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By Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist
DAVID FOLLOWS MIR
Frank Mir recently made some of the most ridiculous comments an MMA athlete has ever made. His remarks towards Brock Lesnar are the kind that can seriously damage the growth and progress that MMA has enjoyed in recent years.
For so long now I have whole-heartedly defended MMA to anyone who is prepared to acknowledge that the human cockfighting image of old is merely a myth. In fact, that perception is anything but accurate since MMA as a whole is in fact one of the most exciting sports in the world with a safe track record other than superficial injuries.
Mir was reprimanded by UFC President Dana White and promptly apologized for his comments. You would think that with all of the controversy, and the damage that this could have potentially caused, this would be a lesson learned by all? Well apparently - you would be wrong.
Rumours have been circulating all week over posts from Marcus Davis on what is apparently his "official" Twitter account. Davis this week expressed his dislike for Welterweight No.1 contender; Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy and stated that he hoped the Brit died of "Aids."
Davis really does need to finally move on. He lost to Hardy last June and has since suffered the first knockout loss of his entire career. I have always thought that Hardy was on his mind the night Ben Saunders knocked him out. The Brit was Octagon-side and Davis has just not been able to let go. Seeing him there, last November, played a part in that loss – of that I'm sure.
Everything Dan Hardy said both to and about Davis in their build up was humorous. It was tongue-in-cheek. More importantly, it was designed to give him an edge in the fight, if Davis let him get under his skin, and hype the showdown itself to increase interest in the fight.
What Davis said is very odd. This is a man who has developed an obsession which, if he is not careful, will eat him alive. I don't see him getting a re-match with Hardy anytime soon - if ever again.
Hardy is now one of the Welterweight elite and what will be killing Davis is that Hardy played him and in doing so used him as a stepping stone to his shot at Georges St. Pierre.
THE COUNT TO 114
Following his three round decision loss to Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping looks set for a quick return to the Octagon at UFC 114. This week reports stated that Bisping has agreed to face Dan Miller.
Miller is coming off back-to-back losses to Chael Sonnen and Damien Maia. Although these defeats are to arguably the top two contenders at 185, a third straight defeat would likely see him on the chopping block.
Bisping himself will be desperate for the win. Although his need may not be quite as "do or die" as that of Miller, he will not want to go 1-3 in his last four fights. Bisping has only lost to former champions and two legends of MMA so, with nothing to be ashamed of, this could be his chance to rebuild his middleweight career.
Miller was convincingly beaten by Damien Maia in a fight which surprisingly took place on its feet. With that in mind, I see Bisping easily winning this fight. He is better standing up. His defense off his back has been exceptional recently, and his cardio is second to none.
Wanderlei Silva has said he will give Bisping his re-match once he has take care of business with Yoshihiro Akiyama (a fight that looks set to take place on the April 17 event). Personally I don't want Bisping to go for that re-match just yet. I believe in rebuilding one step at a time. He was extremely disciplined in the first round against Silva and, on another day, may have been able to avoid a few key attacks and grind out the points win. However, I fear for him turning into a marquee-only fighter instead of a rising contender if he is not careful.
I would love to see another great performance from Bisping, taking the positives from that first round and building from there against Miller. I think he could even take away a more impressive win than the Dennis Kang victory.
Should Bisping come through, he should move on to face the likes of Alan Belcher, Yushin Okami, or Patrick Cote. Those are the challenges he should be setting for himself at this moment in time.
Once he has beaten two or three of those guys, move to the next group and face the likes of Nate Marquart, Damien Maia, or Chael Sonnen.
Then, and only then, should Bisping look at challenging Wanderlei again.
KRYPTONITE
With only a matter of weeks to go until Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy makes history by becoming the first English fighter EVER, to compete for a UFC title, the excitement levels are getting higher by the day.
The quote that is sticking with me is Hardy's "I am Georges St. Pierres Kryptonite."
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Superman comics or movies, Kryptonite was the one thing that Superman's powers were lost on. It his one vulnerablity, the one thing all of his given powers and ability were nullified by.
I love this parallel that Hardy has drawn and it just gets the imagination going. What if Hardy really could shock the world and defeat the champ?
GSP has been almost superhero-like in recent performances leaving few betting against him. Hardy told UFC.com: "All those GSP fans are betting their houses on him. Well, there's gonna be a lot of homeless GSP fans the day after."
No one is really giving Hardy a shot in this fight and, as history has proved, that can be a grave error. Dan Hardy is one of the best technical strikers and one of the best counter punchers in all of MMA. The only person who doesn't seem to be writing Hardy off is the champion himself. GSP told ufc.com"Dan Hardy has nothing to lose and guys with nothing to lose are the most dangerous guys to fight. The night of the fight I'm gonna have to fight the best fight because if I don't it might be a bad night for me. I don't take this fight lightly he's the most dangerous guy I have fought so far."
With a response to all the doubters Hardy added: "How many more of your favourite fighters do I have to beat up, before you believe the hype?"
So the question remains: Is Dan Hardy really Georges St-Pierres Kryptonite? We'll find out on March 27.
OLYMPIC MMA
There have been noises for a while now regarding the possibility of MMA becoming an Olympic sport. I for one applaud this idea and believe it would cement its status into the mainstream.
One of the main concerns I keep hearing is how the "cage" appears from the outside looking in. The stigma that is attached to it with the old myth of no rules "lock 'em in a cage until one is dead" seems to hurt the sport.
We all know it is anything but that type of event. If anything, it's quite the opposite. MMA is such a safe sport and it more than deserves a spot at the Olympics.
If I were in a position to make any decisions or suggestions, I think I would address the cage issue - just for the short term. For an event such as the Olympics, replace the cage with an Octagon shaped ring. Ropes instead of chain link could just make that difference, just taking the edge off the stereotype, so that the sport we all love can be appreciate for just how good it really is.
OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF
- Following the withdrawal of Cole Miller from their Fight Night 21 showdown, Andre Winner now has a new opponent. The Brit will face Raphaello Oliveira on March 31. Winner exploded into the UFC in November with a KO debut victory over Roli Delgado. Oliveira on the other hand is 1-1 in the UFC and could be fighting for his contract.
-The new set of "The Ultimate Collectors" figures has been unveiled with star names such as Kimbo Slice, Tito Ortiz, B.J. Penn, and British Middleweight Michael "The Count" Bisping as members of the cast.
-British Lightweight prospect Terry Etim has finally regained main card status. After dropping back-to-back decisions to Rich Clementi and Gleison Tibau, Etim found himself back on preliminary cards. After a four fight win streak, Etim will now face Brazilian Raphael Dos Anjos on the televised card of the 112 show in Abu Dhabi.
-Josh Koscheck has shown a better sense of humor than Marcus Davis. Following what is becoming a trend with British fighters, Paul Daley has endorsed photo-shopped pictures of Koscheck. The TUF 1 star has taken it all in good humor and even posted a competition on his Twitter to decide the best picture created.
I hope you enjoyed reading this weeks round up of "The UK Scene" and hope you will join me next week.
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Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchpark@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!
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