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By Wade Keller, MMATorch Supervising Editor -The show opened with scenery of the top six fighters in the big three fights on this show. The theme isn't pushing one or maybe two top matches as the selling point, but spreading it out over six fighters in three fights. That's a change of pace for this Spike TV preview show.
-QUOTE: Tito Ortiz: "I've sacrificed one third of my life, 11 years of my life, for all of my fans, for the UFC. I gave my sport as much as I possibly can at this point."
-They went to a profile of B.J. Penn.
-QUOTE: "If you disrespect fighting, it will disrespect you because I have disrespected it before thinking I was Superman. I paid the price and I got hurt real bad."
-Penn said he fights because he is the best and it's in him. He thinks about it every second of his life. When you hear this type of thing, which is common for fighters, it makes the opening seconds of fights all the more exciting and appreciate the totality of the few minutes they're in the Octagon as a culmination of so much thought, hard-work, and training.
-Penn dissed the belt a little, saying he might not even bring it to the ring with him. He said he's "not about that anymore." I'm not sure about including that clip. A big selling point for UFC is the value of the title and fighters coveting them. Having a champion, no matter what the context, say they're not important seems like bad business.
-He said the person he was and the person he now is "is two different people."
-They shifted to a profile of his opponent, Sean Sherk. He said he's worked hard for everything he's ever achieved. Then he swigged a green drink out of Gatorade bottle. Looked like a hemp protein drink (my favorite) based on the texture and color.
-He said he loves fighting for competition and test his boundaries, then push past them. He said he's struggled his entire life and worked hard for everything he has, so he won't quit. He said it's not about winning the belt for the first time, it's about putting "all that stuff" (testing positive for steroids, unstated) behind him. He said he's pissed.
-They went to a scene of Sherk blowing on the belly of his 17 month old baby. The narrator is annoying on this show. He sounds a little creepy, like that guy in those old Calvin Kline commercials that mimicked the manipulative cameramen who talk underage teens into doing porn.
-On the UFC 84 standard commercial, it headlined with Penn vs. Sherk, saying it's a fight to "determine the greatest lightweight ever." Then it hyped Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine and Lyoto Machida. No other fights were mentioned.
-They went back to Penn, talking about his fight against Matt Hughes. He said Matt kicked his butt. He said he realized you can get hurt or even die if you don't take fighting seriously. He said he went out and partied and then woke up and decided to move forward.
-Sherk said Penn has talked a lot of smack and said things that aren't true. He said Penn is the type of fighter who has to hate you to fight you.
-QUOTE: Sherk: "No, I wouldn't take steroids and I didn't take steroids. How stupid would I be to take a steroid. Well, hopefully I pass this tes.t I know I'm getting tested. I've been tested eight times. A lot of them have been random. As a champion I know I'm going to get tested. For me to do that even right now would be stupid, and I'm not a stupid guy."
-The narrator acknowledged that he'd be stripped of his title after his successful defense and be suspended for six months and have a stain on his name. Sherk said he didn't take the nandrolin. He said he did everything he could to prove he didn't do it. "The evidence is there," he said.
-Sherk said he has no respect for Penn because he runs his mouth. He said Penn makes a big deal "out of that nandrolin" thing to bring legitimacy to his title reign. He said Penn is tough, but he has no heart and he quits. "I don't quit," he said. I hate when MMA fighters talk about tapping out as being the same as "quitting" as if it's dishonorable to tapout. This sport was built on honorable tapouts. You're an idiot not to tap if you're in a submission hold that's going to damage you permanently if you don't.
-Penn said Sherk is weak mentally.
-QUOTE from Penn: "Maybe he'll be on steroids, maybe he won't."
-Sherk said they're each looking forward to hitting each other. He admitted Penn is one of the best guys in the world "pound for pound." He said it's a big fight and a tough fight. He said the thought of potentially getting beat is what gets him out of bed in the morning and on his diet for 12 straight weeks. He said Penn comes from rich parents and was handed a lot and didn't have to work hard for stuff. "Guys like that will quit," Sherk said.
-They showed Sherk with his son. He said going onto your back in an MMA fight is for "jiu jitsu guys and bad wrestlers." He seemed to be saying it a little bit tongue in cheek, and I hope so, as it'd be silly to see being on one's back in an MMA fight and being on one's back in an amateur wrestling match are in the same category.
-In the end, they did dedicate 30 minutes to this fight, giving it a clear first billing status over the two other strong undercard supporting fights.
-They shifted to highlights of Silva vs. Chuck Liddell.
-QUOTE from Jardine: "Chuck vs. Wanderlei was the absolutely the best fight I ever saw, period."
-He said neither could lose the fight. He said they were fighting like they were fighting for their dinner.
-Jardine said this fight is a chance to establish himself in MMA - beating his third top contender and star in the sport (Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell being the other two.)
-Jardine said UFC didn't know what to do with because he wasn't supposed to win those other two big fights.
-The narrator said when a fighter loses, past glories become fading memories. He said Silva is using unusual training methods such as wearing a snorkle while training to get in ideal condition.
-Clips aired of Silva training, then Jardine was shown training. He said he isn't doing anything different to prepare for this fight other than trying to get in better shape. He said he hasn't even shown 60 percent of his potential yet in the Octagon.
-The narrator said he's looking for consistency now. He said he's training like he's facing the guy everybody was afraid a little while ago.
-After just five minutes on Silva vs. Jardine, they cut to a clip of Tito Ortiz saying people either love him or hate him. They cut to a commercial.
-They showed Machida meditating, then saying he is from Brazil but has a Japanese attitude toward fighting.
-Machida said critics think he doesn't have enough power, but he doesn't care because he believes in his style.
-They cut to a professional photo of Tito Ortiz and his wife in a seductive/romantic pose. He said his friends growing up were on drugs, but he saw Hulk Hogan and Muhammad Ali and wanted to be a superstar like them. He said his nature is to excel and survive. He said he talked smack early on, then won a title and defended it and began maturing. He said the smack talk is fun to build a fight, but at the end of the day he now realizes he's no different than anyone else other than he has a great job.
-He said he has the "it factor." He said he's had it since he was a kid. I'm looking for a fighter with the self-confidence to drive a non gaudy SUV in one of these videos, especially those in a climate where there's no snow to worry about driving through. It's not a size issue as someone 6-4 can fit comfortably in a Mini Cooper. I'll respect the first fighter who displays his family in these who is shown driving a four-door sedan or humble station wagon or mini-van instead of the "Hey look at me" SUVs, especially after talking about how they've learned about "what's important in life."
-He said he's not going to be fake and say something that someone else tells him to say.
-He said this is a tough sport now. Unlike before when there were guys without experience, now everyone is a badass. That's quite an admission from someone who was champion back in the olden days of UFC.
-He said Machida hasn't fought anyone like him before. He said he doesn't have a training partner who can mimmic his style.
-They showed Machida doing a karate form on the beach as he talked about how he prefers to fight, not talk.
-Ortiz said he respects Machida's hunger. He said when his back is against the wall is when he fights the best. He said Machida is in for a world of trouble.
-He said this is the most focused he's been in three years. He said this is "his last fight." He said Dana White is rooting for him to lose and would do anything to see him lose. "He should have kept his mouth shut because now Machida is going to get hurt because of it." He said on May 24 the old Tito Ortiz will be back.
-Dana White made his appearance all hour.
-QUOTE from Dana: "I honestly and truly can tell ya' I have no animosity toward Tito. I hope Tito becomes the greatest f----in' factor of all time... I wish him no ill will because I don't believe fighting is truly in his heart anyway." Always be suspicious of any statement that begins with "I honestly and truly can tell ya'." Also be suspicious of someone who says he has no animosity toward someone and then says his heart isn't in his profession.
-Ortiz said after he wins he plans to thank UFC owners and thanking them, then looking at Tito and giving him the finger and saying "F--- you." Good final hard sell for that fight. They needed to acknowledge that it was Tito's last fight in UFC on his current contract. Not elaborating when Tito said this is his "last fight" could be confusing to some viewers they're targeting, and it makes White seem right when he says Tito's heart isn't in fighting. It also diminishes the potential ramifications of this fight if Tito were to win, but not move on to another fight against a top UFC light-heavyweight.
-The show shifted back to hyping the Penn vs. Sherk and Jardine vs. Silva fights briefly.
-Overall, solid preview show. It didn't get my adrenaline up as much as some of the previous stellar preview shows. I think part of what was missing was Joe Rogan. He could make me excited to see almost any fight because he communicated his passion for UFC so articulately and excitedly. It was a stark move away from previous preview shows where Dana White soundbites were interspersed throughout, also. I actually prefer to have some outside voices commenting on the fight, not just the fighters and narrators, but overall, still a solid preview show that set the stage for the big three fights. I would prefer they take two minutes to give a quick overview of a couple other fights that are scheduled for the live show just so you feel you're getting three hours of important fights for the ever-increasing pricetag.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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