In Depth with Chris Cope

By: Brian Churchin

Chris “C-Murder” Cope, so far, has accomplished everything he’s wanted to accomplish in the Ultimate Fighter house this season. He’s flying under the radar, and has been underestimated by every opponent he’s faced. Shamar Bailey couldn’t take him down, and Javier Torres couldn’t land a solid shot. Both fighters were billed as very formidable opponents, and ended up falling victim to a slyly intelligent fighter that has stuck to his game plan since day 1.

Cope spoke to MMANonstop.com about his experience in the house this past week, and what we found was not just a fighter whose only form of communication was the Ric Flair “WOOOOO”, but rather, we found a calculated, professional mixed martial artist that never second guessed a single step he took.

Gone are the days of the meathead fighter that steps into the cage blindly swinging like Tank Abbott. They are being replaced by fighters that prepare for weeks and months, and in Cope’s case…years, to battle their opponents by hiding strengths, calculating moves and waging a mental war that precludes the actual trading of strikes.

Chris Cope stepped into the Ultimate Fighter house after failing to make the show on 3 previous attempts, and he successfully got the other fighters and coaches to look past his mental toughness and experience. Brock Lesnar even described him as “just Chris.” Two straight opponents walked overconfidently into the cage and expected to walk right through the unassuming fighter.

There’s much more to Chris “C-Murder” Cope than just being a pugilist. In our conversation, he delivered a message. “You can do anything you set your mind to, and no one can stop you if you just focus and listen to people who know more than you do.”

Check out the full interview with Chris Cope by clicking here, and you’ll learn about the advice he took from Dominic Cruz and Brock Lesnar that helped him get to where he is as we go In Depth - Chris Cope.

You can look on Chris Cope’s Facebook wall and find the quote, “You can ride the wave or you can let the wave ride you.” On Wednesday, we’ll see where he takes that wave.

Check out the episode 2 of the MMANonstop.com Podcast with guest Chris Cope here

Follow Chris Cope on twitter at twitter.com/chriscope5 or check him out on facebook.

mmanonsTOP 5: Light Heavyweights

By: Brendan Churchin

Last week we took a look at the HW’s, now let’s look at the mmanonsTOP 5 Light Heavyweights in MMA (not named Jon Jones). All five men have tasted defeat by one of the other’s hands, with four of the five relinquishing the title in said bouts. It’s an interesting mix of wrestlers and strikers, and all but one have BJJ black belts to round out their grappling game. Read on to find out more and post your guess as to which LHW does not have his BJJ black belt in the comments section below.
5. Forrest Griffin (18-6) – While he's best known for his famous fight with Stephan Bonnar on the TUF 1 Finale in 2005 and his recent rise to the top of the NY Times best sellers list, what you may not know about Forrest Griffin is that he opened his professional career fighting UFC legend Dan Severn back in 2001. Not a month after losing that fight, Griffin went on a hot streak winning his next eight fights before tasting defeat at the hands (actually the foot) of Jeremy Horn in 2003. Griffin has shown time and again his heart and drive to win. He’s proven that he gets stronger as the fight goes on, and unfortunately for him, it takes a few shots to the kisser to get going, which can be quite costly when facing elite strikers – see Griffin vs. Anderson Silva. Griffin’s career has skyrocketed since being on TUF, and his level of competition has followed suit, just look at who’s he’s faced in the last 3 years: Rampage, Rashad Evans, Anderson Silva, Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin…all current or ex-UFC champions. Things don’t get any easier for Forrest in his next fight, a rematch with Shogun that is scheduled for this August and the UFC’s return to Brazil.
In order for Forrest to run his way into a title fight, he’ll need to employ a similar strategy as he did when fighting Rich Franklin – strike from distance and use takedowns to control the pace and scoring on the judges cards. This will not be the same Shogun with blown out knees coming off almost a year’s layoff that he faced back in 2007. This is the Shogun who holds a first round KO of Lyoto Machida, and he will be eager to reclaim the LHW title. Griffin’s best shot at victory in this fight will be to drag Rua into the deeper rounds and attempt to slap on another RNC like in the first fight, but I think luck will favor the homebody in this one. I’ve got Rua taking this fight via T/KO rd 2.
4. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (17-2) – Coming in at #4 is the crane kicking man of mystery, no not Daniel LaRusso, Lyoto Machida. Formerly known for his elusive and slow-going fight style, The Dragon has cemented his legacy by sending Captain America into retirement with a first round kicking technique made famous in a 1980’s movie trilogy. With a unique blend of Sumo, traditional Shotokan karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Machida worked his way to a perfect 16-0 before being completely decimated by Shogun Rua in the first round of their rematch last May. He’s battled with a who’s who of the MMA world from all different weight divisions, including: Stephan Bonnar, Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva (he also holds a questionable split decision win over Shogun Rua).
Fresh off his victory over Couture and waiting to be booked for his next fight, some feel that The Dragon is not far from his shot to reclaim what is arguably the most elusive title in any MMA organization – aside from Rua/Machida I, Rampage Jackson was the last man to successfully defend this belt in Sept 2007. Currently many of the top 10 LHWs are tied up with other fights – Lyoto could wait to face the winner of the Rampage/Hammil, Tito/Bader, Shogun/Griffin fights, or if Phil Davis gets the better of Rashad, he could be a worthy opponent. However I think the UFC marketing machine would be best served by putting together a rematch with Rich Franklin – the hardcore fans remember he bested Franklin by way of 2nd round TKO in December 2003. Although coming off the loss to Griffin, Franklin would be a great name matchup to keep Machida active in 2011. If this match materializes, I see it going a lot like the first fight – Lyoto would work his angles and speed to get in, strike viciously and get out. Franklin is no slouch, but the Machida that just sent Randy Couture into retirement will be too much. I think it goes the distance this time, and Machida takes the split decision.
3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8) – Slamming his way into the top 3 is none other than Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, a.k.a. B.A. Baracus. He made his name in the rings of Pride with a famous Powerslam KO of Ricardo Arona (Pride Critical Countdown 2004), and other legendary battles with some of the best fighters to come out of the Chute Boxe Academy before making his way to the UFC and TUF cast. Jackson was the first man to unify the UFC & Pride LHW Championships (he defeated Chuck “Iceman” Liddell at UFC 71 and Dan “Hollywood” Henderson at UFC 75 in 2007, respectively) after only three fights in the UFC. Coming off his split decision victory of Lyoto Machida in this past November, he was originally set to face Thiago Silva at UFC 130 but he now finds himself squaring off with TUF 3 alum Matt “The Hammer” Hammill in hopes to earn a title shot – or a rematch with Rashad, whichever comes first.
If Rampage can beat The Hammer down he will be riding a two fight win streak into a potential title fight. To do this he will need to utilize his superior boxing and movement to keep distance from Hammill and avoid any takedown attempts that may come his way while mixing in some takedowns of his own to secure the rounds. Rampage needs to score a decisive victory in this fight, and I can see that happening in the late 2nd or early 3rd round. Hammill has a tendency to push his opponents early in the fight to try and dictate his pace, but he also tends to drop his hands more and more as the fight goes on and with Rampage’s heavy hands, I smell a KO coming. After he beats The Hammer look for Rampage to howl for his title shot.
2. ”Suga” Rashad Evans (15-1-1) – TUF 2 HW winner and Michigan State’s 2000 National Jr College wrestling champion at 165lb, Evans has found his way to the top of the UFC’s LHW division using a ferocious blend of KO’s and a superior top game. Rashad achieved stardom after shocking the world with his brutal KO of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88, and subsequently defeating Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to claim the championship. However, he didn’t have the belt long thanks to a long layoff due to coaching TUF against Rampage and their fight falling through. Evans is since riding a two fight win streak (Thiago Silva and Rampage Jackson) coming into his next fight with the fast rising Phil Davis at UFC 133 in Philadelphia.
For Rashad to earn his title shot, he needs to first derail the train known as “Mr. Wonderful” – no easy task by any means. Davis is ranked #8 on my list of top LHW, and was the NCAA 2008 wrestling champ (197lb) while at Penn State. Having not fought since a yawnable decision win over Rampage in May 2010, and with a new opponent and a new fight camp, Evans will need to get back to his roots and remember what got him to the top of the heap in the LHW division: his wrestling combined with his speed. I don’t see experience playing a factor in this one; his fight will be more tactical than anything given the wrestling pedigree of both fighters. Suga Rashad will need to put together a solid gameplan with his new team, one that will allow him to use his speed to get inside Davis’s long reach and try to turn this into more of a dirty boxing and grappling match. On paper, Evans has the advantage in the grappling department but he needs to be weary of where he puts himself when in the cage with Davis. As we’ve seen in recent outings, Davis is no slouch on the ground; he has the frame and brut power to muscle his opponents into peculiar, and painful positions. Given Davis’ hot streak and Evans’ extended vacation, not to mention his twitter-war with Jon Jones, this one ends before the final bell – in an upset Davis, takes the fight by early 3rd round T/KO from strikes.
1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-5) – He is the man who solved the enigma that was The Dragon and brought an abrupt halt to the Machida/Karate Era era with some of the finest Muay Thai ever to come out of the Chute Boxe Academy. Known for his wild and aggressive style, he frequently utilized stomps and soccer kicks to downed opponents while reaking havoc on the Pride middleweight division alongside his teammate and then-champ Wanderlei Silva. Like the others in this list, Shogun holds victories over MMA’s elite LHWs in fighters such as: Kevin Randleman, Rampage, Lil Nog, Alistair Overeem, and Ricardo Arona – and that’s before he entered the UFC. His successes since joining the UFC include his KO of Liddell, avenging a loss to Mark Coleman, and his dismantling of Machida after losing their highly controversial first fight (split decision). Everything hasn’t been so nice and smooth for Rua though, he lost his UFC debut to the bigger man in Forrest Griffin, and most recently was picked apart by Jon Jones in March at UFC 128 in Newark, to relinquish the title in his first defense. Things aren’t going to get any easier either, up next for Rua is a rematch with Griffin (Aug 27th in Rio de Janiero) – only this time, Rua will have a full camp with “healthy” knees, homefield advantage, and he won’t be coming off an extended layoff with surgery.
Shogun’s fastest path to reclaiming the LHW title from Jon Jones has an added incentive, being that it’s through the first man to defeat him in the UFC, Forrest Griffin. In their first fight, Rua started strong by stalking and taking the fight to the larger Griffin and dictating the pace, even taking Griffin down at times. However, as the fight progressed so too did Griffin’s energy level. The man that many considered to be the world’s top light heavyweight was slowly being worn down by a reality show superstar, and would eventually succumb to a rear naked choke in the final 15 seconds of the fight. Shogun has gone back to his roots for this fight, reuniting with famed Chute Boxe Academy coach Rafael Cordeiro. This fight will be much of the same, only with a new ending. This fight ends middle of the 2nd by way of Rua enacting some sweet revenge (not by RNC, that’s not his style), by way of brutal hammerfists after he catches Forrest with a slick counter-combination right hook (see Rua/Machida II).
August can’t get here soon enough!!
Come back next week as we take a look at the Middleweight division and examine who will pose the biggest threat to the “Spider’s” web.
Brendan Churchin will examine the Top 5 fighters in each weight class and is featured exclusively on MMANonstop.com. Follow him at twitter.com/bchurchin48

In Depth with Malki Kawa

By: Brian Churchin

For most of us, the thought of a sports agent brings up a mental picture of Jerry Maguire sitting on the phone screaming, “SHOW ME THE MONEY!” or pleading with Rod Tidwell, “Help me, help you!” Or you may picture a fast talking, quick-witted Ari Gold putting Drama, Turtle and E in their place while doing anything and everything to help make Vincent Chase into a superstar.

After a 30 minute conversation with Malki Kawa, the CEO of First Round Management, and manager of UFC fighters Jon Jones, Thiago Alves, Carlos Condit, Alan Belcher and Ben Henderson (among others), I can tell you that this Hollywood depiction is pretty accurate on many levels.

Kawa has a passion about everything that he does and for every fighter that he represents. He prides himself by providing the best possible service to his clients and making sure they are taken care of. He told MMANonstop.com about refusing to “go under” for surgery this week because there was a deal that he needed to close and it was unacceptable for him to be asleep if that call came. Malki is involved in all aspects of his client’s fights. During our interview, he mentioned that he was staring at the fight shorts for his client Thiago Alves for his upcoming fight against Rick Story at UFC 130 and right next to the shorts were the underwear that Alves was going to wear for the weigh-ins.

Kawa tells MMANonstop.com about how he got started in this business and how his experience representing athletes in the NFL prepared him for the world of MMA. If you were ever interested in what it would be like to try to manage characters like Matt Mitrione or someone under a constant spotlight like Jon Jones, this is an interview you have to hear.

Malki is not afraid to answer his critics and has recently been under fire by fans and media for the Jon Jones – Rashad Evans match up and how it was handled. Followers of Malki on twitter should be accustomed to seeing him respond to fans and defending his actions. Malki even prefaced our interview by letting us know that he would answer any question that we had for him.

Being a manager is not just hyping your fighters or finding sponsors to put on their fight shorts.

If you want to have a successful career in sports management, be prepared to be available at all times for your fighters. During fight week if your guy needs a massage, you book it. If your fighter wants your mom to come in a day early, you change the flight and set up the room. If your guy is being asked for something from Dana White or a sponsor that he doesn’t want to or can’t do, guess who tells them “no.” Hell, if your guy wants to drive to the fight in a car made of pancakes and walk out to a Jay-Z cover of Michael Jackson, you get your ass up and find a pancake auto dealer and hope you’ve got Shawn Carter’s number in your phone.

It never stops. You’re always on. You know all of your fighters; actually you know everything about them. And on top of that, you better be making them some money.

Check out the MMANonstop.com exclusive interview with Malki Kawa and hear exactly about sports management, as well as the latest on Jon “Bones” Jones, Thiago “Pit Bull” Alves, Ben Henderson, and more. See if you can match wits with an excitable and energetic manager that is passionate about his fighters and finding success for them in the world of MMA.

Check out the debut episode of the MMANonstop.com Podcast with guest Malki Kawa here

Follow Malki Kawa on twitter at twitter.com/malkikawa or check out www.firstroundmanagement.com

THE BOOK ON BJ PENN V. JAKE SHIELDS AND WHY IT’S A SUPER-FIGHT IN THE MAKING

By: Brian Churchin

BJ Penn recently responded to a tweet from Jake Shields saying, “I would never challenge one of Cesar Gracie’s guys, but you’ve been calling me out for years. Let’s do it! I’ll contact Dana”, which starts the speculation about what would happen in a fight between these two superstars. So MMANonstop has broken down this potential matchup.

Of course, both fighters are relatively recent new additions to the welterweight division within the UFC. Penn has bounced back and forth within different weight classes in the organization and briefly held the welterweight title back in 2004 (before signing with K-1). Jake finally made his long awaited debut a few months ago, beating a top contender in Martin Kampmann, and then losing his most recent outing against GSP. He has, however, held welterweight titles in other various organizations in recent history.

Both Penn and Shields are well renowned Brazilian Jiu Jitsu artists, and seem to have a knack for either finding their opponent’s neck (9 choke outs by Jake, 6 from Penn), or neutralizing their opponents and winning by decision. And inspecting the other measurables and finding more similarities, both fighters are 32 years old, have roughly the same number of fights (Shields 32, Penn 25), and recently lost to the most dominant fighter in the division.

BJ Penn has a few more losses than Jake Shields on his record, but they read like a Who’s Who of MMA’s elite: Hughes, GSP, Edgar, Pulver and even Lyoto Machida. Penn’s wins, however, read the same way: Sherk, Florian, Sanchez, Hughes (twice), Pulver and Rodrigo and Renzo Gracie, to name a few.

Jake Shields, besides losing to GSP, doesn’t have the wow factor when you look at his losses, but his competition was still stiff. In 2000, Shields lost to Phillip Miller. I’ll save you the trouble, Miller stopped fighting in 2003, but retired with a record of 16-0, so there’s no shame in that loss. He also split a pair of fights with Akira Kikuchi, who delivered Shields his most recent loss prior to GSP. Since that loss though, his wins are also so high quality that we can simply say: Okami, Condit, Daley, Lawler, Henderson, Kampmann…and you get the picture.

So why would either guy think he could win a seemingly evenly matched fight? Of course, dealing with athletes like these, the advantages are minimal (and many times mental), and the openings need to be capitalized on in a heartbeat; but, each fighter definitely can see openings.

The real advantage in this fight for BJ Penn is his striking. In most cases, a 2” reach disadvantage would nullify the greater striker, but BJ has KO’d Matt Hughes, and he picked apart Kenny Florian. Both of those fighters have longer reaches. So, even if I *said* that BJ couldn’t connect with Shields in a fight, BJ might just pop me in the nose from across the room to prove a point. Look at the success that GSP had against Shields with a straight jab and overhand right. He obviously saw an opening there and was able to exploit it multiple times in the fight, even staggering Jake, but never able to turn off his lights. BJ Penn has finished 7 fights by KO/TKO, so this is a definite possibility of how the fight would end. Even without landing that finishing blow, BJ has out-boxed some excellent fighters (see Sherk, Sanchez).

Shields has only lost by TKO once, and it was very early in his career, and since that time he has worked on his quickness and agility to prevent that from happening again. What Shields has proved his advantage would be in a fight like this is his cardio. He’s been in plenty of wars, and even after eating more than his fair share of GSP’s STIFF jabs, was still fighting at the end of 5 rounds (and arguably won the last two). With his training regimen, toughness, and resiliency, as the fight goes into later rounds Jake could find himself in a position to take rounds 2 and 3 if he can withstand the early onslaught. After exhausting himself with a very aggressive weight cut, Shields willed his way to a win over a fresh, motivated, and very dangerous Martin Kampmann.

So, what would happen in this hopeful, future super-fight? It’s a pretty straightforward thought process, and in asking either fighter, both would probably see it going the same way (neither fighter was able to be reached prior to publication). BJ would attack, expecting to end it quickly, and Shields would plan to weather the storm and take the second and third rounds. Neither fighter has ever lost via choke, but in this fight, it would happen.

I have BJ Penn over Jake Shields. Penn stuns Shields with an overhand right, takes his back and makes him tap via RNC, 3rd minute, 1st round. Book it.

Now Dana, just make it happen.

Brian Churchin created his series "The Book On..." exclusively for MMANonstop.com. Follow him at twitter.com/bchurchin.

mmanonsTOP5

Given the injuries to Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar, the landscape of the Heavyweight division in both the UFC and Strikeforce has been altered. Taking Brock out of the picture, and assuming Cain is still the man to beat, here is MMANonstop's ranking of the Top 5 Heavyweights in MMA.

5. Alistair Overeem (34-11, 1NC) – Alistair Overeem is the best striking HW in the world, he's proven this by winning his last eight MMA fights in the first round. The Reem will attempt to continue his streak on June 18th in Dallas, TX when he faces one of the last men to beat him (#3 on our list). “The Demolition Man” hasn’t lost a fight since getting KO’d by Sergei Kharitonov in the K-1 HERO’s tournament finals in September 2007*, and with the way he’s been tearing through anyone who steps in the ring with him (be it Deep, K-1, or MMA) a victory on Jun e18 will have fans clamoring for an Ultimate Superfight to unify the HW titles between Strikeforce and the UFC.

In order for Overeem to get by Werdum, and ultimately earn himself the right to challenge for the UFC HW title, he will need to use his striking and movement to stay on the outside. That’s not to say he can’t engage in the clinch game, as he’s not the same “Reem” that fought Werdum back in 2006 that lost by kimura - I don’t see it happening again. He was doing well with his striking and even showed a decent top game before gassing in their first match. Overeem's best chance to continue his current win streak is to overpower Werdum into a 1st rd TKO, and then call out Dana White and the UFC.

*”The Demolition Man” suffered a NC against Mirko Cro Cop in September 2008

4. Frank Mir (14-5) – He was once rumored as the next big thing, at just 25 years old he snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm to become HW champ, only to seemingly have his MMA life come crashing to a stop after a devastating motorcycle accident in 2004. They said he’d never fight again and his hopes and dreams of being a world champion were over; Mir fought back to his old form and not only did he make his UFC return in 2006 (albeit a loss to Marcio Cruz) but he also won the UFC HW Championship with a 2nd rd TKO of the never-before-been-stopped-within-the-distance Big Nog at UFC92 in December of 2008.

In order for Frank Mir to claim his spot atop the HW mountain and earn his right to challenge the man full of “Brown Pride,” he will have to overcome that which they call “Big Country.” Now at first glance one might think that this is an easy fight for Mir, simply take Nelson to the ground and submit him – but that’s where you’re wrong. You see, Nelson has a BJJ victory over Mir from a Grappler’s Quest tournament where he was outpointed due to fatigue. Frank Mir needs to bring his best striking game, a full gas tank and hope for a stand-up battle. If it goes that way, I see Mir taking a split decision, and possibly fighting the loser of the Carwin-JDS match before getting a title shot.

3. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) – Werdum was the first man to legitimately beat Fedor Emelianenko, and one of two men to have his hand raised in victory after submitting Alistair Overeem. He's riding a three-fight win streak into his rematch on June 18th with Overeem, and seems to be flying under the radar. He’s beaten the who’s who of MMA HW’s in both Emelianenko brothers, Bigfoot Silva, Mike Kyle, Gabriel Gonzaga and Overeem, and he’s only been stopped once (by #2 on our list) in his career.

Werdum’s best chance at victory in Dallas, will be to get Alistair Overeem to the ground. Whether he baits him there like we saw with Fedor, or he forces the fight there with a takedown of his own, Werdum needs to take Overeem into the deepest water he possibly can and then hope to snap on a fight ending submission similar to their fight in 2006. If they get this far, Werdum will be taking his shot to greatness by way of submission late in the 2nd or early 3rd rd.

2. Junior dos Santos (12-1) – “Cigano” has beaten the guy (Werdum) who beat the guy (Fedor). JDS is the only man to stop Werdum and he did so by way of 1st rd major TKO Upset in October 2008. In his last three fights he’s taken Big Country the distance, TKO’d Gonzaga in 4 minutes and Gilbert Yvel in 2 minutes…not to mention he caused Cro Cop to verbally tap from strikes. This kid’s got it all, heavy hands, excellent footwork and a top-notch ground game – at least that’s what we’re told, we really haven’t had to see it yet - and now he’s got a new opponent to fight at UFC 131 (keep reading).

JDS was next in line for the title shot and in my eyes, he shouldn’t have to fight again before challenging Cain for the belt but he chose to fight rather than sit on the shelf, a good idea if you ask me (see Rashad Evans v. Shogun Rua). Now he just has to take advantage of the opportunity being presented to him, and overcome the boulder of a man in his way – Shane Carwin. If only this was a five round fight...if this makes it through three full rounds with both men standing then we deserve to see the 4th and 5th rounds – consequently that would also be a key to JDS getting the victory over Carwin. We all saw how Carwin overpowered Brock only to run out of gas and get submitted in the 2nd round, and this should be the blueprint for JDS to follow – absorb what you can while delivering punishment in counters, then turn on the heat when Carwin starts to fade. Since it’s only a three round fight, he'll have two rounds after the storm and given the circumstances surrounding the fight, and it will be a stretch, but his best bet to win would be via TKO in the 3rd round which would walk him into a battle with Cain Velazquez.

1. Shane Carwin (12-1) – With the biggest hands in MMA (5X, yes that’s XXXXXL), Shane Carwin also stands as one of the biggest HW fighters in the UFC and in my opinion he’s got to be the number one challenger to the title right now. His only career loss came to then-champ Lesnar in a title-unification fight that some argue he could have won in the first round. Crashing into the UFC scene in 2008, Carwin set the HW world abuzz with his 8-0 record all wins coming by way of KO within 2 minutes – in fact his loss to Lesnar was the only time Carwin’s ever heard the bell to end a round in his professional fight career (Mir did make it 3:48 into the 1st). But coming off of major back surgery and almost a year on the shelf, Carwin has a tough challenge ahead of him in Junior dos Santos.

1st round KO – that’s his best chance in the fight, and the fastest way to earn himself the right to challenge Velasquez for the title. After seeing a totally different Carwin backstage in Toronto on Dana White’s video blog, and hearing him talk about how he has changed his entire diet and lifestyle, Carwin may be ready to make another run at the title – he’s more of a sprinter than a marathoner. Again 1st round KO, and then, no rest for the weary, he'll earn himself another stiff test in Cain Velazquez for the heavyweight title.

Brendan Churchin will examine the Top 5 fighters in each weight class and is featured exclusively on MMANonstop.com. Follow him at twitter.com/bchurchin48

Killer Crossover - Volume 1

By: Brian Churchin

In Killer Crossover, we will take a look at athletes, actors, announcers and all others, and see what kind of MMA fighter they would be.

What kind of fighter would Jean Claude Van Damme be?

Let’s bring the first famous mixed martial artist in and look at his strengths and weaknesses.

If Jean Claude Van Damme can channel his inner Frank Dux, he is a perfect fit for MMA. In fact there’s not a lot that can stop him, In Bloodsport Chong Li threw everything at him…literally…punches, kicks and even referees, but JCVD still persevered. Even when blinded with mysterious ground up white powders, nothing could stop him from winning a kumite. Van Damme should be credited with Frank Dux’s KO speed and power, so he’s basically got the power of two men. As a martial artist, Van Damme was a legit 20-2 with 20 KO’s, and Frank Dux was undefeated. A master of the helicopter kick, JCVD has range that not many fighters of today have. Also, his skills as a Karate Champ should not be overlooked. Van Damme is also part robot, and he defeated Dolph Lundgren in Universal Soldier (Something that Apollo Creed could not do…only super humans like Rocky Balboa had this ability).

Also not to be overlooked is the fact that there are two of him. The message in Double Impact, while not a hit at the box office, should keep possible opponents on their toes as the last thing you need is JCVD1 pulling the ‘switcheroo’ with JCVD2 in the middle of the championship rounds.

While it should be noted that Van Damme has little to no experience fighting in the octagon, he fought in many different environments in Lionheart, and against much larger competition. Van Damme walked around in his heyday at about 180lbs, so he could be a legitimate contender for today’s welterweight champ George St. Pierre.

The secret weapon for Van Damme in his Quest (pun…another movie) to take GSP’s title, is his unmistakable rhythm. GSP might be a hell of a gymnast, but can he do this?

By this columnists observation…Van Damme over GSP by KO, 4th round, helicopter kick.

What kind of fighter would Steven Seagal be?

Steven Seagal has become a legend of frontkickedness with his recent teachings to Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. The 7th-dan degree black belt in aikido is one of the most fearsome and misunderstood conundrums that could step inside the octagon. If we use basic mathematical principles:

IF STEVEN SEAGAL IS THE MASTER OF ANDERSON SILVA AND LYOTO MACHIDA, THEN STEVEN SEAGAL IS THE MOST ELUSIVE, POWERFUL, AND DANGEROUS FIGHTER IN THE WORLD.

Add on to this, the fact that Seagal is most lethal when there are sets of 3 (it’s not a coincidence that On Deadly Ground, Marked for Death, Out for Justice, The Glimmer Man, Above the Law, Hard to Kill, Out of Reach, Against the Dark, Driven to Kill, A Dangerous Man and Fire Down below…among others, all have three words in the title), the fact that we are in the triple digit UFCs and on the verge of UFC 130 (a 3 right in the middle!) should make all comers quake in their gloves.

Seagal is also a Reserve County Sheriff (3 words) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana (3 words) and had a show Steven Seagal: Lawman (3 words) and it drew in 3.6 (3 and 3x2!) million viewers in the first episode, the best ever for an A&E (3 FREAKING LETTERS! Well…kind of) premier.

Seagal also has an energy drink, Steven Seagal’s Lightning Bolt, which he can drink in between rounds. He can use his own homeopathic oils to heal himself, and his own aftershave called Scent of Action (do I even need to point out the obvious here?!) to disguise his scent and throw off possible attackers.

SS wears sunglasses…all the time. Even inside. This makes it impossible to know where he is looking. He is extremely tall (exact height unknown) and will probably refuse to fight Anderson Silva for his title. For this reason, I envision Seagal fighting in the light heavyweight division. His mystique and quiet demeanor will allow him to be the only person to catch Jonny “Bones” Jones off guard, and defeat him via KO in not only the fastest fight ever to be recorded in UFC history (EXACTLY 3 seconds), but he will also accomplish this with a kick no one has ever seen, heard of, or will ever be able to repeat in the history of time to come.

This journalist predicts he would win the belt, retire, hand the belt to Machida, and then invent and star in Under Siege 3: Dark, Dead Death: The Trilogy of All Trilogies (The only movie ever that necessitates 3 names) in which he plays 3 roles (good guy, bad guy, and master of both)…all at the same time.

Coming soon in Killer Crossover Volume 2: Ralph Macchio, and Mike Tyson.

Brian Churchin created his series "The Book On..." & “Killer Crossover” exclusively for MMANonstop.com. Follow him at twitter.com/bchurchin.

The Book on Bellator and the Future Business of MMA

By: Brian Churchin

You can argue that there are 5 major professional sports in the United States right now. In a perceived order of popularity (with an honest attempt to be an unbiased fan), those sports are football, basketball, baseball, mixed martial arts, and ice hockey. I only religiously watch two of them, but I can comfortably say that this is probably pretty close to accurate.

Let’s now play a little game of “One of these things does not belong.”

The NFL has NCAA football, and the NFL Draft. Teams have practice squads with athletes on the cusp of success.

The NBA has NCAA basketball, the D-league, and the NBA Draft.

MLB has NCAA baseball, and a draft that allows entry into A, AA, and AAA affiliate minor league programs.

The NHL has NCAA hockey and a farm system very similar to baseball.

The UFC has…The Ultimate Fighter? The UFC needs a farm system.

Right now there are mixed martial arts organizations across the country and around the world, but when one of those organizations pulls an amazing fighter from the weeds, there are only a few logical steps for that fighter. A small organization owner finds a talented, marketable fighter with personality knowing that the fighter’s whole goal is to leave them in the dust at the first sign of a contract offer from Zuffa or Bellator. This leaves the smaller promotions constantly under the threat of losing any kind of draw resulting from any type of consistency in fan base-fighter connection.

Zuffa needs to buy Bellator, keep the concept of the tournament and rather than offer the winners of each tournament a Bellator title shot, allow them a shot at getting a contract with either the UFC or Strikeforce.
What if making your way to the Final 4 of a 32 fighter tournament got your name into a select pool of fighters, and every year, there was a UFC/Strikeforce draft?

A televised event in which 20 of the 28 qualifying fighters (4 each from the 7 weight classes represented in the UFC) are drafted to either the UFC or Strikeforce would be the one piece that the UFC is missing from their repertoire that the other big boys already have. It would add a dimension to Mixed Martial Arts that is desperately needed to add a level of validity to it as one of the “Big 4”.

Imagine the conversations that would be spawned. “Who’s gonna go #1?” “Will the UFC go after welterweights this year?” “What if Strikeforce takes all of the heavyweights?” “If the UFC takes all bantamweights, who will they drop from the roster?”

This makes every fighter in Bellator marketable. This puts every fighter in the UFC and Strikeforce on their toes and on top of their game, not just to win but to win convincingly and excitingly. New blood makes its way in to the division and the company. New fighters *that fans already know* show up in the octagon. Don’t want a re-match with GSP and John Fitch? No worries, there’s an up and comer from Bellator that might just be the answer to another boring fight.

So Dana, Fertittas, Coker, listen up. There are some very intelligent minds back there making matches and determining how fast to bring a fighter up, here’s your answer. Buy Bellator, make it the farm system for the big leagues of MMA. Then, have a draft. Think AFC vs NFC…but picture UFC vs Strikeforce. Make your fighters known to your fans before they ever step into an octagonal (or hexagonal) ring.

This could also open up a Superbowl of fights every year. This will foster pride in each promotion, the ability to test new ideas on how to promote an event and build up new fighters in ways that aren’t currently possible. And, with the new announcement of fighters being insured, this will allow a higher number of well known fighters to be ready to make an appearance at the drop of a hat.

Buy Bellator. Make it a farm system. Take this whole thing to the next level. I just makes sense.

Book it.

Brian Churchin created his series "The Book On..." exclusively for MMANonstop.com. Follow him at twitter.com/bchurchin.

The Book on Why Kenny Florian is the most intelligent fighter in MMA

By: Brian Churchin

Kenny Florian is the most intelligent fighter in MMA.

Never mind the fact that KenFlo has a host spot on ESPN's MMA Live.

Never mind the fact that he's reportedly one win away from a title shot.

Never mind that he is intelligently branding himself and prepping for the future in a way that few fighters do.

The thing that makes Kenny Florian the most intelligent fighter in MMA is that he got out of the lightweight division, and put himself in yet another position to be successful. The lightweight division is by far the most crowded, talented, diverse and dangerous division in the UFC. If you have even one weakness in your game, there are a countless number of fighters that will exploit it.

Let's, for a second, dissect the other divisions in the UFC (we'll leave out Strikeforce in this discussion because Florian is under UFC contract) to determine the singular specificities behind finding success in the non-lightweight ranks.

If KenFlo were a Heavyweight fighter (while I understand the impossibility of the statement, we're looking theoretically), what's the best way to get to a title shot? Quick hands and good footwork.

It's been shown that quick hands will beat the majority of heavyweights in the division. Brock. Roy Nelson. Mir. Kongo. Struve, etc. If a heavyweight beats 2-3 of these contenders in a row, which can be accomplished by picking them apart with effective striking, specifically a powerful, stabbing jab and powerful cross, and keeping distance from guys that can manhandle you on the ground (the Lesnars, Nelsons and Mir's of the world), you will effectively punch your ticket to a date with the champ. At that point, you can still dance with the one that brought you: distance, patience, jab, jab, jab...repeat. It's the heavyweight cha-cha. Keep on dancing to a title shot.

Light heavyweight. So, unless Kenny Florian has a secret utility belt full of tricks to beat Jon Jones, I don't necessarily recommend even hypothetically trying to get a title shot. But the formula's there, and it's very similar to the heavyweight formula, with a slight variation. First...jab like a mofo. Second, solve the conundrum of unique striking and the ability to stuff a takedown. This division is filled with unorthodox strikers that all think they can knock you out with a strike that Steven Seagal invented...and most of them can. If I were coaching Kenny as a light heavyweight, and we were preparing for a Phil Davis, Rashad Evans, Shogun, Machida, et al, I would have him chasing chickens for hours, running 5 yard shuttles for days, and training with every possible Division I wrestling program to work on his takedowns. Take 'em down, beat the body. That will slow down the elusiveness that is a staple in the division, and also take power from some of those crazy strikes that have been showing up lately. Also, to combat the Steven Seagal movement that seems to be the flavor of the month, I'd have Jean-Claude Van Damme teach Kenny that helicopter kick from Bloodsport. Take that Seagal.

Middleweight. Chael Sonnen has given the ultimate recipe to get a title shot: talk a lot of smack, have cardio for days, and then....jus' 'rassle. Now, I'm having a tough time deciding the exact ingredients to get a shot at the top pound for pound fighter in the world...but in continuing the recipe analogy...I would, on KenFlo's behalf, call up Dwayne Johnson so he could teach him exactly what the Rock is cooking. Seriously, middleweights, focus on wrestling and ground and pound. And dropping down a Rock Bottom then a People's Elbow is a nice way to cook up KO of the night. Jus' 'rassle.

GSP's Welterweight division. Seriously folks, GSP has already game planned this out for everyone: counter-striking with a powerful jab, and then take downs with authority. He's run over everyone in the division with this game plan...so if I'm training Florian to get to the top of the ranks...monkey see, monkey do. I'd probably even make him get that same tattoo that GSP has on his chest...and while I don't know what those symbols mean, I'd encourage KenFlo's words to be "Mimic" "Rush" and "Chicken Sandwich"...the first two pay homage to GSP, the third is just a pretty cool ice breaker for chicks.

Let's skip for a quick second to the bantamweights and featherweights. Forgive me for my simplicity, but you need to be fast. Then, you can either be a Mighty Mouse type wrestler that envelops opponents and disallows offensive maneuvers, or a Dominic Cruz/Urijah Faber/Jose Aldo type fighter with speed and power. I was watching a WEC show back in its heyday and I blinked and missed 3 fights, in these divisions, speed kills.

And now we come to Kenny's old division. The Lightweights. KO power is almost meaningless here. Frankie Edgar was out on his feet, and still came back to dominate Gray Maynard in the later rounds. Donald Cerrone has a chin made of Chuck Norris. I've seen Ben Henderson knocked down once in all of his fights I've seen, and it had to be a SportsCenter highlight straight out of the WWE. I saw Clay Guida literally eat a knee that would put 99.9% of every other fighter out cold...oh, and then he got a takedown, he's a monster. So, now that we know it's damn near impossible to knock these guys out...now we have to worry about getting hit by the sledgehammers that the Dennis Sivers, Anthony Pettis, and Melvin Guillards of the world are swinging. Because they WILL knock you out. Oh, and then there's having to mess with the ground games like the ones owned by George Sotiropoulos, Jim Miller, Sean Sherk, and then some guys named Edgar and Maynard...they're ok too.

To be successful in the Lightweight division, you literally have to be a master of every aspect of Mixed Martial Arts; creative and crisp striking to soften opponents up, takedown defense to avoid the ground and pound of some heavy handed dudes, brazilian jiu jitsu and wrestling to protect yourself and try to finish an opponent if you happen to take them down, and now backflips and attacks off the octagon are becoming part of fighters' arsenals. It's like watching cirque du soleil but rather than flipping on to each other's shoulders and climbing up ropes, they're flip-kicking you in the face and spinning-back-fisting the taste out of your mouth.

Kenny Florian made a GREAT move in going down to the featherweight division. He's built in the mold of a Dominic Cruz. Tall, lean, fast, VICIOUS elbows, muy thai that just woks (not a typo, play on words...couldn't help myself with the Thai reference). In the featherweight division, KenFlo can really focus on his strengths to find success, rather than having to be too watered down in training to build your weaknesses. He can focus on his strengths and not just be a contender in a very packed weight class.

To any fighters that are on the brink of making their way into the UFC Lightweight division, listen to me, please: Follow the path of the smartest man in the UFC and either call Jenny Craig and drop to 145, or eat an extra meal or two and go up to 170...you DO NOT want to be a lightweight in the UFC.

Kenny "KenFlo" Florian, the smartest man in mixed martial arts.

Book it.

Brian Churchin created his series "The Book On..." exclusively for MMANonstop.com. Follow him at twitter.com/bchurchin.

The Book On Why GSP's Next Opponent Will Take Away His Belt

By: Brian Churchin

First things first, I was a little off in my official prediction for GSP-Shields at UFC 129. GSP did need a little attention to his face, and Jake didn't look like he ran face-first into a light pole. But all in all, this guy was on par.

Jake Shields had the right idea.

Jake Shields might have won that fight this weekend had it been 7 rounds.

Jake Shields also deserves to make a curtain call (a la Kimo's return to the octagon post-Royce Gracie's departure from UFC 3) after GSP loses his next bout...and if GSP's next opponent (Nick Diaz?) follows the recipe that Jake Shields wrote, he will.

GSP is without a doubt, one of the most gifted and hardest working athletes in all of Mixed Martial Arts. There are very few other fighters that I would want to train with, learn from, or mentor under besides The Canadian Rush himself. However, as a fighter, there were some weaknesses that I saw on Saturday that Nick Diaz, if given the shot, will take advantage of, take the belt from GSP, and then take a payday by fighting a big name (but past-his-prime) boxer.

In the weeks and months leading up to UFC 129, praise was rained down back and forth between the St. Pierre and Shields camps in such a way that I was almost compelled to gather animals two by two to help repopulate the earth after the flood of mutual respect receded. "Jake Shields is the most dangerous fighter I have ever faced." "GSP is the best fighter in the world." "(choose your fighter) is an amazing athlete and hasn't lost in years. He will be the toughest test of my career."

The comments these two fighters made were correct, but the most intelligent, accurate and telling comment made before the fight came from Shields' camp. I'll paraphrase, but the gist of it was, "GSP is an amazing athlete, but we're going to see if he's a fighter. We're going to get him in a fight." Jake's camp tried every way that they could, but couldn't make good on the promise to take GSP's belt. But, they proved they knew how to get it done.

Go back to the end of the 3rd round. GSP walked back to his corner and complained about his injured eye. He pawed at it, looked at his hands, checked for blood, forcefully blinked his eyes and was visibly affected. At the end of rounds 4 and 5, the same result. St. Pierre even posed for the camera post-fight to show off his cut and swelling.

Did Mark Hominick let the fact that he looked like he was smuggling a grapefruit under his forehead slow him down? Nope.

Has Clay Guida ever been bothered by having a mop of bloody hair in his face? Not that I recall.

Did Brock Lesnar change the way he fought when he got picked apart by Cain Velasquez? Wait...bad example.

Jake Shields opened the door for a fighter to come in and take the belt from GSP, and that fighter is Nick Diaz. If Diaz continues to fine tune these 3 facets of his game, when he gets his shot, he'll leave with UFC gold around his waist.

1. A quick jab to close the distance, followed by a short annoying right hook.

This combo was used by Shields at times and it was amazingly successful. Both of these punches need to have one purpose: swell and/or cut the left eye of GSP. Now, granted, this is much easier said than done due to GSP's amazing quickness and uncanny ability to turn a poorly timed hook into his own take down. Diaz is a better boxer than Shields, but Jake still did some damage, even with a distinct reach disadvantage.

2. A world-class sprawl, that is perfected with the team at Black House.

GSP makes take downs look easy, and not even take downs...throw downs. But, take downs can be stopped when defended properly. Look back on two recent specific fights that included Black House Gym fighters. Phil Davis v Lil Nog, and even last night's Randy Couture v Lyoto Machida. The Davis fight was littered with attempted take downs that Noguiera repeatedly shrugged off and followed with a short right hook (see #1). Machida didn't spend any time with his back on the mat, which allowed him to pull off a crane kick that with shades of Daniel Laruso in his battles with the Cobra Kai. If Diaz can sprawl away and defend against takedowns, he can then use his superior boxing skills to frustrate and pick apart the current champ.

3. A focused and intelligent striking attack from the guard.

Let's face it, if you fight GSP, you are going to be taken down. He's too good, too fast and too strong to be able to totally avoid being (viciously and aggressively) put on your back. Diaz will need to make a few solid strikes happen early in this still hypothetical fight, and let St. Pierre know he's getting hit after stopping a takedown or two. Then when he is taken down, still attack the left eye of St. Pierre. This will set Diaz up for easier takedown defense in the late rounds of the fight and then, most importantly, an unsettling of the mind of GSP.

So, if Dana White can get together with Scott Coker and the Diaz camp to make some kind of agreement in which Nick Diaz fights GSP prior to his foray into professional boxing, Diaz will bust him up, frustrate him, end up in dominating positions, and take his title.

Book it.

Brian Churchin created his series "The Book On..." exclusively for MMANonstop.com. Follow him at twitter.com/bchurchin.