Cage Pages - A MMA blog for diehard MMA fans

Bellator announced Thursday that Muhammad Lawal has signed to fight for Bellator and wrestle for TNA. Lawal was recently cut from Strikeforce after failing his post fight drug test at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine.

This is the biggest signing for Bellator so far and in a weak light heavyweight division, Lawal should be able to take the belt fairly easily. Another soon to be free agent is Rampage Jackson.

He has had a huge falling out with the UFC. Jackson has constantly ripped on the UFC and after publicly praising TRT use is on a very short leash with the UFC. The UFC already agreed to give Jackson one more fight, against Shogun Rua, and then he will be released from his contract.

There’s no way Jackson is going to resign with the UFC, but he wants big money. Bellator can provide the big contract he wants and will promote him like no other he fighter. Jackson would be their biggest signing by far and would be their star, which is all he wants.

Both he and Lawal are in the same weight class, so this can set up a huge fight for Bellator. Lawal has called out Rampage before and hopefully he signs with Bellator to make this fight happen. Jackson and Lawal are both solid wrestlers, but more importantly love to get the fans going. They would stand and throw bombs at each other and it would be very similar to a Rampage-Wanderlei fight.

The Lawal signing is just one more way for Bellator to show it is a top level promotion and with a possible Rampage signing it just makes the company a bigger promotional threat to the UFC.

Tuesday, New York made a ruling that it is legal to view child pornography, but mixed martial arts is still illegal in the same state. This just shows the backwards culture that numerous politicians have on mixed martial arts. Below is the link for the article in New York:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/viewing-child-pornography-not-crime-according-york-court-165025919.html

Back in the 1990′s and early 2000′s MMA was branded as human cockfighting. This statement was made famous by John McCain when he and other politicians wanted to outlaw the sport for good. The UFC was outlawed from PPV for a while and it took years for the sport to get regulated.

Thankfully, Dana White and others were able to get the sport regulated and pass laws to make the sport what it is today. Almost every state in the United States has legalized MMA, but New York still holds out.

Just to show the hypocritical nature of the New York politicians boxing, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and kick boxing is all legal in New York, but MMA is illegal. In fact, mixed martial arts is a safer sport than boxing, yet is still illegal. No one has died in MMA, but we see numerous deaths in boxing each year.

Mixed martial arts, while not a safe sport, is definitely one of the more safe out there. We haven’t seen fighters suffering from severe brain trauma, nor mass suicide like in football from concussions. There aren’t any mixed martial artist that have Parkinson’s disease and they take much less of a beating than boxers. In boxing, the point is to knock down your opponent by multiple strikes to the head. When a boxer is knocked down he is given ten seconds to get back up and then is beaten again if he can stand back up.

In MMA if a fighter is knocked out, the referee is able to step in and stop it immediately if he cannot defend himself intelligently. There are also submissions to finish your opponent, so there is a lot less brain trauma.

Part of the reason MMA is illegal is because of the political ties ZUFFA head Lorenzo Fertitta has in Las Vegas. He owns multiple casinos and is anti-union. New York is a democratic state in which most politicians in the state support unions. The reason it isn’t being passed in New York isn’t because of the sport being barbaric, but the fact that the head of the biggest MMA promotion goes against the state’s political views.

This newest trial in New York just shows how far mixed martial arts has to go to be viewed as a legitimate sport. While this trial may have shown the holes in the laws to fight child pornography it also shows that MMA is still viewed as a niche sport. Mixed martial arts has failed to be passed in New York on multiple occasions, most recently this year, and New York has even said the state will not look at trying to legalize the sport in 2012.

Part of helping to get MMA legalized will be fighters becoming more professional. The sport can’t have fighters acting like thugs inside and outside the ring, but this is an issue in all sports. It could even be said that fighters are more professional and better acting than athletes in other sports.

Most are college graduates, some are even Olympians, and are good people. We see all the time in sports like baseball, professionals getting DUI’s and basketball players getting in brawls.

Luckily, MMA is become much more mainstream. Anderson Silva is sponsored by Nike and Burger King, some fighters are sponsored by Safe Auto and Georges St. Pierre is even sponsored by Under Armour. These are huge companies and the fact that fighters are being sponsored by these companies shows how far it has come as a sport.

It still has a long way to go though and this trial in New York showed it. The best way to help MMA get passed in New York is for fans to hound their politicians to get it passed. Educate the politicians about what MMA truly is and that it isn’t “human cock fighting” as it was once branded, but a legitimate sport now.

Below is a video on legalizing MMA in New York:

After retiring after a loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, BJ Penn retired from the UFC. He is one of only two men to hold a title in two different weight classes and was one of the most dominant lightweights of all time. While he failed to live up to “The Prodigy” he is still one of the most well known and successful UFC fighters and is now ready to return. Dana White said that if Penn returns it will most likely be at welterweight, but assuming he could return to lightweight let’s view some possible fights for him upon his return.

Lightweight:

Gilbert Melendez:

If the UFC truly wants to see how good Melendez is a fight against BJ Penn could give them the answer. Penn was a dominant champ and if he wants the opportunity to hold another belt, moving to Strikeforce could be the answer. This fight would allow us to see if Penn can still be an elite fighter and whether Melendez is a top ranked lightweight.

Nate Diaz:

Assuming Diaz wants to take a fight while Bendo and Edgar settle their score a fight with Penn could be perfect. The elder Diaz already defeated Penn, but with Penn at his more natural weight this could be an interesting fight. This is another fight that would allow us to see where both Diaz and Penn are in the lightweight division and a win for Penn would definitely get him back into top lightweight status. If Penn decides he wants to come back soon, this could be a perfectly timed fight for both fighters.

Joe Lauzon:

Why not? Both are coming off losses, both are jiu-jitsu experts and Lauzon was on Penn’s team during The Ultimate Fighter. It’s a bout that would get both back on track and Lauzon is known for taking down big names. He defeated Jens Pulver in his UFC debut and recently derailed Melvin Guillard’s title chances. Penn could be another name to add to the list.

Welterweight:

Josh Koscheck:

Koscheck is coming off a loss against Johny Hendricks and is in a sort of limbo in the welterweight division. A fight against Penn would give him a big name opponent and pay day and would be a fun fight. It’s the classic wrestler vs. jiu-jitsu match up and one that all fans would love to see.

Jon Fitch:

They fought to a draw last fight and it was a great fight. While fans may not like it because of Fitch’s fight style it would be nice to figure out a winner. Neither is near a title shot, so this fight is one that could happen and wouldn’t really ruin any title implications. This could be a good match up on a free card or the co-main event of a PPV card. Fitch isn’t scheduled to fight anyone, so this is a definite possibility.

Obviously all of these fights depend on whether or not Penn comes back, but if he does there are plenty of fights available for him.

Dec 10, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; UFC fighter Frank Mir (top) against fighter Minotauro Nogueira during a heavyweight bout at UFC 140 at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Frank Mir will take on Junior Dos Santos for the heavyweight title at UFC 146 May 26 after Overeem was forced out of the bout. Overeem tested positive for raised testosterone levels and has been suspended for  nine months. Mir immediately stepped up saying he would be willing to fight Dos Santos and the UFC granted his request.

This fight is a lot more interesting than it looks. While it may seem like an easy win for Dos Santos because of his huge knockout power the jiu-jitsu of Mir makes this bout a lot more interesting. Dos Santos is a student under Nogueira and Mir recently became the first person to submit Mir. He was also the first person to knock out Nogueira.

We’ve heard a lot about Dos Santos jiu-jitsu. His manager, Ed Soares, has said that Dos Santos is a black belt, but we’ve never seen it. Dos Santos has gone to the ground, but he was on top and it was at the end of a dominant fight against Shane Carwin.

Mir on the other hand is a true jiu-jitsu black belt. He has vicious submissions and manages to use them even when he’s almost finished. We hear all the time about a jiu-jitsu practitioner who doesn’t just try to submit you, he also tries to take a limb. Mir is the true example of this. He snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm and broke Nogueira’s with an kimura.

If Mir can manage to take this to the ground the fight becomes a lot more interesting. Mir will attempt to get it to the ground and if he does Dos Santos better be ready. He has by far the best jiu-jitsu in the heavyweight division and has shown it on multiple occasions.

Dos Santos best chance is going to be to keep it standing and use those vicious uppercuts to finish Mir. We’ve seen before that Mir can have a suspect chin. Lesnar finished him and so did Carwin, but it looked a little better against Nogueira. He was dazed by the Brazilian, but managed to submit him.

Dos Santos is the favorite in this fight as he should be, but if Mir can get this to the ground look out. This fight is a lot more interesting than it looks on paper and Mir definitely has a chance. It all depends on which Mir shows up. If it’s the focused fast, strong in shape Mir this will be a hell of a fight.

May 5, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Alan Belcher celebrates a victory against Rousimar Palhares during UFC on Fox 3 at the Izod Center. Alan Belcher won by technical knock out in the first round. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-US PRESSWIRE

Alan Belcher won his fourth straight fight at UFC on Fox Saturday when he defeated Rousimar Palhares by TKO with elbows on the ground. It realistically could be seven straight if not for a split decision that went to Yoshihiro Akiyama. I have watched that fight on a few occasions and still feel that he won.

Belcher was out for over a year after suffering a detached retina, but has looked great since coming back. He has great Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu, something we saw in the fight with Palhares. Belcher basically did the opposite of what was expected from him and went to the ground testing Palhares jiu-jitsu. Palhares is one of the best in the sport, but was unable to submit Belcher. There is no doubt that getting out of the submissions gave Belcher huge confidence because he knew he would be able to hang with Palhares at his own game.

He was ultimately able to knockout Palhares with elbows, but just looked like an absolute stud in this most recent fight. Belcher has huge heart and showed that when he came back from the eye injury. That could have ended his career, but he fought through it and came back stronger.

The biggest reason Belcher isn’t as well known as he should be is due to the injuries. Fans have a short attention span and while he is a great fighter Belcher hasn’t fought top level fighters. He’s defeated mid tier fighters like Ed Herman and Patrick Cote, but suffered setbacks to fighters like Yushin Okami and Akiyama.

After the Palhares fight Belcher obviously deserves a step up in competition. He ran through the Brazilian and should be only one or two shots away from the title. A fight with the winner of Bisping-Boetsch would make sense as would a fight against the Stann-Lombard winner. If Belcher keeps performing like he did against Palhares and can make a title run he won’t be underrated for long.

May 5, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Johny Hendricks (left) fights Josh Koscheck in a welterweight bout during UFC on Fox 3 at the Izod Center. Johny Hendricks won by split decision in the third round. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-US PRESSWIRE

Johny Hendricks defeated Josh Koscheck in a great fight. Hendricks was able to win the stand up battle and ultimately eek out a split decision victory. While we do need to start worrying about Koscheck’s eye trouble. It looks like for the second straight fight he may have a broken orbital.

Hendricks looked great in this fight. He was able to mix up the left and rights compared to what he has done in previous fights. The Texan usually looks for the big right hand, but mixed it up great in this fight and helped him to earn the victory. Hendricks is one of these new breeds of MMA fighters. He has solid stand up and is a four time All-American wrestler.

He defeated Jon Fitch by knockout in his previous fight and is launching himself into title contention. The biggest issue is the mess in the welterweight division. St. Pierre is out, Condit is waiting to unify the belt and most other fights are booked. He may have to wait to fight against the winner of Ellenberger-Kampmann for a No. 1 contender bout, but that puts him out for a six or more months.

Best case scenario is St. Pierre comes back in September and the winner of Ellenberger-Kampmann comes out injury free. Hendricks definitely has the knockout power and wrestling to defeat anyone it will all depend on whether he can put it all together.

The UFC returns to New Jersey Saturday on Fox with a title eliminator bout in the lightweight division. Jim Miller will fight Nate Diaz for the opportunity to face the winner of Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. Main card predictions after the jump. Continue reading this post »

India’s only MMA promotion the Super Fight League is going to be having its third event Sunday in New Dehli.

Main Card:

Bobby Lashley V James Thompson (HW)
Former WWE Champion Bobby ‘The Dominator’ Lashley takes on battle tested British Heavyweight James ‘The Colossus’ Thompson in a headline battle of the Heavyweights. Lashley is not underestimating his opponent, having trained for a stand up battle or a wrestling gala whist Thompson, fresh off a win over Bob Sapp at SFL 1, is predicting a three round war.

Trevor Prangley V Baga Agaev (LH)
27 year old Russian submission specialist Baga Agaev has vowed to win in ‘spectacular fashion’ as he takes on Trevor Prangley in what promises to be a technical battle between these two seasoned fighters. Having held the belts for Strikeforce, MFC, Shark Fights, and Bodog, two time All American College Wrestler and South African National Champion Prangley can not afford to underestimate the dangerous Russian prospect who boasts a 3-1 record against UFC vets.

Doug Marshall V Zelg Galesic (MW)
Former WEC Light Heavyweight champion Doug Marshall faces DREAM vet and former Cage Rage Middleweight champion, explosive Croatian striker Zelg Galesic. In a match up with fight of the night chemistry, both these hard hitters will be looking for the KO.

Lena Ovchynnikova V Joanne Calderwood (125 lb)
World class Muay Thai fighter and current IKF European Flyweight Kickboxing Champion Joanne Calderwood takes on 24 year old Ukrainian Lena Ovchynnikova who is focused on regaining her winning streak following a loss at SFL 1. With previous SFL women’s bouts being fight of the night contenders, expect this one to be no different.

SFL founder Raj Kundra said: ‘SFL 3 stands to be the best so far. We’re hosting SFL 3 in one of India’s best indoor stadiums – the IGI in New Delhi with a 10,000 capacity. We have a fantastic main event with SFL 1 champion James Thomson Vs Bob Lashley so tune in to see the action!’

Main Card

Bobby Lashley V James Thompson (HW/ Main Event)
Trevor Prangley V Baga Agaev (LH)
Doug Marshall V Zelg Galesic (MW)
Lena Ovchynnikova V Joanne Calderwood (125 lb)

Under Card
Kultar Singh Gill [India] vs Quinton Arendse [South Africa] [80 kg catchweight]
Gurdarshan Mangat [India] vs Liu Si Cong [China] [62 kg catchweight]
Lakhwinder Singh Sekhon [India] vs Vladimir Biandov [Bulgaria] lightweight
Anup Kumar [India] vs Noom [Thailand] [60 kg catchweight]

Rundown courtesy of @zaramma for SFL.

We’ve been hearing it for the past year, Tim Sylvia wants back in the UFC and feels he deserves the chance. That’s fine, we all understand, you left the UFC had a rough slide, but have gotten back on track and feel you deserve another shot. What’s not okay is your ludicrous idea that you are an elite heavyweight.

Sylvia stated:

“Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez and probably Shane Carwin.  Those top five right there are very tough fights for me, the fight could go either way. All the other ones, I believe I win easily.”

At least he understands that those are difficult fights, but the fact he considers them winnable is shocking. I get it fighters need to have confidence in himself, but they also need to be realistic. You don’t hear Matt Hughes or Rich Franklin screaming for a title shot. There’s a point in a fighter’s career where he understands his skills are declining.

The worst part is it’s all Sylvia’s fault. He was on top of the world in the UFC and decided to leave the promotion after losing the title to Nogueira. Sylvia lost to Fedor then we watched his career fall complete off a cliff. He was knocked out by professional boxer, Ray Mercer. He constantly shows up out of shape and since the Fedor loss has only fought at heavyweight one time.

Sylvia likes to play the game of “what ifs.” We always here him say, IF I beat Fedor. That’s great, but you lost so that hypothetical means nothing. Focus on your career now and not what could have been.

If he wants to get back in the UFC showing up out of shape isn’t going to do it. There are no super heavyweight fights in the UFC and he’s going to have to get in shape. Sylvia hasn’t fought any big name fighters other than Fedor since being cut from the UFC. He lost to Ray Mercer and Abe Wagner. His most notable wins are against a former World’s Strongest Man and Paul Buentello. Those aren’t exactly names that scream for the UFC to come calling.

The biggest thing for Sylvia is to fight better names and to do it at heavyweight. If he shows that he can stay in shape and win a few more fights maybe the UFC will call. At this point it’s the best he can hope for and if the UFC ever does call he better pick up that phone immediately.

July 7, 2012 quite possibly the biggest fight in UFC history is taking place, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II, but that’s not all. This isn’t a card like UFC 145 where we had a huge main event preceded by an average card this card is stacked from top to bottom. In fact Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch were removed from the card because the UFC wants that fight to get more publicity.

The co-main event is Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber III. I can argue that this is the biggest event since UFC 100. Cruz-Faber is a huge rivalry and neither like each other. The series is 1-1, but the first bout took place back when the WEC was still around. We also received some great names on this card besides two title fights. The rest of the main card fills out with Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Cung Le, Rich Franklin, Demian Maia and Dong Hyun Kim.

Melvin Guillard is the first fight on the prelims and at one point he was only a fight away from a title shot. Also, Renan Barao, possibly the best fighter without a title, is the last fight before the main card.

After the month layoff we had from March to April I can’t think of another way for the UFC to repay us fans. We have UFC vets, big names, two title fights and top contenders. What more could be asked from a card?

This card became even stronger when the UFC had to move Sonnen-Silva from Brazil because it gave us a card with two title fights and great names. UFC 148 is definitely a card that everyone is going to need to show up to early for. It will be like a Jon Jones or Brock Lesnar title fight when bars filled up two hours before the main card started and it was basically standing room only for most of the fights.