On Brock Lesnar’s Retirement

Posted on 05 January 2012. Tags: , , ,

Brock Lesnar has made up his mind. He has retired and walked away from the sport that has been there for him on the twilight of his career. With only eight professional fights, he had sold out every arena, raked big pay-per-view buys and filled out ring-side seats with celebrities.

For most of his life, Brock was the achiever—an accomplished amateur wrestler, WWE champion at age 25 and a UFC heavy weight champ. He was a born winner who stuck to the old ways of getting to the top—train, sleep, family and fight. This is what champions are made of—feet on the ground with sheer determination. This is what the fans appreciated him for.

He goes to the ring with 100 percent confidence and tries to destroy his opponent with fierce brutality and strength, and yet he remains humble enough to accept defeat.

While he could still fight and get other marquee matchups, he decided to hang up his gloves while he is still on top of his game—while he still can fill up the arena, get bigger pay-per-view shares and while people still have faith in him.

He has seen how former champions have fallen. Randy Couture and Chuck Lidell fought so hard to get back to the top only to falter and find themselves dominated by younger opponents. Lesnar never sees himself going that road. He has too much pride and too much bravado.

On his victory against Shane Carwin at UFC 116, Brock was quick to say, “I’m the baddest s.o.b. on the planet.” Everyone agreed. He was always straightforward and unpredictable. That makes him a media darling in the UFC a craft he masterfully practice on his brief stint in the WWE. However, Brock was always true to his words.

When he fought Alistair Overeem, Brock’s biggest chance of winning was to pin him down but he only went for one take down. It was clear that Brock’s game plan is to go toe to toe with UFC’s biggest striker. If he wants to win, he wants to dominate you in your game. But it only took one knee into Lesnar’s midsection that changes everything.

It was a realization that has brought him to the realms of entertainment and back to reality.

No one stays in the game forever…

So, Lesnar admitted defeat and walked away. He was UFC’s highest-paid superstar, but stars can only shine so bright before they slowly lose luster.

The baddest S.O.B. on the planet will only have to concentrate on two things this time—eating and family.

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    UFC:129 Jake Shields v.s. George St. Pierre fight Download Link

    Posted on 01 May 2011.

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    UFC 129: After Lyoto Machida, Randy Couture Moves on

    Posted on 20 April 2011.

    A Japanese proverb once said, “If you fall down seven times, stand up eight more times”.

    That’s how you deal with life and that’s how Randy Couture prolonged his career for 14 years. He could have folded out when he lost consecutively to Enson Inoue and Mikhail Illoukhine early on his career. However, it was never a reason to quit. Never a reason to hold on—it was always about moving forward and learning from all your mistakes. Randy never took losing as a setback it was always a welcome situation to get him better.

    It has been a long journey so far and Randy already travelled at the end of the yellow brick road. Somewhere and somehow, beyond a fighter’s time line and beyond championship belts and promises, he has to draw the line. A 47 year old fighter that turns 48 in two months time has been given only a tiny space on the octagon, a tiny speck of right to fight and turn back the hands of time. Nobody had really made it that far and Randy has turned out to be beyond expectations.

    Couture is one of the most popular MMA fighters in history. Despite being a small heavyweight fighter he held the championship belt three times and twice as a light heavyweight.

    His punches still got its pop. However, he is now a step slower. And his once granite jaw has softened up with age. Those body punches, roundhouse kicks, submissions and superman punch seems to hurt now. But when you are at the end of the road the only logical thing to do is find another road to travel on. Make bridges, or find new heights to conquer. Randy never wants to retire just because of his age or lack of competitiveness. He wants to do it on his own terms… It was never a question about his legacy when it’s already intact. It is always about heart and determination, and as long as he still got the two in check he will always continue to fight.

    UFC 129 will be Randy Couture’s swan song, one last fight against a very good competition in Lyoto Machida. This would be a fitting finale as the old warrior goes to battle for one last time. Win, lose or draw it doesn’t matter anymore. Randy will bid goodbye to his fighting days. He could have chosen an easy fight, but he wanted that way. It’s his farewell fight and his ultimate finale, and he fights on his own term.

    Fall seven times, stand up eight times… that is just how Randy Couture’s career goes as he moves on to a new challenge called life.

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    Brandon Vera’s Open Door

    Posted on 09 April 2011.

    They say when one door closes another door opens. Brandon Vera knows his door has slowly been shut after failing to secure a win on his last three fights. His contract with UFC has ended after a unanimous decision loss to Thiago Silva at UFC 125.

    Vera is now backed to the drawing board, back to where he started and now back to reality. He was lucky he got the opportunity to fight in the UFC after thousands of fighters waiting for their chance. And now his luck has slowly faded.

    “The truth” is a typical “tweener” who fights as a heavyweight and as a light heavyweight. He was riding an eight game winning streak with notable wins against Frank Mir and Assuerio Silva, before losing twice against Tim Sylvia (UD) and Fabricio Werdum (TKO). He moved down to light heavyweight and still came out unsuccessful, winning only three out of his last seven fights. “The truth” will have to learn how it is in the real world—the truth always hurts.

    He was no longer the feared fighter that was knocking everybody out in the UFC. His fan base has slowly been making an exodus out of frustrations. And his contract has just ended.

    Suddenly, everything was like a gyrating ball going up and goes rapidly down. The once promising fighter came short of a promise.

    Thiago Silva after his fight with Vera failed the drug test when the Nevada State Athletic Commission found Silva’s urine sample “inconsistent with human urine”. This was a vindication for Brandon’s loss, which was later turned into a no-contest. This means he is reinstated back into the UFC. But more to that Brandon has been given a chance, an opportunity to prove all the doubters wrong.

    One door closes and another door opens for Brandon. This is the time to reinvent himself, learn new things and go to fight with an element of surprise. He should never stop learning because there will always be someone out there who will be better.

    He has been given a chance, a new lease of life now all he has to do is make the best out of it. Nobody said it was easy to get to the top but nobody said it’s impossible.

    Brandon Vera knows its make or break this time. When a door closes all you have to do is just open it.

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    UFC 127 Fight Card: Jon Fitch May Be Boring, but He Knows How To Defeat B.J. Penn

    Posted on 26 February 2011.

    Hours and minutes before Jon Fitch’s biggest fight on his career. An excited Fitch, shadowed box and kicked the helpless air with force, like a dance routine waiting for its biggest stage and biggest crowd throughout his career.

    More than the bright lights of the octagon or the animated cheers in Sydney Australia, this would be Jon’s ultimate fight, a conclusion to his career, to his greatness and much more to his winning heart.

    With only his second championship fight on his eight-year career. Jon will be facing a legend, a fighter whose legacy has already been etched on MMA’s hall of fame, BJ Penn.

    Fitch is a year older than Penn and has a better fight record with 23-3-1 no contest but Jon is nowhere near Penn’s popularity. If this is a popularity contest then hands down Penn wins the fight by a wider margin. BJ became only the second fighter to win two different weight classes winning the UFC lightweight and welterweight titles. He fought with precision and risk. He doesn’t care about losing. He just did whatever he had to doto win, a big difference with Fitch, who fights with lesser risk but carries a big heart.

    Both fighters going in different directions, different styles but came out with just one goal andthat is winning.

    Jon Fitch was dubbed as “The Decision” it’s because almost all of his fights are decided through decision. His fighting style has been criticized because it’s allegedly boring. However, it’s how the way he fights. He wrestles to control his opponents and fights with calculated risks. He may be boring but he still came out effective, holding the record for most wins via decision in the UFC.

    Jon goes to the fight as a 2-1 favorite not because he is the much talented fighter between BJ. But because he weighs much bigger than Penn and with Penn’s declining skills, winning only one out of his last three fights.

    This would be Jon Fitch’s biggest fight and the biggest stage of his career. This is the fight he wants. And it’s not about winning anymore it boils down to respect. He wants the respect of MMA fans; he wants to let the world know his greatness.

    More than greatness he wants everybody to know his big heart.

    He may be boring but he never cared about it just as long as he is winning.

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    UFC 126 Forrest Griffin-Rich Franklin Download Link

    Posted on 06 February 2011.

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    Chuck Liddell’s Fitting End

    Posted on 30 December 2010.

    Chuck Liddell finally announced his retirement at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in front of his fans, friends, media and family. It wasn’t an untimely decision; it was something on everybody’s mind since UFC 97 when Shogun Rua dominated him in a brutal and swift knockout in the first round.
    At 41 years old with legendary fights against Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture, Chuck has been the face of the sport for such a long time. He helped carry the sport to what it is now, building every pillar with his fist and fighting heart. He has given his share of blood and sweat in the octagon-the irreplaceable canvass that holds the common ground of all the warriors who fought in the UFC.

    He still wanted to fight. It was never a problem. The constant challenges always get him hooked and hang as much as he can and forego his retirement. But when his granite chin slowly betrayed him, there were a number of people calling for his retirement, including the UFC president and Liddell’s close friend Dana White.

    “I would liked to have gone out on a winning streak, but I don’t think I would have left if I had been winning,” Chuck said. “I would have wanted to fight one more time to get a win, and if I won then, I would have just wanted to fight again. It’s one of those things.”

    Real fighters don’t quit and if they go down, they go down fighting and Chuck is a fighter in every sense. Even if everybody urged him to quit, it was never the way he imagined his career to end.

    Chuck finally tapped out on fighting, but he never tapped out on life. His life is his family now, new challenges and new battles to begin.

    The healed scars around Lidell’s face is a testament to his legendary career. The battles won and the battles lost in the end he conquered. He won the many hearts of men and women.
    A fighter that dedicated his life to the sport is always a winner.

    Now Chuck belongs to the history books. A fighter that fought to the end… and the face of the sport who will be forever be remembered.

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    Cain Velasquez’s Victory

    Posted on 25 October 2010.

    The Shinkage School of Swordmanship says that “Victory goes to the one who has no thought of himself” and Cain Velasquez is fighting not only for Mexico but also for his family. Being a Mexican-American his father came to United States to give his family a better life after 6 attempts.
    Cain grow up watching his parents picking vegetables in the fields of California and Arizona and seeing them labor for hours in the prickling heat just to make ends meet with little compensation stuck to his mind. If he wanted to succeed then he has to work hard for it. That’s how life taught him and that’s how his hardwork paid off, becoming the first Mexican UFC heavy weight champion via a first round knockout against the physically intimidating Brock Lesnar.

    At 6 foot 3 inches and a massive 264 lbs of muscle, tattoos and a beard, Brock Lesnar has a significant weight advantage against Cain. But Cain never buckled up on that thought. He has fought a number of bigger guys than Brock and he has fought tougher battles with notable victories against Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell and former champion Antonio Nogueira. Fighting is not all about size and Royce Gracie was the perfect example on that, beating opponents much larger than him.
    He knows he got what it takes to win because he doesn’t have “quit” on his vocabulary not on the Velasquez household.

    After weathering Lesnar’s onslaught on the early part of the first round. Cain dominated Lesnar on a stunning and brutal one-sided TKO win. He knows size and strength can never beat skills and technique. He have work hard for the chance to fight for a world title and he knows there won’t be that many opportunity to fight for a championship.
    Raising his hands to victory, Cain fought for all the Mexican and Latinos who crossed the barren desert to give their families a better life; he fought for the people who believed in him and most of all he fought for his father who gave his life for his family.

    Cain Velasquez is the new UFC heavy weight champion and surely it was a victory that goes to the one who has no thought of himself.

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    Kimbo Slice tries Boxing…

    Posted on 27 August 2010.

    Kevin Ferguson otherwise known as Kimbo Slice was staring on a blank surface after losing on his UFC heavy weight debut against Matt Mitrione. There won’t be any opportunity this time. It was already been given right in front of him and he blew it big time. Dana White issued a statement that after 6 MMA fights it looks like it’s already the end of the road for Kimbo in UFC. The long stare seemed to recall a lot of experiences on his 36 years of existence.

    Kimbo remembered his first fight when he was still 13 years old. He fought the school bully defending his friend and took the kid out with one powerful left hook. He was always the over protective type growing up on rough neighbourhoods and having to stand for his 10 siblings being the eldest of the family. He was a football star in high school as a middle line backer but when Hurricane Andrew destroyed his home and school, his hopes of earning a scholarship for football goes with it. He called his 1987 Nissan Path finder his home and the fountains and oceans as his shower room. He remembered the time when he was working as a limo driver and a body guard for porn productions before he became an internet sensation. Life was hard back then but nothings really change so far. It’s still a struggle but this time on a bigger stage.
    Respect is not ask, if you want respect then you have to earn it and Kimbo has been fighting for respect for most of his life. It was through those street fights that he earns the respect of men and at 36 years old there is nothing much out there for him.

    Gary Shaw clearly understands Kimbo. The boxing promoter who once was the events president of the defunct EliteXC knows Slice pretty well. He was the one who gave Kimbo the chance to show his wares in front of thousands of fans. Kimbo was the face of EliteXC but when Seth Petruzelli dominated Kimbo in their matchup the company shuts down. Gary understands Kimbo and he offered him to try boxing.
    Boxing needs someone like Kimbo who could inject new blood in the boring heavy weight division. A new sport but same fight, same conviction… It’s still all about respect. He doesn’t care if he fights the Klitschko brothers or David Haye he just wants a fight.

    “I am fighting for a reason. I am fighting for my family. I am fighting for myself. I am fighting never to go back to the gutter again. I am fighting to raise my kids up to be in a different environment. There’s a lot I am fighting for.”

    One door closes another one opens…

    Posted in boxing, MMA, sports, Uncategorized0 Comments

    Randy Couture-James Toney UFC 118: Natural or Lights out

    Posted on 26 August 2010.

    As you walk outside West Sunset in Las Vegas you could hear the banging sound like you are in a firing range in Xtreme Couture’s gym.
    Randy Couture was hitting the mitts with such force that it was impossible for anyone not to notice. The 47 year old fighter with a receding hairline looks half his age as he continues to work on those punches and leg kicks throughout his workout. He is preparing on the same war but a different battle this time. UFC 118 will feature Randy Couture against former world boxing champion James Toney.

    Toney never respected Couture throughout their pre fight hype, he never considered him a legend because of his 10 losses but Randy never went into a war of words against Toney. He is confident in his training and when the time comes he will do all the talking in the octagon. He heard about how Toney man-handled his sparring partners hitting them with strong body shots and having trouble maintaining them. Randy already has the perfect strategy for boxers such as Toney… Never stand around and trade punches with them…
    Couture knew Toney’s weakness is covering leg kicks, grappling as well as ground skills but he can never be reckless when he comes in because Toney has more than a punchers chance against Randy.
    Couture sometimes got into trouble fighting hard punchers such as Chuck Lidell and Brock Lesnar and his chin is always susceptible to Toney’s hooks and uppercuts.
    When everyone doubted if Couture can take a bigger and heavy handed Tim Sylvia in UFC 68, Randy dominated Sylvia onward to a unanimous decision. Randy is not known for his strikes or his knockout power he was always known for his good defense in standing up.

    Randy’s punches and strikes have been done with conviction. Boxing or MMA everything comes down to conditioning and James is fighting in an unfamiliar territory. Win or lose Randy feels he still can fight two or more in the octagon. Age is just a number and a bend in the road doesn’t necessarily means it’s the end of the road… This Saturday the MMA world will find out who is the “Natural” winner or the fighter who got the end of the beating “Lights out”.

    Posted in MMA, sports, Uncategorized1 Comment

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