Editor’s Note: Andrew Wallace is not your normal MMA fan. He’s not your normal human being. He’s quickly becoming MMA’s Hunter S. Thompson, for better or worse. We sent Andrew to Strikeforce because he is guaranteed to notice things others miss and he will definitely bring back something other than a stale list of who-beat-whom.

By Andrew Wallace

It’s funny where life can take you. First, you and some Army guy are fake-arguing about gay marriage on a green wrestling board, the next thing you know he’s making you go to semi-popular regional fighting promotions for his webpage. I guess that’s not that funny, it’s just regular. Regardless, after the success and popularity (with my mom and two or three of her bewildered and undoubtedly lying friends) of my last field report, I have been sent into the trenches again, afforded the sincere privilege to cover Strikeforce for you all.

As usual, Total-MMA’s prestigious credentials carry over into the real world with the most luxurious of treatment: the man at the door (”Wallie” his nametag informs me, sort of a cretinous name but certainly no fault of his own) has never heard of me, the website, and his papers do not confirm my existence. Fortunately, an Anne Frank-esque faith in humanity prevails and I am granted that most coveted of press access. Compelling coverage, I am aware. It gets better!

In the press room, I have a pretty decent salad and one dinner roll (AbSummer: Can’t stop, won’t stop.) I am cornered by a fast talking shucking and jiving snake oil salesman who tries to convince me to get Total-MMA affiliated with some FCC MMA program. If anyone is interested, I got his email! Networkin’ it up in San Jose on a Friday night.
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Your round-tablers today:
Lee Casebolt (LC)
Dave Walsh (DW)
Alan Conceicao (AC)
Chris Henderson (CH)

Topics being discussed:
- Josh “The Punk” Thomson “punks” top fighter Gilbert Melendez out.
- Cung Le vs Kazuo Misaki rumored for Strikeforce.
- Bisping vs. Leben to Main Event UFC 89 in the UK.
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After what we’ll consider too long of a delay, we return to the podcasting game with Total MMA Radio. This is the June 26 edition of Total MMA Radio. Alan and Iain discuss this past week’s boxing, we go into depth on the Ultimate Finale 7, discuss tonight’s Strikeforce event with Luke Stewart and also feature an exclusive look at Bas Rutten on the “Total Legends” segment.

 

 Total MMA Radio June 26 [48:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From this week forward, I’ll be doing my best to try and run down all the major events of the weekend ahead here in this section in the world of combat sport. Whether its boxing, K-1 kickboxing, or MMA, this will hopefully become the one stop shop for where and when you can see the best (and occasionally far from best) action for the weekend.

Boxing’s #1 fighter, Strikeforce’s world class lightweight champ, and the most dominant K-1 heavyweight ever all take to the ring and/or cage this weekend.

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Your Roundtable:

IL: Iain Liddle(UK)
DW: Dave Walsh(USA)
AC: Alan Conceicao(USA)
LC: Lee Casebolt(USA)
KS: Kendall Shields(CAN)
JS: Jonathan Snowden(USA)
MS: Marc Staehling(CAN)

Jake Shields vs. Nick Thompson for the first Elite XC Welterweight Title Live on CBS

DW: As fun as it is to make fun of EliteXC or anything involving Gary Shaw, this is unquestionable content. I can’t wait to see it, but this really isn’t going to wow a CBS crowd. As much as people complain about subpar displays like Kimbo Slice, that is what your average person in the audience is expecting to see.

JS: think the Shields-Thompson matchup is great and should add some much needed technical prowess to the Elite XC CBS show. Read the rest of this entry »

Your roundtable:
DW: Dave Walsh
AC: Alan Conceicao
LC: Lee Casebolt
JS: Jonathan Snowden

TUF Final: CB vs. Amir

LC: Picking the finale is (almost) always hard. A case like this, where you’ve got two guys with very little previous experience, is even harder. Anybody who watched the show has seem Amir’s entire career, and now he’s had, what, six weeks to change up his game. CB’s case isn’t quite as dramatic, but isn’t far off. I’d have to go with Amir, though. He won the first fight, he trains at a better camp, and he appears (disclaimer about the dangers of television editing HERE) to be way less cocky. Amir by decision.

AC: If the finale itself is as good as their first fight, all bets are off. I’m thinking CB will look back at this performance on the show and work his cardio and then wrestle down Amir repeatedly. Amir’s gonna give as good as he gets for awhile. What does bother me is the question of where Amir goes from here, regardless of whether he wins or loses. He beat a lot of very solid pros on the show with no actual pro MMA experience. A slight bump up in competition puts him in really deep water very fast.

DW: I only know of what I’ve read in Kendall’s posts, so I must say go Amir. That is all.

JS: There is no reason that CB shouldn’t win this fight. When you take two relatively inexperienced fighters and put them in together, the rule of thumb is always bet on the wrestler. So I’m betting on the wrestler. But my heart will be with Amir.

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Via the new Wrestling Observer website. Check it out.

Mr. White’s is a Familiar Act

When people say comparisons between pro wrestling and MMA don’t make any sense, keep things like this in mind: according to Sherdog, Dana White and the UFC will run a show on SPIKE TV on July 19th. This is the same day that Affliction debuts with a star studded card on PPV, featuring Tim Sylvia vs. Fedor Emelienko in the main event.

To long time wrestling fans, this will seem all too familiar. In 1987 Jim Crockett Promotions was excited to air their first PPV, Starcade 1987. They were less thrilled when Vince McMahon’s WWF offered a competing PPV on the same day. They were nearly in tears when McMahon informed cable companies they could either carry his show (a brand that had a track record of success) or Crockett’s untested show. You can imagine what happened.

The next January, McMahon upped the ante. When Crockett announced his second PPV, Bunkhouse Stampede, McMahon countered with a free special called the Royal Rumble on the USA Network. Crockett would get revenge by broadcasting the inaugural Clash of the Champions for free on TBS in competition with Wrestlemania IV. And so it went, until WCW was finally laid to rest.

Dana White has a history of vigorously attacking the competition in the courts. Now he’s bringing his bag of dirty tricks to the television industry. And because the UFC is the only brand with regular access to a significant TV audience, it’s not exactly a fair fight. Still, this is dangerous ground to walk for White and the UFC. Boxing promoters are pretty careful about putting on shows in competition to each other. There are enough weekends in the calender year for everyone.

A broadside like this may do irreparable harm to Affliction’s chances, but does White really want to open the Pandora’s box that could lead to the next Kimbo Slice fight being programmed for free on CBS opposite Chuck Liddell’s next pay per view fight? I think White would have been better served letting the market decide whether Affliction could survive the choppy waters of modern MMA promotion. He might have been pleased with the answer.
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Think Cung Le is capable of dissecting Anderson Silva? Do you think Cung Le is a hack that caught Frank while he was doing Mortal Kombat poses? Well, we have a forum dedicated to you!

We’ve all had time to digest Cung Le vs Frank Shamrock now, we’ve gotten our proof that Frank Shamrock did indeed get hurt and that, well, it looks like he was being a tough bastard toughing it out for however long that he did. But the question I want to ask is; where exactly does this leave Cung Le? Right after the fight there was some pretty healthy debate over Cung Le; is he one of the best strikers around, could he challenge Anderson Silva and give him a go for his money, is he one of the best pound for pound, or does he lack knock out power and simply go in there and “point fight” with his fancy kicks that connect but do little damage?
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Editor’s Note: Hardcore MMA fans live in their own insular little world. I know before I click what Josh Gross or Zach Arnold are going to say before they say it. I thought it might be interesting to send an outsider to watch a show up close. A, dare I say, TUF-Newb. What does a California hipster goofball think about MMA. We’re about to find out…

By Andrew Wallace

It was with great excitement that I accepted Jonathan’s kind offer to go to Strikeforce as a member of the prestigious total-mma.com’s elite journalism team. I don’t know much about MMA, or journalism, or anything. As I write this, I am on a train headed towards San Jose. My frantic writing in this notebook will probably give me away as a complete fool. I’m nervous. As a member of the media am I expected to sit passively, completely neutral to the nights proceedings? Or am I allowed to just completely lose my goddamn mind? I guess that all depends on if I find a bar before the show starts.

I have arrived and my mind is completely and utterly lost. As I write, I am in the press room watching Dave Meltzer eat meatloaf. This is the most incredible moment of my entire life, I want to just start laughing. Meltzer has a hearty appetite and an awkward manner of interpersonal interaction. He is my king.

Oh, the sneaky little fellow has crept off somewhere. I shall try to find him!
Total-MMA is apparently lacking in the prestige department as I am seated in a wheelchair landing. This is not ideal.
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