This Week: Jeff Dotseth sits down with Clinch Gear President Aaron Crecy to look back at the best fights of 2010, the history of Clinch Gear, and Aaron’s friendship with Dan Henderson.
Archive for December, 2010
Aaron Crecy – Clinch Gear Radio Podcast #14 (12/30/10)
Thursday, December 30th, 2010Dotseth’s Blog: A Lesson From Einstein
Monday, December 27th, 2010
“The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over, and then expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
You must wonder why I opened this blog with a quote from Albert Einstein. Well, this quote was bouncing around in my head as I tried to figure out the thinking at Strikeforce.
On the heels of a huge night in St. Louis that saw the three main fights end in crushing knockouts, one would think that Strikeforce would try to build off that momentum for their first card of 2011. Or not.
The card for the January 29 event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose will not feature the grudge match between Nick Diaz and Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Nor will it feature the return of Fedor against “Big Foot” Silva. No, instead of two match-ups that would have added a great deal of excitement to the card, we get Diaz vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, Trevor Prangley vs. Roger Gracie, Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson, and in the only bout on the card I do want to see, Jacare Souza defending the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship against Robbie Lawler.
Some hardcore fans out there might be excited to see Gracie, and others may believe Santos has the ability to beat Diaz. There’s just one problem—the hardcore contingent is probably not big enough to move the needle for TV ratings or generate a sellout at the arena, which are two things Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker cited as criteria when asked about making fights.
It seems that this has been the case for as long as Strikeforce has been around. Get people talking about your product, and then yank the emergency brake by putting on a card nobody cares about.
Why not have Alistair Overeem, Josh Thomson, Gegard Mousasi and Marius Zaromskis on the January Strikeforce card instead on the New Year’s Eve DREAM card in Japan? Or, sit down with Diaz and Miller and figure out a way to make that fight happen. If that doesn’t work, why not bring Paul Daley back to face Diaz? He has as many Strikeforce victories as Cyborg, a far better record and just delivered a devastating knockout win in early December.
Tyron Woodley and Tarec Saffiedine would also be great additions to the televised card on the 29th, two of organization’s brightest young welterweight stars who continue to be relegated to the Challengers circuit. How about Woodley vs. Santos and Saffiedine vs. Marius Zaromskis? Instead, for some reason that I cannot comprehend, Woodley and Saffiedine are fighting each other on late notice on a Friday night Challengers card in early January—but I digress.
Coker will tell anyone who will listen about the depth of his Heavyweight division—names like Fedor, Josh Barnett, Overeem and champion Fabricio Werdum, to name a few. Good for you, Scott, but if none of these guys is ever in the Strikeforce cage, does it matter?
I have an idea, it goes like this…“Clinch Gear is proud to announce our new line-up of Bloggers—they include Stephen King, John Grisham, Mitch Album and me. I promise you, all those other guys are on our team, and you will see blogs from them in the not-too-distant future.” My guess is you will read Stephen King breaking down Kid Yamamoto vs. Urijah Faber before we see Fedor vs. Overeem, but what the hell do I know.
Look at the fights mentioned above and then look at the card the UFC will present seven days later. In the main event, Anderson Silva will defend the UFC Middleweight title against Vitor Belfort. This fight alone has me hyped up. Silva is a guy everybody seems to want to see get beat, and Belfort has major KO power as proven in recent wins over Rich Franklin and Matt Lindland.
Speaking of Franklin, he is in the co-main event against Forrest Griffin. Say what you want about these two guys, they always give you your money’s worth so that makes two fights I want to see. Finally, you have a great battle of up and coming stars when Jon Jones takes on Ryan Bader. If this fight was on any card it would make me consider shaking enough cash out of my wallet to cover the PPV costs, but when it’s put together with the two fights mentioned above it is a no-brainer.
It’s also a no-brainer to have expected Strikeforce to have shot a little higher when making fights for the card on January 29. I don’t know what the goal is in the offices of Strikeforce—I don’t know if they want to be the number one MMA promotion in the world, or if they are fine being a distant second. What I do know is that they need to do a better job of making fights if the decision is going to be theirs to make.
Michael Chandler – Clinch Gear Radio Podcast #13 (12/23/10)
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010This week: an interview with Bellator Lighweight Michael Chandler, a review of the WEC’s final card, and questions about the Strikeforce card coming up on January 29th,2011.
Dotseth’s Blog: The WEC Delivered as Promised
Monday, December 20th, 2010
Last Thursday was the final WEC card, and in typical fashion, it delivered. We saw two great fights–a potential “Fight of the Year” candidate in the main event, and a co-main event that confirmed how good the talent is in the Bantamweight division.
We’ll start with the little guys, where Dominick Cruz became the first-ever UFC Bantamweight Champion with a one-sided win over Scott Jorgensen. Jorgensen is no slouch, but he was man-handled by the taller Cruz. I had the chance to go to Cruz’s training camp in the days leading up to the fight, and I was amazed at the power he generated in both his punches and kicks. When I interviewed Dominick for the Clinch Gear Podcast, he said he was convinced that conditioning would play a decisive role in the outcome, and he was right. Cruz sparred eight hard rounds on the day I saw him, and he looked like he had eight more in him if needed. ”The Dominator” used his height and reach advantage to keep Jorgensen on the outside, and in the end it was just too much for the smaller fighter to overcome.
With the win, Cruz improved to 17-1, with his only loss taking place nearly four years ago to Urijah Faber at 145 pounds. It just so happens that Faber recently dropped to the Bantamweight division after spending the majority of his career at Featherweight. There are reports that Dana White is considering Cruz and Faber as coaches for the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a rematch next summer. This makes sense since both guys are not only tough fighters but extremely well spoken, which is important in the world of television. It also would be a great way to introduce Bantamweights to the worldwide UFC audience.
Most people thought the main event between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis had the makings for a great fight, but I wonder how many thought the final WEC fight would go down as one of the best ever? The momentum swings were off the charts, and the highlight reel wall walk kick that Pettis delivered in the last minute of the fifth and final round has to be seen to be believed.
I am writing this on the Monday after the fight, and Dan Henderson happened to be in the Clinch Gear office this morning. Dan had not had a chance to watch the fight, so I wanted to see his reaction to the Pettis head kick. Not surprisingly, Henderson was impressed. Fans know it was a great move, but when guys like Stephan Bonner, who was calling the fight for Versus, Dan and others who make their living in the cage are left slack-jawed, you know it’s one of the great highlights in MMA history.
It seems like a fitting close to the WEC story, one which may not have featured the biggest names but always left you satisfied. I hope the guys who made their mark in the WEC get that same chance in the UFC promotional. My guess is that Dana White and Joe Silva have big plans for the little guys, which should make for plenty of highlight reel moments in 2011.
Phil Baroni – Clinch Gear Radio Show #12 (12/18/10)
Saturday, December 18th, 2010
UFC middleweight Phil Baroni joins Stephen Quadros and Jeff Dotseth for the show final Clinch Gear Radio of 2010. Love him or hate him, “The New York Badass” has an opinion on everything and it’s always interesting. Stephen and Jeff will return to the air on January 8, 2011, to kick off another year of fantastic live MMA radio broadcasts.
Clinch Gear Radio airs live every Saturday from 11:00 AM – noon Pacific on XTRA Sports 1360 AM in San Diego and online at xtrasports1360.com. You can also download the complete catalog of Clinch Gear Radio shows on iTunes.
Dominick Cruz – Clinch Gear Radio Podcast #12 (12/16/10)
Thursday, December 16th, 2010This week, Jeff Dotseth sits down with WEC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz. The interview took place prior to Cruz’s victory over Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53, which earned “The Dominator” the first-ever UFC Bantamweight title belt. Cruz discusses his preparation for the Jorgensen fight, the battle to cut weight and how good coaching made him a champion.
Tarec Saffiedine Getting Ready for Tyron Woodley
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010Strikeforce Welterweight contender Tarec Saffiedine talks to Clinch Gear Radio about his upcoming fight with Tyron Woodley. Saffiedine (10-2) will face Woodley (7-0) in the main event of Strikeforce Challengers 13 January 7th 2011 on Showtime.
Dotseth’s Blog: Say Goodbye to the WEC
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Did you ever start watching a great TV series just before it was canceled? That feeling of being late to a great party is the way I feel about the WEC, which will present its final card Thursday night on Versus.
My viewing habits for MMA were pretty basic at the start. If the letters UFC were in the title, I would watch. If not, then I would find something else to pass the time. Only after I became more than just a casual fan did I start to understand how many great fights I was missing on a regular basis.
The sad thing is, I’m pretty sure I am in the majority of people who missed out on then WEC’s salad days. The WEC seems to deliver great fight after great fight on every card and this week should be no different.
WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson takes on Anthony Pettis in the main event and Dominick Cruz battles Scott Jorgensen for the UFC Bantamweight Championship on the undercard. When I look at these two fights, I see four guys that go non-stop from bell to bell.
I spent an afternoon with Dominick Cruz last week, and was amazed at the power he has in his leg kicks. The constant “BANG, BANG, BANG” of leg hitting pad sounded like it was coming from a guy 20 pounds heavier than the 135-pound Cruz.
After watching this display, it’s easy to see how welts develop so quick on the legs of opposing fighters. Since I am required to make predictions, I will take Pettis and Cruz in two very tough fights.
(You can hear from Cruz this Thursday on the Clinch Gear Radio Podcast).
This weekend, Phil Baroni will be our guest on Clinch Gear Radio. Even with a 13-12 record, “The New York Badass” continues to be one of the most popular guys in MMA based on his personality. You can jump on YouTube and watch some classic interviews with Baroni. I don’t know how much longer Phil has in the sport, but I am happy to have one of the pioneers of MMA and the UFC on the radio show. Phil will be fighting Brad Tavares UFC 125 card on January 1, 2011.
Congratulations to Georges St. Pierre, who showed why he is still the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA with his five round shotout of Josh Koscheck on Saturday night in Montreal. Koscheck had no answer for GSP’s jabs, hooks and kicks throughout the 25-minute bout. Next for St Pierre will be a showdown with Jake Shields.
While my initial thought is that this should be another easy win for St. Pierre, it’s easy to forget that Shields has not lost in six years and has defeated Paul Daley, Carlos Condit, Mayhem Miller, Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson in that time. There are rumors that the Shields – St. Pierre fight will headline UFC 131 in Toronto in April 2011.
If you are Dana White and the UFC, it makes perfect sense to put the Canadian fighting machine against Shields in front of a huge Toronto crowd in Ontario’s first major MMA event. St. Pierre did not seem to be banged up after the Koscheck fight, so it will be a major shock if isn’t the headliner in Toronto.
St. Pierre may not be the most vocal UFC fighter, but he definitely has the most mainstream appeal. GSP’s SportsCenter commercial on ESPN is hilarious, and Under Armour has made him a major focus of their advertising campaign. When friends find out I work in MMA the first guy they ask about is GSP. Due to the nature of the sport, it’s hard for promoters to make one guy the focal point, but with his skills, charisma and overall popularity, GSP is the exception to the rule.
Looking ahead, 2011 is going to be loaded with MMA shows. Just look at the first week of the year—UFC 125 kicks things off in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, followed by Strikeforce Challengers 13 on January 7 live on Showtime from Nashville.
I’m curious to see if the UFC 125 card will draw many PPV buys, with a main event featuring Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard and a co-main event that pits Chris Leben against Brian Stann.
Edgar and Maynard are great fighters, but they aren’t always to most exciting guys to watch. Leben is riding a three-fight win streak and is always good for a brawl, so if Stann can stay on his feet, it should be a fun fight to watch while it lasts. However, the fight I’m really looking forward to on that card is Clay Guida versus Takanori Gomi—that should be a slugfest.
Six days later, two Clinch Gear-sponsored fighters will battle for the #1 welterweight contender spot when Tyron Woodley squares off against Tarec Saffiedine in the Strikeforce Challengers 13 main event. I don’t want to sound like a Clinch Gear homer, but I feel as though this matchup has the potential to be the most compelling fight of the first week of 2011. These are two extremely talented athletes who have both displayed the ability to finish fights in an exciting fashion.
The Strikeforce undercard features several other solid prospects, including Nathan Coy, Nate Moore, female sensation Julia Budd and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier.
The MMA action continues throughout January, including the UFC Fight for the Troops 2 on January 22 and a Strikeforce card on January 29 featuring Herschel Walker and a rumored match-up between Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
Then, the huge UFC 126 card on Super Bowl weekend brings us the long-awaited clash between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort. Two of the UFC’s elite young light heavyweights will also square off that night when Jon Jones takes on Ryan Bader.
As you can see, 2011 looks to be one of the best years ever for MMA.
ESPN’s Josh Gross – Clinch Gear Radio Show #11 (12/11/10)
Saturday, December 11th, 2010Jeff Dotseth and “The Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros break down the UFC 124 card with Josh Gross from ESPN. They also cover Strikeforce’s Henderson vs. Bablu II event, The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale and the upcoming WEC 53, that organization’s swan song before officially merging into the UFC.
Clinch Gear Radio airs live every Saturday from 11:00 AM – noon Pacific on XTRA Sports 1360 AM in San Diego, and online at xtrasports1360.com. You can also download the complete catalog of Clinch Gear Radio shows on iTunes.
Sarah “TNT” McLeod fights at VFC
Saturday, December 11th, 2010Sarah "TNT" McLeod on her way to a win at VFC 33. The event took place December 11th in Omaha, NE.
