Shamrock VS Le

Since Saturday night's loss to Kala Kolohe Hose at ICON SPORT'S "To Hell and Back", there has been an onslaught of criticism directed towards the 'New York Bad Ass' Phil Baroni.

Phil looked tired (or variations of this critique) - well yeah, he did. He fought hard through 4, almost 5 rounds.

Phil talked a big game and lost - Phil always talks a big game. He's a marketing genius. If you watched the fight long enough to critique his performance then you've proved it. The fight drama got your attention and you watched the fight.

The only time talking a big game is bad to do is when a fighter cannot and/or will not back it up. Phil Baroni always brings it. He cannot guarantee a win, ultimately, so if he loses, he loses. He is solid enough a fighter that most favored him over Frank Shamrock, expecting he'd stand Frank up and knock him out. If he was done, washed up or whatever, someone didn't tell Phil or the writers in MMA who picked him to win. Same goes for this fight, as he was the favorite to beat Hose.

Having watched the fight, the worst thing I can say is he may not have been as physically prepared as he was to fight Shamrock. But realisitcally, who would motivate any middleweight more to prep for a fight...Hose or Shamrock?

Bottom line is guys like Baroni make the sport exciting, dramatic and spontaneous - with KO power that can get him the win at any moment until the fight is declared over.

Thanks for the work Phil - keep it coming!

Call 251-928-0984 or email tkd1@bellsouth.net if you would like to fight in Oktober Fist MMA event in Daphne, alabama on October 25 2008. We pay travel expenses for amatuersand top pay for professionals.

    Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is perhaps the most mis-understood sport in the world. Although interpreted as violent and unsafe, there are many advantages of it being a high school. One study in the Journal of Sport Science and Medicine (JSSM) found that all 91-football players from one session had at least 5 injuries each. In a different study from JSSM, only fractions of fighters get hurt.

    MMA is also a lot cheaper than hockey. The cost of a hockey team (including ice time and other expenses) is about $14,000, while an MMA team costs (including the cage and fighter gear) about $7,000. If a “poor” public school system can afford a hockey team they can clearly afford an MMA team. A school can sponsor two MMA teams at the same cost of a hockey team. Plus, all you see in hockey are fights any way.

    Not only is MMA safer and cheaper, it also promotes discipline, anger management and physical fitness. Isn’t that what we all want for our kids. Lets not allow ignorance get in the way of whats best for our children.

I will start saying that I really like Nick Diaz (click here to take a look at my previous blog on him) and, however I like KJ Noons since his first EliteXC fight, I really wanted for Nick to win. They are both great athletes and they have a big heart for what they do. Because of where Nick has been and how he got to where he is, we really wanted for him to win. These are just my humble, thoughts that are based on my limited information on MMA. THANKS for reading! And remember to smack it if you want to see the rematch

... Respectfully to all, especially to Nick Diaz ...

Nick signed with Elite XC and consequently he disputed a Title Belt with KJ Noons on RENEGADE November 10 2007. A fight that for most, Nick was going to be the obvious winner.

To my humble perception of MMA, this was a good fight. By the end of the first round a lot has happened.

However, before the beginning of the second round, the fight was called out by one of the doctors assigned by the Athletic Commission. This rendered a rather highly emotional and almost volatile outcome.

I think that Nick is a great fighter, very technical and very powerful in his technique. Nick goes slow, with small punches that eventually sum up, tiring his contender. For the little I know, he could be beat up, he could bleed quite a lot, but his cardio and condition is good enough to make him last to the end, when he becomes merciless and strikes his already tired opponent.

In the other hand I realize that many fighters may not do the right homework prior to a fight. But KJ Noon seemed to have done it. He said in his interview something along the lines of

“I will work on not letting Diaz bring me down to the floor. I will stand up fast and remain standing, this is the way I like to fight."

He was strong enough to barely allow Nick Diaz bring him down, when he did, he escaped. Nick stroke like usual, however KJ threw some hard punches, hard enough to throw Nick out of balance.

- quoted from Sam Caplan: " K.J. Noons landed some big shots and displayed good, but not great, takedown defense. I didn't think Diaz fought that bad, either. It was just a case where Noons decided to bring it and Diaz absorbed way too much contact to his face."

KJ was powerful enough to make of it a really good first round with Nick, and to cut him open too. Just above both eyes and the nose as well.

Some say it was old wounds that got cut opened again; that KJ really wasn’t good. But I think that you have to “give Cesar what belongs to Cesar” -- Nick was hurt and KJ put a great fight. After this lose with Krazy Horse, I have to believe that KJ prepared and studied his opponent. He has to have known that he couldn’t go too far ahead in time or else Diaz would tire him and ultimately win over him. He didn’t get to the floor, he punched and kicked quite hard.

From what I understand, Nick said something like "the only way KJ could win is if he cuts me" Well KJ did. Unfortunately, but he did.

As far as whether it was fair or not to stop the fight and not allow Nick to continue, I understand the decision from a straight factual perception of the rules (this is of course coming from a new fan that rather see the athletes safe)

Nick was not only badly cut in both his eyes and nose, but his left eye was shot. Truly he wasn’t bleeding when he left the cage outraged by the decision, my genuine and most sincere question is "could he really fight with his left eye completely shot without risking his health and the health of the sport?"

Understandably he was upset, after his long history with UFC issues and others, and knowing how he fights and how he felt capable of continuing (which is admirable)--who wouldn't be? And judging from previous fights and from his style, he could have continued. But what was the risk? For him and for MMA? Maybe too high of a price to pay? For him as a fighter, compromising his health; for the promoter, compromising his best fighter; and most importantly for MMA: If Nick would’ve gotten really hurt, it’d be a step back for the sport. Especially being in National TV.

What now? A rematch seems definitely most needed. And like someone mentioned, if Nick Diaz wins – and it's more than possible he would, there’s a chance for a trilogy.

Because of technical issues, Nick just lost a battle. But Nick surely didn't lose “The War”. And quite honestly... The attention he’s getting is quite good for promotion. So that's a win. Now he can stand on being a "Bad Boy" and people will follow this story, all the way through!

- quoted from Sam Caplan: "I think his behavior after the bout only helps. This is a guy who has gained a lot of fans for being anti-establishment. Walking out and giving the promotion the finger only feeds into all of that. Was it unsportsmanlike and classless? You bet. But do Nick Diaz fans like him because he's a class act? Anyone who had heard about Diaz from a friend and was watching him for the first time couldn't have been disappointed with what they say. Those that didn't know him before won't forget him and for those that already know of him, they'll view him as a more recognizable star. Diaz can now go to the media and state his case and get more publicity as a result. The public's awareness of Noons will increase by default." says Sam Caplan about Diaz behaviour."

No, Nick didn’t lose. He did what he does and he’s really good at, put an amazing fight. KJ was prepared and gave him the fight Nick ultimately deserves as a great warrior that he is. We all wanted to see more and wanted Nick raising to his deserved pedestal and get that belt! But KJ ultimately won by TKO and by being a good fighter--can't take that from him.

I'm certain that there’s much more of Nick to come, and now eyes are all over him! What a great opportunity. Costly maybe, but great nevertheless!

P.S.: This is from the forum last week. Nick commenting on the fight with KJ Noon:

- quoted from bsanford79 on 08 Nov 2007, 03:00:42

Nick,

Nick's answer: He seems to think I am a really good fighter so I doubt that.

More from Sam Caplan -

Nick Diaz has a real problem that can't be addressed in the gym and that is that he has a lot of scar tissue in his face. I'm not an expert but I really feel that he probably cuts easier than the typical fighter and it's became of the scar tissue. Diaz may need to make a major change to his approach to the standup game. Instead of staying in the pocket and slugging it out as much as he does, he might need to find his range early and do more dancing around. He may need to even improve his standup defense. We all know he can take a punch but he has to compensate for the fact that his face opens up so easily. Good head movement isn't enough for someone in his position. He needs to excel in that area so that he can limit the amount of contact he takes to the face.

Many are going to disagree but the outcome is perfect for EliteXC. A little controversy never hurt anyone and [...] this will certainly get people talking. Noons needed the win more than Diaz because Diaz can bounce back from this. A loss for Noons would have hurt his stock while a win really puts him on the map and forces many pundits to look at him as being legitimate [...] Based on the action of the first round and the unsatisfying finish, the rematch is definitely something you can sell on PPV [...]

You can see that Diaz takes fighting seriously and I bet his open display of frustration was something that resonated with many fans who were almost as equally disappointed that the fight was stopped. Some fans will blast Diaz for acting the way he did after the fight while others will praise him for not hiding his true feelings. Like Kimbo, Diaz is another fighter who polarizes the audience and those are the types that sell the most tickets. How do you think Tito Ortiz became so popular?

In regard to the decision to stop the fight, while I desperately wanted to see more, how can you really blame the doctor? Diaz's face always gets jacked up early but that was bad even by Diaz standards. The fact that Diaz didn't care and wanted to fight through it is going to earn him respect with a lot of people. That being said, to take issue with the doctor for stopping the bout just isn't rational. I could understand why Diaz would be irrational about it but I don't understand why anyone else would. I would have booed if I was in the crowd and not because I felt it was an early stoppage but because I wanted to see more. There was no one to blame but sometimes fans get caught up in the moment and just want to vent. I'm sure some who booed felt it was an early stoppage but it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the people that were booing were just simply venting disappointment.
http://samcaplan.proelite.com/71584

Comments fromsome Forum posts i respect:

Crooklyn respectfully offers:

That fight could have still opened into the 2nd round and then been called if it was obvious that he was impaired. He was way more "jacked up" in the Gomi fight, and look how that went.

You can read Crooklyn's Renegade recap: http://crooklyn.proelite.com/71555

Jaydogkeene comments:

No one knows what would have happened if they let that fight go on. Yup, Nick was taking a beating, but that's his style, he comes back later on with that cardio and all that heart. That said, he could have just as easily ended up in the hospital. He was catching punches with his face, even while he could see.....both eyes shut? Come on....i like the guy, but call it over when its over, let him come back for the re-match. This isn't a street-fight. The fights have rules for a reason, to protect the fighters and the future of the sport. This isn't a fight to the death. Come on now. Nick will be back, because the fight was stopped when it should have been.

[...] It wasn't Nick's night. Let him heal up for the re-match and we'll hope for better results for him. I like Nick too, i wanted it to continue, but rules are rules, thats the way it works.