Sherdog’s Guide to ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

Things got personal on the latest episode of “The Ultimate Fighter." | Photo: Sherdog.com

It’s been almost a storybook season thus far on “The Ultimate Fighter.” The coaches don’t hate each other, the fighters aren’t peeing in one another’s food, and the biggest grievance to date stems from one man’s morning rooster calls.

The love fest continues this week after Chuck O’Neil announces that he plans on splitting his bonus money from his submission of Javier Torres with teammate Charlie Rader. These two are good friends from outside the “TUF” house and O’Neil explains that Rader has been on the wrong side of a child custody battle that has proven costly in many ways. Rader says he hasn’t seen his oldest son in over a year and owes beaucoup dollars in child support payments.

Knowing that the money could help Rader inch closer to perhaps seeing his son, O’Neil generously offers it. But Rader’s pride won’t allow him to accept the cash.

“He’s just a nice guy wanting to help out a friend, but I can’t take it,” says Rader.

“He deserves to have his kid, plain and simple,” says O’Neil, who later lays the offer out simply for his friend. “Call it a present, call it a loan, call it whatever the hell you want to call it, but you’re taking it, OK?”

Last week, Chris Cope and Ramsey Nijem secured their spots in this season’s semifinals. Up this week is a rematch between wildcard winner O’Neil and Zach Davis, who submitted “Cold Steel” with a triangle choke early in their first encounter. Davis is eager to stand and bang the second time out, telling us that he wants to “show the diversity” of his skills. His coach, Junior dos Santos, is confident in his charge, but would like to see Davis stick to what he does well -- namely, jiu-jitsu.

Coach Brock Lesnar’s opening remarks to his team focus on the improvement O’Neil has shown since his loss. Lesnar says O’Neil has performed a 180-degree turnaround both in attitude and aptitude.

“We want to see ‘Cold Steel’ Charles,” says Lesnar, hoping for Chuck to shelve all silliness and stay focused.

Two fights are on the agenda tonight, so after a quick catch-up on the teams’ training, it’s go time.

Not long after their fight begins, Davis bails on his idea to stand toe-to-toe with O’Neil. Davis shoots in low after Chuck shows he’s got bad intentions in their opening exchanges. Zach runs Chuck into the fence, attempting to slow things down and gain control. Pressuring O’Neil with knees in the clinch, Davis fights to keep him there. The two separate and Zach’s face is a little swollen and reddened from a scrape just below his left eye.

O’Neil begins working on Davis’ lead leg with kicks, looking alert and on-the-hunt while shrugging off Davis’ return fire. Zach is still game, but Chuck’s striking is taking its toll and leaving Davis a bit sluggish. Chuck makes his man pay after Zach avoids a left hand by staring at it as it passes by, leaving him wide open for a straight right that lands flush.

Panicked, Zach rushes in for a shot. Chuck stuffs it, only to find himself once again pressed against the fence. With about 30 seconds left in the round, Chuck unloads a furious set of punches that has Zach wobbling and staggering until he’s saved by the bell.

The second round begins dangerously for Chuck after he kicks the legs out from under Zach and falls right on top of him. Remembering how he fared in this position during their last fight, O’Neil postures up and smartly returns to his feet.

From there, it’s just a beating, as Chuck’s tees off at will while Zach constantly tries to recover his senses. Davis never folds but does get quite bent up; Chuck finishes the second round setting up his combos with leg kicks that have Zach flailing about. Despite being so one-sided, the fight is a great one.

“Chuck came out and just put it to him,” says UFC President Dana White after O’Neil’s obvious decision win, adding that fighters who compete multiple times during taping always fare better. “Your timing’s better, your wind is there, you’re far from nervous ‘cause you’ve already fought so many times. ... Chuck’s definitely the toughest guy here.”

Zach punches a hole through a door as he walks out, fighting through tears. Later, he composes himself enough to say that “even on a bad day like today, I enjoyed it.” Unfortunately, the news is about to get worse for Zach.

Once back at the house, O’Neil and Njiem marvel over Zach’s ability to continue coming forward, despite having been rocked multiple times. Then, Davis returns to the house with a bad prognosis for both of his black and red eyes: both of his retinas were torn during the fight, requiring immediate laser surgery.

“The doctor says I’m not going to be fighting anymore,” says an emotional Davis, earning him a big hug from the crushed O’Neil. Davis is crestfallen, having gone this far in his career only to have another huge hurdle placed between him and the Octagon.

“I kind of felt I’d already pushed through all the crappy times,” Davis says.

The show must go on, however, and the lone remaining quarterfinal is another “first versus worst” scenario, with Tony Ferguson facing Ryan McGillivray.

“I’m hoping Tony looks as good in the Octagon as he’s looked in the practice room” says Lesnar of his top dog. “I hope he goes in and fights a little more controlled.”

Over on Dos Santos’ side, “Cigano” informs McGillivray that just about every remaining fighter told White that they wanted to face him if given the choice.

“I kind of like hearing that a little bit,” says McGillivray, letting the slight fuel his fire. “I guarantee Tony won’t think I’m the weak link when this fight’s over.”

McGillivray spends the night before the fight writing a letter to his daughter back home.

“I don’t know how to make a great living to give her the type of life she deserves,” admits a teary eyed McGillivray, who sees MMA as an opportunity to make life better for his family, but stresses about the sacrifices he and his daughter will still have to make.

Ferguson’s trials are somewhat less serious, as he speaks about being picked on as a youth and being known as the “Mexican with big ears.”

The pre-fight hype lasts longer than the bout. McGillivray walks right into a low left uppercut and is staggered in the opening moments. After a delayed stumble, he hits the deck and Ferguson leaps atop his fallen foe, battering McGillivray until the fight is stopped.

“Tony’s nasty,” says White. “He’s had two quick finishes in this competition and Brock Lesnar feels like he’s the best guy here.”

Back in the locker room, Brock enjoys his place in the world and lies down on the floor with a grin, proclaiming it “time to chill.” Next door, Junior tends to McGillivray’s grieving while telling Nijem that he’s still planning on the “TUF” winner coming from their squad.

It’s soon time to find out the pairings for the next round, which White calls “the weirdest semifinal pick I’ve ever done.” He’s got the top dog from each team to choose from in Nijem and Ferguson, along with “can’t be counted out” Cope and dark horse candidate O’Neil.

White informs the men that Cope will face Nijem, while O’Neil and Ferguson will square off. O’Neil was clearly not looking forward to having to fight a teammate, but that will all change soon.

Back at the house, spirits are high and spirits are flowing. Naturally, as the night gets boozier, “Stripper” Ramsey begins dancing amidst a shower of alcohol.

“Sorry, mom, but you raised me, so it’s your fault,” Nijem confesses to the camera later, his face buried in his palms.

“Boy, did it get out of control,” Len Bentley comments of the evening’s proceedings.

The party continues and the fighters spray each other with drinks until Rader commits a sin and pours out a little bit of beer on Ferguson’s head. Ferguson snaps and Rader dashes, causing Ferguson to dive over the couch and both men to nearly go through a glass coffee table.

Ferguson gives Rader a forearm shiver that straightens them both up. Charlie repeatedly asks Tony if he’s serious, until Rader gathers that, indeed, Ferguson is. Things get truly ugly then. The men bicker, snap and shove until the situation escalates when Ferguson chides Rader about his aforementioned eldest son.

“Hit me instead of your kid!” yells Ferguson, sending Rader into a furious rage. The comment clearly hits a raw nerve and touches on whatever allegations may be preventing Rader from seeing his son. The two are held at bay by fighters from both teams, but everyone agrees that Tony crossed a big line.

Ferguson dives into the pool outside and drunkenly pounds on the water while several people try to calm down Rader and lend their support. Things never get better, even after Tony cools off and comes back into the house. He’s still drunk as a skunk, and he’s given a tongue lashing from just about everyone before he doubles down and launches into the same tirade about Rader’s kid.

When the parties are once again separated, O’Neil gives his final thoughts to Rader and company.

“Punching him in the face is not going to be a hard task. I’m taking his dreams away,” says Chuck, “or I’m going to f--king die trying.”

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Sherdog’s Fight of the Year

Jorge Santiago (left) vs. Kazuo Misaki | Taro Irei/Sherdog.com

Jorge Santiago-Kazuo Misaki 2 -- Sherdog’s “Fight of the Year” for 2010 -- was the kind of mixed martial arts contest fans and pundits point to as an example of why they believe their sport is the best in the world. Played out at Sengoku Raiden Championship 14 on Aug. 22 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, it represents the kind of fight to which MMA supporters direct their friends on YouTube.

Interestingly enough, it was not the first time these two had engaged in such a larger-than-life, marathon struggle. At Sengoku “No Ran 2009” in January 2009, Santiago and Misaki met to determine who would become the fledgling promotion’s inaugural middleweight champion. It was a tense five-rounder Misaki was winning on points until a miraculous comeback in the final stanza saw the Brazilian put him to sleep with a fight-ending choke to capture Sengoku’s middleweight title.

A little more than a year and a half later, they were at it again. Few expected them to live up to their first encounter, and no one thought they could surpass it. Santiago and Misaki not only traded rounds but almost finished each other in every frame. It was the kind of give-and-take struggle MMA fans so rarely witness.

It came as no surprise that the fight took a toll on its participants. Misaki has no memory of the bout, outside of what he has seen on video.

“I was surprised at how the fight went. I thought, ‘Oh, wow, I did that?’ and ‘Hey, I could have finished him there,’ even if I didn’t remember those moments myself,” he said of his first review of the film. “On the one hand, I think [this fight] was only possible because we’re both very technically skilled fighters, but on the other, it was also only possible because of our spirit and emotions behind this fight. Both our first and second fights had great spirit in them.”

The champion, however, saw their second encounter as an opportunity to best what he felt was a poor performance in their first fight.

“I definitely consider Misaki the toughest opponent I could have faced in Japan,” Santiago said. “He proved that in Pride when he was the [grand prix] champion. After our first fight, when I fought him with a broken hand, I really wanted to face him again and make an even more exciting fight. That’s what happened.”

What happened was what every promoter wants in his or her event. Though World Victory Road President Toru Mukai was just as thrilled as the fans to witness the bout unfold, he was not without reservations.

“It was certainly a fantastic fight, one where both fighters could be considered winners and showed true warrior spirit, but to tell the truth, I wanted to stop it right in the middle,” said Mukai, with a paternal chuckle. “I was afraid because I thought that either one of these men could die in the ring that night.”

Misaki’s own cornermen shared those same concerns as the fight drew on.

“In the history of combat sports -- no wait, in the history of all sports -- this contest stands out. It was something you could accurately call ‘mortal combat,’” said Pride veteran Daiju Takase, who served as Misaki’s grappling coach during the match. “Every time Kazuo was on the attack, I thought, ‘He can do this!’ But because I knew what his physical condition was whenever he was under attack, I started praying.”

After a competitive first round, Misaki stole the second period, nearly choking out Santiago with a tight guillotine.

Oh yes, Misaki had his moments.“In that guillotine, I was really in trouble,” said the self-effacing champion. “I think at other moments, too, he was on my back and then trying to get the [arm triangle], and I was thinking, ‘S--t!’ In my mind, I felt I was behind. [During a fight], some people will tell me ‘You’re even,’ or they’ll say, ‘You’re winning,’ but I always think I’m behind.”

Santiago rebounded in the third round with a high kick-right straight combination, nearly stopping Misaki with punches on the ground before being foiled by the ring ropes. The roller-coaster fight then swung back in the challenger’s favor in the same frame, as Misaki shocked Santiago with a left hook and followed up with punches and knees to the head. Santiago, whether willfully or instinctively, fell out of the ring, earning a severe rebuke and red card from referee Yoshinori Umeki.

“If it was in the cage,” said Takase, ever the outspoken critic, “the fight would definitely have ended there.”

Fortunately for the fans, it did not. With judges Masato Fukuda, Tenshin Matsumoto and Ryogaku Wada carrying Misaki cards of 39-36, 38-36 and 38-36 into the fifth and final round, Santiago’s back was to the wall. If he could not produce a 10-8 round for the 46-46 draw on judges Matsumoto and Wada’s scorecards and hold out hope for the must-decision after the final bell, he would likely lose the title.

“My worst moment was when he knocked me down in the fourth round,” Santiago said, “but my best moment was in the last minute of the fifth, when I finished him.”

In the fifth period, Santiago dug deep and produced more than a 10-8 round for the necessary draw. He rained brutal punches on the challenger from top position for four and a half minutes, until Misaki’s corner threw in the towel. Official time was 4:31.

Whether the bout would have resulted in a draw or not if Misaki had survived to the final bell, his chances to pick up his first title since being crowned the Pride 2006 welterweight grand prix winner were high. To some onlookers, the corner stoppage was a source of debate, but it was a decision none of the participants seem to begrudge.

“Whether I would have won if the towel wasn’t thrown in is not something I think about, so I don’t feel any regrets over it,” Misaki said. “Besides, cornermen have a responsibility to protect their fighter. That’s why I’m able to be here now, talking to you. For that, I’m very grateful to them.”

“From the midway point, Kazuo couldn’t remember anything because he was so exhausted. He was fighting completely on spirit alone,” said Takase. “His striking coach threw in the towel. Misaki would never tap, so it’s a bit unfortunate. I’m confident he could have won, but protecting your fighter’s health is of the utmost and proper consideration.”

With two titanic and taxing encounters with the Brazilian in the books, it would seem understandable if Misaki resigned himself to never facing Santiago again. However, as is often seen in MMA, fighting so fiercely and thoroughly with an opponent rarely breeds contempt or resignation. Misaki appears convinced that he and Santiago are bound by destiny and key to each other’s personal growth.

“As a professional fighter, I think it was a great experience to fight him, but aside from that, he’s also helped me grow and change a lot, just in life. It doesn’t matter who won. I’m very grateful for him and having had the chance to fight him,” Misaki said solemnly. “I think we will probably meet again because I don’t think that this fight was the end of our story. Even though the towel was thrown in at the end, I think there’s still one more drama to be played out by the both of us. I think it’s our destiny to meet again.”

The champion also thinks highly of Misaki and does not seem to mind the prospect of a third encounter, if fans want it.

“He’s a tiger, you know? He has that fire in his eyes and in his heart. I do, too. We’re the same. We both feel like we’re not going to just give a fight to anybody,” Santiago said. “Like he was saying [at the press conference], the champion of this bout is going to be the one who wants it more, who has more will. I think if we always fight with that mindset, we’ll always put on great shows.”

Until the day of their third meeting comes, however, their second fight will remain prominent in the hearts and minds of those who experienced it firsthand.

“One thing I’ll never forget is how gassed Kazuo was in the last round, but he was still trying desperately to get out of mount,” Takase said. “He couldn’t even breathe properly, yet he was still in the fight. Even if he could have died in there, he wouldn’t give up. It’s an example that I think, more than just fighters, everyone should follow. Even recalling it now, I’m moved by it.”

“It was a magnificent fight, and I think it made the audience come together as one,” Mukai said. “As far as MMA goes, I think it’s one of the best fights ever.”

For Misaki, it was a life-altering experience.

“I don’t know if I’ll still be alive in 10 or 20 years. If I am still alive, I think it would be because of fights like these with Santiago,” he said. “That’s also why I think it’s our destiny to face each other. Again, I’m grateful for the chance to fight against someone like him, and in 10 or 20 years, I’ll still think the same.”

Marcelo Alonso contributed to this report.

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Sherdog’s 2010 Misc. Awards

Anthony Pettis file photo | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

By Jeff Sherwood

WEC 53 “Henderson vs. Pettis” -- Sherdog’s “Event of the Year for 2010” -- provided an amazing final chapter for World Extreme Cagefighting on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Ariz.

The city and site -- the Jobing.com Arena -- were determined by a fan voting contest, Amp Energy’s “Hometown Throwdown,” which was fitting for a product that, in recent years, had quickly become the hardcore fan’s obsession. Personally, I was especially excited, not only because it was another great WEC show but because I was there for the first-ever WEC event nine and a half years earlier.

On paper, it was a great card that introduced a bevy of questions. Will Brazilian prospects Renan “Barao” do Nascimento Mota Pegado and Yuri Alcantara continue to live up to the hype? Could Eddie Wineland and Brad Pickett continue their run of thrilling fights? How would Ivan Menjivar look at 135 pounds? Was Jamie Varner going to get back on the winning track and start another run to the top? Was Tie Quan Zhang going to continue to be the force behind Chinese MMA? Would a Donald Cerrone-Chris Horodecki matchup provide fireworks? How was Dominick Cruz going to handle Scott Jorgensen’s wrestling? How was 23-year-old Anthony Pettis going to fare in a main event that most felt he was going to lose?

Few fight cards offer that many intriguing storylines. Virtually none answer them with such thrilling competition.

It was hard not to feel initially dismayed, seeing pockets of empty seats inside the Jobing.com Arena. That is behavior more typical of Las Vegas events, where high rollers and celebrities wander in late. It was not fitting for a top-to-bottom fan-friendly card like WEC 53. Those ticketholders who did not show up for the opening bell received their just desserts: three knockouts, two submissions and two exciting decisions marked one of the most sensational undercards in recent memory.

It is impossible to understand how truly top-to-bottom great WEC 53 was without seeing the preliminary bouts. Wineland’s slam knockout of Ken Stone was as brutal as they come. To see the impact and consequence live was jarring and, frankly, terrifying, as Stone was motionless for 10 minutes. Danny Castillo and Alcantara both turned in highlight-reel stoppages. Against Chris Cariaso, “Barao” was so calm, methodical and technical in locking up his rear-naked choke. However, Shane Roller outdid him with his rugged choke-out of Varner in surprisingly quick fashion.

The two fights that went the distance on the undercard were fantastic. Daniel Downes’ comeback upset against Zhang showed you what kind of heart the kid had, and Menjivar-Pickett was 15 minutes of wild back-and-forth action. It was the kind of stuff that people came to expect from WEC.

However, the two title fights interested most people in WEC 53, and they delivered, albeit in different ways.

Many thought Jorgensen’s wrestling would give Cruz issues, but the champion moved and struck his way to a dominating performance over Jorgensen. Cruz won every single round behind his boxing and his wrestling.

Fans, writers and fighters all continue to discredit Cruz’s wrestling -- he did not wrestle past high school -- even though “The Dominator” puts better-credentialed wrestlers on the mat. Cruz did whatever he wanted against Jorgensen and continued to raise his stock and cement himself as the bantamweight division’s star champion.

More importantly, Cruz’s win set up a potential rematch with Urijah Faber in 2011 -- a fight that could prove the biggest in bantamweight history. Part of what made his domination of Jorgensen special was wondering how he could stack up with “The California Kid” four years after their first encounter.

Then, in the final WEC fight ever, Pettis and Benson Henderson put on something truly special.

Henderson, an Arizona-based fighter, came out to one of the loudest ovations in recent memory. The air was thick with pressure and excitement, as fans were standing before the main event even began. The action that followed ensured they would not return to their seats.

After 20 minutes of back-and-forth action -- including one of the year’s best rounds, the seesaw fourth -- most onlookers had the bout two rounds apiece, 38-38, giving the first and fourth to Henderson and the second and third to Pettis. More importantly, two of the judges -- Derek Zazueta and Tom Gabauer -- had the fight scored that way, meaning it was up for grabs going into the last round of WEC action ever.

With 90 seconds to go, the fight was there for the taking, waiting for one fighter to seize the moment. That is exactly what Pettis did, snatching victory in once-in-a-lifetime fashion, leaping off of the fence like a scene out of “The Matrix” and smashing Henderson with a flying kick to the head. The mind-blowing last-minute offense sealed the fight for Pettis, who took a unanimous decision and the WEC lightweight title.

No matter what happened in the final frame, or the four rounds before it, it is hard to remember anything other than what has become known as “The Kick.”

Pettis already enjoyed some celebrity before the fight due to his appearance on MTV’s “World of Jenks,” which profiled him prior to his March bout with Danny Castillo. However, “The Kick” took it to another level. The highlight was plastered all over ESPN and other sports outlets and drew massive praise from the sports world, including the likes of Jim Rome. The moment came in at No. 8 on ESPN Sportscenter’s “Plays of the Year.”

Prior to WEC 53, I watched a journalist interview both Henderson and Pettis. They asked Henderson about how he felt he would match up with the UFC’s lightweights after the UFC-WEC merger but declined to ask Pettis the same question. It was a slight that was widespread before the bout, as not many gave Pettis a chance against Henderson, and virtually no one thought he had any serious place among the UFC’s top 155-pounders.

Then, in one instant, Pettis delivered one of the most exciting moments in MMA history and broke out as an incomparably dynamic, emerging star. In 2011, he will fight for the UFC lightweight title, but it is hard to imagine, regardless of what greatness may await him, that any moment will overshadow what he created in the last minute of the last fight of the last WEC show ever.

On entertainment value alone, top to bottom, WEC 53 ranks among the best events of the year. It had high-level action and highlight-reel stoppages, in addition to a “Fight of the Year” candidate in the main event with a where-were-you-when moment in its conclusion. However, it was not just exciting; it was symbolic and sentimental. WEC 53 was not just excitement for excitement’s sake. It was the final thrilling chapter to a book that could not have ended any more fittingly.

Page Two: Comeback Fighter of the Year

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Sherdog’s 2010 All-Violence Team

Violence gets a bum rap.

Treated as a hideous, aberrant beast run amok, it is the scourge of humanity. Assuredly, on any piece of ground on this entire globe, you could never ask someone “Do you like violence?” and get a sincere, affirmative “Yes” without suspicion of that person being a sociopath. There are desk calendars and motivational posters littered with quotes by everyone from Gandhi to Chomsky, characterizing violence as the inhumane refuge of the thoughtless brute, championing a world where the politic of contemplation always triumphs in some cosmic sense over the politic of confrontation.

These people know nothing about true, beautiful violence, because they are not mixed martial arts fans.

MMA offers the best kind of violence possible. Principally, it’s mutually agreed upon; there are typically no innocent bystanders hurt in its fury. However, just as crucially, the sheer depth of techniques available in MMA -- a standard cross or a leaping roundhouse kick off the cage, a snappy guillotine or a flying scissor heel hook -- offers us a true sense of spellbound wonder. It gives us a glimpse of what is athletically possible for one to achieve in combat against another, as well as a stark look into what one’s body can withstand.

Unfortunately, MMA fans, for all their bluster, are a timid bunch. The controversial, politically charged history of MMA created a climate in which the sport’s violence needed to be deemphasized in discourse. In the face of political opposition, the MMA public likes to simply boast of how “skilled” its athletes are and of the sport’s respect and discipline. However, those skills are violent skills. Discipline and respect are necessary functions of its brutal core. People have convinced themselves that, because MMA is not the gladiatorial fight-to-the-death its decriers imagined, it is not violent at all. It is violent, passionately and brilliantly so.

I have watched MMA for going on 12 years, and I am still consistently blown away by the brilliant ways in which high-level fighters can ideate and actualize physical harm against one another. I know I am not unique in my feeling, only in my outspokenness. I know others feel this way, because it is the same fire that was stoked so extravagantly by Anthony Pettis’ mind-blowing kick on Benson Henderson a few weeks ago. That kick caused the MMA world to collectively embrace and celebrate the fundamental difference between this sport and any other.

Thus, I am inspired to reclaim violence for the better. We are entirely too timid and bashful as fans. We applaud a vicious knockout or submission, but act as though the sheer physical risk and toll involved play no part in our thrill. It is all the more absurd in this current era of MMA, an era in which the level of offense has come so far from the sport’s earliest days.

And so, this is the first All-Violence Team, and this is its simple mandate.

What MMA fighters offer the kind of scintillating, highlight reel offense that we so crave? Who produces knockouts and submissions that catch our breath and captivate us, though we never dare say, “How [expletive] awesome was that?” too lustily, for fear of being labeled barbarians.

The All-Violence Team behaves in a similar way to other sports all-star teams. Every weight class, from flyweight to heavyweight, is represented, with each weight class having a first, second and third team. The fighter who demonstrated the most shining examples of violence in competition during the calendar year is considered All-Violence First Team.

Does this list glamorize the most lamentable part of the sport, by championing those who can hurt other athletes in shocking ways? Perhaps, but I would argue that it shows a reverence and appreciation for the scope of MMA’s techniques. Furthermore, recognizing their potentially harmful consequences only reaffirms how truly valiant MMA’s athletes can be.

One might also think this concept would disproportionately reward strikers, discredit the ground game and help cement the notion that people only want to see toe-to-toe action in the cage. However, the greatness in MMA violence comes from the fact that it happens everywhere. A fighter in hot pursuit of a flying submission or viciously elbowing his opponent into submission from full mount is just as valid of an exemplar of MMA’s extraordinary violence as the one-hitter quitter on the feet.

The All-Violence team does not necessarily reward great fighters, though there is crossover. Some of MMA’s pound-for-pound elite are brutal in their execution. Others simply are not potent offensive fighters. Structurally, it is most similar to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team or John Madden’s long-running All-Madden Team, which honored players who exhibited the kinds of idiosyncratic skill and toughness Madden beloved. This list rewards a specific kind of skillset that, regardless of a fighter’s overall accomplishment, signals his successful appeal to a specific truth about MMA that we all love, whether we admit it or not.

Poet Ezra Pound once famously wrote, “The modern artist must live by craft and violence. His gods are violent gods. Those artists, so called, whose work does not show this strife, are uninteresting.” Where others miss the point, Pound understood. It should come as no surprise that he was, in fact, a real fight fan.

Page Two: First Team

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Sherdog’s Submission of the Year

Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

A definitive win compressed into a mere 69 seconds, Fabricio Werdum’s triangle of Fedor Emelianenko on June 26 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., was a reminder that every fighter is beatable when caught up, long enough, in the other guy’s world.

With Emelianenko carrying into the bout the gold standard of career consistency and the mantle of the world’s best heavyweight, Werdum’s finisher resonated across the mixed martial arts world, making it Sherdog’s “Submission of the Year” for 2010.

Werdum’s triangle did more than just snap Emelianenko’s 10-year unbeaten streak. The submission made the most intimidating and overwhelming fighter in the history of the game look thoroughly human.

“I’ve been training that position since I was a white belt,” said Werdum. “It’s a position I’m very comfortable with.”

Werdum added that switching back and forth from the triangle to the arm bar, while a basic technique taught in early jiu-jitsu training, is not something that is acquired overnight.

As a former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships winner in the heavyweight bracket, Werdum’s grappling credentials are top-notch. And going into the bout, his preparation and revamped diet had him weighing a trim 238 pounds, with his confidence soaring.

“The mental and physical preparation came together perfectly,” said Richard Wilmer, Werdum’s manager. “Fabricio was already convinced he won the fight as camp started.”

It could not have played out any better for Werdum.

“I put Fedor in trouble with my best weapon -- my triangle. I took away his balance,” he said. “And when he went in my guard, I knew I was going to win the fight.”

Werdum, like most other top heavyweights, could practice for 10 years and never generate the concussive power Emelianenko generates when unleashing his fists. Outside of a select few heavyweights, few will ever possess the combination of spatial awareness and body control the Russian demonstrates in seemingly wild exchanges, whether it is trading blows or hitting the mat to seize dominant position.

Werdum has basically trained his whole life for people to play the jiu-jitsu game with him, which is why MMA remains the ultimate equalizer and proving ground for combat athletes. He knew he could deliver the upset if only the fight went into his pre-selected groove, on his back, hunting for an opening, a limb, anything available. It happened in the opening moments of the bout, off a sequence that seemed like disaster was unfolding for the seemingly outmatched Brazilian.

As the two began the bout, Emelianenko crept forward, then unleashed six punches, so fast that even on replay it was hard to tell what landed clean and what missed. Werdum fell to his back, but that was part of the plan, he explains. Get it down to the mat, and lure Emelianenko into his world. Play his aggression against him.

“I used it as a setup to pull the fight to the ground,” Werdum said. “With Fedor, you can’t start the fight with a shoot. I felt the right hand come, and then I sat down. His right punch didn’t hit me. Then I dropped and pulled him into my game.”

Emelianenko obliged, diving into Werdum’s guard and making the kind of tiny error that differentiates between great submission artists and everyone else. His left arm was deep in Werdum’s guard, and the Brazilian pounced. Seizing the limb as Fedor attempted to counter an obviously developing triangle-armbar setup, Werdum held tight, rolling underneath the circling Russian to re-establish the critical angle he needed.

“When I feel Fedor was going to try and escape, when he posted up, I could switch the submission to the arm. If he went to down, I could work the triangle,” Werdum said. “I train, so it works out that it puts him in trouble either way.”

After dropping down to the canvas following Emelianenko’s opening-moments salvo, Werdum, who insisted he was not hurt, felt a surge of excitement as the former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder powered ahead into his guard.

“I just dropped down and pulled him into my game,” he said. “A lot of guys fight with Fedor, and they try and exchange. I wanted to put this into [a] jiu-jitsu [contest].”

At that point, even casual fans knew Emelianenko was in serious trouble. Finally, after the triangle was cinched deep, with Werdum yanking down on his head and extending his arm to increase the futility of the position, the great Russian tapped once in a gesture that was understated and humble.

With his penchant for rallying out of bad spots -- whether it was being slammed on his head by Kevin Randleman, drilled into doing the stanky-leg dance against Kazuyuki Fujita or bloodied and thumped up by Brett Rogers -- Emelianenko’s prescription in dealing with such rough spots was always the same, and it was as inevitable as death and taxes.

I’ve been training
that position since
I was a white belt. He simply stormed back and overwhelmed opponents. All the more reason why the Werdum fight was equal parts sobering and stunning, as Emelianenko, for once, never got a chance. Werdum found his opening and pounced, sticking the knife in deep for the kill before Emelianenko could formulate a response.

While other Submission of the Year winners -- 2009 winner Toby Imada’s reverse triangle over Jorge Masdival comes to mind -- have won due to their exotic appeal, this was not one of those. It was a reminder of what an unbeaten streak like Emelianenko’s means in terms of consistency and execution on a fight-by-fight basis. With a record of 32-1 entering the bout, Emelianenko’s high-wire act stood on its own in terms of dodging the inevitable. The fight was a prime example of how many ways there are to lose in a sport where nobody can be the best at the multiple disciplines involved.

Finally, after years of steamrolling opponents and rallying through the occasional dramatic rough spot with his trademark fury, the great Emelianenko was beaten.

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Sherdog’s Knockout of the Year

Robbie Lawler (top) vs. Melvin Manhoef | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Robbie Lawler could barely stand, but he had one good right hand left in him.

Lawler, the inside of his lead leg mangled by a series of vicious kicks, unleashed an overhand right on the unsuspecting Melvin Manhoef in a featured middleweight duel at Strikeforce “Miami” on Jan. 30 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. Home to the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers, the venue had witnessed its share of memorable mixed martial arts violence -- Seth Petruzelli on Kimbo Slice and Benji Radach on Murilo “Ninja” Rua at EliteXC “Heat” in 2008 spring to mind -- but nothing there had approached the Lawler-Manhoef outcome in terms of intensity, drama and utter brutality.

A shade more than three and a half minutes after the fight began, Manhoef lay on his back, that unsettling fifth-dimension stare etched across his face. He was the victim in Sherdog’s “Knockout of the Year” for 2010.

“I was thinking, ‘I have to finish him,’” Lawler said. “I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to continue fighting the way I was, so I just kept pushing and pushing and was able to land a big shot.”

A dozen leg kicks from the Dutchman had slammed into the inside of Lawler’s right knee and thigh by the time it ended. At times, it appeared as if the limb might fly right out of the cage, so brutal were the impacts. Manhoef’s measured attack caught the Lawler camp by surprise.

“We actually expected a more aggressive Manhoef, but he chose to keep great space and throw leg kicks,” said Matt Pena, Lawler’s longtime boxing coach. “It was pretty amazing to see the speed at which he was delivering such powerful shots.

“There was a moment in the fight where Rob winced from twisting his ankle, and I thought in my head for a split second, ‘How is Rob gonna be able to plant and push off that leg?’” Pena added. “We didn’t think Manhoef would take so long to begin to open up with his hands. The first few times that he did, I was pleading for Rob to punch off of the blocked shots, but he didn’t have him quite timed yet and he didn’t want to get careless.”

Lawler knew an opportunity would present itself, if he could withstand the punishment. He had studied Manhoef’s tendencies on film.

“I always look at video for fights, and Rob did, too, for this particular match,” Pena said. “The things that we noticed is how vulnerable Melvin is when he thinks someone is about to go, or when he thinks he’s at a superior striking advantage. He gets overaggressive, overcommits and keeps his chin in the air. When he got KO’d in the past, these were his habits, so we knew if Rob caught him there that he could knock him out.”

Manhoef followed just such a pattern against the former EliteXC middleweight champion. After cracking Lawler with another inside leg kick, he drew his guns and attacked. Figuring his foe was on his way out, Manhoef pawed with a left jab and backed Lawler against the cage. However, in his haste, the K-1 veteran let his guard down as he prepped himself to throw what he undoubtedly believed would be the finishing blows. Lawler capitalized, as he launched a perfectly timed and placed overhand right that wobbled Manhoef and dropped him where he stood.

“I had one of the best seats in the house that night,” Pena said. “When Robbie landed that punch, Manhoef’s neck snapped around to where I saw his eyes as he was falling. I was telling [UFC hall of famer and Lawler cornerman Matt] Hughes that it was over as Melvin hit the ground.”

Manhoef collapsed to his side, foggy as he fell, and Lawler uncorked a devastating standing-to-ground left that rendered him unconscious. Another blow dropped for good measure, as the referee dove into save the defenseless Dutchman from further abuse. Quickly surrounded by cage-side medical personnel, Manhoef did not emerge from his slumber for several tense moments. The triumphant Lawler limped around the cage gingerly, his handiwork at his feet.

“Rob landing that punch definitely sent out a reminder that he, too, is one of the premier power punching fighters in the sport,” Pena said, “but I think it said more about his conditioning and heart.”

Though the outcome was to their liking, Pena admits not all went according to plan.

“In a perfect world, Rob would have gone out there, secured a takedown, grinded Manhoef down to tire him and then knocked him out standing or with some ground-and-pound,” he said. “There’s a moment where you do see Rob look for a shot, but Manhoef kept good space and made Rob feel vulnerable with trying to close the distance. So, Rob made the adjustments and went to Plan B.”

According to Pena, Manhoef himself added fuel to Lawler’s pre-fight fire.

“Even as all the fighters were meeting in the lobby to be shuttled to the event, Manhoef spent 10 minutes mean mugging every member in our camp, trying to intimidate us,” he said. “It’s one thing to try to intimidate your opponent, but to have someone try to intimidate our camp was something new to me. As tight as we all are, I knew that when Robbie saw this going on, it was gonna be a special night.”

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Sherdog’s Guide to ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

Sako Chivitchyan: File Photo/Spike TV

This week begins with the last of the preliminary fights. Dana White thinks Dane Sayers has been ”thrown to the wolves” in facing Sako Chivitchyan, and he might be right. Sayers was outclassed in his opening fight, but he got by on pure guts. White says that Dane isn’t near Sako’s level (or anyone else’s for that matter).

GSP says that it’s by choice that Dane Sayers was held back to fight last. Georges wanted to squeeze in as much training time as he could before putting Sayers back in the cage. Dane was the last fighter chosen and his lack of expertise made him a huge underdog in the eyes of most of his competitors and the coaching staff.

During fight prep, one of Team GSP’s trainers, Jean-Charles Skarbowsky, is trying to tap into what makes Sayers tick by pushing him and telling him that this is his country, and that Koscheck needs his permission to be here. Dane has “red pride” stemming from his Blackfoot and Chippewa Native American heritage. Skarbowski thanks Dane for letting him into America in a gesture meant to either inspire Sayers or possibly create an ally in case the French and Indian War kicks up again.

Meanwhile, Sako’s background is a compelling one. He emigrated from Armenia to LA and became a judo bad ass, which comes as no shock since he is from Gokor Chivichyan's family circle. It hasn’t all been black belts and sunshine for Sako, however, as he was shot in the leg a few years ago by “gangbangers.” Now he’s turned himself around and is trying to join the Parisyans and Gamburyans that have roamed the UFC.

There is also still the matter of the wild card fight. Unlike the past few seasons, more than a few fighters are eager to get that second chance. Spencer Paige is out with a broken hand leaving Jeff Lentz, Andy Main, Marc Stevens and Aaron Wilkinson all eagerly waiting to hear if they will have new life.

Not a week goes by that Josh Koscheck isn’t trying to be a pest to someone on Team GSP, and this week it’s staff medic Brad Tate. Tate comes under fire as the teams file in and out of the training area. Koscheck makes it a point to bump into the big medic.

“You’re a male nurse,” says Koscheck after Tate won’t back down.

An awkward amount of time passes as Tate and Josh stare at each other. Josh continues to point out Tate’s male nurse status. Later, Koscheck tells Brad through the camera that “you’re not a fighter,” adding “I’ll choke your ass out.” .

Eventually Tate leaves the room after sticking around to show that he’s not intimidated, but anyone who’s seen the promos for future episodes knows that this does not end well.

“I’m f---ing Canadian,” says GSP, shaking his head as he walks onto the Las Vegas 51’s baseball field. That's right folks – it's time for the most exciting time in any TUF season: the coaches challenge! It’s that special time when you learn that the titans of MMA can’t dribble a basketball or swing a racket without usually looking like a buffoon.

This time, St-Pierre and Koscheck will face off in what Dana White calls a “batting showdown.” In other words, we don’t expect home runs, but here’s a bat and helmet. Go nuts.

There’s a graduated scoring system with a series of fences starting just outside the infield. The usual brick of cash is put on the line with as well as some extra juice for the winning coach’s team.

Koscheck takes a few awkward cuts before catching up to a some balls and scoring some points. Poor GSP pirouettes after whiffing over and over and is forced to hear Sevak Magakian berate him from the bleachers, proving that America has rubbed off on the Armenian.

Josh’s second round of swings yields a similar score, but then Georges shows why he’s almost superhuman, somehow figuring out baseball in 10 tries and cranking out solid shots, closing the lead.

Impressive. A guy who’s never picked up a bat is only down by a few points going into the last round. Koscheck taps into his youthful muscle memory and starts stroking the ball, doubling his previous point total and putting GSP away for good. Koscheck relishes the win, of course, and his boys whoop it up over the earnings.

With all that out of the way, it’s time for the fight, and in the first round it’s a different Dane Sayers that shows up. Sako chases after Dane, lunging wildly while Dane shrugs him off. “Don’t lock hands with him, Red Horse!” Cries GSP. Every time they tie up, Sayers obeys St-Pierre and stifles the judo master. Shocking that for all his pedigree Sako isn’t imposing his will on Dane. Sayers is even getting the better of it in the clinch and only misses a few takedowns due to “Psycho” grabbing the fence.

It was a close first round, but Sayers' offense was mostly limited to a guillotine attempt at the beginning. In the second round, Sako continues to push the pace, getting a takedown and working some good ground and pound. On their feet, it's a lot of slow dancing only made interesting by the fact that Sayers isn't being dumped on his head. The first round was close, and the second obviously went to Sako, but it seems more people were impressed with Dane’s effort despite Sako’s 20-18 decision win.

Afterward, Dana White doesn’t care about who the coaches want but brings them in anyway. He wants to hear which fighters are his best options for the wild card fight. Koscheck offers Stevens and Wilkinson, and while GSP agrees with Wilkinson, he offers Sayers up as a true work in progress. Dana says “I need the two best guys,” and after their closed-door huddle, DW and the two coaches make their way back into the training area to tell the fighters that they have chosen Marc Stevens and Aaron Wilkinson, rocking the faces of all the hopefuls.

Next week we see the fallout of that choice, and it appears that the beef growing between Koscheck and Team GSP medic Brad Tate will get physical. Make sure to stretch out before reading.

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