Issue 087
November -0001
We asked four different figures from the MMA world their opinions on the pressing matters of the moment
The Fighters
Q1. Rashad Evans will challenge for Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title. What’s the key to defeating the seemingly unbeatable ‘Bones’?
Chris ‘C-MURDER’ Cope
Taking the fight to him and taking him into the fourth or fifth round. He has beaten everyone in the first or second and not been tested in that kind of deep water. If he is beaten in the future, I feel it will be with a submission.
Edson Barboza
I don’t know, man. It’s really hard. Jon Jones is a really tough guy. I think if someone could put him on the floor and do a game on the ground. Maybe it could be a strategy.
Mike Pierce
The key is taking him the distance. His cardio is relatively questionable. He’s still a little inexperienced, so if someone could come in and capitalize on those two things, I think that’s the recipe.
Scott Jorgensen
You’ve got to stop him from doing what he wants. So far, he’s just been able to whatever he wants in the cage.
Q2. Rory MacDonald and Che Mills’ UFC 145 bout in April was planned for nearly four weeks prior. Are fighters affected mentally and physically when bouts are rescheduled?
Chris ‘C-MURDER’ Cope
Some people hate when a fight is delayed, but I personally enjoy it because it gives me more time to train for an opponent. A fight-specific camp should never be more than 10 weeks, in my opinion.
Edson Barboza
I don’t think so. I think the fighters are always training, and they are ready for the fights.
Mike Pierce
It’s never happened to me, but I would imagine it gives them more time to prepare. It might be an advantage, if anything.
Scott Jorgensen
That happened to me once in the WEC. It sucks. You’re counting on that date. You’re priming your body. The guys probably just took a week off and went back to the gym.
Q3. If Alexander Gustafsson picks up another win against ‘Little Nog,’ should he be considered for number-one contendership of Jon Jones’ belt, or is he still untested?
Chris ‘C-MURDER’ Cope
Gustafsson is a great fighter, but personally I feel that a superfight needs to happen either between Anderson Silva and Jones or Georges St Pierre and Anderson Silva. To cement their legacies these matchups need to happen.
Edson Barboza
I don’t know, man. The UFC has to make that call.
Mike Pierce
He’s a guy in that division that’s been relatively underrated lately. It would be nice to see him start getting in the mix.
Scott Jorgensen
I’ve only seen his last fight, so I haven’t seen a lot of him, but I think he probably would need a couple more fights. There are a lot of tough guys in that division.
Q4. With the Olympics coming up this year, how long do you think it will be before MMA is an Olympic sport?
Chris ‘C-MURDER’ Cope
Pankration will be part of the Olympics before MMA – mainly because it appears safer and they can argue that it has been around for thousands of years, where as MMA has not.
Edson Barboza
I don’t know. It could be very interesting. I hadn’t really thought about that possibility.
Mike Pierce
Submission wrestling has a better chance. It would be interesting to see how they would regulate MMA because people would get cuts and injuries. I don’t know how you bounce back from that to win a gold medal.
Scott Jorgensen
No, I don’t think we will. Well, maybe at the amateur level, but right now, no. I don’t think people are ready for it, and it would be real hard to structure tournaments.
Q5. Is there anything that can entirely deter the use of performance-enhancing drugs in MMA?
Chris ‘C-MURDER’ Cope
If random drug tests were given to fighters then that would deter the use of performance enhancing drugs entirely.
Edson Barboza
They do tests before and after the fights already, so I think each one accounts for what it does. I think everyone should be aware about the use of these drugs.
Mike Pierce
Absolutely not. It’s inevitable that you’re always going to have people who try and cheat the system, whether it’s using drugs or doing something else.
Scott Jorgensen
There will always be people that are trying to get an edge. I don’t think you’re ever going to be able to stop it. They haven’t stopped it in baseball, football or anything. Guys are just going to get more tricky about finding ways not to get caught.
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