Long-Awaited Unification Happened Too Soon
Mike Sloan Sep 10, 2007
The UFC wasted Saturday's showdown between Quinton Jackson (Pictures) and Dan Henderson (Pictures).
It's that simple: The fight and its importance were squandered.
Don't take that intro as pessimistic or angry. Jackson-Henderson
was a fight I had hoped would materialize since the two were
premiere warriors in PRIDE. After Henderson finished Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) in February and Jackson beat
Chuck Liddell (Pictures) again in May, this was a showdown
that clearly had to happen.
Jackson-Henderson was an important fight because it pitted two of the world's best against each other, and it determined the true world champion -- a first in the modern era of MMA.
Yet Henderson remained unknown in the eyes of Generation TUF. He fought in PRIDE, in Japan, for the majority of his career. Stateside only hardcore fans know him. The UFC wisely signed him but stupidly failed to build him.
A fighter like Rampage can get away without much marketing. Hendo can't.
Henderson should have been given a few bouts inside the Octagon to decimate opponents and add to the spectacular highlights of his PRIDE career. Then, provided Jackson was still the champ, the UFC should have made the fight and raked in the profits.
The UFC 75 main event was still a solid fight, won clearly by Jackson. Rampage silenced many a critic by smothering Henderson and proving that he is without question the best fighter on the planet at 205.
Gone, it seems, are the days of Jackson entering a fight unprepared or distracted. His stamina was at an all-time high against Henderson, and he thwarted everything the PRIDE champion threw his way.
Looking back at Jackson's stellar career, this was easily the best he has ever been.
Henderson may have been distracted pre-fight with the birth of his new baby girl, but he never gave up. In the final round he kept plugging away and fought with desperation. Jackson was simply on top of his game, and won the round.
Henderson has fluctuated in weight throughout his career. Maybe he was just too small for Rampage. Maybe he should drop back down to 185 and try to unify his other PRIDE title against UFC champion Anderson Silva.
Regardless, in my eyes Jackson-Henderson was a waste. There was virtually no buzz in a fight town like Las Vegas, where I live, and I saw nothing about the fight on ESPN or other sports networks.
Unlike the other massive fights Zuffa has delivered, this bout was only a blip on the MMA radar in the eyes of mainstream journalists. That said, the only one to blame for not properly building Henderson is Zuffa -- a shame considering the battle will go down as one of the most important in the sport's history.
It sure didn't feel like it, though.
Should "Cro Cop" retire?
Is it just me or does Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) remind you more and more of future Hall of Fame boxer Felix "Tito" Trinidad?
Both fighters salivate over the notion of an opponent fighting the fight they want. When opponents oblige, it's usually lights out, another highlight reel knockout for "Cro Cop" and Tito.
But Filipovic, like Trinidad, tends to cave in when opponents don't follow the predetermined path. No Plan B or C materializes, and either they lose embarrassing one-sided decisions or they get knocked out.
With Saturday's decision loss to Cheick Kongo (Pictures), "Cro Cop" has dropped two consecutive fights in the Octagon, and his stock has plummeted into the cellar, just like Trinidad's.
The Croatian heavyweight is strictly a one-dimensional fighter, though arguably the best one-dimensional fighter this sport has ever seen. When everything goes according to plan, both men are as electrifying as they are deadly.
Trinidad, however, has fallen into near obscurity after dropping a lousy one-sided unanimous decision to Winky Wright. Now he has decided to come back and fight another washed-up veteran, Roy Jones.
Will the same fate befall Mirko?
When Fedor toppled "Cro Cop" it was more or less the result of the world's greatest fighter defeating a very good fighter. Now, after being "Cro Copped" by Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) and losing a unanimous nod to Kongo, it seems fairly easy for a fighter with some talent to beat Filipovic.
He likes to press the action and impose his will. If foes deflect his kicks and punches and press forward, though, "Cro Cop" becomes uncomfortable. From there he begins relying on one strike at a time.
With that downfall, even if he remains one of the sport's greatest strikers and knockout artists, it'll be hard for anybody from Generation TUF to take him seriously.
Your average UFC fan knows next to nothing about MMA outside the UFC. Most go on word of mouth and split-second highlight clips showing how wondrous "Cro Cop" was.
Who will want to see him fight after a moderately exciting win over the so-so Eddie Sanchez, followed by the disastrous loss to Gonzaga (who was later pummeled by Randy Couture (Pictures)) and Saturday's snoozer?
Zuffa gambled big in signing "Cro Cop" to a huge contract. So far the move has blown up in their faces.
Sure, Filipovic remains in the top 10. But after seeing how his career has unfolded lately and seeing how relatively easy it is to beat him, fans aren't going to line up to see him fight anymore.
The only solution to this debacle -- and there is only one solution -- is to line up a string of fighters with zero chance of beating him.
Zuffa has invested a ton of money into the 33-year-old fighter. Considering how marketable he truly is, and still can be, Zuffa must sign bargain-bin, Q-Level fighters who don't know how to strike or grapple.
Let "Cro Cop" kick their heads into orbit. Some of the lost intrigue will be restored, and the Croatian's confidence will return.
If that can't happen, Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) better rethink his career.
Bisping-Hamill raises more questions than it answered
Going into the fight between Michael Bisping (Pictures) and Matt Hamill (Pictures), I, along with quite a few others, picked the Brit to steamroll the one-dimensional wrestler and notch yet another stellar knockout win.
However, Bisping probably didn't bargain for a vastly improved Hamill, and he struggled mightily to win what I feel was a gift decision.
Bisping couldn't figure out his larger opponent and spent most of the fight clumsily sprinting away from Hamill while trying miserably to land flinging punches.
Hamill took Bisping down at will. Thankfully for "The Count" and his fans, Hamill is still green at performing the old ground-and-pound routine. Had the Ohio-native been a more experienced striker on the ground, Bisping would have been stopped.
I've criticized Hamill in the past for being solely a wrestler who happened upon MMA, his strikes and finishing ability being next to laughable. While Hamill wasn't transformed Saturday into a striking machine like Anderson Silva (Anderson Silva' class='LinkSilver'>Pictures), he clearly displayed an improved stand-up attack and even hurt Bisping on the feet.
The fight was about as close as they come, but in my opinion it should have been Hamill who had his hand raised. I scored it 29-28 for the wrestler, though the decision was close enough to heed an argument the other way.
The fight begged many questions about both men -- questions that couldn't be answered with the judges picking one fighter over the other.
Maybe Hamill is much better and has more talent than anyone thought. Maybe Bisping isn't as good as everyone thought.
Bisping appeared lost and frustrated in the latter stages of the fight, and he was a bit too reluctant to let his hands and feet loose. That's not a good sign for someone who relies heavily on that aspect of the game.
Overall, Bisping appeared to take a step back while Hamill leapt about 10 meters farther than anybody would have imagined.
Miscellaneous debris
Rob McCullough (Pictures) added an exclamation point to the end of Wednesday's WEC event at the Hard Rock by drubbing Richard Crunkilton (Pictures) in the first round. McCullough isn't the best fighter at 155, but he is one of the most exciting.
Considering fighters like B.J. Penn (Pictures), Sean Sherk (Pictures) and Takanori Gomi (Pictures) aren't under contract with the WEC, I don't see "Razor" losing his title anytime soon. …
Speaking of exciting fighters, Marcus Davis (Pictures) was all but unconscious at one point during his war with Paul Taylor (Pictures). Somehow "The Irish Hand Grenade" staved off the knockout and eventually latched on a perfect armbar.
Davis is as tough as they come, and lately he's been in the fights of the night. If Matt Serra (Pictures), a fighter no one gave a shot to capture the welterweight title, can become the champion, Davis could possibly duplicate such a feat. …
It's safe to say Alessio Sakara (Pictures) is not at the top of the light heavyweight mountain, but he is a credible opponent. Houston Alexander (Pictures) obliterated him with the same ease as he obliterated Keith Jardine (Pictures).
While the jury is still out in regards to just how good Alexander is, there's no denying that he is clearly the most dangerous of the new faces in the UFC. …
Miguel Torres (Pictures) hasn't lost since late 2003. He's gone 13-0 in the time being. I saw Torres in action for the first time Wednesday. I must admit that I can't wait to see this cat fight again.
He's one of the more well rounded fighters in the sport, but his arsenal is rooted deeply in submissions. I'm not declaring that he's going to be the greatest to ever compete at 135. However, WEC bantamweight champ Chase Beebe (Pictures) had better look behind him because Torres is coming. The same goes for fighters such as Marcos Galvao (Pictures), Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) and the oft-injured Ryota Matsune (Pictures). …
Brian Stann (Pictures) is a relative rookie to MMA, but he has the potential to become a very popular fighter. As soon as he starts fighting tougher competition and cleaning house in the WEC, the Iraq-war Marine veteran will eventually invade the UFC.
It's still too early to tell how good Stann is. His skill set, however, is much better than most fighters at a similar stage in their careers, and he is one of the most marketable figures in the sport. Remember his name. …
Hit me up at www.myspace.com/sherdogsloan
It's that simple: The fight and its importance were squandered.
Advertisement
Jackson-Henderson was an important fight because it pitted two of the world's best against each other, and it determined the true world champion -- a first in the modern era of MMA.
This was the fight to end debate over the best at 205 pounds. This
was the bout to unify the UFC and PRIDE light heavyweight
titles.
Yet Henderson remained unknown in the eyes of Generation TUF. He fought in PRIDE, in Japan, for the majority of his career. Stateside only hardcore fans know him. The UFC wisely signed him but stupidly failed to build him.
A fighter like Rampage can get away without much marketing. Hendo can't.
Henderson should have been given a few bouts inside the Octagon to decimate opponents and add to the spectacular highlights of his PRIDE career. Then, provided Jackson was still the champ, the UFC should have made the fight and raked in the profits.
The UFC 75 main event was still a solid fight, won clearly by Jackson. Rampage silenced many a critic by smothering Henderson and proving that he is without question the best fighter on the planet at 205.
Gone, it seems, are the days of Jackson entering a fight unprepared or distracted. His stamina was at an all-time high against Henderson, and he thwarted everything the PRIDE champion threw his way.
Looking back at Jackson's stellar career, this was easily the best he has ever been.
Henderson may have been distracted pre-fight with the birth of his new baby girl, but he never gave up. In the final round he kept plugging away and fought with desperation. Jackson was simply on top of his game, and won the round.
Henderson has fluctuated in weight throughout his career. Maybe he was just too small for Rampage. Maybe he should drop back down to 185 and try to unify his other PRIDE title against UFC champion Anderson Silva.
Regardless, in my eyes Jackson-Henderson was a waste. There was virtually no buzz in a fight town like Las Vegas, where I live, and I saw nothing about the fight on ESPN or other sports networks.
Unlike the other massive fights Zuffa has delivered, this bout was only a blip on the MMA radar in the eyes of mainstream journalists. That said, the only one to blame for not properly building Henderson is Zuffa -- a shame considering the battle will go down as one of the most important in the sport's history.
It sure didn't feel like it, though.
Should "Cro Cop" retire?
Is it just me or does Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) remind you more and more of future Hall of Fame boxer Felix "Tito" Trinidad?
Both fighters salivate over the notion of an opponent fighting the fight they want. When opponents oblige, it's usually lights out, another highlight reel knockout for "Cro Cop" and Tito.
But Filipovic, like Trinidad, tends to cave in when opponents don't follow the predetermined path. No Plan B or C materializes, and either they lose embarrassing one-sided decisions or they get knocked out.
With Saturday's decision loss to Cheick Kongo (Pictures), "Cro Cop" has dropped two consecutive fights in the Octagon, and his stock has plummeted into the cellar, just like Trinidad's.
The Croatian heavyweight is strictly a one-dimensional fighter, though arguably the best one-dimensional fighter this sport has ever seen. When everything goes according to plan, both men are as electrifying as they are deadly.
Trinidad, however, has fallen into near obscurity after dropping a lousy one-sided unanimous decision to Winky Wright. Now he has decided to come back and fight another washed-up veteran, Roy Jones.
Will the same fate befall Mirko?
When Fedor toppled "Cro Cop" it was more or less the result of the world's greatest fighter defeating a very good fighter. Now, after being "Cro Copped" by Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) and losing a unanimous nod to Kongo, it seems fairly easy for a fighter with some talent to beat Filipovic.
He likes to press the action and impose his will. If foes deflect his kicks and punches and press forward, though, "Cro Cop" becomes uncomfortable. From there he begins relying on one strike at a time.
With that downfall, even if he remains one of the sport's greatest strikers and knockout artists, it'll be hard for anybody from Generation TUF to take him seriously.
Your average UFC fan knows next to nothing about MMA outside the UFC. Most go on word of mouth and split-second highlight clips showing how wondrous "Cro Cop" was.
Who will want to see him fight after a moderately exciting win over the so-so Eddie Sanchez, followed by the disastrous loss to Gonzaga (who was later pummeled by Randy Couture (Pictures)) and Saturday's snoozer?
Zuffa gambled big in signing "Cro Cop" to a huge contract. So far the move has blown up in their faces.
Sure, Filipovic remains in the top 10. But after seeing how his career has unfolded lately and seeing how relatively easy it is to beat him, fans aren't going to line up to see him fight anymore.
The only solution to this debacle -- and there is only one solution -- is to line up a string of fighters with zero chance of beating him.
Zuffa has invested a ton of money into the 33-year-old fighter. Considering how marketable he truly is, and still can be, Zuffa must sign bargain-bin, Q-Level fighters who don't know how to strike or grapple.
Let "Cro Cop" kick their heads into orbit. Some of the lost intrigue will be restored, and the Croatian's confidence will return.
If that can't happen, Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) better rethink his career.
Bisping-Hamill raises more questions than it answered
Going into the fight between Michael Bisping (Pictures) and Matt Hamill (Pictures), I, along with quite a few others, picked the Brit to steamroll the one-dimensional wrestler and notch yet another stellar knockout win.
However, Bisping probably didn't bargain for a vastly improved Hamill, and he struggled mightily to win what I feel was a gift decision.
Bisping couldn't figure out his larger opponent and spent most of the fight clumsily sprinting away from Hamill while trying miserably to land flinging punches.
Hamill took Bisping down at will. Thankfully for "The Count" and his fans, Hamill is still green at performing the old ground-and-pound routine. Had the Ohio-native been a more experienced striker on the ground, Bisping would have been stopped.
I've criticized Hamill in the past for being solely a wrestler who happened upon MMA, his strikes and finishing ability being next to laughable. While Hamill wasn't transformed Saturday into a striking machine like Anderson Silva (Anderson Silva' class='LinkSilver'>Pictures), he clearly displayed an improved stand-up attack and even hurt Bisping on the feet.
The fight was about as close as they come, but in my opinion it should have been Hamill who had his hand raised. I scored it 29-28 for the wrestler, though the decision was close enough to heed an argument the other way.
The fight begged many questions about both men -- questions that couldn't be answered with the judges picking one fighter over the other.
Maybe Hamill is much better and has more talent than anyone thought. Maybe Bisping isn't as good as everyone thought.
Bisping appeared lost and frustrated in the latter stages of the fight, and he was a bit too reluctant to let his hands and feet loose. That's not a good sign for someone who relies heavily on that aspect of the game.
Overall, Bisping appeared to take a step back while Hamill leapt about 10 meters farther than anybody would have imagined.
Miscellaneous debris
Rob McCullough (Pictures) added an exclamation point to the end of Wednesday's WEC event at the Hard Rock by drubbing Richard Crunkilton (Pictures) in the first round. McCullough isn't the best fighter at 155, but he is one of the most exciting.
Considering fighters like B.J. Penn (Pictures), Sean Sherk (Pictures) and Takanori Gomi (Pictures) aren't under contract with the WEC, I don't see "Razor" losing his title anytime soon. …
Speaking of exciting fighters, Marcus Davis (Pictures) was all but unconscious at one point during his war with Paul Taylor (Pictures). Somehow "The Irish Hand Grenade" staved off the knockout and eventually latched on a perfect armbar.
Davis is as tough as they come, and lately he's been in the fights of the night. If Matt Serra (Pictures), a fighter no one gave a shot to capture the welterweight title, can become the champion, Davis could possibly duplicate such a feat. …
It's safe to say Alessio Sakara (Pictures) is not at the top of the light heavyweight mountain, but he is a credible opponent. Houston Alexander (Pictures) obliterated him with the same ease as he obliterated Keith Jardine (Pictures).
While the jury is still out in regards to just how good Alexander is, there's no denying that he is clearly the most dangerous of the new faces in the UFC. …
Miguel Torres (Pictures) hasn't lost since late 2003. He's gone 13-0 in the time being. I saw Torres in action for the first time Wednesday. I must admit that I can't wait to see this cat fight again.
He's one of the more well rounded fighters in the sport, but his arsenal is rooted deeply in submissions. I'm not declaring that he's going to be the greatest to ever compete at 135. However, WEC bantamweight champ Chase Beebe (Pictures) had better look behind him because Torres is coming. The same goes for fighters such as Marcos Galvao (Pictures), Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) and the oft-injured Ryota Matsune (Pictures). …
Brian Stann (Pictures) is a relative rookie to MMA, but he has the potential to become a very popular fighter. As soon as he starts fighting tougher competition and cleaning house in the WEC, the Iraq-war Marine veteran will eventually invade the UFC.
It's still too early to tell how good Stann is. His skill set, however, is much better than most fighters at a similar stage in their careers, and he is one of the most marketable figures in the sport. Remember his name. …
Hit me up at www.myspace.com/sherdogsloan
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