The Sunday Junkie: Aug. 4 edition

Saturday’s UFC 163 card in Rio de Janeiro saw Jose Aldo defend his featherweight title against Chan Sung Jung with relative ease – though “The Korean Zombie” certainly was a game opponent until separating his shoulder in the fourth round.

The Sunday Junkie, MMAjunkie.com’s weekly reader-feedback feature, got a lot of submissions about Aldo, as well as the co-main event upset of Lyoto Machida by Phil Davis. And there was plenty of reaction to Bellator’s first pay-per-view, featuring former UFC champs Quinton Jackson and Tito Ortiz.

But this week’s winner, Oskar Arnason, of Seltjarnarnes, Iceland, got a little creative and piled us into a time machine heading toward the future of MMA – or his vision of it, anyway.

For his winning entry, Arnason wins a free one-year subscription to “Fighters Only” magazine, the world’s leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.

Want to submit to next week’s edition of The Sunday Junkie? Scroll to the bottom of the page for instructions.

Also, as a reminder, please be sure to include your hometown and stick within the 150-word limit (and include your submission in the body of an email, not in an attachment). Many quality submissions this week didn’t meet those minimum guidelines and couldn’t be considered for publication.

(Pictured: Rory MacDonald)

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THE MEN OF TOMORROW

It’s the year 2017. We’re only days away from the year-end show UFC 244. On the card, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones takes on No. 1 challenger Daniel Cormier. The fight is a rematch of their light heavyweight battle in 2014 in which Jones won by split decison. On the undercard, welterweight champion Rory MacDonald takes on Erick Silva in a much-anticipated fight years in the making. Also on the card, former UFC champions Gilbert Melendez and Jose Aldo will meet to determine the next challenger for newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Michael Chandler who has gone 4-0 in the octagon since the UFC’s acquisition of Bellator. Next week, Sara McMann defends her women’s 145-pound belt against Cris Cyborg and Roy Nelson fights Mark Hunt once again in a rubber match. Here we go again.

Oskar Arnason
Seltjarnarnes, Iceland

UFC 163 PRELIMS OUTCLASSED THE MAIN CARD

To me, the UFC 163 main card started off weak from the beginning and the fights did nothing to change that opinion. In fact, Dana himself demonstrated his lack of being impressed with the PPV fights by giving all the fight-night awards to fighters on the prelims. And for good reason. UFC 163 for me will be remembered as the night that prelim fighters (again) showed more desire, skill and fierceness than the PPV fighters, and for that reason produced the more exciting fights.

Luke C. Payson
Norristown, Pa.

FOR GOOD OR ILL, TAKEDOWNS WIN DECISIONS

Agree or disagree, all judges scored the Davis/Machida fight based on the same criteria. By the end of the first two rounds, Phil Davis dictated where the fight took place via takedown and Machida couldn’t stop him. In the third round, Machida got Davis to the floor; that is probably why the round was awarded him.  In rounds where there is no clear domination of stand-up exchanges, takedowns make the difference with judges. Even when heavy strikes are landed, a takedown can steal the round. Aldo noticed how Machida lost. This may be why Aldo used an inside leg trip to put the Korean Zombie down at the end of round two. Aldo responded to one of Jung’s flying knees in the third by taking him down again. While Aldo’s corner warned him not to grapple, perhaps Aldo knew if the fight went to decision, takedowns would solidify victory.

Christopher Juarez
Frederick, Md.

MACHIDA LOSS COULD END JONES’ LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT RUN

Last night’s co-main event was anything but flashy, yet saw Machida landing most of the better shots and one nice flurry that most thought got him the win. Once again, though, we see the judges give it to the fighter who got the most takedowns even if they were in the last seconds of the rounds. With Machida’s loss sending him down the rankings yet again, one has to ask who is next for Jones if Gustafsson fails in his attempt. Davis doesn’t have the striking ability to handle Jones and Machida was the only fighter to really land anything significant against the champ. One more win for Jones could send him into the next chapter of his fighting career in the form of a move to heavyweight.

Christopher “BigMoose” Wills
Monroe, La.

WHAT’S CONSIDERED GOOD BEHAVIOR FOR THE FIGHTERS?

So after watching last night’s fight, I heard varying opinions on what’s good or appropriate for fighters to do. Machida was applauded during the second or third round for acknowledging that he may have inadvertently hit Davis low, Davis acknowledged he was OK and they kept fighting. During the next fight and main event, Aldo was applauded for having that “fighter instinct” and capitalizing on a clearly inured “Korean Zombie.” I agree with both in certain circumstances, but feel that more fighters while wanting to get that win could not truly find honor in their victories by capitalizing in those circumstances. 

Brad “Wushubarra89? Lentz 
Florissant, Mo.

HIPPO EATS BJJ WORLD CHAMP

Vinny Magalhaes, the current ADCC submission champion, took on 40-year-old Australian Anthony “The Hippo” Perosh at UFC 163. Going into the bout, Magalhaes the submission ace didn’t hold back, saying “Anthony Perosh sucks” as a fighter and that the BJJ black belt Perosh earned in Australia is comparable to a blue belt in Brazil. On top of that, he said he deserved to be cut from the UFC if he lost to Perosh. All the smack talk must have upset the MMA gods because Perosh dropped Magalhaes with a beautiful right cross to the jaw, finishing the the fight in 14 seconds with ground strikes. Perosh’s standup might not be the prettiest, but is definitely effective earning him the $50,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus and improving his UFC record to 4-4. Magalhaes, on the other hand, most likely earned a pink slip from the UFC.

Daniel Attard
Melbourne, Australia

DAVIS THE DRAGON SLAYER?

Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida brought us back to the old wrestler vs. striker situation seen multiple times in the octagon. Davis wanted to take Machida down and capitalize on his wrestling control and Machida wanted to stand and use his karate striking. The fight played out as expected. Machida used some textbook spiral takedown defense to control the majority of the fight, reminiscent of the defensive strategy of Mirko “Crocop” Filipovic in his PRIDE days. The unexpected part of the fight was the end result when Davis was awarded the unanimous decision, taking all three rounds. Davis tried to control the action, but he was outstruck with a barrage of counter punches at every attempt and got two takedowns with very little damage distributed. Machida summed up the fight when he asked what the rules were! But as Uncle Dana always says, “You can’t leave it in the hands of the judges.”

Harry Strut
Wakefield, England

BELLATOR/TNA CROSSOVER DEPRECIATING MMA AS A SPORT

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 finale was a total barnburner. A fight to go down in the ages as one of the greatest, not only was this fight spectacular in violence but it also is the match that burned UFC’s popularity. Some people are also aware that this fight was strategically placed after a WWE televised event to win over fans that were tuning in after the wrestling finished. Strategy paid off and the UFC began its metamorphosis into what it is today. Fast forward to the present and we have ourselves an established sport. But what happens when legendary, yet washed up, fighters go to other organizations that allow fake wrestling to take place for a quick buck? It makes our sport look like some type of semi-real quasi-entertainment rubbish. It takes away from something that we have tried so hard to establish as a legitimate sport.

James Watterson
Coogee Beach, Australia

JOURNALISM FIRST, STUPID ACCUSATIONS LATER

Despite the many excellent questions during the UFC 163 press conference, one bonehead from an MSN affiliate stole the show with his question in the form of a rant: “Lyoto (Machida), you clearly won that fight. Anyone who doesn’t think so doesn’t know anything about MMA.” You’d think that a journalist in his position would be smart enough to know that press conferences are for answering the questions on most UFC fans’ tongues. But instead, he had to whine there rather than complain over Twitter like most fans would. This “journalist” should take example from the other reporters at the presser and actually do his job – reporting. And next time you want to b—h about a (close) decision, please head onto some of the fine forums here on MMAjunkie.com.

“RB RJ”

CROUCHING DAVIS, FADING DRAGON

It saddened me to see Lyoto after the announcement of UFC 163's co-main event winner, but what are we to do with “The Dragon”? He carries only three wins in his past seven fights and has just been defeated (controversially) by the No. 8 guy in the division. Does he experiment with a drop to middleweight and make a stand for the exalted middleweight strap? Or does he continue to venture up the now somewhat opaque hierarchy that is the light heavyweight division? It’s also a question whether he still has the heart to continue in this demanding sport. Maybe some time off to plan his next step might be good for Machida. Unfortunately for him, time isn’t on his side as he reaches into his mid-30s with his career on the decline.

Jon Laurino
Vancouver, British Columbia 

JONES ZAPS LIFE FROM LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

There will be lots of talk about the judges’ decision of Davis over Machida. The talk should be about the quality of the fight. Machida flurried once or twice and spent the rest of his time circling or sprawling. Davis landed two takedowns, neither of which he capitalized on. A few years ago, it seemed every light heavyweight was a contender: Evans, Rampage, Machida, Shogun – anyone might be the next champ. Now, not only are none of those guys viable contenders, but they fight like they don’t want to be. Henderson vs. Machida? Should have been classic – it was a dud. Evans vs. Davis? A wrestling showdown, except they only circled and jabbed. Expect more light heavyweight fights to be duds, because the fighters don’t see Jones as a reward. The exception to this rule is Teixeira and Gustafsson, maybe. Jones needs to move up. Then we can all pretend the new champ is the best light heavyweight in the world and the fights will be exciting again.

Dusty Wallace
Elliston, Va.

UFC 163: CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED

UFC 163 is over and the Zuffa machine is shutting down for some rest before it begins to tackle the rest of its jam-packed August and September schedule. Including last night’s UFC 163, August and September will see the UFC put on a total of seven events. UFC 163 felt like a card that happened only because Zuffa owed fighters fights and had television contracts it needed to fulfill. Has Zuffa managed to make two highly trained athletes beating the piss out of each other mundane? It is starting to feel that way. How much of the UFC’s product do you rewatch for pleasure? We forget and move on from most of it. How much of it will be talked about in the years to come? Most of it feels like another Big Mac being sold at your local McDonald’s. Two men punching each other is now cable TV filler. 

J.R. 
San Diego

FALL FROM GREATNESS

It’s hard to believe it’s almost been a month since the upset by Chris Weidman of the pound-for-pound icon Anderson Silva. The reality remains a human walks into the cage, and any human can be defeated. There was a moment at the end of the third round of signs of fatigue from Jose Aldo. I strongly believe we underestimate what a loss by the dominant champs means and how unexpected the outcome is. The champions seem so untouchable that when an entire division is flipped upside down you seem to forget what it would mean for other divisions to go through the same. However at UFC 163 Jose Aldo put on a strong performance against Chan Sung Jung to defend his featherweight title. So for now the champ is still in the driver’s seat and controlling the landscape of the division he has ruled for years.

Albert Cavallaro
Long Island, N.Y.

AT WHAT POINT DOES EXPLOITING A WEAKNESS SHOW LACK OF CLASS?

After all the pundits were calling for a domination of Chan Sung Jung by reigning champ Jose Aldo, I was pleasantly surprised to see “The Korean Zombie” keeping the bout rather competitive. Yes, the champ did win the first three rounds, but not by much. As the fight progressed, it seemed Aldo was content to stall Jung against the cage instead of looking for the finish. What happened to the devastating leg kicks? Where were the brutal combinations? Call me unimpressed by Aldo’s rather tepid performance. After Jung separated his own shoulder throwing a punch, Aldo was suddenly in a fight impossible to lose. I felt my opinion of the champ fall even lower when in the post fight interview he admitted to targeting the injured shoulder. Legal? Sure, but in my view it shows a lack of class ill-befitting a UFC champion.

Matt Jackson

THANK GOODNESS FOR WOMEN IN THE UFC

UFC 163 was another great opportunity for the female fighters to not only showcase their pure talent and heart, but putting the marquee fighters on notice. Every time the ladies enter the cage, I get excited because the aggression and desire to finish their opponent outshines 90 percent or better of their male counterparts. If this trend continues, Dana White would have to be crazy not to open the 145-pound division to save more of these lackluster cards.

Aaron
Meridian, Idaho

BELLATOR’S BATTLE FOR ALVAREZ IS OFFICIALLY POINTLESS

Exciting fights? Check. Dominant champions in Curran, Chandler and Askren? Check. Names such as Rampage, Ortiz and King Mo, big enough to launch a pay-per-view? Check. So why should Bellator keep wasting both money and time on its disgruntled employee? If Alvarez wants to move on to the UFC, Rebney has enough security in his company that losing Alvarez will hardly affect it. And even if Alvarez wins the UFC title, Rebney can say that his fighters are on par with anyone, since Alvarez was defeated by Chandler. There is no reason to cause further unhappiness for anyone.

“Illegal19?
Beloit, Wis.

BELLATOR MMA, OR SPIKE/VIACOM MMA?

Bellator announced that its first pay-per-view will be Tito vs. Rampage. Let’s ignore the fact that Tito and Rampage are no longer elite fighters. Let’s ignore the fact that Rampage, while in the UFC, complained about how he is always being matched up against wrestlers and his first fight is against a wrestler. We can ignore all the valid reasons why this fight makes one scratch his head, but we cannot ignore what is going on here. Announcing a fight with two UFC fighters past their primes on TNA tells me one thing: Bjorn is no longer running Bellator. Bellator fell victim to corporate infrastructure and now non-MMA execs are not only making decisions, but also coming up with ideas that are completely opposite of what Bellator is about. It makes one wonder: Bellator MMA or Spike/Viacom MMA.

Bottles Belafonte
Miami

BELLATOR MAKING A FATAL MISTAKE

Rampage vs. Tito is a good entry to pay-per-view that Bellator might need, but I have a serious worry about the whole situation. A couple of days after the announcement, I see that Tito has joined Rampage at TNA. If this is how Bellator intends to attract MMA fighters to its roster, then this will create a link to pro wrestling that will cause the sport of MMA to suffer. Imagine the general public looking at fights like Silva vs. Weidman and saying, “Ah, sure. It’s just like WWE – it’s scripted.”  All the hard work from organizations to legitimize the sport will be thrown down the drain. Shame on you, Bellator.

Brian Sweeney
Clare, Ireland

A BELT FOR BELFORT

“The Phenom” has been nothing short of his name as of late – phenomenal. Boasting back-to-back head-kick knockouts, both earning “Knockout of the Night” honors and against top contenders, one could say Vitor should be fighting for UFC gold. A lot of attention has been misdirected toward his (permissible) TRT use, however he deserves much more credit for his performances. It takes skill to land a spinning heel kick, let alone a roundhouse, and flush to boot. With the current status of the middleweight division, it makes it hard for Belfort to open the doors he’s built. He should be given the chance to capitalize with the work he’s been doing. He’s been a staple and legend of MMA for too long and deserves his dues. With the Kennedy fight scrapped, he has a good chance to put together another critical win, possibly opposing Rashad Evans.

Joshua “Massacre” Morales
Coram, N.Y.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BELLATOR? FEDOR VS. COUTURE?

I thought Bellator didn’t want to make a business with the UFC’s castoffs? Now it’s going to do its first pay-per-view with two fighters who’ve never fought in the company before and are both coming off three straight loses in the UFC. This fight would be headlining a pay-per-view 10 years ago, not today. How about using fighters that have come up through the ranks to headline, like Ben Askren and Michael Chandler, who are both undefeated at 12-0 – perhaps even a superfight with these two? Then there’s Alexander Shlemenko, who’s 8-1 in Bellator and won 16 of his past 17 fights and is an exciting fighter to watch. I realize you want star power for your first pay-per-view, but this seems to go against what Bellator stands for. Let’s hope Fedor versus Couture isn’t its next pay-per-view.

Mike Blaze
Minneapolis

THE NEW, AND CONTRACT-RENEWED, Chael Sonnen

What I love about this “new” Chael Sonnen is how he gets to make demands when considering taking a fight. I’ll be the first to admit, Chael’s not the “best” fighter out there, but you’ve got to love this guy’s style. He steps in whenever there’s a need, he could easily be given an honorary doctorate in oratory from any university and he’s got character (and I don’t mean he’s a character, I mean he’s a man of substance). I think Vitor’s a tough fight for him though, and I think Chael knows it, too. That’s why he wants the title shot to be on the line. We know, Chael wants 12 pounds of gold and to be called the best for at least one night – and I think he deserves it. No matter the outcome, if this fight happens, it will be more interesting than the Kennedy vs. Belfort matchup.

Joshua Garriott
Westerville, Ohio

IN TIME, BEN ASKREN’S DOMINANCE WILL BE APPRECIATED

Good luck beating Ben Askren! To me, the difference between “Funky” and his peers – GSP, Jake Rosholt, Cormier, Hendricks, etc. – is that Askren will solely take your soul with his wrestling ALONE! There is no difference of a guy dominating with wrestling vs. a guy who dominates with his hands. Hopefully Ben Askren’s legacy will solely focus on his wrestling and how he used it to undermine his opponents. To me, there will never be a need for Askren to learn how to use a jab so long as he continues to evolve his wrestling game toward the elite mixed martial artist. It may take some time and convincing, but after Wednesday, vs. Andrey Koreshkov, Askren finally convinced me of his dominance for a long time to come in the Bellator welterweight division. The UFC may be a totally different monster. Use your common sense.

Todd “Turbo” Williams
Woodbridge

DANA, PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS

After every event, I anxiously await to see how much the fighters were paid. There are always surprises. This one was pretty shocking. Demetrious Johnson, the UFC flyweight champion, only made 58k for his successful title defense, which included a win bonus. There were fighters on the card that have never even fought for a title that made more than he did. I watched Dana White on TV hyping up the flyweights. My question is, if he’s so behind them why did Johnson get robbed? I’m not saying he’s anywhere close to Anderson Silva. But Anderson made 10 times what he did and got knocked out. Something is clearly wrong here. “Mighty Mouse” is a champion and deserves to be paid like a champion. Thanks MMA Junkie for all you do. 

Mike Knapek
Wading River, N.Y.

BEWARE OF THE SPIDER

While I, like the rest of the world was stunned when Chris Weidman upset Anderson Silva for the middleweight title. But look at it through Anderson’s eyes. He wakes up off the canvas to medical support. Staring dumbfounded to the crowd, and then to the ground. After a guy gets knocked out, I don’t pay attention to what he says next. He clearly was not all there, and let’s face it – that was a shock to all of us. With that said, I Imagine Silva will want to make a point. GSP has been in this moment, and Cain Velasquez has been in this moment as well. Both came back stronger and reclaimed their titles and made a point. This next fight will tell us if Anderson is the greatest and pound-for-pound king once again. I say beware of “The Spider”!

Marc Potts
North Ft. Myers, Fla.

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