UFC 133: Rashad Evans Vs. Tito Ortiz

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Dehumanizing The Sport: The Strange Effect Of Injury Withdrawals On The MMA Community

The bizarre influx of injury withdrawals leading into UFC 133 has led many within the MMA community to question the merits of the new fighter insurance policy enacted by Zuffa this May. The now-infamous policy provides coverage for injuries sustained by fighters while in training, as well as external incidents such as car accidents.

Instead of forcing fighters to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses, the promotion now generously covers 100 percent of the necessary insurance premiums, saving their contracted athletes millions of dollars a year. For bottom-of-the-rung fighters struggling to make a living doing what they love, this new coverage is a godsend.

Yet, despite this altruistic fact, a common voice has risen among the consuming crowd, claiming that this new policy actually encourages fighters to ruin cards by pulling-out out of contracted bouts because of minor injuries.

With all the recent examples shoved in front of our faces, the accusation does make some sense. But is the reality as widespread as it seems?

Through 2011 there have been 14 official UFC events. Six of those 14 events (43%) have ended with an different headlining bout than originally scheduled due to an injury withdrawal.

Of the eight shows that maintained their original headliner, five still felt the heavy burden of injury replacements on their primary pay-per-view card (63%).

Thus, of the 14 UFC promotions this year, 11 have been drastically altered by fighter pullouts (79%). Admittedly, that number appears massive upon first sight.

But what exactly does it mean? While training camp injuries have been accepted as an inherent aspect of the game in the past, the current public sentiment seem to be that we are inching toward treacherous territory.

The past few months have contributed heavily to that, as countless withdrawals have crippled a number of high-profile cards. Certainly it seems as if the scales have been tipped to one side thus far, but is this new crisis really that new?

Last year the UFC put on 24 full-scale events. Of those 24, 19 suffered through the same series of injury-related pitfalls. In other words, 79 percent. The exact same result.

In anything, the trend has maintained itself to a tee. Any fight fan knows this isn't surprising. Injury pullouts are as much a mainstay of the sport as Joe Son Do and Art Jimmerson's legendary glove.

Besides, at this point haven't late withdrawals become the trademark shortcut for unheralded fighters to make their mark? For every wasted Rampage-Hamill clunker, there are countless Brenneman-Story, Masvidal-Noons stunners that invariably bring new, unexpected faces into MMA consuming limelight.

Because of this, the mass existence of injury pullouts are a generally accepted truth in the unpredictable world of MMA. Yet, as we have seen of late, an unfortunate result of any sudden string of bad luck is that it will inevitably bring in the flood screaming for change.

As a result of an athlete-fan relationship that is wholly dependent on an electronic screen, many subconsciously assume that fighters aren't actually real people; rather, they are gladiators with the sole purpose of general amusement. The disappointment of failing to live up to that standard is deemed unacceptable.

What usually follows is a downpour of unregulated cynicism that oozes through the cracks like tree sap on a hot summer's day. Faceless names questioning the commitment of professionals and their right to basic human security. The argument is not only absurd, it is emotionally cold and detached.

Does the new policy inherently create situations where fans may have to begrudgingly purchase mediocre shows? In some cases, yes.

Does that mean the policy is actually hurting the sport? Absolutely not. Concern for health and safety is never a legitimate problem. Every individual deserves the comfort of knowing that they and their families will be taken care of in an emergency. 

In the end, this is just the world we chose to follow. MMA's brutal nature, and the unparalleled premium it places on weight cutting, will inevitably lead to a larger percentage of high profile injuries. Sometimes they will even be bound to happen all at once, like we saw last week.

That doesn't mean we need to dehumanize the sport.

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Vladimir Matyushenko Withdraws From UFC 133, Replaced By Matt Hamill

Add another to the already long line of UFC 133 casualties. Light heavyweight veteran Vladimir Matyushenko has withdrawn from his scheduled bout against Alexander Gustafsson (11-1, 3-1 UFC) at the August 6th event due to an undisclosed injury, according to Thursday night reports. "The Ultimate Fighter 3" alum Matt Hamill (10-3, 9-3 UFC) has been tapped as a late replacement.

The announcement is just another addition to the laundry list of UFC 133 complications. Headliner Phil Davis withdrew from the card's main event Tuesday night, kicking off a mad scramble to find a suitable replacement.

Amusingly, UFC president Dana White mentioned Thursday that Matyushenko was his "Plan D" to fill the vacant headlining spot, had Tito Ortiz not changed his mind. Given the circumstances, it appears as if the promotion dodged a major bullet. Having the 40-year old Belarusian claim the opening, only to get injured in training hours later, may have led to White's abrupt spontaneous combustion, Spinal Tap-style.

The fight is the first for Hamill since a decision loss to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 130. Although, that fight also came on late notice. Before the loss, the 34-year old stormed through a five fight win streak that included a vicious head kick knockout of Mark Munoz and a unanimous decision victory over Tito Ortiz.

It hasn't yet been announced whether Hamill's bout against Gustafsson will remain televised on the Spike TV undercard, as was previously planned. However, given the immense popularity and name-recognition of the American, all signs point to the UFC maintaining the continuity of the broadcast schedule.

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Updated UFC 133 Fight Card: Rashad Evans Vs. Tito Ortiz

After a whirlwind two days, the lineup for UFC 133 had been finalized. The event will be headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former champions Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz. ‘UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz' will be held on August 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Following Tuesday's injury withdrawal of expected headliner Phil Davis, Dana White and the UFC quickly embarked on a see-saw effort to find a new competitor on extremely short notice. The frustrating process began with former champion Lyoto Machida accepting the fight, only to turn it down hours later due to increased monetary demands. Ortiz followed, rejecting the spot before having a change of heart and accepting 24 hours later.

Also featured on the card is a light heavyweight bout between Rich Franklin and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, as well as a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama. Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara and Rory McDonald vs. Mike Pyle round out the pay-per-view action. 

Main Card:
Light Heavyweight: (#4 LHW) Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz
Light Heavyweight: (#13 LHW) Rich Franklin vs. (#11 LHW) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Middleweight: (#7 MW) Vitor Belfort vs. (#21 MW) Yoshihiro Akiyama
Middleweight: Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara
Welterweight: (#24 WW) Rory MacDonald vs. (#16 WW) Mike Pyle

Preliminary card (to be broadcast on SPIKE):
Light Heavyweight: (#19 LHW) Vladimir Matyushenko vs. (#17 LHW) Alexander Gustafsson
Featherweight: (#3 FW) Chad Mendes vs. (#17 FW) Rani Yahya

Preliminary card:
Welterweight: Dennis Hallman vs. Brian Ebersole
Middleweight: Rafael Natal vs. Costantinos Philippou
Bantamweight: Ivan Menjivar vs. Nick Pace
Welterweight: Johny Hendricks vs. Mike Pierce
Featherweight: (#22 FW) Mike Brown vs. Nam Phan

All rankings are courtesy of USA Today/SB Nation's consensus rankings last updated on June 30th.

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Nate Marquardt's Suspension Lifted By Pennsylvania Athletic Commission

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (PSAC) has voted to lift the suspension of former UFC middleweight contender Nate Marquardt, following an announcement from commission executive director Greg Sirb. The decision ends a long and difficult transition period during which the 32-year old faced immense scrutiny for his actions.

Marquardt's trouble initially began after he was infamously forced to withdraw from his headlining bout against Rick Story at UFC Live 4 the day before the event was scheduled to take place. The stunning development sent shockwaves throughout the UFC, enraging President Dana White enough to cut the acclaimed veteran from the promotion on the spot.

Afterwards, results of a pre-fight test indicated that Marquardt had tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, and thus had been forced off the card. Reports soon came out explaining that the fighter had been undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for a year due to symptoms of low testosterone. Marquardt fought three times within the UFC while taking the hormone.

Following the June 26th event, the former King of Pancrase was suspended indefinitely by the PSAC. Wednesday morning that suspension was lifted. Marquardt's team released this statement once the announcement was official.

"Today Nate Marquardt was taken off suspension by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission. This comes less than three weeks after not being medically cleared to fight at UFC on Versus 4 in Pittsburgh and being placed on suspension. Nate is no longer restricted from fighting in any jurisdiction and is looking forward to competing in mixed martial arts again as soon as possible.

"He is currently fielding a large number of offers from several MMA promotions and is excited at the wide range of options he has before him. Nate is still one of the best MMA fighters in the world and will resume his career in the sport after deciding which venue is right for him. He felt very comfortable with the drop to welterweight and will most likely compete in that weight class. Nate would like to thank his sponsors, family, and friends who supported him through this difficult time."

Now that he is free to sign with another organization, Marquardt is sure to find no lack of suitors. In particular, the former middleweight contender is receiving piqued interest from U.S. based promotion, Bellator Fighting Championships. Both Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard and welterweight champion Ben Askren have stridently called out the UFC veteran throughout the past two weeks.

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Tito Ortiz Turns Down UFC 133 Headlining Fight Against Rashad Evans

Numerous frantic developments have arisen following Phil Davis' departure from the scheduled UFC 133 main event against Rashad Evans (15-1-1, 10-1-1 UFC), however one in particular seems to be catching the attention of fight fans. As it turns out, former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz (16-8-1, 15-8-1 UFC) was offered the headlining bout as well, but decided to turn it down.

Without question, the move sits in stark contrast to the sentiment the "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" was portraying following his tremendous first-round upset of Ryan Bader at UFC 132. A week ago, fixed in the fuzzy afterglow of the biggest victory of his life -- and by all accounts a complete career revival -- Ortiz discussed his availability with SB Nation's own Luke Thomas.

Luke Thomas: How fast can you turn around if you could game plan?

Tito Ortiz: Two weeks.

Luke Thomas: You could fight at UFC 133, 134, or 135 easily, right?

Tito Ortiz: Whatever they want, I'm ready. I'm healthy, I'm good, no problems. My knee's a little sore from when Ryan kicked the inside of my knee but I checked it so his foot must be killing today. That and his chin.

It goes without saying, but the opportunity was there for the taking for the 36-year old veteran, and everything failed to come to fruition. It may be that the quote was simply a glimpse into the inherent bluster required to prosper in the fight game, but even still, taking on a top-5 opponent with less than a month's notice is an incredibly tall order to ask of anyone.

Regardless of the fact that Rashad Evans hasn't fought in a over a year, the truth remains that he is an exceedingly dangerous opponent. Losing to "Sugar" in a decisive fashion, even on short notice, would immediately derail all the momentum and resounding goodwill that "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has prudently built up over the last week.

Shortly after the announcement, Ortiz released a statement via Twitter that seemed to echo that exact sentiment.

I have a life and things to take care of. The fight game is about making the right choices of my career. If you knew what I have been going through you all would understand. Peaking for a fight is what makes a fighter unstoppable! Timing is everything in life. This is a rebuild year for me not do or die. The time will come again! #positive

None would blame Ortiz in this case, as it really does seem like the smart decision for an aging legend carefully toeing the line between retirement and relevancy. Either way, unaided by an already rocky history with Dana White and the UFC, this latest development could have a far-reaching impact on how the organization decides to play out the last few years of the California native's career. 

[Update by Shaun Al-Shatti, 07/13/11 4:34 PM PDT ]

It appears Tito Ortiz has had a change of heart. As of late Wednesday afternoon, the former light heavyweight champion has signed on to fight Rashad Evans in UFC 133's headlining bout. 

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Jake Shields "Doesn't Even Know" Who Ellenberger Is; Could Be Heading Down A Dangerous Path

Trash talk really isn't that big of a deal in the fight game. Most of it is just to hype an event and make the competitors -- and the organization -- more money. So no one batted an eye when UFC welterweight prospect Jake Ellenberger continually chided his upcoming UFC Fight Night 25 opponent, Jake Shields, via Twitter.

That's how this all works. Two years ago, Ellenberger was an unknown welterweight coming off a narrow split decision loss to Carlos Condit in his UFC debut. As time progressed, he showed signs that he was something to be taken seriously, grinding his way through a four fight win streak -- which included impressive three knockout victories -- all the while, positioning himself for the bright lights of legitimacy.

In this sport, for better or worse, two things expedite that process -- flashy results and public posturing. Even better if you have them both.

As Ellenberger's results came, unsurprisingly the posturing soon followed. But again, that's how this game works. He is simply an up-and-coming prospect trying to make a name for himself by riling up a more established name.

In that regard, Jake Shields' response to the constant barbs is rather surprising. 

"I don't really know who the guy is," Shields told MMAjunkie.com com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "That's my statement. I have no opinion of the guy yet. I guess I don't even know if I don't like him or not. I just hear he keeps talking crap. I don't know. I'm not sure why because I don't even know who he is."

In a sport characterized by an unheard-of level of unpredictability, the flippancy of this remark is somewhat alarming. Confidence is one thing, but complete disregard is an entirely different beast.

In no other athletic completion does an underestimation of one's opponents create such a dangerous scenario as MMA. Take the recent example of Strikeforce fighter K.J. Noons. The outspoken lightweight was set to face journeyman Jorge Masvidal in what was essentially a tune-up bout for an already agreed upon lightweight title shot. Leading into the fight, both Noons and Strikeforce oozed confidence that the future title bout would be fantastic, completely dismissing the most important step -- the present.

Well guess what? Masvidal went out and destroyed the expectations, battering Noons on route to a one-sided decision. Now it is Masvidal -- a fighter lacking the marketable name organizations rely upon -- that will face Gilbert Melendez for the lightweight title. Strikeforce and Noons played with fire and they got burned.

Whether Shield's comments were indeed true, or simply intended as biting sarcasm, the general nature of the mindset he is hinting at is rather worrisome. Ellenberger is not a pushover, in fact, some would say that he is quite capable of beating the former Strikeforce champion.

Dismissing your opponent before you ever enter the cage is a dangerous road to go down in the realm of combat sports. Once the lights are on, it only takes a split-second to turn that perception on its head. After all, they don't call it a "puncher's chance" for nothing. 

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Reports Of Fedor Emelianenko Vs. Anderson Silva Super Fight Untrue, Strikeforce.com Hacked

Fight fans waking up Monday morning must have thought they were still dreaming. A super fight between the decade's two greatest fighters -- Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva -- with a Georges St. Pierre throw-in looming over the horizon? Well, just file that one under ‘to good to be true'.

To explain, a now infamous report entitled "Fedor Emelianenko moving to UFC; Will fight Anderson Silva" was posted on Strikeforce's official website early Monday morning. As one can imagine, the internet promptly exploded.

With the MMA community buzzing like it was Christmas morning, Strikeforce officials hastily took down the article -- of course, replacing it with a picture of ring girl Kelli Hutcherson -- and set out on a swift denial tour of the allegations. At this point, the likely conclusion is the organization may have fallen victim to some wishful fan hacking, or was the unfortunate recipient of some belated retribution from a bitter ex-employee.

Regardless, Fedor is still fighting Dan Henderson on July 30th, Anderson Silva is still fighting Yushin Okami at UFC 134, and Georges St. Pierre is still fighting Nick Diaz at UFC 137. You may now return to your everyday, non-super-fight related business.

Of course, just in case you wanted to see what could have been, here is a transcription of the original Strikeforce.com story before it was taken down, courtesy of Bloody Elbow:

A dream super-fight is now a reality.

Fedor Emelianenko, who is now walking around at 215lbs, will be moving over to the UFC brand after his July 30th bout with Dan Henderson. Emelianenko's first fight will be none other than UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva.

The fight will take place sometime after UFC 134, which is headlined by Anderson Silva as he takes on Yushin Okami. Emelianenko vs Silva will likely take place at 205lbs. However, Fedor Emelianenko will be

undergoing a test-cut after his fight with Dan Henderson. His management has agreed that if he can make the cut to 185lbs without much trouble and if Anderson Silva defeats Yushin Okami, then Fedor Emelianenko vs Anderson Silva will be contested at 185lbs and will be for the UFC Middleweight Championship.

Georges St. Pierre may also be in the mix if he is able to defeat UFC 137 opponent, Nick Diaz. If St. Pierre decides to move up to middleweight, he will be fighting the winner of Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko.

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VIDEO: Arthur Guseinov Lands A Brutal Spinning-Backfist KO Over Tyson Jeffries At M-1 Challenge 26

Given the rarity of which it happens, a vicious spinning-backfist knockout will always make waves within the MMA community. Enter Arthur Guseinov. The Russian middleweight's incredible finish of Tyson Jeffries 92-seconds into Showtime's Friday broadcast of the M-1 Global Challenge 26 main card was a KO that fight fans are sure to see again and again as ‘knockout of the year' discussions heat up.

The finish courtesy of MMAJunkie and Showtime. Mauro Ranallo and Pat Miletich call the action:

Guseinov (8-2) is no stranger to spectacular finishes. Six of the 27-year old's eight wins are by knockout, including three consecutive fights from 2009-2010 that were finished in the opening minutes by head kicks.

Jeffries (7-6) actually controlled the opening rounds of the bout, securing a quick takedown and transitioning to side control before the match retook to the feet. The loss is the second in row for the Team Quest product.

M-1 finalized a broadcast deal with Showtime in mid-February, and as one can see, it is already paying dividends for the subscription cable provider. Friday's event was the second of four co-promoted shows planned for 2011 by the organization. 

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UFC Releases John Howard, Andre Winner

Discounting a few high profile exceptions, within the UFC it is well known that a three straight losses can spell the end of a tenure for fighters. In the end, the organization is above all else a business, and a struggling product without the aid of a big name is of little monetary value to the cause. Such is the case for John Howard and Andre Winner. Following intense speculation, the pair of once-promising prospects were officially cut from the UFC on Monday morning.

Once considered the next big thing in the welterweight division, Howard stormed out of the gate to start his stay in the organization. "Doomsday" won his first four fights from early 2009 to 2010, improving dramatically as the months went on. After capping the streak with a highlight reel first round knockout of Daniel Roberts at UFC Live 1, Howard had proven worthy of a step up in competition.

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva obliged, giving the 28-year old two consecutive matches against top-10 opponents, Jake Ellenberger and Thiago Alves. However, the step proved to be too much too soon for Howard, as he dropped both bouts within a span of four months.

Suddenly staring the dreaded three-in-a-row streak straight in the eyes, the Boston native signed on to fight Matt Brown, a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 7" who had fallen on his own hard times and was also teetering on the verge of dismissal. Despite being favored by odds-makers, Howard quickly found himself shrinking from Brown's standup assault, eventually losing a close decision battle at UFC Live 4 that would ensure his newfound future.

After the announcement, Howard (14-7, 4-3 UFC) released this video confirming the news. He hopes to rebound from the release by signing on to fight for either Bellator or DREAM.

It is a cruel twist on irony that Andre Winner's release would come on the same day as Howard's, given the enormously comparable career arc the two share.

Winner was first introduced to UFC fans as the runner-up on "The Ultimate Fighter 9". Fighting out Team Rough House in Nottingham, England, the Brit impressed the UFC brass with three first round finishes on his way to the show's finale.

He maintained that momentum to begin his official UFC career, running roughshod over Roli Delgado and Rafaello Oliveira in his first two post-finale fights. However, things soon screeched to a halt, as Winner would lose a smothering three round decision to Nik Lentz at UFC 118 and become a victim of the surging Dennis Siver at UFC 122.

With a battle against Anthony Njokuani at UFC 132 serving as his last stand, Winner came up short again. Njokuani almost finished the 29-year old several times in the first round via a blistering blitzkrieg of haymakers on route to earning a decisive unanimous decision victory.

Following his release from the UFC, Winner (11-6-1, 2-4 UFC) and his agent, Wad Alameddine, reported that the Brit would be focusing on rebuilding on his name through a myriad of U.K. based events. The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA) was specifically mentioned as a possible outlet for the TUF-veteran.

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UFC 133: Rashad Evans Vs. Phil Davis

‘UFC 133: Evans vs. Davis' will be held on August 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event is headlined by a ferocious light heavyweight bout between former-champion Rashad Evans and undefeated prospect Phil Davis.

Rashad Evans' original opponent was to be light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones, who would be making his first title defense against his former friend and teammate. However, a torn ligament in his right hand caused Jones to withdraw from the card, and be quickly replaced by Davis.

Co-headlining the card is a pivotal light heavyweight scrap between longtime-middleweight titleholder Rich Franklin and PRIDE-import Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Both fighters are attempting to rebound from a disappointing decision loss in their last performance.

Rounding out the main card are two highly anticipated middleweight bouts: Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara. A welterweight fight between Rory MacDonald and Mike Pyle is also scheduled for pay-per-view broadcast.

Main Card:

Light Heavyweight: (#4 LHW) Rashad Evans vs. (#9 LHW) Phil Davis
Light Heavyweight: (#13 LHW) Rich Franklin vs. (#11 LHW) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Middleweight: (#7 MW) Vitor Belfort vs. (#21 MW) Yoshihiro Akiyama
Middleweight: Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara
Welterweight: (#24 WW) Rory MacDonald vs. (#16 WW) Mike Pyle

Preliminary card (to be broadcast on SPIKE):
Light Heavyweight: (#19 LHW) Vladimir Matyushenko vs. (#17 LHW) Alexander Gustafsson
Featherweight: (#3 FW) Chad Mendes vs. (#17 FW) Rani Yahya

Preliminary card:
Welterweight: Dennis Hallman vs. Brian Ebersole
Middleweight: Rafael Natal vs. Costantinos Philippou
Bantamweight: Ivan Menjivar vs. Nick Pace
Welterweight: Johny Hendricks vs. Mike Pierce
Featherweight: (#22 FW) Mike Brown vs. Nam Phan

All rankings are courtesy of USA Today/SB Nation's consensus rankings last updated on June 30th.