"Critiquing the Cage" Henderson vs Pettis: Pre-Fight Pick

 Tonight, Ben Henderson defends his UFC Lightweight Championship against Anthony Pettis in a sensational match up of MMA proportions. After defending his title successfully, three consecutive fights, Henderson will have an enormous task of fending off Pettis, who already has a win over him. Pettis has a fantastic striking game, while Henderson is most comfortable on the ground, submitting many of his opponents.  

Let's just look at this match up realistically: Pettis becomes new UFC Lightweight Champion by either submission or knockout. His striking skills are far more superior than Henderson's, having a length and height advantage, so if Pettis can get Henderson to engage with him, he could possibly land a knockout. Henderson, on the other hand, has to take Pettis down hard and fast in order to have a chance to retain his Championship.

This match will surely be action packed, and we will see who comes out on top.

"A Way of Life" Spotlighting Jason Chen

I would like to give special recognition to one of sport karate's gear suppliers, Jason Chen and AllStar Gear.  Jason, has in the past, sponsored local urban karate tournaments, giving back to kids in these communities.  His gear is worn by many of sport karate's top ranked fighters, and can be seen at tournaments, internationally.  Thank you for your hard work and dedication to sport karate, and continue to make quality gear!

"Logic Behind the Leather" David Tua vs Alexander Ustinov

So it seems that the comeback bout between David Tua and Alexander Ustinov at the Claudelands Arena in Hamilton, New Zealand, will take place on August 31st.  There are reports that the match up would have to be postponed due to an injury from Tua, but the fight will go on.  And what a match it will be between Ustinov, who's in contention for a Heavyweight title bout, and Tua, who's making a comeback after two year layoff.  This highly anticipated fight will reveal Ustinov's legitimacy as a heavyweight and Tua's legitimacy as a heavyweight contender after a short retirement.
Alexander Ustinov is a powerful heavyweight, but his heart and legitimacy is questionable.  In his last bout, and first loss in his career against Kubrat Pulev, he took a knee in the 11th round and was counted out.  He seemed to lack the heart and perseverance that it takes to become one of boxing's elite.
David Tua is on the road to reclaiming his status as a dominating heavyweight.  After years of legal and financial troubles, and two years out of the ring, Tua hopes that this comeback will once again make him a formidable contender in the heavyweight division.  Tua, 41, also has a tremendous task of preparing himself physically and mentally for the bout.  Physically he has to be in tip top fighting shape and at the age of 41, many question his ability to perform against Ustinov.
I think that the real questions here are not Tua's punching power or how tough he is, because he's never been knocked out in the 58 matches he's had, but how accurate his distance and timing is.  Ustinov shows his ability to brawl in the ring, something that Tua will probably reciprocate, but leaves himself wide open to Tua's infamous left hook.  On the other hand, can Tua get around Ustinov's reach and penetrate him with his punches?
Ultimately, David Tua has chosen a good comeback match up against Alexander Ustinov, as he has a good chance of defeating him and putting himself in line to contend with other heavyweights.  Ustinov needs to prove that he belongs in the ring with other heavyweights by beating Tua and proving his legitimacy as a boxer.    

"Logic Behind the Leather" Seth Mitchell vs Chris Arreola

The non-title heavyweight bout between Seth Mitchell and Chris Arreola will take place on Saturday, September 7th at the Fantasy springs Resort in Indio, CA.  Seth Mitchell is coming off a win against Jonathan Banks, capturing Banks' WBC International Heavyweight title.  That match-up was the second meeting between the two, Mitchell losing the first bout against Banks.  Mitchell showed his lack of boxing skills compared to Banks', and had very amateur like tendencies in the ring.  When he matches up with Arreola, these issues are going to hurt his chances of beating him.  Arreola's aggression and his ability to lure his opponents into a slugfest, is something Mitchell can't afford.  

It seems as though throughout Seth Mitchell's matches, he's looking to get comfortable in the ring, as Arreola has already reached this level.  Going head-to-head with an opponent whose had Arreola's experience, Mitchell does not have the luxury not to feel at home in the ring, because his boxing skills is what is needed to get him through this fight.  

Mitchell has also shown how he can get hurt quickly in the ring, and his lack of recovery after he's been knocked down is practically nonexistent.  Arreola may possibly get a knockout against Mitchell in the early rounds of their bout, if Mitchell doesn't find a way to outbox him, keeping his chin down and staying off of the canvas. 

     

"Logic Behind the Leather" Garcia vs Matthysse: Fight of the Year

The super fight between Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysse on the Mayweather vs Canelo undercard on September 14th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is going to be a shoe in for Fight of the Year.  The explosive bout will be for Garcia's WBC, WBA(Super) and The Ring Light Welterweight titles, as Garcia attempts to keep his record unblemished, and Matthysse makes an effort to become the new champ.  
Garcia (26-0), is a relatively young boxer compared to Matthysse.  He has the tremendous potential to be a great boxer, but will tested considerably by Matthysse (34-2), who is a seasoned vet with massive punching power.  Garcia gets touched a lot in his fights,  and in his lastest bout against Zab Judah, he struggled and was stunned by Judah's punching power.  He went on to win the decision against Judah, but most certainly cannot perform the same with Matthysse, who's power and skills eclipses that of Judah's.  Matthysse aslo went head-to-head with Judah, but lost the decision, which was immediately questioned by fans and analysts alike.  But he wasn't denied his TKO victory against Lamont Peterson, whom he knocked down three times in the third round of their bout.
I don't feel that Garcia is ready for his match-up with Matthysse.  The Zab Judah fight should've been a testament to how unprepared he is, not to mention his questionable conditioning for the match-up.  He will have to be in the best shape of his life if he wants to go toe-to-to with Matthysse, using his smarts and boxing skills; not rushing in trying to land a knockout.  Matthysse, on the other hand, is confident and is more than ready to take on Garcia.  When these two men clash on September 14th, it will make for a fiery bout, with Matthysse handing Garcia his first loss, or Garcia shocking Matthysse with a victory.      

 

"Logic Behind the Leather" A Candid Portrait of Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson is undoubtedly one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in boxing's history.  No other boxer has created so much fear and destruction in the ring like Tyson did during his career.  The sheer mention of his name spoke volumes in terms of how great of a fighter he was, including his ability to knockout many of his opponents in the early rounds, and sometimes minutes of his bouts.  But as we all know, Tyson has had his share of ups and downs, inside and outside of the ring.  Legal woes have not only plagued his boxing career but his personal life also.  And who can forget his infamous bout with Holyfield, bitting his ear during the fight.  More recently, Tyson has confessed to being an alcoholic and drug addict.  Many have thought that Tyson was moving on with his life and changing it for the better, but he has "fooled everyone around him," according to Tyson.  He has only admitted to being sober from drugs and alcohol for six days, something of a "miracle" for Iron Mike.  In a teary eyed, sometimes whimpering talk during a press conference, Tyson shared another side of himself, referencing being a "dark and negative vicious alcoholic, and how it's "dangerous to hang out this neighborhood (pointing to his head), "It wants to kill everything, it wants to kill me too, I don't want to die."
There are a lot of people out there that will view Tyson's press conference and think that he must be crazy and that he should've gotten help a long time ago.  Others will see Tyson's confession as a step in the right direction toward his sobriety and living a sober life.  Both assumptions are true in their own respects.  Tyson has shown over the years, how unstable and unpredictable that he can be.  But no one cared about his state of mind, as long as he was knocking out everyone he was matched up against, and keeping those people who were riding his coattail funded and famous.  Where is the support now from the people who were with him during his thriving career? Where were the same people when his 4 year old daughter died tragically? As humans, where was the sense of responsibility to recognize his shortcomings and unfortunate circumstances?  Mike Tyson is not the only person we should blame for his catastrophic life, as the responsibility should be shared by the people who stood by and watched his fall from grace.
But there is a light and the end of this tunnel, as Tyson is making the necessary strides toward reclaiming his life.  Let us not dwell on his downfall, but embrace his passion for wanting to live and be a better person.  After all that has happened to Mike Tyson, there is no denying his greatness as a boxer.  Not only was he a beast in the ring, he was an intellectual fighter, understanding the sweet science of boxing.  Hopefully Iron Mike will continue to take his sobriety seriously and embrace the sweet science of life!

"Logic Behind the Leather" Gonzales vs Mares: The Results

And the newww!!!!!!.......  Jhonny Gonzalez is the new WBC Featherweight Champion after knocking out Abner Mares in the first round, after setting him up with a light jab and landing a left hook.  Our earlier prediction was on point, as Gonzalez used his reach to measure off Mares and knock him out.  Mares was very classy in his first defeat, giving Gonzalez the credit and respect deserved after a spectacular performance.  Kudos to Gonzales!

"Logic Behind the Leather" Abner Mares vs Jhonny Gonzalez: Pre-Fight Pick

Tonight at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, WBC Featherweight Champion Abner Mares will defend his title against the man whom he sparred against once upon a time, Jhonny Gonzalez.  While Mares has had less professional fights, (26-0-1), he is on a path to quite possibly become one of boxing's elite.  Gonzalez, on the other hand, can be seen as the experienced veteran in the game, with a record of (54-8-0).
So let's get to my pre-fight pick: Jhonny Gonzalez.  Why you say? There's two simple answers to this question, Gonzales' reach, and his boxing skills are far more superior to that of Mares.  Mares' bout against Victor Darchinyan, exposed his trouble with a more skilled boxer, and Gonzalez will be triple the trouble for him because of his reach, height and solid boxing skills.
It will certainly be an interesting match-up to watch.  Will Mares lose his WBC Championship to Ganzalez? I think so.
Stay tuned for the post fight results of Mares vs Gonzales!

"Logic Behind the Leather" Manny Pacquiao vs Brandon Rios: A Meeting at the Crossroads

On November 23rd, Manny Pacquiao faces off against Brandon Rios for the vacant WBO International Welterweight Championship title.  Many sports fans had hoped to see Pacquiao face off against Floyd Mayweather Jr., but those hopes soon faded after many failed attempts between the two camps to come to an agreement, and his knockout loss by Juan Manuel Marquez in their last bout.  Brandon Rios, who is also coming off of a loss, believes that a win against an opponent such as Pacquiao, will catapult his career and land him more big name fights.  So it seems that both fighters are at a crossroads of their careers, and their bout will certainly be an explosive event to witness.
Pacquiao is out to keep his name as one of boxing's greats and is seeking to destroy whoever is in his path.  Pac-Man's camp couldn't have chosen a more perfect opponent in Rios, who is a slugger who gets hit way too much due to his lack of defense.  Pacquiao's style of fighting, angling off, throwing combinations and using defense, will surely land him a victory over Rios.  We may even see him get KO'd for the first time in his career.  I'm not saying that Rios doesn't have a chance against Pacquiao who's been knocked out three times, the first coming from Rustico Torrecampo and his latest loss against Juan Manuel Marquez, but Rios will have to have a solid game plan, while going head to head with Manny Pacquiao.  Rios can use Pacquiao's lastet loss to his advantage, in hopes that he will be gun shy from his last knockout loss, but I wouldn't count on it.  As you can see, Pacquiao has been out before and still went on to become one of boxing's top fighters.  He knows how to get knocked out and come back better than ever, Rios, on the other hand, has not had that pleasure!
So this match-up will culminate into one of two things: Pacquiao's win by knockout or Rios' loss by knockout! Rios doesn't have a chance if he goes into the fight like he does his others, slugging and brawling.  Pacquiao will use his experience to out box Rios and become the new Welterweight Champ,  and finding himself paving the way to an unforgettable boxing career.  

"A Way of Life" Sport Karate's Legitimacy

The sport of karate doesn't always get the respect and notoriety that is deserves compared to other combat sports.  Some of you reading this will think aloud, "Karate is a combat sport?" And the answer: It most certainly is! It may not be a hard hitting, ground and pound blood sport as in MMA and boxing, but it has aspects that those other sports can compare to.  In what other sport can your opponent get knocked out, awaken and regroup, to continue fighting and possibly win the match-up? In the world of the UFC and boxing, once your opponent is KO'd, the fight is over, but not in sport karate. 

Sport karate fighters can be considered the toughest athletes, and have to have a lasting endurance and consistency during their match-ups, because 100% of their fights are run tournament style. They enter into fights not knowing who they are matched up against, and fight up to TEN matches to win the tournaments grand championship.  Sport karate fighters also enter into other aspects of the tournament that includes katas and weapons, showing form and skill of a particular style.
Many people don't consider sport karate a professional sport, because the sport lacks professional organizations.  Sport karate fighters are not offered contracts or paid fights that big name MMA and boxing athletes receive, through the many organizations that those sports have established over the years.  Over time, sport karate fighters move on to boxing and MMA in order to receive contracts and endorsements, but you rarely see fighters that have fought in those organizations convert to sport karate for this particular reason.  Sport karate fighters confidence levels become obsolete in regards to this matter, they want to be taken serious as professional athletes and sport karate has not caught up to the professionalism of what makes boxing and mixed martial arts renowned worldwide.
Sport karate is a legitimate sport that can be compared to the likes of MMA, boxing and other combative sports.  For many, karate is not only a sport, but a way of life.  Fighters embrace the aspect of the sport, but understand that karate is in everything that they do.  It is time that sport karate be mentioned in the same breath as any other professional sport played around the world.  So consider this question after reading this article, Is sport karate real? It most certainly is!

 

"Critiquing the Cage" Ronda Rousey: Master of the Universe

So, by now you've all heard the name Ronda Rousey.  Get used to it, because she is arguably the best mixed martial artist in the business.  What Rousey has accomplished is nothing short of amazing.  Rousey was the Women's Strikeforce Champion and was inaugurated by the UFC as its first Women's Champion.  She has gone undefeated in both her amateur and professional careers, submitting all of her opponents by arm bar, something that is unheard of in the world of MMA.   

But what is it that makes her such an outstanding mixed martial artist?: Her mastery of judo and that infamousarm bar  submission.  Rousey's arm bar submission can be put on the same level as wrestling greats Hulk Hogan with his finishing "leg drop" or the Undertaker's signature "tombstone", moves that they used to finish each of their matches.  There are many times during a match-up when she seems as though she's been beaten or has to submit, but her drive and passion does not let her give up.  The Liz Carmouche match-up showed how Rousey was almost defeated, getting caught in a standing face crank.  She battled back and submitted Carmouche with an arm bar.  

Rousey's raw demeanor and no holds barred attitude, brings excitement to the sport.  Her grittiness and explosiveness in the cage can be compared to that of a superhero: Batman has his utility belt, Spiderman has his web, and Ronda Rousey has her Arm bar!        

"Critiquing the Cage" Overeem vs Browne: All or Nothing

On Saturday, August 17th, at UFC Fight Night 26, Alistair "The Reem" Overeem will clash against Travis "Hapa" Browne, in a bout that will make or break the careers of these heavyweights. This match is promising to action packed, with both men fighting to solidify themselves as elite heavyweight fighters in the UFC.

Let's just put it all out there: Alistair Overeem NEEDS a win against Browne to keep him relevant as a UFC heavyweight. His latest loss against Antonio "Big Foot" Silva, devastated Overeem, as he was the favorite to win. His taunting, underestimation and lackadaisical 2nd and 3rd round performance, earned "Big Foot" a knockout victory. Overeem is also looking to redeem himself after his bout against Junior dos Santos was canceled because of a failed drug test a month before the fight was to take place.

Browne's first and only loss also came at the hands of Silva. He tore his left hamstring during the fight, and believes Silva's TKO victory was a lucky break for Silva. After rehab for his injury, Browne scored a knockout win against Gabriel Gonzaga in the first round of The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.

Both Overeem and Browne have something to prove in this fight. A win for either fighter will keep them in contention for a future title shot. For Browne, a win means becoming one of UFC's elite and for Overeem a win means hushing his doubters and becoming "The Redeemer"!

"Logic Behind the Leather" Mayweather v.s. Alvarez

On September 14'th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Floyd "Money" Mayweather meets Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, for what is promising to be one of the best boxing matches of the decade.  Both boxers have been preparing vigorously for this match-up and sports fans and critics alike are on edge, as the fight is quickly approaching.  Many fans are rallying around Alvarez, with hopes that he will hand Mayweather his first loss in 44 fights, as seen while the two were touring to promote their upcoming bout.  Mayweather has always had his fair share of those who dislike him and in true fashion, care less about what people think of him, letting his flawless record speak for itself.

Let's just state that facts here, Mayweather is undefeated in the ring and here's why: he has the ability to think and make adjustments while in the ring, and his defense is brilliant, not getting hit with as many punches as many of his opponents.  He has shown poise and is able to weather the storm against tough fighters like Shane Mosely and Chop Chop Corley, whom he was hurt by.  Mayweather was able to neutralize his opponents and ultimately claim victory against the two fighters.  There have been boxers who were taller, stronger and faster, but has failed to capitalize from these advantages. 

Canelo Alvarez is one of the slickest, Mexican fighters around.  Alvarez's potential is impressive, with a record of 42-0-1, he is looking to upset Mayweather and make a bigger name for himself.  Alvarez has shown growth in his defense, as seen in his fight against Trout, but hasn't fought anyone close to Mayweather's level and needs his defense to be second to none against someone as skilled as Floyd.  Alvarez gets hit often, something that he can't afford to do against Mayweather.  In Alvarez's bout against Trout, he was outboxed for the majority of the fight.  Alvarez fought in spurts, getting lethargic and calling his stamina into question.  Alvarez dropped Trout with a right hand, because the lack of Trout's state of readiness, something that he won't get a chance to do against Mayweather.  He will unquestionably have to box Mayweather for the entire 48 minutes if he wants to have a chance against Mayweather.

Canelo Alvarez has a bright future as a boxing champion, but he will surely be tested by the future hall of famer.  Mayweather will fight a superb fight and Alvarez will have to compete on his level, something he hasn't experienced in all the bouts he's fought so far.  This fight will undoubtedly be spectacular, but with that said, Canelo Alvarez will be taken to school by Mayweather, who will show what a phenom he truly is, reigning supreme at the end of the fight!     

"Critiquing the Cage" Fedor Emelianenko: "The Last Emperor"

Fedor Emelianenko can be considered the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist off all time. With a record of 35-4-1, he began his career as a member of RTT (Russian Top Team), winning tournaments and acquiring accolades in MMA, sambist and judoka.

His greatest accomplishment came with his defeat of Antonio Nogueira, who was undefeated at the time, to become the second Pride Heavyweight Champion. A title he would never lose.

Emelianenko remained undefeated for nearly a decade, which is unheard of in the sport of MMA, suffering his first loss to Fabricio Werdum in June 2010.

Fedor Emelianenko is now retired and a politician in his home country of Russia. There have been some attempts to unretire Emelianenko, but to no avail. His legacy as the best pound for pound heavyweight will go down in history!