The Doggy Bag: Judging Submissions
The Doggy Bag
Oct 19, 2009
Everyone answers to somebody, and we, the staff at Sherdog.com,
have decided to defer to our readers.
The Doggy Bag gives you the opportunity to say what’s on your mind from time to time.
Our reporters, columnists, radio hosts and editors will chime in
with our answers and thoughts, so keep the e-mails coming.
This week, topics include how to score submission attempts and the possibility that the UFC’s current crop of champions could dominate for a long time.
I’m a big fan of the UFC and mixed martial arts, in general, and I feel the sport is far more entertaining than boxing. I can respect boxing when it occasionally gets it right; when it finally matches up Manny Pacquiao with Floyd Mayweather, I’ll buy that pay-per-view. However, I see a trend forming in all the divisions of the UFC. B.J. Penn is dominant and will probably beat Diego Sanchez at UFC 107. Georges St. Pierre, I feel, will beat any welterweight until they put Jon Fitch in front of him again, and he will more than likely be a favorite against him. Anderson Silva is the most dominant middleweight of all-time. Lyoto Machida seems unbeatable at 205 pounds. And while Brock Lesnar has weaknesses, I can’t see him losing to any fighter except Fedor Emelianenko in the foreseeable future. If all the champions keep winning, will it not become increasingly difficult for the UFC to market fights? Will what has happened in boxing, with subpar challengers taking on elite competitors, happen to MMA? An example of this is Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy for a No.1 contender spot against GSP. That isn’t really a main event you want. I’ll continue to watch, but with all the champions in their late 20s or early 30s -- except for Silva, who seems ageless -- could all the divisions not become monotonous in a year or two? -- Martin Brennan
Brian Knapp, associate editor: Dynasties serve as the thread that holds the sporting world together. They inspire deep love and deeper hate. Think Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and the New York Yankees of the 1950s, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and the Boston Celtics of the 1960s, and Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s. Those teams defined generations. If anything, the topsy-turvy world of mixed martial arts could benefit from some stability at the top.
With that said, I’d caution those who believe in sure things in MMA. Not all that long ago, the incomparable St. Pierre was on his back inside the cage, tapping out to strikes from Matt Serra. Invincible he was not. In this sport, upsets are part of the fabric.
Your point does carry some weight, however. The current crop of UFC champions has a better chance to stay at the top than any of its predecessors, and I think that would ultimately benefit the sport. Imagine the hype generated by a fighter who holds a UFC title for, say, five, six or seven years consecutively. Think about the shockwaves that would result from such a remarkable run meeting its end.
Not every title fight can bring us to our feet. Will a St. Pierre-Swick main event drive people through the turnstiles? Probably not, but contenders who work hard and climb the ladder in their respective divisions deserve to see the fruits of their labor. Should Swick defeat Hardy at UFC 105, it will give him 10 wins in 11 fights, with the only defeat coming to Yushin Okami, one of the world’s top middleweights.
Great as they may be, these champions we hold in such high regard are always one punch, one head kick, one small mistake away from getting dumped off their mountaintops.
The Doggy Bag gives you the opportunity to say what’s on your mind from time to time.
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This week, topics include how to score submission attempts and the possibility that the UFC’s current crop of champions could dominate for a long time.
I’m a big fan of the UFC and mixed martial arts, in general, and I feel the sport is far more entertaining than boxing. I can respect boxing when it occasionally gets it right; when it finally matches up Manny Pacquiao with Floyd Mayweather, I’ll buy that pay-per-view. However, I see a trend forming in all the divisions of the UFC. B.J. Penn is dominant and will probably beat Diego Sanchez at UFC 107. Georges St. Pierre, I feel, will beat any welterweight until they put Jon Fitch in front of him again, and he will more than likely be a favorite against him. Anderson Silva is the most dominant middleweight of all-time. Lyoto Machida seems unbeatable at 205 pounds. And while Brock Lesnar has weaknesses, I can’t see him losing to any fighter except Fedor Emelianenko in the foreseeable future. If all the champions keep winning, will it not become increasingly difficult for the UFC to market fights? Will what has happened in boxing, with subpar challengers taking on elite competitors, happen to MMA? An example of this is Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy for a No.1 contender spot against GSP. That isn’t really a main event you want. I’ll continue to watch, but with all the champions in their late 20s or early 30s -- except for Silva, who seems ageless -- could all the divisions not become monotonous in a year or two? -- Martin Brennan
Brian Knapp, associate editor: Dynasties serve as the thread that holds the sporting world together. They inspire deep love and deeper hate. Think Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and the New York Yankees of the 1950s, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and the Boston Celtics of the 1960s, and Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s. Those teams defined generations. If anything, the topsy-turvy world of mixed martial arts could benefit from some stability at the top.
With that said, I’d caution those who believe in sure things in MMA. Not all that long ago, the incomparable St. Pierre was on his back inside the cage, tapping out to strikes from Matt Serra. Invincible he was not. In this sport, upsets are part of the fabric.
Your point does carry some weight, however. The current crop of UFC champions has a better chance to stay at the top than any of its predecessors, and I think that would ultimately benefit the sport. Imagine the hype generated by a fighter who holds a UFC title for, say, five, six or seven years consecutively. Think about the shockwaves that would result from such a remarkable run meeting its end.
Not every title fight can bring us to our feet. Will a St. Pierre-Swick main event drive people through the turnstiles? Probably not, but contenders who work hard and climb the ladder in their respective divisions deserve to see the fruits of their labor. Should Swick defeat Hardy at UFC 105, it will give him 10 wins in 11 fights, with the only defeat coming to Yushin Okami, one of the world’s top middleweights.
Great as they may be, these champions we hold in such high regard are always one punch, one head kick, one small mistake away from getting dumped off their mountaintops.
