Aug 9, 2009 - 10:03:17 AM By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist
Well, UFC 100 was built up to be something beyond special and it more than delivered. UFC 101 was expected to do less business, but based on its top two fights was deemed a possibly spectacular show.
It wasn't.
Amir Sadollah vs. Johny Hendricks was never worthy of being on a PPV to begin with, but most of these fights aren't even going to be worth getting a second look at on 'UFC Unleashed' on Spike TV. I mean could you really get someone to want to re-watch Neer-Pellegrino, Grove-Almeida, Nelson-Riley or Penn-Florian?
Save for a hardcore B.J. Penn fan wanting to rewatch a dominant win over a perceived number one contender, I see no one making such efforts to check anything out. Well, except for the Griffin-Silva fight which will be checked out like the Zapruder film and broken down and rehashed to the extent that Michael Jackson's death is still somehow important enough and fresh enough to be headline material on our nightly news.
This was an atrocious PPV. Action was minimal, Penn and Silva looked so dominant that it made both stars from the first season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' look like Damarques Johnson belongs in there with Georges St. Pierre at an upcoming event. This one was bad all over and the fact Griffin pocketed a bonus for 'Fight of the Night' makes me wonder what other kind of "bonus" the Fertitta brothers pulled out of the wall safe to give him for his, ahem, efforts against Silva.
If Griffin didn't flop or take a dive, then you must at least concede that he quit, which is damned near the same. When you walk off of the court, field, take a knee in boxing or pull the Roberto Duran "no mas" move; it is as close to throwing the event without actually doing so as you can get.
Perhaps Griffin never gave his best effort, or more likely it is that his best would never be enough to topple Silva but still, but this one reeks almost as bad as the B.O. of fans in the upper reaches of the Wachovia Center after camping out in the parking lot with a keg all day.
I am not going to break down each fight blow by blow and round by round as I usually do. For one, Shawn and Jamie both have already done so tonight, and those who watched this show are not going to want to get water boarded by dictation of the not so thrilling fights which took place this evening. I am however, going to give you my take on the fights, my scorecards and reasons why I feel the way I do.
Not everyone will agree with me, and many can disagree but those who believe I am wrong will hopefully at least respect my reasons why or my opinion itself. I predicted Johny Hendricks would blast through Amir Sadollah and I was told this was somehow "retarded," so as always any dissent will be taken with a grain of salt and I will respect your opinions as I hope you will do mine even if we do not see eye to eye.
Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellegrino
This lightweight tilt which was my dark horse pick for "Fight of the Night". I sure am glad I went ahead and took Griffin-Silva with that bet, even though I disagree with it being awarded as such. At any rate, Pellegrino and Neer did combine to give us some impressive moments in terms of techniques, but this was neither competitive, enthralling or anything to prove that either man belongs against the upper echelon in the division. Penn could wipe the floor with both men at once and could have done so after dispatching of Florian and while eating a Whopper from Burger King at the same time.
I scored the first round 10-9 for Josh Neer. I did so because I gave him credit for his groundwork, activity from the bottom and his armbar attempt and brilliant use of the butterfly guard. In hindsight, maybe I was compensating for sometimes giving a round to whichever man remains on top as many usually do. Although I still believe Neer did more to keep Pellegrino from doing anything than "Batman" actually did. So, I stand by this, and aside from the big slam out of the armbar attempt, it wasn't as if Pellegrino did much more than lay on top of Neer. That's is because Neer wouldn't allow it, and why I gave him the round.
Neer impressed me more in the second round, but I had no choice but to award it to Kurt Pellegrino by the score of 10-9. Neer was impressive from the bottom again and looked for an armbar, triangle and a kimura but it was Pellegrino who got the full mount, took Neer's back and had the hooks in as the round ended. More time on the clock and this one may have ended.
Round three was another round in which I had to score it 10-9 for Pellegrino, but the final seconds of this one coupled with multiple submission attempts did make an argument for Neer in some respect. Much like Pellegrino almost finished it in the 2nd, Neer was elbowing the hell out of Pellegrino as the round ended and busted him wide open. With more time, Neer's elbows would have stopped the fight. As it stands though, Pellegrino smothered Neer and by remaining on top and nullifying aforementioned submission attempts, it mattered not what the elbows did as he had this fight in the bag.
Bent Scored The Fight- 29-28 for Kurt Pellegrino
Official Scores-30-27, 30-27, 30-27 all for Pellegrino
Winner is Kurt Pellegrino by Unanimous Decision
The right game plan by Pellegrino for certain but the most trouble either man was in was at the end of the fight as Neer laid in those vicious elbows. "Batman" wins but another few moments and "POW", "BAM", "CRASH" and "The Dentist" would have shown how a villain can win.
Kendall Grove vs. Ricardo Almeida
"Big Dog" vs. "The Ultimate Fighter" answer to "Big Lazy". Kendall Grove has done little to show he belongs in the UFC and barely beating Ed Herman should have been our first clue as to how special he really is, but this fight seemed interesting on paper.
Of course, birds defecate on paper and watching that would be more fun than revisiting this classic. Sure, it was part of the PPV package but be glad it wasn't an unaired fight which you shelled out money to watch by way of the UFC website, because this one can be summed up easily.
Ricardo Almeida didn't look nearly as impressive as he should be, but perhaps age and time away from the game has took its toll on him. Kendall Grove is not special at all and he will soon be able to run his gym full-time with Troy Mandaloniz as they can both be Hawaiians who were on 'The Ultimate Fighter' but are now out of the UFC. Grove isn't marketable, and here he was in his very best shape and not only couldn't get the job done but never even got started in doing a job. He tried, but succeeding in the UFC is not equal to a 5 yr. old kid on a T-Ball team; not everyone gets a prize when it's over.
Once Almeida began to take down Grove is when the fight changed and became one-sided. Grove did show good resolve in stuffing early attempts, had one huge moment when he almost had an armbar so deep that he could have submitted the black belt in Almeida but outside of that it was elementary.
Bent Scored The Fight- 30-27 for Ricardo Almeida
Official Scores- 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 all for Almeida
Winner is Ricardo Almeida by Unanimous Decision
Amir Sadollah vs. Johny Hendricks
This fight never belonged on a PPV and should have really been placed on a UFC Fight Night. I get it. People like Amir Sadollah. They like his haircut, his grin, the fact he beat the hated C.B. Dollaway and because he is a self-deprecating everyman who won 'The Ultimate Fighter' with zero professional experience.
Sadollah isn't as great a personality as so many would lead you to believe and he sure as hell isn't the fighter some would argue either. He submitted Dollaway, sure, but is Dollaway REALLY going to be a force in the UFC?
No.
Johny Hendricks is no joke and yes, he was going to beat Sadollah because, yes, his striking is that much better than Dollaway's. Amir could submit Dollaway but this doesn't mean he can best every top flight wrestler; and folks, Hendricks was such a decorated amateur that C.B. Dollaway wouldn't even have been worthy of wiping down his mats after practice.
Was this an early stoppage? Perhaps. Although had Amir gotten back up, he would have gotten knocked right back down and could have gotten hurt.
Fans of Amir Sadollah should be glad this didn't happen as this means his face isn't banged up and he can get back to what he can actually do for the UFC which is host "Inside the Octagon" during the tenth season of 'The Ultimate Fighter'.
Hendricks belongs on your radar and Sadollah doesn't belong inside of the Octagon. At least not yet. His lack of professional experience coupled with his relatively advanced age will hurt him and I am sorry but just because a fighter trains at Xtreme Couture, it doesn't mean they will walk out a top fighter.
Junie Browning spent time at Xtreme Couture, too, and he looked awful his last few fights. I was high on Browning before he began on the show and still feel he has the talent to succeed but have to admit he has failed miserably. Those who feel Sadollah is so special need to do the same and admit they like the guy because of his personality and not because of his ability.
Winner is Johny Hendricks by TKO at :29 of Round 1
Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley
Yet another fight which never, ever, ever belonged on PPV. Even 'Affliction' wouldn't have put this fight on a PPV and remember, they paid Tim Sylvia damned near one million bucks for his efforts and hired Megadeth to crank out some tunes.
Yes, their first fight was mired in controversy, but were any of you really buzzing over this? Were you that concerned about righting the wrong?
No.
Shane Nelson doesn't deserve the moniker of "Sugar," and this has nothing to do with Rashad Evans but rather all of the great men who have gone by this nickname, and he isn't one of them. Ray Robinson and Ray Leonard are the two who made this nickname famous and they are the two who are the only ones worthy of having it before their names. Unless Evans really goes on to be great, until then I must reserve judgment.
"Sugar" Shane Helms in the world of wrestling didn't deserve it either. Shane Nelson isn't sweet at all and his fights make me sour. They also are proof positive that the UFC should not award every single damned cast member of a previous edition of 'TUF' with bouts inside of the Octagon on a PPV.
Yes, fighters from 'The Ultimate Fighter' are known names and in that respect may be more marketable to some fans, but if you want to book someone because of a name then you should go ahead and call Ken Shamrock, Kimo, "Tank" Abbott, Don Frye and Dan Severn and throw together a nostalgia card.
That would still be better than at least this fight and arguably some of the others we saw at UFC 101. Frank Mir isn't so embarrassed now after being fisted by Brock Lesnar at UFC 100, but he is probably embarrassed to know Shane Nelson is on a main card.
I predicted this to be a unanimous decision victory for Nelson and I was wrong. However, I knew neither man would be able to stop the other and that much came true to my dismay as I would have rather taken the 'Activia' challenge and chased it with a bottle of stool softeners than see this one. Because time spent on the toilet would be more productive than this battle.
Aaron Riley was too big and too strong for Shane Nelson but he just seemed unmotivated throughout this bout and content to just get by and coast to an easy win. Aaron Riley was on top of Shane Nelson all night long and you know it's bad when Rogan and Goldberg comment on how a fight in the crowd was better than this one. Even Chuck Liddell was watching the fight in the crowd because this was so atrocious.
Bent Scored The Fight: 30-27 for Aaron Riley
Official Scores- 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 all for Riley
Winner is Aaron Riley by Unanimous Decision
Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin
Wow.
I picked Griffin to win this bout because of his size advantage, tenacity and the intangible of heart which he seemed to have the most of in comparison to everyone else.
Griffin is the Tin Man right now.
He has no heart, no balls and got a "Fight of the Night" bonus to go along with his big payday.
Can you believe this?
Go to work on Monday, perform your job poorly and then just quit in the middle of the day and sprint out of the building and get into your card and drive off.
Let me know if you get a bonus with your paycheck and if you would still have a job.
Anderson Silva looked small, and as if he gained no weight after weighing in but this would soon not matter. Griffin ran to the Octagon before the bout and apparently was just warming up and planning his escape route once it was over.
Griffin did some range finding and then got dropped by Silva. Once. Silva landed an uppercut, taunted Griffin by begging him to bring on a fight and then dropped him again. Twice. Silva let him get back to his feet and then landed a jab while backpedaling and dropped Griffin once more. Three times is indeed the charm as that was all she wrote for this one.
Griffin dropped after that weak jab which somehow packed more wallop than a prime Earnie Shavers-Sonny Liston bastard love child on steroids and then put his hands up as if to tell them to sound the horn.
Remember when B.J. Penn waved his hands and declared Sean Sherk was done at UFC 84?
Forrest Griffin did that tonight at UFC 101.
For himself, and after a jab.
A JAB.
A JAB WHILE SILVA WAS GOING BACKWARDS!?!?!?!?!?!
I don't want to say this was a dive because even lending credence to that argument makes me sad and would surely signal the end of our sport being so adored and garnering mainstream pub. However, this one makes the notion that Jared Shaw was trying to "arrange" things for Elite XC seem like he was giving the UFC a good idea.
Forrest Griffin doesn't need a championship belt. Like I stated in the audio preview, he can lose more fights than he wins and still draw money, put butts in seats and become rich in the process while remaining as beloved as ever.
Anderson Silva was coming off of two performances that make Shane Nelson-Aaron Riley look like Tito Ortiz vs. Frank Shamrock. Silva needs to maintain his undefeated UFC record as he can speak little English, is generally cocky or seemingly aloof and the moment he gets exposed is the time in which he no longer becomes any semblance of a draw.
In short, Silva needed this win but he needed to look good even more than he did the victory.
Uncanny that "the old Silva" was declared to be back when he stopped Griffin with a jab. Not so uncanny that they would need Silva to get a KO victory over someone such as Griffin in order to make fans care about him anymore.
Following the fight, a load of fans suddenly said that you can forget GSP as Anderson Silva has just shown he is indeed the best in the world.
I disagree.
I think Forrest Griffin showed us he has no heart, and padded his bank account by either quitting after being dominated or taking the fall after eating a jab.
This wasn't exactly Georges St. Pierre meeting his stiffest challenge physically at 170 lbs. in Thiago Alves and then whipping him like an unruly child. This was Anderson Silva knocking around a guy who never really looked like he was all in for this bout and who sheepishly sprinted from the Octagon and then no-showed the press conference.
If you believe Griffin was knocked out, explain to me how a man who was just rendered loopy would be able to spring to his feet and sprint to the back like "Rocky Balboa" doing roadwork in the movies.
I want to believe the best but I fear the worst, and worse than all of this is Forrest Griffin taking home a damned bonus for his efforts. His purse should be withheld and this one should be investigated. This isn't "Vaseline-gate" my friends but something far, far worse.
Winner is Anderson Silva by KO at 3:23 of Round 1
UFC Lightweight Championship
B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian
Finally, we had a fight on our hands which might take away the uneasy feeling we had as we watched Griffin make Kalib Starnes proud by running away and ease the pain we felt by paying for a PPV which featured Amir Sadollah and Shane Nelson.
This was the number one lightweight in the world facing off against the number two lightweight in the world and we had the villain in Penn taking on the beloved Florian. Penn made accusations about St. Pierre taking steroids recently and made himself look even worse than he did against St. Pierre at UFC 94, and here was Kenny Florian who not only was still the guy we loved but was now an evolved fighter looking to "kill the master".
If this is how you kill a master, it would be best if Florian would bring a weapon with him next time, because B.J. Penn dominated him to the point that it made Kenny Florian look like a joke. Sean Sherk at least fired off some shots and stood toe-to-toe with him at UFC 84 and Joe Stevenson bled and gave it the old college try, but KenFlo was summarily neutered by the man who is the best fighter in the world at lightweight.
I argue that B.J. Penn should return to his lofty position in the mythical "pound-for-pound" rankings before you elevate Anderson Silva because of his win over Griffin. Penn beat an opponent who was deemed to have a better chance and he made this one look like a sparring session. Yes, GSP lubed it up and then pounded Penn until he couldn't sit for a week but what B.J. did to Florian was nothing short of awesome.
Florian didn't quit, and he had every right to after Penn racked up points throughout until finally choking him out. Griffin bailed from the arena and Florian sat in his chair with tears in his eyes and was filled with sadness over having failed.
Yes, Florian failed but he is not a loser.
B.J. Penn is just that damned good, at least at lightweight and at jumping out of swimming pools, as well making comments that would make Brock Lesnar tell him to mind himself.
I scored the first three rounds 30-27 for Penn as did everyone else. If anyone gave a round to Florian, I'd love to hear about it and then listen to you try to tell me how little I know about scoring while showing me proof positive you are serving as your own example.
Winner is B.J. Penn by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:54 of Round 4
Kenny Florian has nothing to be ashamed of for his efforts at UFC 101. Maybe in time, Florian can repair his damaged pride, rebuild his body and retry going for the title. Because I have every reason to believe that Kenny Florian is the second best lightweight in the world and this is because B.J. Penn showed me tonight enough reason to rate him the number one lightweight in the world and also one of the best "pound-for-pound".
Preliminary Fight
George Roop vs. George Sotiropoulos
This fight is again another example of why being on 'The Ultimate Fighter' should not put you on the fast track to appearing inside of the Octagon. The UFC had no desire to go after Bret Rogers, but throws every single fighter from 'The Ultimate Fighter' on as many shows as possible?
Well, this is mainly because they fight cheap. So cheap that they took home everyone's hat which was left in the locker room, and then raided the backstage catering leftovers for groceries for the next month.
George Roop is a nice guy. I'd let him pet my dog, trust him to get my mail and shake his hand and tell him I respect the balls he has to fight for a living as I commend him on making it this far.
I would also tell him he does not belong in the UFC, and no matter how likable he is, the man cannot fight at this level and succeed unless they were to bring in a grappling dummy and lay it on the mat first so as to give him a better chance at victory.
Sotiropoulos isn't the biggest stud Frank Mir could ever see, either but he is amazing on the ground and just needs to learn how to put up more of a fight so that he can win more of them. The man was a favorite to win 'The Ultimate Fighter' and he probably would have beaten Danzig but we just will never know. He is better than Tommy Speer even though he got poked in the eye before being stopped.
This was my prediction for submission of the night early on but I just couldn't commit to it because my head told me not to. Well, I should have listened to my heart on this one as Sotiropoulos put on a clinic and more than earned his bonus for a beautiful fight.
This preliminary fight making air at least allowed me to not feel nearly as miserable about the fact Shane Nelson made this PPV. Reese Andy made me very angry with his lackluster efforts inside of a UFC Octagon and if I ever do see him, I would still ask him for a few bucks back towards those PPV bills as he fought with the vigor of two elderly people doing it doggy style, but Shane Nelson just may edge him out shortly.
George Sotiropoulos eases that discomfort as well as he passed George Roop's guard all night long. Of course passing Roop's guard is as much of an accomplishment as is scoring with a prostitute. Anyone can do it at any time and it isn't something to brag about in public. I scored the first round 10-8 for Sotiropoulos but just like sex with a hooker, scoring wasn't something anyone was talking about after the second round began.
Winner is George Sotiropoulos by Submission (Kimura) at 1:59 of Round 2
Congratulations George Sotiropoulos, you shot fish in a barrel tonight but it wasn't your fault it was so easy because you are brilliant on the ground and were facing a man who is not. Good win for Sotiropoulos who before this win was known more for not waking Ben Saunders up in the morning and his accent than anything else. THIS bonus should be doubled if they could take Griffin's away. Sotiropoulos is likable but has legitimate skills and let us hope and pray he gets a main card shot in the future before some of the other guys we had the displeasure of seeing tonight.
My overall grade for this show is a "C".
B.J. Penn scored an "A++++", George Sotiropoulos scored a "B" (easier opponent than Penn faced), Anderson Silva gets an "Incomplete" and Forrest Griffin gets an "F" which is the same mark given to Shane Nelson and Amir Sadollah. Johny Hendricks gets a "B", Kurt Pellegrino gets a "C", Josh Neer gets a "C" as well for at least trying to win it near the end of their fight, George Roop gets a "D" for at least being nice, Ricardo Almeida and Kendall Grove both get a "D," Kenny Florian gets an "A-" because he is a hell of a fighter but went up against a buzz saw in Penn and Aaron Riley gets a "D" because he did just enough to pass.
Anderson Silva gets an "Incomplete" because he was getting "A" grades on all of his work but the semester never finished and not enough was done to get the passing grade he deserved. No summer school is needed but just an opponent who fights until the end and doesn't taint what perhaps could have been a great moment with the stench of something improper as Griffin did.
Forrest Griffin should be ashamed of himself for his efforts and quitting in the manner he did. To a certain extent I really don't believe he quit in much the same way I do not believe he was knocked out. Those who say he was knocked out should get a concussion themselves and see if they can bounce up and sprint away.
Let me know how it works out, too, by the way.
Griffin did something improper. Whether he took a dive or not is something I just don't know. I hope not but right now I cannot completely say this isn't the case. I pray this is not so but given what we witnessed and judging by his history it reeks of something,.
Griffin once fought with a broken arm.
He didn't quit.
He got beaten up and knocked out by Rashad Evans.
He didn't quit.
A jab from Anderson Silva is enough to score the "KO"?
He quits?
Really?
Well, Forrest Griffin quits is one of the hardest things to write but it's a hell of a lot better than writing what the skeptic in me is feeling he did.
It is also easier than sitting through the bulk of the fights we bore witness to tonight as we only have three weeks to go before we must reach up into our collective ass and yank out some more money to purchase another UFC PPV when Couture and Nogueira clash at UFC 102.
This sport needed the feel good story of Randy Couture once upon a time and he was called "Captain America' for his efforts and the moniker stuck. Well, this sport needs Randy Couture again; because we need something to feel good about, and something to erase the memory of Griffin running away.
Because "Captain America" never runs away.
He would rather go out on his shield.
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I'm in 100% agreementnthat Forrest took a dive. If he was knocked out his
legs would have just buckled, but he shoots one leg up as he hits the mat.
Pretty bad acting.
BLack
09 Aug 2009, 11:41
Youre an idiot for picking Griffin. ANd his jaw was fucking broke moron.So
you expected a raw brawler to defeat a highly trained, genuine martial
artist? Wow...the logic.....
John Black
09 Aug 2009, 12:38
I hate this idiot. Why is he even writing for this site?
The fight was fixed? Anderson broke his fucking jaw, and Forrest got
dropped again, and wanted the fight stopped because he broke his jaw, so he
flopped extra to get the fight finished, cuz he couldn't fucking hear
anymore. Anderson destroyed the guys jaw and his hearing, and you're
sitting on your fatass and calling the whole sport into question? Fuck you.
You're the worst writer on this site.
RR
09 Aug 2009, 12:40
I'm not a big Griffin fan, but to even hint the he would take a dive is
beyond stupid.
Word out of his camp is that his jaw dislocated. Story over.
How can anyone who has even watched a couple of Griffin's fights think this
dude would take a dive?
Silva is simply a dangerous man, period.
John Black
09 Aug 2009, 12:42
Also, if you don't retract this, given the news about Forrest's jaw
dislocating, then you're the biggest douche bag in MMA journalism. What, do
you want someone to fucking die in the cage for your amusement? He called
off the fight cuz he was injured and got his ass kicked and couldn't take
anymore. I can't believe a grown man wants to see someone die in the cage
before calling the fight.
RR
09 Aug 2009, 12:49
It's one thing to make a report on what you saw last night, and it's
another thing to completely throw a guy under the bus while disregarding
everything he has done in his career up to that point, and making a million
assumptions in the process.
Forrest has no heart?
Forrest is a tin man?
Forrest quit?
Fight reaks of being fixed?
PATHETIC JOURNALISM.
Or if this isn't suppose to be journalism, and rather just your opinion,
then your opinion is retarded.
You really think a guy with Griffin's track record deserves the kind of
article you wrote? Weak.
John Black
09 Aug 2009, 12:56
This is the worst display of journalism ever on this site.
This guy clearly has no respect for what these guys do, and just see it as
two psychos fighting in a cage.
Forrest was so involved in faking the fight that he got his jaw broken, and
lost his hearing.
RR
09 Aug 2009, 13:14
It will be interesting to hear when the Forrest lost his jaw...
Was it earlier in the fight when he got hit with one of Silva's bombs, and
did Griffin try to fight through the pain (HEART) but realized he couldn't
when he got tagged with Silva's jab that put him down?
OR
Was Griffin's jaw already on the verge of breaking and that one jab just
put it over the top?
I don't care what anyone says, there is a reason Silva is considered the
best striker in MMA. He packs power from all angles. I have no doubt that
even a back peddling straight jab had power, especially when you had a
Forrest who was running full blast at you (see Keller's article).
Furthermore, I don't think this writer even knows what the term 'heart'
means in a fight, as demonstrated in this stupid opinion piece of his.
Nick C.
09 Aug 2009, 14:01
Who are any of us to question the heart or balls of anybody who steps into
a cage in front of thousands of fans to fight for a living? Seriously
Bent, when's the last time you did anything remotely ballsy? It's one
thing to call a fighter's performance into question, it's another entirely
to castrate him from the safety of your keyboard.
That being said, something was definitely fishy about how that fight ended.
The guy who once fought with a broken arm, choked out Rua in his UFC
debut, and hobbled Quinton Jackson to win the light heavyweight title going
down from a jab doesn't seem to add up. Maybe Forrest was badly hurt from
Silva's earlier barrage (broken jaw?), maybe he took a dive, maybe he DID
quit. I don't know and I'm reserving judgement until all the facts come
out.
Daryn Mitchel
09 Aug 2009, 14:20
To be honest this is an incredibly disappointing piece on this site. A
blight would be a more appropriate word.
1. You have little respect for the fighters it seems.
2.You continuously derail Silva for his fights with Cote and Leites, but
how can the Champ control how his challengers will fight him? He can't.
If they don't bring it and he goes in there charging for the finish then he
could risk a Sell v. Smith loss.
3. You don't have the facts about what happened with Griffin, medical or
otherwise and should have waited until you had those facts... which leads
us into...
4. You once again present bad taste in journalism. I'm really
disappointed in this article and this site now. You didn't have the
information, nor does it seem you have tried to obtain it. Bad form. Bad
form.
Once again, this is a disappointing read from a columnist I had respect for
in the MMAJournalism biz. When the facts come out and if you're right then
I'll eat crow, but for now I have got to say that this is exactly what I
said it is: A blight on this website.
wow
09 Aug 2009, 14:30
lol @ thinking silva x griffin was a work. what a joke
If a fighter loses hearing in one ear, he'd be foolish not to head to the
back for immediate medical attention. Broken hands, dizziness -- that stuff
passes. But allowing an ear injury to be aggravated is just foolish -- does
a fighter need to become partially deaf to earn your respect.
I understand having an emotional reaction to a lackluster card, but this
was just an irresponsible one, written without the facts. If someone on a
wrestling blog wrote the same, you'd be on your soapbox, preaching how your
sites are run by journalists, not reckless marks, looking for cheap page
views.
Show a little class and post a retraction and an apology.
John Black
09 Aug 2009, 15:40
What credentials do you even need to be an "MMA journalist"?
Utter crap. All of your articles are opinion based crap, and you show no
class in bashing Forrest Griffin for getting defeated by Anderson Silva.
And then to discredit Silva for administering the beating is ridiculous.
Even worse is criticizing a guy who took a beating for giving up when he's
had enough. How much longer should that type of beating have taken place?
Michael
09 Aug 2009, 16:15
This is especially bad. Wade Keller, take some pride in this site.
John Black
09 Aug 2009, 16:48
THANK YOU! This guy is making accusations with no proof, and more than
that, discrediting a champion for saving himself from further and more
serious injuries.
You probably make fun of people like us for commenting, but you're the real
keyboard warrior here.
People are putting their lives on the line for our entertainment, and if
that isn't enough, you ridicule them for not getting seriously injured? Who
the hell do you think you are?
Jeff
09 Aug 2009, 16:50
At the moment it happened and for the rest of the night I can say that
things seemed confusing. Yes... now that we are hearing medical reports
this article should be retracted or a new analysis based on the new
information should be presented..... but Bent isn't the only one guilty of
a lack of journalism here.... Griffin ran off... UFC could have
speculated.. could have investigated... could have forced a response from
Griffin's team. Griffin knew his jaw was broken or dislocated, and he knew
his hearing was currently damaged. Would it have been so hard to find out
that there were potential injuries, and report that ? It was only truly a
2 minute fight.... they had plenty of time in that poor PPV to go through
the fight frame by frame and figure out exactly where the break was most
likely to occur...etc...
John Black
09 Aug 2009, 18:23
That's ridiculous. They moved right to the next fight, the actual main
event.
And so what? They don't speculate about injury, so this douche bag gets to
just call it fake, insult MMA, call Griffin a coward, call the Fertittas
criminals? He could imagine that Forrest Griffin got hurt while taking
blows to the head during an MMA fight? That's what it comes down to. He's
saying what Anderson Silva did to him never really hurt, and Forrest is a
quitter/criminal. What if he didn't get injured? What if he just
legitimately had enough of the beating? Does this guy still get to call him
all these things? The worst thing about this crap is, it's completely
unprovable. So Bent is just making unfounded accusations that can never be
dispelled. Those are the worst kind. I can see why BJ Penn doesn't deal
with the MMA Media any longer.
If there's no retraction or even update/apology for the situation then Bent
is devoid of credibility.
Anon
09 Aug 2009, 18:42
I can't believe what I just read. Whoever is higher on the totem pole than
this douche needs to delete his account and IP ban him.
Keaton
09 Aug 2009, 19:00
This is the most degrading article i have ever seen in journalism. This
attacks all the fighters who put there lives on the line to entertain the
world last night.
Forrest Griffin fought with a broken jaw and damaged hearing (not to
mention coming off hand surgery in the spring) for basically the whole
fight. Saying he has no heart or balls for staying in that cage knowing he
was serverely damaged is just pathetic.
And saying he should be ashamed for leaving the cage right after the fight
to get medical attention shows me that you have no heart or understanding
for this sport.
Something should be done about this journalist. He isn't the least bit
professional. This article has made me lose faith in this website for
hiring such a pathetic bastard to write these "articles".
RR
09 Aug 2009, 19:20
In fairness to Bent, it's clear he doesn't know of the (possible) jaw/ear
injury within this article.
Actually, there are new reports that Griffin wasn't injured in the fight,
but there is still nothing confirmed.
However, he still makes a million stupid baseless assumptions as a means to
throw Griffin under the bus. He was trying to capitalize on all the fans
who are scratching their heads as to what happened last night, and is
trying to portray himself as 'I only respect the true hard core fighters
who have HEART' type of journalist, when in fact he just comes off as a
complete douche who likes to throw stones behind the comfort of his CPU
screen. He has not watched any of Griffin's previous fights, or follow MMA
closely at all, (probably reads the occasional piece from time to time)
otherwise he would not have wrote the crap he did about Griffin.
Actually, I think Bent was expecting Griffin to simply 'hulk up' after
getting knocked down time and time again, or perhaps rise from the dead
like the Undertaker, or be able to take a million steel chair to the head
that came in the form of Silva's fists simply because Griffin was the 'baby
face' and Silva was the 'heel' or some sh!t like that.
Regardless of whether or not Griffin was injured, this is still a bull sh!t
article / opinion piece to write.
Bent really makes himself look like a fool.
I don't know about Bent, but I will wait to hear from Griffin, one of the
most entertaining fighters who helped to put the UFC in the main stream,
before I go and call him a heartless, flopping cheating criminal.
But that's just me.
Dan
10 Aug 2009, 01:57
Knee jerk journalism at its finest.
Arriving at a conclusion before knowing any of the facts.
Try not to let future personal Hail Mary pre-fight predictions sour your
objectivity when they are so far off base.
If you can't, maybe you should stick to blogged opinions presented as such.
Rob(Done with MMATorch because of Bent"
10 Aug 2009, 02:17
This is hands down the worst sports article I've ever read in my life.
Honestly, if Bent is gonna sit on his fat ass and type such a negative
article toward basically EVERYONE involved in this card, I don't think
MMATorch is even worth reading. I have...nevermind. I HAD the app on my
iphone. But after reading such a piece of trash i had to get rid of it.
First, get off Griffins ass. He was trying to do exactly what everyone
wanted him to do:Push the pace of Anderson Silvas fights. Granted, he
payed for it. But i would love to see you take a jab....yes, A JAB!!!, like
that from Anderson Silva and see if you can still stand.
And why are you so against Amir Sadollah? fine, hes a nice guy and people
like him. But just because you're not a nice guy and no one likes you, it
doesn't give you a right to be such a dick. He trains at the same gym as me
for his strength and conditioning. He works his ass off and is full of
talent. But watch the fight, those shots Hendricks were landing while he
was down were not even effecting him which is why instead of defending
himself, he chose to make an attempt at getting up. The fact that you find
it necessary to constantly bring up the fact that you dont think hes "PPV
Worthy" doesnt mean everyone or anyone else agrees. Joe Silva and the UFC
are not stupid, they put him up there on the main card because they believe
he has the talent to succeed. I know you gave him an F for his efforts,
but I wish theyre was a lower grade to give you for your article. You
really need to stop bashing on all the fighters and learn a thing or two
yourself since i dont believe you have a very long journalism career ahead
of you. If you can kick Amir Sadollahs ass then ill apologize. However,
since thats extremely unlikely, this will be the last time i log onto this
site.
Daryn Mitchel
10 Aug 2009, 02:53
Even with the new reports that Griffin's jaw is fine and that it isn't the
reason he left the building, I still don't get the nerve behind this.
I'm still astounded that there hasn't been any action taken here. I know
Radio DJ's who have been fired for much less when speaking about things in
the manner that you just did and for the way that they presented their
opinions.
I don't KNOW if you're on a payroll, but where I come from and where I work
you would be fired.
I'm hoping that for the sake of your credibility you will speak about this
again and possibly retract some of your statement.
John Black
10 Aug 2009, 05:11
This is fucking ridiculous. After this many complaints, why is there
nothing on the subject?
Leave it to the bush league MMA site connected to the pro wrestling site,
to have a writer try to "play heel" by pissing off fans and trashing the
sport. If there's any insult to MMA that took place this weekend, it's this
article.
If this idiot thinks Zuffa is into faking fights, why the hell is Chuck
Liddell, MMA's biggest draw dropping fights and staring down a forced
retirement? And why is a much more marketable and popular fighter in
Forrest Griffin taking a dive against someone who has proven unable to
draw?
Why are the WEC's most marketable fighters in Urijah Faber and Miguel
Torres losing their titles to much less charismatic fighters like Brian
friggin Bowles or a guy with an exciting name like Mike Brown?
This site has no credibility whatsoever, if guys like this write filth like
this, enrage readers, and have there be no consequences.
GriffinGotWhooped
10 Aug 2009, 17:00
This is terrible. Everyone loves Griffin so much because he is "so tough"
(thats the reason I get all the time) so dudes like this writer are quick
to dismiss Anderson putting a whoopin on your boy! The fact is he was
overmatched! Stop crying, stop making excuses! This kind of journalism is
bad for the sport. I will from now on never visit this site again. Piece!
1. You're so freaking bias, "Yes, GSP lubed it up and then pounded Penn
until he couldn't sit for a week but what B.J. did to Florian was nothing
short of awesome" Bullshit.
2. You're talking shit about Griffin, I would wait to see what he has to
say for himself before I started calling him heartless, and a cheater.
3. Stop referring back to movies and such (Rocky Balboa) , it's really
annoying to read.
4. Scoring the fights is a joke, cause you obviously suck.
5. I think Forrest would be nire famous losing all his fights and being
called a cheater than you continuing in journalism.
Peace.
Focus on the one piece of evidence in this debate - the video of the fight.
Ignore all the name calling. Ignore the phoney reports of a broken jaw.
Ignore bringing in unrelated fighter's names into the mix. Examine the
punch that brought Forrest down. After Forrest was hit in the cheek he
continued to load up a right and throw it. His legs didn't buckle under
him like someone getting knocked out. He was able to kick out a leg. The
facts are in the video. Just like when Clinton lied about Monica on TV, we
all saw it.
Get Rid of Bent
12 Aug 2009, 01:40
You are a hack. No wonder you can't get a real paying gig, who would hire
you? Must be why your radio career failed too.
Ed
12 Aug 2009, 13:31
I can't believe what I'm reading. Forrest didn't take a dive. You people
are naive or clueless to think such a thing. His running out of the octagon
was pathetic, know doubt, rag on him about that, but to say he has no heart
is beyond ridiculous. He's proved his heart time and time again. Did Duran
have no heart because he said "no mas" between rounds? Forrest did not get
knocked out by a jab. He got lambasted and went down two other times only
to get back up. HE GOT BACK UP FOLKS, TWICE! HELLO? In addition he took two
more hard shots, before, while coming forward, running into the "jab". He
was spent after the first couple of knock downs, he tried his hardest but
The Spider was too much. Forrest was outclassed big time, got dominated big
time. No heart? give me a break. How many of Silva's opponents even got up
after being knocked down? Never mind twice! UFC great Royce Gracie once
said" "There's a different between being stupid and knowing when enough is
enough. Forrest knew he had enough and decided not to be stupid and fight
on when he had no chance.
Ben
12 Aug 2009, 17:34
Of course has proven he has a heart and has never ever quit, until he could
make some easy money. And you call other people naive. Forrest was smart
not to get into a real fight with Silva like Rich Franklin did. But
Franklin didn't end up looking like a pussy either. I used to have respect
for the punishment Forrest could take. I don't respect his decision to
fake a fight.
