UFC 98 Blog
May 23, 2009
UFC 98 Post
Mortem: Awards
By Jake Rossen ([email protected])
Sunday, 4:50 p.m. ET: Just like that damn “Lost,” every MMA event raises more questions than it answers.
Revisionist Fight of the Night Award: Sherk/Edgar
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Surprise of the Night Award: Chael Sonnen
Locked in a guillotine in the opening moments, the infamously
submission-challenged Sonnen wormed his way out and proceeded to
beat Dan
Miller for 15 merciless minutes. An improving fighter, and the
toughest
real estate agent in the business.
Well, it’s either him or this guy.
Post-Fight Nuttiness Award (aka “the Quinton”): Sean Sherk
So irate over his loss to Frank Edgar -- and possibly more so for not getting Fight of the Night -- Sherk was alleged to have run out of the arena, still in shorts and gloves, and down the Strip. It’s Las Vegas, so he didn’t stand out in the least, but it also means he may have failed to immediately provide a post-fight urine test before drinking anything he could conceivably blame a positive test on. Oops.
Innovation of the Night Award: The King Cam
I can’t speak for all Burger King locations, but franchisee nearest me emits such a pungent stench of cooking lard and grease from its grills that birds drop out of the sky with regularity. [He’s joking. -- The Lawyers]
That said, the King’s sponsoring of backstage cameras prior and during the event seemed to finally acknowledge the synergy potential of the Internet. Watching Evans get loose and Machida sit quietly in a chair, barely moving, has to be the definition of subjectivity: Some people would find it mind-numbing, like that Andy Warhol movie that had a guy sleeping for five hours. I found it fascinating.
UFC 98 Post
Mortem: New Questions
By Jake Rossen ([email protected])
Sunday, 3:45 p.m. ET: Just like that damn “Lost,” every MMA event raises more questions than it answers.
Q: Who beats Machida?
A: A wrestler who can keep his crazy karate ass down. Unless Machida is amazing off his back, or has Liddell-levels of torquing right back up to his feet. He might be working on that now. Literally, right now, on the plane back to Brazil. Frightening.
Q: Will Brock Larson ever get respect?
A: In fairness to Mike Pyle, whom he subbed, it was a last-minute thing after Chris Wilson dropped out due to unresolved medicals. But Larson, now 26-2, is criminally overlooked. A match against Josh Koscheck would do a lot for one of their careers.
Q: Does Matt Hughes need Pat Miletich?
A: Since starting his own fight squad to be closer to home, Hughes has looked progressively less impressive. Good coaching should never be undervalued. Who’s telling Hughes what to do?
Q: Who’s getting bounced?
A: Xavier Foupa-Pokam, victim of a battering courtesy Drew McFedries, has his toes over the edge of the cliff, but the late-notice factor should earn him one more shot. Dave Kaplan, now 0-2, is over the coals. And that Swayze-circa-“Point Break” hair isn’t helping.
Q: What was Dana White’s best Tweet of the weekend?
A: “Rrrrr.” Yeah, I don’t know, either.
Etc.
The post-fight presser had White promising the coaches for the “Ultimate Fighter” season 10 would be unveiled June 2. It’s widely believed that Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida will be slotted in. Filming in summer for a hypothetical September premiere could mean they could fight as soon as the Christmas card, which isn’t as offensive as some of these television schedules can be…Machida laughed off any acting aspirations, which prompted White to do a fist-pump…White “didn’t see how Edgar could win” the Sherk fight, same as most…the promotion has a date locked in for October 24 at the Staples Center.
UFC 98 Post
Mortem: Winners, Losers and What Comes Next
By Jake Rossen ([email protected])
Sunday, 2:40 p.m. ET: Karate’s marquee victory remains the destruction of Johnny Lawrence, which led to the historically significant dissolution of Cobra Kai. But Lyoto Machida knocking out Rashad Evans Saturday night comes in a very close second.
An unofficial count had Machida eating four strikes in the entire fight, which is more punishment than he’s endured in his previous bouts put together. Evans swung wildly at air, failed to hit the ignition on any takedowns and appeared to look lost and ineffective, which has been Machida’s hallmark -- but never against someone as pedigreed, competent and dangerous as Evans.
Karate is back. Get ready for the T-shirts.
Next for Evans: Still the best fighter in the division not named Machida. UFC will have to use caution in not having him morph into a security guard for the title, picking off contenders without being able to challenge the champion himself. (See: Rich Franklin.) Evans’ striking has been well-exercised: Let’s see his wrestling return against Matt Hamill or Dan Henderson.
Next for Machida: A decided lack of recovery-drink endorsements. And Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. I still want to see him against a determined takedown artist; if Jackson doesn’t play that game -- and he really, really should -- then it’ll be up to Evans in a rematch. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is on the title bubble, as well. That would be fun. Until the paramedics arrive.
Next for Matt Hughes: A big, fat UFC payday for not changing the logo on his gloves. Hughes has professed an interest in rematching Thiago Alves, but that makes no sense, and never will. Karo Parisyan would be a challenge for both men without risking Hughes’ brain cells in the process.
Next for Matt Serra: Pasta.
Minute by
Minute: UFC 98
By Jake Rossen ([email protected])
Saturday, 10:00 p.m. ET: The UFC’s 130th live event airs on select cable outlets, closed-circuit feeds, and nacho cheese-encrusted sports bars everywhere beginning at 10 p.m ET.
Those not in attendance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas may miss securing a communicable disease, but they don’t have to miss the action: refresh frequently for live updates.
10:00 PM ET Live from Las Vegas, site of many classic UFC battles: St. Pierre vs. Penn, Liddell vs. Jackson, Zuffa vs. Couture.
10:01 PM The artsy black and white hype footage: Matt Serra and Matt Hughes exchange pleasantries.
10:02 PM The UFC is continuing to Webcast locker room feeds at their Burger King-sponsored satellite site. The effect is voyeuristic and slightly creepy: like convenience store surveillance footage.
10:03 PM Lyoto Machida just purchased a bag of Xtreme Cheese Doritos. The clerk does not have change for 200 escudos.
10:07 PM Whopper Cam: Rashad Evans is getting his hands wrapped while an enormous commission rep watches.
10:08 PM Sean Sherk and Frank (nee Frankie) Edgar are up. Is this like "Richard" Schroeder? Prognosticating: Edgar is a tough guy. Sherk is a tough athlete. Big difference.
10:09 PM Edgar half-jogs to the ring. Both he and Sherk are listed as 5'6", which must please two guys used to jump-punching.
10:11 PM Pencil-neck Sherk enters the arena to the "Jaws" theme. It's been observed that he looks less like an action figure than in fights past, but I don't see it. He still looks like he could beat up a brick.
10:13 PM Edgar has a 5" reach. Where's Mauro Ranallo when you need him?
10:14 PM Sherk getting a good crowd reception.
10:15 PM Sherk comes forward. Edgar flirts with the clinch, but backs out.
10:16 PM Edgar goes for a takedown. Really?
10:17 PM Mike Goldberg babbles something about sharks and deep water. Edgar goes for a single. Madoff levels of bad advice.
10:18 PM Edgar works a choke. Sherk hulks out and shakes him off. Round one is over. Edge to Edgar. Slightly busier.
10:20 PM Dana White is announced as Twittering throughout the night.
10:21 PM Round two: Sherk continues to move forward, but Edgar seems to pulling the trigger more quickly. Nice leg kick by Edgar. Thwap.
10:22 PM Edgar continues to edge him out. Sherk falls on his butt for no discernible reason. Maybe just a loss of balance. Or that knee to his torso.
10:24 PM Rogan observes how odd it is that Sherk hasn't yet tried for a single takedown. Wrestlers often get infected with boxitis. Chronic condition.
10:25 PM Edgar goes low. End of round two. Edgar up 20-18, I think.
10:28 PM Sherk takes his shot, but Edgar pops up.
10:30 PM A visibly worn Sherk tries another shot, but Edgar won't have it.
10:32 PM Edgar jumps into a guillotine attempt just as the round ends. Nice punctuation mark. Sherk pitches a mild fit. He's pretty sure he lost.
10:33 PM 30-27 nods for Edgar. He wants a shot at the title. BJ Penn applauds the effort. He pencils Edgar in for 2012.
10:37 PM Backstage: Machida sits quietly. He looks like he's in the waiting room for an impacted molar.
10:38 PM Serra Cam: the former champion stretches and nearly smells his own toes. He recoils in horror.
10:39 PM Chael Sonnen and Dan Miller due to enter shortly. Sonnen’s submission awareness is at Hammer House-levels of mediocrity; Miller has choked more people than cheap steak. First-round submission coming up.
10:42 PM Sonnen enters, famously having lost 36 lbs. in three weeks. Rogan mentions he's the former WEC middleweight champ. Yes, Sonnen beat the highly-regarded Paul Filho; no, Filho didn’t appear at all interested in staying awake, let alone fighting. Perspective.
10:45 PM Referee Yves Lavigne is roundly booed.
10:46 PM Sonnen shoots and immediately gets caught in a guillotine. You can't fight fate. Oh, wait: He pops out and lands some nice shots. Miller's open guard is of questionable efficacy at the moment.
10:48 PM Sonnen has side control. Miller regains full guard. Hard shots by Chael. It's almost like the Internet insiders don't know what they're talking about. End round one. Miller tries to get used to his new nose.
10:51 PM Two: Trading Bronson-style on the feet. Sonnen drops him hard with a takedown, and Miller again locks on a guillotine. Too much lactic acid build-up. He lets go.
10:53 PM Sonnen continues the hammerfists and assorted cruelty directly adjacent to a giant Burger King logo. Surreal.
10:56 PM End of round. All Sonnen.
10:58 PM Three: Miller backs up Sonnen with a combination, but Sonnen has not forgotten he's a way better wrestler and takes him down. Again.
11:00 PM Even though Sonnen continues to stay busy on top, the crowd grows restless. Poor omen for the main event.
11:03 PM Fight's over. Sonnen will take the upset.
11:04 PM Chicken Fries Cam: Evans bounces around with his giant '80s headphones; Machida hasn't moved from his folding chair in what seems like hours.
11:05 PM Sonnen by unanimous decision.
11:05 PM Due up: Drew McFedries and Xavier Foupa-Pokam. Pre-emptive play-by-play: Boom. Boom. Thud. Sirens.
11:07 PM Is Machida is getting up? No: he's just shifting in his seat.
11:09 PM Foupa-Pokam is in the cage. What an obvious stage name.
11:11 PM Evans' trainer Greg Jackson is backstage miming an old-time boxing stance. This creep-o-cam: very innovative idea. I'm half-tempted to buy some Cheesy Tots.
11:13 PM McFedries just went completely Liam Neeson on Foupa-Pokam, hammering at least three months' worth of third-grade memories out of him. Savage TKO.
11:15 PM Machida has warmed up to a light stroll.
11:21 PM Krzysztof Soszynski and Andre Gusmao make an abrupt ring appearance. Trivia: Soszynski learned submissions from the WWE’s “Bad News” Brown that got him hooked on MMA. “Bad News,” as we all know, took 3rd at NAGA in ’95 and once defeated the Red Rooster with an inverted triangle.
11:22 PM Soszynski gets clipped in the chipmunk cheeks.
11:24 PM Soszynski lands some blunt shots. Gusmao is sleeping. He looks like a Tempur-Pedic ad.
11:27 PM Mike Tyson in attendance.
11:27 PM Best friends Hughes and Serra in the queue. Midwest ethics vs. New York candor. Hughes is shown giving an "Ultimate Fighter" cast member a noogie. Clearly, this is the root of the bad blood.
11:29 PM Serra calls Hughes a "very talented dick."
11:30 PM Serra heads to the ring scored by Bill Conti.
11:31 PM Machida jumps rope. Mild aerobic activity of any sort would be good right about now.
11:32 PM Hughes enters looking very stolid. No emotion as he takes his socks off.
11:37 PM Hughes gets the majority crowd support. This might look a lot like Hughes/Chris Lytle.
11:38 PM The two refuse to touch gloves. Swine flu and all.
11:39 PM The crowd boos 30 seconds of inactivity. The main event might require police helicopters.
11:40 PM Serra connects. Hughes is on ice skates. It might've been an errant headbutt. Hughes survives long enough to get the clinch. He's fought out of rough patches before.
11:41 PM Hughes paws at Serra, who has a clear confidence standing. Hughes sends him flying with a takedown. He has Serra's back, hooks in. Very dramatic.
11:42 PM Serra escapes back to the feet. Hughes lands a nice jab. End of the round. Tough one to score if the Hughes hockey was the result of an illegal blow.
11:44 PM The two feel each other out: the crowd continues reacting like they're watching "Berlin Alexanderplatz." Strange group of people. Hughes gets the takedown and works in half-guard. Hughes hammers the ribs, Serra rolls his eyes.
11:49 PM The ref separates them. Serra tries launching an attack, but the round ends. Hughes by Snuggie.
11:52 PM Hughes closes the distance with punches and gets the takedown. Textbook stuff. Serra works a shoulder lock. Another stand-up. More crowd bleating: Strikeforce cancels their Nick Serra/Mark Hughes meeting that was scheduled for next week.
11:54 PM Serra takes Hughes down with :40 to go. Too bad this wasn't the five-rounder it was originally conceived to be.
11:57 PM 29-28 across the board for Hughes.
11:58 PM Croissan'Wich Cam: Machida has donned his Daniel LaRusso uniform.
11:59 PM Hughes tells the crowd he's not done yet, but that he's a free agent. Does he stay with the UFC, or does he bring 10 years' worth of promotion and recognition to another promotion? White sighs and hands him a blank check.
12:02 AM The main event: Evans’ wrestling prowess can take this fight places Machida may not want it to go. And while Machida’s unique attack has drawn attention, it’s not like Evans is the world’s most orthodox striker himself. Evans as a 1.5-1 underdog? Crazy.
12:09 AM Machida arrives at the cage. He has the next 25 minutes to validate everything Pat Morita tried to tell us.
12:11 AM Evans climbs into the cage. He has a very rubbery musculature, like Frank Shamrock's. How that's relevant, I couldn't tell you. He just appears flexible as hell.
12:15 AM I think that's Madonna's ex-husband, Guy Ritchie, sitting next to White. Why more people aren't approaching him wanting their money back for "RockNRolla," I don't know.
12:16 AM Or "Swept Away."
12:17 AM The waltz begins. Crowd gave them a generous minute allowance before starting to boo.
12:19 AM Evans looks to counter the counter; Machida looks to counter the counter of the counter. White Cam: beads of sweat forming.
12:20 AM Machida lands the second of two kicks.
12:21 AM Machida lands and rocks Evans. He pounces, but Evans gets up. End of the round. Machida via Hadoken.
12:23 AM The crowd chants Machida's name. Do you know how many kids are going to break their hands on cinderblocks tomorrow morning?
12:25 AM Machida counters, and Evans fires back. Machida retreats. Evans is very quick.
12:27 AM Machida connects, and Evans is wobbled but smiling. Machida doesn't let up and lands a short shot that puts Evans out cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Shades of Sean Salmon in terms of 0-60 unconsciousness.
12:30 AM An anonymous man holds his head in his hands backstage in Evans' room, clearly upset by the finish. This is getting a little too VH-1.
12:31 AM Machida is elated. "Karate's back!" You just know Jeff Speakman is going to be impossible to live with from now on.
12:38 AM Brock Larson submits late-noticed Mike Pyle with an arm-triangle; backstage, a tasteful accomplice puts a towel over Evans' locker room camera. The feed goes dark.
12:44 AM Tim Hague submits Pat Barry with a guillotine after Barry was getting the better of him standing; Machida is backstage, unmarked and very happy.
5 Questions
for UFC 98
By Jake Rossen ([email protected])
Saturday, 7:58 p.m. ET: Fans who fork over their discretionary income for tickets or pay-per-view access want more than a fight: They want answers to questions created by the pre-bout hype.
Five that make up the questionnaire for Saturday’s UFC 98 card, airing live at 10 p.m. ET from Las Vegas:
Can Machida deal with a wrestler?
We’ve seen Lyoto Machida stuff the shots of Tito Ortiz, but we don’t know if that counts for much: Ortiz, plagued by back problems, hasn’t been the steamroller of years past. Rashad Evans will be the first physical, roughneck wrestler Machida has ever faced in his prime.
Just as Evans may not have found someone to duplicate Machida’s unique feint-and-attack, there aren’t many people who can replicate Evans’ smash-mouth wrestling and fast hands. If Machida’s combat karate has an answer for that, it’s deserving of all the Sunday-morning respect in the world.
Can Serra 2.0 survive Hughes 1.0?
Matt Hughes has put some misplaced faith in his stand-up ability, often neglecting -- out of hubris or perhaps just advancing age -- the style that brought him headlining status. Against Serra, Hughes is likely to revert back to his roots, which involved grounding opponents and then hammering glove-shaped hieroglyphics into their foreheads.
Serra, despite his jiu-jitsu prowess, does not want to be on his back against Hughes. (With a nod to Ben Perry, I realize that’s good cover copy for “Duh” magazine.) If it remains standing, the hands that once knocked reality back into Georges St. Pierre’s life are likely to be to his advantage.
If Hughes has designs on winning, he needs to go old-school farm boy, using hay-bale strength to keep Serra planted. Judging from recent appearances, with a neck that looks like it’s been head butting bricks, he may be preparing to do just that.
Will late notice hinder both “Professor X” and Sonnen?
Some men might say, “There’s no warm-up on the street.” These men are probably in prison.
Both Xavier Foupa-Pokam and Chael Sonnen will step into the arena Saturday on less-than-optimal notice: Foupa-Pokam is replacing an injured James Irvin against Drew McFedries, while Sonnen is stepping in for Yushin Okami against Dan Miller. Sometimes, the lack of prep or game-planning can work to an athlete’s advantage: No one has been in their head, and there’s little pressure. You’ve engendered good will just for showing up.
Foupa-Pokam, however, is barely a month removed from his UFC debut loss to Denis Kang in April. It might’ve actually been a little more fair to place the equally prepped Xavier and Sonnen against each other and slot Miller against McFedries.
What’s done is done. At the least, X/McFedries is a near-guarantee for Knockout of the Night honors.
Will Brock Larson get some respect?
Since losing to Carlos Condit in 2007, WEC castaway Larson is 4-0 with three first-round stoppages (not including an unfortunate win via DQ) and 25-2 overall.
He also shares more than just a name and Minnesota home base with UFC heavyweight Brock Lesnar: Larson is all fast-twitch fury, getting knocked off only twice in his career at the hands of Condit and Jon Fitch. Why haven’t more people noticed?
Is Machida a draw?
I’ve long thought that Machida comes as close to replicating the mystique of Rickson Gracie as anyone: soft-spoken, serious about his art and with a reputation for being invincible. Like actors, some fighters have “it,” a presence and charisma that can’t be articulated. Machida is one of them.
But does that translate into business? The UFC’s current box office champ, Brock Lesnar, is 280 pounds of abrasive Midwest bravado; before him, pseudo-graveyard-digging Tito Ortiz talked his way into feature status.
This is Machida’s first test as a headlining attraction. He has an easily understood story -- karate’s resurrection as a UFC-tested art -- but non-English speaking main eventers have a poor tradition of drawing attention.
It’ll be interesting to see if a Lyoto win and resulting emphasis on his un-dented armor will be a marketing victory for the UFC -- or if they’re about to be anchored by a hard-to-beat champion who can’t put adipose tissue in seats.
UFC 98:
Pickin’ and Grinnin’
By Jordan Breen ([email protected])
Saturday, 7:55 p.m. ET: Upon reader and radio listener demand that Sherdog's boffins supply their full roundtable picks in text form for easy access and inevitable mockery, here are the SRN's best and brightest prognostications for this evening's UFC 98.
Will Frankie Edgar make Greg Savage look like a sage? Will Xavier Foupa-Pokam eschew slugging for submissions, and make TJ De Santis look clairvoyant? Will Kyle Bradley prove his UFC Undisputed in-game rating is a mistake by smashing Phillipe Nover, much to the ecstasy of Lotfi Sariahmed?
I -- your reigning and resident roundtable picks leader -- would suggest not.
Jordan Breen: Machida DEC5, Hughes DEC3, Miller SUB1, Sherk DEC3, Foupa-Pokam TKO1, Larson DEC3, Gusmao DEC3, Barry TKO1, Nover TKO3, Yoshida SUB1, Roop DEC3
TJ DeSantis: Machida DEC5, Hughes TKO3, Miller SUB1, Sherk DEC3, Foupa-Pokam SUB1, Larson DEC3, Gusmao TKO1, Barry TKO2, Nover TKO2, Yoshida DEC3, Kaplan DEC3
Jack Encarnacao: Evans DEC5, Hughes DEC3, Miller SUB1, Sherk DEC3, Foupa-Pokam SUB2, Larson DEC3, Gusmao DEC3, Barry TKO1, Nover SUB1, Yoshida TKO2, Roop SUB2
Lotfi Sariahmed: Evans DEC5, Hughes DEC3, Miller SUB2, Sherk TKO2, Foupa-Pokam TKO1, Larson TKO1, Gusmao DEC3, Barry TKO2, Bradley DEC3, Yoshida TKO1, Roop DEC3
Greg Savage: Evans DEC5, Hughes DEC3, Miller SUB2, Edgar DEC3, Foupa-Pokam SUB3, Larson DEC3, Gusmao TKO1, Barry TKO2, Nover SUB2, Yoshida TKO2, Roop DEC3
Jeff Sherwood: Machida DEC5, Hughes TKO2, Miller SUB2, Sherk TKO3, Foupa-Pokam TKO3, Larson TKO3, Gusmao TKO2, Barry TKO2, Bradley TKO1, Yoshida SUB2, Kaplan DEC3
Reminder: Live
Minute by Minute Tonight Beginning at 10 p.m. ET
By Jake Rossen ([email protected])
Saturday, 4:05 p.m. ET: Pre-existing commitments? 86ed by Hooters? Wife not bending from her appointment viewing of “Jon and Kate Plus 8”? Not a problem: Live Minute by Minute coverage of UFC 98 starts tonight on the blog at 10 p.m. ET.
(For the main event, give it 10 minutes. If no updates arrive, assume Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida are just staring sternly at one another.)
You can also e-mail questions and comments to [email protected]. Messages not written in 25-point font or offering discounts on pet medication get priority.
Red Ink:
Machida vs. Evans
By Jake Rossen ([email protected])
Saturday, 4:10 a.m. ET: Unless I’m mistaken -- very possible, considering my prospective fact-checker refused an offer to work for compensatory Sherdog.com lobster bibs -- Saturday’s main event between Rashad Evans (13-0-1) and Lyoto Machida (14-0) marks the first time in Ultimate Fighting Championship history that two undefeated athletes have competed for a world title.
That both Machida and Evans have come up through in the ranks in a shark tank as deep as the UFC and have arrived at this point unblemished is incredibly difficult to do. (Rule #544 of MMA: everyone loses. One of them will find that out shortly.)
Evans is the physical wrestler who’s gotten so proficient standing that he often doesn’t bother with takedowns; Machida is the billboard for the exhausted label of “elusive,” able to shift away from attacks while delivering chopping strikes.
I have no idea who will win, and that’s the best kind of fight there is.
What It Means: The UFC’s light heavyweight strap is earned only after running one of the toughest divisional gauntlets in the sport. Holding it while remaining undefeated makes a strong case for either Evans or Machida to take a significant bump up the pound-for-pound rankings.
Third-Party Investor: Anderson Silva, who could mull a run at 205 pounds if friend and training partner Machida fails to capture the belt.
Who Wins: Bookmakers who play both sides of an incredibly evenly matched fight.
A copout? Fine. Prediction under protest: Evans, easily the best wrestler-striker-athlete hybrid Machida has ever faced. If he wants it on the mat, it’ll go there. Machida’s “elusiveness” will be a lot harder to apply when his head is being forced through the cage fence.
Outtakes: Sean
Sherk Q&A
By TJ De Santis ([email protected])
Saturday, 3:30 a.m. ET: TJ De Santis interviewed former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk for a story that ran Monday on the front page of Sherdog.com. Here’s some bonus material:
Sherdog: Fans were hard on you following your positive test for Nandrolone. Do you think that situation is behind you?
Sherk: I still think it’s still an issue. Every interview I do, people ask me about it. The fans still say things about it. I have always been open and honest about it. I have nothing to hide. I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s still an issue but not as big as it was in the past. I think it’s always going to be an issue. People are always going to bring it up. It’s always going to be something that I have to deal with.
Continue Reading » Sherk Outtakes
Check the blog all day for more entries.
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