THE HUES OF HUGHES
By Ron 'The Yacman' Yacovetti
Commentator for Call to Arms MMA (www.calltoarmsfights.com)
hue (hyōō) n.
1.Appearance; aspect: a man of somber hue.
At UFC 98, two prominent names in the organization who share the same first name, Matt, squared off for a place in the welterweight division's top ten.
Matt Hughes, the MMA legend and one-time master of the slam, took on Matt Serra, a solid BJJ practitioner who also possesses heavy hands. Hughes, admittedly or not, is fighting for relevance in a division he no longer rules. Serra ruled over the 170 lb. class more recently, but for a time frame similar to how long humans have ruled the Earth in comparison to how old the planet is...a proverbial blink of an eye.
Matt "The Terra" Serra looked ready. He appeared prepared to continue waging his ongoing battle to crawl out from under the "one hit wonder win over Georges St. Pierre" shadow. Going into this fight, it seemed ideal in that respect too. Serra would be dangerous, being the heavier handed fighter, should it remain a stand up war, and with his high level of Jiu-Jitsu equally dangerous against a wrestler who will look to dump him on his back.
So what exactly happened?
We saw a hue of Hughes we continue to see more of since he's lost in recent years. He no longer provides the crowd pleasing, high, back-breaking slams, but instead, churns out a slew of outside leg trips and smooth double-leg take-downs.
Now what, you may ask, is wrong with that? - Well, nothing at first.
The problem comes when Hughes does what MMA fans the world over call "laying and praying." It's often done by one fighter, to simply smother their opponent so as to get a rest, tire them out or literally make time to pray that the referee stands both fighters back up.
It is a pretty strong accusation to make, especially when talking about one of the UFC's finest, in Matt Hughes. However, I cannot recall one submission attempt by Hughes, at any point when the action (or lack thereof) was on the ground.
Hughes did what a wrestler who does not know any submissions would do, merely controlling his opponent, holding him down and sustaining dominant position (See Lesnar versus Herring for another example, as Brock took his back and rode him like a rodeo bull, ignoring the rear naked choke entirely).
The frustrating thing to watch was how Serra was unable to move fluidly beneath him, making Hughes work and fend off submissions. It was only in the third round that the official began to stand them up more and wait less time before doing it.
Round two was very much like watching Hughes laying on a raft in a pool.
He got on top of it, stayed balanced on it and chilled out. No question he is strong as an ox to be able to smother a guy like Serra, but he really did not help his cause very much either.
Having recently read reviews of the entire fight card, which was awesome to me, but more specifically, about Hughes and if he deserves a title shot now, I am not unsure about how I see that, at all.
Did Matt Hughes win the fight over Matt Serra? Yes.
Was the fight close enough to be a split decision? Yes, I thought it was going to be a split.
Did Hughes' performance scream title shot against St. Pierre? I'd say it did not even whisper it.
It would not be a bad thing to have Hughes take on another fight or two, against top level guys, before saying, "He's back!"How about testing his resolve and desire to reign over the welterweights by making him take on Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, who will relentlessly push the pace and not likely get pinned down like a beaten WWE guy about to lose?
This review is an assessment of what happened in UFC 98, Hughes versus Serra. There is no question how talented, strong and iconic Matt Hughes has been in his dominant UFC career. But, in all of combat sports, you do not get to declare superiority long after your performances stop displaying it.
The old hues of Matt Hughes will always remain impressive. Sadly, fighters often remain competitive when it is no longer within their ability or desire to be that great anymore. As a result, fans like us are let down because after having heard their name mentioned on a fight card, we found hope that the hues that made us love them, just might inexplicably, show up that night too.
- YACMAN
www.yacandjshow.com
EVANS VS. MACHIDA TO BE DECIDED BY ONE KEY FACTOR: ADAPTATION
By Ron ‘The Yacman’ Yacovetti
ad•ap•ta•tion (ād'āp-tā'shən) n.
Change in behavior of a person or group in response to new or modified surroundings.
This weekend’s UFC 98 fight card is being headlined by one of combat sports’ rarest of bouts, an undefeated fighter taking on an undefeated fighter. I am already edging closer to the end of my seat cushion.
Equally impressive, is the fact that most journalists in MMA are on the fence about who will win, making predictions, if at all, with airs of caution, as if to say, “Look, don’t quote me on this…” That is what you call a tossup.
But is the reason so many people are torn on foretelling the victor, really because neither warrior has experienced losing? Perhaps this is a factor for some folks, though I find this aspect of the fight somewhat similar to offsetting penalties in football, they cancel each other out.
So what then, dare I say will make this match exciting as well as assist in the determination of a winner? – Styles.
We have all heard it before, “Styles make fights.” This UFC 98 main event is no exception. The most telling thing about the styles of both Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans is how they are dissimilar.
Evans is a modern day mixed martial artist; period. He is diverse, well-conditioned and very athletic. One does not make it to 13-0-1 by being anything less than well-rounded. However, his one draw against Tito Ortiz may serve as a red flag, should Machida’s unorthodox and elusive style have him guessing about what to try next.
I remember watching the Evans versus Ortiz bout wondering if Rashad had not been sent the memo stating that he was allowed to fight before round three. It seemed like a temp agency had sent Rashad in, with him doing the least amount of work for the maximum amount of pay.
For me, it took all three fantastic wins, over Bisping, Liddell and Griffin, to pretty-much erase that blemish that I felt, Rashad put on his own record. Nevertheless, he did delete it in my mind, and now moves into this bout as likely to win as Machida. So how then, does he do it?
Adaptation.
Throughout the course of boxing and cage-fighting history, unorthodox fighters like Machida have embarked upon win streaks that left fans wondering when it would, or how it could, end. Their flashy styles, mental preparedness and ability to out think their opposition made for some of sports’ greatest moments.
When I think about a Lyoto Machida, I also think of standouts like Cung Le, and boxing all-time great Roy Jones Jr. It is my firm belief that Roy Jones suffered his first real loss due to circumstances, including coming down from heavyweight too fast, losing muscle and not being the same man again at light-heavyweight again.
During his prime, Antonio Tarver or Glenn Johnson would not have likely beaten him. I simply do not believe it.
So the question in UFC 98 is, “Is Machida another super-athlete who will not lose to an orthodox mixed martial artist, instead losing eventually due to aging or an unforeseen intangible, like Roy Jones did?”
Rashad Evans will be taking on one of the toughest challenges he will see in the UFC. His fast and heavy hands will not as easily hit their target in this fight. His defense will be taxed like never before, as Machida unleashes the type of barrages a fighter rarely sees or trains with, in the cage.
It is my firm belief that if he can adapt to the style of Lyoto Machida, if he can make changes he will have to figure out in the midst of the fight, that Rashad Evans can win this match. Make no mistake about it too, this adapting by Evans, should he do it, will produce fireworks that will rival the Macy’s Fourth of July show, over the Hudson River, in New York City.
I also believe that in more cases than not, the unique and awkward fighters like Machida, rarely lose so close to their career’s prime. Talk about painting myself into an indecisive corner, right?
Bottom line is that atop one solid UFC fight card this Saturday night, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans will be doing what they are meant to do, fight the best opposition that they can. The mere fact that it is so difficult to predict is a testament to the quality of the matchmaking the UFC has done.
Will Lyoto Machida win and leave the entire light heavyweight division wondering what it is going to take to derail him? Or, will Rashad Evans adapt to his every move, outworking him and forcing Lyoto to fight his fight? Not so much time, will tell…
However, before we make our own picks on this fight, let us not forget the likelihood of an Evans quick and thunderous knockout early on in the bout, before Machida gets to find his stride. That would sure punctuate the “O” in Rashad’s record, likely moving it to the beginning of some expletives fans everywhere will be shouting, if it happens.
-Yacman
www.yacandjshow.com
WOMEN’S MMA SOON TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE IDEAL AMBASSADOR
If you ask anyone who they feel is the most identifiable face and name associated with women’s mixed martial arts, the female ambassador, you will almost always hear Gina Carano. Gina is the unofficial face of women’s MMA, a title bestowed upon her, and one I know personally, she does not feel she deserves.
This is not to say Gina thinks she is unworthy of such a moniker. However, in many conversations she and I have had, Gina feels strongly that there are not only other female cage-fighters who also warrant this title, but some who have been at it longer than her.
Enter the extremely skilled, gorgeous and likeable Erin Toughill.
Her first MMA fight was in 1999. She began kickboxing at the age of 18, only to add Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to her arsenal just two years later. In July of 2000, Erin made her professional boxing debut.
In what would eventually become typical Toughill fashion, Erin sought out the best fights she could sign, including a bout against the most recognized name in women’s professional boxing, Laila Ali.
Erin was on a self-prescribed fast track, growing as a fighter and relentless in her pursuit of women who could bring out her best.
This dual combat sports athlete entered 2007 with a professional boxing record of 7-2-1, while simultaneously holding an MMA record of 10-2-1.
I find this especially impressive, because in all of mixed martial arts, men and women combined, it is not the norm or easy for fighters to mount winning records in both MMA and boxing.
This may change in the coming years as more and more athletes are truly well-rounded fighters. Plus, let us not forget the Arlovski’s of the MMA world, training under legendary boxing coaches like Freddy Roach. His hands sure did show results from that assistance.
In examining her own career origin, Erin Toughill has gone on record, stating that she began all of this training to find a positive outlet for her aggression. That outlet may turn out to be a lot more positive than even Erin ever anticipated. Her story, however, is not without the dramatic pitfalls that one would expect from most compelling Hollywood stories.
Exit Erin Toughill from fighting? Really?
In 2007 Toughill proclaimed that she was officially retiring from fighting in both boxing and MMA. As of this very day, I am still unsure why she did it. She would, however, find a new endeavor to take up much of her time, as season two of American Gladiators added Erin to their roster, where she would go by the name Steel.
But Steel was not the first or only cage-fighting female to compete as a Gladiator. Gina Carano, whose gladiator nickname is “Crush,” also happened to be a cast member who was with the show from its rebirth, season one.
Now anyone who knows both Carano and Toughill knows that they share a mutual respect for one another. So, one cannot help but think that this collaborative venture may have influenced Erin’s comeback in November of 2008; that and the continual rise in popularity of MMA.
Carano was opening doors that would be available to many women fighters in due time. It just so happens that Erin Toughill was already poised for mainstream attention.
Since that comeback, Erin has built up a three fight win streak, scoring one TKO and two unanimous decisions. She may also be slated in 2009, to take on the one opponent fans of MMA are clamoring to see Gina Carano take on since the fall of EliteXC…Cris Cyborg! Let us hope she gets this fight too. A win, by the way, would set up a mega-fight between two American Gladiator warriors, as Crush versus Steel would be on!
Erin is truly one of the lucky few who remain well-within their prime, despite having come onto the scene slightly ahead of their time. In so many instances, the result of being ahead of one’s time is a professional shortcoming an athlete is forced to deal with, in retrospect.
Erin Toughill stepped into the cage at a time before anyone believed MMA, let alone women’s MMA, could flourish. And now that Erin Toughill is right there in the mix and ranked accordingly amongst the top echelon of fighters, women’s MMA may likely be seeing another representative who will absolutely do it maximum justice.
I had the good fortune to catch up with Erin Toughill again, just prior to her most recent win at Palace Fighting Championships (www.palacefightingchampionship.com), where we discussed her long term plans in MMA. And yes, Erin having long term plans means Erin fights on. At least this story has a happy ending to it.
- YACMAN