Adam Morgan’s Sprawl ‘N Brawl (MMA News Roundup)

It’s been a busy week in MMA and there’s been a lot of news and rumors going around that need to be addressed. We’ll break down Arlovski vs. Nelson on October 4, Kimbo Slice punching magician David Blaine, Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson, and much more. I can’t promise that you’ll laugh, I can’t promise that you’ll cry, but I can promise that you’ll make lewd comments in the comments section, but that’s a given no matter what the topic, right? Let’s get right into it.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson set for EliteXC on CBS October 4

This is obviously the biggest news so far this week and it’s huge news for EliteXC. This card has now elevated from “semi-interesting” to “must-see.” Any hardcore MMA fan was going to watch this card in the first place and lots of casual fans were going to tune in due to the allure of Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano. But now with Arlovski vs. Nelson being added into the mix, it’s a no brainer for even the most wishy-washy of casual fans. Arlovski is a well known former UFC champion and a draw himself. Add him into the mix with Slice, Carano and a highly underrated welterweight title matchup between Paul Daley and Jake Shields and EliteXC has a recipe for success on their hands. Not only that but the cooperation between EliteXC and Affliction has to make Dana White uneasy. A partnership between them along with ties to Golden Boy and Showtime make this event and the relationship between the two brands something to keep an eye on.

Also, as a side note, Nelson is a good fighter but if the same Arlovski that showed up against Rothwell shows up again, Nelson is in for a very long night. Like any sane man, I’ll take Arlovski in this fight in a heartbeat.

Anderson Silva’s going to retire…sometime

What is the big uproar about here? Imagine a professional athlete going out on top. What a novel idea. Almost all top professional athletes stay too long in their respective sports and eventually become a shell of their former selves. It’s sad to see and you wish that many of them would just stay retired (I’m looking at you, Brett Favre). But seriously, I don’t want Silva to retire right now as much as the next ravenous MMA fan but I’m not as opposed to it as some people seem to be. 35 is a good age for Silva to retire. It’s unlikely that any of the current challengers at middleweight will truly test him so it’s likely he’ll keep the title there. Plus he can test himself at light heavyweight while still defending the middleweight title. And at 35 he can say goodbye to the sport and go off into the sunset as one of the best to ever put on the five ounce gloves. What’s so wrong with that?

Kimbo Slice is going to punch David Blaine in the stomach

If you’re familiar with magic at all you’ll recognize this as a recreation of the stunt that supposedly killed Harry Houdini. Could we only be so lucky that Kimbo does the same to Blaine? I kid, I kid. Or do I?

Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva pushed back to January

I had a feeling something like this might happen. Putting Jackson back into the cage so soon after his July meltdown is a bad idea. Let the November court date happen, see what the fallout will be, and let the chips fall where they may. Trying to put Jackson back in the cage against Silva without total focus on his fighting career is a recipe for another loss. Let him get the legal B.S. behind him and then allow him to train and focus solely on Wanderlei Silva. Silva is an opponent that Jackson has brutally lost to twice in his career. Allowing him to focus on Wanderlei Silva and only Wanderlei Silva is the right move. Even though you and I may want to see this fight, say, tomorrow, this is the best thing for all parties involved. Well, except for maybe Silva who hasn’t fought since May.

Gegard Mousasi wins DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix, Cro Cop gets testes smashed

I must say that Mousasi’s run through the DREAM Middlweight Grand Prix is nothing short of impressive. To face the murderer’s row of Denis Kang, Dong Sik Yoon, Ronaldo Souza, and Melvin Manhoef and go 4-0 is simply absurd. And the way in which he knocked Souza out is just absolutely ridiculous. I never want to be on the receiving end of an upkick, especially one from Mousasi. He is, without a doubt, in the upper echelon of fighters at 185 lbs.

Cro Cop, on the other hand, got his testicle kneed back up inside of him. And before that he was getting demolished by Allistair Overeem. Where is the Cro Cop of old? When he gets bullied by opponents he crumples. When he’s put on his back he has zero answer for an opponent’s ground attack. He doesn’t look like his heart is in it anymore. Is it possibly time to hang up the gloves? At least the five ounce kind? Is it time for a transfer back to K-1? Something is needed because Cro Cop isn’t striking fear into his opponents like he once used to and that’s not a good thing. If Cro Cop doesn’t dictate the pace of the fight then his opponent has the upper hand.

Cain Velasquez is hurt, Cheick Kongo to replace him against Mustafa Al-Turk

This is kind of a bummer. Velasquez is arguably the best heavyweight prospect in the UFC right now and he’s been absolutely punishing his competition. Not one of his fights has gone past the first round and I have no doubt that he would have made short work of Mustafa Al-Turk as well. Al-Turk is a solid heavyweight to add to the UFC’s lackluster heavyweight division but he’s no match for the wrestling, the quickness, and the power of Cain Velasquez. Instead, Al-Turk will do battle against Cheick Kongo, which I think is a better matchup for him. Here’s hoping that Velasquez gets healthy quickly because I think we all want to see the AKA product back in the cage as soon as possible.

That about sums it up for this week’s biggest news (so far). Be sure to tune back into FiveOuncesOfPain.com for the biggest MMA news and no holds barred opinions.