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411 Fact or Fiction MMA: Will Cormier Fare Better Against Jones?
Welcome back to another edition of 411 Fact or Fiction MMA, and I’m your host, Wyatt Beougher! Last week, the past and current hosts of the 411 Ground and Pound radio show locked horns and discussed the fan campaigns to help Nick Diaz overturn his suspension and pay his fines, Jason Miller’s latest run-in with the law, and more, and when the polls closed, Mark Radulich stood tall, defeating Robert Winfree by a 16-12 margin. Great effort from both guys and if my schedule is correct, we’ll see them both in action once more before the year is out. This week, Jonathan Solomon and Todd Vote are in action, and they’ll be discussing Jon Jones’ reinstatement,
TALE OF THE TAPE
RED CORNER
“Juggernaut” Jonathan Solomon
Contributor/Rankings Compiler, 411 MMA Zone
1-3-0
VS
BLUE CORNER
“The Toddfather” Todd Vote
Contributor, Various 411 Zones
2-2-0
1.) As well as Daniel Cormier has performed in his two subsequent fights against Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson, there is little reason to believe that he will fare any better in a rematch with the newly-reinstated Jon Jones, should that be Jones’ first fight back with the UFC.
Jonathan Solomon FACT Jon Jones was never in any danger when he fought Daniel Cormier in January. DC was impressive in his wins against Rumble Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson, but that means little when you look at a rematch with Jones on paper. What can Cormier do differently that he was unable to accomplish at UFC 182? Nothing. Sure, he may be able to land more effective punches or more takedowns, but why would you assume so? Even with the fact that Jones has been on the sidelines since the beginning of the year, dealing with personal, legal and professional issues, physically he remains the best fighter in the sport. Any type of assumption that he will be slower or less effective upon his return to action is purely conjecture.
Todd Vote: FACT DC has looked fantastic in his last couple of outings, that is true. However, I haven’t seen anything in those two fights to make me think he has anything new to offer in a rematch with Jones. The only way I see this ending well for DC is if Jones has a lot of ring rust to shake off.
2.) In spite of being decimated by injuries, UFC Fight Night 76 ended up being a perfectly acceptable show in terms of action.
Jonathan Solomon FICTION I say that only because I had no idea there was a UFC card Saturday and actually cannot be a solid judge of what did or did not happen. Let me get on my soapbox and say it would have been a tough sell for that show to be promoted as an old Strikeforce Challengers show, let alone anything UFC related.
Todd Vote: PUSH I read the reports on the show, and it seems it went well. However, I don’t have Fight Pass, so I can’t really comment on how acceptable the action was. I will say it was pretty incredible that the card was even able to be salvaged into something presentable.
[Editor’s Note: Fight Night 76 was probably the least important card the UFC has run in quite some time; however, it was also full of fights that were, at minimum, watchable. If you got Fight Pass for quality fights and not for name fighters, it was definitely worth your $10. -W]
3.) After being stripped of his middleweight title for failing to make weight and then losing his subsequent opportunity to recapture it, Scott Coker is right to move Brandon Halsey to the light heavyweight division.
Jonathan Solomon FACT It’s worth a shot, especially if Halsey has had to consistently attempt such a big weight cut as has been talked about (he likely walks around at at least 215 pounds). But, if Halsey is adamant about wanting to stay at 185 pounds, feeling it offers him the best opportunity to succeed, then I’d support allowing him one last chance. If he were to then fail to make weight a second time or lose, he would have nothing to gain by not moving up to light heavyweight.
Todd Vote: FACT If the fighters show repeatedly that they can’t make weight, I think the promoter has every right to step in and lay down the law, so to speak. With the IV ban, making weight safely has become an even bigger issue for some that fight well below their natural weight. If Coker feels this is hindering Halsey’s ability to fight at his full potential, he is making the right call. Halsey can accept it or go elsewhere.
SWITCH!
4.) By continuing to disparage the UFC and specifically their deal with Reebok, Tim Kennedy is only decreasing the chances of getting a fight with Nick Diaz, Anderson Silva, or Vitor Belfort.
Todd Vote: FICTION Not necessarily, no. If there is one thing we know about the UFC, they will absolutely make a fight if they feel it will make them money. If Kennedy can gain himself a bit of a following for being outspoken, the UFC will give him a fight. I’m guessing he can probably throw any hopes of an individual Reebok sponsorship out the window though.
Jonathan Solomon FICTION While it appears like his public attitude towards Reebok does nothing but harm his UFC career, I’m not so sure it plays a role in why he (apparently) is not being offered such fights. Anderson Silva’s rumored return fight in the spring will be against Michael Bisping (who despite losing to Kennedy in 2014, is 2-0 this year). Nick Diaz is serving a multi-year suspension from Nevada for his multiple drug test failures and Vitor Belfort is about to fight Dan Henderson in less than two weeks. Kennedy has talked about wanting to fight Lyoto Machida and why not, he would be a favorite to beat the former UFC champion who is 3-3 as a middleweight. I am assuming the UFC is offering him fights but whether they’re match-ups against “name” fighters or exactly what caliber of UFC middleweight they are, do we have any way of knowing?
5.) At the same time, it is hard to disagree with Kennedy that the relationship between the UFC and Reebok has been a failure, with the most recent gaffe being the UFC Ireland shirt that failed to include Northern Ireland on the map of a country in advance of this past weekend’s show.
Todd Vote: FACT It’s been horrible. The designs are incredibly generic, the uniforms caused wardrobe malfunctions for one unlucky female fighter the very first time out, and, most recently, the Ireland shirt was completely unacceptable – how did that make it to stores? I think it is safe to call the deal a big failure.
Jonathan Solomon FACT Oh, there’s not any doubt that the UFC/Reebok relationship has been a large disappointment. There has not been a single situation where I have seen someone on the street wearing a UFC uniform and why would I? The UFC uniform does not look like anything I would want to plunk down $100-$200 for. Every jersey looks the same and unless you are a fan of a particular fighter, why would you ever consider spending that kind of money on a top? Then, it seems most of the public reaction centers around unhappy fighters who talk about how their sponsorship money has disappeared. Either that, or the errors by Reebok whether it was misspelling fighter names or misprinting the country of Ireland most recently.
6.) Rampage Jackson is right – Jon Jones uses kicks to the knees that could cause permanent damage to his opponents is bad for the sport.
Todd Vote: FICTION What attack is there in this sport that doesn’t have the potential to cause permanent damage? I remember having a conversation about this a couple years back; Carlos Condit uses the same kick. They use it as sort of a jab to find and keep their range. As with any legal strike, it is your job to avoid them, or put yourself in a position where your opponent can’t utilize them. If they are bad for the sport, so are foot stomps, elbows to the temple, and numerous other strikes that could cause permanent damage.. Hell, every time you get knocked out, you risk far greater permanent damage than these kicks to the knee cause.
Jonathan Solomon FICTION I have more of an issue with Jones’ penchant for eye pokes than the kicks to his opponents’ knees over the years. Rampage claims Jones has injured several fighters (saying his own knee has never been the same since he fought Jones years back) and I’m not sure the evidence is there to support his statement. While Jackson may not be alone in his sentiment (Rashad Evans and Ben Rothwell have both said they wished oblique kicks were banned), how is the technique different than trying to break a bone or tear ligaments with a submission hold? As Jones is not the only fighter to use the technique (he’s only the most popular), I would hope trainers today are showing their fighters (and particularly those who will be training to fight Jones or other Jackson-Winkeljohn fighters) how to defend such attacks.
So who won? Did Solomon flatten Todd like his nickname would suggest, or did Todd move to 3-0 since changing his nickname? You’ve got until midnight eastern on Saturday to vote, so make sure you make your voice heard!
And that’s it for today, but we’ll be back next week with another contest! As always, if there’s anything you’d like to see featured in a future edition, leave your statement in the comments and I’ll add it in. Let me know what you thought in the comments or on Twitter. And please, be sure to vote!
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