Wrestlers Galore at UFC 117
by Vince on Jul.25, 2010, under UFC
UFC 117 is shaping up to be (hopefully) a good event to watch.
You have Silva VS Sonnen. Will it finally be Silva’s time to lose his belt? Is he going to taunt and play around with Sonnen like he did with Maia? Will Sonnen be able to cash the check that his month has been writing for him? It will be interesting to see how everything will play out.
UFC 117 is also full of former college wrestling stand outs. Something that is always close to my heart seeing as that I was a wrestler also. Phi Davis is replacing Stanislav Nedkov and will be fighting Rodney Wallance. Davis is a blue belt in BJJ and was a former standout wrestler from Penn State where he was a Div. 1 national champion. He is currently 2-0 in the UFC right now and 6-0 as a pro. Wallance hasn’t had any luck lately in the UFC and is 0-2.
Next up is Johny Hendrick. He was a GREAT wrestler for Oklahoma State where he was a 2x Div 1 Champ. Currently he is 8-0 as a Pro. He will be going up against Charlie Brenneman who is 12-1 and was a Div. 1 college wrestler also.
It goes with out saying but then there is Matt Hughes. A legend in his own right, who keeps on coming at you like no other. He has been fighting for the UFC since all the way back to UFC 22. For those that don’t know…that was over 10 years ago.
Finally(and I know this post has been short) but I want to talk about the Roy Nelson VS Dos Santos Fight. I have a strong disliking of Roy Nelson ever since seeing him on TUF. He is big and fat and lazy IMO. I am not even sure how he was able to get a fight with Junior but it is happening. I would like nothing more than to see Junior crush him like he has crushed the rest of his opponents. With a win I hope that the power that be will set up a match with Carwin.
Hell I would settle for a round robin with Carwin, Dos Santos, Velasquez and of course Brock.
And As Always,
Keep on Rocking!
Proper Strength Training Is Often Overlooked
by Vince on Jul.14, 2010, under Training Tips
One thing that seems to be over looked is proper strength training and conditioning. Proper strength training and conditioning can mean a few different things to people so lets go over them.
The first thing that fighters need to realize is that strength training is absolutely necessary for fighting. While, it is not a magic pill(like it is for Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin haha), it is still something that you need to put some time into. Far to often people will focus on just technique. While, I can’t argue against the fact that technique will beat strength 90% of the time, what happens when you meet someone that has the same skill level as you?
All things being equal in terms of skill, chances are that who ever is stronger and more in shape is going to win. It really is that simple.
Another thing that needs to be talked about is lifting in regards to strength training. Most guys will focus on the regular lifts..I.E. bench press and squats. While there is nothing better for raw strength than those exercises you are missing out on many different kinds of exercises for explosive strength.
Being a fighter means that you want to have explosive strength. Have a bunch of raw strength that makes you slow as a snail is useless. You want to be able to quickly explode. Hitting your opponent before he even knows what happens to him. Speed is king here. Powerful speed(=speed+strength) is a killer. There are many exercises that will train your muscles to move quickly and powerfully. Plyometrics are a great example of that. Sprinting is another example of training your fast twitch muscle.
I am also trying to learn more stuff. My perspective is that the only time I will stop learning is when I die. You can learn something from everyone. It doesn’t matter if he is a world champion in Wrestling or he has only boxed for a day. Everyone has a story and can help you out in some way. Because of this thirst for knowledge, I am always trolling around the web to find stuff I can use to get better.
That is how I came across Eric Wong. Eric currently trains some guys with the UFC and is their personal strength coach. I would recommend checking out his site. He might be able to offer you some insight to your strength training program like he has for me.
And as always,
Keep on Rockin!
Brock Wins!!
by Vince on Jul.06, 2010, under UFC
1. Brock Lesnar is the world’s best heavyweight: The UFC champion’s detractors have been on his case from the moment he entered the company. First, he was “just a pro wrestler,” despite his pedigree as an NCAA wrestling champion. When he won the title from Randy Couture in just his fourth pro fight, all of the sudden Couture was “too old.” When Lesnar beat Frank Mir and avenged his only loss, all of the sudden Mir was “overrated.” Lesnar’s five pro wins now include two over former UFC champs and a comeback victory for the ages over the sport’s heaviest hitter. Fedor Emelianenko tapped away the No. 1 heavyweight slot last week. Cain Velasquez, Lesnar’s next opponent, is impressive and boasts a solid record, but he does not have Lesnar’s quality of opposition to his credit. So until someone takes the belt off his waist, Lesnar is the world’s undisputed best at 265.
I don’t know if I can agree with this comment. Brock has won, but mainly because is he a big fast unstoppable brute. I think part of the problem I have with him is that from a technical stand point he is not so good, but then again you don’t have to be a technique wizard to blow people away. Perhaps I am just being a big biased.
2. Questions answered: Before Saturday night, we knew Lesnar could get the job done as a front-runner. But we didn’t know whether he’d sink or swim when he hit deep waters. Lesnar conclusively answered the question of whether he has a chin by taking all the sledgehammer-throwing Carwin could dish out. Then he kept his composure while Carwin punched his way into fatigue. And the relative smoothness with which he transitioned into position after taking Carwin down in the second round and applied the arm triangle suggests that he’s a fast learner and that he’ll likely keep getting better. Add that all up and you’ve got not only a statement performance, but the most memorable come-from-behind victory in a UFC title fight since Matt Hughes took out Frank Trigg at UFC 52.
This was definitely a come back, in fact one for the ages. I wouldn’t say that he kept his composure while fighting Carwin during the first round, you could tell he for sure did not want to stand up with Carwin but didn’t do much in the way of trying to get the fight to the ground. He had one or two shots that Carwin was able to stuff that is all.
3. Back to the drawing board: Let’s not write off Shane Carwin. His first-round onslaught would have finished nearly anyone in the game. Carwin now knows that to get to the top, he’s going to have to find a way to come up with a Plan B when his strikes alone don’t get the job done. The great ones find a way to rebound from adversity, and while it’s too soon to call Carwin “great,” don’t rule out the idea that he can still get there. A fight with the loser of the upcoming Junior dos Santos-Roy Nelson fight might make sense as a next foe.
I completely agree with this. I think that both fighters have a ways to go. Carwin should be able to make a come back. Just give him some time to go back to the drawing board learn from his mistakes and then try to make another run at the title. Many times guys like him win so much they get sloppy or they don’t learn things that they should know. Once they lose then they realize that they need to work on things. What was once a weak weight class, is now stacked. Brock, Velasquez, Carwin, and dos Santos are great fighters. I think they should be put in a round robin and just go at it.
*Quotes from Dave Doyle @ yahoo.
Are You Excited For UFC 116? I know I am!
by Vince on Jun.29, 2010, under Uncategorized
Brock VS Carwin!
There is a very divided discussion on who is going to win the match. Some are saying that Carwin is going to win because he hasn’t lost before and is a force to be reckoned with. Brock on the other hand hasn’t really shown much of fighting technique. He is just stupidly strong and unbelievably fast. Personally I want Carwin to win. He seems to be a much better fighter overall. He has had his jaw tested out and he can take a punch. Not to mention those nasty bombs he throws.
I have to say that if this fight was to take place when it was supposed to I would have giving Carwin the shot. Now, though I am not so sure about that. From all appearances it seems like Brock is a new man. He recently came back from a life threatening illness. He has changed his eating habits and his views on life. He also has hired Couture to come in and train him. He is taking all the right steps a champion would do.
Either way this is going to be a great fight! I can’t wait!
Don’t have enough time?
by Vince on Mar.17, 2010, under UFC
The notion of “spare time” has always been a relative term for heavyweight contender Shane Carwin.
“I just feel really blessed,” Carwin said. “The family’s expanding, and that’s a good thing. My family are going to be the ones that are around the rest of my life, and that’s exciting to me.”
The 6-foot-2, 265-pound father of two juggles a fulltime job as a mechanical engineer at the North Weld County Water District in Lucerne, Colo., with another as a professional mixed martial artist in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Today, while discussing his interim title fight with fellow heavyweight Frank Mir at UFC 111, Carwin said he’s been given time off from his day job to prepare for the March 27 fight. But he’ll keep the office gig as long as possible – or until other opportunities arise.
He likes juggling the two disparate careers.
“I take pride in when people ask me about the whole fighting thing.” Carwin (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in an exclusive interview. “‘Are you going to take time off? Are you going to quit your job?’ I take pride in being a contributing member of society and going to work every day. It’s something I love to do.”
The biggest fight of Carwin’s life is approaching, and he seems to be busier than ever. His calendar for Tuesday read something like this: work out, spar, and participate in the UFC conference call. Go to work for a few hours. Go to wrestling practice. Go home for a late dinner. Spend time with his family.
“Then I’ll get up and do it again tomorrow,” Carwin said. “That’s just how my day is structured.”
He said it’s been this way since he began fighting professionally almost five years ago. There is little time to sit still, and none of it is spent without purpose.
In addition to his current duties, Carwin has a newborn daughter, Alexis, who is three weeks old tomorrow. His mother-in-law lives with the family and takes care of the baby in the wee hours to give him much-needed rest. But Carwin misses his daddy duties.
“In two weeks, I get to take over those responsibilities, and that’s something I enjoy,” he said. “I had the pleasure to stay up with her a couple nights. She’s been a little fussy, and sitting in the rocking chair with her and falling asleep are things that I look forward to as well.”
If healthy, the winner of Carwin vs. Mir will likely get a crack at heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 on July 3.
Although he’s doing the work of two people, Carwin won’t go so far as to agree with UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen’s recent statements that most MMA fighters are lazy. He has, however, come to realize there will come a point in which it’s too difficult to manage his hectic life.
But thankfully, because he has two incomes, his priority is less based in security than what he truly wants to do.
“It’s always been something that my wife and I have communicated about, and fighting is something I’ve chosen to do because I love to do it, and it’s something I find fun and competitive,” Carwin said. “We always said it would never be for money. That’s kind of the same path that we’ve taken.
“If it becomes stressful on me and it doesn’t become fun, I’ll move on. I’ll find something else that I can do in my spare time. There’s things that I want to do in engineering, so I think there’s other opportunities out there for me, too.”
Eventually, he wants to start a business in water management. He doesn’t want to work for the city forever, and he doesn’t want to fight into his 40s.
“Our company is on the cutting edge of technology in mapping and engineering and hydraulic models that we’ve developed with a minimal amount of people,” Carwin said. “We’ve gone around to conferences, and people have been amazed about what we’ve been able to do as a small water district.”
That’s a ways down the road, though. Despite wall-to-wall days of activity, he’s having fun. Really.
I came across this article by Steven Marrocco at MMAjunkie.com.
It kind of puts things in perspective. I don’t know how many times I hear people saying that they don’t have enough time. Heck, even I say that, but at the end of the day I know it is an excuse for poor time management. Take Shane Carwin for example. Tell me what you think after reading this article.
Challenges when cutting weight
by Vince on Mar.17, 2010, under Training Tips
Cutting weight is a part of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Boxing and Wrestling; like it our not it is here to stay. There are a few different reasons why you might want to cut weight; there is someone in your current weight class that you can’t beat, there is someone in a lower weight class that you want to challenge, you could be too small for your current weight, or you might want a to have a size advantage. Whatever your reason for cutting weight, there is no reason to do it wrong or mental break from it.
The first thing that you should know is that starving yourself is never what you should do. We get our energy from the foods that we eat. At the very minimum we have to eat a certain amount of calories in a day just to provide us with enough energy to keep the body going. If you stave yourself, your body goes into ketosis. When your body enters ketosis it starts to eat your lean muscle tissues for energy. This leads you to become weaker and smaller. Since your body is eating your lean muscle mass all that time in the gym getting stronger will go to waste. In addition, you will have no energy to work out.
I prefer to cut my weight slowly over a week or during a couple of days rather than cutting it all at once. The massive weight cuts are hard on your body and you will waste a lot of time and energy in making the weight. When this happens you are more excited to make the weight than you are to compete. Remember that making weight is only the first battle you will have for your match. You should be focusing on your fights/matches rather than how much weight you need to lose.
The hard part of the weight cutting is the mental game. I have known many guys that have broken mentally under the massive stress of trying to make weight. When you go for days or weeks with out properly eating or drinking, it is more than enough to make you go crazy/ loose your discipline. The key here is to maintain your discipline. How can you do that? Some helpful hints are; remembering why you are cutting weight- to participate in your sport. Like they say in wrestling…. if you don’t weigh-in, you don’t wrestle. Another way is consistency. Try to eat at the same time everyday with the same foods. Have it preplanned out and don’t stray from it. In doing so you won’t have to worry about what you are going to eat when you get back from practice, you already know. Focusing on something rather than food is going to help you out tremendously. Don’t give in to the temptations of binge eating or drinking liquids.
If you have never cut weight before then be aware of some the side effects that are going to happen. You are going to become apathetic to most things. You will also have a short fuse. The slightest thing can send you over the edge. Things will annoy you that have never annoyed you before. You will experience cotton-mouth like you have never had before and your lips will be in a constant state of being chapped. Chewing gum will help with the cotton mouth and chap-stick will help with the chapped lips. You are also going to have to push past the voice in your head that will tell you to stop. It is telling you that it is tired and hungry, but by having a strong mind you can over come it and not listen to it. Being mental strong will help you over come the difficulty of making weight.
Results of UFC 110
by Vince on Feb.21, 2010, under UFC
The results of UFC 110!
MAIN CARD
Cain Velasquez defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via KO at 2:20 of Round 1.
In a brutal series of punches, Cain was first able to knock down Nogueira, then once on the ground he quickly landed 5 unanswered blows to the face. It was a brutal right hand punch from Velasquez that sealed the deal. Velasquez improved his record to 8-0 and solidified his claim as the UFC’s #1 heavyweight contender. It is said that to become a legend you have to beat a legend. And boy did he.
Wanderlei Silva defeated Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (scores of 29-28).
In a fight that seemed to be back an forth all match Wanderlei was able to come out the victor. This fight was mainly a striking battle and seemed to be decided at the very last moments of the fight when Silva unleashed a furry of punches at the final bell that made it appear to stop Bisping in his tracks. It should be noted that Silva looked much different than before because of his nose surgery and his dropping down to 185.
George Sotiropoulos defeated Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (with scores of 30-27).
George was able to control the entire fight. There were some blows traded in the beginning of the fight but most of the fight was fought on the ground. With George’s ground work controlling Stevenson for the whole fight.
Ryan Bader defeated Keith Jardine via KO at 2:10 of Round 3.
Ryan looked like he won the first round of the fight, however, during Round 2 he seemed to lose any momentum he had. While in the third round he appeared to be a bit gassed. This changed when a punch landed on Jardine that rocked him. Seeing that the punch had rocked Jardine, Bader quickly followed up with a nice flying knee and a crushing left hand that ended the fight.
Mirko Cro Cop defeated Anthony Perosh via TKO (corner stoppage) at the end of Round 2.
Anthony Perosh….Can take a lot of punishment! He wasn’t much of a fight for Cro Cop but he keep getting up and taking the abuse. In the second round Cro Cop landed a sharp left elbow that cut open Perosh. It started bleeding immediately and profusely. There was blood everywhere. After it was apparent that the cut wouldn’t stop bleeding the corner called the match.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Krzysztof Soszynski defeated Stephan Bonnar via TKO (cut) at 1:04 of Round 3.
Chris Lytle defeated Brian Foster via submission (knee-bar) at 1:41 of Round 1.
C.B. Dollaway defeated Goran Reljic via unanimous decision (scores of 29-28).
James Te Huna defeated Igor Pokrajac via TKO (strikes) in Round 3.
Results of UFC 109
by Vince on Feb.07, 2010, under UFC
On the Main Card
Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman
Round 1Couture starts the action with a stiff jab. Couture lands a solid right hand. Couture lands a good uppercut and Coleman counters with a big uppercut of his own. Coleman lands a good jab but seems very stiff and uncomfortable with his footwork. Couture lands some powerful shots and a big knee that rocks Coleman. Now Couture has Coleman pressed up against the fence and is testing Coleman’s cardio. Couture is working his vintage dirty boxing on Coleman and controlling his 45-year old fellow Hall of Famer. Couture lands solid uppercuts from the wrestlers’ clinch while keeping Coleman up against the cage. Couture is really doing damage with these uppercuts. A great start for Couture as he takes the first round decisively.
Round 2
Couture is picking Coleman apart standing. Couture takes Coleman down and is now pummeling away from the top. Couture takes Coleman’s back and chokes him out with a rear-naked choke.
• Couture wins by second-round submission.
Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
Round 1
Sonnen immediately tries to take Marquardt down. Sonnen has Marquart up against the fence but Marquardt gets back to the center. Sonnen gets the takedown but Marquardt locks in a guillotine. Sonnen escapes and is now working from the top position. Sonnen is landing some good strikes from the top including some vicious elbows. Maruqardt is surprisingly being controlled early on by Sonnen and is having difficulty from the bottom. Marquardt gets back to his feet and lands a flying knee, Sonnen takes the knee and gets the takedown once again. Sonnen is landing elbows and dominating Marquardt on the ground with his overwhelming wrestling base. Marquardt is showing a good defensive guard but is not able to be offensive from his back and is getting beat on by Sonnen’s ground and pound. Sonnen dominates the first round.
Round 2
Sonnen takes Marquardt to the ground the instant the round starts and is landing powerful strikes from the top. Marquardt looks for a kimura but Sonnen fights out of it. This should surprise a lot of people as Sonnen is imposing his will on the man ranked second overall in the middleweight division. Marquardt lands an elbow from the bottom and cuts Sonnen wide open; blood is gushing out. Sonnen is bleeding badly but is still able to control the action. Sonnen appears to have won the second round.
Round 3
Sonnen gets the takedown again early in the round. He is overwhelming Marquardt with his powerful wrestling base and vicious ground and pound. Sonnen grabs hold of Marquardt’s back, lands a few knees before taking him down yet again. Sonnen is absolutely manhandling Marquardt and seems to be well on his way to earning a shot at the UFC middleweight championship. Marquardt does not have an answer for Sonnen’s top control. Marquardt gets back to his feet, Sonnen takes him down again and gets caught in a tight guillotine choke. Marquardt comes very close to finishing but Sonnen escapes. Marquardt rolls Sonnen over and is now on top for the first time in this fight. Marquardt is picking things up toward the very end of the fight but it won’t be enough.
• Sonnen wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 20-27, 30-27).
Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago
Round 1
Swick comes out and misses an inside leg kick. Thiago keeping a tight defense with his hands held high. Thiago lands a head kick and Swick lands a counter punch. Swick tries a 1-3 followed by a 1-2-3 combination. Not much action as the welterweights are trying to find their range on the feet. Swick connects with a good right hand but it doesn’t seem to hurt Thiago. Swick lands an inside leg kick. Thiago comes forward and lands a very powerful leg kick. Crowd is booing, not much is going on in this round. Thiago misses a head kick attempt and the two continue feeling each other out. Swick surprisingly takes Thiago down and is working from the top position. Swick likely steals the round with the takedown at the end.
Round 2
Thiago lands a good outside leg kick early on. Thiago rocks Swick with a powerful right hook, Swick goes down. Thiago follows him to the ground and locks in a tight darce choke to finish Swick.
• Thiago wins by submission.
Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller
Round 1
Miller comes out and throws a 1-2 but misses. The two grapplers are feeling each other out in the standup. Miller counters Maia with a good uppercut. Maia shoots for a double leg, Miller defending up against the fence. Maia still looking for the takedown, pushing Miller up against the cage. Miller lands a knee and separates, and the two are back in the middle. Maia takes Miller down but Miller scrambles and gets back to his feet. Maia lands some good strikes and an accidental knee to the groin. The action is stalled. After a few moments of feeling each other out on the feet, Maia pushes Miller up against the cage getting the takedown once again but again Miller gets back to his feet. Close round, could have went either way.
Round 2
Maia’s striking looks much improved in this fight. Rather than the grappling chess match most expected, the two black belts are standing and trading blows. Maia seems to be landing the crisper shots this round. Miller lands a hard inside leg kick and then moments later follows up with an outside leg kick. Maia looking to land his big left hand and has Miller backpedaling. Maia continues pressing forward and is outstriking Miller. Not much is going on but it is clear that Maia has the advantage standing up.
Round 3
After a few moments standing and trading, Maia pushes Miller up against the cage looking for a takedown but it is stuffed by Miller. Miller clipped Mia, but Maia is back up and finally gets Miller to the ground. Miller is looking to wall walk but Maia controls from the top position. Miller gets back up to his feet, but not for long as Maia takes him down yet again. Miller is being controlled by Maia on the ground. Maia is softening Miller up with strikes as Miller looks to elevate Maia and get the fight back to the feet but to no avail. Miller is attempting a submission with thirty seconds left but Maia escapes. It was a close fight but Maia controlled all three rounds.
• Maia wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg
Round 1
Serra comes out and lands a body shot. Both fighters feeling each other out on their feet. Trigg lands a combination that doesn’t faze Serra. Serra is looking for body strikes but not landing. Serra throws a head kick but doesn’t land flush. Serra continues throwing body strikes and is landing some of them, doing a good job controlling the action on the feet. Serra lands an inside leg kick. Serra lands a thunderous overhand right and follows up with power punches knocking Trigg out cold.
• Serra wins by first-round KO.
Undercard results
• Joey Beltran def Rolles Gracie via TKO (punches), Round 2.
• Chris Tuchscherer def. Tim Hague via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28).
• Phil Davis def. Brian Stann via unanimous decision (no scores given).
• Robert Emerson def. Phillipe Nover via unanimous decision (no scores given).
• Melvin Guillard def Ronys Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Mac Danzig def Justin Buccholz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
With Credit to Mitch Ciccarelli from Inside Fights for the updates. I was unable to get out of my house on Saturday night due to 2 feet of snow being dumped on to my city overnight on Friday. Not to mention I wasn’t able to go to my Training session on Saturday morning. Oh well, some times you win, and some times you lose. You can’t always win…unless your name is Cael Sanderson. Ha
Keep on rockin
Walker Silences Haters.
by Vince on Feb.01, 2010, under StrikeForce
Kevin Iole a writer from Yahoo sports had this to say about Hershle Walker’s Fight,
SUNRISE, Fla. – He didn’t look remotely ready to face an elite mixed martial arts fighter. He didn’t even seem nearly ready, to be honest, to face an MMA neophyte like Bobby Lashley.
“MMA is not a sport to be taken lightly by anyone, not even a great athlete. And this guy did it the right way. He came to a serious gym. He could have gone to Hollywood, anywhere he wanted, but he came to San Jose, California. … He showed a lot of respect for the game and he showed what a terrific athlete he is. I’ll tell you what, I’d vote for him for president if he decided to run. That’s what I think of him.”
But for all the flaws in his game, real and imagined, that were on display Saturday at the BankAtlantic Center, Herschel Walker did himself proud.
There aren’t too many 47-year-olds this side of Randy Couture who could do what the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner did Saturday in stopping Greg Nagy at 2:17 of the third round in his MMA debut.
Walker’s conditioning was superb and he was barely breathing hard when he got off Nagy after referee Troy Waugh had seen enough and stopped the bout. Contrast that with the performance of about half the cast of Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” heavyweights who seemed to gas literally 30 or 45 seconds into the fight.
Walker was stiff and wooden in his standup and was clearly uncertain what to do when the fight went to the ground. He had at least a half-dozen opportunities for submissions that he was unable to convert.
Those who want to criticize him will point to those failings as reasons why he should not have been featured on the televised portion of the card.
That, though, is short-sighted thinking and misses the point of what Walker was able to accomplish Saturday. Walker has long been a martial artist – he has a sixth-degree black belt in taekwondo – and decided to try to fight in MMA as a way to challenge himself.
He treated the sport, his opponent, the media and the fans with the utmost respect. He prepared at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., one of the elite camps in the country, and worked as hard or harder than any of the camp’s many MMA stars he worked alongside.
The promotion for the fight card – which featured three quality matches – was nearly all about Walker. He was on “The Howard Stern Show” and SportsCenter and in newspapers across the country.
Nearly all of those outlets would have ignored the card had Walker not been a part of it.
Walker brought much attention to the skills of Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, who stopped Marius Zaromskis in the first round for the belt in Saturday’s main event. He provided a platform for Cris “Cyborg” Santos and Marloes Coenen, who waged a terrific three-round battle that Santos won for the women’s lightweight belt.
And he brought eyeballs to Robbie Lawler’s stunning first-round knockout of Melvin Manhoef.
More people watched the Showtime broadcast because of Walker. You can go to the bank on that.
And while Walker didn’t cover himself in glory if you insist on comparing him to accomplished MMA fighters like Fedor Emelianenko or even the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s 46-year-old Couture, his effort needs to be put in context.
Walker didn’t train in MMA for the first time until November. If you expected him to look polished and complete, you are either naive or a fool.
“He was well-schooled, which you could tell,” promoter Scott Coker said. “He got out of the transitions well. He did some good standup, some good leg kicks. He wrestled well. He controlled the guy well. And he didn’t gas. His conditioning was unbelievable.”
His trainer, Javier Mendez, was comparing Walker’s conditioning to the UFC’s Cain Velasquez, who might be the most well-conditioned big man in the sport. Velasquez could probably fight five 10-minute rounds if he needed to, and Mendez put Walker in the same league.
“He said, ‘This guy can go as much as Cain in the gym,’ ” Coker said. “He said, ‘His gas tank is as big as Cain’s.’ This was his journey to test himself and he did it.”
Walker picked apart his game, noting more of the mistakes he made than the good things he did. But he was clearly proud. He didn’t have the disastrous ending like other former athletes who tried MMA, guys like ex-NFL receiver Johnnie Morton or ex-baseball player Jose Canseco.
He didn’t beat a world-class guy. He’s not causing Fedor any sleepless nights. But he’s 1-0 and if he never fights again, he’ll always have that one in the win column.
And despite all the interviews, the short preparation time and the high expectations, Walker was relaxed. He never got tense and he wasn’t at all a basket of nerves.
“You’re going to be shocked by this, but not at all,” Walker said when asked if the pressure bothered him. “There was no pressure and the reason why was I really thought the people at AKA prepared me for it. The fighters at the gym, everyone there, they prepared me for this. What I had to do was just go in the ring and do it.
“I’ve loved (MMA) for about four years. This isn’t something I just decided I wanted to do. It’s something I’ve thought about for over four years. I want to thank Scott Coker and Strikeforce and Showtime for putting it on so my family back home could see it, but this is something I’ve loved for a long time.”
Coker said he didn’t sign off on putting Walker onto the card until he watched him train one day. He wanted to make sure it would not be an embarrassment.
Walker wrestled with a former collegiate wrestler and more than held his own, stuffing most of the takedown attempts, Coker said. He grappled with a heavyweight who has a jiu-jitsu background and got submitted several times.
As his teammates and coaches shouted instructions, Walker finally had enough. He put his hands on his opponent’s chest and stomach and essentially bench-pressed him.
“I do remember that,” Walker said of the practice session that ultimately convinced Coker he was ready. “The guy was about 265 pounds and he was doing some things. What is funny is, we were rolling and working on different things and I was learning and trying to take it easy. But some guys, because they’re in there with Herschel Walker, they want to show what they can do.
“At that time I decided, ‘If you want to do that, we can do this.’ I decided to show what I could do. I bench-pressed him off me and showed him, ‘If you want to do this, we can do it.’ ”
Walker made a similar point on Saturday. Nagy went for a knee bar while they were on the ground and he deftly avoided it. Walker wasn’t thrilled with what he said were a few details, but Mendez couldn’t have been happier.
If Walker fights again – and that’s a big if – Mendez said he’d recommend a three-month camp. And he said if he fought for three years, he could reach a world-class level.
But for a first-timer after just nine weeks, the veteran coach was beside himself with Walker’s performance.
“He showed people he has an overall MMA game,” Mendez said. “A minus is that he didn’t have enough time to adequately prepare him. Nine weeks is not a lot of time to expect someone who has never fought to look like a champion. Honestly, I didn’t expect this much.
I for one think that while Walkers stand up and ground game where a bit… stiff, I am still impressed by him. Not so much because he won at an old age but because at an old age he is still going after his dreams.
Dream on Dreamers,
Vince
Building Mental Toughness
by Vince on Jan.26, 2010, under Training Tips
Most people believe that you are either born tough or you aren’t. They resign themselves into thinking this. They are wrong. Mental toughness can be learned, it can be built. It’s like a muscle. If you work out your muscles then you are going to grow them and they will get stronger.
During my college wrestling career, I was not the most technically advanced wrestler nor the most athletically gifted, however, what I did have was mental toughness(with thanks given to my roommate-who took great pleasure in toughening me up). Here are some ways in which you can mental toughen yourself up.
When you have lost your first match and have to go again, then you have to learn how to forget about your last event. Focusing on it will not help you. You are focusing on the past and not on your present. Get rid of any negative thoughts floating around in your head. Part of being mentally tough is not letting the negatives get to you. There will always be something that you don’t like in your life. You don’t have to start liking it but you should not let it affect you or your performance.
Always be pushing yourself. You will be amazed at what you can do if you let yourself do it. Don’t let yourself be one of those people that always stop themselves short. For example, let’s say that you practice for 30 minutes at a non-stop frenzied pace when you start to get tired. Others will stop, but not you. They will say they are tired and that they can’t possibly go on. You don’t have to be that person. You can go on. Try working out for just a minute more. Then after you find that you can workout for 1 more minute try adding another one. In doing so, you will find yourself working out longer and harder than anyone else in the room.
You will have days where you don’t feel like pushing yourself, you are only human, I had plenty of those days. However, on those days I would imagine that my opponents are working out. This would bother me because I never want my opponents to workout harder than me. So I would get off my lazy bum and work out.
Building mental toughness also includes pain management. Learn to work through the pain. That said I must also say this: There is a difference between being hurt and being injured. You can work past being hurt but you should never try to work past being injured. It will only lead to more injuries.
For example, if you have a sore muscle from working out, that is a being hurt. You can easily work past it. If you dislocate your elbow, on the other hand, that is being injured. You should not try to fight through that pain. In fact, you should be seeing a doctor. If you can manage your pain in your matches then you are going to do a lot better. Imagine you showing your opponent that you are unaffected by their attempts to hurt. You will get into his head and throw off his game.
These are just a few ways in which you can build mental toughness.
Keep on rockin,
Vince
