UFC Live: Hardy vs Lytle takes place tonight at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
An entertaining welterweight bout between Dan Hardy (MMA 23-9-1, UFC 4-3) and Chris Lytle (MMA 30-18-5, UFC 9-10) headlines this event.
An important lightweight battle between Jim Miller (MMA 20-2, UFC 9-1) and Ben Henderson (MMA 13-2, UFC 1-0) is the featured co-main event.
Henderson is an extremely talented fighter who specializes in wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which causes him to be deadly with submissions. He also has the endurance it takes to go the distance and more importantly win via decision. Before the merger of the WEC and the UFC, Henderson was the WEC Lightweight Champion by defeating Jamie Varner for the undisputed title at WEC 46, after winning the interim title at WEC 43 over Donald Cerrone. He remained champion until the company's final show where he lost to Anthony Pettis in an very competitive fight. Henderson made his UFC debut in April at UFC 129 winning an impressive bout against Mark Bocek. A win over Miller could put Henderson in the lightweight title picture.
A win for Jim Miller tonight would almost guarantee that he would be next in line for a lightweight title shot. He is one of the best fighters in the lightweight division that you never hear about. Dating back to UFC 100, Miller is on a seven fight win streak including wins over Mac Danzing and Bocek. He too specializes in the ground game, and can last a full fight in the octagon.
Prediction: Expect 15 minute chess match on the ground. Both fighters excel best when a fight is taken to the ground and both are master wrestlers. Although it will not cause many fireworks, this fight will be an example of MMA at its finest. I give Henderson the win via decision. Miller does not have any big name wins, which seems to show he has not beat any of the finest lightweights, and lacks finishing fights, even using submissions. Henderson is the type of fighter Miller has not seen before, and Henderson appears to be a quicker version of himself which could cause Miller many problems.
In March of 2010, Dan Hardy was taking on Georges St Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, now he is predicted to be released from the UFC if he loses against Chris Lytle. Before his defeat against GSP, Hardy had a four fight win streak including wins against solid fighters in Mike Swick and Marcus Davis. Since the title defeat, Hardy has suffered two straight losses in the likes of Carlos Condit and Anthony Johnson. Hardy is too good of a fighter to lose a fourth time, especially if this fight is a stand-up battle. He is a tough boxer, who throws brutal punches from both fists. However, Hardy lacks ground game and hopefully will show improvement of it tonight against Lytle.
This fight for Chris Lytle will be the last of his MMA career as he announced he will retire after this fight no matter what the outcome is. Lytle has had an outstanding career with notable wins over Matt Serra, Matt Brown, and Kyle Bradley. However, besides Serra, he has no other big time win as he has suffered losses to Josh Koscheck and Thiago Alves. No matter who he fights, Lytle brings a show and gives his all as he has win five fight of the night awards, one knockout of the night award, and two submission of the night awards. Lytle is a boxer as well, but also does really well on the ground and is known to pull off nasty submissions out of the blue.
Prediction: I expect Lytle to go out with a bang and give Hardy, plus the fans, the stand-up war they want to see. If Lytle cannot handle Hardy's viscous punches, expect to see him take the fight onto the ground and pull of a submission. Lytle wins via submission in round three.
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Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Aftermath of UFC 133
Another UFC Fight card came and went this weekend as UFC 133 occurred at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last night.
The main card in general was very exciting to watch, but it was the co-main event between Victor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama and the main event between Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans that brought the most buzz.
Beflort defeated Akiyama via first round KO in a middleweight bout.
Evans defeated Ortiz via second round TKO in light heavyweight action.
So what do these results mean to these four fighters, and more importantly the MMA world?
Yoshihiro Akiyama (MMA 13-4-2, UFC 1-3)- The loss to Belfort marks the third consecutive loss for Akiyama in his UFC career. Usually three losses in a row in any organization (but especially the UFC) means an automatic cut, but I really hope that is not the case for Akiyama. He puts on a show every time he fights, and any fan of the sport has to respect that. It is not like he just lays on the ground for three rounds, he is active, throws punches, but at the same time, takes them. That is just part of the sport. Rumors have been that if Akiyama decides to drop to 170 (welterweight), he will not be cut. That would be the perfect move for him, not only because he would still have a job, but I think Akiyama would find a lot of success in that division. He would be one of the stronger fighters, so if his punch power would be even more deadly than it is already. Akiyama has strong stamina as it is, so even against lighter and quicker opponents, Akiyama would not have an instant disadvantage. He would not go right in and be the number one contender for the title if he won one fight at welterweight, so I could see him fighting the loser of the Dan Hardy-Chris Lytle fight, which is slated to be August 14. This would be an entertaining fight that would help give Akiyama the experience he needs to be successful at welterweight.
Victor Belfort (MMA 20-9, UFC 9-4)-Belfort's quick work of Akiyama puts him right back in the middleweight title talk. Many had no idea on Belfort's future after he took a quick beating against Anderson Silva at UFC 126 for the title. His performance against Akiyama however, shut up critics and put his career right on track. I do not think Belfort deserves a shot at the title right away, because his performance against Silva the first time was nothing special. He is definitely a top contender for a title shot, but you could say the same for Brian Stann and Chael Sonnen who are matched up for UFC 136. Belfort should then take on the winner of this fight to see who the real number one contender is. Victor Belfort is one of the great middleweights in the world, but he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to become the best.
Rashad Evans (MMA 16-1-1, UFC 11-1-1)- Evans took care of business at UFC 133 to remain the number one contender for Jon Jones' UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Even after not fighting for 14 months, Evans looked good and beat a motivated combatant in Tito Ortiz. Evans looked as if he did not experience ring rust at all. His timing was solid, his punches were crisp, and wrestling looked outstanding. Not to mention his will to win. I was astonished when Evans not only broke away from Ortiz's guillotine attempt, but immediately after he took control and put the fight back in his control. I also loved that Evans realized he had a prime opportunity to finish Ortiz and he did with a stellar knee to the stomach, it was a perfect way to show that he is back. I have not seen a performance like this from Evans in a long time, he looked outstanding. Maybe parting ways with trainer Greg Jackson was the best move for him. Jon Jones is the best fighter in the light heavyweight division, but if Evans has the same mindset going to the fight with Jones (When Jones defeats Rampage Jackson at UFC 135), as he did against Ortiz, Evans could possibly win his second UFC Light Heavyweight Title.
Tito Ortiz (MMA 16-9-1, UFC 15-9-1)- I was really pulling for Tito in this one. The fact that he did not win a fight for five years (while dealing with legal problems) until he upset Ryan Bader was a story in itself. The way fans could tell how happy and excited Tito was to win again just made it better. Since then he truly has been "The People's Champ", and if he would have beat Evans that would have been HUGE. I cannot even being to explain how shocking that would have been. Ortiz may not have gotten the win in this one, but I can easily say that Tito Ortiz is back. Ortiz held off an early surge by Evans, blocked the majority of his punches in the fight, and used some knees that you could tell really hurt him. What impressed me as well was that Tito did not look too bad on his back. He pulled off two submission attempts that I was for sure he was going to get the win by. The guillotine attempt he had was soooooooRua in late August, Tito vs Forrest III could possibly happen and that would be a "mega" fight. Lyoto Machida also has not scheduled a fight for anytime soon, and a rematch with him would also be interesting. Regardless of who he fights, Tito Ortiz will be a threat and can beat whoever he is against. He proved this against Evans.
The main card in general was very exciting to watch, but it was the co-main event between Victor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama and the main event between Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans that brought the most buzz.
Beflort defeated Akiyama via first round KO in a middleweight bout.
Evans defeated Ortiz via second round TKO in light heavyweight action.
So what do these results mean to these four fighters, and more importantly the MMA world?
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| Akiyama |
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| Belfort |
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| Evans |
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| Ortiz |
Saturday, August 6, 2011
UFC 133 Preview
UFC 133 takes place tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Although the overall fight card is not attractive, this event does feature two interesting fights that could shake up the MMA world.
This event has taken a beating due to injury.
The original main event was expected to be light heavyweight champion Jon Jones against Rashad Evans. However, Jones pulled out because injury. Evans could have opted out of the main event as well, but decided to still fight. Jones' replacement was Phil Davis, but he later too pulled out because of injury. Lyoto Machida was expected to jump in and fight Evans, but because of money negation differences, that plan came up short. An unexpected "hero" jumped in and took the fight....Tito Ortiz.
Expect a stand-up war in the co-headliner between Victor Belfort (MMA 19-9, UFC 8-5) and Yoshihiro Akiyama (MMA 13-3-2, UFC 1-2) in middleweight action. Both fighters have unpredictable knockout power that will make viewers watch in awe.
Akiyama is on a two fight losing skid in the UFC, but all three of his fights for the organization have been voted as "fight of the night". He debuted at UFC 100 where he defeated Alan Belcher via split decision, but since has lost to Chris Leben and Michael Bisping, who are both excellent fights. Akiyama's battle with Leben at UFC 116 was considered to be one of the best fights of 2010. Akiyama will put a show on against Belfort no matter what the final outcome is.
Belfort is looking at this fight as the start on the road to win the UFC Middleweight Championship. He clashed with Anderson Sliva for the belt at UFC 126, but was shockingly knocked out in the first round after Silva unleashed a brutal step kick to Belfort's head. He is a UFC veteran with notable wins over Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, and Wanderlei Silva. Belfort has also fought Chuck Liddell, and Tito Ortiz, but was defeated. He specializes in the knockout game, but can win by submission if needed.
Final Prediction: Belfort wins via TKO in Round 3. This fight is going to cause some serious fireworks. Expect blood, lots of punches, and just a fantastic fight. Belfort has the experience, the knockout power, and just the desire to win, so I give him the edge on this one. Very likely to be "Fight of the Night".
The fight I have been waiting for is defentily the main event between light heavyweights Rashad Evans (MMA 15-1-1, UFC 10-1-1) and Tito Ortiz (MMA 16-8-1, UFC 15-8-1).
Evans, who is the number one contender for the light heavyweight title, has everything to lose in this fight. He is predicted by many to win this fight easily even though he has not fought in over a year. Evans has stellar knockout power and the endurance to win by decision which makes him a tough fighter to face. He has notable wins over Forest Griffin (won the UFC Light heavyweight Championship), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, and Thiago Silva. Evans has lost one fight in his career which was in his title defense at UFC 98 against Lyoto Machida. Rashad Evans is a talented fighter to say the least, but he is not the story of this fight.
For Tito Ortiz, this fight is another challenge on the way to an "impossible" comeback. From December of 2006 up to October of 2010, Ortiz lost five fights in a row, and was told by many to call it quits and retire. A legal issue with girlfriend Jenna Jamison did not help matters. However last month against Ryan Bader at UFC 132, Ortiz did the unthinkable. He submitted Bader in the first round. Ortiz practically fought for his career as it was stated that he would have been released from the company with a loss.Since, Ortiz has been considered to be a hero and has changed his image which brought in new fans. He says he is in the best shape of his life and can win against anybody; but can it be done tonight?
It very well could.
Ortiz is best when he can wrestle and try submissions, but you cannot underestimate his knockout ability. He has an unbelievable resume defeating Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Ken Shamrock, Wanderlei Silva, and Evan Tanner, but all of those wins were said to be during his "prime".
Final Prediction: Do not expect this fight to go the distance because it wont. I expect a fighter to be finished, and probably not the fighter you expect. Ortiz wins in round two via submission.
Yes, I predict it.
You can never doubt the underdog, and that is obviously what Ortiz is. Its just weird that he looked so good against Bader, and the fact that he is now fighting again just a month after shows he will still be in fighter mode and in that great shape he says he is in. He has nothing to lose in his fight, so he should be relaxed, focused, and ready to shock the MMA world once again.
Although the overall fight card is not attractive, this event does feature two interesting fights that could shake up the MMA world.
This event has taken a beating due to injury.
The original main event was expected to be light heavyweight champion Jon Jones against Rashad Evans. However, Jones pulled out because injury. Evans could have opted out of the main event as well, but decided to still fight. Jones' replacement was Phil Davis, but he later too pulled out because of injury. Lyoto Machida was expected to jump in and fight Evans, but because of money negation differences, that plan came up short. An unexpected "hero" jumped in and took the fight....Tito Ortiz.
Expect a stand-up war in the co-headliner between Victor Belfort (MMA 19-9, UFC 8-5) and Yoshihiro Akiyama (MMA 13-3-2, UFC 1-2) in middleweight action. Both fighters have unpredictable knockout power that will make viewers watch in awe.
Akiyama is on a two fight losing skid in the UFC, but all three of his fights for the organization have been voted as "fight of the night". He debuted at UFC 100 where he defeated Alan Belcher via split decision, but since has lost to Chris Leben and Michael Bisping, who are both excellent fights. Akiyama's battle with Leben at UFC 116 was considered to be one of the best fights of 2010. Akiyama will put a show on against Belfort no matter what the final outcome is.
Belfort is looking at this fight as the start on the road to win the UFC Middleweight Championship. He clashed with Anderson Sliva for the belt at UFC 126, but was shockingly knocked out in the first round after Silva unleashed a brutal step kick to Belfort's head. He is a UFC veteran with notable wins over Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, and Wanderlei Silva. Belfort has also fought Chuck Liddell, and Tito Ortiz, but was defeated. He specializes in the knockout game, but can win by submission if needed.
Final Prediction: Belfort wins via TKO in Round 3. This fight is going to cause some serious fireworks. Expect blood, lots of punches, and just a fantastic fight. Belfort has the experience, the knockout power, and just the desire to win, so I give him the edge on this one. Very likely to be "Fight of the Night".
The fight I have been waiting for is defentily the main event between light heavyweights Rashad Evans (MMA 15-1-1, UFC 10-1-1) and Tito Ortiz (MMA 16-8-1, UFC 15-8-1).
Evans, who is the number one contender for the light heavyweight title, has everything to lose in this fight. He is predicted by many to win this fight easily even though he has not fought in over a year. Evans has stellar knockout power and the endurance to win by decision which makes him a tough fighter to face. He has notable wins over Forest Griffin (won the UFC Light heavyweight Championship), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, and Thiago Silva. Evans has lost one fight in his career which was in his title defense at UFC 98 against Lyoto Machida. Rashad Evans is a talented fighter to say the least, but he is not the story of this fight.
For Tito Ortiz, this fight is another challenge on the way to an "impossible" comeback. From December of 2006 up to October of 2010, Ortiz lost five fights in a row, and was told by many to call it quits and retire. A legal issue with girlfriend Jenna Jamison did not help matters. However last month against Ryan Bader at UFC 132, Ortiz did the unthinkable. He submitted Bader in the first round. Ortiz practically fought for his career as it was stated that he would have been released from the company with a loss.Since, Ortiz has been considered to be a hero and has changed his image which brought in new fans. He says he is in the best shape of his life and can win against anybody; but can it be done tonight?
It very well could.
Ortiz is best when he can wrestle and try submissions, but you cannot underestimate his knockout ability. He has an unbelievable resume defeating Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Ken Shamrock, Wanderlei Silva, and Evan Tanner, but all of those wins were said to be during his "prime".
Final Prediction: Do not expect this fight to go the distance because it wont. I expect a fighter to be finished, and probably not the fighter you expect. Ortiz wins in round two via submission.
Yes, I predict it.
You can never doubt the underdog, and that is obviously what Ortiz is. Its just weird that he looked so good against Bader, and the fact that he is now fighting again just a month after shows he will still be in fighter mode and in that great shape he says he is in. He has nothing to lose in his fight, so he should be relaxed, focused, and ready to shock the MMA world once again.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Fedor Gone From Strikeforce
Breaking News!
Fedor Emelianenko (MMA 31-4, SF 1-3) has been cut from Strikeforce.
Emelianenko (34), considered to be the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time in MMA, has lost three straight fights in Strikeforce with the last being July 31 against Dan Henderson via 1st round TKO.
Emelianenko has notable wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Minotauro Nogueira, Tim Sylvia, and Andrei Arlovksi.
It was reported earlier in the week that Strikeforce was pushing Fedor to resign with the company and continue fighting.
Where will Fedor go?
No idea, but I would not be surprised to see him fight in Japan for the DREAM organization, or even follow Alistair Overeem and join the United Glory World Series.
I still believe Emelianenko is not retiring anytime soon, because he still believes he has lots to prove, especially now in the direction of Strikeforce.
Fedor Emelianenko (MMA 31-4, SF 1-3) has been cut from Strikeforce.
Emelianenko (34), considered to be the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time in MMA, has lost three straight fights in Strikeforce with the last being July 31 against Dan Henderson via 1st round TKO.
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| Emelianenko |
It was reported earlier in the week that Strikeforce was pushing Fedor to resign with the company and continue fighting.
Where will Fedor go?
No idea, but I would not be surprised to see him fight in Japan for the DREAM organization, or even follow Alistair Overeem and join the United Glory World Series.
I still believe Emelianenko is not retiring anytime soon, because he still believes he has lots to prove, especially now in the direction of Strikeforce.
A Heavyweight Disaster
Strikeforce has had its share of problems.
First, the company was bought out by Zuffa in March, making it the sister company of the UFC. This now allows Strikeforce fighters to leave the company to fight in the UFC, and it already lost welterweight champion Nick Diaz for that reason. It also does not help that Strikeforce does not have the popularity its sister company has or a contract with a national television station to showcase its talent to the whole country.
The company now has even a bigger problem; its "loaded with talent" heavyweight division took two big blows this last week.
1. Strikeforce has no heavyweight champion as it shockingly released its champion Alistair Overeem (MMA 35-11, SF 3-0). Overeem was suppose to participate in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals in September. However, due to injury, Overeem preferred an October fight, so he could be at full strength. Strikeforce did not like its champion "rebelling", therefore Overeem was released on July 29.
2. Fedor Emelianenko's (MMA 31-4, SF 1-3) legendary career looks to soon be over. Last Saturday, Emelianenko lost to light heavyweight Dan Henderson via first round TKO, which marks Emelianenko's third consecutive loss in the company. Emelianenko, considered to be the greatest heavyweight of all time in MMA, is the biggest attraction in all of Strikeforce, so his career ending soon will kill the company.
The heavyweight division of Strikeforce currently has no hope. Its two best fighters are Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum who in my opinion would only be mid-tier fighters in the UFC. These two fighters are extremely talented, but cannot carry the ratings to make up for the lack of talent that this division possess.
There is a simple solution to this "heavyweight" disaster, even though it would never happen.
Fold Strikeforce's heavyweight division, move worthy fighters to the UFC.
Give fighters like Werdum, Silva, and even Josh Barnett the chance to go into the UFC and fight the best, instead of having them fight lower-tier fighters and be able to win with even lackluster performances.
Strikeforce has been upset with how its heavyweight fighters have performed in this Grand Prix and in general, but the company has not done anything about it.
It does not work like that in the UFC.
The competition is so strong that every fighter has to fight like its his last, otherwise he will get cut; its as simple as that. These fighters would not give those weak performances in the UFC because they simply would not survive.
There is not enough solid fighters in the Strikeforce heavyweight division for there to be stellar fights on every card, and this Grand Prix has been terrible, so the best option for Strikeforce would be to fold the division over to the UFC.
If Fedor was younger, and Overeem did not get cut (still does not make sense), then the division could probably last a little longer, but its time to get rid of the division, so Strikeforce finds some way to stop looking idiotic.
First, the company was bought out by Zuffa in March, making it the sister company of the UFC. This now allows Strikeforce fighters to leave the company to fight in the UFC, and it already lost welterweight champion Nick Diaz for that reason. It also does not help that Strikeforce does not have the popularity its sister company has or a contract with a national television station to showcase its talent to the whole country.
The company now has even a bigger problem; its "loaded with talent" heavyweight division took two big blows this last week.
1. Strikeforce has no heavyweight champion as it shockingly released its champion Alistair Overeem (MMA 35-11, SF 3-0). Overeem was suppose to participate in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals in September. However, due to injury, Overeem preferred an October fight, so he could be at full strength. Strikeforce did not like its champion "rebelling", therefore Overeem was released on July 29.
2. Fedor Emelianenko's (MMA 31-4, SF 1-3) legendary career looks to soon be over. Last Saturday, Emelianenko lost to light heavyweight Dan Henderson via first round TKO, which marks Emelianenko's third consecutive loss in the company. Emelianenko, considered to be the greatest heavyweight of all time in MMA, is the biggest attraction in all of Strikeforce, so his career ending soon will kill the company.
The heavyweight division of Strikeforce currently has no hope. Its two best fighters are Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum who in my opinion would only be mid-tier fighters in the UFC. These two fighters are extremely talented, but cannot carry the ratings to make up for the lack of talent that this division possess.
There is a simple solution to this "heavyweight" disaster, even though it would never happen.
Fold Strikeforce's heavyweight division, move worthy fighters to the UFC.
Give fighters like Werdum, Silva, and even Josh Barnett the chance to go into the UFC and fight the best, instead of having them fight lower-tier fighters and be able to win with even lackluster performances.
Strikeforce has been upset with how its heavyweight fighters have performed in this Grand Prix and in general, but the company has not done anything about it.
It does not work like that in the UFC.
The competition is so strong that every fighter has to fight like its his last, otherwise he will get cut; its as simple as that. These fighters would not give those weak performances in the UFC because they simply would not survive.
There is not enough solid fighters in the Strikeforce heavyweight division for there to be stellar fights on every card, and this Grand Prix has been terrible, so the best option for Strikeforce would be to fold the division over to the UFC.
If Fedor was younger, and Overeem did not get cut (still does not make sense), then the division could probably last a little longer, but its time to get rid of the division, so Strikeforce finds some way to stop looking idiotic.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Video of the Day (8/1)
Gotta have a tribute to my favorite wide receiver Randy Moss. Wish he didnt retire today, but cant blame him.
What Is Next for Fedor Emelianeko?
Finally writing again, sorry for the delay.
Many blog-worthy stories have occurred in the world of sports during my time off, so expect numerous posts today.
"Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble,
An I stay it will be double"
I never ever thought that a song by the Clash could summarize the current situation of MMA heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko (MMA 31-4-1, SF 1-3), but it does and makes perfect sense.
Emelianenkeo, 34, considered to be the greatest heavyweight of all-time in MMA with wins over Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Andrei Arlovski, Mirko Cro Cop, and Minotauro Nogueira (the list could go on), is going through a tragic downfall.
After winning his first fight at a Strikeforce event against Brett Rogers in November of 2009, Emelianenko has lost three straight fights for the company. He was surprisingly submitted by Fabricio Werdum in June of 2010, a nasty swelling of his eye cost him a loss against Antonio Silva in the first round of Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in February, and as of most recently, a TKO stoppage loss by Dan Henderson (which was very questionable) last Saturday, at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
So the question that is probably constantly ringing in Emelianenkeo's head is: "Should I stay or should I go?"
Strikeforce has already stated that they want him to sign another contract with the company, but Emelianenkeo has nothing else to prove in the sport. He has one of the best fighting resumes you can ask for, and has helped the sport gain world-wide popularity.
Even a three fight win streak cannot hurt his credibility.
Emelianenkeo could retire this week and still be known as one of the best. This losing streak would just mean that he is out of his prime and its time to quit. Anyone could understand that because you cannot be the best forever.
Although I personally think he should retire because he has nothing else to prove, I do not think Emelianenkeo will take the "Should I go" route. Fighters never quit unless they truly know its time, and I do not think Fedor thinks its his time yet; and that could possibly be true. He did not take a true beating in any of those losses, he was highly competitive and could have won all of those fights. Emelianenkeo's situation cannot be compared to Wanderlei Silva's, where Silva just walks into the octagon and gets knocked out within seconds. I expect him to train more and harder than he has ever done before to show us he still has it, I just hope it does not ruin his career when it is retirement time.
"If I go there will be trouble." These lyrics fit well too because if Emelianenkeo does retire at this time, it could hurt him mentally. He could regret retirement if he really does think he could have won those three fights. Most likely, by the time he realizes he regrets his decision, it will be too late to do anything about it.
"An if I stay it will be double"- If Fedor does continue to fight and continues to lose, his career could be in jeopardy. His historic resume could be overshadowed by the fact that he was another fighter who tried to keep fighting after his prime and it cost him both physically and mentally.
I, like all of you, have no idea what Fedor Emelianenkeo will do. I hope that he retires, but I could easily see him returning to fight for the sole reason that in each of his last three fights, he has still shown flashes of greatness. I would love to see Fedor come back and win some more fights, but I just do not know if he could.
The decision will be here eventually, but expect Fedor to stay fighting. Lets all just pray that the trouble is not doubled.
Many blog-worthy stories have occurred in the world of sports during my time off, so expect numerous posts today.
"Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble,
An I stay it will be double"
I never ever thought that a song by the Clash could summarize the current situation of MMA heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko (MMA 31-4-1, SF 1-3), but it does and makes perfect sense.
Emelianenkeo, 34, considered to be the greatest heavyweight of all-time in MMA with wins over Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Andrei Arlovski, Mirko Cro Cop, and Minotauro Nogueira (the list could go on), is going through a tragic downfall.
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| Fedor |
So the question that is probably constantly ringing in Emelianenkeo's head is: "Should I stay or should I go?"
Strikeforce has already stated that they want him to sign another contract with the company, but Emelianenkeo has nothing else to prove in the sport. He has one of the best fighting resumes you can ask for, and has helped the sport gain world-wide popularity.
Even a three fight win streak cannot hurt his credibility.
Emelianenkeo could retire this week and still be known as one of the best. This losing streak would just mean that he is out of his prime and its time to quit. Anyone could understand that because you cannot be the best forever.
Although I personally think he should retire because he has nothing else to prove, I do not think Emelianenkeo will take the "Should I go" route. Fighters never quit unless they truly know its time, and I do not think Fedor thinks its his time yet; and that could possibly be true. He did not take a true beating in any of those losses, he was highly competitive and could have won all of those fights. Emelianenkeo's situation cannot be compared to Wanderlei Silva's, where Silva just walks into the octagon and gets knocked out within seconds. I expect him to train more and harder than he has ever done before to show us he still has it, I just hope it does not ruin his career when it is retirement time.
"If I go there will be trouble." These lyrics fit well too because if Emelianenkeo does retire at this time, it could hurt him mentally. He could regret retirement if he really does think he could have won those three fights. Most likely, by the time he realizes he regrets his decision, it will be too late to do anything about it.
"An if I stay it will be double"- If Fedor does continue to fight and continues to lose, his career could be in jeopardy. His historic resume could be overshadowed by the fact that he was another fighter who tried to keep fighting after his prime and it cost him both physically and mentally.
I, like all of you, have no idea what Fedor Emelianenkeo will do. I hope that he retires, but I could easily see him returning to fight for the sole reason that in each of his last three fights, he has still shown flashes of greatness. I would love to see Fedor come back and win some more fights, but I just do not know if he could.
The decision will be here eventually, but expect Fedor to stay fighting. Lets all just pray that the trouble is not doubled.
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