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Thursday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Thursday
3:00 a.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: The Ultimate Fighter
Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson
3:00 a.m. ET MavTV: King of the Cage: Classics Vol. 6
A historic collection of match ups.
4:00 a.m. ET MavTV: King of the Cage: Greatest KO's 5
Some of the best knockouts in the history of King of the Cage.
4:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight'12 Review; '13 Preview
Relive the year's best moments in UFC; look ahead to UFC in 2013, with a preview of what's in store.
4:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Flashback Seattle; Heavyweights Collide Experience UFC on FOX 5 from a new perspective; The comeback of Cain Velasquez; Randy Couture analyzes the Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez championship fight.
5:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Unleashed
UFC 143 Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit; UFC 142 Rousimar Palhares and and Mike Massenzio; Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon at UFC 144.
5:30 a.m. ET Sportsnet ONE: UFC Central
Hosted by "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. UFC highlights and news.
6:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Fuel for the Fire Long Island native Chris Weidman tours the town he loves; Alexander Gustafsson sits down with Jon Anik; Nate Diaz's submission game; Chad Mendes' dominating performance.
6:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Alexander Gustafsson's San Diego training; Joe Lauzon's signature moves; Arianny Celeste poses.
7:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Flashback Seattle; Heavyweights Collide Experience UFC on FOX 5 from a new perspective; The comeback of Cain Velasquez; Randy Couture analyzes the Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez championship fight.
7:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II - Prelims
Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
10:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight'12 Review; '13 Preview
Relive the year's best moments in UFC; look ahead to UFC in 2013, with a preview of what's in store.
11:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Part one of The Top 50 Moments of 2012. From one-punch knockouts to amazing submissions to come-from-behind victories, UFC TONIGHT's Kenny Florian takes us through moments 50-26 in this week's special.
11:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
12:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz
Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz; Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson; Josh Koscheck vs. Johnny Hendricks. From New Jersey.
2:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic
Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic; Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah; Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin; Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman; John Hathaway vs. John Maguire; Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig. From Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. (Card subject to change)
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman
Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman; Brandon Vera vs. James Te Huna; Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson. From San Jose, Calif.
8:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le
Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le; Stanislav Nedkov vs. Thiago Silva & more. From Macau, China.
10:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: Bellator 360
The Lightweights are highlighted with guest Michael Chandler.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann
Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann; Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel Pineda. From Sydney, Australia.
11:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: Bellator 360
The Middleweights Read more -
Poll: Who Won? Garcia or Holloway
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Saturday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Saturday
1:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Part one of The Top 50 Moments of 2012. From one-punch knockouts to amazing submissions to come-from-behind victories, UFC TONIGHT's Kenny Florian takes us through moments 50-26 in this week's special.
1:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
2:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Munoz vs. Weidman
Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman; Brandon Vera vs. James Te Huna; Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson. From San Jose, Calif.
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II Weigh-in
Weigh-in for UFC 155: in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Countdown 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II
Leading up to the Heavyweight title fight UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II.
7:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Cain Valasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
From the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet East: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:30 p.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
The 2012 Bazzie Awards UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer helps Kenny and Bas and out the Bazzies.
8:00 p.m. ET FX: UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II - Prelims
Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet East: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev. Read more -
SRN: Jackson, Pettis
By: TJ De Santis
Live radio returned to The Sherdog Radio Network Monday with new episodes of "Beatdown" and "The Savage Dog Show."
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Anthony Pettis. "Showtime" talked about his victorious outing at UFC 136 this past weekend in Houston, Texas. The Wisconsin native broke down his split decision victory over Jeremy Stephens. He also discusses whether or not a fighter that is put on their back can win a fight in mixed martial arts.
Today's "Savage Dog Show" saw MMA trainer Greg Jackson join Greg Savage and Jeff Sherwood. The coach talked about a dissapointing UFC 136 showing that saw his team go 0 for 3. Jackson talked about where things went wrong and what is next for fighters Leonard Garcia, Brian Stann, and Melvin Guillard.
Check out the shows and our archives by clicking here. -
Garcia Knows If He Runs, He’s Not Welcome Home
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Leonard Garcia, on “The Savage Dog Show,” discussing his ability to take a punch:
Read more
“I think it’s a testament to how we train. Me and [Donald Cerrone], we try to knock each other out in the gym. Also, other guys that are in there training with us will stand toe-to-toe with us. A lot of guys plant their heels and really get going. We tell each other things like, ‘Man, if you ever get hurt or knocked out or if you cover yourself up and run away from a punch or run away from a fight, don’t bother coming home. Just stay where you’re at. If you’re in Houston and you run away from [UFC 136 opponent Nam Phan] or you cover up because he’s beating on you and you don’t know how to respond, just don’t come home. Don’t come back to New Mexico. Stay in Texas.’ We tell each other stuff like that, and I think that stuff carries over in your mind whenever it’s time to fight. There have been some shots that I’ve taken that have rattled me. Maybe I didn’t show it, but yeah, they were there. I’ve been dropped a couple of times, but there’s just something inside of me that tells me, ‘Get up or don’t show them that you’re hurt,’ and it normally works for me. I think some people are just born with it and some people aren’t.” -
Radio: Cruz, Phan, Garcia, Simpson
By: TJ De Santis
The Sherdog Radio Network had a busy Monday. Live on The SRN were new episodes of "Beatdown" and "The Savage Dog Show."
Read more
Greg Savage and Jeff Sherwood welcomed UFC bantamweight king Dominick Cruz to "The SDS." The Alliance trained fighter talked about his decision win over Demetrious Johnson last Saturday night in Washington D.C. The guys also chatted with Leonard Garcia and Nam Phan who face one another this coming Saturday in Houston at UFC 136.
"Beatdown" was also live Monday with myself and Jon Luther. Joining us was UFC 135 participant Aaron Simpson.
Check out the show and our archives by clicking here. -
UFC/Strikeforce Postmortem: Judge Dread, Knockouts
By: Jake Rossen
Leonard Garcia file photo: Sherdog.com
Among Mike Goldberg’s usual duties -- sponsor plugs, broadcast generalship, tanning -- is reciting the standard “Rules of the Octagon” narration over a graphic, which states points will be awarded “based on striking, grappling, aggression, and Octagon control.” At 10 seconds in length, this will never be mistaken for an instructional video, but it’s become very obvious that Nevada judges in attendance Saturday haven’t even bothered with that much.
After handling Leonard Garcia for three rounds, pushing Garcia backward, landing while Garcia whiffed in open-mouthed “offense” and even taking a round with a conceivable 10-8 work effort, two judges ignored Nam Phan and scored the bout 29-28 Garcia. (The third saw it 30-27 Phan, cementing his status as human with two functioning corneas.) It stands next to New Coke, “The Phantom Menace” and the Hula burger as one of the worst decisions of all time.
In typically boorish bureaucratic fashion, these judges will never be asked to explain their scorecard, will never be asked to provide evidence of their competency, and will probably not be reprimanded in any meaningfully way -- all expected outcomes of virtually every other botched job on the planet.
Nothing can suffocate the enthusiasm of fans more quickly than something purported to be “As Real as it Gets” burdened by the inexplicable presence of officials who use a fictitious set of standards to oversee fights. Athletic commissions are assumed to be competent; as we saw with Chael Sonnen’s hearing Thursday, some members can’t even tell the difference between a mixed martial artist and a boxer. At this point, it’s becoming impossible to tell the difference between a fight judge and a brick. Read more -
WEC 51 Postmortem: Eight not Enough for Aldo, Torres Revived
By: Jake Rossen
Jose Aldo file photo: Sherdog.com
Every time I see Jose Aldo perch himself on the top of the cage and perform a back-flip, I cringe.
It would be an incredible waste of ability to see the guy trip, fall, or land in a way that interrupts what’s becoming a very notable career. The commissions might want to consider fixing that, possibly by shooing offenders off with brooms.
Maybe Aldo is putting himself in a little bit of trouble with the acrobatics because he’s not getting too nervous in the fight itself. For the eighth consecutive time in the WEC, Aldo more or less made a meal out of an opponent, stunning Manny Gamburyan with an uppercut Thursday and then knocking him unconscious with ground and pound. Gamburyan had no chance of getting him down and failed to discover any tricks for getting inside Aldo’s range. Has the guy ever even been in radical trouble? If he has, it hasn’t been worth remembering.
Every time a dominant champion is established, the same question comes up: do audiences like seeing a man operating clearly above his competition, or do they grow bored if the suspense is leaking out of the bouts? Considering the purpose of titles is to find the best, it makes more sense that people would enjoy a clear and concise answer. Aldo is providing it.
The follow-up: when champions are this dominant, do they get too complacent? Anderson Silva, with 12 wins in the Octagon, has turned in several bizarre performances; Georges St. Pierre walked into a fight with Matt Serra giving him only the same respect fans did, which wasn’t much. If Aldo ever develops similar boredom, he’s vulnerable. If he insists on using the cage as a pommel horse, he might one day feel very stupid. Either way, Aldo’s biggest threat in the WEC’s featherweight division will probably remain himself. Read more -
On the Merits of Garcia/Jung
By: Jake Rossen
File Photo: Sherdog.com
Reasons for my status as an editorial villain change weekly: the current rotation has me getting charred over brief comments in a WEC wrap-up that Saturday’s wood-chipper of a fight between Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung was either terrific or horrifying.
I hadn’t fully made up my mind at the time. Midweek, I’m starting to get some more perspective.
There is no question that Garcia/Jung was entertaining -- a total blast of adrenaline and guts, and the kind of wild back and forth athletes with too much money and too much celebrity are rarely eager to participate in. I’m hardly immune to the energy a fight like that provides, and I can appreciate the unselfish tenacity and level of personal risk involved. Garcia and Jung have my respect, for whatever that’s worth. (I’m sure the suspense was killing them both.)
But “great fight” has a very particular set of parameters. If that label is applied to the haymaking style of fighting, you don’t have many adjectives left to describe fights that marry terrific skill with terrific aggression and an emotional backbone. At least two of those criteria need to be met before anything “great” happens.
The best fights require craftsmanship: Garcia is full of heart, but the difference in his abilities and Anderson Silva’s are greater than I can calculate. They need an emotional underpinning: Royce Gracie/Kazushi Sakuraba had a snail’s pace at times, but the image of Gracie’s corner tossing a towel in the air after 90 minutes of struggle approaches art. If you can add momentum to the list, you have something special: Diego Sanchez’s fights with Karo Parisyan and Nick Diaz were amazing displays of guys who wanted it, but didn’t grow reckless in the process.
If you want an analogy: “Crank” is an entertaining movie. It’s a good time. I wasn’t bored. It elevated my mood. But if it is a “great movie,” what’s left to describe “The Godfather”?
Garcia/Jung was a greatly entertaining fight. It was not a great fight. Save the label for special occasions. Read more -
Video: Garcia-Gamburyan Preview
Video courtesy of WEC.tv. Read more
