of urine. (Hey, he admitted to it)

      Fighters, UFC

      White open to overtime for UFC bouts

      April 1, 2011 /

      nullDraws are hard to come by in a MMA fight—especially bouts in the UFC.

      Judging is gauged on a 10-point must system over an odd number of rounds, so in most cases there should be a winner when the bout goes to a decision.

      However, recently there has been a pair of main events in the UFC to land a draw. Most notably was the Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard lightweight title fight at UFC 125.

      A draw leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, including Dana White’s.

      MMAMania.com recently made note that the UFC President made the following statement during the UFC’s web series “The Aftermath”, a show that airs after each episode of The Ultimate Fighter.

      “I hate draws. I think it’s such a waste of everybody’s time and energy. (An overtime round is) something that I would definitely explore.”

      The draw at UFC 125 was a problem for a couple reasons. For one, there was no winner. Secondly, Anthony Pettis was scheduled to face the winner in a unification bout.

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      Fighters, News, UFC

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