The latest MMA Q&A answers questions about Ronda Rousey, UFC drug testing, Bellator 138, and more.
It’s been a busy month in MMA. I think. Honestly, this month has been a blur as I’ve been dealing with more personal issues than a fighter who loses but doesn’t want to make excuses. But I’m still here to ask and answer the tough questions. So let’s open up the floor.
Did you see Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania?
I did. That was her toughest fight ever. Stephanie still hasn’t tapped out. I thought the segment went a little too long, but it was a nice pop for the fans and obviously WWE wants to use Ronda at Wrestlemania 32 in some capacity. She’ll be an even bigger star by the time that event rolls around and should help fill Cowboys Stadium.
What if she loses…
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Rousey isn’t losing a fight between now and April 2016. The only fight she’d be tested in would be against Cris “Cyborg” and that fight isn’t happening within the next year, if at all.
My biggest problem with Rousey actually wrestling, especially against someone like Stephanie, is that there’s no believability to it. The match should last 10 seconds and Rousey should win. Anything else would be preposterous. I know they’ve been able to make fans suspend their disbelief with Brock Lesnar, but at least Lesnar started out in wrestling and actually lost some UFC fights. Rousey has been more or less untouchable in her MMA career so it’s going to be tough to swallow seeing her eat a pedigree from a 39-year old mother of three.
The best fighter pound for pound is fighting this month. How come no one cares?
Well, he’s #1 in Joe Rogan’s book and #1 in Dana White’s book for this week, but he’s #3 in the super official rankings.
As for why no cares about Demetrious Johnson, there are a couple of reasons. First, UFC has done a pretty bad job promoting him and the division ever since it’s inception in 2012. Second, Demetrious isn’t exactly full of charisma. UFC just thinks that if they call him “the top pound for pound fighter” and praise his skills that people will want to see him fight. Except that it doesn’t work like that if a fighter doesn’t do a good job promoting himself and if the fighter doesn’t have any credible contenders. They thought that putting him on FOX would increase his drawing power, but that didn’t work for the same reasons as to why he’s not a PPV draw.
Johnson’s opponent this weekend, Kyoji Horiguchi has never been in a main event or co-main event on a UFC card. In his last fight, he beat a 6-3-1 fighter by decision. Now we’re supposed pay to see him fight the most skilled fighter in the world today?
I like watching Demetrious Johnson fight because he’s supremely talented, but I don’t go out of the way to see him perform.
What was UFC thinking with “Rampage” Jackson?
They were thinking that they could use what little name value he has left to help boost a PPV that no one was going to buy. It was a pretty dumb line of thinking because the moment that Bellator filed the injunction, everyone knew that “Rampage” wouldn’t be fighting at UFC 186 and yet they still promoted him as the headliner.
Did they think he would help their position in the anti-trust case?
I’m not a lawyer and I’m not going to pretend to be one. I think they probably figured that it wouldn’t hurt their position, but that still doesn’t explain why they would promote him as the main draw of the PPV and basically self-sabotage their own event if they knew that he wouldn’t be able to fight.
However, if they did sacrifice UFC 186 just to win this anti-trust case, then I’m not sure if that makes Dana the smartest man or the dumbest man in the world.
Did you watch the UFC 189 World Tour Embedded episodes?
I did and I thought they were awesome. They are essentially less expensive and more engaging episodes of UFC Primetime. It obviously helps that Conor McGregor is super charismatic, Jose Aldo is getting a chance to show his personality, and the two have a genuine hatred of each other. Even before these World Tour episodes, I’ve always enjoyed the Embedded series leading up to events. They are much better than the Vlogs that Dana used to do as these actually focus on the fighters.
Will UFC 189 do over 1 million buys?
No. As good as the tour and feud has been, it’s not a big enough fight to do over a million buys. Jose Aldo’s highest buyrate as a headliner was 330,000 buys against Frankie Edgar. That card had Rashad Evans, a proven draw at the time, and Alistair Overeem when he still meant something. And even Edgar had headlined some PPVs and was a former champion. Aldo’s last two fights against Chad Mendes and Chan Sung Jung did 180,000 each. I have a hard time believing that Conor McGregor, a guy who has never headlined a PPV, and Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 is worth an extra 820,000 buys. I think UFC 189 will be Aldo’s best PPV number ever and could very likely do 500,000+ buys, but 1 million would shock everyone except McGregor.
Who is the genius behind “Jacare” Souza vs. Chris Camozzi 2?
My guess is Dana White and Joe Silva. I don’t understand this fight at all. Obviously “Jacare” should win and win easily, but what does it accomplish? He beats a guy who he just beat less than two years ago and is 2-3 since that loss. And if he loses, they’ve completely killed off one of their top contenders for a guy who would fluke out a victory. They were better off pulling Souza off the card or begging Tim Kennedy to take the fight.
At least we’re getting an awesome fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Luke Rockhold to likely determine the next challenger for the Middleweight Title.
MIRKO CRO COP IS BACK!!!!!!
I’m excited that he picked up the victory, but he should probably call it a career now. He’s avenged his most embarrassing defeat of his career, but he’s 40-years-old with 31 kickboxing fights and 45 MMA fights in his career. What else is there for him to do?
I guess he could fight some other past their prime guys like Rodrigo Nogueira or Andrei Arlovski, but those fights would just be sad and unnecessary. “Cro Cop” should just hang up his gloves with a victory in the main event on a UFC show. He’d be one of the few to retire as on top as he can get.
Who is Jeff Novitsky and why did UFC hire him?
I believe he’s Dirk Nowitzki’s cousin. As for why UFC hired, they are trying to prove that they’re serious about this whole drug testing thing. So they’re bringing in a guy who helped bring down BALCO and Lance Armstrong. Granted, he came under fire for how he helped bring down BALCO and Armstrong, but that doesn’t matter to the UFC. All that matters to them is the perception that they’re trying to clean up the sport. Novitsky gives them that perception.
So was this a good hire?
Depends on who you ask.
I’m asking you.
Alright then. I think it’s good for the UFC, bad for the fighters. Novitsky will help clean up the sport, but I’m not sure at what cost. This dude dug through garbage and then leaked a list of anonymous MLB test results in order to make his case. If I’m a fighter, I don’t trust this guy and I definitely question the legality of being tested by him and the UFC.
Is Bellator 138 the biggest event of the year?
Easily. I know people will say that UFC card with Anthony Johnson vs. Jon Jones and Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort and other people will say that UFC card with Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor and Rory MacDonald vs. Robbie Lawler. Some people might even say that boxing event with Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. But you have to pay for those cards. BELLATOR 138 IS FREE!!!
KIMBO VS. SHAMROCK!!!! A FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT!!!!! MICHAEL CHANDLER!!!!! And now. BOBBY LASHLEY VS. JAMES THOMPSON 2!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m thinking of this like a mini-tournament. The Kimbo vs. Shamrock winner will face the Lashley vs. Thompson winner. Can you imagine KIMBO VS. THOMPSON 2?!?!?!?! How about SHAMROCK VS. LASHLEY?!?!?!?!
There are no two fights that UFC can put together on the same card that will trump what Bellator has put together for Bellator 138.
I’ll take one more question.
When is Samer Kadi coming back?
That’s all the time we have. Enjoy the fights.
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