***spoilers*** UFC News and Discussion Thread

[Benji]

The loss dosen't hurt Brock at all.

To me it actually probably helps him more than anything, he can learn from it, he doesn't now have what could potentially be seen as a 'lucky win' to put serious pressure on that may cause him more harm than good, he's shown he can handle himself and now all he's got to do is show that that minute or so of domination was the start of something good, there's no harm at all in losing one match, especially a debut against someone like Mir.

[Gabriel]

I love how Dana White has been railing against boxing for years, calling it crooked and corrupt and then he goes one of the sleaziest things that boxing does and name interim champions just for the monetary value of having championship fights.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

I love how Dana White has been railing against boxing for years, calling it crooked and corrupt and then he goes one of the sleaziest things that boxing does and name interim champions just for the monetary value of having championship fights.

In the case of the Heavyweight Title, Big Nog is the interim champion because Randy Couture wants out of the UFC, but they have a binding contract, and he still owes them two fights. They haven't given up on the idea of Randy fulfilling his contractual obligations yet, which is why Nog is the interim Champion, and Randy is still considered the World Champion.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

...and how is this any different than stripping Couture of the belt? They don't plan to make both belts permanent, so if they stripped Couture, the only difference would be that the fights for the interim belt would actually be for the real belt.

[Gabriel]

You don't go months on end without having your Champion around because it's not fair to the other guys. This Couture situation could last for a long time. Why even have a Heavyweight division if no one is going to get a shot at the title? Why wouldn't they just go fight elsewhere?

That's why you name interim champions.

[apsham]

...how is naming a temporary champion sleazy or corrupt? It's not like this was planned out or anything, White still has Randy for two more fights, so by god he's going to use him. Also, he has the title... he's still the champion and there's not going to be a real champion until he's beaten. This move seems more of something that the fans want, than what Dana wants.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

...how is naming a temporary champion sleazy or corrupt? It's not like this was planned out or anything, White still has Randy for two more fights, so by god he's going to use him. Also, he has the title... he's still the champion and there's not going to be a real champion until he's beaten. This move seems more of something that the fans want, than what Dana wants.

Edited February 5, 2008 by TheSqauredCircleMessiah

[apsham]

Because Randy is the best heavyweight in the world... he won the title. I think the point is... if it isn't him that loses the title, there isn't a REAL world champion, since he wasn't beat.

[Gabriel]

Randy wants to fight elsewhere (FEDOR). He has two fights left on his contract and he is the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion. Either he retires with the belt, and Big Nog's title becomes the undisputed championship... or Randy honors his contract and fights Big Nog.

Legally, those are his only two options. Either retire and never fight anywhere again unless he fights twice for the UFC... or just fulfill his contractual obligations. If his contract ends with him as Champion, then he can just relinquish the belt and leave, or work on a handshake deal, fight to fight until he loses the belt.

It's not like Randy's gone off to some other company and will never come back. Either he comes back, or he never fights again.

[Dingle]

Yes, and UFC are waiting for him to comeback. It ruins the the lineage of the title if hey were to just strip Randy of it, especially since he fought so hard to get it; Gonzaga whupped him and Randy beat him with one arm. Interim titles are simply temporary titles and besides, I would bet that Brock/Mir was the fight that the majority of people bought his PPV for, and even if they didn't it would be for NOG and not because he was fighting for the title; Sylvia was hardly going to be a draw for the PPV - and therefore the 'title match idea' isn't the draw.

As far as Brock does, he did everything he needed to. It doesn't matter that he tapped out because he didn't get beat down and he looked more dominating that the majority of heavyweights. With time, Brock could possibly run through the heavyweight division as long as he works on his ground defense because wriggling out of a kneebar isn't going to happen. I hoped Lesnar was going to win, but it's fine that he didn't and I hope next time he faces either Sylvia or Gonzaga and can win and climb the rankings really quickly.

[Thrilla]

Somebody get a memo to Frank Mir, he should now call himself Frank 'The Spoiler' Mir. Spoilt Tank Abbott's return, spoilt Tim Sylvia's 'big' title regin and now just spoilt Brock Lesnar's big money debut.

[Enter Blue Guy]

It would be awesome if some how Fedor ended up in the UFC and fought Mir first, only to have Mir heelhook him inside of 2 minutes.

[Big Red Fury]

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Before we jump into UFC 81, can you explain your background in the sport and how you became a referee for the Nevada State Athletic Commission?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: I've actually been into the sport since it was regulated by the state athletic commissions. I've been with the Nevada State Athletic Commission for 14 years first doing kickboxing and K-1 competitions and Muay Thai. I've always been an MMA fan, and when they came stateside, they told me to talk to Big John (McCarthy). He mentored me. Back then, he was the only teacher around... Like any martial artist, I've been watching the UFC since the first inception. I was totally amazed. As the skill level has improved, it's even more exciting. And today, it's more exciting than it's ever been. I'm really into the technical aspect of the sport and the science of it.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: You're now a veteran official, especially with the UFC. With a fight like Lesnar vs. Mir, can you tell me how and when you end up learning that you're reffing the fight?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: We don't usually find out until we actually show up at the event. Every once in a while, I'll catch which fights I'm doing on the Internet because you guys go to the commission meetings, but usually, I don't find out until I get to the show.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: So you're aware of sites like MMAjunkie.com?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI. Absolutely. I read it often. It's our job to do homework, and it's how I get the latest news and know what's going on.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: What were your initial thoughts when you realized you got the Lesnar-Mir fight? Do the big-magnitude fights bring a little extra pressure?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: Absolutely. When Big John left, he had been doing all the big fights, and I usually got a co-main event and the undercard fights. We'd divvy them up. When you're reffing those big fights, the ones that headline the events that people came to see, (the fans) are going to watch every little thing and analyze everything, just like the SuperBowl. A high-profile fight is going to have a lot more scrutiny and be more analyzed. That's for sure.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: OK, onto the fight. When we spoke earlier, you mentioned that the decision to deduct Lesnar one point for strikes to the back of Mir's head was pretty clear. Can you explain?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: These fighters are extremely skilled fighters, and a grappler like Frank, that's what they're trained to do: when you have a guy in half guard on top of you, you don't want to give the guy room to punch. So that was Mir's defense. You suck up close to (your opponent's) chest, tuck yourself up under them, and that covers you from getting hit. At first, Brock started to do the right thing by winding up with the hook from behind and pushing Mir's head away from his stomach. Then you can blast him in the face... but to have to worry about getting struck in the back in the head in a situation like that isn't something Frank should have had to worry about. But that was a target that presented itself to Brock.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Just to be clear, did you think the strikes were intentional?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: I don't think it was through any fault of his own. It was just there for him, so he started coming down with that hammerfist. But the back of the head is not a target you can take. And honestly, we see it all the time. A lot of people are comparing it to that the Tibau Gleison-Tyson Griffin fight earlier in the night. They were doing the exact same thing. Gleison took down Tyson, Tyson scooted up toward Gleison, and he had the opportunity to hit him (in the back of the head) but didn't take it. Instead, he moved his head out so he could get in some punches, which is what you're supposed to do.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Did you issue Lesnar a warning? That's a big part of this whole thing, you know? Some fans think you didn't issue a warning.

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: Yeah, I did. Brock's excited. It's a big, big opportunity for him, and -- in my opinion -- he looked down and saw the head there, and he took three shots at him and caught him. I jump in and say, "Don't hit at the back of the head." A few more seconds go by, Mir tucks up under there again, and Brock comes down with the second couple hits to the back of the head. That's when I jumped in and had to do my job. That's what I saw.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: So, just to be perfectly clear, you did issue Lesner a warning before you stopped the fight and deducted a point?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: Oh yeah, I did. But can you imagine the decibels in there? That was one of the fights everyone came to see. Of course, I came home and did my homework, watched the tape, and I can't hear myself give the warning. I couldn't hear myself say, "Bring it on!" on that beginning (either). [laughs] That's my thing. I always shout that. If you watch the tape, you can barely even hear that.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Do you think Lesnar heard you?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: I don't know. I can't say that he heard it. I yelled it loud enough for them to hear. It was awfully loud. I yelled it, though. I've got kids, so I know how to yell. [laughs] I used to be in a rock band, so I've got some lungs.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: I think that's where the controversy is -- if there is, indeed, any controversy -- that some people think you never issued a warning. But you're saying it's just a matter of people not hearing it, correct?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: Absolutely, yeah. Let me also say that striking to the back of the head is one of my pet peeves -- that and grabbing the cage. The back of the head is a very dangerous spot of the body in this sport. If you were to put a RAZR cellphone right above your C-spine where it connects to your skull, that's the most dangerous part of the skull. A good, strong hit there can really hurt a fighter. That's the part of the head that is considered illegal. Right behind the ears is not illegal. Sometimes we caution people not to hit there. That's not necessarily a warning... we just know the possibility is there. Like I said, I'm just there to look for illegal techniques. And if you go back through my history, you'll see that I've deducted a lot of points for strikes to the back of the head.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Obviously, it can be easy to accidentally hit someone in the back of the head unintentionally if an opponent if flailing around. Where do you draw the line?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: Accidental strikes happen. But when you look at the back of the guy's head and connect, it's, "OK, that might be cool. He didn't mean it." Then you hit twice, and it's time to start considering if you're doing it intentionally. Then the third one comes down, and that's when I jump in and say, "No strikes to the back of the head!" as loudly as I possibly can. Brock knows what he did. He has nothing to say about it being controversial. I don't think his corner protested at all about it. It's all left to interpretation. But was a foul committed? Yes, it was... If you look at the fight several times, unfortunately, the majority of the powerful shots were to the back of the head.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Previously, you told me that Mir did what he was supposed to do and that it's your job to make sure he's not penalized for that. Can you explain?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: He did what he was supposed to do under the rules he's training under -- that's to jump up under there. He was using a lot of skill in doing what he does. He shouldn't have had to worry about his head being hammerfisted. Unfortunately, that's what happened to him, and that forced Mir to do something he shouldn't have to, which is come out of the pocket. When he comes back out of the pocket, that allows Brock to use legal techniques... but he got there by illegal means.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: So, he loses his position? That's why you restarted them standing?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: Whenever a foul is committed -- whether it's considered intentional or unintentional -- we take the position away, especially if it's a dominant position. That's just the way it is and the way it's always been.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: At any point in the initial exchange, did you consider stopping the fight to award Lesnar the TKO victory? Mir was taking a lot of punishment even without the shots to the back of the head.

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: No, not all. To me, Frank was doing everything right. He was doing what he needed to. He was doing what he needed to for that position. If you watch a thousand Jiu-Jitsu guys in that position, a thousand guys would do what Frank did in that position. He could have kept the position if it weren't for the strikes to the back of the head. He knew what he was doing.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: After a tough call or controversial fight like that, do you immediately meet with the commission and Keith Kizer (the NSAC's executive director)?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: Absolutely. Keith is really good. We go over the scores and everything we saw and heard. I spoke about that whole fight. I explained to the judges and the commission and everyone else around there the whole fight. We're constantly learning. We have a little discussion after the fight, and I'm telling them everything I saw and heard.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Is this right after the fight -- or after the event?

STEVE MAZZAGATTI: After the event. Well, we have a quick meeting before the event too. Look, we're constantly learning and evolving and discussing different ways to make sure that the fighters get a fair shake. After that event, no matter how minor a point might be, we talk about it. That's how how we're going to improve.

[Gabriel]

Big John left?

I was wondering where he'd been...and now I want to forget that I know, because it's so sad.

[IAceI]

I had to stop reading after 25th variation of "did you give Brock a warning?"

I was wondering where Big John had gone too, sucks, he was awesome

[Dingle]

I didn't see any thread like this for tonight, so predictions and PBP would go in here I suppose.

1. Middleweight unification bout - UFC Middleweight Championship vs. PRIDE Welterweight Championship: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson

2. Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo

3. Evan Tanner vs. Yushin Okami

4. Josh Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett

5. Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden

6. Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien

7. Chris Leben vs. Alessio Sakara

8. Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson

9. Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson

10. Luke Cummo vs. Luigi Fioravanti

[Trey]

I know next to nothing about MMA, but the first match I ever watched was a Silva match, so I have a soft spot for the guy, here's hoping he pulls out a victory over what I hear could be his toughest opponent yet. How much do UFC charge for their PPVs?

[Enter Blue Guy]

I'm so excited to see Evan Tanner back. Okami was talking about how American fighters have no heart, he'll most likely change his mind after going at it with Tanner.

Honestly, I have a feeling this is going to be one of the more forgettable UFC cards. Aside from the main event of course, which is fucking huge.

Herring was one of my favorites when I started to get into Pride, so I'm always rooting for him. But Kongo seems to be the blackhole of excitement and is huge and fucking imposing as shit. Herring hasn't exactly set the world on fire this last few years either.

Dustin Hazelett went into the weigh in wearing a shirt saying he wasn't Jon Fitch and to stop asking if he was, which I found hilarious and makes me want to root for him over Kos even more.

Judge for yourself

Fitch

Dustin

Maybe not the best shots for comparision, but they do look quite similar. Plus, it's not a bad time to be Fitch.

In the "Baddest Man" thread, I stated how I think the main event fight will go down.

Anderson has never experienced wrestling like Hendo's, he hasn't experienced raw strength like his, nor has he fought somebody who is harder to finish than Hendo. Hendo's record isn't unblemished, but I'll be damned if he doesn't have the tools to be the perfect fighter, IMO. Dan's biggest downfall is he's been known to coast through fights, even when he is not winning, and has had a tendency to come in with a pretty one dimensional game plan, or at least it can sometimes look that way. He's been criticized for not trying to finish fights and let it go to the judges (I'm not saying it's his game plan by choice, but it often seems to go that way), earning him the nickname "Decision Dan". Of course nobody would say this to his face, but that's what fans and writers a like would call him.

Besides that, Dan is probably the most durable fighter out there, as well as being one of the most intelligent in dangerous situations. His wrestling is ridiculous. If Silva's plum clinch is most dangerous in MMA, Hendo's double underhook is every bit as effective as it. If Hendo can avoid the thai clinch, get double unders, he'll be able to ragdoll Silva to the mat and should be able to keep him there. Hendo's success is going to rely on what he can do from there, avoiding as much time on the feet as possible. Hendo does NOT want to stand with Silva.

Edited March 1, 2008 by Enter Blue Guy

[Docpepper]

1. Middleweight unification bout - UFC Middleweight Championship vs. PRIDE Welterweight Championship: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson- This should be a good contest but I think Silva has the slight edge.

2. Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo- Kongo has impressed me as of late where as Heath's first match in ufc was a dud in my eyes. So I"m siding with Kobngo on this one.

3. Evan Tanner vs. Yushin Okami- never been a fan of Tanner's and Okami is pretty good

4. Josh Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett - Not a fan of Koscheck but I feel he'll get the win.

5. Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden - My man Diego should get the win in this matchup.

6. Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien- Arlovski needs a win here to get him back on the path to the gold.

7. Chris Leben vs. Alessio Sakara

8. Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson

9. Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson

10. Luke Cummo vs. Luigi Fioravanti - Cummo impressed me in the Ultimate finale and I'd like to see him get the win here

[Gene Kiniski]

I didn't see any thread like this for tonight, so predictions and PBP would go in here I suppose.

1. Middleweight unification bout - UFC Middleweight Championship vs. PRIDE Welterweight Championship: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson

-I feel like Dana is trying to make PRIDE look bad by trying to burry the fighters, but at the same time I don't want to think he would do that to the sport. Either way, I feel like Hendo is going to pull the upset.

2. Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo

-Are the fights listed in order of appearance on card? I am wondering because I can recall just a few months ago that Herring was damn near opening a card. I will admit that I don't know too much about Kongo, so I am going for Herring who I am a fan of.

3. Evan Tanner vs. Yushin Okami

-Tanner needs the win too much to let it slip past.

4. Josh Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett

-Don't really care. I am not a fan of Koscheck and find him boring (one of the few fighters I can say that about).

5. Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden

-He always seems to get it when you don't expect it.

6. Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien

7. Chris Leben vs. Alessio Sakara

-I would pull for Lebel against anyone just because I am such a big fan. A VERY biased pick from me.

8. Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson

-Tough one, but I think Fitch will get this fight and then Wilson will pick up a win on the rebound.

9. Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson

10. Luke Cummo vs. Luigi Fioravanti