In the news out of Imaginary Land, Tank Abbott thinks he can knock out Brock Lesnar in 10 seconds.
Don’t believe me? Just listen to the man himself, courtesy of FightGameTV.com
Oh Tank.
Let’s not forget this is a guy that has a 10-14 career record and was submitted by Frank Mir from a toe hold.
Abbott could knock out Brock Lesnar if Lesnar stood still and let Tank get one clean shot. Other than that, it ain’t happening.
It would be like Royce Gracie saying he could submit Matt Hughes. Sure, if Hughes just laid on the ground like a dead fish. But, when the two actually got into the octagon together, it was another story.
Hey Tank, I think Tim Sylvia is looking for an opponent. Maybe you can still knock him out in a real fight.
In a little bit of surprising news, MMAMania is reporting that the UFC is working on a future bout between welterweights Matt Hughes and Diego Sanchez.
Hughes, a current UFC Hall of Famer and former welterweight champion, is coming off a 21-second knockout loss to B.J. Penn at UFC 123, but had won his last three fights prior to that.
Sanchez is coming off back-to-back decision wins over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann. He is 2-1 since making his return to welterweight after losing to Penn for the lightweight championship back in December of 2009.
This fight would be intriguing as Sanchez has a high motor and is somewhat reckless. He relies on his grappling and pressure to really win fights, but will be facing a stronger grappler in Hughes. Hughes also shows more composure and patience with his fighting.
I am a little surprised to see Hughes taking this fight as I felt like he was leaning toward retirement following the loss to Penn. If he was to fight again, I thought it would be more along the lines of another fight with Matt Serra or a fight against an older fighter to allow himself a better chance to go out on a win. This is a tough fight for Hughes, but is still one that he can win.
The UFC, and MMA in general, has evolved a great deal in a short amount of time.
If you need any proof of that, just take a short trip back to 2005.
Six years ago today, the UFC was one week removed from UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell II. It was a milestone event for the organization as it was the first PPV event following the debut season of the Ultimate Fighter.
The card featured some of the best fighters in the UFC at the time, but when looking back, it represents just how much the sport has changed since then.
Here is a look at all the champions as of six years ago today, and how their stock has dropped since then.
Heavyweight Champion: Andrei Arlovski – Arlovski had won the interim heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia at UFC 51 and was eventually stripped of the interim label when then-champion Frank Mir couldn’t compete after a motorcycle accident. Arlovski had a dominant run, winning three-straight title fights in the first round. But, “The Pitbull” then suffered back-to-back losses to Sylvia and was never quite the same. At one time he was the most feared fighter in the UFC, but he now is currently on a four-fight losing streak, with three coming by first round knock out. Arlovski’s hands have gotten slower, his chin has gotten weaker, and he never evolved his grappling. That combo caused him to become nearly irrelevant in the MMA. In today’s world, Arlovski would get decimated by current champ, Cain Velasquez.
Light Heavyweight Champion: Chuck Liddell – Liddell was on top of the world at this time six years ago. He just knocked out Randy Couture in 2:06 to win his first UFC Championship. Liddell followed that up with four successful title defenses, all by KO. He was considered an unbeatable champion for two years, but then ran into the powerful hand of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who took the title from Liddell in May of 2007. That loss started the complete downfall of Liddell’s career. He would go on to lose five of his next six, four by KO, which forced his retirement. Liddell’s hands were great, but his style never evolved, and became too predictable. With that, his chin got weaker and he was an easy target for other light heavyweights. It is hard to imagine a scenario where Liddell would be able to contend with today’s champ, Jon Jones.
Just when it looked like the UFC might go all nostalgia at UFC 134 in Brazil with a bout featuring Royce Gracie, Dana White nixed the idea (MMAFighting.com).
But with names like Dan Severn and Art Jimmerson being thrown around lately, it made me think of the past and weird fights that I have always wanted to see for one reason or another.
Here are some fights that I would pay to see if the UFC deeply cared to entertain me:
Tank Abbott vs. Roy Nelson – Roy Nelson is what Tank Abbott should have been. Abbott has always been a fan favorite, yet is one of the worst fighters I have ever seen. At 10-14, Abbott was good for about 30 seconds of haymakers and then he gassed out. Nelson, who has a similar shape, is actually pretty impressive at grappling and jiu-jitsu, and he hits even harder than Tank. I would love to see Nelson toy with Abbott and then rub his giant belly in celebration.
Matt Hughes vs. Mark Hughes – Who better to match strength with Matt Hughes than his twin brother Mark? Mark has dipped into the MMA world, as he has a 6-2 record in his career. Granted, he hasn’t fought since 2003, but it was just be interesting to see the UFC find a way to pit twin brothers against one another. Would they both come out to “Country Boy Can Survive?”
Hong Man Choi vs. Jose Aldo – Granted Choi would have the size edge at 7-foot-2, 352-pounds, but I think the UFC featherweight champion (145 pounds, 5-7) can take him. I would love to see Jose speed around Choi and pepper him with leg kicks until the 7-footer comes crashing down like a giant oak tree.
Jose Canseco vs. Johnnie Morton – This is a must-see match. Both are former athletes. Both are 0-1 in their career. And both men lasted less than 90 seconds in their fight. Oh, and both men use steroids. It is a perfect match. Which man will be able to out-juice the other and get their first MMA victory?
Wesley Snipes vs. Joe Rogan – It has been a fight that has been talked about before, and I know Rogan would be down to fight. What better way to truly win over the fan base than seeing Rogan put a beat down on Snipes?
As 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)
