Contributor: Tim Hickey

(You can read Part I, with Flyweights and Bantamweights, here.)

It is a common known fact that that UFC possesses the deepest and most talented roster of MMA fighters on the planet. Over the past couple of years, with the absorption of the WEC and Strikeforce, they possess a majority of the best fighters in the world. But MMA is a world sport, and there is a barrage of talented fighters outside of the Zuffa bubble. This series of articles will focus on those fighters who are waiting for their chance to be called to the big show. Today we focus on the featherweights and lightweight who are forging their craft outside of the bright lights.

Pat Curran

Notable victories: Patricio Freire, Joe Warren, Marlon Sandro, Toby Imada, Roger Huerta, Mike Ricci, Daniel Straus

Championships: Bellator Season 2 Lightweight tournament winner, Bellator Summer Series Featherweight tournament winner, Bellator Featherweight Champion

Highlight Video:

Currently the highest ranked fighter outside of the UFC according to the Bloody Elbow Meta Rankings, Pat Curran has shown himself to be one of the most talented featherweights in the world. Starting his career as a lightweight and training under his cousin, former Pride, UFC and WEC veteran Jeff Curran, Pat had some excellent success in that division, winning the 2nd Bellator LW tournament, earning himself a fight with then champion Eddie Alvarez. He would go on to drop a decision to the champ, in which made him decide to drop down to featherweight. Since the drop in weight, he hasn’t looked back. Since losing to Alvarez, he has gone 6-0, with 4 of those victories coming via submission or KO. He looks to be a mainstay at the top of the heap in Bellator, and is being sold as one of the faces of Bellator . It is not outside of the realm of sanity to say that Curran can hang with any featherweight in the world on any given night.

Honorio Banario

Video: Here is his fight against Andrew Benibe

A 23 year old prospect from the Phillippines, Banario is an aggressive striker and very solid grappler, who likes to put pressure on his opponents and walk them down, where he then throws bombs. He has only been fighting in MMA for 3 years, but has already put together an impressive 8-1 record with 3 TKOs and 5 submission victories. Recently crowned the inaugural One FC Featherweight champion, Banario appears to be a very good and exciting prospect who hopefully one day we will see come stateside and grace the Octagon.

Tatsuya Kawajiri

Video:

“Crusher” is one of the most well rounded fighters in the JMMA scene. He possesses heavy hands, strong wrestling and a very varied submission game that keeps his opponents off balance. He has shared a ring and cage with some of the best in the world, with the wins listed above and losses to Eddie Alvarez, Shinya Aoki, a prime Takanori Gomi and 2 losses to former Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez (the 1st loss being very controversial as many thought Kawajiri had won the fight). The decision to drop to featherweight, after spending his entire career at 155 lbs, has been a good one for Crusher. He has rang off 4 victories in a row since making the weight class change. In this humble writers opinion, I believe we could drop Kawajiri into the UFC’s FW division and he would have excellent success and as good a chance as any to become the first Japanese fighter to hold a UFC title.

Georgi Karakhanyan

Notable Victories: Micah Miller, Din Thomas, Hiroyuki Takaya, Isaac DeJesus, Anthony Leone

Championships: Tachi Palace Featherweight Champion

Video:

A slick grappler who has shown flashes of KO power in his career, Karakhanyan has put together an impressive career thusfar. Despite a lackluster run in Bellator (going 2-2 with losses to Patricio Freire and Joe Warren) Karakhanyan has rebounded with 7 straight victories since March of 2011. He has shown the ability to hang wherever the fight happens to go and at 27 years old is just entering the prime of his fighting career.

Marat Gafurov

Video:

Gafurov is another prospect who has had a had a very good start to his MMA career. In his 7 victories, he has finished 5 fights via submission and has shown to have a very aggressive (if not reckless) style on both the feet as well as on the ground. While he has shown to be pretty reckless this early in his MMA career, he shows great upside and could potentially become the next big thing out of Russia if given enough time.

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire

Video:

One half of Bellator’s fighting Pitbull brothers, Patricio Freire is a fearsome striker who possesses incredible speed, and does a wonderful job of mixing up his Muay Thai with takedowns and a black belt in BJJ. He has shown to be consistently one of the best fighters under the Bellator banner, only losing twice since coming stateside with his only losses coming against former champion Joe Warren and current champion Pat Curran. At only 25 years of age, Patricio hasn’t even hit his fighting prime yet but continues to fight strong competition. Combine that with his training under the Team Nogueria banner, I suspect we shall hear Patricio Pitbull’s name quite a bit in the coming years.

Joachim Hansen

Video:

If you want to get your money’s worth as a fight fan, watching a Hellboy Hansen fight will always give you the most bang for your buck. A vicious, powerful striker, Hansen’s highlight reel is fun (well, if you are like me and like seeing other humans get flattened with punches. Why else would you be here if you didn’t?) Of his 22 victories, 15 have been via submission or KO. He is a decorated European grappling champion, as well as has a 1-1 record in pure kickboxing matches. Hansen recently made a successful return to MMA after being away from the sport for 2 years when he won his fight last month at Road FC. We will likely never see Hellboy in the Octagon, as he feels they had low balled him when they bought Pride and tried to bring him over, but to hardcore fans he will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Michael Chandler

Video:

A former Division 1 All American, Michael Chandler has ascended from Bellator prospect to the face of the franchise. After his spectacular upset in a FOTY candidate with Eddie Alvarez back in 2011, Chandler proved that night he could be considered one of the best in the world. Training with Alliance MMA, he has put together a fairly well rounded game in the 3 1/2 years since he began his career. His strong wrestling base, combined with excellent ground and pound as well as an ever evolving striking game, it isn’t a far stretch to say that Chandler could potentially dominate Bellator’s lightweight division for the foreseeable future.

Shinya Aoki

Video:

One of the most dangerous grapplers in all of MMA, the “Tobikan Judoka” is a master of submissions. Aoki is a rare throwback talent in which he only has one excellent strength. On the ground he is otherworldly, making competent grapplers look idiotic as he works them and inevitably submits them. He has an unbelievable 67% submission rate in his victories, by far and away the best percentage in MMA today, especially for someone with almost 40 career fights. He takes a lot of flak for winning against lower tier competition, but struggling against some of the high level fighters he has fought over recent years, but it cannot take away from just how great of a fighter Aoki truly is.

Eduard Folayang

Video:

A decorated Wushu champion in Asia (Wushu is a proto MMA style sport, and more can be read up on it here).  Eduard Folayang is an exciting and explosive fighter. Bursting into the MMA consciousness with a barnburner of a fight with Ole Larsen in March of last year, Folayang has earned 2 FOTN bonus’ in his first 4 One FC fights. Considered one of the best pound for pound fighters by his home country of the Philippines, (which says something when Manny Pacquiao is a fellow countryman), Folayang has shown he is always a fighter that you want to tune in to watch.

Isao Kobayashi

Video:

A brawler with heavy hands, Kobayashi is very Chuck Liddellian in the way that he will be willing to eat punches in order to land punches. Having finished 9 of his 13 victories via (T)KO or submission, he has been running the table in his homeland thusfar. His last fight back in December lasted only 14 seconds before he completely wrecked Kenichiro Togashi.

Rick Hawn

Video:

A former Olympic judoka, Hawn has shown himself to be one of the best lightweights in all of Bellator. Despite his background as a judo player, he has never actually submitted anyone in MMA competition, but has finished 10 of his opponents via KO/TKO. While he is 36 years old an in the twilight of his career, he has still shown himself to be more than a capable fighter, and remains a powerful and dangerous opponent for anyone at 155 lbs.

So there we have it, a dozen fighters than most of you may have heard of, some you may not have. Either way I think this sample size shows that there is still a fair amount of talent outside of the deep waters of the UFC. Check back soon for the next installment where we will be highlighting the welterweight and middleweight divisions.

-Images via Sherdog.  Tim can be reached @timhickey80.

(Where we recap the goings on in the fight world that you didn’t see on your TV this weekend.)

• Zabit Samedov def. Wieslaw Kwasnieki [R1 KO, SuperKombat New Heroes in Vienna]
• Jameel Massouh lost to Michael Mananquil [UD, NAFC Knockout Kigns, Road 2 Glory USA Tournament]
• Muhsin Corbbrey def. Dustin Johnson, lost to Michael Mananquil [UD, UD, Knockout Kigns, Road 2 Glory USA Tournament]
• Ricky Burns def. Jose A. Gonzalez [R9 TD]
• Holly Holm def. Mary Mcgee [UD]
• Vinny Maddalone def. Richard Carmack [R3 TKO]
• Vic Darchinyan def. Javier Gallo [R4 TKO]
• Jason Jones lost to Maciej Browarski [R1 KO, Final Fight Championship 4]
• Dan Spohn def. Aaron Mays [R1 Armbar, Ultimate Victory Challenge 23: Invasion]
• Sean Santella def. Dave Morgan [R1 Triangle, Cage Fury Fighting Championship 24: Sullivan vs. Becker]
• Zach Makovsky def. Claudio Ledesma [UD, Cage Fury Fighting Championship 24: Sullivan vs. Becker]
• Derrick Kennington def. Jonathan DelBrugge [R1 KO, Cage Fury Fighting Championship 24: Sullivan vs. Becker]
• Dan Stittgen lost to Benjamin Brinsa [R1 Guillotine, La Familia Fight Club Fight Night 4]
• Jack Mason def. Collin Reuter [UD, Cage Warriors Fight Night 8]
• Jorge Patino def. Efrain Escudero [SD, Max Sport 13.2]
• Chase Beebe lost to Tom Niinimaki [UD, Cage 22: Niinimaki vs. Beebe]
• Anton Kuivanen def. Jason Pierce [UD, Cage 22: Niinimaki vs. Beebe]
• Steve Bosse def. Caleb Grummet [R1 Doctor Stoppage, Challenge MMA 1: Sensations]

I’m a big fan of fight posters.  I’m an avid collector and have many displayed, much to the chagrin of the opposite sex.  So with this being a very lean fight week, I decided to take a step back and really take a look at what UFC posters I enjoy the most…and the least.  I plan on doing boxing posters at a later date, as they tend to be much, much better and more creative.

Also, I made the starting point at the Zuffa purchase at UFC 30.  Without further ado.

THE BEST:

-Look at the Worst Of below at the second poster.  This one came directly after it.  I’m assuming someone got sacked immediately after, because this is very, very nice.  You’ll notice a trend that I tend to enjoy simple, clean-looking posters.  Boom, two guys side-by-side, nice blended in fight shots of both below them, and the Bellagio logo classes it up.  Solid work.  The “As Real as it Gets” is puke, but you can’t do anything about a slogan if the higher-ups want it, and you know that just had to be Dana’s doing.

-I like this poster in theory.  If they could have actually matched up “old guard” fighters with “new guard” fighters, it would be perfect.  Putting Hughes in with the old guys is a bit of a stretch, but it’s the thought that counts with this one.

-Beautiful.  Maybe the most aesthetically outstanding poster they’ve ever done.  The only flaw is the giant MILLER LITE right in the middle, but this is gorgeous.

,

-The UFC was on a roll at this point.  Going from the colorful, vibrant Couture-Belfort poster to this one here.  Simple, tells the story, and brings levity and importance.  Could do without the “IT’S ON!”, but hey, it could be worst.  Looking at you “WHO R U PICKING?”

-Not a damned thing wrong with this.  Champions on the left, challengers on the right, blended fight picture behind.  Simple but effective.

-I do have a soft spot for face-to-face posters.  This was also the UFC’s highest buyrate to that point and for some time after.  The bigger the event is, the less you need on the poster, and this follows that.  Chuck.  Randy.  3.  All you need.

-Yeah, I don’t mind the whole red, angry theme.  Normally I wouldn’t approve of ANYTHING that highlights Tim Sylvia’s hideous tattoo, but it’s a theme and they committed to it, so I like it.  Would have been funny if they would’ve made Tito’s massive head completely red for effect.

-HAHAHAHA THEY TOTALLY DID!!

-I’d like to buy whoever designed this poster a Schlitz and a horseradish-crusted salmon filet.  Goosebump city.

-As John Madden would say, when you put your title front-and-center, you’re making sure your title is front-and-center.

THE WORST:

-First off, I actually like the flag inside the octagons.  I really like that.  Here’s the problem, your event is titled “Worlds Collide” AND FEATURES HALF OF YOUR FIGHTS AS USA VS. USA.  The American flag vs. American flag graphic for Lindland-Miletich is just…how did that get through without anyone batting an eye?  STATES COLLIDE!   Also, that font is awful.

-I know making fun of early UFC posters is shooting fish in a barrel, but come on.  Look at that thing.  Eee gads.  This is something 1995 ESPN2 would have thought was too gaudy and scattered.  This might be the worst MMA event poster ever, and I’m including the Pride one where there’s teat-suckling.

-They were on such a roll before this.  First off, naming your event “Heavy Hitters” is just asking the fight gods to jinx you.  Sure enough, Buentello’s fight ended via submission and Forrest’s ended by decision.  By the way, is Forrest fighting Buentello?  No?  Who’s he fighting?  Oh, someone not on the poster.  Is Arlovski fighting Buentello?  No?  Who’s he fighting?   Oh, someone not on the poster.  Who’s Buentello fighting?  Oh, someone noTHIS IS INEXCUSABLE, PUT SOME FUCKING OPPONENTS ON THIS.

-What’s with the weird edges?  Are they going for a Wild West vibe?  Is this fight happening in someone’s thought bubble?  Am I dreaming about this fight?  Also, come on with that picture of BJ.  They really couldn’t have found a better picture?  His hair says  65, but his chest says four.

-Rule o’ thumb; if you’re trying to promote your fight card as a sport between able and matched opponents, you might want to try not having an odd number of fighters in your poster.  Also: none of the fighters pictured here are fighting each other and the main event isn’t even listed.  Just atrocious.

-R.I.P. Chris Kelly.

-JESUS CHRIST ALMIGHTY WHAT IS HAPPENING?!  I’ve seen Club Opening flyers handed to me on the street that had less going on than this.

-And the UFC is now 0/2 in common sense “Worlds Collide” posters.

Check back later this weekend for Part 2 and maybe 3.

Contributor: Connor Dillon

I’ve practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and MMA for a total of roughly a year. I am not a wrestler. I haven’t ever attended a wrestling meet, I’ve never been on a wrestling team, and outside of a couple wrestling practices at the local MMA gym and the Olympics, I have never experienced wrestling first hand, besides that friendly rough-housing with my father as a kid that everyone goes through, and according to some, should go through. That’s neither here or there. But when I hear someone say, “Wrestling isn’t a martial art, it’s a sport or it’s scripted,” my blood boils. Not only because they’re generalizing a martial art that’s been around far longer than any other in history, but because they lump it in with a ‘fake’ entertainment product.

Let it be known: Wrestling is a martial art.

“But, Connor, wrestling doesn’t have any strikes, submissions, and didn’t develop in Asia or Oceania, it can’t be a martial art”. Well, you’re stupid. Wrestling developed on every continent thousands of year before any other martial art was born. It included submissions and pins (in various forms, one Native American tribe in modern Central Canada pinned if you pulled someone to the ground by their hair). There are multiple paintings provided by the Egyptians of wrestling, and several scrolls defining rules and the such, but the Greeks were the first to truly codify wrestling as a sport and martial art.

Ancient Greek wrestling had two “sport” forms. The first is somewhat similar to modern amateur wrestling, in that the objective was to throw, trip, or toss an opponent, the first one who performs this feat wins (I think it was three times. I’ve also read one toss, but those Ancient Greek historians aren’t very accurate sometimes). The second form allowed a continuation into ground fighting, where individuals could win by submission or pin. In both competitions, a lot would be drawn from a jar to figure out pairings and there were no weight classes. This would allow the men to wrestle as they would on the field, where they could potentially face enemies who outweigh them or are smaller and quicker.

The usage of wrestling was drastically important to the battlefield in pre-gun warfare. Your spear breaks. You pull out your sword. Your sword breaks. You use a dagger or knife. Your dagger gets lost in a body? Throw the shield down if you haven’t already and start wrestling. In the Grecian battles like Thermopylae, Salamis, and the Sicilian Expedition there are plenty of sources that state wrestling was used on the battlefield to toss enemies, choke them, break limbs, etc. To me, that is the very purpose of a martial art: to be used on the battlefield, successfully.

Not convinced by this historical example? Okay, let me introduce you to catch wrestling. Evolving in Britain in the late 1800s, catch wrestling was unique in that it allowed any and all “catches” or submissions. There were bare minimum rules to be had, similar to Ancient Greek wrestling. This got spread through traveling fairs, where a champion wrestler would challenge any and all comers to wrestle them and win a prize if the champion lost. Because you could never know if the person you’re facing was a local yokel who just happened to be hammered enough or a wrestler of some skill, individuals had to develop a complete game. This spread to the United States. Once there, many locals like “Farmer” Burns and Frank Gotch rose to stardom as catch wrestlers, performing for thousands in championship matches. However, there eventually came a split between people who tried to maintain the integrity of the sport and those who saw large money signs come up from the entertainment aspect. As you can see today, those who valued entertainment over true competition won out, though there are still plenty of individuals within the pro wrestling business who can wrestle.

“Okay, Connor, maybe there once was a time when wrestling was a martial art, but it isn’t today, certainly not, there’s no submissions and they just wear funny headgear and singlets”. Well, you’re stupid if you think that. Catch wrestling is still around, though it can be hard to come by. On the other hand, amateur wrestling, the competitive form practiced in high schools, clubs, and colleges across the world, is a martial art. Look no further than the definition of the words ‘martial’ and ‘art’. ‘Martial’, according to the Collins American English Dictionary, is defined as “of or suitable for war; showing a readiness or eagerness to fight; warlike”. ‘Art’ is defined as “human ability to make things; skill, craftsmanship; any specific skill or it’s application; any craft, trade, or profession, or its principles.” Amateur wrestling certainly is martial. Why do some many police officers complain about dealing with wrestlers, and why do so many militaries teach takedowns as important to get on top of and beat and enemy (literally and figuratively)? Because it’s useful. Therefore, it is martial. It is also an art, as it deals with the human ability to make a technique come about, implementing skills that pertain to wrestling and within the confines of the rules. So it also successfully meets the definition of art.

“Maybe you got me, Connor. But why does your same source for ‘martial’ and ‘art’ define ‘martial art’ as “any various forms of self-defense originating in East Asia, such as karate and kung fu, also engaged in as a sport’”?   That seems very specific. My answer: because as a whole, we’ve been taught that a martial art is a ‘foreign’ invention, something that is exotic and looks like people in pajamas punching and kicking a banana tree or choking someone out with a lapel. That’s just simply not true. No one thinks of wrestling as a martial art. Few people think of boxing as a martial art. Both are typically seen as “Western sports”. But as I’ve clearly shown, throughout history and by the very definitions of the words ‘martial’ and ‘art’, wrestling is considered a martial art. It is and has been used on the battlefield for millennia. What is more true to the spirit of martial arts than actual use in combat?

Further Readings:

 The Challenge of Defining A Martial Art by John Clements

The Martial Chronicles by John Nash (multiple articles)

The Forgotten Golden Age of MMA by John Nash (multiple articles)

-Connor can be reached @connorhavok.

Contributor: Josh Hall

Eye pokes are terrible.  Everyone knows that whether they have ever fought in a cage, had a sparring session, or lived for a substantial period of time.  In MMA they have become a growing problem, finally coming to a head at UFC 159.  We saw not one, but two technical decisions after third round eye pokes.  This was certainly an anomaly, but the way the two situations were handled by the respective officials was drastically different

In the Gian Villante vs Ovince St. Preux fight, Villante was caught by a finger to the eye in the final round, in what was a very close fight up to that point.  Referee Kevin Mulhall asked Villante if he could see, then stopped the fight immediately when he said ‘no’.

Contrast that with the Michael Bisping/Alan Belcher fight, and you have totally different actions from referee Herb Dean.  Bisping caught Belcher with a glancing thumb to the eye, causing him to start bleeding immediately.  Dean did not immediately 

stop the fight, however.  He consulted the ringside official, had him check out the problem, and then made his decision on the advice of the doctor.

Here is where things get a bit screwy.  Both referees were completely within their rights as officials here.  But good news is on the horizon, as the powers that be have realized this problem needs to be addressed.  UFC Regulatory VP Marc Ratner spoke to USA Today recently about necessary rule changes, and had this to say about the UFC 159 chaos:   

“The referee was a very good referee. Kevin Mulhall is one of the top referees in the world. Once the fighter said he couldn’t see, it puts the referee in a position where he has to stop it. So it’s the kind of thing where you want the doctors, who are there for that exact reason, to make the final determination before you stop the fight.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ufc/2013/04/29/marc-ratner-ufc-unified-rules-association-of-boxing-commisions/2122139/

Hopefully this potential change can lead to a uniform policy for officials to follow regarding eye pokes, and removing the confusion would be a great step in the right direction.  Even so, it’s not enough.  Even if we have an exact protocol for officials when a poke occurs, we still have the big problem of the frequency of said pokes.  I have an idea that might help that problem.

Whether an eye poke is intentional or not, it is still caused by either negligence or malicious intent.  Either way, it is always the fault of the fighter keeping an open hand extended, usually in the standup.  When this happens the first time, fighters know that they are going to get a free pass the first time.  That actually gives participants a strategic reason to keep their range finding hand open, as it discourages their opponent from moving forward aggressively for fear of taking a finger in the eye.

How do we fix this flawed aspect of the sport?  My idea is two-fold.  Step one involves a one point deduction for ALL eye pokes.  Yes, this may change the results of some fights early on, but what it will also do is force fighters to train to keep their hands closed.  I think that can only be good for the sport long term.  If a fighter wants to avoid losing that point, they know exactly what to avoid.  There is one other problem with the automatic point deduction though.  Floppers.

If fighters know that faking an eye poke can gain them back a lost round, some of them (cough,cough, Koscheck) will try to game the system.  This is where the second part of my proposition kicks in.  While the fighter is being checked by the ringside physician, the referee quickly checks the replay to confirm there was indeed an eye poke.  Upon confirmation of the eye poke, the offending fighter has a point deducted and the fight continues if the doctor OK’s it.  If there was no poke, then the fighter that faked it loses the fight via verbal submission.  If the ‘poke’ to the eye was actually a knuckle, then it goes down as a TKO victory for the fighter that threw the strike.  It’s pretty simple, will insure consistency with the officiating in this aspect of a fight, and will 

force fighters to train to actively avoid poking their opponents in their eyes.

One other area where there is a great deal of contention is regarding the gloves.  I have done some sparring with 4oz gloves, but never the ones the UFC uses, so I’ll defer to the knowledge of someone that does this for a living.  In an interview with Bloody Elbow, Cub Swanson had this to say about MMA gloves:

“I think MMA gloves are crap, to be honest. First off, they’re square. When they give them to you, they’re a square piece of 4 ounce glove. They say that they’re open fingered so you can grapple, and then you can close your hand to punch. I believe the gloves should be rounder, because we hit from weird angles. If you relax your hand, the way the gloves are now, the natural position is for the hand to be completely open, which is why so many people get poked in the eye. If they were curved, and you put them on and relaxed your hand, your hand would follow the curve, not completely open. You’d only have to squeeze a little bit to make a fist with a more curved glove. It’s a balance that’s missing with the current gloves. The padding, instead of just falling off at the sides, should follow the curve of the hand more.

When we get the gloves, the UFC tries to help out by sort of curving the gloves for you overnight. You also have to kind of stretch them out a little bit, because they’re brand new and stiff. Some commission guys, like in Toronto, they wouldn’t let anybody touch my gloves but me, and the problem with that is I can barely get them on. When you can’t break them in, they’re very uncomfortable. I had to put them on early and start hitting the pads early, the day of the fight, just so I could feel comfortable, and not have the circulation cut off in my fingers. If I do less handwraps, then I might break my hands again.”

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/2/6/3959300/ufc-the-quiet-ascension-of-cub-swanson-dustin-poirier-jose-aldo

I may not be an expert, but this certainly isn’t a ringing endorsement of the current gloves.  What is good is it offers a possible solution from the perspective of someone who uses the gloves as much as anyone will.  I don’t know if Swanson’s proposed solution would work or not, but it couldn’t hurt if the UFC had some fighters try out some different variations during training sessions.  If the current design is part of the eye poke problem as Cub suggests, then some alternatives must be looked into for the good of the sport.

There you go folks.  That’s all I’ve got on this.  Come yell at me in the comments, Tweet me, or shoot me an email if you have better ideas.  I would love to hear them.      

-Josh can be reached at jhall282@yahoo.com or @jhall282.

Contributor: Connor Dillon

As I was meandering my way around the local public library, looking for historical books for my next script, which happens to be about bare knuckle boxers in the early 1800s, I came across Chael Sonnen’s book, The Voice of Reason. It came out last year and I finally got a chance to pick it up. I hurriedly paid for a library card since I wasn’t a resident of that city and took it home for a good read. It’s the first book I picked up for pleasure in a while.

I was looking forward to all the good little MMA-related nuggets that Sonnen would present, stories about back room politicking, maybe even stories of his loss to Forrest Griffin and Demian Maia, and if he felt generous enough, descriptive chapters on why he started fighting. I was a little surprised to say the least, when my hoped-for MMA bible turned into a political platform. For MMA fans who are left-leaning, don’t have a sense of humor, and in general can’t stand some political incorrectness, don’t pick this book up. Anyone else, give it a read. Topics include why Richard Nixon was actually a great President, why the Occupy Movement is a load of garbage, why respect should be given to any President regardless of political inclination, among many other fascinating topics. It’s tough to give this book a review from the perspective of a MMA fan since so much of it deals with thoughts of government and leadership, but thankfully there’s enough here to make it through.

For the MMA fans that made it through about half of the book of political discussion, you will finally hit all the goodies of mixed martial arts you can find. Chael talks about his Coach growing up, who influenced him to maintain a wrestling career and how to use determination and his skills to succeed at nearly anything possible. There’s a heart-touching and very real chapter dedicated to Sonnen’s father, nearly out of touch with the rest of a book filled with extreme declarations and odd insults. This chapter is probably the closest many of his fans will ever get to seeing the real Chael Sonnen, not the pro wrestling schtick or ground and pound master of the Octagon. Other chapters discuss Sonnen’s take on martial arts like Muay Thai, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, and Savate, characterized by some historical inaccuracies and hilarious humor provided by the one and only Chael Sonnen.

Overall, I’d say this book was pretty good. I was surprised at the amount of political discourse in The Voice of Reason, and even though much of it seemed like extreme examples, there were solid opinions floating around. The best part of the book though was when Sonnen discussed topics closer to his heart, like his Father and martial arts, and where the reader is able to read more into who the real Chael Sonnen is.

My grade: 8 out of 10.

Pros: Well-written and witty book that can get you to the heart of an often masked individual.

Cons: A lot of political jokes and writing that can turn off a reader who is too thin-skinned.

Connor can be reached @connorhavok.

(In which we check in on fighters who weren’t on major outlets over the weekend.)

• Hector Camacho Jr. def. Miguel Angel Munguia [R5 TKO]
• Albert Mensah def. Ben Odamattey [R6 TD]
• Anthony Dirrell def. Don Mouton [UD]
• Wladimir Klitschko def. Francesco Pianeta [R6 TKO]
• Andre Fili def. Adrian Diaz [R3 TKO, West Coast Fighting Championship 5]
• Anthony Avila def. Shad Smith [R1 TKO, West Coast Fighting Championship 5]
• Nazareno Malegarie def. Andre Luis [R1 Guillotine, Smash Fight]
• Rodney Wallace def. Joaquim Ferreira [R3 TKO, Smash Fight]
• Luis Santos def. Sebastian Latorre [R1 TKO, Smash Fight]
• Ricardo Mayorga def. Wesley Tiffer [R2 Doctor Stoppage, Omega MMA: Battle of the Americas]
• Jason Ball lost to Ivan Buchinger [UD, Cage Warriors 54]
• Jesse Taylor def. John Phillips [R1 Guillotine, Cage Warriors 54]

WBC Welterweight Championship: Floyd Mayweather (c) (43-0) vs. Robert Guerrero (ic) (31-1-1)

Nolan Howell: Robert Guerrero is a tough dude who swings for the fences. However, is that really anything Floyd Mayweather hasn’t seen already? While Mayweather is at the age where a dropoff is imminent soon, Guerrero isn’t the guy to capitalize on it just yet. Mayweather by UD.

Luke Irwin: As I’ve pointed out before, as Scott Christ eloquently noticed, he’s never seen a fighter want it more than the Guerreros. Everyone, from Robert on down the line. They know this is the biggest chance they’ll get. Mayweather is very, very rusty, and while logic dictates Mayweather coasts, this will be the first non-shot boxer he’s fought in years. His last fight was a year ago to Miguel Cotto, who’s clearly just about done, and while he beat Cotto, it wasn’t a joyride. He was hit, he was battered, he was bleeding. If Guerrero can keep his trademark pressure on Mayweather, can eat one or two to deliver one and keep moving forward, I think Guerrero wears him down, then finishes him against my better judgement. Guerrero via R11 TKO. “WOMAN BEATER!”

WBC Featherweight Championship: Daniel Ponce De Leon (c) (44-4) vs. Abner Mares (25-0-1)

Nolan Howell: Abner Mares via UD.

Luke Irwin: PDL is a fantastic fighter and he’s earned every accolade, but Mares is the best featherweight in the world, is younger, and has infinitely less miles. I think PDL throws everything he’s got at Mares, but it won’t be enough. Very close fight, but Mares via SD.  Fight of the night right here.

Middleweight Bout: Gabriel Rosado (21-6) vs. J’Leon Love (15-0)

Luke Irwin: Rosado is coming off a brutal bout with Gennady Golovkin and Love has his first name win over Derrick Findley. I think Love handles Rosado pretty well and keeps climbing up the middleweight ladder to get some MUCH needed fresh blood into 160lbs.  Love via R8 KO.

Super Bantamweight Bout: Alexander Munoz (36-4) vs. Leo Santa Cruz (23-0-1)

Nolan Howell: Santa Cruz via UD.

Luke Irwin: This is just a showcase fight for Santa Cruz, as he is one of the best young fighters and prospects in the world, but Munoz has an iron jaw. Santa Cruz coasts. Santa Cruz via UD.

(Welcome to Undercard Superstar Roundtable, a feature we’ll be running often, especially during slow weeks like this.  A question is posed, and the staff provides their answers.  Since it’s the first roundtable, we decided to go simple and easy.)

Who is your favorite fighter in MMA and why?

Connor Dillon:

Shoot. This is a tough one. When I first got into the sport, it was Matt Hughes, then GSP, then Martin Kampmann. If I was going to choose one fighter out of all time that I’d choose, I’d say Kazushi Sakuraba. For the uninitiated, this was a catch wrestler (or shoot wrestler or shoot boxer, or if you listen to Joe Rogan’s shenanigans, a straight ace jiu-jitsu fighter) who would fight anyone. Want to see someone who should be fighting at Welterweight or Middleweight fight Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights in their prime? This guy is your man. Sakuraba fought people like Quinton Jackson, Mirko Cro Cop, Wanderlei Silva, Kevin Randleman, Ken Shamrock, and many other name fighters in such exciting match ups that it blew my mind. My favorite fight with him would either be his match against Carlos Newton or Renzo Gracie.  The Sakuraba-Newton fight was a spectacular showing of how to use catch wrestling to throw around a jiu-jitsu ace. He’d mix in a few actions that no one in their right mind would make. He’d give up his back on people who could completely wipe the mat with any well renowned grappler, then sweep them with his patented Kimura-sweep, similar to Frank Mir on Minotauro.

Sakuraba did this often in his fight with Renzo, as well as the Newton fight. I just can’t talk enough about how awesome Saku is. He really is wonderful. He was jokey and hilarious, and could back up any of the jokes he participated in. Just ask Royce Gracie and the pajama joke that Sakuraba did.

Nolan Howell:

When it comes to favorite fighter, anyone who knows me knows that my heart belongs to Mark Hunt. The man has put glass slippers on both feet, using one to take home a K-1 Grand Prix and the other to potentially get a UFC title shot.

Regardless of story, Hunt is always fun to watch. With some solid fundamentals covered by a relatively ironclad chin, Hunt isn’t afraid to swing for the fences and turn any fight into a wild brawl.

When the time comes, don’t ask me for an expert opinion on Mark Hunt fights. The only thing you’ll hear from me is “Mark Hunt by first-round KO.” Sorry Junior dos Santos, you’re a nice guy, but it is time for Cinderella to have her second dance. You know this.

Tim Bernier:

I think I have to say Joe Lauzon is overtaking GSP as my favorite fighter. I love GSP. I think if he sprinkled a few finishes in his last 6 fights then I could make the case for him being better than Anderson (don’t worry, I concede the defeat for GOAT to Andy). I think he’s unequivocally the second best fighter who has ever fought. Some shmucks are putting Aldo on his level. HA! His resume is the toughest in history. I can spend hours defending him against spiteful keyboard warriors.

But man, Joe Lauzon. You guys will see just how much of a Lauzon mark I am here. Lauzon first caught my attention when I first started getting into gambling on MMA. I had bet on George Sotiropoulos against Lauzon at UFC 123. GSot had a huge hype train running at full speed at the time. I expected him to run through Lauzon. But then the fight started. Lauzon was putting a BEATING on George in the first round. I specifically remember cringing at some body shots he landed, thinking my money was being flushed down the drain. Sotiropoulos survived the round. Second round started, and the gassed Lauzon was taken down. Lauzon’s BJJ is incredible but when battling with a grappler like Sotiropoulos with no gas left in the tank, he was out of his element. He got armbarred. My bet was saved. But from that point on I woke up to what Joe Lauzon brings to a fight, every single time.

Lauzon brings excitement. No matter what. That’s incredibly valuable. I’m going to sound like every other schlub describing Lauzon, but it has to be said. He combines that technical striking style, high output, sometimes poor defense, amazing scramble, transition, and submission game with this tenacity and will to end the other guy’s night before those 15 minutes are up. A “sloppy” brawl will always be so much more entertaining when the guys know how to throw a punch. Lauzon’s fights against Miller and Varner are both in my top 5 favorites of all time. I think his submission of Varner was the best of 2012 and it wasn’t even a contest. More fighters need to have that dynamic ability to transition between throwing bombs and reversing a takedown attempt directly into a triangle choke.

But Joe Lauzon out of the cage is even better than the fighter that throws his face at fists with wanton disregard. Maybe I like him so much because he shares certain qualities with myself. He’s nerdy. He’s down to earth. He plays video games. He spends hours on the internet. His video blogs are the best that any fighter puts out. Including The Reem. He’s nice to his fans and interacts with them. He’s a cerebral dude that uses his out of the cage personality to find in the cage success. That’s something I can admire in a fighter. Honesty can be so refreshing in an age of cookie cutter answers.

See that 21 year old man-child in the red, grinning like a kid in a candy store? That’s me in a screencap of Lauzon’s UFC 155 vlog directly after shaking his hand. Dude looked exhausted and sick after cutting weight and he still walks up to all of the fans and shakes hands and says thank you. He could’ve easily walked right past everyone. Many fighters did.

Cory Braiterman:

I’m the type of person who cares more about the sport of MMA in general rather than players. Aside from some local dudes who I feel obligated to support, there aren’t too many fighters that I will cheer for over others. I just want to see good fights. Good fights make me happy. UFC Championship fights get me amped up more than your average fight, simply because I know that I’m watching two of the very best athletes in the world compete in their discipline. Occasionally however, there’s a fight or fighter that really sizzles my bacon.

As you have clearly figured out by the title of this piece, Chan Sung Jung has ascended that pinnacle of my own personal fandom to take his place as my favorite fighter. I hope he’s done the same to you, because quite frankly I think he’s becoming what every fighter should strive to be: an exciting winner.

When you can combine both of these facets in MMA, you become a very rare individual. There’s something commendable about being Jon Fitch or Jacob Volkmann, grinding out wins by being some combination of bigger, stronger, more technical and having a bigger will to win. Being a winner will almost always make you more money than being a loser, Bob Sapp shenanigans aside, and quite frankly, everyone wants to be a winner. If it takes scraping and clawing to cross that finish line first, so be it. The problem with being that style of winner in a business where style matters (don’t let anyone tell you differently), is that when you stop winning, you’ve got no fallback. When you’re clinging to that ledge and someone steps on your hand, it’s a long, long fall.

Just ask Jon or Antonio McKee.

On the flip side, if you’re an exciting fighter, but not winning, things do go downhill, just not as fast. It isn’t as bad as McKee being bounced from the UFC for the rest of his days after a split-decision loss, in fact, the UFC is still employing the likes of Dan Hardy (loser of four in a row), Yoshihiro Akiyama (four as well), Leonard Garcia (nuff said), Wanderlei Silva (loser of 5 out of 6 at one point) and Mirko Filipovic had to retire (lost his last three). It’s worse for your pride and ego rather than your state of employment, but it’ll eventually catch up with you. However, if you are able to combine the two, you can ascend to greatness incredibly quickly in this sport.

Wandy in his prime did it. Chuck Liddell is another good example. Fedor Emelianenko. Anderson Silva (Leites, Maia and Cote fights aside). Jon Jones (personality aside). Dan Henderson post 2008. And now, the Korean Zombie.

There’s so much to like. I’ve always been an intellectual to some degree. I’m not a large person, but I loved competing in sports, and always had to figure out ways to get an added edge. I did some coaching for a while, too, and finding out extra ways to maximize yourself makes me happy. Check this bit of introspection out: following his WEC 51 loss to George Roop, TKZ would post this on his blog (note, this is a translation from Korean):

In the end, a fighter who is all talk.
Who showed and proved nothing.
Drunken by the chants of ‘ZOMBIE!!! ZOMBIE!!!’
Not even a single mark left on my opponent’s face.
Even until the end, I was going for that one big shot…
As if going for a takedown were a sin, I didn’t even consider it.
So, that is how scary and painful it is to get knocked out.
I can feel a similar pain in my heart…
On the way to the hospital – as they drew my blood and performed the CT scan – I could only think one thing…
That I would never fight again.
All I could think about was my friend, Jun Seok. I would go learn his trade and work alongside him, like my friends – at a regular job.
Returning to the hotel…after seeing the fans…and the smirk from George(Roop)…
I went to my room and sat down with my team, where the atmosphere was much more relaxed and calm.
As I continued to question my relevance in MMA…
Suddenly the words of advice that Brian had offered to me at the hospital, came to mind.
Fighting in Korea…fighting in Japan…overcoming all those odds, to end it like this?
Is this why I delayed going to the army?
Is this why I’ve been competing since high school?
The worst part being…
Is this the best I can do?
Am I only good enough to lose to a fighter who was perceived as mediocre by MMA fans?
So, I’ve decided to give this one more shot.
But, the pride I once had for fighting ‘Zombie Style’ has been shattered.
I’m going to change.
It’s okay if you take away my Korean Zombie title.
It’s okay if everyone boos me.
It’s okay if no one in the world ever cheers for me again.
For everyone who has supported me thus far, that I have let down…
I make this promise to you…that I will never fight with the same style, ever again.

- Jung, Chan-Sung

It was definitely emotional and probably overly dramatic, but it also signaled the beginning of Jung’s terrific run to what is hopefully a title shot. It was the second loss in a row, but the judging for the first fight against Leonard “Hypnotoad” Garcia is basically a load of hot garbage that no one recognizes as legitimate. The Jung of now is not merely a plow-ahead brawler, but a fighter using crisp head movement, solid counterpunching and ability to move laterally to go along with his durable chin and willingness to swing for the fences.
Putting his poetic license aside, we all know the awesome run that TKZ has been on, but seriously, his last three bouts have been such a wondrous variety of MMA that the sheer embodiment of this sport bears yet another look.

Marta Gallo:

My pick for favorite fighter is about more than just being a fighter. Sure, who doesn’t like a brawler that has trained with Shaolin monks? There is no doubt he has a few interesting stories to tell, but these are the things that make him my favorite….

First, of all he is an animal advocate. The picture features him with two “Vicktory Dogs”, Mel and Oscar, who suffer from babesia. A rare blood disease that is passed among fighting dogs by bites and deep puncture wounds. The treatment is very costly. Hardy partnered with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to raise money for the affected dogs, both those already adopted and those waiting to find their homes. Bonus points, he also called Michael Vick a scumbag.

Next, he has a great sense of humor. I give you his tweet upon finding out that Jon Fitch was cut.

Who could forget him in a singlet, poking a little fun at himself, leading up to his fight with GSP? He also managed to piss off a lot of welterweights by getting that title shot. Never one to shy away from criticism, he zings a few other fighters on his blog

ThisIsNottingham.co.uk

On Josh Koscheck: “British fans will know Koscheck as the Fraggle-haired guy who got sparked out in one round in London a year ago, only to take his loss out on an innocent chair backstage, scoring a split decision points win over the unsuspecting piece of furniture. “

On Mike Swick: “It’s funny Swick is now moaning that I didn’t deserve this shot. Swick should have kept his mind off me and on his last opponent, Paulo Thiago, and maybe he wouldn’t have been beaten again.”

Finally, he has stepped it up at press conferences. He has been alternating between a grey notch lapel suit and a charcoal peak lapel with black trim. That earns points with me, as I am usually completely disgusted with the fighters choice in apparel. Pro tip, every guy looks better in a suit.

Benjamin Kohn:

I have a few personal favorite fighters such as Forrest Griffin, Mark Coleman, Ryan Bader. But I am being forced to choose just one and that definitely will have to be Brock Lesnar. My reasons for liking him are many but I will always be forever for grateful for him being the reason I was introduced to this wonderful sport. The Brock/Mir rivalry made me hunger for more and more MMA and I could not get enough of this amazing sport! Brock was the reason I started watching and I made sure to watch and follow him throughout his incredible and tumultuous career. From his domination of Mir and Herring, his shells comeback against Carwin, and his shell being beaten by Cain and Reem, every time he stepped in the ring, I felt this sense of awe. Brock Lesnar really is just a man you want to know about, what he can do, and whether he will fail or succeed. He draws the eyes of the crowd no matter what he does and that is a quality that many athletes wish they had. The only bad part is obviously the what could have been.

Had he not been sick and had that time to train and improve, how much more could he have accomplished? Would we still be talking about the top 3 including Lesnar in it? Or possibly have him as a champion still?  Brock came into a sport he never trained in, won a title, defended it twice and left on the heels of two horrific beatdowns (3 actually). This man brought millions of eyes to the sport and really deserves recognition for what he accomplished in that short timespan. Brock Lesnar will always be my favorite fighter.

Lucas Bourdon:

Because he’s Genki fucking Sudo ain’t enough of a reason? Fine. Genki was the first fighter I ever saw fight when I got into martial arts. I was curious but I had a bad opinion of MMA at the time. Genki showed me that it could be entertaining, beautiful and he was having fun doing it. He was the furthest thing from the stereotypical meathead fighter and if it wasn’t for him I might not be an MMA fan today. I also think that even though he didn’t really get to prove it against many of the best lightweights of his era, he’s one of the finest lightweights ever (I’ll go to my grave saying he got robbed against Duane Ludwig and the Kid stoppage was early). It’s a shame he retired so early (I’d still pay to watch him fight Joachim Hansen, book that shit Japan!).

Josh Hall:

Frankie Edgar is someone I was not a fan of for the longest time, but he eventually won me over in a big way. He isn’t the hardest hitter, strongest guy in the cage, best athlete, but he just keeps coming. That usually makes for a nice journeyman career, but Frankie was able to take a limited skill set and athleticism and turn it into the UFC LW championship. His fight with BJ Penn was one of the biggest title mismatches on paper in UFC history, but it made no difference to the tough SOB from Jersey.

His convincing win in the second fight is one of the more stunning things I’ve ever seen in the sport, as Edgar dominated the fight from bell to bell, confirming he was a legit champion, and making a fan for sure. Maynard 2 & 3 were enough to push him from a guy that had grown on me to a guy I can’t miss in the cage. In those fights Frankie went from the little guy with heart pulling some upsets to the MMA version of Rocky Balboa, surviving 2 first round muggings against Maynard, only to finish off the trilogy with an emphatic KO solidifying Edgar as one of the great UFC LW champions of all time.

TC Engel:

My favorite fighter is Carlos Condit. Carlos Condit is the fucking man. He’s fearless, aggressive, respectful, and a professional. There has been one fight in Condit’s WEC/UFC that has been criticized for being unexciting: Nick Diaz. That fight was the one fight that pushed my fandom of him over the edge. I’d always loved him before that fight for the obvious reasons: He beasts. But the Diaz fight showed that he can be strategic, and that he really doesn’t give a fuck if people don’t like him, he’ll still be his own man. That attitude really struck me and made me the fan of him I am today. Beyond that, I obviously love the way he “normally” fights. He goes absolutely balls to the walls, and never quits trying to make offense. His sweeps are on another level from the majority of fighters, and his strike variance is second to none.

For example, his two wins prior to Diaz came by a flying knee TKO, and a left hook KO, both of which were knockout of the year contenders. His pure aggression and love for fighting is incredibly enticing and addicting. I also really love that he refuses to be dragged down by the common tips to get ahead in MMA: talking. Condit never talks trash, and is very soft spoken, instead allowing his fists to do the talking. He never allowed Hardy or Diaz’s talking, boasting, or showmanship to get in his head, and instead just beat the hell out of them. That temperance is something many fighters do not possess. Lastly, and likely least importantly, he wears suits to press conferences. You are a professional athlete, mixed martial artists, wear a fucking suit to press conferences. Thank you. Carlos Condit is the fucking man.

Luke Irwin: 

Before there was Ronda, there was Marloes.

Before there were Gina, Cyborg, Miesha, Liz, or Invicta, there was Marloes.

When men’s MMA, let alone female MMA was in its darkest period, there was Marloes. Winning one-night tournaments in Japan over three opponents trying to establish credibility to her life’s work.

Marloes Coenen rose to the top of the MMA community, not by nude photoshoots, not by outlandish quotes, manufactured feuds, or pandering to fans, Marloes Coenen became the best by the purest form of success, by winning.

She won by training at the monster factory known as Golden Glory. She’s eaten punches from Alistair Overeem and kicks from Semmy Schilt. She gradually earned their respect to be known as the “Golden Girl of Golden Glory”. When she won the Strikeforce Bantamweight Championship, her Golden Glory teammates were waiting at the airport for her to celebrate.

When she lost her title despite putting on a fantastic fight to Miesha Tate, what did Marloes do? Whine like some of her fallen opponents did? Hell, no. She stayed in America, put down roots in Kansas City, and re-evaluated. She got outwrestled by an American wrestler, so she got out of her comfort zone, and trained with American wrestlers like Jason High and Eric Akin while gleefully soaking in American culture, going to county fairs in the midwest and taking pictures of herself eating a giant turkey leg and going on carnival rides. It was awesome.

Marloes Coenen has done more for WMMA than Ronda Rousey has ever dreamed of doing. She’s a true role model. For all the girls who have a dream of being the very best, Marloes has already laid the groundwork for you.

(Images via Sherdog)