Katsidis fireworks could ruin Burns' night

On paper there’s little doubt that this Saturday night will be the toughest of Ricky Burns’ career. Scotland’s former world featherweight champion moves up in weight – and in class – to face Australia’s fearsome Michael Katsidis for the WBO strap.

Katsidis is well-known to UK fight fans, having destroyed home favourite Kevin Mitchell inside three rounds at a partisan Upton Park back in May, 2010. That night Mitchell, who later claimed that significant personal problems undermined his preparation, had no answer to the trademark ferocity of Katsidis and was brutally dispatched. 

Burns will enter the ring in Wembley Arena an underdog, and it’s perfectly understandable. Katsidis has been in with names such as Robert Guerrero, Juan Manuel Marquez and Joel Casamayor. Whilst unsuccessful, he tested them all with his power and all-action style.

The Scot is new to lightweight, and though he insists he’ll be stronger for not having the discomfort of having to boil down to an unnatural weight class, he’s not faced anyone as heavy-handed as the Australian.

But to rule Burns out altogether would be a foolish move. Critics insist he lacks the power to fend off Katsidis as he marauds forward. But he’s never relied on power. He’s a clever fighter, schooled by the canny Billy Nelson. Nelson always has his man in tip-top condition and if the fight goes into the later rounds, it will be familiar territory for Burns.

He’s no stranger to the underdog status either. Arguably his greatest night came in September last year when he took on the reigning, and unbeaten, WBO strapholder Roman Martinez. Recovering from a disastrous first round knockdown, Burns outlasted the Puerto Rican with a display full of energy and heart to claim a unanimous decision.

He’ll need every ounce of energy and every bit of guts if he’s to get the win on Saturday.

But don’t bet against him shocking the world again.

Ralph Welch

@ralphwelch

A week in MMA: Mitrione and Kongo go menstrual; The incredible shrinking Country; Cerrone saddles up his... pony?

28 October, 2011

Mitrione and Kongo go menstrual

After his unbelievable comeback against Pat Barry in what many MMA fans consider the fight of the year, Cheick Kongo need do little to hype his next appearance in the Octagon – against Matt Mitrione.

And it’s probably a good thing, judging by the bizarre pre-fight jibes both have made this week. 

Mitrione, who so impressed everyone with his dominant KO of Christian Morecraft last time out, suggested in an interview that he was going to “get Kongo pregnant”.

It was a puzzling comment, and perhaps one that Kongo ought to have ignored, but the Frenchman doesn’t duck a fight – whether it’s physical or verbal. He responded by saying that he was going to “give Mitrione his period”.

To his credit the always-unflappable interviewer, Ariel Helwani, managed to safely negotiate the choppy waters of MMA menstrual cycles and reach the safer ground of Saturday night’s co-main event at UFC 137.

This will be Mitrione’s first appearance at the top of the card and his performance against Kongo will determine quite how far the Ultimate Fighter alumnus has progressed. 

His big-punching style, coupled with Kongo’s willingness to swing for the fence should ensure a spectacular encounter.

The incredible Shrinking Country

He’s been the subject of stinging criticism by no less than UFC supremo Dana White about his appearance, but Roy “Big Country” Nelson has always maintained that his rotund physique is here to stay.

Indeed, he recently launched a passionate defence against his many detractors, stating:

“It’s just because people are mean. I look in the mirror every day, my wife thinks I’m beautiful. Looks are in the eye of the beholder.”

However, there was a ripple of excitement this week when a seemingly trimmer Nelson was pictured next to Forrest Griffin. Has Nelson secretly been dieting? Are we going to see a leaner and meaner version of the Las Vegas slugger?

The 35 year-old is facing probably the most important night of his career when he takes on Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic this weekend. After two defeats in succession, the MMA vultures are circling and many speculate that a loss for Nelson could lead to his removal from the UFC roster.

His opponent is in an eerily similar situation. After recent losses to Brendan Schaub and Frank Mir, “Cro Cop” has admitted that it’s win or bust for him:

“To lose three times in a row will be a disaster for me, but even if that happens, I’ll survive. I have two kids. I have to live for them. But it’ll be a disaster.”

Two bruising fighters, both with a point to prove. Diet or no diet: this is a recipe for a great fight in Vegas.

Don “Cowboy” Cerrone saddles up his… pony?

There’s an old saying that goes “be careful what you wish for” and one that UFC featherweight Nam Phan may do well to heed.

After his spectacular decision victory over Leonard Garcia at UFC 136, which earned both a “Fight of the Night” bonus, Phan allegedly criticised Garcia’s coaches for making him a “one-trick pony”.

This angered Garcia’s friend and stablemate lightweight contender Don Cerrone. The “Cowboy” is on a five-fight winning streak and faces Denis Siver this weekend. However, he’s already set his sights on Phan, even if it means dropping to a lower weight class.

“Kong” aims to bounce back

Injuries are an unfortunate reality of any pro fighter’s career. For many, the punishment of being away from the sport - and their means of paying the bills - is far more hurtful than anything they receive in combat.

For British star Tom “Kong” Watson, the experience has been particularly painful. In his honest and thoughtful blog, Watson spoke of his frustration at being laid up with a back injury at a crucial time in his career.

Watson was on the brink of one of the biggest fights of his life against ex-UFC veteran Frank Trigg when the injury struck. He’d earned a reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters outside of Zuffa-owned organisations and was spearheading BAMMA’s rise on the UK scene.

We all wish him a speedy recovery.

Ralph Welch

@ralphwelch

The weekend wrap: Nonito’s non-event; Solid win for Williams; Booth passes the torch

24 October, 2011

Nonito’s non-event

Ever since Nonito Donaire’s spectacular KO of Fernando Montiel in February, the heavy-handed Filipino has been thrust into the limelight drawing inevitable comparisons with fellow countryman Manny Pacquiao. Indeed, many commentators see Donaire as a potential heir to the pound-for-pound throne when “Pacman” eventually hangs up his gloves.

However, with increased profile comes increased expectation. And with a big crowd at Madison Square Garden, Donaire’s promoters Top Rank – who fought a very bloody public battle with arch-rivals Golden Boy for his services – were hoping their charge would add to his growing reputation.

His opponent for the bantamweight title, Omar Narvaez, was predicted to test him early on but ultimately the fans in attendance were expecting another entry on Donaire’s highlight reel of knockouts.

However, it takes two to produce a spectacle. And whereas Montiel had gone in with genuine ambition, the wily Narvaez seemed content to just survive the 12 rounds and escape with his senses intact.

In truth, it was scrappy fare and the fans voted with their feet, streaming away in their droves before the announcement that Donaire had won the most unanimous of decisions.

Even the best suffer nights like this. Sometimes in boxing a win is a win.

Solid win keeps Williams on track

If Nonito Donaire’s travails were somewhat unexpected, few were surprised by the difficulties that Leon “Solid” Williams encountered in Bethnal Green on Friday night.

Fan favourite Williams challenged the evergreen Rob Norton, 39, for the British Cruiserweight crown. Norton has been inactive for 20 months, partly due to injury and partly due to promoter reluctance to stage his fights.

The Stourbridge man has an unorthodox, awkward style that is highly effective but low on entertainment. TV bosses may not like it, but it has earned Norton considerable success with the judges and he went into Friday’s battle a former Commonwealth strapholder.

However, on this occasion the officials plumped for the more muscular work rate of the challenger in a predictably cagey affair. Williams’ vociferous supporters, whose sheer noise may have swayed the judges, will hope that this heralds a new era for the domestic cruiserweight scene.

Norton’s prospects are unclear. He may with some justification, ask for a rematch. But his appeal is likely to fall on deaf ears. Whatever happens, he can justly be proud of a career that has brought him five titles.

Booth passes the torch

As a rule, promoters generally receive little good press. Too often they become scapegoats for many of boxing’s ills: rotten mismatches and exploiting fighters for their own gain.

However, it was hard to aim that criticism at Frank Maloney on Saturday night in Bolton. The veteran promoter, who stood by Lennox Lewis in the heavyweight’s heyday, showed great compassion when he halted Jason Booth’s defence of his British super bantamweight strap versus unbeaten Scott Quigg.

Booth is a 15-year veteran of the sport, whose greatest battles have often been fought outside of the ring. His return from alcoholism and the brink of suicide to title glory has been truly inspirational. But there’s a famous saying in boxing that there comes a fight when a boxer gets old overnight.

Booth, 34, was overpowered by the relentless attacks of rising star Quigg, who seemed so much heavier and stronger than the champion. By the end of the seventh, it was clear that the champion had no chance of winning. Maloney’s concern was clear for all to see, and the decision spared Booth further punishment that he didn’t deserve.

Booth, who admitted that he lacks power at super bantamweight, will face a difficult choice over the coming weeks: retirement or a move to prolong his career at a lower weight class.

Whatever he chooses, he’ll do so with the appreciation of fight fans across the UK.

Ralph Welch

Twitter: @ralphwelch

Griffin accepts reality as career enters final chapter

He’s a former policeman, a reality TV star, a published author and a mixed martial artist of some repute. But popular UFC light-heavyweight Forrest Griffin is also, as he puts it, “a painful realist.”

This week, in the latest instalment of his fascinating UFC 134 blog, Griffin did what many fighters find impossible: he accepted his own mortality.

With the sort of brutal honesty for which he is renowned, the Ohio native admitted for the first time that his career is in decline:

“It quit being fun when I realized I wasn’t getting better. I’m plateauing or almost getting worse sometimes. One of the essential elements to have in this is your perceived expectation of the future, and I’m a painful realist, so I realized that I’m not going to get better; this is it. It’s only gonna get worse from here on and you fight as much as you can, you fight until you don’t have it anymore, and then you fight a couple more times after that.”

The last line is particularly striking.

In the past year, fan favourites such as Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva have effectively been retired by UFC boss Dana White after painful losing streaks. Despite their protestations to the contrary, White felt that their best days in the Octagon were long gone, fearing that their bravery would result in permanent damage.

Boxing too is littered with fighters who refuse to accept the inevitable. Some of the sport’s biggest names such as Roy Jones, Jr. and Evander Holyfield plough on despite their advancing years.

Both are mere shadows of their former selves but remain convinced that they can still reach the heights they scaled previously in their illustrious careers.

Jones and Holyfield have claimed many big-name scalps, but in the battle with Old Father Time, there is only one winner. Pundits and fans accuse them of tarnishing their legacies by continuing to pursue a goal which is becoming increasingly unreachable.

Forrest Griffin seems unlikely to follow their lead.

Too often a fighter will trot out well-worn clichés about a “great training camp” and being in “the best shape of their career” before a contest.

There will doubtless be some sports psychologists out there who will claim that Griffin’s brand of honesty borders on defeatism; merely playing into the  hands of his opponent on Saturday, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Rather, Griffin should be respected for having the honesty and the perspective to evaluate his abilities in the cold light of day.

It’s the same honesty in the Octagon that has endeared him to millions of UFC fans. They appreciate the feats of a man who’s given them such notable wars with Stephan Bonnar, Tito Ortiz and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson amongst others.

Through hard work and determination, Forrest Griffin has earned his reputation as a true warrior of the sport, a fighter unafraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone the UFC puts in front of him.

So if Mauricio Rua thinks that he’s given up already, then he should definitely think again.

Ralph Welch

Twitter: @ralphwelch

Season’s beatings

August brings the traditional boxing season come to an end. Let’s look back at some of the highlights of 2010/11…

Fury-ous Five go boxing

Channel 5 brought boxing back to the masses, by televising the domestic dust-up between Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora. For those of us old enough to remember, it evoked memories of the early nineties when Eubank and Benn brought the UK to a standstill on ITV.

Boxing has been criminally ignored by terrestrial stations since then, and it’s only thanks to the passion and expertise of Sky Sports that the sport has prospered. Fans have clamoured for terrestrial stations to invest in boxing and bring it back to the mainstream, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears - until Channel 5 took a gamble on the British heavyweight title bout, promoted by Mick Hennessy.

They were rewarded handsomely. Nearly three million viewers tuned in to see a good old-fashioned domestic dust-up and they had the highest viewing figures in their timeslot.

Hennessy insists that we’ll see more of Fury, and more boxing in general, on Channel 5.

And we couldn’t be happier.

The Wrath of Khan

Amir Khan’s rise to the upper echelons of the boxing world shows no sign of abating.

The ghosts of that brutal KO at the hands of Breidis Prescott in 2008 were exorcised as Khan survived some heart-stopping moments against Marcos Maidana. The big-punching Argentine had the Bolton man in huge trouble in a ferocious tenth round assault but Khan gritted his teeth and proved his critics wrong.

His subsequent domination of Zab Judah gained him further recognition from the all-important US market and it seems a future contest with Floyd Mayweather is a genuine possibility.

When Khan won an Olympic silver medal at the Athens in 2004, many predicted him to become one of Britain’s best-ever fighters. 2012 could be the year that he fulfils that destiny.

Sky is the limit for Froch

He’s been one of the most cruelly under-exposed fighters of recent times, but now Carl Froch seems destined for the global recognition he richly deserves.

His streak of fights reads like a who’s who of the super-middleweight division: Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and Glen Johnson. Froch has packed his bags and travelled the globe to take on all-comers.

The Nottingham man now faces Andre Ward in the final of the troubled Super Six tournament. After that, a huge homecoming fight in Britain seems on the cards.

Now under new management, as part of the growing Matchroom stable, and back on Sky TV, the next year promises big things for “The Cobra”.

Hopkins KOs Old Father Time

He’s 46 years old, one of the most enigmatic fighters of his generation, and now the he’s the oldest world champion of all time. Bernard Hopkins defeated Jean Pascal, a full eighteen years his junior, for the WBC light-heavyweight strap and solidified his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.

He’s the most masterful defensive technician in the game, rarely takes a clean punch and has the uncanny ability of nullifying the best weapons in his opponent’s arsenal.

Next up is Chad Dawson and Hopkins, who famously promised his mother that he’d retire at 40, is showing no sign of letting up.

Mitchell chooses the right path

July 18, 2010

“Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any, and every, part of your life in an instant.”  ~Anthony Robbins

As Kevin Mitchell savours Saturday’s thrilling victory over John Murray, he would do well to reflect on two key moments that changed the course of his career, and indeed his life.

The first of these moments occurred approximately six months ago. Slumped in an East End bar, and by his own admission £100k poorer after an eight-month drinking binge, the Dagenham man was trapped in a downward spiral of depression. 

His relationship with Amanda, the mother of his two children, had disintegrated and seriously upset the preparations for his world title tilt against Australian Michael Katsidis in May 2010. Mitchell kept his home turmoil secret from trainer Jimmy Tibbs until moments before the fight. Tibbs watched on powerlessly as his under-prepared charge duly suffered a brutal KO in front of his adoring West Ham public. 

Humiliated and heartbroken, Mitchell joined the long list of sportsmen who sought solace in alcohol – and found none.

At that particular moment, Mitchell was confronted by his parents, estranged for many years, but united in their concern for their son. The story goes that Mitchell was dragged from the premises and given an ultimatum: give up drinking or give up on everything you’ve worked so hard for.

Mitchell listened and made a choice.

It was the right one.

He reunited with Tibbs, the man who’d guided him so carefully to the brink of global recognition. Still upset about what had unfolded in the dressing room before the Katsidis fight, Tibbs laid out the terms for their reconciliation; all or nothing. No booze, no distractions. Total dedication. 

Fast forward six months to Saturday night at Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Mitchell once again found himself on the brink as he returned to his corner after a fifth round mauling at the hands of rival John Murray.

The unbeaten Mancunian had dragged Mitchell into a dogfight, exactly what the Londoner had hoped to avoid, and was winning. Another big round could force a stoppage. A stoppage that would launch Murray’s career into boxing’s stratosphere and almost certainly consign Mitchell’s to the scrapheap.

Unlike his battle with alcohol, this particular moment of truth offered no time for lengthy introspection. Mitchell had less than 60 seconds to make two choices: Did he have the mental strength to recover from adversity? Was he ready to place his faith in the tutelage of Jimmy Tibbs?

The answer was emphatic.

Mitchell’s trainer sent him out with a clear message; follow the gameplan. Do what you do best. Box behind the jab and out manoeuvre Murray.

A huge seventh round was swiftly followed by a ruthless start to the eighth as Murray, who’d not been hurt in his previous 31 bouts, visited the canvas for the first time in his career. And from the jaws of defeat, Mitchell snatched victory.

The general belief is that at sport’s highest levels, where physical prowess is all but equal amongst the top competitors, the difference between victory and defeat can be in the mind.

On Saturday night, Kevin Mitchell showed the boxing world reserves of mental strength that many doubted he still possessed.

And we were happy to be proved wrong.

Ralph Welch

Follow on twitter: @ralphwelch

Brawls, Knockouts and Controversy - Boxing returns to form

It’s been a week of introspection in the boxing universe.

Seven days previously the two most powerful pugilists on the planet had met in the Hamburg Arena. It was a fight two years in the making. A fight that had captured the imagination of the entire world. A fight that had commanded more global headlines and column inches than any other in recent times.

If you believed the hype, and it was inescapable, this was the fight that was going to re-ignite the public’s passion for boxing’s flagship division.

Ultimately this titanic battle would indeed go down in history. Not for the bravery and mastery of the combatants, but for the fragility of a little toe.

It left many fans asking the question: should we ever believe the hype?

Thank goodness then for Brandon Rios.

This past Saturday the WBA lightweight champion and arch-rival Urbano Antillon gave us a toe-to-toe war that will live long in the memory. More importantly, it restored our faith in the pre-fight posturing that is so crucial to the sport.

In this case, the trash talk had been particularly aggressive. In several spicy press exchanges Rios alleged that Antillon had insulted his wife, and duly vowed revenge. For his part, Antillon promised to meet his foe in the centre of the ring and settle their differences the old-fashioned way.

It was a promise that boxing fans had heard seven days previously. Only this time it most definitely delivered.

The only disappointment was that the fight didn’t last longer. For eight minutes and forty-nine seconds we were treated to a battle of such frenetic, ferocious intensity that it provoked memories of the famous Gatti –Ward trilogy of the previous decade.

After a stunned Antillon was felled for a second time, the referee wisely called the contest to a close.

But unlike Haye or Klitschko, when these two men lace up their gloves again, we’ll all be watching.

Williams return impresses judges, but not the fans

Returning from a devastating knockout is perhaps the ultimate test of any fighter.

Many pundits had questioned whether Paul “The Punisher” Williams would have the mental strength to pick up the pieces of a career that had been so violently shattered by Sergio Martinez in November 2010.

On Saturday night, Williams (40-2) returned the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the scene of that Halloween nightmare and sought to exorcise the ghosts that have haunted him since.

He faced a difficult challenger in unbeaten Cuban Erislandy Lara, but one that he was expected to beat comfortably.

In truth, over twelve rounds it was hard to make any kind of case for a Williams victory. Lara landed more punches and power shots, leaving Williams bruised and battered. At the final bell, “the Punisher” was left hoping for a huge slice of fortune in a venue which had been so brutally unforgiving in the past.

Except that on this night the gods of fortune favoured him. The officials gifted him a highly questionable decision met with disbelief in the arena, and widespread cries of highway robbery amongst boxing commentators.

The vitriol directed towards Williams from some quarters has been relentless. He’s gone from being a former champion with a point to prove to a has-been fighter who stole a decision. Even by boxing standards, it’s a remarkable fall from grace.

Given the context in which Paul Williams fought, I suggest that it’s unfair. After all, he didn’t judge the fight. He entered the ring trying desperately to resurrect his career. As his dreams of a glorious comeback seemed to slip away with each attack, he didn’t give up. He gritted his teeth and hung in there, hoping that the unlikeliest of decisions would go his way.

Whatever the result, whatever our opinion of the judges, on Saturday night in Atlantic City Paul Williams epitomised the bravery and courage that makes boxers such a special breed.

For that at least, he deserves nothing but praise.

Steward goes back to the future to cement a legacy

Was there a bigger smile anywhere in the Hamburg Arena this Saturday than that of Wladimir Klitschko’s trainer Emanuel Steward?

Even the torrential rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of a man who proved once again that the 76-year-old boxing oracle is peerless in his chosen profession.

Wladimir Klitschko had completed his transformation from an awkward, stuttering giant with a suspect chin to a dominant, all-conquering heavyweight champion of the world.

A champion moulded by the evergreen Steward, the leader of that famous production line of champions, Detroit’s Kronk Gym. Steward has allied Klitschko’s natural physical gifts with a ring nous that makes him a supremely effective heavyweight.

Saturday night’s dismissal of the brash and arrogant David Haye was his finest hour in their six-year association.

His was a smile born not just out of satisfaction, but out of absolute, total familiarity.

You see, Emanuel Steward had been here before...

One night in Memphis

It had been nine years since the heavyweight division had seen an event of this magnitude. On the night in question, June 8 2002, Steward watched on from the corner as his charge, Lennox Lewis, faced his nemesis Mike Tyson.

This was a defining moment for Lewis. Despite his dominance, he was still a target for some critics who labelled his style as one-dimensional.

There were also questions about his punch resistance. Twice during his career he’d been the victim of brutal knockouts against unfancied opponents (Oliver McCall and Hasim Rachman).

Never mind the fact that he’d gone on to avenge both defeats. Never mind that he’d beaten all the names the governing bodies had put in front of him; they were decried as a poor crop in a division that had once boasted iconic fighters such as Foreman, Ali and Holmes.

According to his remaining critics, if Lewis was ever to be mentioned in the same breath as these legends then he he’d have to do more than victories over journeymen challengers.

He needed a career-defining fight.

His victory over Evander Holyfield had earned him some long-awaited plaudits but was marred by whispers that Holyfield was already a fighter in terminal decline.

If Lewis was to silence those remaining doubters once and for all, he needed to beat the biggest puncher - and the biggest personality - that this sparse heavyweight landscape could offer.

He needed to beat Mike Tyson.

The build-up had been infamous for Tyson’s increasingly low-class attempts to rattle his normally unflappable foe. It had started badly with Tyson proclaiming of Lewis that he wanted to “eat his children”. It got worse when he then bit Lewis’s shin during an unseemly brawl in front of the world’s media.

The Briton remained typically dignified throughout, refusing to react to the baiting. With the wily Steward by his side, he was supremely confident in their gameplan to dispose of his arch-rival.

He was right.

Over eight utterly one-sided rounds, Lewis picked “Iron Mike” apart. Dominating behind the jab, the champion toyed with Tyson. He avoided the challenger’s wild attacks with ease before putting him out of his misery with a trademark right hand.

Two things happened that night; firstly, Lewis cemented his legacy as the greatest heavyweight of his era.

Secondly, Mike Tyson’s career as a top-class heavyweight was cruelly ended. He carried on, of course, but that night in Memphis would forever haunt him.

Doesn’t it all sound so incredibly familiar?

Back to the future

After his domination of David Haye, Wladimir Klitschko has proved himself, alongside brother Vitali, as the best of his generation.

His style may be unpalatable to some, but his record of 55 wins is truly remarkable. Whether he will ever be recognised as one of the great heavyweights to rank alongside Lewis and the other big names is entirely questionable.

Yet there is one fact that cannot, under any circumstance, ever be disputed.

Emanuel Steward is one of the finest trainers in the history of the sweet science.

He’s proved it in the past, the present...

...and he’ll prove it again in the future.

Ralph Welch

Twitter: @ralphwelch

Weekend Wrap: “Rocky” moments make UFC event a knockout show

“It ain’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit – and keep moving forward.”

Rocky Balboa

Will we ever see a more dramatic 30 seconds of mixed martial arts than the conclusion of the Pat Barry/ Cheick Kongo fight this past Sunday?

With Kongo knocked down twice in quick succession and the commentators screaming “IT’S OVER”, the Frenchman was staring not just at defeat, but at the end of his UFC career.

Out of nowhere, he dragged himself back up and unleashed a right hand that will go down in Octagon history.

Pat Barry was on the floor, the crowd were off their seats.

What a moment.

What a sport.

Brenneman goes from zero to hometown hero

Nate Marquardt’s dramatic withdrawal from the co-main event had briefly threatened to derail the whole show.

The UFC had invested a huge amount in promoting Marquardt’s bout with rising star Rick Story and his subsequent withdrawal – for a failed medical - remains shrouded in mystery.

Dana White looked as disappointed as I’ve seen him when he announced that Marquardt would “never, ever fight in the UFC again.”

However, the UFC boss channelled that disappointment into finding a replacement and ensuring that fans weren’t short-changed.

Step forward Charlie Brenneman. The Pennsylvania native and mid-card fighter took the fight at a day’s notice and duly upset red-hot favourite Rick Story.

The rapturous reception he got walking to the ring was only eclipsed by the jubilation when his hand was raised.in victory.

At that moment, I didn’t think he show could get any better.

How wrong I was.

Ralph Welch

@ralphwelch

Macklin woes should act as warning to Haye

If David Haye wasn’t already wary of the task that awaits him in Hamburg on Saturday, then he is now.

This past Saturday he saw a fellow Briton go into the German equivalent of the lion’s den, outbox a hugely popular titleholder and come away empty-handed.

That man was Matthew Macklin.

Macklin learnt the hard way that the age-old maxim about Germany being a “home” fighter’s territory is still entirely well-deserved.

Over 12 rounds, Macklin out-worked WBA middleweight strapholder and home favourite Felix Sturm. Whilst the latter’s power and accuracy were always a threat, Macklin consistently landed more punches in a tireless display.

His herculean effort went unrewarded. Sturm was the recipient of the sort of controversial split decision for which Germany is renowned.

There’s no denying that it was a close fight. But one could argue that the two judges who gave the fight 116-112 to Sturm were watching an entirely different sporting contest.

So what does this mean for the “Hayemaker”?

Ahead of his superfight with Wladimir Klitschko, much attention has been focussed on the strength of the combatants’ chins.

Haye supporters feel that the Bermondsey man has the brute force to KO a man who has been on the canvas twelve times in his career. Others believe that Haye, himself no stranger to the canvas, has never faced anyone with Klitschko’s knockout power.

The general feeling is that we’re in for an explosive contest and that Haye’s best chance of victory will come in those early rounds. Avoiding Klitschko’s merciless right hand at all costs, he needs to take big risks to get into range and land the big shots that will poleaxe the giant Ukrainian.

“Risk” is not a word one frequently associates with Haye’s trainer and mentor Adam Booth. Booth’s incredibly meticulous approach to boxing strategy has earned him the moniker “The Dark Lord” by his own fighters. His finest achievement of late came in the Groves-DeGale showdown. Thanks to Booth’s tactical mastery, the unfancied Groves nullified his more gifted rival en route to the tightest of tight points victories.

I expect Booth’s gameplan for Klitschko to centre around David’s speed and agility, not dissimilar to the tactic that earned Haye victory over Nikolai Valuev in 2009. That night the giant Russian barely landed a single punch. Haye danced his way to the title, landing infrequent jabs to the midsection in an effective, if uninspiring, display.

Yet Klitschko, schooled in recent years by legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, is no Valuev. His victims all testify that he’s quicker and more technical than they expected.

Under Steward’s guidance the crude, vulnerable style of old has been replaced by a more cautious, balletic approach. He’ll cut down the ring quickly and Haye won’t have the same wide open spaces to enjoy that he did against the cumbersome Valuev.

Even if Haye executes this gameplan perfectly, it’s likely that most rounds will be close affairs. Haye will land more frequently. But each of Klitschko’s shots will be roared on by his legion of fans, which will undoubtedly influence the officials.

David might find himself entirely at the mercy of the ringside judges in Germany. As Matthew Macklin will testify, that is a very dangerous place to be.

So what will it be; power or prudence?

Right now David Haye is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Rhodes should carry on despite Alvarez defeat

Boxers are notorious for their stubborn refusal to call it quits. There’s always one more fight. One more shot at redemption. One more opportunity to prove to the doubters – and perhaps even to themselves – that they can still compete at the level they’ve become accustomed to.

The latest fighter having to justify his future in the sport is Ryan Rhodes. After a comprehensive defeat by Saul Alvarez in Mexico on Sunday morning, the 34-year-old Sheffield warrior has faced inevitable calls to retire.

Rhodes lost every minute of every round before finally succumbing to Alvarez’s power in the twelfth. For his fans, who had approached the fight with genuine hope that Rhodes’ experience would cause an upset, it was painful viewing. Their subsequent pleas for Rhodes to walk away are borne out of genuine concern for his health.

But are we being too hasty to write off this extraordinary fighter?

Let’s put Sunday into some kind of perspective. Most importantly, we learnt that 20-year-old Alvarez is a special talent. This has been a year of upsets. Unbeaten prospects such as David Lemieux and James Kirkland have floundered just as TV networks looked set to give them their big push. They’ve since faced scorn that their records were padded by promoters eager to keep that most over-rated of boxing commodities; an unblemished record.

That’s not a charge that can be aimed at Alvarez. Despite his tender years he has an astonishing 35 fights on his record already. His backers, Oscar de la Hoya’s highly influential Golden Boy Promotions, have matched him hard at the right time. His last two fights, versus Britons Matthew Hatton and Rhodes, have been a significant step up in class. Alvarez has responded magnificently.

In an age where fighters are hyped too quickly, there can be few doubts that this young Mexican has an enormous future in the sport.

It is also worth remembering that Saturday’s defeat was Rhodes’ first in five years. Pre-Alvarez he had produced some of the most spectacular performances of his career. He still has the skill and the experience to be a major player on both the European and domestic scene.

This is not a fighter in decline.

This is not an ageing fighter on the slide.

This is a very good fighter who took on a truly exceptional one, in his own back yard, and lost.

There is no shame in that.

Ralph Welch

@ralphwelch

Weekend wrap: Victories for Barnett and Overeem, but fans unimpressed

Many observers saw Saturday’s Strikeforce event at the American Airlines Center as an audition for Josh Barnett and Alistair Overeem to take starring roles in the MMA heavyweight ranks. Both Strikeforce fighters have been subjected to harsh criticism from fans who felt they compared unfavourably to top UFC big men such as Cain Velazquez, Junior Dos Santos and Brock Lesnar.

Saturday was a chance to prove them wrong. Unfortunately, despite both emerging victorious, neither man particularly enhanced his reputation.

Overeem toils as Werdum spoils

In fairness, Overeem wasn’t helped by a bizarre display from his opponent, Fabricio Werdum, whose histrionics did little to endear him to the arena crowd. At times the Brazilian clasped his hands in prayer in a desperate attempt to goad big-punching Overeem to the mat. Given that Overeem has built his career on powerful striking, it was an insane ploy and showed the lengths to which Werdum would go to avoid engaging with the Dutchman.

This defensive display was particularly confusing, given that when Werdum did curl his hands into a fist, he had reasonable success with his right-hand. Ultimately his lack of ambition was recognised by the judges who handed Overeem a unanimous decision.

Barnett bulldozes Rogers

Barnett, whose PED (performance-enhancing drugs) controversies have been well-documented, had looked particularly focussed in the build-up to his contest with Brett Rogers. His impromptu wrestling promo at an open media workout brought some much-needed positive PR, becoming an overnight internet sensation.

The “Baby-faced Assassin” had been widely expected to dominate the crude-but-powerful Rogers, and did so in routine fashion. His style of catch wrestling was simply too much for his opponent, whose failure to mount any kind of attack prompted some very unfair booing from the crowd.

The win, by arm triangle, was solid if unspectacular. But Barnett can only beat what’s in front of him.

The future

The fact that we’ve heard so little from the UFC upper management doesn’t bode well for either fighter.

Of the two, Barnett will be more satisfied. He outclassed his opponent and his entertaining promos, both before and after the fight, were a glimpse at the intelligent, creative character beneath an occasionally abrupt surface.

Yes, he’s had his controversies. And yes he’s made mistakes. But Josh Barnett’s comeback is gaining momentum. It will take a very talented fighter to stop him.

Ralph Welch

Email: info@ultimatefightclub

Twitter: @ralphwelch

UFC shows boxing how to make the big matches

The much-anticipated UFC superfight between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz has been set for October.

Barely four weeks after St-Pierre strolled through a unanimous decision victory over Jake Shields, UFC supreme Dana White signed, sealed and delivered the biggest fight in welterweight history.

Typically, it was done with the minimum of fuss. No elaborate press conferences, no publicity stunts, no to and fro between the opposing camps. White, always open to engaging with his fanbase, gave a brutally simple message via his twitter account; “It’s on!!!!”

Dana White: “The fans wanted it”

His reasoning, much like his approach, was remarkably simple; “the fans wanted it”. And that was that. The fans wanted a big fight; he gave them a big fight.

In the UFC if you’re the number one fighter in the world, then you fight the number two. There’s no cherry-picking an easy title defence.

If you want to be the best, then you’ve got to prove it. Or you’re out.

White, known for his colourful use of Her Majesty’s English, has a mantra with which he greets potential fighters; “In the UFC, we like fighters who f*ckin’ fight. If you don’t want to fight, then go home”.

It’s an attitude that puts boxing to shame.

In two weeks’ time, the heavyweight division in boxing will finally have the big showdown the fans have been craving: Haye vs Klitschko. The build-up has been protracted and at times descended into farce.

It started with Haye ambushing Wladimir on the escalators at Waterloo. This was soon followed by Haye sporting the infamous t-shirt depicting him holding aloft the severed heads of the Klitschko brothers at a press conference – a stunt the Ukrainian described as “unspeakable”. And then we had Wladimir’s open challenge to Haye via Youtube.

There was a lot of talk, but still no fight.

As Haye readily admits, the fighters have spent over two years arguing over everything from purse splits to ring entrances. With such a fragile build-up, few of us will believe that the fight is actually happening until the opening bell sounds on July 2^nd in Hamburg.

But even Haye vs Klitschko pales into comparison with the struggle to get the two best welterweights in the world to share a ring.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao; the best fight we’ll never see

Boxing fans have been imploring Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao and undefeated Floyd Mayweather to prove once and for all who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today.

A fight between these two icons would produce hundreds of millions in gate receipts and pay-per-view buys. But even the dollar signs aren’t enough to dissuade the two camps from unnecessary posturing. The closest we came to a fight breaking out was in 2009, only for Mayweather’s camp to insinuate that Pacquiao’s legendary conditioning may be the result of illegal substances.

The fight now seems more unlikely than ever with Mayweather now choosing to fight Victor Ortiz, amidst the ongoing rift between rival promoters and TV companies.

It tells you everything you need to know about the problems in boxing today. The great contests aren’t waged in the ring with a pair of 10oz gloves. The real battles take place in the offices of TV executives and promoters, with lawyers poring over the small print.

Nobody is benefiting from it. Least of all the fans.

Dana White puts the UFC fans first

The UFC may be a dictatorship. But at the helm is a man with a clear vision.

The truth is that there is no bigger fan of MMA than Dana White. He may be a billionaire, he may be one of the most powerful men in sports, but at heart he’s the same as the millions of MMA fans across the world.

He loves nothing more than seeing two great fighters touch gloves and go to war.

He’s committed to giving the fans the best possible spectacle every time they hand over their dollars to watch a UFC event. He will never let politics get in the way of that.

St-Pierre vs Diaz is another example of Dana White listening to the fans. It’s why the sport of MMA keeps growing.

And it’s why boxing is standing still.

Ralph Welch

info@ultimatefightclub.co.uk

twitter: @ralphwelch

Labels: St-Pierre v Diaz, UFC, Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz, Haye vs Klitschko, Dana White UFC,