Who Ya Got: GSP or Anderson Silva?
August 31, 2011 by Matt
Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva are arguably the top two MMA fighters in the world at this time. Dana White has stated that he thinks Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all-time. I wonder what GSP thinks about that. Would he agree? Do fans agree?
Let’s take a look at their accomplishments.
Silva: Former Cage Rage and Shooto middleweight champion. Current UFC middleweight champ, a title which he has defended 9 times. 14-0 in UFC fights.
GSP: Former TKO Canadian welterweight champ. Current UFC welterweight champion. Won the title, lost it, won the interim title and then reclaimed the belt. Has defended it 6 times since then, and will fight Nick Diaz at UFC 137. 16-2 in the UFC.
Silva notable victories: Sonnen, Belfort, Maia, Griffin, Henderson, Franklin (2x), Marquardt, Sakaurai, Newton, Horn and Leben.
GSP notable victories: Shields, Koscheck, Serra, Fitch, Hughes (2x), Penn (2x), Sherk, Trigg, Mayhem Miller, Hieron, Parisyan.
It could be argued that GSP has beaten more legends, but Silva certainly scores wins in more impressive fashion. There can be no doubt that Silva thrills fans on a higher level.
How about endorsements? Silva just scored a Burger King deal. St. Pierre totally has him here. GSP has Under Armour, Affliction and of course, GSP’s workout DVDs, “Rush Fit”. That doesn’t matter in the cage, but popularity/likability plays into how fans pick their favorites.
Both are outstanding champions. GSP is more popular here in North America, and Silva more in South America. Right now the edge might go to Silva. But what about if GSP beats Diaz at UFC 137? That would make it a much tougher call, but then we will probably get the GSP vs. Silva superfight.
What say you?
Bellator’s Killer Bruce Lee Promo
August 31, 2011 by Matt
Bellator returns to MTV2 with season 5 on September 10th. They’ve taken Bruce Lee sound and matched it up with video of the season 5 combatants to produce a killer promo. Check it out:
RIP Big Poppa Schnake
August 31, 2011 by Matt
Cage announcer Big Poppa Schnake has passed away. Twitter, Facebook and other sources were stirring with the sad news during the last few days, and unfortunately it has been confirmed.
From Kankakee to King of the Cage and many points in between, Chris “Big Poppa” Schnake put his indelible stamp on MMA announcing with an original style that entertained, informed, and will surely never be duplicated.
You can surf around the web for many stories about his passing, but you will likely find one running commentary. They all touch on how much he loved the sport, how much fun he made it for the audience and how there will never be another like him.
Here are some thoughts from some of the members of the Chicago-area MMA community.
“What a terrible loss to the MMA community. Schnake was a part of the Chicago Cagefighting Championship family and a good friend. He will be missed, and to quote one of my favorite Schnake sayings “peace and hair grease brother.”
-Joe Smith
Promoter, Chicago Cagefighting Championship
“Definitely had a unique and personal announcing style. Big Poppa had the total package: flair, voice, presence and of course the outfits (loved the Scottish kilt.)
He was solid as a TV commentator as well. If a replay of any “MMA Sport Federation” events air on Fox Sports Net/Comcast Sportsnet you should watch. I thought he was better than many who are doing it on higher profile outlets. He definitely had a future in that.
Big Poppa definitely left his stamp on ring/cage announcing. Proof that not all the best talent is in the “big shows”, he’s definitely on that level and in my opinion more memorable.”
-L.J. Tabano
Writer, Chicago’s MMA
“R.I.P “Big Poppa” Schnake. I was glad to know him and PROUD to be a personal friend for many years. There is not a more passionate person I know.
I was in tears of sadness briefly, but tears of laughter took over when I was remembering all of the great times and outlandish things Chris had done and said.”
-Rob Hinds
MMA Referee, Combat Consulting
Schanke also was a part of the MMAWeekly family. They produced an excellent video of some of his highlights during his time with them. Here it is.
RIP, Big Poppa Schnake (1974-2011)
UFC 137: Penn vs. Condit Trailer
August 30, 2011 by Matt
Here’s a killer look at the upcoming UFC 137 BJ Penn vs. Carlos Condit fight. What’s remarkable about this clip is that it’s not even produced by the UFC — it’s a fan-made video by NicktheFace.
Erik Paulson, Greg Nelson Bringing CSW to Chicago
August 29, 2011 by Matt
Erik Paulson and Greg Nelson are coming to Chicago for the first-ever Midwest CSW MMA Camp. The event takes place October 8 & 9 at Hackney’s Combat in Roselle. Keith Hackney will also be part of the camp.
Sifu Marcus Charles (pictured left with Paulson), the longtime JKD/Kali instructor who has trained under the likes of Rick Faye, Tom Cruse, Paul Vunak and Paulson, is bringing Paulson to Chicago for a second time, and he also got Nelson to participate. Charles is now the lead JKD/Kali instructor at Hackney’s.
Charles brought Paulson in to FLO MMA for a seminar in October last year, and Paulson talked to us about training Brock Lesnar. Lesnar was preparing for the Cain Velasquez bout back then. This time around, Paulson will be working with Lesnar on his UFC return, and also preparing Josh Barnett, who’s looking to capture the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix title.
Nelson is the renowned MMA trainer of some of the most respected fighters in the game. Besides Lesnar, Nelson has trained Sean Sherk, Brock Larson, Cole Konrad and Nik Lentz.
Hackney is well-known to fight fans and local fighters. Hackney’s Combat has been around for a long time in the Chicago area, and fight fans remember Hackney from his days as a UFC fighter.
1ST Annual Midwest CSW MMA Camp
October 8 and 9
Featuring Erik Paulson, Greg Nelson and Keith Hackney
Hackney’s Combat
800 W Lake St., Roselle, Il.
Contact Marcus Charles at 708.296.4221 for more details
Anderson Silva UFC 134 Walkout Shirt
August 26, 2011 by Matt
Anderson “The Spider” Silva has a new walkout shirt for his UFC 134 championship fight against Yushin Okami.
Keith Wisniewski Back in the UFC
Duneland Vale Tudo’s Keith Wisniewski is back in the UFC. The veteran fighter has signed a deal and will fight Josh “The Dentist” Neer at UFC on Versus 6 on October 1, according to MMA Junkie.
Wisniewski, 29, is riding a 6-fight winning streak with his last win coming at HFC 7 over Chris Wilson. He holds a 28-12-1 professional record, and fought at UFC 56, losing to Nick Thompson via decision.
Although he is just 29, Wisniewski has seemingly been fighting forever. He fought Shonie Carter back in 1999, and fought on the same JKD Challenge 3 card as Matt Hughes. He has also fought locally at XFO, C3, Cut Throat MMA, TFC and Ironheart Crown.
Wisniewski and his brother Justin are also promoters, putting on the Duneland Classic events. Those events have featured local fighters such as Eddie Wineland, Dan Hornbuckle, John Kolosci, Josh Shockley, Yusup Saadulaev, Darren Elkins and Kevin Knabjian.
Shogun Rua Bad Boy UFC 134 Walkout Shirt
August 24, 2011 by Matt
Shogun Rua has a new walkout shirt for his UFC 134 fight against Forrest Griffin.
Features:
- Large shogun graphic with BAD BOY and MAURICIO RUA SHOGUN text on front
- Bad Boy eyes and text on left sleeve
- Eyes graphic and RIO 134 on right sleeve
- BADBOY and MAURICIO RUA SHOGUN text on back and helmet with mask graphic
Cut Throat MMA: Supremacy 4
August 24, 2011 by Matt
Cut Throat MMA takes their crew to Cedar Lake, Indiana for Supremacy 4 on September 16, 2011. This will be an outdoor MMA event. You can also win a walk-on role for the Cut Throat MMA Uncaged Show that airs on WCIU. Buy any 2 tickets to the Supremacy 4 fight event and you will be entered to win.
Round 5 to Release “UFC Titans”
August 24, 2011 by Matt
Collectors and MMA fans will be excited to hear about the next wave of UFC figures from Round 5. Round 5 President Damon Lau announced the all-new line called “UFC Titans”, the latest brand extension of Round 5’s popular UFC license.
“For the last 3 years, we have had a great time working on our Ultimate Collector Series and the complementary UFC Live and UFC Versus collections. We are incredibly excited to announce our latest project: UFC Titans, says Lau. “As the UFC has grown into a mainstream sport, we wanted to produce a new line that appeals to our current fans as well as the new audiences who are finally recognizing mixed martial arts as the greatest sport on earth.”
The 5-inch UFC Titans figures are one inch shorter than the Ultimate Collector Series but share the same points of articulation at the neck, waist, arms and fists. Fans both new and old will see familiar faces in UFC Titans Series 1, as Round 5 will release figures of Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn, and Georges St-Pierre. While the figures feature the same realistic reproduction of the faces of individual fighters, the Titans feature a more light-hearted design featuring oversize heads and, a first from Round 5, all-vinyl construction.
“The design and vinyl construction is reminiscent of the vinyl HAO-Arts PRIDE collectibles. Fans of the UFC brought in by new names like Brock Lesnar or the last season of The Ultimate Fighter may not necessarily know the full history of the sport or have a deep knowledge of the epic PRIDE fights,” says Barron Lau, CEO of Round 5. “Combining current and future UFC Hall of Famers with vinyl construction and a new whimsical concept, we wanted to give new fans of the sport a collectible they can appreciate that still appeals to our hardcore supporters.”
UFC Titans has been in the pipeline since 2008, but Round 5 “leaked” the figures by mixing a few Titans prototypes into their display at UFC Fan Expo Toronto in April.
“We got instant feedback and a lot of questions about the prototypes at the booth and through our Facebook page,” says Damon Lau, “That’s what I love about our fans. You can’t slip anything by them.”
UFC Titans will be available in November 2011 and will retail for $14.99. Round 5 targets a bi-annual series release.
