UFC’s highly anticipated showdown between Forrest Griffin and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is now less than a week away. Next Saturday night, the two will finally take center stage and square off in the octagon. While Griffin is most recognized as the first Ultimate Fighter, Jackson carries with him the notoriety of the man who dismantled Chuck Liddell. Yet, this fight could be a defining moment for both men.

Jackson has since established himself as the man to beat in the light heavyweight division. A win would further cement the foundation he is building as one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC. Adversely, a loss may drop him down a notch and hinder his credibility. That doesn’t mean that Griffin is not a worthy opponent. But if Griffin can came out with a victory, he could find himself catapulted up to the same echelon as Jackson. Putting forth a game effort against Rampage just won’t be enough to elevate him to that same status.

A long time coming

Although the fight is still a few days away, the stage was set a long time ago. This past season, both Griffin and Jackson were coaches during the latest Ultimate Fighter saga. And that was by no coincidence. Throughout the season, the two seemed to get along. However, there always seemed to be an underlying tension in the air. In casting the two, UFC president Dana White carefully positioned them both as though they were chess pieces. Neither man made any bold moves during the Ultimate Fighter series, but rather waited until this week for the chance to say check mate.

In the past, both Griffin and Jackson also shared a similar opponent in Mauricio Rua. Rua was Griffin’s latest victim in a dramatic match that ended late in the third round this past September. Jackson is also no stranger to Rua as Rampage felt his wrath during a PRIDE match-up in 2005 in which Rua scored a first round knockout.

Needless to say, a lot of hype and history has led up to the Jackson-Griffin battle. More hype will follow in the week to come, and on Saturday both fighters will make history. There has been so much building up to this event, that anything less than the dramatic would be a bit of let down.

More than half a world away from the United States, mixed martial artists took the mat on Sunday in Seoul, South Korea for Spirit MC 17. For one fighter in particular, it was a chance to redeem himself after stepping outside the Spirit MC. Jae Suk Lim retained his middleweight title after forcing challenger Jung Hwan Cha to tap out in just 36 seconds from a rear naked choke.

The win was not only the second shortest of Lim’s professional career, but it may also be a way of landing a fight somewhere back in the states. Nicknamed “The Korean Icepick”, Lim is coming off a rather disappointing loss to Drew Fickett in his Strikeforce debut. Fickett need all but 74 seconds to to lock in a guillotine which forced Lim to tap.

Lim’s match-up against Fickett came a little less than five months after he won his lone EliteXC bout in 2:42 over Daniel Pinedo. The promise of more lucrative bouts loomed larger until Fickett disposed of Lim rather handily. Now, The Korean Icepick is fighting his way back. Sunday’s 36 second victory is a good way to start. If Lim can repeat such a feat, he could begin to receive the same type of interest that he experienced prior to his bout with Fickett.

With Affliction’s July 19th pay-per-view event entitled ‘Banned’ inching ever so closer, the organization is trying to boost tickets sales by promoting its main event between heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia. Fedor is giving away eight inches and 30 pounds to Sylvia. However, with a record of 27-1, Fedor is still considered the favorite.

Sylvia is no slouch, boasting a professional record of 24-4. Sylvia also has the distinction of being a former UFC heavyweight champion. At 6″8 260 pounds, there isn’t a heavyweight who can take Sylvia lightly. Nevertheless, Fedor is one of the most feared heavyweights in the world of mixed martial arts with his only loss coming because of a stoppage due to a cut.

In an attempt to draw more spectators both ringside and nationwide via pay-per-view, Affliction is trying to sell the fight as a clash of the Super Powers. The Russia vs. America feud has resurfaced during the promotion while the gargantuan size of each fighter also plays into the super power marketing mix. The promotional strategies are likely to increase over the next few weeks if Affliction has hopes of competing with the live UFC event that will take place on the same night.

In a further attempt to generate interest, Fox Sports Net will televise a free one hour special at 8pm EST leading up to the pay-per-view event that will begin at 9pm EST. Affliction has also booked Megadeth to perform live at the event which will take place in Anaheim, California.

Strikeforce’s Friday night television event included a live audience of 7,488 spectators in San Jose, California. While a host of action took place at the HP Pavilion, Josh Thomson grabbed the headlines with an overwhelming victory over Gilbert Melendez. Thomson cruised to a unanimous five round win and walked away with the Strikeforce lightweight championship title.

Despite absorbing his share of bumps and bruises in the past, Thomson man-handled a seemingly inferior Melendez who was never able to pose a serious threat. It is a bit of a heartwarming story for Thomson who lost his father in the last year and also overcame shoulder surgery as well as a staph infection. Thomson improved to 15-2-1 while Melendez fell to 14-2.

In another title fight, Bobby Southworth (9-5) defended his light heavyweight championship with a similar victory over Anthony Ruiz (20-11). Southworth earned the unanimous decision as he pretty much controlled the entire five round title fight. The fight kind of lulled through the later rounds, however it lasted much longer than the pair’s previous bout. In that bout, Ruiz was awarded the victory after the fight was stopped just 52 seconds into the second round because of a Southworth cut. The title was not on the line when that fight which took place last November.

Making her Strikeforce debut, Meisha Tate (2-1) did an excellent job of looking good on her way to gaining a victorious decision over Elaina Maxwell (2-3). Tate was the victor on all the judge’s scorecards and may prove to be a promising young female fighter in the near future.

Here are the rest of the results from San Jose:

Billy Evangelista def. Nam Phan via split decision
Jeremiah Metcalf def. Raymond Daniels via submission - Round 2, 0:59
Chris Cariaso def. Anthony Figueroa via submission - Round 2, 4:34
Bobby Stack def. Jose Palacios via unanimous decision
Brian Caraway def. Alvin Cacdac via submission - Round 1, 1:39
Jesse Gillespie vs. Eric Lawson
Cyrillo Padhillo def. Jesse Jones via unanimous decision
Jorge Interiano def. Travis Johnson via TKO - Round 2, 3:00
Alexander Trivino def. Eric Jacob via submission - Round 1, 0:37

The latest move against Affliction by UFC president Dana White has done much more than create yet another night of action in the octagon. White quickly put together a Saturday night event to coincide with Affliction’s pay-per-view event which will air for free on the Spike channel. While Anderson Silva has been busy stealing most of the headlines for the July 19th event, there is an intriguing undercard which will introduce quite a few new fighters to the UFC.

There is no disputing that Silva’s jump to light heavyweight in a matchup with James Irvin will claim the spotlight. However, six new fighters will be making their UFC debut during the preliminary fights leading up to the main event. Veteran Rory Markham brings a professional record of 15-4 to his UFC welterweight debut against Brodie Farber.

Markham has plenty of IFL experience while Farber did have one WEC fight back in 2003. Since then, Farber, a submission specialist, has accumulated a 13-3 professional record fighting mostly for MAX fights.

Not an ordinary fighter

Perhaps one of the most intriguing fighters of the night will make his UFC debut in yet another welterweight bout. James Giboo will set foot in the octagon for the first time although he brings with him quite an impressive resume.

Giboo has an 11-2 professional record and has only been in three fights that lasted beyond the first round and those three fights concluded in round two. Outside of the cage, Giboo is a school teacher with six college degrees to his credit. He is currently working on a Master’s Degree to add to his collection. Giboo will take on IFL veteran Brad Blackburn who will get a crack at the UFC despite a mediocre record of 12-9-1.

Rounding out the newcomers will be a lightweight matchup between Dale Hartt and Shannon Gugerty. Hartt owns an unblemished 5-0 record as Gugerty carries in a 9-2 mark. Gugerty fought all but one of his fights for Total Combat and will see a significant upgrade against the promising Hartt.

A chance for glory

While these newcomers may not be the most widely recognized fighters, it still sets the stage for an intriguing set of bouts. The UFC has established itself as mixed martal arts’ most elite organization. New fighters long for the opportunity to test their skills inside the octagon. Now that these fighters actually have that opportunity, each figures to make the most out of it.

If anything, viewers will be treated to a display put on by some hungry fighters before Silva makes his way out of the locker room. And these fighters are fully aware of the fact that it could be one and done in the UFC. Not to say that more accomplished fighters wouldn’t put forth the same effort, however it is always exciting to see the dawn of a new career.

The UFC could very well witness the dawn of a few new careers if any of these fighters can come out and thoroughly impress. Conversely, spectators could also bear witness to the one and only appearance of these fighters in the UFC. In all likelihood, it will be back to much smaller venues for the losers of these bouts. Nevertheless, that makes for an utter sense of urgency throughout each of these fights. That sense of urgency should translate into some rather intriguing bouts come July 19th.

In White’s attempt to slam the door on Affliction, he has opened up new doors for a host of fighters. During the free television event, those fighters will have a chance to walk through those doors and make the most of their moment in the limelight.

The world of mixed martial arts received a slap in the face this past week when The Wall Street Journal released a list of the world’s top ten athletes. From one to ten, athletes from various sports had representatives who combined to compile the list of thee world’s elite performers. The athletes were selected by a panel of judges was assembled to judge the athletes in six separate categories. Those categories consisted of six criteria: speed; vision and reflex; stamina and recovery; coordination and flexibility; power, strength and size; and success and competitiveness. In the end, the one sport that truly combines each one of those characteristics did not have one representative among the world’s top ten athletes. The Wall Street Journal simply ignored all mixed martial artists across the globe.

The list was as follows:
1.) Roman Sebrle, Decathlete
2.) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3.) Floyd Mayweather, Boxer
4.) LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
5.) Roger Federer, Tennis
6.) Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
7.) Liu Xiang, 110 meter hurdler
8.) Jeremy Wariner, 400 Meter Sprinter
9.) Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, FC Barcelona
10.) Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

After reading this list, anyone who follows the sport of mixed martial arts has to be left scratching their head. Not one lone representative from the UFC or WEC managed to crack the top ten. Perhaps the judges didn’t take into consideration the training that essentially takes up the entire life of an mma fighter. Initially, an argument for a single mixed martial artist would not have to be pointed out, but rather the community of mixed martial artists as a whole. For even those fighting on less prestigious stages still spend an endless amount of time peparing for a fight. Furthermore, that preparation is arguably the most grueling of any sport.

Boxing vs. MMA

Floyd Mayweather climbed all the way up to number three on the list. At the beginning of this year, there were rumblings about Mayweather venturing into the cage and testing the mma waters. Early rumors leaked about a possible match-up with WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Such a bout would be ludicrous to even ponder and would likely end in less than a minute.

There is no disputing Mayweather’s skill in the ring, but the sport of mixed martial arts is another animal altogether. Faber’s training regimen alone might be too tough for Mayweather to handle. Boxers are extremely well conditioned athletes, but they only have to worry about being attacked by their opponents’ hands. MMA fighters must prepare for attacks from every angle. Simply pondering such a spectacle is only one more insult bestowed on the sport of mixed martial arts.

In addition to the rigorous physical training mma fighters endure, they must be mentally tough as well. For in the sport of track and field, there is no one trying to fade a runner’s world to black with vicious elbows as they race towards the finish line. On the clay at Wimbledon, athletes are not trying to put their opponents to sleep with some kind of chokehold. And it would be futile to even ask Alex Rodriguez about mental toughness. A-Rod has made a reputation of not being able to deliver in the clutch. Yet, he rounds out the list of the world’s top ten athletes.

Not mainstream enough?

Perhaps the sport of mixed martial arts is not yet mainstream enough to validate having one of its athletes make such a list. Yet, decathletes and hurdlers aren’t exactly household names. And the sheer premise of jumping over some hurdles seems a lot less strenuous than being locked in a cage with a mixed martial artist. Moreover, pay-per view crowds do not flock to see javelin tosses.

Even the sport of hockey is tough to find on televisions nowadays. And no matter how rugged football players claim to be, they step on to the field protected by a multitude of padding. Lastly, what can really be said about a soccer player being named to the list? Instead of kicking a ball, maybe they should attempt to take just one muay thai kick to the leg.

Such a list cannot be given too much credence, yet it still insinuates that the sport of mixed martial arts is not worthy enough to be considered among the world’s top sports. In all actuality, mma fighters could probably fill out the entire list from one to ten. But then, what would become of world class athletes like Ronaldo de Assis Moreira? Moreira nudged ahead of A-Rod to snatch the number nine spot, yet more of the mass public could probably identify Randy Couture before Moreira.

As the world of mixed martial arts continues to grow, the mass public will have to dish out more respect for the sport. For what other sports combines strength, agility, stamina, skill and mental toughness to such a degree? A closer look at the sport should demand respect even if the audience isn’t too fascinated with the product. So while lists like this continue to insult the sport of mixed martial arts, fighters like Faber and Couture will continue to train longer and harder than most other athletes in the sporting world.

During the time leading up to any fight, mixed martial artists always keep a watchful eye on what they put into their body. Their diet is critical and sometimes even vital to their success in the cage. Weight limits are also set as a prerequisite before any fight. At times, fighters even fail to make the appropriate weight. Yet, in the world of mixed martial arts, the fight must go on.

Matt Hughes recently felt the wrath of a heavier opponent when Thiago Alves pummeled him during UFC 85. The fight was dubbed a catchweight bout, nevertheless the fight went on even after Alves failed to make weight. And although Hughes loss the fight, he did what he had to win the battle of the scales. The longtime UFC journeyman has been maintaining his fighting weight for more than a decade with a strict regimented diet.

Hughes’ training blog reads, “I try and eat meals as if I was stranded on an island In other words, I want all the nutrients my body needs to survive to come from the food and nothing extra.”

Hughes’ diet consists of lots of fish and chicken and an occasional steak to provide the 170 pounder with protein. Hoards of vegetables also make their way into his six to seven daily meals. Most mma fighters follow a diet very consistent with Hughes. However, other fighters often take on a different approach.

The Faber Diet

WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber enjoys a diet that borders on vegetarianism. Raised by parents who were hippies, Faber was introduced to a homeopathic diet at a very early age. Growing up, he was taught to live and crave a healthy diet although his parents were not strict vegetarians. Now, Faber has adapted that diet which enables him to maintain a peak physical condition.

Although Faber eats a largely vegetarian diet, he does manage to mix in his share of chicken. With a target of 5,000 calories per day, Faber takes in a lot of soy and recently delved into the world of supplements to achieve that goal.

In a recent issue of Muscle and Fitness Magazine Faber was quoted saying, “Lately I’ve been having trouble keeping my weight up, so I’ve been getting extra calories with a shake supplement. I put soy milk, peanut butter and bananas in it.”

The diet seems to be working very well for Faber as he continues to cruise through the ranks of the WEC.

On to the Vegan

Over in the UFC, Max Danzig won’t eat anything tainted with meat. The vegan excludes all animal derived products from his diet, including honey and gelatin.

“I’m Mac Danzig and I’m a vegan”, Danzig said in a new advertisement for Peta2, the world’s largest youth animal rights organization for which Danzig is a spokesperson.

“Animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses don’t have a fighting chance,” Danzig continued. “I don’t eat animals because I don’t want to contribute to their suffering, it’s that simple. Do yourself a favor, do the planet a favor, and help end animal abuse. Go veg.”

With a professional record of 19-4-1, the vegan diet is currently boding pretty well for Danzig. However, he has to work that much harder to supply his body with all the nutrients necessary to be a prolific mma fighter.

The Champ’s diet

UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture is an advocate of a high Alkaline diet and has even attributed past victories to that diet. An Alkaline diet is based on the consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes while avoiding grains, dairy, meat and excess salt. This is done in order to balance the acidity and alkalinity (the pH balance) of the body.

In an past interview with bodybuilding.com, Couture explained, “There was a huge difference when I changed my eating habits when I went on a high alkaline, more natural raw food diet. I notice that with the same workouts, the same circuit training routines, I get some muscle soreness, but I seem to recover faster and better.”

Couture has also come out with his own line of supplements called Couture Nutrition. He told bodybuilding.com how that venture came about.

“We have things that I always wanted to use or have used over the years to get me through training or help me recover from training. That is where the line came from. It just came out of seeing a need of what I needed as an athlete. Not based in bodybuilding or from any other perspective that many other nutrition companies are coming from. It is truly an athletic based line.”

For most athletes, diet is one of the most important elements of their game. Failure to maintain a proper diet will undoubtedly factor into their performance. And in the world of mixed martial arts, diet may play an even more crucial role. In a sport where every pound counts, it is wise to count every calorie, carb and gram before the time comes to step into the cage.

The ultimate aspect of mixed martial arts is that any fighter can win at any given moment. Saturday night’s “Ultimate Fighter Finale” between CB Dollaway and Amir Sadollah proved just that. Dollaway came out and took immediate control of the fight and looked to have a handle on the early action. Sadollah hardly had a chance to find himself on the offensive as Dollaway seemed ready to cruise to a victory and become the seventh fighter to be crowned the Ultimate Fighter.

Nevertheless, Dollaway’s fate changed in an instant when Sadollah caught him in an arm bar and forced the heavily favored Dollaway to tap. Just three minutes into the first round, Sadollah had sealed up season seven of the Ultimate Fighter. Dollaway paced across the octagon with disbelief written all over his face. In the world of mixed martial arts, even the heavily favored fighter is susceptible to a loss at any given moment.

It was truly a moment for exultation on Sadollah’s behalf as he walked away with a six figure contract to fight in the UFC. But the road ahead will not lie on a bed of roses. Sadollah will now have to contend with much stiffer competition in mixed martial arts’ most elite organization.

What lies ahead

All Sadollah needed to do was feast his upon the night’s main event to catch a glimpse of what the future has in store. Nearly two years ago to the day, Kendall Grove capped off season three of the Ultimate Fighter with a unanimous decision over Ed Herman. But since then, Grove has struggled to make a name for himself in the UFC.

Following Sadollah’s win, Grove used up all three rounds to win a split decision against an aged Evan Tanner. Grove peppered Tanner with jabs and added a few fierce elbows and knees throughout the fight. Yet, Grove could not finish off his slower, weaker and much older opponent.

The win was a must for Grove coming off two straight first round losses. The win also improved Grove’s post Ultimate Fighter record to a mere 3-2. Although Grove won the fight rather convincingly, the win didn’t convince anyone that he is a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division. It is a future Grove probably didn’t foresee after he walked out of the octagon as the Ultimate Fighter two years ago.

Simply because Grove has had his share of struggles in the UFC does not mean Sadollah will follow the same path. So how can Sadollah truly expect to compete with fighters of a much higher caliber? The answer to that question came from inside the octagon. Sadollah’s victory of Dollaway is proof that any UFC fighter has a chance at any moment on the mat, especially the more technical fighters.

Granted, Sadollah probably doesn’t entertain visions of struggling to a split decision against an Evan Tanner type two years into the future. But only time will tell how his future will pan out. He is already armed with much more humility than Grove who displayed a bit of arrogance before, during and after his bout with Tanner.

Ultimate Fighters

On Saturday night, the UFC audience was able to witness back to back Ultimate Fighter champions of a very different nature. Yet, as different as every fighter is, they all share one common trait. Any one can fall victim to an arm bar at any given moment.

With so many ways to slip in a submission, it is extremely difficult to ever crown a true Ultimate Fighter. Nonetheless, other fighters will go on to follow in the footsteps of Grove and Sadollah as the Ultimate Fighter series continues. The names my change although the sport will remain the same. For it is not the ultimate fighter that makes the sport what it is, but rather the ultimate fight itself.

This year’s Ultimate Fighter finale will take place Saturday night in Las Vegas, although there will be a slight twist to the final bout. One of the fighters who earned the right to step into the octagon on Saturday night had that right pulled out from underneath of him. Finalist Jesse Taylor was issued his walking papers by UFC president Dana White after his recent meltdown in Sin City.

White dismissed Taylor after he was caught on video tape kicking out a window of a limousine and subsequently terrorizing women inside a Las Vegas hotel. Furthermore, he boasted to security that he was a UFC fighter, as if that simple fact would excuse his behavior. The move didn’t sit well with White.

A New Ultimate Fighter

As a result, Amir Sadollah will replace Taylor and Take on CB Dollaway for the right to be crowned the Ultimate Fighter during its seventh season. The move showed a lot of grit as well as the execution of class on White’s behalf. In the eyes of many, mma fighters are simply revered as nothing more than bruisers and thugs. And, in some circles, even mindless barbarians.

Taylor’s behavior only gave credence to those theories. Yet, White’s decision to nix Taylor has attempted to contradict those theories. Regardless of what transpires inside the octagon, White sent a clear cut message to the mass public as well as the rest of the fighters in the UFC. That message was simply that such behavior will not be tolerated.

In the world of professional sports, so many athletes tarnish their name and the name of their sport because of their behavior outside of the sport. In the recent past, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick fell victim to off the field problems and as a result, he now resides in an 8×11 cell.

But Taylor also wasn’t the only one to fall victim to the perils of Sin City. Las Vegas seduced the NFL’s “Pacman” Jones more than a year ago and prohibited him from pursuing an immediate future in football. While these may just be isolated incidents, each one grabs major headlines and sticks out in the forefront of most people’s minds. Despite most of the positives generated by these sports, these incidents batter them with a black eye.

Going, going, gone

Nowadays, the name of a home run king cannot be uttered with out the word steroid following that name. In a lesser publicized move, the EliteXC banned women’s fighter Carina Damm for one year after she tested positive for steroids. The move took place this past April and nullified a scheduled women’s bout on the past EliteXC television event. Without many women grabbing headlines in the sport, it was a bold move for the EliteXC to take such a drastic measure.

The WEC also got into the act and issued a six month medical suspension to Urijah Faber because of an injury to his hand that was sustained during his last bout with Jens Pulver. Now how many organizations would prohibit a player/fighter from participating because of a medical injury?

It was pretty much a known fact that former Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre was on a steady diet of Demerol throughout his NFL career. Nonetheless, no NFL representative ever stepped in and even questioned the status of his health, nonetheless how many pills he was popping at halftime.

Although some may look on the sport of mixed martial arts as one of brutality, it is doing an excellent job of showing it is anything but that. White’s most recent move to ban Taylor is just the latest to show that the UFC wants to be recognized as an organization equipped with a conscious.

A lasting theory?

Now, would White had move such a move if Rampage Jackson had kicked out the window of a limousine? That question doesn’t have to be answered even though White gave the impression that such behavior will not be tolerated. And he evidenced the fact, showing that Taylor is not above the law.

A great deal of athletes in this day and age adhere to a mindset that would repute White’s actions. Lucrative contracts, millions of adoring fans and astronomical endorsement deals lead a lot of athletes to believe as though they can behave however they choose. That way of thinking may suffice in other organizations, but White has made a stand claiming that it will not be part of the UFC.

As the sport of mixed martial arts continues to grow, White is likely to get more opportunities to test his theory. For it is only a matter of time before someone decides to let the fame, fortune and perhaps even the luster of Las Vegas get the better of them. It will be then when the world will get to see if White can duplicate the same sentiment he expressed in his decision to dismiss Taylor.

Dana White on Opie and Anthony

Interview Recap:
Tito is an idiot
Tito is shit
Tito is smoke and mirrors
Fedor’s managers are crazy Russians who only care about themselves
Fedor is shit and hasnt fought anyone
Affliction is f-ng stupid
Dana single handedly changed the fight business
UFC live is the greatest live sporting event ever made
Kimbo beat a guy 1 step away from being a corpse
Kimbo is a freak show
Uriah would kick the shit out of Kimbo
Dana drives a F-Car
Worldwide UFC will be bigger than the NFL

Well that was fun - thanks for vintage Dana.