Mail Bonding
Mail Bonding
Jake Rossen Oct 13, 2008
The last 60 days have played host to some sensational MMA media
stories -- the Affliction/Golden Boy pact, Randy
Couture’s comeback, Kimbo
Slice’s comedown -- and since this space has long been occupied
with my overcooked blather on those topics, it’s only fair to give
readers an opportunity to respond.
Choice excerpts of non-threatening correspondence appear below.
Couture: ‘TUF’ Enough?
I know it's a matter of timing and fight contracts that have already been signed, and there’s the whole Nogueira/Mir “Ultimate Fighter 8” thing, but I really feel that Nog is being robbed of his title shot. He earned it, and the UFC should honor that interim belt. Lesnar is 1-1 in the UFC and has only 3 total MMA bouts in his whole career. That, to me, is not enough to deserve a title shot. I know, I know, it's really a matter of the timing of the return of Couture, but Lesnar does NOT deserve a title shot yet. I feel bad for Nog.
--Chris
Lesnar absolutely doesn’t deserve a title shot with a 1-1 UFC record -- it’s absurd, really -- but it’s a fight people want to see, and he has a legitimate chance of defeating Couture. Randy has excelled in recent heavyweight fights, but Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga didn’t have the ability to neutralize his wrestling the way Lesnar can.
Nogueira, incidentally, will be UFC champion by this time next year. He runs that four-man tournament without a problem.
Affliction/Golden Boy
I'm sorry, but this is gonna flop right out the gate. I love boxing having watched since the early ‘70s and was there when UFC put out its first tape and I have to say that they are not compatible. This deal is just to get Affliction into Las Vegas, which they don’t need to do anyway. Atlantic City is the place to start promoting, not to mention doing shows in Canada -- but no, they have to try and stuff themselves right in there with UFC so they can be seen. It seems Atencio has the little brother syndrome. If they were smart, they'd just stop trying to be the world leader in MMA and put the effort into doing something new.
--Peggy Murray
Maybe they’re listening: Plans for an amalgam boxing/MMA card in January have apparently been scrapped.
I have a feeling Affliction will be known as the organization that gave us some terrific fights before flaming out. Their star attraction -- Fedor Emelianenko -- is ridiculously overpaid considering his box-office value. I’m happy to see Fedor in competitive fights, but he’s a loss leader at this point.
More Pound for Pound Reaction
Why no mention of Anderson Silva’s losses and getting mounted by Travis Lutter? Why no consideration for the amount of weight Anderson and GSP cut to prey on smaller fighters? Anderson weighed in at 206 for the James Irvin fight and was probably 210 to 215 in the cage. He looked the same size as he does when fighting at middleweight.
--Zane Fraser
Oh, c’mon. Do you really think GSP was any bigger than Jon Fitch? That Silva was more dried out than Rich Franklin, who looked like a tapeworm host at 185 pounds?
Getting mounted is hardly the exclamation point it used to be. Lutter may have gotten some points, but he did nothing with it except make Silva angry.
Nice article [on declining athletes, “Top to Bottom,” 09/23], but I think you forgot to put one name on that list: Tito Ortiz, and for obvious reasons.
-- Juan Flores
Sorry, don’t see it. Ortiz has defeated both the current UFC light heavyweight champion and the No. 1 contender. (Technically a draw -- call it a moral victory.) Aside from the Liddell losses, he’s only really been thrashed by Lyoto Machida, and losing to an undefeated fighter with an impregnable style isn’t shameful.
He simply hasn’t looked as bad as either Liddell or Hughes in recent memory. And if his back surgery allows him to take more effective shots and work a better clinch, he’s going to be a serious problem for anyone in the division.
Choice excerpts of non-threatening correspondence appear below.
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I know it's a matter of timing and fight contracts that have already been signed, and there’s the whole Nogueira/Mir “Ultimate Fighter 8” thing, but I really feel that Nog is being robbed of his title shot. He earned it, and the UFC should honor that interim belt. Lesnar is 1-1 in the UFC and has only 3 total MMA bouts in his whole career. That, to me, is not enough to deserve a title shot. I know, I know, it's really a matter of the timing of the return of Couture, but Lesnar does NOT deserve a title shot yet. I feel bad for Nog.
--Chris
What else can you do? There’s no point in passing up a marquee
fight and having Couture sit on the bench until the winner of
Nogueira/Mir heals up. He’s been on the shelf for over a year as it
is.
Lesnar absolutely doesn’t deserve a title shot with a 1-1 UFC record -- it’s absurd, really -- but it’s a fight people want to see, and he has a legitimate chance of defeating Couture. Randy has excelled in recent heavyweight fights, but Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga didn’t have the ability to neutralize his wrestling the way Lesnar can.
Nogueira, incidentally, will be UFC champion by this time next year. He runs that four-man tournament without a problem.
Affliction/Golden Boy
I'm sorry, but this is gonna flop right out the gate. I love boxing having watched since the early ‘70s and was there when UFC put out its first tape and I have to say that they are not compatible. This deal is just to get Affliction into Las Vegas, which they don’t need to do anyway. Atlantic City is the place to start promoting, not to mention doing shows in Canada -- but no, they have to try and stuff themselves right in there with UFC so they can be seen. It seems Atencio has the little brother syndrome. If they were smart, they'd just stop trying to be the world leader in MMA and put the effort into doing something new.
--Peggy Murray
Maybe they’re listening: Plans for an amalgam boxing/MMA card in January have apparently been scrapped.
I have a feeling Affliction will be known as the organization that gave us some terrific fights before flaming out. Their star attraction -- Fedor Emelianenko -- is ridiculously overpaid considering his box-office value. I’m happy to see Fedor in competitive fights, but he’s a loss leader at this point.
More Pound for Pound Reaction
Why no mention of Anderson Silva’s losses and getting mounted by Travis Lutter? Why no consideration for the amount of weight Anderson and GSP cut to prey on smaller fighters? Anderson weighed in at 206 for the James Irvin fight and was probably 210 to 215 in the cage. He looked the same size as he does when fighting at middleweight.
--Zane Fraser
Oh, c’mon. Do you really think GSP was any bigger than Jon Fitch? That Silva was more dried out than Rich Franklin, who looked like a tapeworm host at 185 pounds?
Getting mounted is hardly the exclamation point it used to be. Lutter may have gotten some points, but he did nothing with it except make Silva angry.
Nice article [on declining athletes, “Top to Bottom,” 09/23], but I think you forgot to put one name on that list: Tito Ortiz, and for obvious reasons.
-- Juan Flores
Sorry, don’t see it. Ortiz has defeated both the current UFC light heavyweight champion and the No. 1 contender. (Technically a draw -- call it a moral victory.) Aside from the Liddell losses, he’s only really been thrashed by Lyoto Machida, and losing to an undefeated fighter with an impregnable style isn’t shameful.
He simply hasn’t looked as bad as either Liddell or Hughes in recent memory. And if his back surgery allows him to take more effective shots and work a better clinch, he’s going to be a serious problem for anyone in the division.
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