Issue 080
October 2011
SONNEN: I SHOULD BE UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION
Outspoken middleweight Chael Sonnen has stated he feels he should be the current owner of the UFC middleweight title, not incumbent champion Anderson Silva. Sonnen unsuccessfully challenged for Silva’s belt at UFC 117 last year, submitting to a fifth-round triangle after putting on a ground ‘n’ pound clinic against the Brazilian for four rounds. “I should be the reigning champion,” offered Sonnen during an appearance on an online radio show. “I punch a guy 300 times, he punches me a couple and they call him the champion? In what parallel universe does that make you the winner? I am the champion.”
Sonnen, who was recently matched against Brian Stann for a bout at UFC 136 in Houston, Texas, also addressed Silva’s statements after their fight that he competed with injured ribs. “Anderson’s ribs have the exact same problem that his hands and his feet have, they’re attached to a cowardly person. For Anderson to say that he wasn’t 100%, I completely believe him. Who cares? But, yeah, do I think his ribs where hurt? Sure. Why would I think they weren’t? He’s the only one who could tell if they were hurt.”
PENN WANTS NO BELTS OR JUDGES, JUST DRAWS AND FINISHES
Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn has come up with an intriguing alternative to the current MMA judging system. The Hawaiian spoke out via a video on his personal website and suggested judges should be taken out of the process and only have fights end with a stoppage or a draw should time run out.
“Get rid of the belts, get rid of the judges, first thing, right off the bat,” said Penn. “Any fight that goes to a decision should just be an automatic draw… The only way you can win a fight is by finishing your guy, the only way you can lose is by getting finished.”
Currently bouts are decided via boxing’s 10-point must system where a round winner is decided based on effective striking, grappling, aggression and cage control. Penn, 16-7-2, recently fought to a draw against Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in February.
The welterweight’s theory also extended into an adjusted pay structure in order to encourage finishes. “You put all the guys with the most draws on the bottom of the pay scale,” explained Penn. “You put all the guys with the most wins and least losses and least draws at the top of the pay scale and you fit it down the middle accordingly. No one will want to go to decision, no one will try to fight for points because you can’t win unless you finish the guy. Then we really find out who the best is.”
JAPANESE STANDOUT HATSU HIOKI TO UFC
Nippon featherweight warrior Hatsu Hioki has signed to the UFC. The 24-4-2 former Shooto 143lb champion is widely considered to be one of the best featherweights in the world and still in his prime, unlike fellow recent Japanese imports. The Nagoya-based grappler holds wins over Mark Hominick and Jeff Curran as well as Britons Jeff Lawson and Ronnie Mann. The UFC expressed interest in Hioki as early as February this year, although only finished negotiations with the 28-year-old this summer.
TRIGG, VILLASENOR FACE WATSON, MILLS AT BAMMA 7
UFC vet Frank Trigg will challenge for Tom ‘Kong’ Watson’s BAMMA middleweight belt at the British organization’s seventh event in Birmingham, UK, September 10th. They will headline a card that sees road warrior Joey Villasenor make his 170lb debut against long-touted Briton Che Mills. Trigg’s (21-8) last outing, a doctor stoppage first-round win, was on the undercard of Watson’s (14-4) round-three knockout of Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua in May. Villasenor (27-8-1) will be looking for his first win in two years against Mills (13-4) who matched his countryman’s knockout ‘W’ on the same BAMMA 6 card.
In 2009 the Affliction promotion offered Brett Rogers $500,000 to fight Fedor Emelianenko as a late replacement for Josh Barnett. However, by the time Strikeforce permitted ‘Grim’s participation the event was cancelled
$40m
Amount in revenue for Toronto businesses as a result of UFC 129 being staged in the Canadian city
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