MDH vs. MrsDH - UFC 123

I love MMA. I love it like I would marry it. I cannot however, because of a bunch of old, white, asswipe conservatives who refuse to recognize marriage between a man and a sport. Because of this I am left in a position where I have to marry a woman.

So I got engaged in August on the day before UFC 117 (which we went to). My fiance seriously does not give two shits about MMA. She hates to see people get beat up. She only watches it to humor me and to constantly giggle at all the "humping", snicker at every Superman Punch and roll her eyes at Joe Rogan. Her favorite Joe Rogan line is "Mir is awesome!!!" from his fight with the corpse of Minotauro Nogueira.

I wanted to see if someone who is an enthusiast and watches every fight he possibly can (me) could accurately predict fight outcomes at a higher success rate then someone who couldn't care less and would fall asleep in her chicken wings if the hot sauce wouldn't burn her skin (the wife). We made our predictions at mmaplayground.com. Here is what we have:

MDH
Lyoto Machida
Matt Hughes
Georges Sotiropoulos
Phil Davis
Gerald Harris
Mark Monuz
Brian Foster
Dennis Hallman
Edson Barboza
TJ O'Brien
Tyson Griffin

MrsDH
Lyoto Machida
Matt Hughes
Joe Lauzon
Tim Boetsch
Maiquel Falcao
Aaron Simpson
Matt Brown
Karo Parisyan
Mike Lullo
Paul Kelly
Tyson Griffin

Phase one of my experiment goes down tomorrow night.

Random Nonsense of the Day: Souljah Boy is officially RETARDED

You love Kat Stacks? Really? I mean come'on son. Kat Stacks? St. Suck-A-Dick? I mean...what the fuck kid.

Bonus Video: Random Vlogger "goes in" on Kat Stacks

Then And Now Tracks Of The Day: Sevendust

One of the longest running, hardest touring bands in the hard rock or metal scenes is Sevendust from Atlanta, Georgia. They are considered by many to be one of the best live bands you could ever see. I have seen them somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 times and it is always amazing.

I am offering up here 2 songs. One called "Too Close To Hate" from their self titled 1997 debut CD and a song called "Forever" off of their 8th studio album released earlier this year. Enjoy.

OH and to ever so loosely tie this to MMA, The new #1 contender to be in the Middleweight division Yushin "Thunder" Okami used Sevendust's song "Driven" as his walk in music at UFC 69 when he defeated Mike Swick via *gasp* Unanimous Decision.

MMA Gear That Doesn't Suck: MiddleEasy.com

In our ongoing effort to rid the MMA Community of ugly ass clothing, we bring you a shining beacon of Awesome. Our brothers (and sister) in arms MiddleEasy.com. Not only do they have awesome content, they have awesome T-Shirts. Today I'm focusing on one in particular. The Angry Wallid Ismail T-Shirt. Sticking to the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach the features the opening sentences of Wallid's EPIC interview that can be found in TRE's post. Here are a few excerpts from the T-Shirts description:

"This is where awesome meets awesome. This is where Wallid meets Wallid, and the world blows up."

"This yellow Wallid Ismail shirt is inscribed on the front in brown lettering with an exact quote from this legendary interview. If you don't get this shirt, I think you chicken."

I got mine earlier this year and I have to say...it's pretty damn bad ass. And it's only $15.99 (+ shipping)!!! That's less than a good lapdance or like a quarter of a tank of gas. Anyway, you need to buy one (here) ASAP. And peep the rest of their gear at World Over Easy.

Wicked Awesome MMA Tattoo: Genki Sudo's Backpiece

Genki Sudo is a renaissance man. Mixed Martial Artist, Kickboxer, Author, Musician, Choreographer and Buddhist. He also is the owner of one of the simplest yet best tattoos in all of MMA.


Photo via cdn.bleacherreport.net


Photo via ufighting.com

This tattoo benefits immensely from the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach. The black is flawlessly consistent and it is well centered on his back. It just goes to show you that one doesn't need to have an elaborate tattoo to have a great tattoo. They even make T-shirts of this tattoo, but they are hard to find and will run you at least 50 dollars. That is a whole lot to pay for a t-shirt with no glitter, skulls or Fleur-de-lis on it but at least you can look at yourself in the mirror with a Genki Sudo tattoo shirt on!

So Genki Sudo, on top of all your other accomplishments, you can add to that list being the owner of a Wicked Awesome MMA Tattoo.

You Know Who Was Awesome: Wallid Ismail

The original plan for this "You Know Who Was Awesome" was to cover the career of Marco Ruas, one of the more controversial figures of the pre-Zuffa era. However, I felt it was necessary to cover a more interesting fighter, Wallid Ismail, a Vale Tudo fighter and BJJ black belt under Grandmaster Carlson Gracie. Wallid is currently the owner and operator of Jungle Fight, a Brazil-based MMA organization that has launched the careers of Gabriel Gonzaga, Fabricio Werdum, and Paulo Thiago, just to name a few. In fact, you've probably seen Wallid in Paulo's corner during fights and as his translator for post-fight interviews. But this isn't "Where are they now" this is "You Know Who Was Awesome", so lets talk turkey, and by that I mean Wallid's BJJ and MMA career.

In order to understand Wallid's beef with the Gracie family, you first need to understand the split between Carlson Gracie and Helio Gracie. The Gracie family was running an academy at the same time that Carlson opened up his school. There was a differing philosophy on how to teach Jiu Jitsu as Helio felt that only the most basic of techniques should be taught to non-family members, while Carlson would teach all techniques and positions. This along with an argument on who truly founded the art-form (Carlson stated it was his father who developed Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), caused a riff in the family and two academies to be opened. Helio's brand of Jiu Jitsu focused on technical proficiency, under the philosophy that technique can always counter size, while Carlson favored a constant stream of attack style of Jiu Jitsu.

Wallid was a member of Carlson Gracie's academy from 1984 to the day Carlson died. His BJJ career saw him take on four members of the Gracie family, Royce, Renzo, Ralph, and Ryan, defeating each of them. While his personal problems with Ryan are well-documented, it's his victory over Royce that was truly impressive. Like everything the Gracie family did, there was a special set of rules for his match with Royce. Wallid accepted the conditions that their match be no-time limit and no point scoring, thus making this a match that could only end in submission. Wallid ended the fight in under five minutes when he sunk in a Clock Choke, a technique forever tied to this match. Royce demanded a rematch, which Wallid would only accept if he was paid $200,000; a monetary compensation value that way outside the scope of Gracie's means. The win also made Wallid the "Gracie Killer" on the BJJ mats. Below you can see a video of the fight, excuse the poor quality. Please note the emotion and the celebration, this was a major BJJ fight in Brazil.

His MMA career began at an event that he organized himself in Brazil, Desafio - Jiu Jitsu vs. Luta Livre back in 1991. He took on Luta Livre fighter Eugenio Tadeu in a brutal 16 minute fight. He finally was victorious after Tadeu could no longer continue due to injury. Normally footage of these early events is hard to come by, especially events from Brazil, but there is a pretty good quality video of this fight that I've posted below. You'll see that Tadeu has a difficult time adjusting to Wallid's non-stop pace. It is not the most technical fight as bare knuckle fights tend to be, almost to the point where I feel it's almost a street fight in a ring between two trained fighters.

Wallid wouldn't fight again until 1996, at a Universal Vale Tudo Fighting event in Japan, where he took on Australian Fighter Dennis Kefalinos. After securing the takedown, Wallid used ground and pound to set up a rear naked choke. He finished the fight in just over two minutes. He would fight again that year at another Universal VTF event, this time held in Brazil. He would take on Japanese fighter Katsumi Usuta. Usuta did a fairly decent job at preventing Wallid from transitioning from guard to mount but once it did happen, Wallid opened up with nonstop punches. You can actually see Usuta tap the mat from strikes, but the referee ignores this submission and instead Usuta gives up his back and the Rear Naked Choke submission. This was a much more technical fight and Wallid's transitions on the ground are beautiful. The ending though is ridiculous as the Japanese fighter was clearly trying to submit while the ref ignored his violent taps on the mat. Again, video below.

Usuta and Wallid would meet again that same year, this time at the U-Japan event in you guessed it, Japan. Wallid would again finish Usuta by Rear Naked Choke. Usuta was clearly uncomfortable off his back rolls to give up his back after Wallid secures side control. A few violent punches to the back of the neck and Wallid sinks in the choke once again. Wallid would compete in the UFC in his next fight against Kazuo Takahashi at UFC 12. Kazuo never had the greatest fight record but he competed against some of the all-time greats in Pancrase such as Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, and Masakatsu Funaki, so his record didn't necessarily reflect his skill as a fighter. The fight in the UFC went to decision and was Wallid's first loss. I've tried to locate footage of this fight but searches have lead to nothing, so I fear that unless someone with some old VHS tapes uploads it onto youtube, it is lost.

Wallid would bounce back from his first loss, against a Luta Livre fighter named Johil de Oliveira at IVC 3 in Brazil. Wallid would pick up his first submission via Punches stoppage on his record after NINE MINUTES OF GROUND AND POUND. Wallid looked great in the fight and Oliveira's face was a complete mess after the bout. He would follow up his IVC win a year later at IVC 5 taking on American fighter Gary Myers. Myers was a 5'9" 220lb American wrestler who is one of the unknowns of the sport. A look at his record and you'll see that he took on a who's who of early champs such as Marcus Silveira , who was Wallid's teammate, and Yuki Kondo, who was 11-3 with wins over Frank Shamrock, Semmy Schilt, Guy Mezger, and Funaki. Myers was the second fighter ever to take Wallid to decision, but unfortunately lost Unanimously in the Judges' eyes. It's a pretty good fight if you can find footage.

Wallid would then sign with PRIDE and take on current DREAM judge Akira Shoji. Wallid was totally outsized but was able to control the larger Japanese fighter early in the fight. Wallid, who had never had conditioning issues grew tired and Shoji was able to finish him in the second round with punches. It would be Wallid's first referee stoppage loss of his career. Unfortunately I was unable find the complete fight but here is the final 1:15. You can hear Bas and Stephen Quadros completely dumbfounded that Wallid is tired and Bas shares that realizing you can't do anything is the worst thing for a fighter, and completely foreign to Wallid.

Wallid is best known for his beef with Ryan Gracie. Their blood fued began in November 1999, when Ryan agreed to fight Wallid at a WEC event in January 2000. He relocated to New York to train with his brother Renzo Gracie's academy. The fight never materialized as Wallid was working on a contract to return to the PRIDE ring. Unfortuantely, as most things do when dealing with Japanese MMA promotions, the PRIDE return would fall through at the 11th hour. Wallid signed on for the WEC fight on short notice (six weeks), but inexplicably, Ryan dropped out. In December, they ran into each other at famous Pepe beach and almost came to blows. It turned out to be a ton of posturing and and was eventually broken up. Later in that same month, Ryan showed up to Wallid's gym and threatened to pull a gun on him. It was quickly diffused and Ryan left after Wallid backed down. You would figure that's the end of this, threatening to pull a gun on someone would squash whatever is between you since dying is different than fighting. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In October 2000, Ryan sucker punched Wallid at a Bad Boy (not Puff Daddy's record label) party in Brazil. Friends got involved and Wallid choked Ryan unconscious. They agreed to fight in the WEC in April 2001, but Ryan opted to stab someone instead and went to jail where he died of an overdose. Below are two interviews about Ryan Gracie.

Was Wallid Ismail an all time great? Probably not. His biggest win in MMA was Gary Myers, who is an unknown. In BJJ; however, Wallid is a legend for his wins over the Gracie family. He's also well respected in Brazilian MMA for his Jungle Fight promotion. And he's a damn good interview. In my eyes, that makes him one of the most interesting people in MMA.

Pro Wrestlers That MMA Missed Out On: Tonga Fifita

This is a Tag Team (get it?) effort between Matt aka ThisRedEngine and I to educate the masses about old school Mixed Martial Artsts and Athletes that would have done well in MMA. I'll be focusing on Pro Wrestlers over the next month or two. This week the spotlight is on Tonga Uliuli Fifita, most notably known as "Haku" in the WWF and "Meng" in WCW. Numerous Pro Wrestlers and industry insiders have called him "The toughest man that they've ever met" due to his imposing demeanor and violent reputation.

It's hard to decipher the facts from the fiction when it comes to Fifita. He's like the Rickson Gracie of Pro Wrestling when it comes to brawls. I've both read and heard tales of his inhuman feats of brutality. They range from somewhat believable to being outright ridiculous.

Just a few of these include him lifting Brutus The Barber Beefcake 2 feet off of the floor while choking him over an in ring dispute, gouging Jesse Barr's eye out during a backstage brawl, yanking a mans teeth clean out of his mouth during an altercation at a bar, and biting a mans nose off. From those accounts, I'd say he's not to be fucked with. Of course I take these stories with a massive grain of salt, but rumors tend to have a bit of truth to them. And I'll vouch to him having an imposing presence, as I saw him before a WWF event when I was a kid. He was a scary ass dude.

Anyway, here are the facts....well let me not say facts because there is no concrete info on him. So, I'll muster up what I can about him and let you decide what you want to believe. Apparently he was sent to Japan to learn the art of Sumo (by the King of Tonga) as a teen but was forced to retire in his 20's due to some sort of dispute. Before retiring he would reach the rank of makushita. Shortly after this he entered into the world of Puroresu and would eventually make his way stateside with the WWF. And the rest is history as far as that aspect is concerned.

So why do I think he'd do well in MMA? I'll admit that he'd probably get eaten alive by todays crop of well rounded Mixed Martial Artists. But back in MMA's infant years when Vale Tudo was legal and UFC PPV events were little more than semi-controlled street fights, I think he'd have thrived. His size (6'2, 250-300lbs), strength, athleticism, training in Sumo, and reported aggression would have made him a handful for even the most skilled Martial Artist. And if there was one ethnic stereotype that full contact sports has proven true, it's that Polynesians are inhumanly durable. It doesn't matter if it's Rugby, Boxing, Kickboxing, or MMA. You can expect them to take an insane amount of damage without flinching and then try to short out your nervous system by trying to open your skull, with their own head.

These days Mr. Fifita is the Manager at a Toyota Car Spa in Florida. No longer is he the wild haired Tongan that struck fear in the hearts of his competitors and fans alike. But a mild mannered citizen that has made a good living for himself after his Pro Wrestling Career. Would he have made it big in MMA? Who knows. But I do know one thing. If I ever get my Car detailed at David Maus Toyota in Sanford, Florida. I won't be complaining if they do a bad job. Because I'm not trying to get my ass kicked by the manager.

Photo credit goes to Myspace and Obsessed with Wrestling

Re-Enter The Dragon

Photo via ufc.com

Have you forgotten how good he is? Is his sheer dominance but a distant memory? The man went undefeated through his first 16 fights. He has TKO victories over Rich Franklin and Stephan Bonnar. He knocked unbeaten Thiago Silva out cold on his way to decimating Rashad Evans for the title(which I was thrilled to see live in Las Vegas) and successfully defended his belt against Mauricio Rua. The man did not lose a round in the UFC until his 8th fight with the company including a three round embarrassment of Tito Ortiz. If you have forgotten, you are about to be reminded.

Has this dominant force vanished with one loss? Absolutely not. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida is not a fad. He is not a flash in the pan and he is damn sure not overrated. Being unfairly saddled with Joe Rogan's proclamation of "Welcome to the Machida Era" and all the expectations that came along with it was the first problem for Lyoto. He was seemingly untouchable and was promoted as such. This made it all the more shocking when Shogun gave him all he could handle at UFC 104. The fight was incredibly close. Machida won and while it was certainly a close decision, it was in no way a robbery or some kind of miscarriage of justice.

Almost as soon as the decision was announced the live crowd and most of the hardcore community decided the man that would pay the price for the close decision was not the judges or Rua's corner (who constantly told him he was winning the fight). Machida was to blame. He was booed loudly in the arena after the fight and was booed loudly in Montreal during pre-fight introductions. Why? What did he do to deserve that? Win a unanimous decision? Successfully defend his belt? I was amazed at the reactions he received.

He was a victim of his own dominance and success. He and the UFC had created this aura of invincibility and it was not only surprising to see him be in a competitive fight, it was shocking. He had made every foe look slow, foolish and miles below him on the food chain and when Shogun Rua knocked him out in the first round at UFC 113 the Machida Era was over. In reality, it was over for many fans after he beat Rua in the first fight.

Saturday night is the start of the road back to the Light-Heavyweight Title for The Dragon. He will be fighting Quinton Jackson in the main event of UFC 123. Rampage is coming off a loss to the man Machida beat for the belt, "Quittin" Rashad Evans. Rampage looked slow, plodding and was completely outclassed by Rashad who incidentally looked slow and was completely outclassed against Lyoto Machida. This is a bad news situation for Jackson who has a very serious chance of getting clowned for 15 minutes Saturday night.

Some have forgotten what kind of fighter Machida is. In the "what have you done for me lately" environment that exists he has been dropped in status from deity to overrated. Shogun has the belt now and Machida is getting ready to take the first step back toward the top of the mountain. To those who have dismissed him or written him off, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida is about to remind you how good he is.