Dave “Pee Wee” Herman joins Jeff Dotseth and “The Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros to talk about the circumstances that resulted in Herman being removed from UFC 136. Clinch Gear Radio airs every Wednesday from 4-6pm ET/1-3pm PT on Sirius 94/XM208
Archive for September, 2011
Dave “Pee Wee” Herman – Clinch Gear Radio 9/28/2011
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011Dotseth’s Blog: Jones Answers Critics at UFC 135
Monday, September 26th, 2011
There was a great scene last year on the HBO series “Hard Knocks” featuring New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan. Ryan was speaking to his team at the start of training camp on the status of holdout defensive back Derrell Revis. I might be paraphrasing, but the message of Ryan’s message was something like…”Revis isn’t here…are we going to miss him? Yeah…He’s pretty good…He’s pretty F’n good!”
That’s the way I felt after watching Jon Jones walk through Rampage Jackson Saturday night. You can talk all you want about Rampage being on the downside of his hall of fame career, or the effect of fighting in the high altitude of Denver, none of it matters. What we saw Saturday night was a one sided beat-down. It looked like a man fighting a kid, except the roles were reversed with the 24 yr old Jones looking like the seasoned veteran.
Joe Rogan made a point somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd round that Jackson had the look of a guy who had no idea what to do. I thought Rogan was right on target, but then thought about that statement. In Jackson you have a guy who has fought some of the toughest guys in the sport. Guys like Liddell, Henderson and Wanderlei Silva to name a few, but here was young Jon Jones (in just his 15th pro fight) leaving him wandering around the octagon with no answers.
In the NFL it’s trendy to describe a player as a “Hybrid”. Antonio Gates, Calvin Johnson and similar players have had that title bestowed upon them. I always thought it was a cliche, but I have to admit it’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about Jones.
He is 6’4 which is pretty tall for a light heavyweight. We have seen his wrestling skills as well as his power. His defense appears to be solid; I guess the only question mark is his chin. Jones is so crafty though, I don’t know if anyone in the division has the ability to keep him in one place long enough to see if the champ can survive a big punch.
Last week I heard more and more people whining about Jones personality. “He is too cocky; He needs to stop talking so much.” I have never understood that. I had the chance to interview Jones a couple of times prior to his fight with Vladimir Matyushenko and found him to be a good guy with a great sense of humor.
For those that still have doubts about Jones, there are a couple of fights on the horizon that will answer any possible questions. The first will be a grudge match with Rashad Evans. The brief meeting between the two fighters in the cage Saturday showed there is legit heat between these guys. Will these guys be able to put the bad feelings behind them and focus on their game plan? OR will emotions rise, leading to one making a mistake leading to defeat?
That should be an excellent fight, but I would still favor Jones. There’s also the chance of a fight with current Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson who has signed a deal to return to the UFC. Henderson has a tough fight coming up with “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139, but would be in line for a title shot with a win.
How would Jones react if Henderson landed that huge right hand which has ended so many fights? I don’t know, what I do know is Jones proved again Saturday night that he is good….he’s pretty F’n good!
Dan Henderson on His Return to the UFC & The Future of Strikeforce
Monday, September 26th, 2011Dan Henderson talks about his return to the UFC and the future of Strikeforce in this exclusive interview with Clinch Gear Radio's Jeff Dotseth. Dan will face Shogun Rua in the main event of UFC 139 November 19th in San Jose, CA.
Clinch Gear Radio – Junior Dos Santos & Luke Rockhold (9/21/2011)
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 This Week: Jeff Dotseth and “The Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros break down UFC 135, preview the debut of The Ultimate Fighter season 14 and interview UFC #1 heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos as well as Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold. Clinch Gear Radio airs live Wednesday afternoons from 4p-6p ET/1-3 PT on Sirius 94/XM208
Dotseth’s Blog: Can TUF Recapture the Magic?
Monday, September 19th, 2011It’s crazy to think “The Ultimate Fighter” starts its 14th season Wednesday night on Spike. I am in the lowest common denominator when it comes to most reality shows. I think that’s because I have the attention span of a gnat, but I love TUF. I know seasons 11-13 didn’t produce many lasting memories, but I have high hopes for this season. Maybe those are the same hopes that Charlie Brown has each time he goes to kick the football, but I think we have the ingredients needed for a good (if not great) season.
It starts with the coaches. After suffering through nice guys Junior Dos Santos and GSP, we now have coaches you either love or hate in Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller. It’s funny, but I have as many friends that can’t stand Miller as those that hate Bisping’s act. As we saw with Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans in season 10, when you have two coaches jaw-jacking each week it’s pretty damn entertaining.
When the coaches fight at the end of the year I think Bisping wins easy, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the many ways “Mayhem” will attempt to get under Bisping’s (thin) skin. That was the complaint you heard the most when Bisping coached against Dan Henderson. People were mad that Dan didn’t trash talk more, but in hindsight didn’t that make Dan’s brutal KO much more enjoyable?
Miller doesn’t possess Henderson’s punching power, but he always has something to say when a camera is around and the next couple of weeks should be no different. By week #3 I bet we hear Bisping say “I really don’t like the guy.”
The coaches can be the best talkers in the world, but the show will always come down to the fighters and the fights themselves. Guys like Junie Browning, Jamie Yager and Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres made for good drama within the four walls of the house, but had nothing within the eight sides of the octagon.
I don’t know that we can expect anything new when it comes to what we see in the house. Pranks, drunken idiots and guys looking like fools on national TV for giving up a shot in the UFC because they missed a girlfriend no longer seem interesting. Chris Cope who was on the last season of TUF told me a very funny story about in-house “drama.” According to Cope, as soon as guys lost a fight they would do anything in their power to get a fight on the season finale.
In order to do that, they would have to find a conflict (real or faked) with another member of the house. Cope said it became a running joke as guys would look for the lights of the TV camera and would then approach the closest fighter standing around and tell that guy why it was important they fought on the finale.
Maybe the most intriguing part of season 14 is the debut of featherweights and bantamweights. Some of the best fights happen in the lower weight classes and with Dana White announcing fans now have the chance to vote on fight, KO and submission of the season; you have to believe guys will go for it for a shot at that $25k bonus.
White has been guilty of over-hyping TUF in the past, but knowing the premiere is two hours long to show all of the elimination round fights is fine with me.
This will be the final season of TUF on Spike before the UFC’s new TV deal kicks in with FX. Season 15 will feature live fights, coaches training with their teams and longer seasons. Change is good and hopefully the changes will keep the show around for a while.
One of the biggest problems has been trying to live up to what we saw in the first season. In hindsight it’s crazy to think guys with such strong UFC careers as Josh Koscheck, Chris Leben, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin were all introduced in that class.
People talk about the classic fight between Bonnar and Griffin as well as the natural dislike between Koscheck and Leben, but many of us forget the episode in which Bobby Southworth had to cut 20lbs to make weight. That was insane as Southworth kept trying to quit while Koscheck forced him to stay in the sauna. You thought there was no way Southworth would be able to fight, much less win. Southworth did win and it was one of the many memorable moments of season one.
Fighters in the following seasons must have gotten the message as I can’t remember another incident of guys needing to cut so much weight in so little time.
Producers of the show have a chicken/egg dilemma when it comes to casting. Do you look for funny guys who are decent fighters or good fighters that may not have the best personality? It might seem like an easy choice, but with the average household having 300 channels you need guys that are entertaining.
When you have 16 guys living in the same house, you need to do something to stand out. From the brief preview on the UFC’s website I saw a guy with green hair. I don’t know his name or his record; I just figure he must be tough as hell to walk into that situation with green hair so I will pay attention when he fights.
With the anticipation comes pressure to live up to White’s declaration “These are the best elimination fights ever.” That sets the bar pretty high. I’m sure there will be a couple of blogs along the way where I am complaining about what I think is wrong with the show. It happens every year, but if we can get a couple of new names to remember it will all be worth it. If we get to the end and the only fight we want to see is Bisping vs. Miller, then even next year’s changes may not be enough to peak interest in a show that has meant so much to the growth of MMA
Clinch Gear Radio- Daniel Cormier, Erik Koch & Cung Le (9/14/2011)
Thursday, September 15th, 2011 Jam packed show this week as Daniel Cormier talks about his win in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Erik Koch previews his fight at UFC Fight Night and Cung Le talks about making his UFC debut. Join Jeff Dotseth and “The Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros every Wednesday from 4p-6p Eastern/1p-3p Pacific on Sirius 94/XM 208 for Clinch Gear Radio!
Dotseth’s Blog: Diaz Decision Doesn’t Make Cents
Monday, September 12th, 2011Last week saw two of the most confusing and head scratching days in the Zuffa era of the UFC. Wednesday afternoon, we heard the news that Nick Diaz had been bumped from his main event with George St Pierre at UFC 137. As the story developed, we found out that Diaz had failed to appear at two scheduled press conferences and therefore was removed from the card by UFC president Dana White. White was upset and who could blame him. Diaz had given his word to be in Toronto and Las Vegas and failed to show up in either place. While I was disappointed as a Diaz fan by the decision, I respected Dana White’s explanation. I did until Thursday arrived and we found out the BJ Penn (who needed an opponent for 137 after Carlos Condit got bumped to the main event) would still be in action fighting….Diaz.
That’s right. Just 24 hours after Dana White told the world that Diaz was out, he was right back in. Not fighting GSP in a battle of champions, instead facing Penn in the co-main event. I like Dana White and I think 99% of what he touches turns to gold, but not this time. I understood his frustration with Diaz, but there were a couple of points that needed to be addressed. The first was the fight was still six weeks away when Diaz was yanked. If the fighter from Stockton flaked in the two/three weeks prior to the fight it would make more sense than getting an itchy trigger finger SIX weeks out. I have been to countless press conferences and trust me, you learn nothing. Fighter A “He is tough and I will have to be at my best”. Fighter B “This is going to be a great fight and I hope all the fans come out” Take a couple of pictures, drink a warm soda, shoot the s**t with the other guys in the media and you go home.
Point 2: This fight was easily one of the most anticipated fights of the year and it was taking place in Las Vegas instead of a new market to the UFC where you need to get out and hustle to promote the fight. When Diaz fought Paul Daley in San Diego, they had to do everything because there was no guarantee on ticket sales..that would not be a problem here. Tickets were set to go on sale this past Saturday, and most experts expected an easy sellout.
Point 3: White knows he has something good in Diaz and that’s why the decision to bring him back makes sense. It makes no sense to put him back on 137. If Diaz and Penn were to fight a month later, nobody says a word. In fact I think most people would applaud the UFC for giving Diaz a second shot and would look forward to a great fight. Now it just looks bad. It reminds me of the classic quote from boxing promoter Bob Arum “yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth”.
I like Condit and I think he is a worthy challenger for the belt, just not right now. The right fight was (and still is) GSP vs. Diaz with the winner of Condit/Penn in line for a title shot. It would be another example of the UFC doing a perfect job of storytelling and building excitement for a card down the road.
I wonder what the hit will be to PPV buys. The UFC cards are not cheap ($55.00 for HD) but more often than not you get your money’s worth based on the match making skills of Joe Silva. It’s hard to remember a recent card where at least 3 out of the 5 main card fights didn’t deliver positive results. You could have had 4 waiters fighting 4 cab drivers on the GSP/Diaz under card and I still would have bought it. It was a super fight whether Dana White wanted to use that term or not. White has been on quite a roll recently and deserves the benefit of the doubt; I just wish we didn’t have to lose Diaz vs. GSP in the process.
Dan Henderson Talks About a Return to the UFC
Monday, September 12th, 2011Dan Henderson spoke with Clinch Gear Radio on 9/12/2011 about his recent win over Fedor and where he expects to be fighting next.
Clinch Gear Radio – Clay Guida and Cesar Gracie (9/7/2011)
Thursday, September 8th, 2011 This Week: Clay Guida talks about his upcoming fight with Ben Henderson and Cesar Gracie explains why his student Nick Diaz has been booted from the main event at UFC 137. Remember to hear both hours of Clinch Gear Radio subscribe today to Sirius/XM Clinch Gear Radio airs LIVE every Wednesday from 4p-6p Eastern on Sirius 94/XM 208
Dotseth’s Blog: What a Weekend For the UFC
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011What a weekend! While the rest of us were grilling hot dogs or hanging out at the beach, the UFC was busy putting pen to paper as in signatures on contracts for three great fights. After a spring in which every main event seemed to be cancelled by injury, the UFC is looking to end 2011 with some of the biggest fights in company history.
The weekend got off to a huge start on Friday when UFC President Dana White announced Cain Velasquez would defend his UFC heavyweight championship against Junior Dos Santos November 12th on FOX.
This was a major story on a couple of different levels; the first being a sure fire pay-per-view money maker was instead being given away for free as the first fight on FOX.
The fight itself should live up to the hype as the 29 year old champion will enter the octagon with a perfect record of 9-0 with 8 of those wins coming by knockout. Velasquez has not fought since October of last year when he steamrolled former champ Brock Lesnar. Shortly afterwards, Velasquez had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.
13 months is a long layoff, and Velasquez cannot afford to be rusty against his 26 year old opponent.
Dos Santos is a wrecking machine with a record of 13-1. He also has 8 knockouts, and has defeated such name fighters as Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin.
There is no doubt this should be an excellent fight. FOX is going all out with a red carpet pre-fight show to go along with plenty of hype over the next couple of weeks during their MLB and NFL broadcasts.
It will be a huge night for the UFC and they are treating it as such by putting the heavyweight championship up for grabs.They announced another strong fight for the card with Clay Guida fighting Ben Henderson. The winner of this fight has to be considered the #1 contender for the lightweight title. While White stated that only the heavyweight championship fight would be shown on FOX, it doesn’t make sense not to show a fight between two guys as exciting as Guida and Henderson. If the title fight ends early (and it should) I hope this is the fight that is shown to fill the time.
Tuesday also brought big news in the heavyweight division as it was announced former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem will make his UFC debut on December 30th against Lesnar.
This is another fight that fans are excited to see, and confirms the UFC as the clear cut leader in the fan friendly department.
It wasn’t that long ago this fight seemed nothing more than a pipe dream between champions in different promotions, but once Zuffa purchased Strikeforce the wheels for super fights were put in motion.
The first happens next month when UFC welterweight champ George St Pierre fights former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz. This fight works on so many levels as both guys had blown through the best competition in their division, plus it’s good vs. evil as nice guy GSP fights the bad boy Diaz.
If there is any negative that comes with these fights, it’s the nails being pounded into the coffin of Strikeforce. When two of your current champs are fighting for your rival and a third (Dan Henderson) is close to signing a deal to return to the UFC it kills your credibility.
You knew this day was coming when the sale was announced, even if Dana White swore that it would be “business as usual”. When the injury bug hit, White had to make a move and that move was the slow demise of Strikeforce. He owns it and should be able to run it as he likes. As sorry as I will be to see Strikeforce go away, I am more excited to see the fights that are coming. See ya later Strikeforce, you had a good run but now it’s time to let the UFC take over. Any scenario in which the fans win is always good and I am hard pressed to think of a better weekend then the one we just had.
It’s a little sad that this weekend will bring the semi-finals of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix. An event when it was announced that was supposed to put the smaller promotion at the same level if not higher when it came to the heavyweight division.
Remember? You were looking ahead to a showdown between Overeem and Fedor and wondering if guys like Josh Barnett or “Big Foot” Silva could pull an upset along the way. Silva did defeat Fedor and while Barnett is still alive in the tournament, do you care? Me either. I will watch because I love the fights, but I would be shocked if we don’t see ads for the UFC on FOX debut.
It’s crazy how the landscape has changed in the past six months. I’m sorry for the people who will lose their jobs, but excited to see what super-fights will be announced next.
