MMA Trending Topics – Q & A – Volume 7

The MMA world was rocked with the news that NSAC outright banned the usage of TRT. Within hours, the UFC and Brazil’s athletic commissions also followed suit. What does this all mean for the countless fighters that were using it? Most of the fighters that were taking TRT were in their 30’s and looking for an edge to keep them competitive. I say that with respect, but there is a reason that most athletes involved in contact sports start to see their performance decline with age. Guys like Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, and Vitor Belfort had their time in the spotlight. Right now, with the benefit of TRT, they have prolonged their careers. I wonder if Belfort wasn’t on TRT, would the outcomes of his fights with Bisping or Rockhold be any different. Those aforementioned fighters have to be bitter that their title contender status was taken from them by a fighter using a substance now deemed as a banned substance. I am glad TRT is banned. There were too many loopholes for users to abuse the system. This is only a small step in the right direction, but at least it’s something.

I realize the Ultimate Fighter was once a springboard for fighter popularity in the UFC. The TUF coaching rivalries did work for a time with Hughes vs. Serra, Evans vs. Rampage, and Penn vs. Pulver, but I have to disagree with the decision to name Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez as TUF 20 coaches. I realize Pettis is coming off an injury, and Melendez signed a new contract that demands he receives additional out of the cage opportunities. So, maybe the UFC had their hands tied, but it still seems as if the last thing the UFC needed was their Lightweight division to once again be tied up with delays. This goes all the way back to Frankie Edgar and his consecutive rematches with Penn, Maynard, and Henderson. The division is finally starting to get rolling again, and now they put an immediate stop to it with TUF 20.

Of course the whole post-fight melee was an act. Rampage and King Mo moonlight on a professional wrestling show. Part of their value as fighters are their ability to stir the pot and create controversy. Both of these guys have had their run-ins over the years with promoters, athletic commissions, and fellow fighters. They both know how to play the game of selling a fight. I fully expect them to milk it for all its worth and try to get as many eyes as possible to tune in to the upcoming Bellator PPV.

Manuwa is currently a +360 underdog against Gustafsson, which in reality is a much more favorable line than I was expecting. Manuwa has hardly proven himself against elite competition. He’s 3-0 in the UFC, but his wins are over Ryan Jimmo, Cyrille Diabate, and Kyle Kingsbury. Manuwa has one-punch KO power, but he’s also never been past the 2nd round. There are too many lingering questions about Manuwa’s legitimacy as a top-level fighter. For too many reasons, I think Manuwa should be more like a +550 underdog.

Junior dos Santos has taken his beatings from Cain Velasquez, and the MMA world now clearly knows who the better fighter is. Yet, for some reason, fans are dismissing Dos Santos as an elite fighter altogether due to those losses. Do fans realize that JDS has never lost to another fighter in the UFC besides Cain? JDS has dominated nearly every foe he’s faced in the cage. I don’t expect him to suffer a letdown to Stipe Miocic. Miocic is certainly on the rise after consecutive wins over Gonzaga and Nelson, but Gonzaga and Nelson are nowhere near JDS’ skill level. I’m having too many visions of Miocic getting stopped by Stefan Struve to truly believe in his ability to upset JDS. For that reason, I would feel fairly confident calling JDS a healthy favorite in this fight.

Photo credit: www.sherdog.com, Dave Mandel