What now? MMA and Steroids

Girl, Look at that body...He works out!

Greetings Fight Fans!

Let me be the first one to tell you, summer is almost here :) So its time to hit the gym hard so you can hit the beach and look like El Reem. Hopefully you can do that without the 14-1 testosterone ratio. The superfight between he and champ Junior Dos Santos is in limbo as Overeem, the athletic commission and lawyers (no doubt) try to determine the status of his license to fight. Larger than this is what does MMA do to answer the "steroid" question?

Steroids or performance enhancing drugs are an issue that most sports have to deal with in some way. Specifically for MMA, you hear athletes all the time mention that it goes on a lot more frequently than people would imagine. Credit to the UFC in that they have constantly spoken out against PEDs in the sport. Its a dangerous thing to have a guy throwing punches, kicks and cranking submissions with and endless well of strength. As much credit as the UFC gets for speaking out against PEDs they have also acknowledged that random testing for their entire stable of athletes. So where does that leave us?

Baseball is one of the major sports in this country and has gone through major public PED issues. The list of athletes who have been implicated would be a whos-who of MLB. What we found out as the stories kept coming and coming is that eventually FANS DIDNT CARE. The media talking heads screamed a lot about integrity of the game but it was journalist not fans that cared about steroids. I bring this up because it seems to me that MMA fans are different. PEDs were used in baseball to hit balls fathers or to throw fastballs faster. Its still not as direct as a fight. In the cage those PEDs will be used to enhance someones ability to hurt his opponent or to absorb damage. We mma fans dont have a problem with one fighter smashing another..just so long as its done fair and square. Its a fight and there is a higher standard of honor involved. No weapons, no PEDs, No eye poke or groin shots..just two men of similar size climb into a cage to see who the better man is that day.

I believe that the disdain for PEDs in MMA will continue..and its because WE FANS do care! So big kudos to every fan of MMA

The UFC being mainstream..

From this man to Network Television to a mainstream sport??

Greetings Fight Fans!

For those of us who have been watching MMA from the beginning, its still a little weird to see advertisements for cage fighting on mainstream tv. Its good because I do love watching top guys fight. At the same time, it is a little bad as we are getting farther from dudes fighting and more towards the idea that sheer wins matter more than eliminating your opponent. In the NFL and NBA sheer wins matter. There is a season, playoffs etc that decide who the champion is. These are also sports that rely on points being scored through play to determine the winning team. MMA matches are a fight. Pure and simple. Not a street fight..is sanctioned, official and the artists are much more trained. It is a fight however, and nobody goes into a fight thinking im going to out point that guy who pushed my girlfriend down. They think "Im gonna kick that dudes ass". Simple..direct..brutal and THATS WHAT WE LOVE about seeing this happen in a cage with two dudes (or ladies) of similar size with a ref there to make sure nothing dirty happens.

Here is a newsflash, its not for everyone. The blood, the kicks and punches and the broken limbs will make your grandma and parents cringe. The issue is that the UFC is now courting the attention of those grandmas, grandpas and ostensibly anyone who has a passing interest in watching mix martial arts. Realize that once you go mainstream it is no longer about the hardcore fans. No matter how much they complain, they are with you no matter what and you have always been getting their dollars. New dollars requires new fans. Said another way, its ALL ABOUT the casual fan from this point forward. As a result some of the violence will tone down and some of the purity will disappear. Lets hope that its not too much

Quick picks on big upcoming fights..
I got Overeem over JDS via KO in the second round

I got Anderson over Chael by destruction

I got Jones over Rashad by force of arrogance

Thanks for reading and PLEASE share this blog with your friends

The State of US Muay Thai...

Greetings Martial Artists,

Hope everyone is having a good year so far! Among other things I had a chance to check out some Muay Thai action in Vegas for Battle in the Desert 5. The main event here was a winner take all match between Joe Schilling and Simon Marcus. Maybe not the most respectful situation to get into but I do admire these men for raising the stakes as best they could. Ive been to a number of muay thai fights and anyone live at the event would have to admit that the atmosphere was great.

How'd it go? The ending came with a great deal of controversy..Schilling being KOed Marcus but after a previous toss perhaps trip that dazed Schilling, the fight was over before it really got going. I really wanted to see these two really spend some time getting after it in the ring. Finishes are always better than decisions but as a practitioner of the art it is always such a learning experience to observe pro fighters. Anyhow, when the take down happened a few groups of people believed it to be an illegal trip where Marcus hooks his foot. In the moment it did not seem like a trip nor did it seem intentional whatever you may think it to be. Schilling hit the canvas really hard and it was effectively done. Word is that Simon Marcus is up for a rematch. I will definitely be there to check it out and hope they put some rounds in.

"American Muay Thai" on the whole cannot be judged solely by this one event. I believe that the future is very bright. More and more people are training and solid events are happening out here in California more and more. The greatest reason I believe in the future of Muay Thai in the US is that we have good training. As long as quality teachers are here, there will be students who will pursue the art to as high a level as they can. I dont know that I can "Martial Arts is Back" here but as long as more and more people visit Muay Thai gyms, everything about Muay Thai will level up. Dont be so Myopic

ETC..bits and pieces...tidbits...

Congrats to Ben Henderson..the NEW UFC LW Champ.....The Hard Rock is a MUCH better venue for these events than Buffalo Bills. Big Props to the promoters. I went there to support "Sugarcane" Coke in his fight vs Matt Embree. He lost fair and square but big up! Also supporting Jose Palacios. Full disclosure and all. Thank you for reading and please comment so we can make the blog better!!

We are coming back! Thanks for the support

Hello all!

First of all, I want to say thanks and apologies to Matt Roth who gave me this wonderful opportunity to write for this blog. The fact is I got tied up with other things and let this blog slip. I dont care who else is or isnt going to write for unintelligent defense..I LOVE MMA and fight sports of all kinds (Especially Muay Thai) so im going to personally keep this blog updated with fresh opinions, commentary and knowledge on MMA, pop culture and other stuff. Get on board now because this week, we will begin CONSISTENT WEEKLY ARTICLES here at unintelligent defense. Looking forward to talking to you all


Da Genius

The Unintelligent Breakdown: Week 1

Putting a DUMB argument to rest..YES MMA should have a cruiserweight Division!

You wouldnt want guys our size competing in MMA? Are you Crazy!!!

Happy Daylight Savings Time Yall!

Its been a while since Ive had the time to set the record straight and inform people on whats factual and important in the world of MMA. I am DaGenius afterall :). Anyhow, theres a lot of focus on Shogun v Jones and thats fair. Should be the MMA fight of the year. Instead of that, I am going to FINALLY put to rest one of the dumbest and silliest things MMA fans say (yes, disrespect intended).."MMA doesnt need a division between Light and Heavyweight" . Are you F****g Crazy?!?! MMA would be EVEN BETTER with this division. Read on!

For the sake of this discussion i will call this weight class "Cruiser Weight" (although I think a better name can be found) and the limit will be 230lbs which is 25 above light heavyweight and 35 below heavyweight. Sound interesting? Yup.

I believe the LHW is the absolute best division in MMA. Its the most glamorous, the most exciting and is the division that keeps fans on the edge of its collective seat. The overall reason is because LHW is the best combination of technique, size and cardio we see in MMA. You get guys who are strong and in great shape but also have excellent skills in their grappling and striking disciplines of choice. When you get guys that big, you also have the fear factor working for them. When you see a 205lb MMA fighter around town, you know he could whoop your ass! (unless you happen to be a HW). Dont get me wrong, i dont hate the significantly lighter weight classes (125-145) but I would take any LHW match over an equal stature match in those very light classes. They obviously dont have the same level of fear factor involved either. Ive been to fight after parties and believe me, its a different feeling when Dominick Cruz walks into the club as opposed to Rampage hitting the party. Cruz is an excellent and skillful fighter and has had some exciting fights but frankly I like my chances in a street or mma fight against Dom. Against Rampage....ehhhh..not so much. For me that adds to the mystique of a fighter. Fedors mystique was so large, in part, because he didnt have a ripped frame but you sure wouldnt run up on him talking trash. Of all the reasons you might like the LHW division, those same reasons would be present at the "Cruiser" Division and then some.

At 230lbs you would have the cardio to fight 5 hard rounds, unlike the heavyweights. Imagine the type of athletes that would be climbing into the cage at that weight. Not that he would give up his career in the lockout halted NFL, but why wouldnt you want to see more athletes the size of Clay Matthews (6-3, 237) compete in MMA? Size, strength, quickness, technique, the constant spectre of a one strike knockout punch. Heavyweights are awesome, but they just cant go hard for a full 3 rounds at 265lbs, let alone 5. Instead of a 240lb guy having to give up weight or cut a tremendous amount of weight, he could fight another athlete close to his size to see who is the best at that weight. Nothing wrong with that. It wont dilute MMA like some fans say which is another point i dont get. Not long ago 155 was the lightest weight in "big time" mma. Now there are many more belts in the lighter classes and has that hurt MMA? Not at all. It gives athletes a chance to compete. One more belt at 230 would do NOTHING to hurt mma. It would only help add another glamorous division to the ultimate combat sport.

Hey MMA fans, you all screamed for more light divisions so that we could watch two little guys fight it out. Now its time to scream so that we can get two full sized studs fighting in the cage to see who is the better fighter. And if youre reading Dana (cause I know you do) I would DEFINITELY plunk down $49.99 to see the UFC crown a 230lb MMA champion!

Unintelligent Predictions: UFC 128 Style

Considering I'm the only one still writing over here, I figured I'd take the time to go ahead and give the predictions for this particular showdown. Couple of things first:

1. Yes, I do plan on trying to provide this place with some more content, mostly because the only other place I write MMA stuff for is a newspaper.

2. Since I'm given free reign here, I'm going to embarass someone. You've probably noticed a dipshit named ColdHardPhilly posting here quite a bit, calling me names like a ten year old on a playground. Ignore him. He's just someone I banned from Blistered Thumbs for using homophobic slurs because I didn't mention Brazil in my review of EA Sports MMA. No, chuckles, I'm not removing the IP ban.

So, let's get started, shall we?

Heavyweight Bout: Mirko Cro Cop vs Brendan Schaub

I love Cro Cop. What self respecting fan of the Pride days doesn't? However, we're going through the same motions this time as we did last time. Cro Cop is saying he's in the same form as when he destroyed Barnett for the third time. We're gonna see a finish. He's just a rookie, I'm gonna finish him. Blah blah blah. We've heard it all before, and I honestly can't see this ending well for Mirko. I would love to see the old Cemetary Kick, just so it gives Seanbaby another excuse to talk about it, but it's not going to happen. I expect Schaub to unload on him with the hands, and finish Cro Cop via TKO.

Schaub by TKO, Round 2

Middleweight Bout: Dan Miller vs Nate Marquardt

Dan Miller is thankfully stepping in for Yoshihiro Akiyama on short notice for this bout. To be quite honest with you, I think that this is a much more entertaining fight. When I saw Nate matched up against Yoshihiro, I figured that Dana had given up on the Akiyama investment and planned on putting him away rather than building him up. I think that Dan Miller is a much tougher fight. Now, though Miller isn't as talented as his brother, he's a tough guy that doesn't have an ounce of quit in him. I expect Dan to make this a tough one for Marquardt, but I see Nate as being a little too strong, and a little too technical here.

Marquardt by Decision

Lightweight Bout: Kamal Shalorus vs Jim Miller

I.....don't know what to really say about this bout. Shalorus is a legit fighter, but Jim Miller is a guy who is right outside of the title picture. In all honesty, I think that he should probably be fighting someone higher up the ladder than Shalorus. Then again, Kamal has the grappling skills to potentially make this a tough fight for Miller. Still, I expect Jim to come out with the same fire that he had against Oliviera. Fact of the matter is that Jim feels like he's got to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he deserves a shot at the 155lb title. So, I'm seeing a choke in Kamal's future.

Miller via Rear Naked Choke, Round 3

Bantamweight Bout: Urijah Faber vs Eddie Wineland

I don't want to count Wineland out. I really, really don't want to, but the fact of the matter is that I think he's outmatched here. Eddie Wineland is a guy with concrete for knuckles, and he has a lot of drive, but he's fighting someone who beat the Bantamweight champion. What it boils down to is that Faber has the experience in fighting in main events, fighting tougher competition, and have a much more well rounded skillset. Though the potential of Wineland KOing Faber is there (considering I wouldn't say that Urijah's chin is iron), I just don't see it happening. What I see is Urijah taking this fight down, and controlling it without ease. Hopefully we'll see him and Cruz coach the next season of TUF.

Faber via Decision

Light Heavyweight Championship: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs Jon "Bones" Jones

I hate this fight. I really do. First and foremost, I hate the fact that everyone is counting Shogun out. We're counting the guy who just flattened Lyoto Machida not however long ago out. You know, Machida? The guy who everyone thought was going to have a Liddell style run? Second thing that I hate is that everyone is focusing more on Shogun's layoff rather than Jones' lack of time to prepare for Shogun. As for the actual prediction, I think it's fairly even. Jones is riding quite the wave at the moment, but almost all of his wins have been over wrestleboxers. Frankly, he's never faced someone like Shogun. Then again, Shogun's faced guys with long reaches (Overeem, Diabate) and he's got more experience, but Jones is a one of a kind athlete. Well, whatever. I can't really pick a favorite here, mostly because I'm biased due to Shogun being my favorite fighter ever.

Toss Up

Well, that's all I've got to say about this one. It should be an exciting card, but you never know with MMA. That's both the best and worst things about the sport.

Just remember, kids: Following someone from site to site makes you a stalker.

-Micah C

Make This Fight: 5 reasons why Bisping vs Belfort makes sense

After Bisping's controversial win over Jorge Rivera, it seems to be that there's some clamoring for Vitor Belfort to face off against the cocky Brit. Though some may think that it's almost too big of a step up in competition for Bisping (considering his last two outings against top name opponents ended with him either unconscious or close to it), I think that this fight makes quite a bit of sense. Here's five reasons why:

1. Major PPV sales.

Though I don't think that this could carry a card, I think that this would help aid sales as a co-main event fight. Vitor's a popular fighter, as is Bisping. On top of that, there would be quite a few words between the two. Vitor, as many know, is a "face" type person along with being very big on respect. Bisping is one of the biggest heels in the sport, and loves to run his mouth, even when he's outmatched. So, it wouldn't be difficult for the two of them get get people interested. In fact, I'd love to see this as the co-main of the possible GSP vs Anderson Silva superfight.

2. A great test for Bisping

Bisping hasn't beaten anyone who has held a world title as of yet. It's the one notch that he hasn't carried under his belt yet. However, he put up a solid performance against Wanderlei (even though he wasn't the better fighter) so there's a chance that he wouldn't be out of the fight. I can't really say that this would be his toughest test to date (Hendo was that test, and Bisping failed) but it would certainly be a solid one to see where Bisping is going to fit in the division from here on in.

3. A solid comeback fight for Vitor

Though Vitor's a great fighter, he didn't exactly come out of his fight with Anderson looking good. It's one thing to be on the end of a highlight reel KO, but it's another to be on the end of a highlight reel KO from a rare kick. However, if Vitor can beat Bisping, it gives him a good win on the record, and moves him a couple of notches closer to a title shot. After a devastating loss like he just had, it's a good match for him to be in, provided he wins it.

4. A standing fight

Though both men are good on the ground (Vitor holding an advantage there) the tendencies of both fighters show that they're going to want to keep this fight standing. MMA fans love a stand-up fight, and Bisping at the very least keeps going from bell to bell. He's not the most powerful striker out there, but he's also nowhere near the slowest. The same can be said of Vitor Belfort. Though one of them may shoot in (my money being on Mike because he's not a big fan of being hit) I don't see this one being a ground war.

5. PRIDE fans will love it if Bisping loses.

Let's be honest. We Pride fans love watching a UFC grown superstar get destroyed by someone who fought in Pride. It keeps that "Pride never die" spirit alive. Vitor wasn't the biggest star in Pride, but it's still more than can be said of Bisping. It was gratifying to see Bisping get flattened by a former two time champ of Pride, and get beat by the former Pride middleweight champion. In fact, we would have all loved to see Bisping get soccer kicked by Wanderlei for old time's sake, but such is the price of the unified rules.

So, with all of that said, don't just sit here and agree with me! Tweet the following to Dana White:

@DanaWhite You need to have @VitorBelfort teach Bisping some respect! #vitorvsbisping

Also, follow me on Twitter @TheCynicsCorner

Let's do this.

-Micah C