The Specialists
An aMMAzing Week in Review v.2.0: Rashad and Rampage, Dana and Dan, Dream 12, I Hate Kimbo Again, Dumbass of the Week, Fan/Stalker/Email of Week, more!
Oct 24, 2009 - 11:36:33 AM An aMMAzing Week in Review v.2.0: Rashad and Rampage, Dana and Dan, Dream 12, I Hate Kimbo Again, Dumbass of the Week, Fan/Stalker/Email of Week, more!

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By Brent Henderson, MMATorch Week-in-Review Specialist

Sakuraba vs. Zelg Galesic Confirmed for Dream 12

I know there are numerous fights on this card, but I really only care about this one. So much for unbiased journalism, huh? I've come to the realization that I have very few opportunities left to see Saku fight, and I want to give him the recognition he deserves as a pioneer in the sport. I would be lying to myself if I thought he could ever regain the form that raised him from Professional Wrestler to the level of Hero worship usually reserved for established, mainstream sports, but now I just want him to leave the ring uninjured. Win or lose, I'll always be a fan, and I'll always support him no matter who may be standing across the ring.

The Ultimate Fighter 10, Episode 6

This week's episode features the much-hyped showdown between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Darrill "Titties" Schoonover. Just in case you haven't been watching TUF Season 10 I'll fill you in on the name. From the first episode, Rampage has been calling Schoonover by the unflattering nickname of "Titties" due to his larger than average man-boobs (moobs).

Rampage starts this episode by once again teasing the Team Rashad contestant to which Schoon responds that he'll drop down in weight just to beat Rampage down. Jackson definitely takes this personally and ends up following him to talk trash. It would be bad enough if it ended there, but Rampage just wouldn't stop harassing Schoon. When Rashad chooses Darrill to fight Zak Jensen, Jackson starts in again with the "Tittie Taunts." There were several unpleasantries exchanged, causing the censors to develop a moderate to severe case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with the number of times the bleep button had to be hit. Rampage continued to try to provoke Schoonover by telling him to get in his face again, but Rashad stepped in between the two, and cooler heads prevailed.

At the start of the season I never would have guessed how much my opinion towards both of these fighters would change. I was a HUGE Rampage fan coming into the season, and disliked Rashad beyond words, but their roles have been reversed. I really hope Rampage comes back to the UFC when he finishes filming the A-Team just so I can see him get the beatdown he deserves. The only analogy I can think of to describe Rampage's actions towards Schoon is if Alex Rodriguez were to go coach a Little League World Series team, and then talk trash to the opposing players. Rampage is just at a different level skill wise, and to repeatedly pick on someone just because you can is the definition of being a bully.

In other news, I hate Kimbo again. Seriously, who raises both hands in the air and smiles when a teammate gets hurt?! He might train just as hard or harder than his teammates, but that doesn't mean he deserves two chances at the expense of someone else's dream.

Dana and Dan Have Opposing Views

Well, it appears we will be discussing contract terms and disputes in public after all. In just one short week it has been reported that Dan Henderson is on the verge of signing with Strikeforce, going to re-sign with the UFC, back to UFC contract talks have reached a stalemate, to Dan is ugly and wanted the richest contract in UFC history.

Now that we've got that cleared up, where does that leave us? Your guess is as good as mine. I honestly tried to decipher/keep up with every latest update, but it became increasingly mind numbing. The conspiracy theorist in me started thinking; could Dana and Dan be doing this out in the open to in some way discredit the validity of Strikeforce? Hear me out on this one.

Dana won't pay Dan what Dan thinks he's worth. Dan then talks to Strikeforce, and they offer him more money than the UFC did. Dan then decides to re-sign with the UFC for less money because there are more challenges for him there. Dana then says, "Look at the facts. This F***ing guy could have signed with Strikefarce for an f***ing s***-ton of money, but he chose to fight in the UFC. What does that f***ing tell you?"

I may be off a little on the quote, but it doesn't seem too far-fetched to me.

Fitch vs. Alves Confirmed for UFC 107

We were first teased with a "tweet" from Fitch that said, "BIG fight coming. So excited!" Within just a few hours several different names had been thrown around, including Matt Hughes, but it was soon confirmed by Dana White that Fitch would indeed be having a rematch with Thiago Alves.

This is going to be an awesome fight! I've always enjoyed watching Fitch fight, but he took it to a whole other level during his fight with GSP. Don't get me wrong, he didn't look all that good in the fight, but he took a 25 minute beating without skipping a beat. I don't know if I've ever seen GSP completely dominate someone like that and still not be able to put them away. Fitch proved he has a ton of heart and deserves to be back on the main card, hopefully for good.

WEC Signs Horodecki

The WEC has signed 22-year-old Chris Horodecki with his debut being December 19th at WEC 45. Horodecki has racked up an impressive record of 13-1, with his only loss coming at the hands of Ryan Shultz at the end of 2007.

Horodecki has only fought once in the past 18 months due to arm and neck injuries, but expect him to make an instant impact when he debuts later this year.

Dumbass of the Week: Tiki Ghosn

Tiki, whose biggest win to date is a decision victory over Genki Sudo, now thinks he can beat Rashad Evans. In a recent interview with www.cagereport.net, Ghosn says:

"Rashad is a good fighter; I'm not going to tell you any different, but at the same time he's an asshole and I want to shut his face up. Seriously, Rashad hasn't faced the caliber of strikers I have in my career and only after he fights a couple of top end elite strikers can he talk - until then he has no business criticizing me. It got old real fast watching him get in our faces just to play up to the cameras, so I said 'you know what lets settle this outside like men'. Of course he backs down and starts running his mouth to get out of the situation - I could see the fear in his eyes when we were making our way to the parking lot, he doesn't want to mix it up with me at all. Seriously, I was seconds away from laying him out but I had to restrain myself because the cameras were rolling."

Despite being significantly out-weighed by Evans, Ghosn claimed that he would move up from his current weight class of 170lbs should the fight be signed:

"You know what If Dana (White) signs the fight, I'll put on weight just so I can fight him. It's unfortunate that Rampage has other matters to attend to but I would be more than willing to fill in his position for him, just so I could teach that cocky prick a lesson. People have told me for years that I am the most talented fighter to have never won in the UFC, I think this is a perfect fight to get me in that win column, and to expose a loud mouth with subpar skills."

The first thing that jumped out at me as I read Tiki's ridiculous statement was, it seems he's only using his role as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter to land another UFC contract. Ghosn mentions all of the strikers he has faced, but he seemed to omit the fact that he hasn't beaten ANY/either of them. In his career, the only opponents easily recognized as strikers are, Chris Lytle and Robbie Lawler. Rashad, on the other hand, has fought Liddell, Forrest, Lyoto, Bonnar, and Ortiz with much better results. Tiki seems to be grasping at straws to find any way back into the UFC even though nobody cares to see him fight again.

Oh No He Dih'unt!

Unfortunately for you, I also spend a lot of time searching other MMA websites looking for off-the-wall/interesting news. This week you're in for a treat. The good folks over at Cagepotato.com decided it wasn't enough for us to know Lyoto Machida drinks his own urine, so they posted pictures with the goal being either to prove it, or to make us vomit. They succeeded on both counts. Believe me when I say some things are better left unseen (i.e. 2 Girls 1 Cup, Stevie Wonder's eyes, Pearl Harbor directed by Michael Bay, etc.). For the fearless amongst you I offer this link:

LYOTO DRINKING HIS PISS (http://www.cagepotato.com/lyoto-machida-drinkin-piss-lovin-life)

You can't say you haven't been warned.

UFC to Counterprogram Fedor's Strikeforce Debut

In a move that surprised very few, the UFC has decided to run a 2-hour special entitled, "UFC Main Events" which will have the Main Event bouts from UFC 101-103 free on SpikeTV.

It's a smart move on the part of the UFC to try and keep as many people from watching the debut Strikeforce show on CBS. I have no doubt the hardcore MMA fan will be tuning in to CBS on November 7th, but the show on Spike may be enough to keep the new, or uninformed fan distracted long enough to hit Strikeforce where it hurts, right in the ratings.

Letdown of the Week: Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem follows up his recent dismantling of Tony Sylvester at Ultimate Glory 11 by taking a huge step up in competition, and facing the highly regarded James Thompson. Just when I thought Overeem couldn't impress me any more, he shows how willing he is to put his pride on the line by fighting the man voted "Most Likely to Get KO'd in a Pillow Fight." Thompson is known for basically 3 things; charging across the ring, stupid stare down faces, and that crazy, bleeding ear. I just don't understand what Overeem is thinking. He hasn't defended his Strikeforce Heavyweight championship in two years, and doesn't seem to be taking any steps towards competitive matches. Is he only willing to fight overseas to avoid the much stricter drug testing we have in the US? I honestly can't think of any other explanation. You've got to admit he has grown to Barry Bonds proportions in a very short period of time, so the argument is there for the drug testing theory. If he isn't willing to play on an even playing field then he needs to vacate his belt, and continue doing what he's doing, being irrelevant.

I've Got a Fever and the Only Prescription is More Lauzon

I've decided to showcase some of my favorite fighters in a new weekly section for your viewing pleasure. I have chosen none other than Mr. Joe Lauzon to kick off this new feature.

Joe will be making his UFC return in January, and he has been missed. He will face Sam Stout at UFC 108 after missing almost 11 months with a torn ACL and meniscus of his right knee. Lauzon has gone 5-1 since bursting onto the scene with a shocking knockout of heavily favored Jens Pulver at UFC 63, which, at the time, was as jaw dropping as Gonzaga KO'ing Cro Cop.

I talked to Joe yesterday, and asked him "If you only had 1 fight left in your career, who would it be against, and how would you see it ending?" Without hesitation, Joe answered that he would like to end his career by fighting The Last Emperor himself, Fedor Emelianenko. He went on to say he would see the fight ending almost exactly like GSP v. Hughes 3, except Fedor would have a thick Russian accent when he verbally submitted him. After I asked him to mimic how that might sound, Lauzon obliged with a hearty, "TYAP, TYAP, TYAP!!!" At this point I must acknowledge the majority of this interview took place in my head, and by majority, I mean all of it.

I'm not sure that if I actually asked Joe that same question if he would answer much differently, maybe we'll find out next week if I get an email after he reads this. At a time in MMA where teammates and friends decline to fight each other, Joe has stated on numerous occasions that he would be willing to fight his own brother, and fellow UFC fighter, Dan Lauzon. That is in stark contrast to Rashad/Jardine, and Anderson Silva/Lyoto who have reiterated there is no chance of them ever meeting inside the Octagon, no matter how much Dana, or the fans want to see them fight. It seems as if Ma and Pa Lauzon did a great job raising their sons to have the drive and determination needed to excel at the highest level of competition in the worlds toughest sport. The only issue I have with the parents Lauzon is their choice to not create a 3rd Lauzon brother.

If a willingness to fight your own brother, and killer instinct inside the Octagon isn't enough to make you like Lauzon, his interaction with his fans should do the trick. I started following Joe on Twitter soon after I signed up, and he is by far the fighter most willing to answer questions, usually numerous times, asked of him by MMA fans. On a normal day Joe will answer questions regarding his Mac setup, iPhone apps, when he's fighting in the UFC again, what game he's playing on Xbox, random fight predictions, and he does it all without complaining. Thanks to Twitter, and Joe's decision to respond to endless questions, we, as an MMA community, feel a connection to Joe that we haven't encountered before. If you'd like to ride the Lauzon Train please feel free to follow Joe on facebook and Twitter at: www.facebook.com/joelauzon, and www.twitter.com/joelauzon.

Fan/Stalker/Email of the Week:

In this new segment I will post the funniest email I get from the readers of my aMMAzing Week in Review column. If you'd like to have the opportunity to appear in this segment, please email something witty to ammazingtorch@gmail.com. If you'd like to have your name listed in the column, please include it at the conclusion of the email.
This weeks "winner":

Brent Henderson,

I very frequently read MMATorch and I must say you are a very excellent journalist. You should know I have never felt so compelled to write to a writer and inform him/her of their excellent work until I read your aMMAzing week 2.0. The way you fuse information and humor... you're everything a journalist should be.

No worries, I am not a crazed homosexual fan trying to hunt you down and get inside your pants. I'm simply just a homosexual fan. Keep up the good work!

P.S. - I'm not really gay

The jury is still out on the P.S. part, but the email made me laugh.

Final Words

Thanks again to everyone who was kind enough to email, and comment on last weeks article. I was so glad my column was able to cure Eric of his recent bout with AIDS, and gave David H. the courage to leave his wife. If you're scratching your head wondering what I'm talking about, go read the comment section for last week's column.

I'm really looking forward to next week, as I get to review my first UFC PPV *and* Dream 12. Once again, thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you next Saturday!

===

Brent Henderson is the MMATorch Week-in-Review Specialist. He has been watching MMA since UFC's first PPV. Provide feedback to him at aMMAzingTorch@gmail.com or visit his Twitter page by the same name: http://www.twitter.com/aMMAzingTorch.

[Kimbo Slice art credit Cory Gould (c) MMATorch]