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By: Bjorn Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
Strikeforce in Nashville - Casualty Comes in Threes (Random thoughts and link dump)
Did Strikeforce overfill its promotional plate? Not even during Zuffa’s UFC 100 mega-event last summer did they aim so high. In fact, the UFC has stayed away from the three-headed championship monster ever since the UFC 33 debacle.
For the UFC, it was the pressure of returning to pay-per-view combined with infantile experience. For Strikeforce, it was promoting a Fedor-less fight on network television. Dana said the disaster that was UFC 33 “set the company back several years.”
The question is, can Strikeforce handle this sort of setback without crumbling into extinction?
The Art of Swindle
The sly, anticipated Jake Shields-for-Dan Henderson switch is proof Dana’s playing chess to Scott Coker’s checkers. Coker’s been blindsided by myopia, while Dana’s been blessed with foresight.
Dana basically went into a car dealership, traded in his old, yet still damn serviceable Jeep Cherokee. So shrewd and forward-thinking are Dana’s deal-making skills that it looks like he’s going to be walking out with the keys to a Koenigsegg Trevita: a supercharged V8, powered solely by biofuel.
In fact, Forbes names it the most expensive car in the market at 2.21 million USD per vehicle. It’s fitting because the PETA-powered Jake Shields is the most desirable free agent this side of M:1.
Coker, This Ain’t Checkers Son!
The aforementioned Trevita means “three white” in Swedish. For Dana White, Jake Shields represents three uses.
First off, a desperate challenger to Georges St. Pierre; second, perhaps could be a challenge to Anderson Silva’s throne, and lastly and most importantly it supplants Strikeforce of its multi-directional Rook in exchange for the pricey leaning Tower of Hendo.
I’m not sure how long Fedor Emelianenko, The Last Emperor, can hold up the fort for Strikeforce before we hear Dana declaring: Checkmate.
MMA Meets ‘The Outsiders’
During the victorious vegetarian Shields’ post fight interview he was rudely interrupted.
The scapegoat? Who else, other than Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller of MTV’s Bully BeatDown? Somehow he snuck into the cage and started a domino effect that resulted in what looked like a scene from The Outsiders, Stockton Chapter.
According to Joe Rogan’s latest podcast, under the UFC’s modus operandi it would have been “impossible” for a) Mayhem to have even entered the cage and b) The Diaz bros. and company would have been limited to a three man entourage.
The climax of disaster for Strikeforce was punctuated by leaving a lasting image of “mayhem” in all of its offensive forms.
Wrongheaded Representation
That’s MMA the Strikeforce way. “Things like this happen sometimes in MMA” said the uninformed Gus Johnson. Yes. It does happen. MMA gets misrepresented by the wrong people and a terribly misguided picture of its sanctity as a sport is painted.
Unfortunately for CBS, Showtime and Strikeforce, and fortunately for us and the UFC, hopefully this gives Dana all the negotiating ammunition he needs next time around.
WEC 48 Random thoughts plus Link Dump - Castrating the WEC Brand
Ever heard of a Mexican Tattoo Removal? Basically it involves a bottle of tequila, a tourniquet, and a cheese grater. I think you get the picture from here…
That’s what Zuffa did to the WEC. They stripped the WEC of its branding, leaving it naked and emasculated.
The letters W-E-C were in complete absentia. No ‘WEC’ in the cage, microphones, or gloves. No WEC commentators, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg instead. They even redid the commentary and dubbed the old voices from past fights with Joe and Mike’s voice during the “IT’S TIME” introduction montage.
The UFC basically castrated the brand WEC executives have worked so hard to build equity for.
That may be true. Yet, I believe there is more method to Dana’s madness. While they weren’t able, or willing to go the distance and just slap UFC decals on there, that has to be the endgame. The segueing seems seamless.
Hate/Love Relationships Hurt
Mike Brown is booed in Sacramento and his feelings are hurt. Brown dominates. Brown is cheered by the same Sacramento Fans a year later. Brown gets dominated. Coincidence?
Brown was first dumped by his girlfriend weeks before his latest fight with Manuel Gamburyan, and then later embraced by the same people who made him feel admittedly uncomfortable when they chastised him during Brown/Faber II at WEC 41.
Talk about an emotionally puzzling month. First, the person you love now hates you, and the people who hated you before, now love you. No wonder Dana thinks his head wasn’t in the right place.
Utterly Genocidal
Manuel Gamburyan managed something Obama has promised, yet failed to deliver thus far: utter the word “genocide.”
It came during his interview after he knocked out the former champion, Mike Brown.
It’s not often—or ever—MMA and global politics intersect, but this was one of them.
Another Case of Blonde Promiscuity
In what looked like TMZ worthy material, Jake Shields and Dana White had an interesting photo-op. Jake basically gave a metaphorical, yet unmistakable middle-finger toward Scott Coker.
Dana was giddy and blushing when the cameras caught the couple, arm’s embraced. This was the skankiest, most in-your-face blonde maneuver since Kim allegedly two-timed Biggie with Pac.
No doubt Dana is sadistically enjoying the “hit’em up” bruising he’s giving Scott Coker.
Your Fly’s Down Bruh
Continuing the theme of underlining the excitement lighter weights bring, they found time to showcase sometimes flyweight (125 lb.) Demetrius Johnson. He gave the world a taste of the thrilling future the flyweight division has to offer.
He was the quickest fighter Joe Rogan had ever commentated on.
It’s the only fight I’ve seen that’s had a rapid-fire twin pair of “oohs and aahs’ following a flying knee to body slam. The crowd’s reaction mirrored the lightning quick pace being fought by Brad Pickett and Demetrius Johnson.
Even though the 125 lb. division is still awaiting, bringing eyes to the flyweights now seems like a crafty plan.
Night of the Living Dead
Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung. Remember those names as this fight is sure to be eternally referenced.
It looked like two drunken Irish fisherman settling a dispute. Yet the drama was epic. It was MMA’s answer to the piñata. Have fighters lower their heads onto a baseball bat, twirl around rapidly thirty times, then blindfold them before having them swing for the fences without calculation. Nevertheless, their theatrics couldn’t have been scripted better by motion picture executives.
Simply put, it was one for the ages.
Neither of the two refused to back down or stop swinging. There was a moment in the beginning when Mike Goldberg timely calls Chan Sung Jung by his moniker of “Korean Zombie.” And that’s how these two men fought for fifteen awe-inspiring minutes: like unyielding, granite-chinned, zombies. I lost track how many times I said “OMG.”
What’s important to notice was the perfect placement on Zuffa’s part. The end of the Aldo-Faber fight was slightly anti-climactic. Topping it off with an instant Fight of the Year candidate was keen timing.
Fearful Commitment-ship
Kimbo Slice’s face looks so fierce, his beard, grill and gaze so maniacal, that the often stern-faced Joe Rogan seemed almost angelic in contrast during their interview.
I’m not sure what Kimbo does to maintain that scary level of intimidation. Whatever he’s doing, I commend him for his ‘commitment-ship’ and sticking with it. Well done, good Sir.
A Pound of Shilling
Where does this performance put Jose Aldo in the pound for pound rankings? Definitely ahead of Fedor, if you’re Dana White. Behind the big three, if you ask Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated, or me for that matter.
Smoothed Out
Earlier in the week Dana hinted the UFC was close to gobbling the WEC’s lightweight division. That may still happen, just “don’t expect it this year, or any time soon.” Can we at least see some UFC fighters in WEC’s lightweight class? Ben, dubbed “Bendo” by the message boarders, Henderson needs fresh challengers! Can I get an Amen?!
Coaching Confusion
If Shields is coming to face Georges right off the bat, does that mean he will leapfrog the winner of Koscheck/Daley? Thinking ahead, if they do, and Jake beats Georges, will he still coach against Daley/Koscheck in TUF 12? Why not put Jake versus Georges for TUF instead? Jake needs to expose himself to the UFC-only MMA fans, and The Ultimate Fighter is a great venue for such an endeavor. Shame. Dana says timetables make this impossible.
Amping Up
Did we really have to watch Urijah Faber snorting lines of Amp, “amping up” for the fight? Distasteful, if you ask me. Little did regular cage announcer Joe Martinez know that this commercial would be his biggest plug in tonight’s event.
Success in the Ugly Face of Failure
Sans a highlight finish from Aldo, the night was exactly what Zuffa envisioned. I would say the MAIN goal of the night was to underscore the lighter weight classes Zuffa has to offer. This has long been a “secret” of sorts of the hardcore fans, but this introduction was for the masses.
With Aldo’s brilliance, and scintillating high speed fights scattered throughout the broadcast, I think Zuffa proved its point. Yes their bodies are Lilliputian; but pound-for-pound you can’t get a more high-paced, action-packed card than you will with the lighter weight classes.
The secondary goal of the night was create the sharpest juxtaposition possible between how you and Strikeforce promotes. No post fight brawls? Check. No unwarranted intruders in the cage? Check. No kimura-named armbars by the commentators? Check. Any back-to-back-to-back indigestion-causing championship formatting? Nope. Just your money’s worth of great fights.
MMA’s Lighter and Brighter Future
Zuffa foresaw this event panning out this way. They see a future where history has been harsh. Expanding the weight division under the UFC umbrella is a tough task; but it is the right one. The UFC has cracked a seal in the lighter-weight blockade, and fighters are excitedly scrambling to get to be the first to get a foot in.
Zuffa is blazing their own trail and writing the rules as they go along. They’ve taken a giant leap forward for the not-so-giant weight-classes. With poise and patience they’re bound to advance MMA even further. Hopefully then, under the UFC lights and banner, will network television’s cameras reintroduce MMA to America. The right way. Dana’s way.
Questions? Comments? Email me at Bjorn.hansen@fiu.edu
If you’re interested, I will debut my MMA-focused Twitter account next week: follow me @BjornHansenMMA
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