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UFC 162 Jealously Calls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtZVyD0R1gI&feature=youtu.be Raf has some fun with Kevin because Raf is sitting at a pool in Vegas right now, and Kevin is a place with the same first letter as Vegas but its not Vegas (please have read this passage like an 8th grade girl, thats the manner in which it was written because this is Kevin and he's, I'm, super angry).

Thanks Raf and John.

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Verbal Tap Productions Presents: Kevin Phillips' Review of Nick Diaz's WAR MMA

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Verbal Tap Productions Presents: Kevin Phillips' Review of Nick Diaz's WAR MMA

war_flyer_web_medium.jpg

xfl Does anyone remember that time when Vince McMahon tried to start the XFL?  If not, google it and thank me later, it was a crazy time.  For those who don’t know, remember or who spent years in therapy trying to forget, the X in the name was intended to stand for Xtreme.  Which meant Xtreme athletes, Xtreme cheerleaders, and Xtreme fans.  The organization even pitched itself as football “without the rules” (and without the viewers, heyo!!!).  Semantics aside, it seemed like an interesting attempt to deviate from the norm... that crashed and burned into a terrible death.

Nonetheless, it was an attempt to give the fans something different.

So when it was announced that everyone’s favorite MMA villain, Nick Diaz, was going to put on his own fighting organization, I had an XFL-like flashback.  And despite my love for all things UFC and MMA, I tend to be somewhat skeptical of new organizations popping up.  But this time I allowed myself to say, “screw it,” Diaz is behind it, so, at the very least, it has to be entertaining.

Right?

WAR Diaz

Five hours and six minutes of OnDemand replay later, I feel exactly the same way I did after watching my first XFL game; a little bored, a little used, and maybe just a little confused.  Much like the XFL, the minimal adjustments brought nothing more than a variation of the same kind of product we’re used to seeing elsewhere — only with less talented players involved.  And much like how the XFL’s competitors looked like an NFL practice team, WAR MMA, presented by Nick Diaz featured a set of new mixed martial artists who were given the spotlight for the first time.  While I don’t fault them for taking advantage of the exposure (a few of whom managed to produce a couple of really fun fights throughout the evening), I guess I was just surprised that Diaz was behind the start of a shockingly normal fight promotion -- and maybe that is there where the disappointment lies?

With my admitted bias out of the way, now on to the event:

So turns out all you had to do to watch the fights was to head over to the subtlety titled www.NickDiazPromotions.com, where TJ De Santis and Javier Vasquez were calling the action.  The five hour event featured 12 fights and, sadly, not a single high power knockout to show for it.  In fact, only two of the 12 fights were decided by the fighters in the ring.

Do I personally suggest that you stop reading this now and head over to www.NickDiazPromotions.com?

Well, that depends on if you magically have five hours and thirty minutes of free time (five to watch the fight and thirty to read this article then send it to every person you can think of in the world), then definitely!  If you don’t, keep reading and you’ll get the gist.

Lets start with what was different about the fights. First of all it was in a ring, not a cage.  If I'm allowed to get on my soap box for a minute: May I just say, there is a reason most major MMA organizations use a cage?  It’s because it works better.  The cage allows for body position and continued striking in a way that a ring does not.  Fighters just kept getting caught up in the ropes and occasionally kept the dominant fighter from continuing to hold dominant position.  Granted, not in a way that would have saved Diaz in his last few decisions, but rather in a distracting, “is this still happening” kind of way.  I, like any boxing fan, will always hold the ring with some regard, it’s just not my sort of thing when it comes to MMA.

The next difference was the banning of elbow strikes from the ground.  Essentially when a fighter is grounded, no throwing any bows (suffice to say, Jon Jones is never fighting for WAR MMA, presented by Nick Diaz).  Diaz says this is to keep people from stalling in a top position.  From his perspective, too many referees see someone throw an elbow and count that as being active from the bottom.  My comment after watching 12 fights of which eight went the WHOLE 15 minutes?  Not a huge difference.  In fact, had I not looked up the rules earlier, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed.

Final difference, and, in my opinion, the smartest thing this promotion did, they opened up a livestream option and gave people the ability to donate what they wanted to watch the fights.  I love that they did this!  Had they asked for a set amount, I probably would have skipped watching the event altogether.  Opening it up for the fight community to pay what they wanted after watching the fights is a very cool and modern way of promoting an event that's just starting.  This also leads into my favorite sidebar in writing this article.

war_flyer_web_mediumSIDEBAR BEGINS: My Verbal Tap co-host, Raf Esparza, tried to watch the livestream of the event Saturday night, but paypal wouldn’t let him put in zero dollars as a donation (they will, however, let you put in $ 0.10 FYI).  So he pulled a genuine Nick Diaz and said, “well, fuck this (his exact words)." In a weird way, shouldn’t Nick Diaz have no choice but to endorse Raf’s emotional outburst as familiar?  I mean, we are talking about the only fighter i can think of in recent memory to get fired from a UFC Main Event Card for missing “media obligations?”  I like to think Nick Diaz smiled a little as Raf said the F’word -- but I have not been able to confirm that with any sources close to Nick Diaz.  SIDEBAR ENDS, REVIEW CONTINUES.

Okay, we’ve genuinely covered all of the differences.  Now onto the fights!

Fight 1: Aziz Rashid vs. Derek Brown.  For some reason both fighters didn’t know they were fighting at 140, so they came in at different weights (139, and 145) because... why not?  The color commentary guys did a good job chalking it up to a new promotion blunder, but here’s my question: have people heard of that before?  Is that a normal thing?  Because in my personal fight watching career, that’s a first.  So if I ever fail to make weight I can just chalk it up to being around a new promotion?  Good to know.  Having said that, it was a fun fight that went the distance and Brown won via decision.  There was a screwy ref decision during this fight (the first of many), but suffice it to say the guy who refereed these fights enjoys rewarding people who break the rules by taking them out of a bad position (yeah, I know that’s vague, it was really hard to understand while watching live, even the commentators just sort of laughed it off).

Fight 2: Powell vs. Ortega.  These two light heavyweights brought the pain, but the fight went the distance and Ortega won via Split Decision.

Fight 3: Hamilton vs. Adona.  The win in this fight should go to the “ringside doctor,” but, by default, went to Adona.  He ended the fight because of a not very bad cut on Hamilton’s eye.  It wasn’t the doctor’s only win of the evening.  Stay tuned.

Fight 4: Tatum vs. Cabezas.  All you need to know about this fight was that at the end Tatum threw his mouthpiece into the crowd... and they threw it back!  Hilarious!  Tatum won the fight by decision, but it was genuinely one of the weirder fights I’ve ever seen.  Tatum appeared to be able to end the fight about 12 times, but just didn’t.  My sincere thanks to the crowd for both boo’ing him and returning his mouthpiece.

Between Fight 4 and Fight 5: WE SEE NICK DIAZ (as presented by War MMA, presented by Nick Diaz!)!  He’s bald, wearing a suit, and appears to be doing his best Dana White impression......NOT!  But wouldn’t that have been hilarious? (I’m here all day, folks!)

Fight 5: Marsh vs. Fortuna.  FIRST SUBMISSION OF THE NIGHT ALERT!  Fortuna submits Marsh early with a baseball choke.  The announcers kept calling it a side choke submission (I’ll be sure to verify with my instructor/black belt), but I am pretty sure it was a modified baseball choke.  Either way, sweet move from Fortuna and the highlight of the night in my opinion.

Fight 6: Quitiquit vs. Clark.  2 and 0 goes the ringside Doctor!  He ends the fight, giving Clark the win due to a moderately-sized cut on Quitiquit’s eye.  The cut wasn’t even bleeding when the fight was stopped.  It was a genuine shock to everyone in the stadium and the dozens upon dozens of people watching around the world.

Fight 7: Boughton vs. Martinez.  WE HAVE A VERBAL TAP!  Boughton wins by toe hold 20 seconds into the fight forcing Martinez to Verbally Tap Out!  Thanks to these guys for the ringing endorsement.

Fight 8: Cooley vs. Gibson. Cooley lost a point for passivity (the first real Diaz enjoyed moment of the night; also, is that a word?).  This was a weird fight.  Cooley kept trying to pull guard, Gibson kept striking.  Finally late in the third, Cooley pulled guard as Gibson was throwing a punch and the ref just called a TKO.  It’s unclear if the NBA has fined Cooley for flopping, but either way it was a weird end to a not so great fight.

Fight 9: Hays vs. Linderman.  Linderman takes it by decision.  There, I just saved you 15 minutes of your life.

Fight 10: McKinney vs. Persons.  Great exchanges, fun fight, Clayton “MONEYSHOT (if you say so)” McKinney wins by unanimous decision.  Lets now spend 4 paragraphs theorizing how he got that nickname — even if I’m almost positive Raf will cut these paragraphs in post-editing... sorry in advance (Raf’s Editorial Note: I did and I’m not sorry).

Fight 11: “Evil” Evan Esguerra vs. Calev “The Machete” Mitchell.  A back and forth war that “Evil” pretty much controlled from start to finish.  He won via Unanimous Decision, but Esguerra was genuinely throwing HUGE bows till the very end.  Impressive fight from both guys, easily fight of the night.

Fight 12: Daniel Roberts vs. Justin Baseman.  Close fight that went to Baseman in a 2-1 decision.  Not a great fight, but a close one.

That does it for WAR MMA, a Nick Diaz Promotion (they must have said this tagline 75 times).  All in all, I recommend this event if you're in Stockton, CA (they’ve even talked about the idea of moving to a new location on Twitter, more on that as it becomes available).  The announcer was okay, the commentary guys were great, and the fights were still fights, which means they were exciting.

Now lets see if Nick Diaz can keep it together for the inevitable sequel: “ WAR 2: What Is It Good For (Absolutely Nothing).”

For a link to MMA Fighting's excellent twenty two minute documentary on the behind the scenes making of WAR MMA, Presented by Nick Diaz, check out the following link.  Believe us when we say, you won't want to miss it!

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MMA Fighting's WAR Doc is Worth Your Time

If I were the type to actually wear hats, I would tip mine to MMA Fighting for bringing us this excellent behind the scenes look at how Nick Diaz Presents WAR fighting

I've had to start and stop this twenty two minute short multiple times because it gets so awkward at times, but it presents a very crazy and surreal look at what it's like to start up a new fighting organization.  And it's entirely fascinating.  My compliments to the entire MMA Fighting team.

Give it a look and let us know what you think, Verbal Tap fans.

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Reprint: Strikeforce’s Roger Gracie Responds to Tim Kennedy’s Challenge

As we get closer and closer to the fight between Roger Gracie and Tim Kennedy at UFC 162, let's not forget the role I played in orchestrating this match up. And, by that, I mean this interview I conducted with Roger Gracie back in August during the UFC on FOX 4 open workout.  Gracie was nice enough to take some time out to talk with me about the comments Tim Kennedy made on twitter and BOOM, ten months later, now they're fighting each other.

See how quickly I made things happen, people.

I recently ran into Roger at Metamoris II and thanked him for being my first article back at Studio MMA.  He couldn't have been nicer about it.  I'm really looking forward to the match up between him and (the always entertaining) Tim Kennedy -- and, frankly, can't wait to see it in person next week in Vegas.

Since the Studio MMA website is temporarily down, the guys over there were nice enough to let me reprint the article here at Verbal Tap (sadly, you're missing the accompanying picture of me interviewing him, but I think you'll live).  So here, for your reading pleasure, was my quick interview with Roger Gracie.

Strikeforce’s Roger Gracie Responds to Tim Kennedy’s Challenge By Raf Esparza

While the focus of the open work out for this Saturday’s UFC on FOX 4 may have been on his Black House teammate Lyoto Machida, Strikeforce middleweight Roger Gracie was on hand to talk with StudioMMA about a recent challenge issued by Tim Kennedy.

“What happened was Strikeforce President Scott Coker mentioned that I was the best grappler in Strikeforce and then Tim Kennedy said on Twitter that he’d like to prove him wrong,” said Gracie.

When asked if a future match up against Kennedy is in the works, Gracie expressed interest in the idea and said the fight is certainly a possibility, while also making a case on how his fighting style might prove difficult for Kennedy to overcome.

“I mean, I think my jiu-jitsu is better than his… and I think, of course, the ground game is in my favor, and I have a better reach [than him]. But you cannot predict, you just plan for the best.”

Gracie, however, was complimentary of Kennedy’s recent split decision loss to Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, Luke Rockhold.

“I think he did well, but in the end he lost—even though he looked better by the end of the fight. I think [Rockhold] kept him under pressure a lot more and that’s what lead to the loss.”

So how would a fight against Kennedy or another competitive middleweight contender play into the Brazilian’s long-term fighting aspirations?

“I think in MMA, for me, my plan now is a very long goal: Trying to become the best fighter you can. But before that a lot of people say, ‘Oh who do you want to fight next?’ and I think that is a very short goal. Because if you do fight that person, then, when it’s gone, what do you do next? For me, as long as I keep winning, I’m just going to keep fighting better people.”

Originally published on Studio MMA.com August 3, 2012.

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Raf Watches: Fight Master (Episode 1)

Welcome to my "Best Of" recap of last night's The Ultimate Fi, I mean The Voice, I mean, Spike TV's original fighting reality show concept, Fight Master!  If you didn't watch it, don't worry, I do all the heavy lifting.  And if you did watch it, I hope you enjoy these shitty jokes I wrote about it.   Without further ado...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check back next week to see what dumb jokes I have in store for all of you. Peace!

Oh, by the way, if you like this, check out my jokes for the Bellator MMA fights that preceded the premiere of Fight Master here.

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Raf Watches: Bellator MMA

We know sometimes things get lost in the Twitter-sphere during fight nights, that's why we here at VERBAL TAP are proud to present a collection of the notes and observations we occasionally make during fight nights.  Here, just in case you missed it, for your viewing pleasure is Raf's take on last night's Bellator MMA fights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You're welcome, @SeanWheelock.

That'll conclude my recap of last night's Bellator.  For my jokes on Fight Master go to this page

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Professional Road Rage Drivers Sadly Try to Fight "MMA"

This one happened right in my own backyard, so I feel I gotta do this.  This story took place a whopping 3 minutes away from my hood, so there's already a sense of "what'd the valley do this time?"

Oddly, I thought a saw a promo for this on our local ABC affiliate, but ultimately thought it was another case of my brain having #UFC/#MMA on the mind.  Turns out, I didn't make up anything.  It really was two "professional business dudes, throwing down" and the news was reporting on it.

Before I go any further, a few notes:

  1. Road rage is a real thing in LA.  It makes you do and say crazy things.
  2. The Valley is one of the weirdest places on earth.  To help put that in context, it's the intersection of a portion of the entertainment industry, the porn industry, the meth industry, the gang industry, that also shares a border with upscale rich types who you'd casually see on The Real Housewives franchises and other various reality show contestants.  A real slice of life you might call it.

Anyway, according to the footage, one guy gets out, decks another dude.  They whine about their BMWs or something and then the guy who got decked decides, "hey, that wasn't cool" and applies a rear naked choke.  Cue shock and awe from the mass media.

Some girl, in turn, video records all of this and BAM, you've got eye-witness news.

To be fair, they're right near the 405 -- which is the absolute worst Freeway/Highway known to man -- so heightened tensions are always expected.  But I guess it serves as a nice cautionary tale that even when you least expect it, always be prepared.  I know I'll be working extra hard in my own self-defense classes just to be ready, as I encounter dozens of terrible drivers on a daily basis.

Obviously these guys are idiots and you shouldn't do this, etc. etc. etc.  But if pressed to judge, I'd score the round 10-9 for the guy in the white shirt.

Internet, what did this video teach us today?

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Metamoris 2: Match Breakdown and Commentary

John Evans

Raf's Edit | The world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be a tricky beast.  Because there are so many intricate movements and strategies involved in the game that can go unnoticed to the casual observer (a.k.a. me), we thought it best to bring along a BJJ technician to Metamoris to help us decipher the high-level techniques utilized by the athletes on the card.  Which is why we're asking you to give a big welcome to our go-to BJJ technician, Mr. John Evans (and from this photo of him on the right, you can see he thinks A LOT about BJJ).  John is a BJJ practitioner and competitor who also teaches and has a website (BJJBreakdown.com) dedicated to the educational deconstruction of Jiu-Jitsu and grappling matches.  So be a pal and welcome him to the Verbal Tap family as he takes you through this year's Metamoris event.

For more with John, check out his guest appearance on our Metamoris themed podcast here.

Metamoris 2: Breakdown

Victor Estima vs. JT Torres - gi

Expectation

With his switch to atos, it's questionable if JT has had enough time to settle into his new team.  Estima has been on a tear, and should be the favorite.

Match Summary

Victor comes out and immediately starts attacking JT’s feet.  This continues throughout the match, with Victor allowing himself to be swept often, seemingly only interested in leg locks.  Victor strongly favors the knee-reap position—which is interesting to see, as that position is illegal in almost all gi tournaments.

JT does doing an excellent job of avoiding Victor’s submission attempts, while also sweeping and maintaining top position.  The end of the match has Victor switching to 50/50 with a lapel grip around JT’s trapped leg, allowing him to sweep and finally attack a belly down foot lock.  This attempt looks deep, but JT’s face never shows signs of worry.

Despite JT maintaining top position and sweeping with relative ease (even attacking a few leg locks of his own), it felt that he was defending the attacks from Victor for the majority of the match and I give him the slight edge in this fight.  The Judges see it as a slightly closer fight than I did, calling it a draw (a call I’m not very upset with).

Mackenzie Dern Vs. Michelle Nicolini - gi

Expectation

These two have been on a collision course ever since Dern received her black belt. Having matched up previously at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, with Nicolini playing a smart game of pulling guard and sweeping toward the end of the match to secure the win, I give the edge to Nicolini going into this match.

Match Summary

Dern comes out extremely aggressive.  I am surprised to see such a relentless offense and even wonder if Nicolini will be able to handle such an onslaught.  Dern has a tight toe-hold early on, but Michelle is able to escape.  The fight goes to double guard, both athletes trading sweeps.  Both competitors going for berimbolo attempts until Nicolini attacks a toe-hold with one hand.

Dern softens the attack by holding onto one of Nicolini’s sleeves, making the toe-hold one handed, though it somehow still looks tight.  The excitement continues as Dern strings together a triangle choke to armbar transition.  Nicolini avoids Dern’s attacks, then counters with a kneebar of her own.  Time ticks down as Nicolini visibly puts everything into finishing the kneebar.  Dern, however, is able to escape as the clock expires for this match.  The most exciting match of the night and a draw in the truest sense of the word.  The judges agree with this assessment and also declare the match a draw.

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu vs. Brendan Schaub - nogi

Expectation

Cyborg is a seasoned grappler, a big , strong guy that moves like a featherweight.  On top of this, he is a very good competitor.  Brendan Schaub is an MMA fighter and not one particularly known for his grappling.  The clear advantage goes to Cyborg.

Match Summary

Cyborg shoots for a takedown, Brendan sprawls and grabs a front head-and-arm.  Cyborg is able to pull guard off this failed takedown attempt.  Schaub avoids playing in Cyborg's guard and pulls back.

The majority of this match plays out like this: Schaub avoiding takedown attempts, Cyborg sitting to guard, Schaub not engaging Cyborg in his guard, and Schaub running from Cyborg (both figuratively and literally).

Cyborg does get Schaub into his famous half guard a few times, but is unable to pull off a tornado sweep or knee bar during the fleeting seconds that Schaub actually stays in the pocket.  In the last 30 seconds of the fight, a frustrated Cyborg shoots in.  Schaub sprawls once again and attacks a guillotine.  Cyborg is able to counter the choke attempt and ends up on top, after transitioning to side control and going for mount.  The match ends and the fans boo Schaub when he explains it is a victory for him to have avoided submission. The judges declare Cyborg the winner.  An incredibly boring match that has sense spawned many hilarious photoshop masterpieces (like this and this).

Andre Galvao vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. - gi

Expectation

Galvao is the favorite for this match, but with Lovato’s exceptional performance in this rule-set last year (coupled with some impressive footage of him rolling with Marcelo Garcia recently), Lavato is not to be counted out.

Match Summary

This match is back and forth, with a lot of standup.  Neither athlete wanting to give up the top position, Galvao eventually pulls guard and tries for an immediate sweep.  Lovato is not interested in Galvao’s tricks, though apparently surprised by the guard pull and the fight scrambles back to the feet.

At one point, Galvao attempts a flying triangle, which Lovato is able to shake off despite looking valid initially.  Galvao keeps going back to his strategy of takedown attempts mixed with hasty guard pulls that flow directly into attacks.  This strategy appears to be wearing on Lovato, and Galvao is successful with a few sweeps and guard passes.

Galvao’s passing looks sharp and dominant even against a waning Lovato, who refuses to accept defeat.  Lovato shows a lot of heart and some excellent guard retention, as he continually recovers from bad positions until the fight is over.  Judges’ decision goes unanimously to Galvao.

Braulio Estima vs. Rodolfo Vieira - gi

Expectation

Not really sure if there is a favorite in this match.  One of the greatest passers of all time vs. one of the greatest guards.  Rodolfo is extremely dominant, but looked almost human against Buchecha at the Worlds one week prior.  Braulio is a top 5 grappler at any weight, but has not been as active as he once was.

Match Summary

This and the Nicolini vs. Dern match are my two personal favorites, both very exciting.  Braulio comes out and goes right to his guard. Rodolfo is vicious in his passing, but Braulio thwarts the attempts every time with a peculiar foot-in-lapel guard.  I ask Braulio about this guard later in the press conference and he refers to it as the "galaxy guard."

After a grueling 10 minutes, Rodolfo is finally successful in his passing, but is once again put back into guard when he attempts moving to north/south.  Rodolfo will not give up trying to pass, and is tiring just to watch.  Braulio’s galaxy guard is giving Rodolfo fits, as Rodolfo is continually milliseconds away from securing pass after pass, only to be lifted up and placed back into Braulio’s guard.

This is exhausting for both men, one applying grinding pressure, the other having to leg-press the former with each pass attempt.  With 30 seconds left, Rodolfo passes, albeit with Braulio’s foot still in his lapel, then jumps on an opportunity at a 180 armlock.  Rodolfo goes belly down to finish Braulio, but Braulio pulls his arm out and starts to attack Rodolfo’s back as the final seconds tick away.  The fight finishes with both practitioners in guard.  Rodolfo looks extremely depleted.

Rodolfo gets the decision 2 to 1, which I agree with, due to Braulio defending nearly the whole match, even though his guard retention was unbelievable.  Braulio later reveals that his goal was to use the galaxy guard because he hurt one of his fingers in his victory over Galvao at the worlds previously.

Kron Gracie vs. Shinya Aoki – nogi

Expectation

Kron Gracie is an incredible grappler and—though he’s never won any world titles at the black belt level—he submitted the current gi world champion in the 1st Metamoris, arguably making him one of the greatest in his weight class.  Shinya Aoki, on the other hand, is a submission specialist from the MMA world.  Very rarely can a grappler be successful coming from MMA into a pure grappling environment against world class opposition for the first time.  The favorite is unquestionably Kron Gracie.

Match Summary

Kron and Aoki take the center of the mat, grip fighting and trading foot sweeps unsuccessfully for the first 4 minutes.  Kron jumps to closed guard and threatens a guillotine.  Aoki exits the closed guard of Kron and positions his body slightly toward the cross-side of the choke, while stapling Kron’s legs together on the ground with his own.

They scramble to the feet, where Kron attempts another guillotine as Aoki rolls again to defend, landing himself on the receiving end of a mounted guillotine.  This time Aoki is falling off the side of the platform as a bystander holds Aoki’s body up with his back(?).  The ref steps in to reset the match back in the center (or so it seems) stands both competitors up and declares Kron the winner.

According to the ref, Kron had finished the guillotine while Aoki was falling off the mat.  This is really confusing to most fans at the venue, and really surprising to me, personally.  I 100% did not expect a different outcome as far as which competitor would emerge victorious, but it only stands to put a damper on the finale by allowing the event to end with even a modicum of controversy.

In the press conference I ask Aoki (famous for his submissions from guard), what his game plan was.  His response is to “to maintain the top at all times”.  He also states that the choke was complete and it would’ve ended the same way even if they hadn’t rolled off the mat.  Whether or not that is the humility of the Japanese culture speaking, or the actuality of the events that unfolded, only Aoki truly knows.

Overall Event Impressions

I love the idea behind Metamoris 2.  I know some of the fights will look boring to the casual viewer who may not have the depth of knowledge in grappling needed to truly appreciate the exact athleticism on display, but, as a whole, the fights were exciting.

With that said, the Brendan Schaub fight was just ill-conceived and played out accordingly.  In this particular match, the 20 minute time limit, coupled with the addition of judges, really changed the tone of this event for the worse.  And, in some ways, may have unintentionally drew more parallels to a traditional tournament than intended.

I also was disappointed in the commentary.  After watching the event live with no commentary I went home to hear what the broadcast sounded like.  Sadly, I was not as thrilled with the play-by-play as I expected to be.  Maybe I’m being too harsh because I commentate matches frequently on my own youtube page and have put in a fair amount of time trying to hone that skill.  Or maybe I expected more out of Ed O'Neill, unfairly and subconsciously requiring him to live up to the greatness of the rest of his career during his first attempt at commentating a BJJ event?  Nonetheless, I felt there was room for improvement there.

Despite those missteps, there were a lot of positive sides to this event.  One of the main upsides being the production value and the treatment of the athletes.  BJJ is still an emerging sport, popularity wise, and it’s not often that even the top competitors are treated as well as they were at Metamoris, let alone paid accordingly for their time and efforts.  So this is a great step forward for the entire sport.  Clearly there are problems with the current format of all jiu-jitsu tournaments and Metamoris is a direct response to that criticism.  And while they were not 100% successful in this particular event, it is difficult to look past the care and desire to put on a spectacle that's worthy of consideration.

The truth of the matter is, no one has come up with an effective solution to this competition conundrum.  The closest we’ve come is to have no time-limit, submission-only matches, but tournaments utilizing this format could never hope to predict the length of their event.  The only way to figure out the correct combination of ingredients in order to produce a tournament that balances excitement with reasonable scheduling, all while preserving the essence of jiu-jitsu, is to try new formats.

Metamoris may not have gotten it perfect this time, but they are arguably the  tournament that pushes the envelope to recapture the essence of the sport and, for that, they should be praised.

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Metamoris

We are reporting live from Metamoris.  I am joined here with John Evans who is nice enough to lend his credibility to our dog and pony show here. We're gonna keep you updated as things progress throughout the day, but we took the time to record our first short audio summary of what down between Metamoris - Estima v. Torres.

***Keep checking back to our page for all the latest Metamoris coverage!***

Nicolini and Dern ends in a draw, no audio update here as things are moving RIDICULOUSLY fast this year.  No two hour delay.

Oh good,as we start Schaub vs. Cyborg, we have our first two Karate Kid references from the crowd.  The event is now complete.

At this point we've discovered that press row is out of power outlets, so we're going to reduce some of the online reporting so that we can conserve energy so we can make it through the evening. Updates to come in the form of tweets.

From @VerbalTapCast

Schaub vs. Cyborg (cont'd)

  • Schaub is touching Cyborg's head so much you'd think he's about to give him a haircut. #metamoris
  • The crowd is now turning extra feisty. They're heckling more than one of my own comedy shows. #metamoris
  • With a Cyborg guard, the crowd ooohs then awws when it's gone. The crowd might win this match. #metamoris
  • I've seen Lucha Libre matches with less defined good guys and bad guys. #metamoris
  • It's another DRAW... jk's. It's Cyborg all day. #metamoris
  • Snap. Post fight call out to Schaub. Cyborg: I think you should have tried to pass my guard. #metamoris
  • Is there an award we can give Rener for keeping a straight face and keeping positive. #metamoris
  • Did you just feel that? Eddie Bravo vs. Royler Gracie announced for Metamoris 3. The place goes nuts! #Metamoris

Galvao vs. Lovato Jr.

  • Well that was intense. Lovato and Galvao entertain the crowd after the intermission in a match that goes the distance.
  • Galvao was superb. Deserved that win and those two are amazing to watch. Just amazing high level competition. I'm in awe. #metamoris
  • Galvao comes in to plug Lovatos pressure passing system. This is what competition should be like. #metamoris.
  • .@lovatojrbjj apologizes to the crowd 4 not getting it done. Think I speak 4 the crowd: "no need to apologize" #Champion #metamoris #thanku

Vieira vs. Estima

  • Holy shit. After a 19 min pressure and recovery war, we had an action packed last minute with a set of submission set ups that looked sick.
  • Vieira says he was exhausted and couldn't finish. Must be something about worlds and beasting it for twenty minutes. #metamoris
  • Guy from the crowd yells "it'd be great to see a submission now." Think there should be an open invitation for that guy to try. #metamoris

Kron vs. Aoki.

  • Well we got a tap, but about as crazy as you can imagine. Just as they're rolling out of bounds Kron pulls off a guillotine. #metamoris
  • But Kron gets it with the assist of a audience member who ducked underneath the fighters, keeps them steady & prevents a reset? It was weird

Post-Event Press Conference

  • EddieRoylerEddie Bravo and Royler Gracie are up first.
  • Bravo and Gracie are very complimentary of one another.
  • Bravo talks about his respect for gi jiu-jitsu and clears up the misconception that he created 10th Planet as a means of revenge.
  • Press row is very happy to see the both of them, no Metamoris III date announced just yet.
  • JT Torres and Estima up next.  EEstima JT
  • Torres and Estima have a short discussion about their match as we then about-face to the main event (?).  Seems like we may be doing this out of order.
  • Kron Gracie and Shinya Aoki make their way out to the presser.
  • IMAG1400-1Metamoris President Ralek Gracie mentions Kron fighting for a Metamoris title.
  • Aoki takes the high road when asked a question about any discomfort with the audience member who provided support as he and Kron were falling, says it was not a factor in his loss.
  • Aoki and Gracie head out.
  • IMAG1403-1My sincere apologies to Michelle Nicolini and Mackenzie Dern, as my cell phone was starting to act up around this time of the press conference.  Our coverage here (or lack thereof) does not accurately reflect the superb exhibition of jiu-jitsu you two displayed on the mats today.  Thank you very much.
  • Right now we're at Schaub and Cyborg in the presser. All in the room admit, "this should be interesting."
  • Also, Aoki is sitting next to me. I'm terrified. #HeSeemsNice
  • Evans just re-ignated the conversation between Schaub and Cyborg. And now we've got a real war in the press room. #Awkward
  • The temperature in the room is pretty chilly between the two, as we have a difference in perspectives.
  • The question seems to be: Who is charged with needing to bring the fight? Schaub respecting a great guard or Cyborg having to respond to a "runaway opponent?"
  • The mention of "what would Royce Gracie have done, what if he just sat down the entire time?" There may be #Metamoris3 in the press room.
  • IMAG1407-1Yay, everyone respects each other again. We're all good!
  • Lovato and Galvao up next.
  • There's mention of "no fire" in the Lovato/Galvao fight. Not sure I really agree with that contention here.
  • Lovato and Galvao both take a moment to acknowledge one another and Metamoris. Perhaps also competing for sportsmanship of the event.
  • Lovato and Galvo exit, as Vieira and Estima make their way out.
  • VERBAL TAP's John Evans asked about Vieira about looking tired after the match, asks if it had to do w/ Worlds or just trying to pass Estima
  • IMAG1408We've got confirmation. It is called the "galaxy guard." #Estima
  • Estima closes with a money interpretation joke. Says Vieira's interpretator didn't mention Estima was one of the best looking people he's fought.
  • In response to a question about Schaub's performance, Ralek tries to play devils advocate, says he wasn't ready but applauds desire to test himself.
  • Ralek comes back w/ saying he was disappointed, seems he feels Metamoris was hindered by part of Worlds & the concept of time still a prob.
  • Ralek says not sure, but thinks he Kron gets "submission of the night."
  • Ralek says fighters get double the money if they land the submission. Interesting incentive.
  • EA Sports connection with Metamoris. Ralek says despite reluctance to video games that it can be a positive experience for kids.
  • When asked about the contingency for fighters falling off the mats: If you fall out the ring, you get disqualified. Yikes.

And that pretty much closes out the Event and Press Conference coverage.  Thanks for sticking it out with us this evening.  For more on Metamoris II check out our match-by-match breakdowns here and our podcast review here.

Thanks much everyone!

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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson signs with Bellator MMA

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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson signs with Bellator MMA

RampageATeam.jpg

If you're like me the only thing that upsets you about Quinton “Rampage” Jackson signing with Bellator MMA (www.bellator.com) is that there is 0 mention of him reprising his role as Sergeant Bosco Albert (B.A.) Baracus! While there is no mention of A-Team 2, the deal with Bellator is rumored to open the door for Rampage to appear on TNA Impact Wrestling! Since Spike programs both the hope is we’ll not only see Rampage step back into the Octagon, but also into a cage wearing spanx and doing what he’s always really excelled at, acting! Rampage, the 34 year old Mixed Martial Arts veteran, has officially signed a deal with Bellator MMA! From a fight fan perspective, this is a no brainer, we’re always happy to see Rampage fight. His last 5 or so fights have been a very dramatic departure from his Pride fighting days when he was an action pushing bad boy. Now, he appears to be more of a semi-interested boxer. Ya never know though, people change, maybe he needs the money and will be hungry again, either way i’ll be watching. Congrats to Bellator and Rampage, and VerbalTapCast is stoked he’s back in the game.

Don't know what this one is. He loves animals?

With the chain and fist of destiny.

Here he is mean mugging the camera like a champion!

Rampage with his "I am ready to wrestle...kind of...." face.

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"The One" and Big Slow are Maniacs

John 'The One' Maguire clearly makes an argument to be cast in the remake of Flashdance and we wish him the best on his journey to UFC 161.

But perhaps the biggest discovery here is the European Gangster, Luke Barnatt.  Here, the Big Slow is proves he's anything but on the dance floor and cleraly brings his A-game when following the intense lead of "The One," John Maguire.  And, frankly, we don't know that we've seen a bigger smile on the guy before this.

Some of you may recall, Mr. Barnatt was gracious enough to do an interview with us here, but I think we're going to have some serious questions for him about this next time we speak with him.

We hope you are prepared, sir.

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I'm Just Here To Pay My Dues: The BJJ Notebook

ABJJ Notebooks some of you may know, the podcast and website are more than just hobbies for Kevin and me.  We both train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu recreationally and are big proponents of the "gentle art."  So even when we're not toiling away editing articles or the podcast, we're always trying to learn more about the craft. Over the years, I've seen this book pop up more than a number of times in my social media news feeds, but was never motivated to actually purchase it (and if not this one in particular, others like it).  Ultimately, I figured I could just make my own version of this book if I really wanted to.

And I did!  I tend to use a lot of moleskin notebooks a lot to jot down notes, jokes and observations and decided about a year ago to dedicate one such notebook solely to my BJJ training regimen.

It worked... for awhile.  I made a regular routine of writing down the lessons each day and figuring out what parts of my training I needed to concentrate on.  But, over time, I stopped writing in it on a regular basis.  I'd constantly lose it or forget to go over the day's featured technique.  Pretty soon, I found that lessons of the day would go by the wayside—leaving all that knowledge I was working so hard to build to just rot away in my brain (which, itself, is a fragile thing).  And, lo and behold, that happened to be exact moment when I felt parts of my training recall and execution were becoming stagnant.

It bugged me.  I'd occasionally pick up the book and try to start the routine over again, but, for whatever reason, it never seemed to stick.  Eventually I just figured it was gonna take something pretty big to motivate me to get back on track.

Enter our interview with Rafael Lovato Jr.

The night of that interview something just snapped.  Here we were interviewing a guy who didn't have the luxury of a nearby Black Belt teaching him how to improve his game when he was coming through the ranks.  He had to travel thousands of miles out of his way just to learn more about the process.  It wasn't just about wanting to be better, it was about making the commitment to be better.

Suddenly the "tough" challenge of writing in a journal didn't seem like such a difficult task by comparison.  Try as I might, I just couldn't justify my own excuses for skipping out on the BJJ journaling process—especially as a guy who likes to consider himself a writer.

Promptly after the interview, I saw a link for the book again that praised it's usefulness.  At this point I said to myself, "screw it, if I'm going to do this, my money should go to someone who took the time to make this and who appreciates the craft of BJJ like I do."

Moreover, I wanted the accountability.  The safest way to ever force yourself to do something is to make it an investment.  Suddenly I wasn't just forgetting to write in a training journal, it was now "hey dummy, you're wasting money if you don't keep this up."

So keep it up, I shall.

I'm happy to report that it landed on my desk two days after I put in the order and, as of this moment, I've already filled out two days worth of entries on a heavy training week.

Additionally, now that Kev and I have the luxury of the extended family that is the VerbalTapCast.com community, I feel it entirely appropriate to occasionally wax poetic on my own BJJ struggles to an audience who can either appreciate my perspective or have been there themselves.

I hope you all will keep me accountable on this and, in return, I'll try to bring the same eye for fun, nonsense and humor about my trials and tribulations with training in the same light I do for all things MMA, BJJ, and UFC posted on this website.  I'll let you know how my progress comes along (or doesn't).  It'll be a great time.

Sound good?  Deal!

Thanks in advance and I'll see you on the mats.

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Is Anderson Silva the Black Dana White?

Now we weren't joking when we said it's been a slow news week for all things MMA, but I can't tell if this video further exemplifies that idea or is legitimately interesting in its own right.

Anderson Silva must know that fans are so bored with the MMA news cycle they'll take any headline that helps get them through the drought of any legitimate news (he truly is a Jedi who sees through the MMA matrix).

Anyway, for whatever reason,  "The Spider" decided to give us something to talk about today. And that something is that he is completely fine with referring to himself as the "Black" Dana White (because apparently that's what the world needed).

Maybe Anderson Silva should start referring to himself as Dana Black (missed opportunity?)?

We know Silva is a fan of Spider-Man, maybe he can be the Venom to Dana White's Spider-Man?  And in this world, Venom is the good guy to...  you know what... yep, it's a slow news week, I've started trying to make this connect to comic books.

Ok, I'm done for now.  What do you think, gang?

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Doug Jenkins vs. Joe "The Nose" Wilk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbivo3uNNL4 The people of Wichita, KS couldn’t have been prepared for the show Doug Jenkins and Joe “the Nose” Wilk were about to put on! Watch this video if you even remotely enjoy MMA! Hell, watch this video if that jerk you live across the hall from freshman year liked MMA, this is a good fight.

Just before the fight VerbalTapCast had the honor of sitting down with Joe Wilk and hearing some fight stories. Here is some brief (you are welcome) analysis, and the link to the podcast!

Onto the fight! Joe “the Nose” Wilk promises one thing when he enters the cage, a fight. Sounds obvious for an MMA fighter but those of that are familiar with the sport, you know not every fighter delivers on that promise. Apparently Doug Jenkins also walks in promising a fight, because wow did these two deliver. Some great grappling, fantastic striking exchanges, and just some good ole fashion brawling this fight shows what makes MMA amazing.

I had Wilk in pretty solid control through the first two rounds with great body control and a lot of offense. Though Doug Jenkins certainly had his moments where he did some damage. Total props to Doug Jenkins for weathering the storm of offense he saw from “The Nose” and countering at just the right time. It appeared coming into that third round Joe looked a little tired, and that opened the door for Jenkins. Jenkins landed some solid strikes, Wilk’s face started to bleed a lot, and what a crazy amount of toughness we see from Wilk as he takes a solid 2 minutes of strikes from Jenkins. Great fight!

[buzzsprout episode='89034' player='true']

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UnimPRESSed RELEASE: Fox Sports Juan

UnimPRESSed RELEASE: A new COLUMN that sifts through MMA PRESS RELEASES so you don’t have to.  We hope you enjoy it: FoxSportsJuan

Dana White wants you to save the date: Saturday, August 17th.  On that day, he and seven-and-a-half consecutive hours of UFC action are coming your way to help launch the brand spanking new Fox Sports 1 Network.

Yep, you heard me right.

Not Fox Sports West.  Or Fox Sports Northeast.  Or Fox Sports Due East.  We’re talking the Fox Sports 1 Network, here, people (sorry former fans of the SPEED Network)!

So say good bye to Fuel TV and waking up after a mid-afternoon airings of “Iron Man 2” on FX to wait for some preliminary UFC action.  It also means we all better call our local cable provider and ask them where we can find this tragically named sports network (is the Spanish version of this new network Fox Sports Juan?).

Dana White, doing his part to help the FOX conglomerate beat the living crap out of the ABC/ESPN synergy machine, has promised that the Aug. 17th fights will be “the strongest fight card the company has ever put on television.”  So take that Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, Rashad Evans, Nate Diaz, Benson Henderson, Alexander Gustafsson, BJ Penn, Jim Miller, Johny Hendricks, Josh Koscheck, Demetrious Johnson, and Rampage Jackson (just to name a few).

So far, only a match between Thiago Alves vs. Matt Brown has been announced for the fight night that will take place from the Boston T.D. Garden.  But that doesn’t mean Chael Sonnen isn’t doing his part to bring some star power to the proceedings.

And if we’ve learned one thing from Dana White, it’s that if the guy says it’s gonna be the biggest card ever presented on live TV… then he’s gonna throw moderate amounts of money at fighters to put on a set of fights that will definitely (maybe) last longer than a minute and four seconds!

Here’s the best part: The company is getting away from their habit of adding insignificant numbers to the end of their television event names (“Wait, was this UFC on FOX 5?  Or is it UFC 157, I’m confused!”).

There will be no Fox Sports 1:1.  Instead, pre cards will be called FOX UFC Saturday Prelims and FOX UFC Saturday (which still makes it sound like they’re appearing on the FOX Broadcast Network, but I’ll take the dropped numbers as a minor victory here).  There's also still the question of how they brand cards that don't take place on a Saturday, but hell even NBC tells you to watch Sunday Night Football on an occasional Thursday or Saturday night once and again, so I suppose we'll get there when we get there.

Now even if you’re annoyed with the thought of having to find a new network, you better get used to it.  That is, if you want any part of the Ronda Rousey/Cat Ziagano Ultimate Fighter series this fall (Wednesdays at 10pm).

But that’s not all!  The UFC is also kicking in a set of live fights to air in prime time on August 28th and September 4th, just to try and sweeten the deal.  The Sept. 4th date is especially important as that card will lead into the 18th season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter.

AND, because you were all wondering what this move from FOX scripted Broadcast affiliates might mean for UFC Tonight, don’t fret.  Your favorite show (that you catch only via clips on YouTube) will now be expanded to an hour format (and will remain a weekly fixture). Which is great news for Kenny Florian's hair stylist and Chael Sonnen’s fireside chats!

I know that was a lot of information to sift through, but that’s why I’m here.  To read through all the press releases you don’t want to read in the first place.  And if you somehow fall out of love with the UFC by then, then don’t worry you can get excited about Regis Philbin’s new Fox Sports 1 chat show.

Yep.  This network knows how to pull out all the stops.

Until next time, fight fans.

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We Got Swag

IMAG1320 Admit it.  You kinda want one, right?

I know I'll be rockin it out at work today.

We did a small vanity press, but if we have enough interest we'll be looking to order some more.  So let us know if you're interested.

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For Argument's Sake: Chael Buys the WWE

We here at VERBAL TAP are proud to present the latest addition to our website: a column that by-passes the rumor, the fact-checking, and maybe even the research to ask, “But what if…”  Without further ado, we hope you’ll indulge a little segment we like to call For Argument’s Sake: ChaelSonnen-610x406Over the weekend Chael Sonnen reportedly told some dirt rag that he wasn’t interested in just being in the WWE, he’d rather buy the company outright.  Now we've all learned to take most things that Chael says with a grain of salt (i.e. "Hispanic accent"), but according to said dirt rag’s “very reliable sources,” he apparently isn’t joking this time.

Of course, anyone who knows a single thing about the WWE knows that the company is far from ever selling its half-billion empire to a mouthy UFC fighter with a few "investor friends" (also it's a publicly traded empire, but I'm getting ahead of myself here).  That doesn't even include the insane death grip that Vince McMahon and his family have on the business, which many speculate will eventually be run by his daughter Stephanie and her real life husband/occasional sledgehammer enthusiast HHH.

But, for argument's sake, let's just pretend this could happen.  Imagine the possibilities.  The overlap between Chael the UFC fighter/entertainer/promoter isn't all that different from the potential of Chael the WWE wrestler/entertainer/promoter.  He has a love/hate relationship with fans (that works perfectly here!).  We all know the man cut's a mean promo.  He's got a strong wrestling background that's proven helpful to guys like this.  And this.  And, hell, even this guy.

I mean even Chael's own book cover looks similar to Kurt Angle's.

But, even if you don't buy all of that, consider the following irrefutable argument:

Sonnen Roperumblecling

If "The Bad Guy" can channel Shawn Michaels, it goes to say he is a natural for the Royal Rumble (thus becoming a #1 contender for one of the two World Championship titles, see how fast this is all coming together?).

Now that we've proven that Chael is a good fit for the organization, what if he got his full wish and actually got to run the company (shh, quiet logic, you have no place here)?  Don't worry, I've got you covered.

Before I begin, please keep in mind that some of these plans will be written in kayfabe (pro wrestling speak for “fake reality”), which may seem odd for Sonnen until you realize most of his UFC career has been spent “in character.”  With that, please consider the following multilayered plan:

  1. Revive “Tough Enough” with Chael as a coach.  Love ‘em or hate ‘em, we’ve already seen the impact Sonnen can have as a mentor to young athletes.  He's good for ratings, he'll promote the hell out of the show, and since he's trained with the host of the last incarnation (Stone Cold Steve Austin) for his UFC fights, I'm sure he'll have the blessing of the bionic redneck.
  2. Trash-talking your way into a championship match isn’t just welcomed, it’s required.  Lots of people think Chael talked his way into a fight for the Light Heavyweight title (he did!)—and, in this world, it’s exactly the kind of thing that's expected.  Only this time, the WWE Superstars now have the added benefit of going through a rigorous Chael Sonnen media preparation class, with lessons ranging from: playing up to the home crowd, utilizing new media to cut promos, and, of course, proxemics
  3. Steroids are mandatory for all on the WWE roster (just to even the playing field, of course).  It’s really more of a health issue.
  4. Chael also gets control of WWE’s film division.  It’s a well established fact the Chael-CM Punkcompany's film division has been hurting for a hit.  Why not invest in a low-budget action adventure?  He's already friends with CM Punk; put the two of them together in a buddy cop comedy and let the moderate box office magic happen ("One of them's a straight edge, the other lives on the edge. West Linn Gangsters, Summer 2015!").  Besides, I hear that Chael's got great connections to secure filming locations.
  5. Chael becomes new Mr. McMahon.  In it's Attitude hey day, the WWE, (I'm sorry) WWF created a fictionalized version of it's owner, Vince McMahon, that was designed to be so evil it could put over any other wrestler.  And he'd wrestle matches just to give fans the escapism of watching their boss get the crap kicked out of them.  It was a genius idea and one that helped to solidify the anti-hero status of Stone Cold Steve Austin—a model that has since been used to help elevate other wrestlers who have needed notoriety or exposure over the years.  Vince is CrazySince the Attitude era, Vince has made fewer on-screen appearances to fill whatever storytelling void is needed, but has admitted himself that at his age he doesn't really need to get in the ring all that much anymore (even if he still does bat shit crazy stuff like this).  And even now with HHH filling in for the role of corporate guy who occasionally wrestles as an "in betweener," he doesn't have the same pathos to pull this kind of high-wire act off (the fans still identify too much with him after all these years).  What the WWE needs is someone it can turn against.  A symbol.  Someone who can be an extremely non-silent guardian.  A watchful protector, if you will.  But how does Chael become the new Dark Knight of the WWE...
  6. Chael Sonnen vs. HHH at Wrestlmania 30: I know many of you will argue that current WWE roster guys like CM Punk or even former UFC champ Brock Lesnar would make for an ideal opponent, but hear me HHH-Challenges-Lesnarout here.  Sonnen comes out to say he wants to buy the company, HHH comes out to confront him says “the family will never do it,” Sonnen challenges him to a match at the 30th anniversary of Wrestlemania for control of the company.  BOOM.  There you have it.  A new main event to headline Wrestlemania.  HHH loses via a run in from CM Punk, allowing Chael to hit his finisher (a spinning back fist) and Chael now “runs” the WWE.

Well, there you have it.  Problems solved, everyone makes money.  I'll be waiting by my mailbox for my royalty checks if anyone's looking for me.

In the meantime, let me know if I missed any magic in the possibilities of Chael Sonnen running the WWE (along with your argument as to which finisher would be a better fit for Sonnen) in the comment section below!

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What Does it Take to Corner Nick Diaz?

I'm not going to reveal how many times I've watched this, I'm just going to let it speak for itself. The video here was brought to our attention via the good folks over at Middle Easy.

As they mention on their website, I'd get on this immediately before someone smartens up over at the UFC and takes it down.  But, for now, please enjoy that magic that was Nick Diaz's corner during his fight against Carlos Condit.

Oh, but that's not all, act now and you'll get Diaz's fight against BJ Penn as well.  Click the link and start laughing now.

And, yes, because of this video, we are officially adding a 209 category to our website to catalog all things Diaz bros.

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