In this edition of Occupy The Throne, Samer Kadi and I look at the decision to give Nick Diaz a title shot and business vs. sport.

Jeremy Lambert: Last week the UFC once again reminded us that, like it or not, business comes first. Despite losing his last fight and being forced to sit out a year due to another failed drug test for marijuana, Nick Diaz will get the next crack at Georges St. Pierre and the welterweight title.

Meanwhile, Johny Hendricks, who has won four straight fights against some of the top welterweights in the sport, will have to fight again, against a very tough opponent in Jake Ellenberger and risk losing his title shot. Hendricks previously said that he would sit out and wait for his title shot, but money talks to all fighters and it clearly spoke to Hendricks.

It’s not like precedent wasn’t set earlier this year when Chael Sonnen “earned” a title shot by losing and then talking a lot, but it’s still unfortunate to see fighters work hard and win fights, only to be passed over because another guy is more recognizable and talks a big game.

Samer Kadi: The announcement of Georges St-Pierre’s upcoming title defense against Nick Diaz should only surprise those who are unfamiliar with the UFC’s history. It truly seems redundant to revisit the business vs. sport argument once again, and that only highlights Zuffa’s business-influenced match-making throughout the years. Four years ago, Brock Lesnar and his 1-1 UFC record were awarded a heavyweight title shot against one of the sport’s all-time greats. A year later, Youtube “sensation” and glorified street brawler Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson set foot inside the UFC Octagon, and despite an abysmal – but somehow winning – performance, he later competed on PPV.

By comparison, Nick Diaz getting a title shot on the heels of a loss to Carlos Condit and a failed drug test seems slightly more acceptable, though that hardly says much. Likewise, compared to Chael Sonnen’s title shot against Jon Jones in a division in which he’s never won a single fight inside the UFC, Diaz’s undeserved crack at St-Pierre could be given a pass. Doing so however, is merely indicative of the UFC’s previous match-making practices, and hardly makes sense of a highly questionable decision from a pure “sport’s perspective.”

The real justification, to the shock of no one, ultimately boils down to making money. To the UFC’s credit, they have, in the grand scheme of things, done a fine job of balancing business with sport. Deserving contenders generally receive their title shots at one point or another, despite occasionally being bypassed by more marketable fighters. Following another disappointing PPV year however, the UFC is intent on maximizing PPV buys in 2013. Hence the aforementioned title fights, and their growing fascination with super-fights.

Jeremy Lambert: The company’s fascination with super-fights actually makes me chuckle seeing as they’re likely never going to come to fruition. Following Manny Pacquiao’s loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Lorenzo Fertitta railed against boxing for not booking the big Floyd Mayweather vs Pacquiao when they had the chance. The UFC has the chance to book super-fights themselves, and even went as far as hyping Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva prior to UFC 154, but have yet to be able to make it happen.

With super-fights growing less likely, the UFC is forced to turn to the biggest fights they can make in the division. That’s why Nick Diaz and Chael Sonnen are getting undeserved title shots over the likes of Jonhy Hendricks and Dan Henderson. It’s also why Frankie Edgar is getting a title shot at featherweight despite two straight losses at lightweight. Granted the majority of fans thought he beat Ben Henderson in the rematch, but officially he’s lost back-to-back fights. Even though Edgar isn’t necessarily a draw, he’s more recognizable than Erik Koch or anyone else you can name at 145.

These fights might be more accepted if the head of the company didn’t change his tune every week on what fight he wants to book. Frankie Edgar needed to win a fight at 145 before getting a title shot, Chael Sonnen wouldn’t talk his way into a title fight, Nick Diaz can’t be trusted and needed to beat a top guy upon returning. It’s also possible that the champions are picking their challengers as they want to maximize their earning.

Those two points highlight that MMA is more business than sport. Figureheads and champions don’t get to pick the next opponent based on who can bring them each the most money and ratings in sports.

Samer Kadi: Any time a “business first” fight is announced, it is met with predictably mixed reactions. It seems like as fans, we can’t seem to make up our minds about what is the acceptable criteria for acceptable money fights.

For instance, BJ Penn’s baffling welterweight title shot in 2009 was met with great enthusiasm and very little criticism, despite two divisions being put on hold and the fact that the Hawaiian hadn’t done anything of note at welterweight in a while, and at that point, had yet to have a dominant lightweight title run. Conversely, Lesnar’s shot at Couture had people far more divided. The same can be said for Jones vs. Sonnen, which had some being up in arms about the match-making while others were drooling over the prospect of experiencing another two months of Chael Sonnen’s shtick. Meanwhile, Frankie Edgar’s bout with Jose Aldo was well-received due to the mouthwatering stylistic match-up – meritocracy be damned.

The fact is, circumstances vary on a fight-to-fight basis, and from one division to the other. At times, putting business first seems appropriate — Edgar and Aldo is a fitting example, as the featherweight division is yet to be fully established, and is in dire need of a high profile contest. When deserving contenders get neglected however, the situation becomes even more complicated. Light heavyweight contenders publicly expressed their displeasure at Sonnen’s title shot, while Johny Hendricks was equally vocal his criticism of the St-Pierre/Diaz fight announcement.

Unfortunate as it is, it might be time to accept that this is the way the UFC handles business. They will arbitrarily justify every iffy piece of match-making, and people will take sides accordingly. Some saw sense in Dana White’s reasoning behind Sonnen’s title shot, which referred back to the now infamous events leading up to the UFC 151 show that never was. Meanwhile, many, including Hendricks himself, pointed the finger at Georges St-Pierre for his role in Diaz’s title shot. While bringing up St-Pierre’s claims about the “integrity” of the sport is valid, it would be wise to keep in mind that as a fighter, his job is to win fights and make money.

If someone has to worry about the integrity of the sport, it should be St-Pierre’s employer. Unfortunately, they too, happen to be in the business of making money. Thus, questionable fights of different variety — from the embarrassment of Toney-Couture to the awesomeness of Aldo-Edgar — will continue to happen, for better or worse.

Jeremy Lambert: The concern a lot of fans seem to be having is that the UFC is slowly turning into boxing, where the stars get to pick their fights and the promoter is perfectly fine with this. While boxing isn’t as dead as some people like to claim, there’s no doubt that the sport is very limited in its appeal nowadays.

For right now, Dana White is getting away with allowing fighters to take bigger fights as fighters are turning on each other instead of him. Fighters like Johny Hendricks and Chris Weidman are calling Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva cowards for wanting bigger named opponents (which is extremely laughable) while making no mention of White actually making these fights happen when he’s the only one with the power to stop it. Granted it’s tough to blame Dana as he has to do what he can to keep his top draws happy while also making the most money possible.

Nick Diaz getting a title shot shouldn’t come as a surprise. And when another fighter loses but has a personality that surpasses his most recent outing, landing him a big fight, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The UFC is a business and they’re not making as much money being a sport.

Adam Tool joins the Man Cave to preview UFC on FOX 6 and talk general MMA news. We’ll look at the FOX card and give our thoughts on why Johnson vs. Dodson could kill the crowd, express our excitement for Cerrone vs. Pettis, and Adam raises an interesting question about whether or not the UFC will give Jackson a live mic if he’s victorious. Plus we’ll look at the UFC 156 card, talk about Johny Hendricks being passed over for a title shot, and discuss other news in the MMA world.

Man Cave Podcast – Episode 151

Samer Kadi joins the Man Cave to preview UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz. As with any GSP fight, you can expect top notch analysis and a lot of man love for his fellow Canadian, and this podcast is no exception. We’ll talk about the fight in detail and I’ll almost make a bold prediction before backing off. Then we’ll discuss the rest of the card, which isn’t very good besides the co-main event

Man Cave Podcast – Episode 169

My preview of UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz, which features two awesome fights and a bunch of other stuff.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz: Stylistically, this is a perfect fight for St. Pierre. Diaz is a volume striker with almost no defense, weak takedown defense, and an active grappler with no chance of submitting GSP. If GSP wants to stand with Diaz, he can likely outstrike him the same way Carlos Condit did, which is by using a lot of movement and frustrating Diaz with quick kicks and jabs. The guys who Diaz beats up on the feet are guys who stand in front of him and can’t handle his pace. GSP isn’t going to stand in front of him and he won’t allow him to establish his typical pace. And for some reason, if Diaz is able to get the better of the striking exchanges, GSP will change levels and have little trouble putting Diaz on his back. Even though Diaz has an active guard, it’s highly unlikely that he submits someone with the defensive knowledge of St. Pierre. In fact, Diaz’s active guard will just lead to St. Pierre briefly passing before Diaz regains full guard and the process is repeated. GSP won’t just lay on Diaz either, which is the popular opinion on what he seems to do, he’ll beat him up the same way he beat up Condit. He’ll use elbows, posture up and rain down punches, and possibly throw some knees to the body if given the chance. While Diaz isn’t in the head of St. Pierre, like I’m sure some will claim, it’s clear that GSP finds Diaz disrespectful and has a certain disdain for him, which puts Diaz in the Matt Serra and BJ Penn category. I’m not saying GSP will finish Diaz, but I do think he’ll put a beating on him. He won’t finish him though, maybe not for a lack of trying, but because Diaz is extremely durable and has cardio for days. I do think he’ll bust and cut Diaz up pretty badly though en route to a five round domination.

Prediction: St. Pierre, Decision

Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks: I’m not as high on Hendricks as a lot of people are, but there’s no denying his resumé. And if he catches Condit with either hand, he could definitely put him down and out. But Condit isn’t the same fighter that he used to be. He’s not going to get into a firefight with Hendricks, because that’s potentially a losing battle. I think he’ll get on his bike and keep Hendricks at bay with kicks, picking his shots when he needs to. Even though Hendricks has a ton of power, he doesn’t exactly set up things well, usually just moving forward and throwing. Condit isn’t above being hit though, and while his chin is good, he doesn’t want to eat a Hendricks left. Hendricks will be hyped as this amazing wrestler, and his amateur credentials speak from themselves, but it hasn’t translated to MMA. Condit doesn’t have great takedown defense, but if he does end up on his back, he does have great sweeps and is active with elbows. Don’t be shocked if Condit puts Hendricks on his back either. He has solid trips from the clinch, and as mentioned, his sweeps lead him to gaining a dominate position. And if Condit is on top, he’ll put a beating on Hendricks, who is rather defenseless on his back. The clinch will be an interesting position in this fight given Hendrick’s compact build and Condit’s lankiness. Condit might be able to do a lot of damage in the clinch with knees. In fact, I think Condit hurts Hendricks with a knee late in the fight, leading to a submission or stoppage by strikes victory.

Prediction: Condit, Submission, Round 3

Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquardt: This is a good fight that I just can’t seem to get excited for thanks in large part due to Marquardt’s terrible performance in the final Strikeforce fight. Even though I think Marquardt might be the better and more well-rounded fighter, I can’t feel confident in picking him given the number of eggs he’s laid over the course of his career. Ellenberger has heavy hands and is one of the better counter punchers in the division. Marquardt’s best asset is his aggressiveness, but if he gets aggressive against Ellenberger, he runs the risk of eating a big right hand. Ellenberger is the better wrestler, but Marquardt’s takedown defense is good and I don’t think Ellenberger will be able to get him down, which could lead to a lot of stalemate clinch situations. If Marquardt shows up to fight, he could definitely win with his aggressiveness, but I just can’t trust him right now. I don’t think this fight will be pretty, but I do think Ellenberger will do enough to have his hand raised.

Prediction: Ellenberger, Decision

Chris Camozzi vs. Nick Ring: It seemed like Ring had a good amount of talent, but then he got injured and still doesn’t seem fully recovered. Camozzi is just a guy who was cut a few years ago, returned, lost, but has since put together a decent little streak. I except this to be contested on the feet with both guys getting their licks in and no one giving a lick about them. I’m going with Camozzi just because I think he’s the more polished fighter and if he’s losing the striking battle, can potentially put Ring on his back.

Prediction: Camozzi, Decision

Mike Ricci vs. Colin Fletcher: It’s a battle of Ultimate Fighter losers. If that doesn’t get you excited then I don’t know what will. Fletcher is a good grappler with not much stand up and Ricci is just a guy who is only in this position because Rory MacDonald threatened UFC management. I think Ricci will be able to keep the fight standing and get the better of the minimal exchanges while we all wonder why exactly these two guys have a job in the UFC.

Prediction: Ricci, Decision

My review of UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz, which went about how everyone expected it to.

Georges St. Pierre def. Nick Diaz: This was 25 minutes of what everyone expected. GSP didn’t spend too much time sanding with Diaz, and when he did, he stayed out of range and used his jab and leg kicks. Whenever he really tried though, he was able to put Diaz on is back and maintain position for as long as he wanted to. Diaz’s only offense came in the third round when he landed a couple of nice punches that busted the nose of GSP. Otherwise this fight was all GSP, all the time. I can’t complain about the way things went, because they went how I thought they would, but take away the crowd loving GSP and hating Diaz, and this was one boring fight. GSP is great at what he does, but there is just no sense of killer instinct from him. He’s happy with playing a positional top game, landing ground and pound when he has a chance, and fighting on cruise control. I can’t fault him, because it obviously works and no one is able to stop it, but it’s still rather boring to watch. In fairness, Diaz is nearly impossible to finish, but it’s not like GSP going to a decision is a new thing. This has been his trend ever since he recaptured the title, and it likely won’t end anytime soon. GSP actually looked kind of sloppy in this fight and possibly lacking cardio. This is of course compared to the GSP I’m used to seeing and it obviously didn’t hurt his performance, thanks in large part to the fact that Diaz was the perfect style fight for him. He’ll face Johny Hendricks next, which is a good fight and definitely one that Hendricks has earned, but I get the feeling that we’re headed for another 25-minute decision. I don’t know where we’re headed with Diaz. He once again kind of retired after the fight, but we all know that’s a joke. Then he admitted to not paying taxes, so he might be headed to jail. You never know what you’re going to get with Diaz, which is why people either love him or hate him, but at least they have an opinion about him. I hope he fights again, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a rematch with Carlos Condit, but if he wants to compete in triathlons for the rest of his left, so be it.

Johny Hendricks def. Carlos Condit: I loved this fight because it was exactly what I had hoped with would be. Hendricks pressed forward and threw his bomb of a left hand while Condit, maybe not so smartly, stood and traded with him. Condit tried to use kicks, but Hendricks moves forward a lot quicker than I think Condit thought he did. And anytime Condit got aggressive, Hendricks quickly switched levels and got a takedown without much resistance. It was like this for the majority of the 15-minutes, except in the final frame when Hendricks started to tire and Condit really poured it on. Unfortunately for Condit, it was too little too late as Hendricks won the first two rounds with his power striking and multiple takedowns. Personally, I thought Condit won the fight. Hendricks landed some good shots early and maybe Condit was a bit rocked, but Condit always fired back with something significant. And Hendricks did get easy takedowns, but he never did anything with them. Either Condit got up without taking any damage or he was the busier fighter from the bottom with strikes. Hendricks took the decision though and now he’ll face Georges St. Pierre in a pretty interesting match-up giving his power and wrestling background. I still don’t think Hendricks can beat GSP, but he’s definitely earned the title shot and he does have a favorable skill set that’ll at least make people believe that he has a chance. It’s a shame that Condit is on a two fight losing streak, because he’s really starting to get over with the fans and both fights have been wars. When the UFC talks about guys “coming to war” Condit is the first name they should mention, because he’s never in a boring fight. If Nick Diaz decides to fight again, I think a Condit vs. Diaz rematch makes sense, although Rory MacDonald still wants the Condit rematch as well. The problem there is that MacDonald is still injured and I’m sure Condit would like to get back in the cage quickly and erase these last two losses.

Jake Ellenberger def. Nate Marquardt: The good thing about this fight is that there was actually a finish and we didn’t have to put up with Marquardt doing nothing for 15-minutes. He tried to throw leg kicks early, but Ellenberger eventually timed them and unloaded with a quick combo that put Marquardt down. A couple more punches on the ground and Marquardt was out according to everyone except Marquardt. Disappointing loss to Martin Kampmann aside, Ellenberger has been on a tear in the division and could earn a title shot with another victory. He could face Demain Maia next in a #1 contender’s fight, which is an interesting match-up given their styles and a fight I definitely would like to see. Marquardt continues to be an extremely baffling fighter. He has the talent, we’ve all seen that before, but he’s so inconsitent that it’s frustrating to watch. Or maybe he just is who he is. A good fighter who can beat a lot of guys, maybe beat some top guys if he’s having a good night, but for the most part is just in the middle of the pack.

Chris Camozzi def. Nick Ring: This fight sucked. Ring threw a bunch of kicks, Camozzi threw a bunch of punches and in the end Camozzi won because he did more damage and Ring got tired. Both fighters are average at best and for all the “promise” that Ring had, it’s quickly gone away with how bad he’s performed in the UFC. Decent win for Camozzi just because anytime you win on PPV and beat a guy in their home country it’s considered a decent win.

Mike Ricci def. Colin Fletcher: This fight really sucked. Fletcher can’t strike and couldn’t get Ricci to the ground so he was a punching bag the entire fight. But Ricci isn’t very good so he basically had a light sparring contest and easily won the decision. Both of these guys are terrible and I never want to see them fight again.

Samer Kadi joins the Man Cave to look back at UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz, which was a three fight card with two main events. We’ll talk about Nick Diaz being Nick Diaz and whether or not Georges St. Pierre is slipping. Plus we’ll discuss the awesome fight that was Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit and Jake Ellenberger’s performance before not talking about the rest of the card at all.

Man Cave Podcast – Episode 170

In this edition of Occupy The Throne, Samer Kadi and I discuss the potential Georges St. Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks fight.

Jeremy Lambert:The UFC welterweight picture seemed clear following UFC 154. Georges St. Pierre defeated Carlos Condit to retain his welterweight title and Johny Hendricks knocked out Martin Kampmann to lay claim to the #1 contendership. Then St. Pierre went to a dark place filled with nothing but action shots of guys rolling for knee bars and decided that he would rather put a beat down on a certain disrespectful grappler rather than grant Hendricks his rightful title shot.

After UFC 158, the title picture seems clear again. St. Pierre dominated Nick Diaz to “retire” the Stockton bad boy for a second time in just over year and Hendricks won a competitive decision against former interim Condit to further solidify his status as the top contender to the welterweight crown.

While Hendricks isn’t a name that excites a lot of casual fans and there is no convoluted hate between him and GSP, no one can deny what he’s accomplished in his last four bouts, three of which came on a big PPV stage with the other taking place on FOX. Hendricks has knocked off three former title contenders and long-time UFC mainstay to finally earn his shot at the greatest welterweight of all-time

Samer Kadi:In a year of quasi-desperate attempts to bolster PPV numbers with puzzling title shots, Johny Hendricks earning his the hard way is a breath of fresh air. After leaving Mike Pierce, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Martin Kampann and Carlos Condit in his wake, Hendricks has amassed an absolutely stunning winning streak in MMA’s toughest and most robust division.

Unfortunately, that is not the sort of thing that gets the buy-rates moving these days, as Hendricks’ incredible run cannot be used to falsely market an inexistent dark place for his opponent. Moreover, if Hendricks’ tame callout of the champion is any indicator, the pre-fight “hype” will hardly be too compelling for the casual viewer. There will be no back-and-forth bickering on media calls, no controversy due to missing media appearances, and no antagonizing trash talk.

However, with left handed power that would make even some heavyweights jealous, a highly respectable wrestling pedigree, and an ever improving overall MMA game, Johny Hendricks could well be Georges St-Pierre’s stylistically most interesting challenger in years. And ultimately, this should be far more appealing than the typical fabricated drama that ends up being predictably shot down and labeled as “nothing personal” as soon as the fight is over.

Jeremy Lambert:Even though there won’t be a lot of pre-fight trash talk, that won’t make the fight less interesting or the buyrate lower. Unlike Anderson Silva, who needs a compelling match-up to sell PPVs, GSP always draws on PPV thanks to his Canadian fanbase. Johny Hendricks could be as generic as Jake Shields and have the same chances of winning as Nick Diaz, and over 600,000 people would shell out $55 to see the welterweight champion do his thing once again. Luckily for everyone involved, Hendricks isn’t quite as monotonous and boring as Shields when speaking and definitely has a better chance at winning than Diaz.

Instead of Hendricks having to go to St. Pierre’s house with a ref so the three of them could watch hockey and drink wine, he’ll fight him in the octagon after putting together the most impressive welterweight run in quite some time. Hendricks was not only able to knock off five of the best welterweights in the world, he did so in a variety of ways and showed improvement in each fight.

Hendricks has one punch power, but unlike Dan Hardy, he also has the ability to stay on his feet or even potentially put St. Pierre down. On top of that, he works well in the clinch and could make GSP pay for any failed takedown, which now looks like a possibility following the champion’s struggles to put down Nick Diaz in the later rounds. Not since Thiago Alves, who also had the ability to put GSP away with one shot and remain on his feet for an extended period of time, has the welterweight king faced someone who isn’t stylistically favorable due to weak takedown defense, weak striking, or lack of improvement from the first bout.

Samer Kadi:When a fighter is this ridiculously dominant for so long, people will start hanging on to the merest hint of vulnerability, and playing up any potentially intriguing challenger.

Despite a typically decisive 50-45 victory over yet another elite contender, Georges St-Pierre’s performance against Nick Diaz was far from flawless. This is neither due to his inability to put Diaz away as realistically, there was very little chance he was ever going to, nor his failure to mount any overwhelming offense. In fact, Diaz was the last opponent St-Pierre was going to look great against due to his otherworldly chin and ability to defend himself off of his back.

However, there can be no denying that the Canadian did not look his usual dynamic self. Chalk it up to his knee surgery, the fact that he didn’t enjoy his usual break in between fights (this was his second bout in four months), or a result of him simply having an off night, the fact remains, St-Pierre did not look particularly impressive. For the good of MMA, and the sake of one of the absolute greatest fighters to ever grace the sport, let’s hope this is not the early signs of a small – but potentially costly – decline in which “Rush” loses some of his speed, athleticism, and trademark explosiveness, but rather an isolated outing that will have no bearing on the future.

And while it does seem harsh to nitpick a performance in which St-Pierre did not lose a single minute, there can be no overlooking the fact that he looked oddly tired as early as the third round – something that St-Pierre himself admitted to. Whether this is the early writings of a bigger narrative or simply fans and pundits blowing things out of proportion remains to be seen, but it is exactly the sort of rhetoric that would make a title defense against Johny Hendricks all the more interesting.

Jeremy Lambert:Throughout his history, GSP has dominated wrestlers. He’s either out-struck them at will or surprised them by putting them on their back where they’re almost clueless in defending. On paper, it seems like the same thing would happen when St. Pierre and Hendricks finally meet later this year, but given how well Hendricks has done against top competition and how pedestrian (by the standards we hold him to at least) the champion has looked in two of his last three bouts, there is a cloud of doubt surrounding this fight.

Part of that doubt comes from the fact that St. Pierre has been dominant for so long and some people are just ready for something new. When Karl Malone won the MVP trophy in 1997, it wasn’t because he had a better year than Michael Jordan, it was because Jordan already had four MVP trophies and people just wanted something new and different. It’s not to take anything away from Hendricks, it’s just that he’s a breath of fresh air in a division that has been occupied by the same three-four fighters over the past five plus years. So when St. Pierre decided to face Diaz instead of Hendricks, everyone said he was afraid of the bearded wrestler. And when the match-up became official after this past Saturday’s event, everyone believes that the Oklahoma State standout will have his way with the guy who hasn’t legitimately lost a round since the first Josh Koscheck fight.

Hendricks could very well knock St. Pierre back to UFC 69 and not many people would bat an eye. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves in saying that Hendricks is a nightmare match-up for a guy who has faced every single style of fighter over the course of his career.

Samer Kadi joins the Man Cave to talk about his favorite thing in the world: GEORGES ST. PIERRE! He’ll break down St. Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks in detail while I’ll simplify things, look at the super official UFC welterweight rankings and laugh, and then we’ll preview the rest of what is a good UFC card.

Man Cave Podcast – UFC 167 Preview

Samer Kadi joins the Man Cave to look back at UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks. We’ll talk about the fight in detail, whether or not GSP is retiring, Dana White’s childish reaction to the post-fight, the UFC’s lack of draws is GSP steps away, and plenty more. Plus we’ll look at the rest of the card including Rashad’s dominant win and “the perfect MMA fighter” losing.

Man Cave Podcast – UFC 167 Review

Samer Kadi joins the Man Cave to preview a UFC card that doesn’t suck. We’ll talk about Robbie Lawler getting a title shot in 2014, Johny Hendricks’ improvements, and praise Carlos Condit for being awesome. In fact, I add a HUGE stipulation to the Condit fight that will probably please most of you.

Man Cave Podcast – UFC 171 Preview