Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Monday, March 29, 2010
Pretty Amazing
Shane Carwin is now 12-0 in his MMA career, a staggering number but a number that has been repeated in the past.
What has not been repeated is his unprecedented run of first round stoppages. Of course, the two most respected fighters in Carwin’s division, Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko, have had meteoric rises with superb records on the way, but both endured losses within their first five fights.
Diego Sanchez had a historic run to start his MMA career, but he won via decision once in his first 12 fights, something Carwin has yet to do.
Not only has Carwin never gone to decision, he has never even been past the first round. And not only has never been past the first round, he has never made it to the fourth minute of the first round. And not only has he never made it to the fourth minute, he averages only 1:21 of fight time in his 12 professional fights.
Carwin has shown more dominance than any fighter has ever shown in the octagon to start a career. His impressive 4-0 record in the octagon with first round knockouts of Gabriel Gonzaga and Frank Mir show that his success in the first round is no fluke.
There is more to Carwin than meets the eye.
He is not just some big heavyweight with heavy hands and quick striking. Carwin has been a superb athlete for a very long time, having placed second in 1997 and first in 1999 at the NCAA Division II National wrestling tournament. In addition to his wrestling success during college, Carwin was also a two-time All American in football.
His athleticism combined with his size make him a very dangerous opponent for anyone in MMA. His skill set and background are eerily similar to that of his next opponent, Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar was the NCAA Division I National Champion in 2000, and he finished second in 1999. While Lesnar was dominating Division I talent, Carwin was doing the same in Division II. Wrestling is a much different sport than football or basketball.
Since there are so few wrestling programs around compared to basketball or football, the difference between a Division I national champion and Division II national champion is not nearly as vast as one would immediately assume.
The limited amount of collegiate teams, along the fact that at the time, there was not much to do professionally as a college wrestler made it possible for wrestlers to attend schools where they wished to start their careers and get a great education while they wrestle on the side, as Carwin did at Western State College.
This made the competition at the lower divisions much better, because many wrestlers chose to go to Division II or Division III schools rather than the Minnesota’s or Iowa’s of the world.
Lesnar also tried out for the Minnesota Vikings after his WWE career, and could have very well been a professional football player had he tried out for a team with a bigger need at defensive tackle.
Kevin and Pat Williams were already set as the defensive tackles and have been two of the most productive in the game, and Lesnar did not want to play anywhere but Minnesota which eventually led to him not making the roster and trying his hand in MMA.
Lesnar and Carwin have both had successful college wrestling careers and are likely two of the better football players to never actually play in the NFL.
The differences between the two are so small that they are nearly unidentifiable. Both have huge hands, great athleticism, great backgrounds in contact sports, and they have made huge strides in advancing their striking games since transitioning to mixed martial arts.
Despite Lesnar holding the belt and claiming that Carwin’s is “make believe,” Carwin is the one with the flawless record. There is nothing Lesnar can ever do to take the loss off of his resume. All Lesnar can do is try to put one on Carwin’s, but if you saw Shane’s performance Saturday night then you know that it will no easy task.
What has not been repeated is his unprecedented run of first round stoppages. Of course, the two most respected fighters in Carwin’s division, Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko, have had meteoric rises with superb records on the way, but both endured losses within their first five fights.
Diego Sanchez had a historic run to start his MMA career, but he won via decision once in his first 12 fights, something Carwin has yet to do.
Not only has Carwin never gone to decision, he has never even been past the first round. And not only has never been past the first round, he has never made it to the fourth minute of the first round. And not only has he never made it to the fourth minute, he averages only 1:21 of fight time in his 12 professional fights.
Carwin has shown more dominance than any fighter has ever shown in the octagon to start a career. His impressive 4-0 record in the octagon with first round knockouts of Gabriel Gonzaga and Frank Mir show that his success in the first round is no fluke.
There is more to Carwin than meets the eye.
He is not just some big heavyweight with heavy hands and quick striking. Carwin has been a superb athlete for a very long time, having placed second in 1997 and first in 1999 at the NCAA Division II National wrestling tournament. In addition to his wrestling success during college, Carwin was also a two-time All American in football.
His athleticism combined with his size make him a very dangerous opponent for anyone in MMA. His skill set and background are eerily similar to that of his next opponent, Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar was the NCAA Division I National Champion in 2000, and he finished second in 1999. While Lesnar was dominating Division I talent, Carwin was doing the same in Division II. Wrestling is a much different sport than football or basketball.
Since there are so few wrestling programs around compared to basketball or football, the difference between a Division I national champion and Division II national champion is not nearly as vast as one would immediately assume.
The limited amount of collegiate teams, along the fact that at the time, there was not much to do professionally as a college wrestler made it possible for wrestlers to attend schools where they wished to start their careers and get a great education while they wrestle on the side, as Carwin did at Western State College.
This made the competition at the lower divisions much better, because many wrestlers chose to go to Division II or Division III schools rather than the Minnesota’s or Iowa’s of the world.
Lesnar also tried out for the Minnesota Vikings after his WWE career, and could have very well been a professional football player had he tried out for a team with a bigger need at defensive tackle.
Kevin and Pat Williams were already set as the defensive tackles and have been two of the most productive in the game, and Lesnar did not want to play anywhere but Minnesota which eventually led to him not making the roster and trying his hand in MMA.
Lesnar and Carwin have both had successful college wrestling careers and are likely two of the better football players to never actually play in the NFL.
The differences between the two are so small that they are nearly unidentifiable. Both have huge hands, great athleticism, great backgrounds in contact sports, and they have made huge strides in advancing their striking games since transitioning to mixed martial arts.
Despite Lesnar holding the belt and claiming that Carwin’s is “make believe,” Carwin is the one with the flawless record. There is nothing Lesnar can ever do to take the loss off of his resume. All Lesnar can do is try to put one on Carwin’s, but if you saw Shane’s performance Saturday night then you know that it will no easy task.
Ortiz/Liddell
Liddell pushed a proposed bout with longtime rival Tito Ortiz during a Spike TV conference call for “The Ultimate Fighter 11,” and said that “to his knowledge,” a third matchup with Ortiz is still happening.
Liddell and Ortiz, who serve as rival coaches this season on the reality show that begins Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, are anticipated to meet a third time following the show’s conclusion, likely at the yet-to-be-announced UFC 115 on June 12.
However, Sherdog.com reported on March 13 that Liddell and former middleweight champion Rich Franklin have verbally agreed to face one another instead, according to multiple sources close to the bout. UFC President Dana White later denied the reports, but Sherdog.com re-affirmed through its sources that the bout is still on track. Fighters appearing on the reality show all sign rigorous non-disclosure agreements to keep the series’ plotline a secret before airing.
“I’ve heard the rumors, of course, but from what I understand, (Ortiz’) signed to fight and he’s still coming at me,” Liddell said on Monday. “He’s still going to actually show up and get his beating again. I think I earned it having to put up with him for seven weeks.”
Liddell, who called the proposed third bout with Ortiz “a tune-up fight” numerous times during the call, was asked later about the Franklin reports as well.
“I hope that’s not true,” said Liddell, who earned technical-knockout stoppages against Ortiz in 2004 and 2006. “I want him bad, so this would really upset me if this doesn’t happen.”
Ortiz and Liddell’s back-and-forth relationship has been one of the sport’s major though-lines in the past 10 years. Both were once managed by UFC President Dana White and trained together for a time. In recent years, each fighter has soured on one another, though.
“I don’t like the guy,” said Liddell. “If you listen to him, he sweet-talked me out of a fight and I betrayed him. If you want to listen to him, there are a lot of things. He’s not the brightest guy out there.”
At one point during the call, Liddell called Ortiz a “scumbag” for fabricating stories about Liddell’s personal life, which Liddell said included an alleged intervention between White and Liddell to address the fighter’s alleged alcoholism issues.
Liddell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion and hall of famer, took an extended leave from the sport following his first-round loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 97 last April -- Liddell’s second knockout defeat in a row. The 40-year-old Liddell was urged by White to retire, but instead took a spot on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and continued to hint his return to the cage.
“I was taking some time off because I thought I got hurt by shots that shouldn’t hurt me and I know the only (thing) for-- that really (helps) that is giving time -- you need to rest from those kind of things,” said Liddell.
Liddell, who once touted an eight-fight knockout streak in the Octagon, said he didn’t as much as hit a pad from April to December, but continued his grappling studies with Eddie Bravo and Scott Epstein at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu in Los Angeles.
“I am going to mix it up a little bit,” said Liddell of his June return. “I got away from that for a little while. I coached my guys to mix it up, but I think I got away from it ‘cause I like striking so much. I’m going to continue to strike. Don’t worry about that, but I’m going to mix it up more, make people guess a little more. You know, make it a little harder on guys to get a read on me.”
Liddell, who said he’s in excellent shape and around 222 pounds currently, predicted a knockout in his next bout, though it remains to be seen if that will apply to either Ortiz or Franklin.
If it’s Ortiz, Liddell said his fellow coach as it coming to him.
“He did the worst thing he could do,” said Liddell. “He motivated me to train harder than I probably would have for the fight.”
Liddell and Ortiz, who serve as rival coaches this season on the reality show that begins Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, are anticipated to meet a third time following the show’s conclusion, likely at the yet-to-be-announced UFC 115 on June 12.
However, Sherdog.com reported on March 13 that Liddell and former middleweight champion Rich Franklin have verbally agreed to face one another instead, according to multiple sources close to the bout. UFC President Dana White later denied the reports, but Sherdog.com re-affirmed through its sources that the bout is still on track. Fighters appearing on the reality show all sign rigorous non-disclosure agreements to keep the series’ plotline a secret before airing.
“I’ve heard the rumors, of course, but from what I understand, (Ortiz’) signed to fight and he’s still coming at me,” Liddell said on Monday. “He’s still going to actually show up and get his beating again. I think I earned it having to put up with him for seven weeks.”
Liddell, who called the proposed third bout with Ortiz “a tune-up fight” numerous times during the call, was asked later about the Franklin reports as well.
“I hope that’s not true,” said Liddell, who earned technical-knockout stoppages against Ortiz in 2004 and 2006. “I want him bad, so this would really upset me if this doesn’t happen.”
Ortiz and Liddell’s back-and-forth relationship has been one of the sport’s major though-lines in the past 10 years. Both were once managed by UFC President Dana White and trained together for a time. In recent years, each fighter has soured on one another, though.
“I don’t like the guy,” said Liddell. “If you listen to him, he sweet-talked me out of a fight and I betrayed him. If you want to listen to him, there are a lot of things. He’s not the brightest guy out there.”
At one point during the call, Liddell called Ortiz a “scumbag” for fabricating stories about Liddell’s personal life, which Liddell said included an alleged intervention between White and Liddell to address the fighter’s alleged alcoholism issues.
Liddell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion and hall of famer, took an extended leave from the sport following his first-round loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 97 last April -- Liddell’s second knockout defeat in a row. The 40-year-old Liddell was urged by White to retire, but instead took a spot on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and continued to hint his return to the cage.
“I was taking some time off because I thought I got hurt by shots that shouldn’t hurt me and I know the only (thing) for-- that really (helps) that is giving time -- you need to rest from those kind of things,” said Liddell.
Liddell, who once touted an eight-fight knockout streak in the Octagon, said he didn’t as much as hit a pad from April to December, but continued his grappling studies with Eddie Bravo and Scott Epstein at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu in Los Angeles.
“I am going to mix it up a little bit,” said Liddell of his June return. “I got away from that for a little while. I coached my guys to mix it up, but I think I got away from it ‘cause I like striking so much. I’m going to continue to strike. Don’t worry about that, but I’m going to mix it up more, make people guess a little more. You know, make it a little harder on guys to get a read on me.”
Liddell, who said he’s in excellent shape and around 222 pounds currently, predicted a knockout in his next bout, though it remains to be seen if that will apply to either Ortiz or Franklin.
If it’s Ortiz, Liddell said his fellow coach as it coming to him.
“He did the worst thing he could do,” said Liddell. “He motivated me to train harder than I probably would have for the fight.”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Now this is worrying.
I know this has nothing to do with MMA, but this is something that will be affecting me and millions of young adults. Take sometime and just look around you. Not everything is gonna be alright, some things take time while others never return the same. We were all told that a College Degree is the best way to land a job, but how can you land a job when your age is a factor? Give me you opinion on this.
By BusinessWeek
Bright, eager -- and unwanted. While unemployment is ravaging just about every part of the global work force, the most enduring harm is being done to young people who can't grab onto the first rung of the career ladder.
Affected are a range of young people, from high school dropouts, to college grads, to newly minted lawyers and MBAs from Britain to Japan and across the developed world. One indication: In the United States, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds has climbed to more than 18%, from 13% a year ago.
For people just starting their careers, the damage may be deep and long-lasting, potentially creating a kind of "lost generation." Studies suggest that an extended period of youthful joblessness can significantly depress lifetime income as people get stuck in jobs that are beneath their capabilities, or come to be seen by employers as damaged goods.
Equally important, employers are likely to suffer from the scarring of a generation. The freshness and vitality young people bring to the workplace is missing. Tomorrow's would-be star employees are on the sidelines, deprived of experience and losing motivation.
By BusinessWeek
Bright, eager -- and unwanted. While unemployment is ravaging just about every part of the global work force, the most enduring harm is being done to young people who can't grab onto the first rung of the career ladder.
Affected are a range of young people, from high school dropouts, to college grads, to newly minted lawyers and MBAs from Britain to Japan and across the developed world. One indication: In the United States, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds has climbed to more than 18%, from 13% a year ago.
For people just starting their careers, the damage may be deep and long-lasting, potentially creating a kind of "lost generation." Studies suggest that an extended period of youthful joblessness can significantly depress lifetime income as people get stuck in jobs that are beneath their capabilities, or come to be seen by employers as damaged goods.
Equally important, employers are likely to suffer from the scarring of a generation. The freshness and vitality young people bring to the workplace is missing. Tomorrow's would-be star employees are on the sidelines, deprived of experience and losing motivation.
Monday, October 26, 2009
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