Kimbo Slice and The Ultimate Fighter: A Chance at Redemption

(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on June 13, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

A few months ago I wrote an article about Kimbo Slice and his fall from the MMA world following a disappointing loss to unheralded last-minute replacement Seth Petruzelli. In the article, I speculated on Slice’s future following his loss and the subsequent bankruptcy of Elite XC: “It remains to be seen whether Kimbo Slice can pick up the pieces of his MMA career, a career that was prematurely cut short by a last-second replacement that he outweighed by 30 pounds. It remains to be seen whether another promotional MMA outfit will express interest in him and pick him up. Perhaps the Kimbo Slice and Elite XC debacle should be a lesson to everyone in the MMA scene.”

It appears that I spoke too soon. It seems that Slice is slated to join the forthcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s reality TV series. “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” will feature Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson as the opposing coaches.

What makes this recent development doubly interesting is that when Slice was still fighting for Elite XC as its poster boy, Dana White had been dishing out some pretty nasty comments directed at the former street fighter.

“Sean Gannon beat him in a street fight,” said White in a previous interview. “Everyone saw what happened to Sean Gannon when he fought a guy that no one ever heard of (a decisive TKO loss to Branden Lee Hinkle in the UFC). Gannon was in the hospital for three weeks. That’s what would happen to Kimbo Slice if he fought in the UFC. He would get hurt bad – real bad.”

White then added that the only way Slice could fight in the UFC was if he joined and competed in “The Ultimate Fighter”.

Well, Slice didn’t waste any time and has called White’s bluff.

So to paraphrase White, will Slice get hurt bad – real bad, when he finally locks horns with the other Ultimate Fighter contestants?

It’s hard to speculate, and only time will tell. It’s safe to say, however, that the fighters that will be joining the tenth installment of “The Ultimate Fighter” will not be the same come forward brawlers that Slice destroyed in his Internet videos. Those guys would have had several fights under their belts already and would have already competed in several MMA events.

Take for example just a few of the participants of “The Ultimate Fighter 10”, Roy Nelson, Marcus Jones, Wes Sims, and Justin Wren.

– Nicknamed “Big Country”, Roy Nelson sports a 13-4-0 win, lose, draw record. He competed in the heavyweight division of the now defunct International Fight League where he was its last heavyweight champion. Nelson fought against the likes of Andrei Arlovski (at Elite XC Heat) where he was knocked out in the second round. His recent fight was part of Roy Jones Jr.’s hybrid boxing/MMA card “March Badness” on March 21st. He was defeated by ADCC Champion Jeff Monson by unanimous decision.

– A former NFL defensive tackle, Marcus Jones played college football for the University of North Carolina and has played six years of professional football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jones made his professional MMA debut on October 26, 2007, in World Fighting Championships 5 with a victory over Will Mora. He trains at Gracie Tampa with instructor Rob Kahn. Jones sports a 4-1-0 fight record.

– Towering at 6’10”, Wes Sims is one of the tallest MMA fighters today. He has fought (and lost) three times in the UFC, two times going against Frank Mir and one time against Mike Kyle. His fight record stands at 20-11-1 with two no contests.

– Justin “The Viking” Wren has been competing at local MMA events and won his first three fights by knockout before taking his first and only loss to date. Wren then won three more fights and his current record stands at 6-1-0.

Indeed, Slice will have his work cut out for him. During his short stint at Elite XC, he was pitted against brawlers and fighters past their primes such as a shot Ray Mercer and an aging Tank Abbott. To reiterate my point, he will not have the same superstar status that he once enjoyed. He will have to go back to square one and start afresh.

Sometimes the best way to the top is not to go through shortcuts. Oftentimes, the long, grueling road builds more character, and eventually brings those who hunger for it, redemption.

Anderson Silva fought, won, and was found wanting

(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on May 13, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

I don’t know what the other MMA fans were thinking as they watched the main event of UFC 97: Redemption almost a month ago, but as for me, at the start of the third round, I was thinking, just what exactly in heaven’s name was Anderson Silva doing?

Sure, it takes two to tango. Sure, Thales Leites – with his jiu-jitsu background and his less-than-stellar striking skills – didn’t take the fight to Silva. Sure, the guy kept dropping down to the mat in a rather cowardly fashion whenever Silva would press the action and unleash some of his brutal strikes. But that doesn’t give Silva the license to play around and showboat in front of thousands of spectators who shelled out hard-earned cash to witness a good fight.

Especially since Silva could have ended the fight any time he wanted to. In fact, he hurt Leites with a few good shots in the course of the fight. He could have pressured Leites and gone in and knocked the guy out just to give the crowd what they wanted.

Alas, Silva had other plans. Instead, the boring fight ended with a lopsided unanimous decision win for Silva.

In the end, the fight fans in Montreal, Quebec, Canada went home disappointed. But not before showing their disapproval by booing the fighters and repeatedly chanting the acronym of the name of their hometown MMA hero, Georges St.-Pierre.

I’ve written a couple of previous pieces regarding Silva’s penchant to toy with his opponents especially if he thinks they are inferior, so I don’t want to belabor the point (and yes, in my book at least, punching the other guy in the leg and doing fancy leg sweeps do count as “toying with your opponent”) anymore.

However, I did point out that Silva should move up to light heavyweight if Dana White cannot give him anything but tomato cans at middleweight.

That’s exactly what will happen in Silva’s next fight, as he is slated to face former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and number two rated MMA light heavyweight fighter Forrest Griffin at UFC 101.

After two straight lackluster title defenses by Silva, I’m pretty confident that this time he cannot, and should not, dismiss Griffin. Silva toys with the guy and he just might get knocked out. Who knows? Maybe that’s just what the doctor ordered for Silva to regain his hunger for the game.

So far, Silva has won all his nine fights in the UFC. That’s pretty incredible. And it seems he is firm in his decision to retire after his contract is over. I just hope that Silva would be professional enough to give his best in all of his remaining fights to be fair to his fans.

The End of an Era

I honestly thought Chuck Liddell had just enough left in the tank to defeat Mauricio Rua, but sadly, I was wrong. Kudos to Rua, however, that was a perfectly-timed left hook to the jaw. But you still can’t ignore the fact that practically, Liddell’s reflexes are all but gone, and so is his chin and ability to take a punch. If this is indeed the end of a great career, thanks for the memories and the great fights, Chuck. The hall of fame beckons.

The Same Old Ricky Hatton

Pacquiao_Hatton(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on May 5, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

When the left hand that smashed into Ricky Hatton’s jaw finally took out the Hitman and left him in a heap, it wasn’t surprising to see the reactions of the people in the stadium – both Pacquiao and Hatton fans alike. It was a picture of awe, disbelief, and horror, all rolled into one.

Awe and disbelief, because not a lot of people expected Pacquiao to dispose of the supposedly bigger and stronger fighter in such devastating fashion, and in as early as the second round. Horror, because you had to fear for Hatton’s safety as he lay down on the canvas in the center of the ring in a semi-conscious state. I have to add that it was a good thing to see Hatton being able to walk out of the ring on his own.

What surprised me, however, are a couple of things.

First, Pacquiao’s vastly improving boxing skills. It wasn’t a stretch when Freddie Roach stated in the post-fight interview that Pacquiao’s right hand is now much better than his left. It showed in the course of the short fight, where Hatton was repeatedly tagged by right jabs and hooks. In fact, it was a cannonball right hook that knocked down the unsuspecting Hatton for the first time in the fight.

Also, who would have thought that Pacquiao could still pack one-punch knockout power in his fists despite having debuted at 106 pounds?

Pacquiao also showed that now, he isn’t a fighter who relies on offense alone. Hatton soon found out that what stood in front of him was an elusive and fleet-footed gazelle, a far cry from his previous opponents who were stationary targets and who were suckers to his brawling, mauling style and body punches. Pacquiao repeatedly bobbed and weaved, even while dishing out punches of his own. In other words, Hatton didn’t know what to do. He was overwhelmed by a multi-talented pugilist who was once thought as a one-dimensional, left-handed slugger.

Second, I would have thought that Hatton would showcase some of his new-found boxing skills under the tutelage of the self-proclaimed best trainer in the world, Floyd Mayweather Sr. But Hatton didn’t show anything new. He had no head movement, he had no lateral movement. He barreled straight into Pacquiao, hoping to land a power punch that would end the fight. In other words, it was the same old Ricky Hatton. And against Pacquiao, it was recipe for disaster.

To be the best fighter in the world, you have to leave it all in the ring. You just can’t claim that you are one of the best and leave it at that, hoping that people would gobble everything up, hook, line, and sinker.

Needless to say, Pacquiao did his job, and it was a masterful performance at that. He showed without doubt that he is the best pound-for-pound boxer today.

To be the best trainer in the world, you have to command respect. Respect will enable you to sculpt a raw talent and polish him or her into a flawless gem. Freddie Roach is one of the most respectable trainers the boxing world has ever seen, and he has helped make Pacquiao the fighting machine that he is now.

No amount of trash talking, faux poetry and fake posturing will make you the best trainer in the world. You just can’t claim that you are one of the best and leave it at that, hoping that people would gobble everything up, hook, line, and sinker.

It should be a lot more than that.

And that ain’t no joke.

Edwin Valero’s blessing and curse

Edwin Valero(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on April 7, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

If there are still any doubts about Edwin Valero’s punching power and what he brings to the table in terms of fistic excitement, then perhaps his two-round demolition of Antonio Pitalua last Saturday night should erase all that.

Sure, Pitalua is not one of the top contenders in the stacked lightweight division. But he is by no means a slouch either. He has a decent professional record, he has been around the fight game for a while, and he is a knockout artist himself.

One would have expected Pitalua, a veteran, to have been more composed. One would have expected Pitalua to execute a game plan against the Venezuelan. Perhaps he could have jabbed more to keep Valero at bay? Maybe he could have used the ring to his advantage and boxed more?

Easy for us to say. We weren’t in the ring with someone whose single punch could send anyone to dreamland in an instant.

For most of the opening round, Pitalua’s body language said it all. He was somewhat tentative, and he seemed tense. He hardly threw a punch. And when Valero unloaded some of his wild swings, Pitalua could not capitalize on the counterpunch. Pitalua managed to connect a few of his shots before the bell sounded, but it hardly meant anything at all. Certainly not to Valero.

Especially since Valero already smelled and sensed fear.

In the second round it was just a matter of time – 49 seconds to be exact. Valero continued to pressure Pitalua, and El Inca hit pay dirt. A cracking right hook from Valero connected to Pitalua’s chin and the Colombian dropped like a sack of potatoes. Pitalua managed to get up but was smothered again by power punches from Valero. Pitalua went down for the second time, and again got up on wobbly legs. A third serving of punches from Valero put Pitalua down for good.

With the win, Valero claimed the WBC lightweight title vacated by pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao.

Valero wants to face more noteworthy opponents. Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton are just a few of the big names that are currently in Valero’s sights.

“If Manny Pacquiao or Hatton give me an opportunity, I would consider moving up and fighting them,” said Valero. “This is the beginning of big things. No man can take my punch.”

And of course, there’s reigning lineal lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

“Marquez is a little better than any of the others,” said Valero. “If it was up to me, I would want that fight [Marquez], but it is up to [promoters] Bob Arum and Golden Boy to make it happen.”

Bob Arum tends to agree, and is keen on making the fight happen.

“Well, the son of a bitch can really bang, we know,” said Arum just minutes after Valero’s destruction of Pitalua. “Now, I don’t want to give him a long layoff. I want him to get back in action real quick. Any lightweight in the world. I’d like him to fight Marquez, that would be great, anybody, Diaz, Linares. He’ll fight anybody. I think he’s really something special.”

Valero’s statement that no man can take his punch is pretty hard to debate. So far, all 25 of his opponents didn’t manage to hear the final bell. Heck, more than 90 percent of his victims didn’t even reach the third round.

However, Valero’s statement that it could be the start of “big things” for him could still be argued.

Winning a title does not instantly guarantee a big paycheck. To get a bigger purse, you have to dance with the big boys. And there are a couple of things that might hamper Valero’s chances of landing a fight with the bigger names in boxing.

First, Valero is still somewhat of an enigma. His smashing win notwithstanding, Valero’s name doesn’t exactly ring a bell to the casual boxing fan. His last fight in the US prior to last Saturday’s win in Texas was six years ago when he knocked out unheralded Tomas Zambrano in one round. A fractured skull and blood clot suffered due to a motorcycle accident in the amateur ranks and a subsequent failed MRI in 2004 have hampered Valero from fighting in the US. That’s why he has been forced to ply his trade outside the US, mostly in Japan, in Venezuela, and in other countries. Valero has only been recently cleared to box in the state of Texas, and so far other states have yet to follow suit. This has contributed much to Valero’s relative obscurity. Realistically speaking, big names sell lots of tickets. Practically speaking, big names want to fight other big names.

Second, believe it or not, is Valero’s punching power. He packs one-punch knockout power in both fists, a rarity in the lower weight classes. So it might be a bit difficult to find a big-named fighter out there who would be willing to step up to the plate against a murderous puncher with a lot of pop, especially someone who does not bring in as much money to the table.

There is no doubt that Edwin Valero brings heaps of excitement in every fight. There is no doubt that El Inca is supremely talented in terms of raw punching power.

It is just a shame that his talent, his blessing, might prove to be his curse as well.

Silva should move up to light heavyweight

(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on April 3, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

On April 18, Anderson Silva will be back in the Octagon to take on fellow Brazilian Thales Leites at UFC 97.

The question is, which Anderson Silva will show up?

Will it be the lethal, cold-blooded, and efficient fighting machine that destroyed the likes of Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, and Dan Henderson? Or will it be the mercurial, seemingly-bored and uninspired fighter that toyed with Patrick Cote five months ago?

In a previous article (Another year for Pacquiao, Silva to prove doubters wrong), I mentioned that Silva did what he did in his last fight because I believed he felt that Cote wasn’t a worthy enough opponent: ”I attribute Silva’s less-than-stellar showing in his last outing to boredom. He has fought every possible contender in his weight class, annihilated every one of them, and he needs to step it up. Maybe Dana White should consider putting Chuck Liddell in the Octagon opposite Silva? Or how about the winner of the upcoming George St.-Pierre – BJ Penn fight? The point is, as good a fighter as Silva is, he needs to be fighting top contenders instead of tomato cans for him to be challenged. Give him an opponent who he knows could hurt him and even take him out, and Silva wouldn’t even think of toying with the other guy. I guarantee you’ll see the old Silva back in action.

I said it then, I say it now. Silva’s performance will depend on whether he thinks Leites will be an opponent of caliber worth taking seriously. That said, fight fans, and even Dana White should keep their fingers crossed. I, for one, am keeping my fingers crossed as well. I want to see the old Silva back in action; I want to enjoy an exciting fight. Who doesn’t?

In any case, I think Silva had better take Leites seriously.

Fifteen fights, 14 wins, one lone loss. Nine wins by submission, two by knockout. Five straight wins in a row. Yes, Leites’s record speaks for itself. He isn’t a fighter Silva can just brush off or dismiss; he’s a

legitimate livewire opponent. So I have a feeling that Silva will indeed bring his “A” game come fight night.

I also believe that depending on the outcome of the fight, it’s time for Silva to move up permanently to the light heavyweight division. Silva once tested the division’s waters a year ago and knocked out James Irvin in the first round.

Maybe a move up to light heavyweight will keep Anderson Silva hungry, and, more importantly the fight fans happy.

Liddell’s last stand

Speaking about hunger, in a previous article (Last Stand for the Iceman), I wrote about Chuck Liddell’s losses of late and speculated that it might have something to do with his diminishing hunger for the game: “Many people will point to Liddell’s age as one of the factors that has contributed to his slump as of late. His last two losses have been dealt by Evans and Jardine, fighters much younger and fresher than him. But I suspect that it is more than age that has resulted in Liddell’s recent losses. I see a fighter that has reached the pinnacle of success and has become complacent, a fighter that has lost his hunger and drive as a result. In order to be on top again, Liddell has to go back to the basics and find the hunger to do what he does best, and that is to fight.”

A reader was gracious enough to comment on my write up: “I think Chuck is one of the greats for sure, but I think his days on top are over, along with many of the greats. I think it’s a combination of age and not having the hunger to fight anymore but I think the world of MMA has also hit a new level. Some of the new guns on the show are just flat out better, faster, and stronger. With MMA growing so fast and becoming so popular we are seeing a lot more faces in the ring, most of them with a huge background of talent that is soon going to outshine all of our old favorites. Like I said I’m not trying to bash Chuck, he’s one of my favorites but we are seeing the out with the old and in with the new stage of MMA, time to see new Joes become greats.”

Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua will be UFC 97’s co-main event. And in my opinion, this will be Liddell’s last chance to show if he still has what it takes to be an elite, top caliber fighter, his age notwithstanding. Who knows? Perhaps Liddell can turn back time and pull off one impressive win just for old times’ sake.

Perhaps the Iceman might just give one more vintage performance to make a believer once again out of our dear reader?

If not, then maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Liddell to finally hang up the MMA gloves, enjoy his retirement, and look back on a storied, successful career.