The Varner “Time Out”

In the Feb. 13 WEC, Jaime Varner vs. Rob McCullough, Varner called a time out after being dazed in R3 to put his mouth piece back in.  This is a questionalbe call since fighters have never called time outs for anything and it is up to the referee to stop the fight in situations like this. 

I’m not sure if there should be much Varner bashing on this subject.  He pushed the pace and pretty much dominated R1 and R2.  Yes the TO was complete garbage, and came at a time when Varner was in deep trouble, but in the sport of MMA, the mouth piece is essential.  Now I do think Mazz stopped the fight for too long.  I say if you lose your mouth piece, a  TO should be called by the fighter if not by the ref and you can pick it up off the ground and put it in.  None of this both fighters go to your corners and wash it off!  How many people who train MMA or even football lose their mouth pieces and wash it off before putting it back in!?

Good fight and win for Varner, but lets keep the TO’s to a minimum…this is MMA!

Lesnar the Favorite?

What was the reason for Lesnar to be considered the favorite in his recent match that took place at UFC82?  This was a sanctioned MMA match, not a scripted WWE affair!  They say odds makers sway the odds to ensure they get an even amount of bets on both fighters.  So with Mir at (+140) vs. Lesnar(-160), it’s clear the gambling public had decided the former Heavyweight UFC champion Frank Mir was the underdog and the former WWE superstar, power house, with gigantic paws, Brock Lesnar, was the favorite.  In reality, there was no reason for anyone to consider Lesnar the favorite in this bout, but he does have potential to be a force as a UFC heavyweight. 

If you haven’t heard by now, Lesnar lost the heavily-hyped bout. It took Frank Mir all of 90 seconds to seal Lesnar’s fate with a heel lock.  I will say that Lesnar was active while the fight lasted, and managed to convince the industry that he has promise in the sport. In addition to being physically overpowering, he’s incredibly quick, with great work ethic, attributes stemming from his days as a collegiate wrestler. 

Lesnar’s future in MMA will be determined by how motivated he can remain after being defeated in the first round and showered with boo’s all the way up to the post-fight interview.  I like his chances against cardio challenged fighters, but Brock has a long road ahead of him before he can be considered Heavy weight contender.  If Lesnar continues to develop his striking and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with great determination, he will certainly continue to make BIG waves in MMA.

Unfortunately for Lesnar the submission specialist Frank Mir was the worst match up for him stylistically.  Mir looked far better than he has in recent bouts, mainly due to his conditioning and training ethic.  I can’t say the former Heavyweight UFC champion has returned to pre-motorcycle accident form, but if he stays focused, watch out…and lets get ready for Mir vs. Nog Battle Royal!