Don't Call it a Comeback

Welcome back fight fans.  As you know, Rabbit Punch: Sports blog has been on a bit of a hiatus for the past few months as your old pal Kevin J and the rest of the Rabbit Punch staff took some time out to enjoy just being fans.

Kevin J made his way out to Las Vegas back in February for UFC 170, and had the chance to meet @MMAjunkieGeorge and @theGoze, the hosts of @MMAjunkieRadio, as well as some of the rad dudes who hang out outside their studio.  If you’re ever in the fabulous Mandalay Bay Las Vegas complex, make your way over to their studio in the sportsbook and see who’s hanging around.  Everyone involved in the show is a stand-up guy, and you can often meet professional fighters and other MMA personalities coming in for interviews.  The MMAJunkies radio show can be streamed via the internet at http://mmajunkie.com/radio, heard via iTunes podcast, or downloaded on apps such as Podkicker or Stitcher Radio, and is one of our favorites here at the Rabbit Punch editorial office.

But while Kevin was out dicking around in Nevada, the world kept turning.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced that it will not longer be giving out TUEs, MUEs, ECT for TRT, otherwise known as Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

11 current UFC fighters have reportedly been granted Therapeutic Use Exemptions up to this point, and with other state athletic commission set to line up behind the NSAC these fighters are facing a tough choice. 

I can see both sides of the issue.  On the on hand, fighters who are just too old or those who have blasted their T production with banned substances shouldn’t get an artificial boost unavailable to others.  Those with a legitimate medical condition, however, will have to choose between their treatment and their careers.

Not everyone gets to be a professional fighter.  It sux, but that’s the way it is.  I think that things are probably a little more fair this way, even though some fighters are getting a raw deal.

One fight which has already been effected by this decision is Chris Weidman’s first scheduled non-Anderson title defense against perennial bad guy Vitor Belfort, stuck to the game since UFC 12.  Belfort, who is a user of testosterone therapy, pulled out of the the fight after NSAC made it’s announcement.  Because Jesus is watching you, bro, and He knows when you use TRT.

I was going to detail the horse trading and match making that has been going on since then, but by the time I finally get this post out it will probably have changed again, so I suggest you just wiki it.  Also, I’m pretty sure that there’s at least 2 guys having knee surgery.

While 2014 may have started slow, we’ve had some fantastic fights recently, and some highlight reel knockouts.

Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler fought for Georges St. Pierre’s vacant Welterweight belt, and both agreed to settle the match through a “who can get hit in the face the hardest” contest.  Hendricks won by judge’s decision, despite a broken jaw and a torn bicep.

I don’t have a joke for this one, I’m just in awe of the strength and durability of both of these fighters.  It’s good to see heavy hitters on top of the 170lbs division.

The Shogun vs. Henderson fight was another one of my favorites from this year.  I love watching two skilled fist-fighters stalk their targets, and in the end Hendo reminded us that so long as your opponent is still awake and on their feet, anything can happen.

I haven’t done this for a while, so I’m a little winded.  That’s all for today, but I’ll be doing another post after UFC 172 this weekend.  Nothing adventurous on the main card picks: Jones, Davis, Rockhold, Miller, Halloway.

Keep your hands up, defend yourself at all times, and keep an eye out for the next Rabbit Punch!

Super-Sunday Post

Short one today for two reasons 1) Your pal Kevin J is still exhausted from 171 minutes and 15 seconds of cage time last night, and 2) I have no freakin’ clue who is going to win tonight’s Big Game.  Not a pick, not a lean, not even a guess.

I’d like to start with a quick word on last night’s main event.  Faber should have known that turtleing up is the fastest was to get a match stopped, but I am sick and tired of watching guys win fights due to fake-ass hammer-fists into the other guy’s guard.  MMA is about damage, not control, and Barao really should have had to do more to get the fight stopped.  @ChuckLiddell had some insightful things to say about it on his twitter feed, but the bottom line is that Barao didn’t win that fight, Faber lost it.

Post-fight, we got the news that the victorious Jose Aldo will face lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in his next bout, although further details were not forthcoming.  I’m still in favor of a catchweight match at 150lbs for BOTH belts, but we’ll just have to wait and see how Dana is going to play this one.

Bloody Elbow has the casualty list from last night’s grind-a-thon, with 12 fighters placed on medical suspension..

You know who we’re not likely to see roll over tonight?  The Seattle Seahawks’ secondary.  Manning and the Broncos will have a hard time putting a dominant stamp on this game, but that is just what they will have to do in order to win it.  The Seattle offense is going to come hard and strong, and this game will most likely come down to whether or not the Broncos’ O can decisively overcome the Seahawks’ D.

I am legitimately more excited for this year’s Superbowl than I have been in a long time.  Tonight’s game promises to be dynamic, physical, unpredictable, all the things that make for a historically great Superbowl.  Not confident enough to place a bet, I’m just going to sit back, have a few brews, and enjoy some truly top-notch football.  Gun-to-my-head I’d have to pick Seattle, but I’ll be happy no matter how this season’s story ends.

Hands up, protect yourself at all times, and let’s get ready for some football!

UFC 168 Reaction

UFC 168 is in the books, and the last card of the year did not disappoint.  Your pal Kevin J took home a brace of cash both at the poker table and on the fights that night, and while the night’s ending couldn’t be called a good one, there was no topping the main card in terms of emotional impact.

Seeing Barnett go down to an explosive young Browne, Miller pull out a fantastic armbar from the bottom, and Rousey put Tate firmly in her place had me riding an emotional high.  The whole room was buzzing for the main event.  Everyone laid down their cards, they all wanted to know what would happen next.  Less than 10 minutes later, everyone just wanted to know what happened.  The brutal replay showed us.  A reminder of just how violent our sport is, and just how hard these athletes hit each other.

It was painful to see something like that happen to a great champion like Silva, all the more so because it is such a poor way for a champion to go out.  I have always been an advocate of great athletes retiring when their time has come, and Silva’s time to retire may have been after his first loss to Weidman.

Of course, I may have to eat those words in a few months’ time.  Silva is still one of the most skilled and athletic fighters around today, and he is still young enough to make a comeback, if he wants to.

But enough about Silva, now is the era of Weidman!  Just as we, the fans were cheated out of a seeing how the rest of the rematch would go, Weidman was cheated out of a “clear win” in the minds of many fans.  Just as there were those who dismissed Weidman’s first win due to Silva’s “clowning,” there are many who dismiss this victory as the result of a “freak accident,” which it was and it wasn’t.  While we see thousands of kicks checked without injury, what we saw happen to Silva is the exact intent of a leg check.  Silva kicked hard, Weidman checked hard, and the smallest part of Silva’s shin broke against the largest part of Weidman’s.  The fact that people are dismissing this win as “lucky” shows, once again, the bias against good defensive technique, which is the bedrock of martial arts.  No one calls it a freak accident when a right hook breaks a jaw.  They call it a damn good punch.  This was a damn good leg check.

So now, with Silva momentarily behind him, Weidman is free to stack title defenses until people give him his due credit.  I’m looking forward to it.

Another fighter I’m looking forward to seeing more of is Travis Browne, who has most definitely arrived.  While we were all kind of hoping it, no one actually thought that Browne would pull out a win over the Warmaster, and certainly not in such dominant fashion.  That knee on the way in put Barnett’s lights out, and Barnett has been fighting so long that his spinal cord took over and wrapped up Browne, both knees sagging to the mat.  Those elbows finished the job, and are the new answer to a takedown against the cage.  Browne is a big, athletic heavyweight, and can do things that other heavyweights can’t.  Somewhat new to the fight game, Browne has looked better and better in each fight.  I’m a little scared of the power this guy has in him once he reaches his full potential.

As for Warmaster, I’m in favor of a lifetime ban for guys with Bernett’s history of chronic steroid use, so seeing him put out was was a pleasant surprise.  Seeing him in compression shorts, however, was downright jarring.  Boxer-style fight shorts should be mandated for all fighters above middleweight.

Also on the main card were Dustin Poirier’s thrashing of Diego Brandao, who was apparently too injured to make weight but not too injured to fight, and Jim Miller’s armbar victory over Fabrício Camões, showcasing great offense from a defensive posture, and really driving home the fluidity and technical complexity of our sport.

And finally, we come to the much-hyped rematch between Rowdy Ronda Rousey and Meisha “Cupcake” Tate.  Guess who won?  Hint: it wasn’t the fighter named “Cupcake.”

Rousey totally dominated Meisha in this fight.  Rather than let her emotions distract her, Ronda seemed sharpened by her anger, and Meisha just couldn’t handle her intensity.  There were some good exchanges on the feet, but Ronda picked her shots, struck well, and did the majority of the damage.  Judo throw after judo throw tossed Meisha around like a rag-doll, until the Olympian finally wrestled an armbar out of Tate, forcing the tap in the first half of the third round.

Rousey had a lot more than pride and her title belt riding on this match.  Meisha was gaining on her in popularity, and Dana seemed about ready to change horses mid-stream.  With this win, Rousey’s future at the UFC looks a lot brighter.

Rousey also had no reason to shake Tate’s hand after all the disrespect that Tate has sent her way.  Now Rousey, like Weidman, can move on from this, and define herself by her title defenses.

Rousey’s next fight will be against fellow Olympic medalist Sarah McMann, who has the pure strength and wrestling skills to challenge Rousey on the ground.  Then, we assume, Cat Zingano.  Both are great challengers who promise awesome fights, but I have a feeling that we’ll continue to wait for someone who can beat Rousey for some time.

I anticipate at least a few more title defenses for both Rousey and Weidman.  They are part a new crop of greats, including the likes of Jose Aldo and Johny Hendricks, who are replacing outgoing legends like Silva and GSP.  Great champions all, we’re in for an action-packed 2014!

Keep those hands up and protect yourself at all times, this has been the Rabbit Punch!

UFC 168 Main Card Picks

Merry Xmas and holiday joy to everyone out there in Rabbit Punch Nation!  Tis the season for giving, and the UFC has left us something very special under the tree this year with one of the most anticipated fight cards of the season.  No one, not even our crack staff of MMA divinators and prognosticators knows which way this fight is going to go.  If Silva can’t knock down Weidman with his pinpoint strikes, I think that Weidman’s power is going to carry his through this one, but either way, I’m pretty sure that someone is going to get knocked out.  So on that note, stuff these Rabbit Punch Main Card Picks down your stocking!

Poirier by TKO, Miller by decision, Barnett by ‘Roid Rage, Rousey by submission, and . . . Weidman, maybe, by KO.

TUF 18 / UFC 167 Reaction - GSP Hangs Up His Gloves

It’s official.  GSP and MMA are on a break.

The biggest news post-UFC 167 has been the recently announced not-quite-retirement of perennial welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre , who has held the belt consistently since 2007.

Ever since I saw his trilogy against Matt Hughes, I knew that GSP was something special.  At the time, it looked like we were getting a new wrestling king, but what we got was so much more.  A complete mixed martial artist, GSP blended his standup and ground games, showing a mental and technical flexibility that only great champions possess.  Not only an athletic superman, GSP was also possessed of a true martial artist’s spirit, displaying grace, respect, and moral courage in his professional life, whatever his private issues.

I, for one, think that this is the right time for GSP to move on with his life.  Repeated head trauma has already started to wear on the 32-year-old St. Pierre, who has reported losing time both in and out of the ring.  There are also indications that St. Pierre’s perfectionist nature may have developed into a legitimate disorder over the course of his training camps.  It is my hope that this man can find a sense of balance and peace in his new life, after having given so much to the fans and to the sport.  It would be upsetting to see what happened to Brett Favre happen to GSP.

So, no matter how much Dana or anyone else flap their gums, the entire staff over here at Rabbit Punch wishes Georges St. Pierre a fond (i)au revoir, along with our heartfelt gratitude for more than a decade spent in the fight game.

Of course, we couldn’t bring up UFC 167 with flapping our own gums about the bru-ha-ha over GSP’s split decision win over Johny Hendricks.

I am sick and tired of all the BS and belly-aching that we’ve seen in the wake of this fight.  When in the world did fight fans become such big ‘effin crybabies?

Judging is subjective.  This cannot be escaped.  But your view is also subjective, and the certainty with which people are labeling this a “robbery” irks me more than anything.  For all the talk of better judges, better refs, better commissions, I’m starting to think that MMA needs better fans.

“But Kevin!  St, Pierre’s face wuz more jacked up than Johny’s!”

But douchebag, that’s not how we score MMA!  If you want to have a conversation about how we score fights, then let’s have that conversation, but don’t sit around bitching to me because the judges didn’t use your own personal fantasy criteria.

I do think that we need to revise the judging and scoring system, and I’d love it if someone came up with something better than the 10-point-must system.  Not being up to the task myself, I’ll settle with rehashing the obvious flaws in the current system.

10-9 has become the default score, with razor-thin rounds scored the same as virtual blow-outs.  10-8 rounds are rarely glimpsed, and a 10-7 round would surely get someone fired.  I say we use the tools we already have, and show a little more discrimination in scoring.  A close round should be scored a 10-9, a clear round 10-8, and a blow-out round, what currently would draw a 10-8, should be scored 10-7.

While this would make a little more sense than the current judging regime, it would not solve the inherent subjectivity of judging, nor would it take the emphasis off winning rounds as opposed to fights.  In a 3 or 5 round bout, each round counts so much that .  More discrimination in the judging would slightly reduce the ?discrepancy? between what happens in the cage and what happens on the scorecards.  We need to be more explicit about how and what we score, and damage needs to be returned to the criteria.  After all, damage is the name of the game.

As for the now vacant welterweight title, I would be happy to see either Hendricks or Lawler make a run of it for a while.  Both are exciting fighters with heavy hands, and always a joy to watch.

Well, ENUFF about that, it’s time to talk TUF!

That’s right, the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter is in the books, the main event card is behind us, and the coaches are preparing to square off on the 28th for the Women’s bantamweight championship, bragging rights, and so much more.

The TUF series has been tapering in popularity for a while now.  With so many paths to the UFC, TUF is no longer where the next big thing is going to come from.  It’s questionable just how much of a market there is for a MMA reality show, in general.

The 18th season was the UFC’s attempt to jump-start the series with the addition of the women’s 135lbs division, making this the first co-ed season.  Response was moderate, but good enough to convince the UFC to make season 20 an all-female affair at 115lbs.

This season was also a bit calmer than others.  The competitors seemed more professional, and came off as more likable.  I think that the UFC recognized that all of the nut flexing on previous seasons had started to turn people off.  Maybe the guys were just better behaved with the chicks around.

One notable exception was Team Rousey coach and UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who got absolutely bushwhacked.  It was pretty clear who’s side the producers were on this season, and if the UFC keeps doing her dirty like this, Rousey may be on her way to joining Tito’s MMA Expendables.

Meisha showed a bit more media-savy, and was portrayed well on camera.  To me, she came off as manipulative and dishonest as ever.  It’s not that she’s not being a bitch, it’s just that Ronda is being straight-up about being a bitch, while Meisha is playing the victim (again).  And it’s working; Meisha Tate just scored a narrow victory over Ronda Rousey in the UFC video game cover tournament fan vote.  If Tate beats Rousey on Saturday, it will be because she successfully got in her head.

I’m just going to put it out there, I’m not a very big fan of Meisha Tate.  Never have been, from when I saw her knocked out by Caitlyn Young in HOOKnSHOOT, right up to when she got her arm broke by Rousey in Strikeforce.

More recently, Tate lost squarely to Cat Zingano in what was supposed to be a “gift” fight, and should have been bumped down to fight Carmouche while Zingano should have coached TUF.  Unfortunately, a training injury forced Zingano to drop out, and Meisha was thrust into a title fight and a rematch with Rousey that she did not earn.

We got one good thing out of Tate’s undeserved return to #1 contender; we got to see 21 year old prospect Jessica Andrade make a very good account of herself in her debut against Liz Carmouche, filling in what would have been Tate’s spot.

Hopefully we’ll get another one when Ronda’s armbar catches Tate’s other arm and shuts her mouth for good. 

Place a small bet on Meisha if you can still find +600 or better, but don’t expect her to come through.

Hands up, protect yourself at all times, this had been the Rabbit Punch!

TUF ENUF?

We’re less then 24 hours out from the TUF 18 Finale, which will see Gray Maynard take on Nate Diaz for the third time.  Also on the card are the men’s and women’s TUF 18 finale fights, featuring Chris Holdsworth vs. David Grant and Julianna Peña vs. Jessica Rakoczy.

While we saw a lot of recognizable names from the world of WMMA at the start of this TUF season, many of them were culled early as hungry young talent seized the stage.  In addition to the two fighters who made it to the finale, this season has yielded 4 new female fighters for the UFC’s Women’s Bantamweight division in Jessamyn Duke, Peggy Morgan, Roxanne Modafferi, and Raquel Pennington.  In fact, 6 of the 8 women who made it into the TUF house are appearing on the finale card.

The UFC is hoping that this crop of young new fighters do for Women’s Bantamweight what the first TUF season did for the UFC, and I feel like some of these girls have what it takes to rise to the top of the division and stay there.

On the men’s side only the two finalist, Chris Holdsworth and David Grant, appear on the card, fighting for the title of 18th Ultimate Fighter and a UFC contract.  While we don’t really know all that much about Grant and what he can do, I feel like Holdworth should have the tools to get this one done.

The main even also features two TUF alumnae, as Gray Maynard takes on Nate Diaz for their tie-breaker bout.

I’m calling Diaz on this one.  He’s quicker than Gray, he’s not easy to bully around the ring, and after his head kick TKO defeat at the hands of Josh Thomson, I feel like he’ll be coming into this fight hungry.  Gray looks like he’s been slowing down recently, making tomorrow night’s performance all the more important.  Expect a hard-fought contest, either way.

That’s all for now, fight fans.  Main card picks for the night are Diaz, Pena, Holdsworth, Duke, and Pennington.  Check back in the days after the event for recap and reaction to both tomorrow night’s card, and the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter in general.  And I promise, a UFC 167 reaction is still in the works.

Until then, keep those hands up and protect yourself at all times.  This has been the Rabbit Punch!

MMA Wrap-Up, UFC 167 Incoming!

The fight cards have been coming rapid fire, just the way we like it here at Rabbit Punch!  While we don’t have the staff to cover as much as we would like to, here is our little slice of MMA news and reaction for the day:


UFC 166:

Great event, and a hell of a showcase for the heavyweights.  Gabe Gonzaga knocks out Shawn Jordan in the first,  Dan Cormier pummels out a 3 round decision over Big Country, and the champ, Cain Velasquez, puts a serious beating on Dos Santos, cumulating in a KO late in the 5th.  Cigano seemed to have gone into the octagon without a real game plan, aside from react to Cain and look for the knockout, while Cain showed great defense in shrugging or evading JDS’s power shots while he ran his own game plan, holding JDS up against the cage for 25 min and battering him senseless with forearms, elbows, and inside punches.



Alright, that was cool, so who else does heavyweight have to offer?



No one who can beat Cain, that’s who.


Bellator 106:

Moving on, Bellator’s loss was our gain on November 2nd when the Tito Ortiz, suffering a neck injury, pulled out of the Bellator 106 main event, forcing the planned PPV card onto Spike TV.  This meant that we got to see Pat Curran lose his title to Daniel Straus, King Mo fall short in a 5 round kickboxing match with Emanuel Newton, and Eddie Alvarez wrest the title from Mike Chandler in a brutal 5 round decision, all for free.

With this win, Alvarez secures himself(/is contractually obligated to) a trilogy with Chandler, at the end of which he will either slink away from Bellator MMA in disgrace like a beaten dog, or march out of there like cock of the walk with the belt around his waist, only to take that belt directly to the UFC and cash it in for a fast-track to another.  Chandler, for his part, felt strongly that he had won this last fight, and soon he’ll get the chance to prove it.

Who doesn’t love a fucking trilogy?


Chael does Rio! (TUF Brazil):

Moving south of the equator, Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva have been named as the next TUF Brazil coaches, carrying on Chael’s war against anything Brazilian.  But hold on a minute, does Cheal speak Portuguese?  Is he going to coach via interpreter?  Or is just going to make his team speak English? 

Either way, we know that “the American Gangster” relishes in playing the spoiler, so Chael should be right at home amid the throngs of Brazilian fight fans screaming for his blood.  I think that it’s a brilliant move by the UFC, and I’m looking forward to the eventual match-up between these two, as well as to Chael’s comedy smack-talk routine throughout the season.  That guy’s seriously not going to be able to go out in public down there.


UFC 167:

And finally, Rabbit Punch looks ahead to UFC 167 this weekend, the UFC’s 20th anniversary show, in which perennial welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre will defend his title from one of his more credible threats, knockout artist Johny Hendricks. 

Hendricks is a southpaw with a heavy left and great instincts for throwing hands.  He was also a top-tier collegiate wrestler, meaning that GSP will have no easy time taking him down or controlling him on the mat, making this more than just a “striker vs grappler” matchup.

GSP, however, is a master at neutralizing his opponent's game plan, does not get pressured by skilled strikers, and has been champ for the last 6 years for a reason.  Not that he’s been fighting thrice a year or anything, but 8 title defenses is certainly respectable.  This match may come down to who can adapt their fight to their opponent's weaknesses, which aren’t many, in either case.

This is also a great 20th anniversary bout because it highlights how multifaceted the game really is, and how many ways there are to win, or lose.  This match does indeed have “the power to shock the world,” not necessarily with who wins, but with how it ends.

Unless GSP successfully lays on him for 25 min.

Phewf!  The egg nogg is starting to catch up with me here (or maybe it’s the burbon, rum, and brandy in the nogg), so that’s all for tonight, folk!  Until next time, keep your hands up and protect yourself at all times.  This has been the Rabbit Punch!