Twitter Mailbag: On Barao's dominance in obscurity, Ortiz's future, more

In this week’s Twitter Mailbag, a look ahead to UFC 173, a look back at Bellator 120. Plus wasn’t there something that the UFC president got mad about on Twitter this week? I don’t know. It’s all kind of hazy now.

To ask your own question (or rant about stories you didn’t read), hit me up at @BenFowlkesMMA.

* * * *

@benfowlkesMMA how much blame do we put on the ufc 4 champs like Barao being bad 2 market? Ufc specials, embedded episodes, eng lessons #tmb

—
Chris A. N. (@jokercymaos14) May 21, 2014

I don’t blame the UFC too much for that. As UFC President Dana White himself has said, “Some guys are just harder to promote,” and Renan Barao “doesn’t have the most explosive, dynamic personality.” (Sidenote: Weird, that sounds a lot like the point I was making in this column, which White took issue with – more on that later). I look around and see a bunch of people who agree that Barao is an awesome fighter. I also see a bunch of fans who aren’t really all that excited about him. The question is, why?

Part of it is that we still don’t know Barao very well. Or at least, we don’t feel like we do. The whole point of my column was that if Barao’s failure to connect with fans tells us anything, it’s that skill alone isn’t enough to make you a star in this sport. Maybe it should be, and maybe it would be in a more perfect world, but that’s not our reality. If it were, Barao would have Conor MacGregor’s hype, and MacGregor would still be an undercard guy trying to prove himself.

I don’t know what the UFC can really do about it. Reading his stats off a piece of paper and embellishing his record definitely won’t change things. I think what Barao needs is a challenger who can shoulder some of the promotional load for him, the same way Chael Sonnen did for Anderson Silva. Maybe Dominick Cruz could be that guy, if and when he’s healthy enough for it. Until then, Barao might just have to keep being the champ who puts on spectacular performances and is met with polite, tepid applause.

@benfowlkesMMA can we get your thoughts on Dana's response to your article yesterday. #tmb

—
J (@teamgDp) May 21, 2014

Initially, I was like this:

Then, as it became clear that White was trying to take me to task for a column he had not even attempted to read, I was like this:

Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I’m like this:

See, the thing about the Internet is that it asks very little of those who want to participate in the discussion. It doesn’t ask you to be reasonable or respectful. It doesn’t ask that you are smart or that you have a firm grasp on the written word. It doesn’t even ask you to understand what you’ve just read.

All it asks – and this is really the one rule for discussing articles online – is that you actually read it first. That’s it! That’s the only thing you have to do. That’s why my policy when dealing with Twitter pushback – and it goes for everyone, from the UFC president to the lowly troll with four followers (three of whom are porn bots) – is that if you didn’t read it, I don’t care what you have to say about it.

According to White, it’s not just my stories he doesn’t read. “I literally don’t read the Internet anymore,” he told MMASucka.com. “I used to go on all the time, but I’m just not into it anymore.  I’ve shut myself off from that whole world.”

Which, hey, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit jealous. Shutting yourself off from the Internet sounds like the first step toward better mental health. At the same time, MMA lives on the Internet. That’s where its fans are. If you ignore it, how do you know what your fans want? White has an answer for that: “Because I’m the biggest [expletive] fight fan there is.”

That about sums it up. White knows what you want because he knows what he wants. If you aren’t like him, you must be wrong. With a guy like that in charge, every media member with his or her own opinions is going to get a turn on the Dana White Wheel-o-Rage eventually.

@benfowlkesMMA If Dan Henderson lands a "Hail Mary Bomb" are they really going to let him in the cage with John Jones?

—
Patrick Doherty (@Mr_Doherty) May 21, 2014

Why not? Let’s not forget, Dan Henderson was already scheduled to fight Jon Jones once. He pulled out of that one with a knee injury, which somehow resulted in him losing his spot in line. If he can beat a guy like Daniel Cormier, whether it’s via Hail Mary H-Bomb or narrow decision effort, he probably deserves that crack at the title.

And make no mistake: That is what Henderson is after. We tend to view him as the tough old guy who is far past his prime but still puts on a show. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t see himself that way. As he told me last week for a story that will appear in Friday’s USA TODAY, “I’m not here only to entertain.” Hendo wants that belt, and you’re not going to convince him that he’s too old to have any realistic shot at it.

But how does he get past Cormier, who is younger, quicker and stronger, with a wrestling base that likely negates Henderson’s? According to Henderson, he has two things going for him. One is experience, which is the plus side of getting old. The other? “I feel like I also probably hit harder than he does,” Henderson said. We can call that right hand a Hail Mary if we want. To Hendo, it’s a tool that’s served him pretty well.

@benfowlkesMMA Do you think the UFC needs to have a HW TUF to produce more contenders? #TMB

—
International Texan (@lynn_lruss1980) May 21, 2014

I think the UFC would have a difficult time finding enough heavyweights to fill out a “TUF” season at this point. If it did the thing where everyone had to fight their way into the house, forget it. There just aren’t that many good heavyweights who aren’t already signed. Unless the NFL goes out of business soon, don’t expect that to change.

@benfowlkesMMA how meaningless was Titos win?I know it was against the MW champ but he is small for a MW. And who should he fight next?

—
Richard Davis (@AceMcCluskey) May 21, 2014

I wouldn’t say it’s meaningless, but neither is it terribly meaningful. Yes, he had a considerable size advantage, but Tito Ortiz still won a fight most of us thought he’d lose, and he won it by putting Alexander Schlemenko to sleep. That counts for something, even if it’s a small something, and even if Ortiz reacted to the win like he was Muhammad Ali knocking out George Foreman in Zaire.

As for who Ortiz should fight next, Antonio McKee, who trains both Quinton Jackson and Bellator light heavyweight champ Emmanuel Newton, floated the idea of an Ortiz-Newton title fight. That makes no sense to me since Ortiz still hasn’t beaten a single light heavyweight in Bellator. He could rectify that by fighting someone like Muhammad Lawal, or even “Rampage” Jackson. I wouldn’t call either one a bout worthy of pay-per-view, but who knows? It might lead to something that is.

@benfowlkesMMA Is Faber vs Caceras a sign of a farewell tour for Urijah? This fight doesn't seem to make much sense...#tmb

—
Bobby Sullivan (@Sully_Style) May 21, 2014

I’m not mad at this pairing. Urijah Faber now finds himself in the same situation at bantamweight that he ran up against at featherweight. He’s good enough to beat most if not all of the contenders, but not good enough to beat the champ. You give him 10 more cracks at Barao, and he’ll lose 10 more times.

So what’s the UFC supposed to do with him? He’s still the most popular 135-pounder in the sport. Why not put him up against a young guy like Alex Caceres, who’s coming off a win in that great fight with Sergio Pettis back in January? If Caceres wins, he jumps up to the next level with a full head of steam. If he loses, Faber keeps on Faber-ing. And we’ll probably keep on watching.

@benfowlkesMMA Affliction Ts. In-crowd fights.Twitter gaffes. All Things that make u embarrassed 2 b an MMA fan. Wut makes u proud 2b a fan?

—
Matthew Thomas (@mthomf1) May 21, 2014

Crowds that cheer an escape from back mount and boo a quick standup. Men who think Arianny Celeste is just blocking their view. Women who would approach Georges St-Pierre in a nightclub only to tell him that he lost that fight with Johny Hendricks. Sincere post-fight hugs of the I-still-don’t-like-you-but-I-respect-you variety. Joseph Benavidez. That one guy in the crowd who shows up with a homemade “How’s taste my pee-pee-pee?” shirt. Brian Stann. This highlight video.

@benfowlkesMMA who is your pound-for-pound no1?

—
MMA JUNKEE (@MMAkee1000) May 21, 2014

I still think pound-for-pound debates are dumb, and mostly a contrived way to show some love to the smaller guys, but if you’re asking me who I think is the best MMA fighter in the world right now, regardless of weight class, I say Jon Jones. When that man fights, you feel like you’re sitting in on a piece of MMA history.

@benfowlkesMMA Matt Brown is an entertainer, a true man's man. But realistically what chance would he have against Hendricks?Would PPV sell?

—
Nate (@BurgersMMA) May 21, 2014

I feel like we’ve been saying this about Matt Brown for the past couple years. “Sure, he’s a tough guy, but how would he do against fighter X?” Then he fights fighter X and beats him up, and we praise his toughness, his gritty style, his heart, all while ignoring that he’s actually getting to be a pretty skilled fighter.

Can’t we just admit already that there’s more to him than toughness? I hope so. I don’t know how he’d do against someone like Hendricks, but I would not be at all upset about sitting down in front of the TV and finding out. I don’t think I’m alone there, either.

@benfowlkesMMA Who do you see Alvarez fighting, Brooks or Chandler? Will he leave Bellator for the UFC?

—
Morgan Waltz (@MorganWaltzUFC) May 21, 2014

If I were Eddie Alvarez, I’d fight Will Brooks. He’s the interim champ, thanks to that questionable decision win over Michael Chandler, so if you don’t fight him now, you leave him behind like a question mark on your record.

I get why a lot of people might prefer to see the trilogy fight with Chandler, but they did that twice already, and Alvarez is the one with the more recent win. It wouldn’t be a travesty to bolt for the UFC with a win over Brooks. After what we saw Brooks do against Chandler, however, such an outcome is by no means guaranteed.

@benfowlkesMMA who would win a bellator style tournament between the junkie staff? Which staff member would have the biggest contract woes?

—
GGooglyBoogly (@ggooglyboogly) May 21, 2014

Obviously I’d win, because I’m the one answering this question. But I envision my triumph as one of those tourney victories via default. John Morgan would miss his fight on account of getting stuck in one of the airports he practically lives in. Matt Erickson would blow the whole thing off in favor of a Pearl Jam concert. Steven Marrocco would get jumped by Mark Hunt and his boys in the parking lot (though he’d probably manage to get the whole encounter on tape, unbeknownst to Hunt). Mike Bohn wouldn’t even make it across the U.S.-Canada border due to outstanding parking tickets. The radio team would be too busy bickering about who to bet on. And Dann Stupp? Well, let’s just say he’d have to get his lawyer on the phone to explain why the results of his surprise drug test are “not relevant.”

Winner: Fowlkes. Cue the “USA!” chant. See you at my after-party in the vacant lot behind the pizza place. BYOB, suckas.

Ben Fowlkes is MMAjunkie and USA TODAY’s MMA columnist. Follow him on Twitter at @BenFowlkesMMA. Twitter Mailbag appears every Thursday on MMAjunkie.