Caplan’s most notable complaint is that some of the same fans who complained that Kimbo Slice wasn’t facing top level competition early in his career are also complaining that it Lesnar is unfairly getting the opportunity to fight top-level competition early in his career.

“Many of those same purists who are crucifying Lesnar also crucified Kimbo Slice,” Caplan writes. “They ripped Slice repeatedly for failing to take on top 10 heavyweights while they scream about how Lesnar didn’t deserve to fight a world champion after only three fights. It appears that some of the critics are trying to have it both ways: They don’t want inexperienced, heavily promoted fighters to fight stiffs, yet they complain when they are given legitimate competition.”

Another position expressed by Caplan is his feeling that Lesnar is unfairly receiving criticism due to his past as a professional wrestler.

“It would appear Lesnar’s biggest fault is the fact that after graduating college he made a sound business decision to accept a multimillion-dollar offer from Vince McMahon and the WWE,” he began to state.

“For a 22-year-old world-class amateur wrestler, choosing a career path isn’t as easy as it might be for a projected first-round pick in baseball, basketball or football. There is no NFL of amateur wrestling.”

You can click here to read the article in its entirety.

The vast majority of the conference call was geared towards Slice and Shamrock, however, the fight promotion’s current relationship with CBS was inquired about by a couple of reporters.

EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen stated that the promotion spoke with CBS last week and that the network has significant plans in store to begin to market the fight card to its audience. Some of the possible promotional opportunities discussed include CBS’ telecast of professional and college football.

A question was also asked regarding EliteXC’s future on CBS. Lappen indicated that there is still a fourth contracted show between both parties even though a date for the fourth show has not been set. He added that after the final show on the current contract is held, CBS will retain the option to add more shows to its contract. Lappen expressed that the two parties have discussed extending the deal and indicated that CBS has expressed that it is happy working with the promotion.

That airing back on May 31, 2008 scored 4.3 million viewers and a 1.9/6 among 18-49 year olds and since the Kimbo Slice bout for that airing aired past primetime (11p) the most viewed portion wasn’t included. But lacking any Kimbo anticipation, last night’s fights pulled a mere 2.62 million and a 1.0/3 from 9pm-11pm.

A 1.0 on a Saturday night is nothing short of terrible, make no mistake about it. Considering the first show drew a lot of interest and a great rating with Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, and MMA’s first foray into network television, this show has to be considered a failure in terms of ratings. Like I said, the show was strong as far as the fights go but that doesn’t really matter if no one sees them. The ratings justify the criticism that CBS and EliteXC probably went for too much, too soon after they saw the ratings for the first show. Once they build more stars, they can start running more shows on CBS. But without one or both of those two, for better or worse, these network shows will continue to fail. How EliteXC and CBS didn’t see that is beyond me. Or maybe they did, but chose to turn a blind eye to the fact anyways.

Make no mistake, the first show was a ratings success because of Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice, not because of Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith. These guys are good fighters but they’re just not the fighters that make people want to go out of their way to see. I don’t know what kind of negative impact this kind of rating has on MMA on network television in the future, but it certainly doesn’t help matters any. For EliteXC, the show in October must draw big numbers or it could spell the end for them on national television. Another 1.0 rating will most likely not be acceptable.

HT: Bloody Elbow

UPDATE from MMA Payout:

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting the show got a 1.9 rating on the overnight. When all markets finish reporting in the numbers should bump up a tenth or two for either a 2.0 or a 2.1. This would fall into the low 2 range that MMAPayout.com felt would be a decent number for the show, per our show preview.

This is roughly a 40% drop in ratings from the first show, but not as dastardly as it first seemed when the number going around was 1.0. It still stands, however, that the October show absolutely must be a success for EliteXC to stick around on CBS.

This week hosts Sam Caplan (FiveOuncesOfPain.com) and Matt Cava (UFCTakedown.com) welcomed both Dann Stupp of UFCjunkie.com and Luke Thomas of BloodyElbow.com into the cage as guests.

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Dann joined the crew to help break down UFC 74. He was in Vegas for the event and brought his insider’s perspective to the show. The crew discussed whether Randy Couture is truly unbeatable; who and what is next for Randy; more fallout from the Renato “Babalu” Sobral fiasco; whether Josh Koscheck was ever truly ready for GSP; and much more.

In addition to reviewing UFC 74, the show also previewed UFC 75. Sam and Matt were once again joined by Luke Thomas, who brought his vast technical knowledge to the fold. The three broke down Dan Henderson vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mirko Cro Cop vs. Cheick Kongo, Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill, and Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara. Be sure to tune in as they talk about upset possibilities; whether Cro Cop and Bisping are overrated; whether Hamill belongs in the UFC; how Henderson should approach fighting a bigger opponent in Jackson; and lots more.

Give the show a listen… in the first few minutes you’ll hear Sam’s strategy for hitting on Rachelle Leah and a little later, Matt’s rant on the Sobral choke incident.

Inside the Cage Radio is growing strong! Over 5,000 hardcore MMA fans have already tuned in – this is only our 4th episode and we’re seeing our audience grow exponentially each week. Thanks so much for your support!

You can read Meltzer’s article by clicking here.

Couture vs. Nogueira would be a great match but my pick would still be Randy. I don’t know exactly how he’d do it, but I know he’d find a way.

When someone gets around to beating Randy, I think it will be someone who fights like Brandon Vera, i.e. a guy who will just come out and jump on top of him. If you allow Randy to control the pace and impose his will, you’re screwed. I don’t think there’s a better tactical fighter in the game right now than Couture. His strategy against Gonzaga was perfect. He closed the distance as much as possible by driving him against the cage and using dirty boxing tactics and then also putting the fight on the ground at times. He basically handcuffed Gonzaga for much of the fight. It’s kind of like when a basketball team that isn’t as athletic as its opponent focuses on turning the game into a half-court game to prevent the opposing team from running the floor.

Another analogy is like a poker player who has an opponent “on tilt.” That’s what Randy has done to Sylvia and Gonzaga, put them on tilt. But a guy like Vera would make it hard for Randy to fight from a tactical perspective. He’d push the pace and prevent Couture from getting a chance to pick him a part.

Also, I’ve noticed that Randy has gotten winded during intense exchanges in his past two fights. I’m not saying he hasn’t put the time into his cardio, because we all know he has, I just think his age is responsible for a few limitations. If Vera came out balls out like usual right at the bell then Randy would be sucking wind very early.

Meltzer also states that Couture would like to face Fedor Emelianenko and has made that request. Fedor is not under contract to the UFC right now but the report says both sides are expected to talk again “next week.” The article was published over the weekend so I’m not sure if he means this upcoming week or the following. Regardless, they are supposed to meet again soon.

If you’re a fighter or a guy who trains, I’d love to hear public responses on the following two questions (if you’re a fighter who doesn’t want to go on the record, e-mail me your answers at SCaplan8@comcast.net and I will post them anonymously after I verify your identity):

1) What would happen if you were at your fight camp or school and you were rolling with someone and refused to release a submission hold when someone tapped? Luke Thomas, if you’re reading this, I would love for you to educate the people on what would happen if someone did this at a BJJ or MMA school.

2) If you were cornering a fighter and someone deliberately didn’t release a hold after a stoppage and put your fighter to sleep, how would you react?

I’m reading comments and getting e-mails about B.J. Penn vs. Jens Pulver claiming that I didn’t make a big deal out of it. First, I didn’t make as big of a deal out of it because it wasn’t as bad. There was some gray area there. But it was still wrong and I believe I said so at the time and still believe Penn should have been fined. Second, to use Penn as a defense for Sobral is just lame. I hate to use a tired cliche’, but when do two wrongs make a right!?

I also get the feeling that a lot of people are commenting on this situation who haven’t seen the match. Why do I get the feeling that this incident is turning into MMA’s version of when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in Hershey, PA? Suddenly everyone was there.

Also, I did not see Brock Lesnar. He might have been there, but nobody really knew about it if he was.

I will run down my thoughts match-by-match.

Clay Guida over Marcus Aurelio - This was a strong match and it’s a damn shame no one at home got to see it. Guida won via split decision (it should have been unanimous). Aurelio didn’t look bad at all in my opinion, Guida was just the better fighter. Fighting Guida is a tough proposition because the guy is just relentless. He’s always in the face of his opponents which is a pain in the ass because you don’t have time to recover from punches, regain your wind, or simply stop and ponder a new strategy. He should receive bonus points for fighting with the hair. I don’t know how he does it. Guida deserves to receive a bigger promotion push. You wouldn’t believe how many fans are behind this guy. He got a ton of cheers before the fight and a few chants of “Guida” during it. I also saw him several times Friday at the Mandalay taking pictures and signing autographs. The UFC doesn’t have an excuses for keeping him off the main card. Some might fault the fact that he doesn’t finish guys but it isn’t for a lack of training. And it’s not like they’ve given him any easy fights.

Ryan Jensen vs. Thales Leites - Jensen came out like a ball of fire with a ton of kicks. Leites had no answer for them but it didn’t appear like they did a lot of damage. Jensen, who came out with Matt Lindland, rocked Leites a few times and I thought Leites was in trouble at one point. But Leites came back and won the match. The crazy thing is that he could be fighting for the middleweight title a year from now unless they go outside the promotion and starting signing established 185 lbs. middleweights.

Frank Mir vs. Antoni Hardonk – Mir didn’t play around. He got Hardonk off his feet and finished him with a submission.  I guess some people might be impressed with the win but I really wasn’t. He didn’t have to do much to win. As for Hardonk, I see no reason why he should remain in the UFC.

Renato “Douche Bag of the Year” Sobral vs. David Heath - If you were wondering why there was so much blood on the canvas, well, it all came from Heath, who got busted open and was oozing blood all over the place. It was really sick and the fight should have been stopped much sooner than it was. To make matters worse, one of the ugliest scenes in my memory of MMA took place when Sobral didn’t release his choke after Heath tapped. He ended up putting Heath to sleep after he had already given up. I thought maybe he didn’t see or hear the ref call the match and that it was an honest mistake. No! Sobral acknowledged in the post fight that he intentionally refused to release the hold and sounded pretty proud of that fact. He mumbled something about needing to teach Heath a lesson. A lesson for what? The two had some issues at the staredown but I have no idea why. Chances are you’ll never get to see this fight unedited and everyone should be allowed to see what happened. It was a case where the UFC really needs to cover their events like a real sport. They should have explained to the viewers why there was so much blood. You’re not going to sweep the Sobral incident under the rug so better yours fans hear it from you first rather than second hand. I’m pretty sure that Sobral will lose a portion of his purse and I’d be shocked if he wasn’t suspended. Hopefully, the UFC will make an example of him and fire him. And don’t tell me I’m going overboard because if you saw it, you’d probably feel otherwise. Noah Thomas and Marlon Sims got fired for much less (and I’m not suggesting they shouldn’t have been fired). You can say both of them were expendable, but that’s exactly what Sobral has become. When you factor his legal issues outside of the UFC into the equation and there’s simply no reason to keep a liability like him on the roster. An interesting tidbit is that Sobral threw his hat into the crowd and Manny Gamburyan caught it (he was right in front of us). He chucked it right back to the cage in a fit of rage. Even the fighters know what Sobral did was bullshit. The fans booed him out of the building practically and cheered Gamburyan for throwing the hat back.

Kendall Grove vs. Patrick Cote - I was and still am in shock and am unable to comment further on Grove’s upset loss as a result.

Kurt Pellegrino vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson looked good, as did Pellegrino. Stevenson was just too strong for him. Pellegrino has the Jiu-Jitsu, but Stevenson had the Jiu-Jitsu and the wrestling.

Roger Huerta vs. Alberto Crane - Crane had great Jiu-Jitsu… and not much else.  Huerta has good standup and his submissions aren’t bad. However, his wrestling is brutal. He couldn’t keep position against Pellegrino. Huerta couldn’t even maintain the mount. Yes, I know you want to see Huerta fight some top shelf talent. Well, don’t hold your breath.

Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre – Yes, I know I was wrong. It won’t be the first time and it won’t be the last. I am actually glad that GSP showed up tonight and answered the questions about his mental preparation. If you still think the mental aspects were an issue that needed to be addressed, just stop reading this blog now. You can’t make a legitimate case him needing to prove himself considering he acknowledged the fact he’s seeing a sports psychologist. But you also can’t make a legitimate case that he didn’t put all the concerns to rest. MMA needs GSP to reach his full potential because he has a fighting style that can really bring new fans into the game. I’m more than okay with GSP fighting for the welterweight title after Hughes for Serra. In regard to Koscheck, he’s improved in all areas but still isn’t a threat to finish a guy. His Jiu-Jitsu is so-so (I thought he had a chance to work a couple of obvious submissions and he neglected) and his standup is only good enough to be used to set up takedowns. I’m back on the GSP bandwagon, folks.

Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga - I could believe how quick Couture looked early in the first round! I also can’t believe he was so gassed so early in the fight. He took a ton of damage but kept it together. How he was able to make it through some of those high kicks is beyond me. I also think the broken nose issue is overrated. Yes, it hurt Gonzaga’s chances to win but a broken nose in a fight isn’t necessarily the death penalty. There have been fighters who have won fights with broken noses before. This loss is more than just the nose — he simply wasn’t ready! He’s a legit fighter but he’s still not fully developed. We’ll see him fighting for the title again. Now on to Randy. What can I say that isn’t already obvious? I will say this: he needs a new nickname. Natural doesn’t suit him. Nothing about him is natural — and no, I don’t mean it that way. My point is that if average human beings mirrored Couture’s training they still wouldn’t be anywhere the kind of shape he’s in. The man just has incredible genetics. His new nickname should be “Super Natural.” Randy isn’t going to retire because there’s still too much money on the table but besides beating Fedor, what more is there for him to do that he hasn’t already done.

Before I get to the weigh-in results I wanted to give everyone a heads up that I will do my best to post live preliminary results and notes during tonight’s show. Check back here. At the very least, I will be sending preliminary results to Matt Cava at UFCTakedown. com.

Prior to the weigh-ins Dana White did a Q&A session with UFC Fight Club members. According to Dann from UFCjunkie.com, Dana confirmed that B.J. Penn will be fighting for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 78 this November.

White also confirmed that he’ll be meeting with Brock Lesnar today. Those talks should be interesting. I just hope Brock is willing to come down from his going rate of $500,000 established by K-1 in June. I could see the UFC offering him a lower guarantee but the potential to earn more through bonuses. If Lesnar is willing to sacrifice the front end from the back end then perhaps his chances of landing in the UFC could be better than a lot of people thought.

On to the weigh-ins…

* Marcus Aurelio (155 lbs.) vs. Clay Guida (155 lbs.) - Guida got a big reaction. He’d be a fool to cut his hair at this point. It’s a tremendous marketing tool. A win here by Guida might earn him the respect he deserves and could lead to bigger things.

* Ryan Jensen (185 lbs.) vs. Thales Leites (188 lbs.) - Leites was given two hours to get down to 186 lbs. and he was able to do it. Like Guida, a win here by Leites propels him towards bigger and better things. If you think about it, there’s a chance he could be fighting for the title a year from now, especially if Silva beats Fraklin in their rematch.

* Antoni Hardonk (244 lbs.) vs. Frank Mir (255 lbs.) - Mir looked to have more muscle tone than his last fight but I was still a little underwhelmed. I’ve also changed my pick to Hardonk. I just have a bad feeling about Mir all of a sudden.

* David Heath (205 lbs.) vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral (204 lbs.) – Babalu gave Heath the deathstare during the post weigh-in staredown. Heath didn’t back down and the two started jawing at each other. They were separated but were still shooting dirty looks and yelling as they left the stage area.

* Alberto Crane (155 lbs.) vs. Roger Huerta (155 lbs.) – Huerta got a big ovation but later got boos when he offered Crane a handshake but then yanked his hand away when Crane went to extend his hand. It was something you’d see by a second grader. I’m not sure what Roger was trying to accomplish with that. Also, I asked Diego Sanchez about Crane yesterday off the air and he had a lot of good things to say about him. He said if it goes to the ground he thinks Crane can win it.

* Patrick Cote (184.5 lbs) vs. Kendall Grove (184 lbs.) - Cote and Kendall had a mini-staredown. Not a big deal but I really don’t know what else to say about this matchup other than I expect it to end quick.

* Kurt Pellegrino (155 lbs.) vs. Joe Stevenson (155 lbs.) - You have to think that if Sean Sherk’s suspension is upheld in October and that if Stevenson wins this that he’ll be fighting B.J. Penn at UFC 78 for the lightweight title.

* Josh Koscheck (170 lbs.) vs. Georges St. Pierre (170 lbs.) - Koscheck got heavy boos and GSP was cheered like a superstar. Koscheck seems to really enjoy the role of bad guy and knows how to needle the crowd. Sanchez even picked Koscheck to win (although he was going back and forth). If Sanchez beats Jon Fitch and GSP wins this match I think the two may end up fighting each other next. The whole Greg Jackson thing will make for an interesting storyline.

* Gabriel Gonzaga (252 lbs.) vs. Randy Couture (228.5 lbs.) - Randy had a ton of definition in his upper body. Much more than in his last fight, in my opinion. Obviously, he received a huge ovation. Gonzaga didn’t get much of a reaction. Probably because fans don’t know whether to hate or like him.

I’m terrible when it comes to estimating crowds, but I would say close to 3,000 were in attendance. It’s insane to think that the UFC gets more for their weigh-ins then some major promotions draw for their actual shows. Even the fighters I talked to yesterday were surprised by the strong turnout.

Also, you can hear me guest co-host with “Mr. Sunshine” Steve Cofield later today on FoxSportsRadio 1460 in Las Vegas from 5-7 p.m. PT.

I’m looking to meet as many readers of this blog as possible so feel free to stop by and visit us. We’ll be at a bar on a concourse near the entrance to the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

If you’re not going to be in Vegas but want to hear some UFC-talk to get you pumped for the show, just click here to listen to either the live stream or the archive.

Former WWE and IWGP champion Brock Lesnar appeared briefly on the radio show for MMA website www.MMAWeekly.com tonight. Lesnar noted that he would be in attendance at this Saturday’s UFC PPV and has been training full-time for 18 months, currently training with Sean Sherk and Brock Larson He said that he wants to fight “someone with credentials and doesn’t mean Tim Sylvia”. He then said he’d like to face Randy Couture.

That’s interesting that Lesnar will be in Vegas this weekend. I think that’s a very calculated business move on his part. There are some rumblings that TNA has had talks with Lesnar. In addition to being a free agent pro wrestler, Lesnar is also a free agent fighter. Being at UFC 74 will be a great way to get everyone talking. My personal hope is that the UFC makes it a point to talk with him.

While at Jackson’s camp, Arias spoke with his trainer, Juanito Ibarra. The topic of Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s addition to the UFC was brought up as were Rampage’s losses to both. While Ibarra doesn’t outright accuse the former Chute Boxe teammates of using steroids, he comes pretty damn close.

I asked Juanito about the recent additions of Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to the UFC. Silva beat Rampage twice and Rua also holds a victory over him. Those fights were held in the PRIDE ring in Japan. Juanito said he believes Silva and Rua had “extra help” when they fought Rampage. He didn’t spell out exactly what that extra help was. But our conversation quickly turned to the fact there was no athletic commission or steroid testing when they fought in Japan. Juanito said the outcome will be much different when they meet in the U.S.

That’s some pretty strong stuff from Ibarra. Am I reading too much into this? Well, then what “extra help” could he be referring to?

There’s also some talk about Jackson possibly starring in his own reality TV show. Negotiations with multiple networks are already taking place, according to Arias.

Juanito said he wants Rampage to take a six-month break after the Henderson fight, which will be his third fight of the year. Juanito said he is shopping a Rampage reality show, which is being bid on by MTV, Spike and A&E. Rampage also is getting offers for role sin movies.

This show is long overdue because it would be a great way to market Jackson as a multi-media star. The show could make up for the UFC’s lack of promotional push behind Jackson.

Arias revealed to Henderson that Rampage spent some time recently training with Randy Couture at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. This is very notable because Henderson and Couture used to be teammates at Team Quest. Henderson didn’t sound as though he appreciated the news.

I told Henderson that Rampage spent a few weeks training with Couture. “I guess you find out who your real friends are,” Henderson said.

Also, according to the article, Henderson said Sokoudjou will “probably” end up fighting for K-1 in September.

I asked Henderson about Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, a Team Quest fighter who has stormed onto the MMA scene with first-round KOs over Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira this year. Henderson said Sokoudjou will probably end up on the K-1 HERO’S card in September.

It’s a very good interview but there’s something that struck me as kind of strange. During the UFC 74 media conference call last week, Koscheck was very complementary towards Georges St. Pierre. It was almost as if he went out of his way not to say anything that the former welterweight champ could use as a way to motivate himself.

When asked about Diego Sanchez having staph infection going into their last fight, Koscheck somehow found a way to throw GSP under the bus in his response.

UFCmania: It was later revealed that he had a serious staph infection going into the fight. Is that an excuse or do you feel you beat the “real” Diego at 100 percent that night?

Josh Koscheck: Well, everyone always has excuses when they lose fights. Just look at Georges St. Pierre – he made all those retarded excuses about not training right and all of the other stuff when he lost to Matt Serra. If you lose it’s time to man-up, admit it and take responsibility for your loss. You didn’t win that day – too bad. Don’t make excuses about it.

Koscheck also commented on GSP’s recent revelation that he’s been seeing a sports psychologist.

UFCmania: What was the thinking behind the “no heart/weak chin” comment? Is that just fight hype or do you really believe that?

Josh Koscheck: If you need a sports psychologist you definitely have some loose screws. And I think that Georges doesn’t have the heart that he thinks he does. He relies a lot on his athletic ability to get him out of trouble and make up for what he lacks in terms of heart. I’m definitely going to test his heart. Don’t get me wrong, Georges St. Pierre is a nice guy, but fuck, I’m a nice guy, too. I want to whoop his ass. It’s business — this is my career and my livelihood on the line. I’m trying to hurt that fool.

Someone needs to tell Kos that if he’s going to talk this kind of smack, he should bust it out on the media conference calls. I wonder what he’ll have to say on the pre-fight vignettes they show during the UFC telecast?

You can read the entire Koscheck interview by clicking here.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE 8/18 EDITION OF INSIDE THE CAGE

Here are some of the key topics that were addressed during the show:

- Now that Wanderlei Silva is signed, what’s next for him?

- Who should Brandon Vera fight in his first match back?

- If Randy Couture loses, will UFC 74 be the last time we see him in the Octagon?

- Does Josh Koscheck have a shot at upsetting GSP?

- Does Kendall Grove vs. Patrick Cote belong on the main card?

- Whether or not Frank Mir’s match vs. Antoni Hardonk is a must-win situation for Mir

- Does Clay Guida have what it takes to upset Marcus Aurelio?

- And much, much more!

I wanted to address some of the comments that have been left on the old site. For those who feel I am making too much out of GSP’s body language and interaction with his corner during his fight with B.J. Penn last year between rounds one and two, perhaps I’m making too much of it. However, to those who are getting on my case claiming that I’m making too much out of the mental aspect of GSP’s game being a concern, what planet are you living on?

How can anyone make a serious argument that GSP’s mental approach isn’t an issue? Hey, if you think he will show the same toughness he’s shown in the past and that his effort against Matt Serra was an aberration, more power to you. You’re much more loyal of a GSP fan than I am and I can at least categorize your argument as being valid. But to say it’s not even a factor is completely ludicrous in light of the fact that he revealed during the UFC 74 conference call that he’s seeing a sports psychologist.

I’m not blasting GSP for seeing a sports psychologist. I think it’s a great move on his part and it shows that he takes MMA seriously and is willing to do whatever it takes. I have even more respect for him making the acknowledgment considering he exists in a sport that is about as macho as it comes. Telling fighters you go to a doctor to talk about feelings might be almost as risky as Tony Soprano letting it slip to his capos and soldiers that he sees a shrink. Most fighters are cool and won’t say anything publicly, but you know someone is going to be a dick at some point and take a pot shot at GSP. But I digress.

My point is this: most people don’t seek psychological counseling for shits and giggles. They usually don’t go unless they feel they have an issue of some sort that needs to be addressed. I have no idea if GSP started seeing a sports psychologist before or after the loss to Serra, but how can anyone say I’m making too much of the mental aspect of his game when apparently he feels it’s an issue as well?

I also asked Dana White during the UFC 74 conference call to clarify his previous statements about concerns over GSP’s mental approach. White didn’t recant and pretty much repeated what he had said previously. I asked GSP to respond to White’s comments and GSP really didn’t dispute anything Dana had said and stated that we wouldn’t be seeing the old Georges St. Pierre, but rather a brand new one.

For my original rant about why I think Koscheck will beat GSP, just click here. I also recommend you check out Luke Thomas’ response to my argument by clicking here.

Here’s a recap of some of the more newsworthy items that were discussed:

• Georges St. Pierre came off very well during the initial portion of the call. He said all the right things by giving Matt Serra his just due (just like he did immediately after UFC 69) and saying that we wouldn’t be seeing the old GSP vs. Koscheck next Saturday, but a brand new one. He even revealed that he’s been seeing a sports psychologist and that one thing he’s learned is that the best fighter doesn’t win a fight, the fighter who fights the best fight wins. I’ve been very critical of GSP in recent weeks but I have to give him a lot of credit for going to a sports psychologist. It shows he takes winning seriously and wants to fight to his full athletic potential. My only complaint is that towards the latter portion of the call the excuses (mental preparation, physical issues, and illnesses in his family) came out again. In defense of GSP, he was being asked followup questions and he was probably just trying to provide some detail. But he was a true sportsman at the start of the call and sounds determined. While I’m sticking to my prediction that Koscheck will beat him, I am preparing for a lot of “I told you so” e-mails and messages.

• Dana stated on the record that Brandon Vera has a new deal with the UFC. During a followup question he was asked about a possible first opponent and he said it would “probably” be Tim Sylvia. Nothing is official though and Sylvia has to deal with staph infection in addition to his recovery from back surgery. Stay tuned.

• White said that the UFC and Vera never had contract issues and that it was Vera and his old management that had the contract issues. He took a shot at EliteXC promoter Gary Shaw for making comments about Vera last year when there were reports that terms between UFC and Vera were icy.

• When asked about Andrei Arlovski’s status, Dana said “The Pitbull” would be fighting soon and that he didn’t know exactly when or against whom because there are so many matches that are being worked on right now. My thoughts are that if Vera is fighting Sylvia then why not Nogueira vs. Arlovski?

• What would a UFC conference call be without some talk about the HBO deal? Someone jokingly referenced Dana’s comments in the past that a deal with HBO would have been done in time to show a summer event. Dana laughed it off and said something to the effect of, “Well, now it will be signed in time for a winter event.” He still believes it will get done and even so far as went to guarantee it will get done before the year is out. When Dana was asked about why it’s taking so long he said that he’s probably the reason it’s taking so long. A question about what kind of events would be telecast on HBO was brought up. Dana backed off from previous stories that the UK broadcasts would be televised by HBO. While Dana said cards from Europe could possibly be televised on HBO, shows from the States will be telecast as well. He said the HBO cards will pretty much be just like the PPVs.

• Dana said he screwed up by having UFC 70 televised live. He said that UFC fans are used to watching UFC events on Saturday nights and showing the card in the afternoon wasn’t the way to go. As such, don’t expect the cards from Europe to be televised live.

• In regard to Wanderlei Silva, Dana would not confirm that he has signed with the UFC. He did say that he wants to sign Silva but it’s not a done deal and that he doesn’t want to talk about deals that aren’t done yet.

• Fedor was brought up but there wasn’t any new news. Dana once again said that if Fedor was signed he would be able to compete for the UFC heavyweight title right away.<p>

• Dana was asked about if he had any big announcements for the call or for UFC 74 planned. He said there are no big announcements planned unless something crazy happens.

• The dead horse that is known as the steroid issue was brought up (and I’m not blaming anyone for asking about it) and Dana got very animated repeating a lot of the same comments that appeared in Steve Sievert’s recent Houston Chronicle blog. Dana really believes that government testing is pretty stringent and that if the government tested NFL players on gameday the same way fighters are rested before a fight that there would be no more football. He said the existing penalties are harsh and that fighters who use steroids when they already know that there will be consequences are “morons.”

• Randy was asked about why he’s been able to stay successful when other legends like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock are no longer as efficient as they once were. Randy was uncomfortable with the comparisons but did say that one big difference is that he’s remained active and hasn’t subjected himself to prolonged periods where he was away from fighting.

• Koscheck was complementary towards St. Pierre but also confident. He didn’t really want to get too much into strategy so we’ll have to wait and see what he has planned for UFC 74. He was asked if he believes he can put GSP on his back and Koscheck basically said yes.

• It sounds like no decisions about the lightweight title will be made until after Sean Sherk has his hearing before the California State Athletic Commission in October.

• Dana did not rip the IFL. That’s big news. But I guess he didn’t rip them only because he was never asked.

“I had a lot of personal issues,” St. Pierre told The Canadian Press. “A lot of stuff was going wrong.”

There was illness in the family. But St. Pierre also says he lost his way.

“I forgot who I was, what was my No. 1 priority,” he said.

“I didn’t realize how lucky I was, to have this opportunity to be world champion,” he added. “Once I lost, I realized all that stuff and it made me regret a lot of things.”

I’m not as big of a fan of GSP as I used to be but still consider myself a fan. However, I don’t know how long I will be able to place myself in that category. If he in fact had personal problems leading up to that fight, I’m sorry to hear that and I sincerely hope everything is better.

However, I can’t help but refer to the interview he did right after his loss with sports station FAN 590 in Toronto in which he said he shouldn’t have fought Serra because he was injured. Was he referring to an emotional or physical injury? If it was a physical injury, I have an issue with him changing his story after the fact.

In general I have an issue with the comments because he came across two-faced in the 950 interview. Leading up to the fight we heard a lot about how the two respected each other only to see GSP turn around after the fight and try to steal Serra’s thunder.

He’s changed his management. He’s changed his camp. And now he might be changing stories. It just feels as this guy is making nothing but excuses and is pointing the finger in any direction he can. Why can’t he just man up and say, “Serra beat me straight up. I’ve learned a lot from the loss and will do everything I can to get the title back.”

GSP has the talent of a champion but hasn’t been carrying himself like one. I’d like to see less talk and more action.

You can read the full article from Davidson by clicking here.

I am picking Josh Koscheck to defeat Georges St. Pierre via second round TKO (ground and pound) at UFC 74.

There, I said it!

I want to clarify before I go into my dissertation that I’m not a pro-Koscheck guy or an anti-St. Pierre guy, I’m just giving my unbiased opinion.

Take it or leave it.

But wait a minute, how unbiased am I?

For a long time I was a huge GSP fan. No, strike that, I was a MARK for GSP. However, my enthusiasm has waned somewhat out of fear that he could be the Fredo Corleone of the UFC’s welterweight division.

Prior to UFC 69, UFC president Dana White went into Don West-mode (pre-TNA wrestling) and gave us the hard sell on GSP, proclaiming him one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I bought into it, and I know a lot of you did as well.

What happened in the months after UFC 69? White went from calling him one of the best in the world to publicly question his character! Dana didn’t hesitate to throw GSP under the bus, questioning his mental toughness while praising his athletic abilities.

Apparently GSP didn’t take Matt Serra lightly before the fight. In fact, he was a little bit nervous. A little bit? Well okay, maybe he was having a near-panic attack.

But you can’t bury GSP for an isolated incident. Fighting is a brutal sport and if you’re not running through a gamut of emotions then you’re probably a cyborg. The problem is that during his UFC 58 fight against B.J. Penn, he nearly quit on the stool after the first round. The announcers never really addressed it but after watching years of boxing it was clear as day that his corner had to talk him into going out and fighting. It’s a good thing they were able to convince him because we all know how the fight turned out.

So what if this is a trend and what if GSP doesn’t have the mental toughness needed to reach his full physical potential?

If he was nervous for Serra then don’t you think he might be scared shitless of Koscheck, a fighter who has an inane ability of making good fighters look bad?

GSP is a good wrestler with good submissions but his greatest strength is his striking. The concern is that Koscheck is essentially the old New Jersey Devils of the UFC.

The Devils utilized the trap as a way to neutralize an opposing team’s skating ability and bring their offense to a screeching halt. The end result was usually some very boring hockey. When Koscheck hits one of his shots and gets a fighter on their back, it’s the same idea.

The key in this fight won’t be whether Koscheck can execute a shot and take GSP down. The key will be how much his ground and pound has improved. Once he gets GSP on the ground he needs to get to work. Working submissions will be tough because Koscheck hasn’t been taking Jiu-Jitsu long enough to tap out an experienced grappler like GSP. But if he can throw strikes from inside the guard then it will help him break guard and move into the mount.

He’ll not only score points, but he’ll break St. Pierre.

From my limited experience in fighting, nothing is more demoralizing then having someone pounding your face with fists and elbows while you’re flat on your back. It’s a real helpless feeling and I’ve found myself actually wanting to call timeout when I’ve been in that situation. I mean, what can you do when your opponent is “making it rain?”

For GSP, the gameplan is simple: don’t let Koscheck take him down!

After technique, athleticism is the most essential part of having good takedown defense and GSP has athletic ability to spare. But Koscheck will be relentless in going for attempt after attempt. The tricky part is that his striking has improved enough that he can now set up his shots. GSP is going to have to keep things honest and that could open the door for Koscheck. One takedown might be all Koscheck needs if he’s been working on his elbows and fists from inside the guard.

If Koscheck doesn’t stay busy then he’s going to be wasting his time. Lay and pray isn’t going to get him a shot at the welterweight title.

Hell, it might not even be enough to get a decision.

If Koscheck doesn’t do any damage and GSP is able to provide some highlight reel strikes, he might get the benefit of the doubt from the judges. The crowd will also no doubt be behind GSP and that could also sway the judges (i.e. Cecil Peoples).

There are a lot of things that could go right for GSP in this fight but there are just so many things that could go wrong against Koscheck. And unless St. Pierre has been seeing a sports psychologist, Koscheck is the type of fighter whose style could prove frustrating and cause him to crack.

My belief is that Koscheck will hit at least one takedown and that will be GSP’s downfall.

Oh, and just for the record, I did not bet on GSP at UFC 69 so I’m not a disgruntled gambler. However, I do regret that I didn’t bet against him.

Looks like I have a second chance.