MMA Top 10 Lightweights: Gilbert Melendez Makes His Case

by Michael David SmithGilbert Melendez thinks he's the best lightweight in mixed martial arts. Is he right? I don't think so, not yet. But I sure would love to find out.

The best thing about the UFC buying Strikeforce is that it means we'll eventually see the champions of the respective promotions fighting each other. For now the mantra is "business as usual," but we all know it's just a matter of time before we see the best of Strikeforce inside the Octagon. And there might not be a better fight out there than Melendez taking on the top of the UFC lightweight division.

It will probably be 2012 before we get to see that: UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar has to fight Gray Maynard in May, and the winner of that fight is expected to fight the winner of the June Anthony Pettis-Clay Guida bout after that. But it sure would be fun to see Melendez retiring the Strikeforce belt to his trophy case and fighting for the UFC gold.

Find out where I think Melendez stacks up in the lightweight division below.

 

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Boxing promoter Lou DiBella working on Nick Diaz vs. Sergio Martinez

Fernando Vargas is out, now Cesar Gracie says Nick Diaz and company are working on a boxing match with Jeff Lacy. But there may be a new wildcard in this effort to get the Strikeforce 170-pound champion a boxing match. The talk of a crossover fight has piqued the interest of boxing promoter Lou DiBella.

DiBella told Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole that response from MMA fans via email and Twitter about the possibility of a Sergio Martinez-Diaz fight has been overwhelming. DiBella has embarked on a fact-finding mission to see if he can really match his star middleweight champ against Diaz.

Why would a top three pound-for-pound boxer waste his time fighting someone like Diaz, with little professional boxing experience? Sadly, DiBella can't find Martinez (47-2, 26 KOs) a top-notch opponent or a network to take the fight. Martinez is coming off one-sided victories where he dismantled and finished Paul Williams and Serhiy Zdinziruk. While they are plenty of intriguing fights out there at 154 and 160 for Martinez, nothing has materialized. HBO turned down a Martinez-Sebastian Zbik fight in lieu of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. versus Zbik on June 4.

Diaz has long talked about wanting to box. He again complained about his MMA career during a postfight interview with HDNet following his victory over Paul Daley.

"They don't have anyone else for me to fight now. I'm better than all the guys they have," Diaz said. "The guys they have ranked above me, I'm sure they don't want to fight me. I don't see much of a future in this sport for me. I seriously don't."

Gracie told the network that Diaz wants to box, signed a deal to fight former world champion Fernando Vargas and was awaiting a response from Vargas' camp (0:35 mark). Now it looks like Vargas' comeback is in jeopardy because of undisclosed medical issues.

DiBella said he planned on reaching out to UFC president Dana White and Gracie to inquire about Diaz's ability to sign a boxing deal.

The television ideas for a possible Martinez-Diaz fight range anywhere from finding a spot on a cable television network to putting it on pay-per-view. Making the fight an eight-round exhibition is also a possibility.

As far as Diaz's MMA contract, Gracie said his fighter did not sign a special provisional deal with Zuffa. Gracie hasn't spoken to Strikeforce's Scott Coker about the topic.

"I don't even know how much in charge of things he is any more," Gracie said. "Ultimately, it's going to have to go through the UFC, so the only people to talk about it with would be them. What am I going to talk to Scott about? He doesn't own anything any more."

According to Gracie, Diaz's MMA contract has been "re-worked" and he's now free to box. Stay tuned on this one.

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Inside 87

Not only is issue #87 the missing link to all this face-paint business, it also contains all the normally scheduled rad content you expect each month. Step inside and have a look at some openers including Converse In Mexico, Danny Montoya's interview, éS In The Northeast, Truman Hooker's New Jack, Flip's Cali Tour, In Photos: Chris Pfanner, and the new, most-looked-at, The Heated Wheel featuring Alan Losi.

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How Many Bids Were Made on Moto Morini Today?


Zero. Nada. None. That’s the number of offers made on Moto Morni and its facilities during today’s bankruptcy auction proceedings. The beleaguered Italian motorcycle manufacturer has had a rough time of things, since its closure hit the newswires back in December 2009. Several suitors have come to the company’s door, trying to woo it into acquisition. First it was Paolo Berlusconi, who came close to finalizing a purchase of Moto Morini, before the unionized labor ...

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His life is ‘a living hell’ so Nick Diaz is going to box Fernando Vargas?

This latest gem doesn't sound like Nick Diaz is "playing the game." as Dana White requested last year.

Outside the cage, that means the Strikeforce welterweight champ, has to show up for drug tests and fulfill some of his media responsibilities. Do that and there could be huge paydays awaiting him in the UFC. Oh, and one more thing ... don't sign boxing contracts.

The constantly displeased Diaz told HDNet there's no one for him to fight in Strikeforce and his life is a living hell. His trainer Cesar Gracie says the MMA star has signed a deal to fight former world champion boxer Fernando Vargas in September. Gracie says the Diaz camp is just waiting for Vargas, 33, to sign the contract.

Update - Camp Diaz says the Vargas fight is off:

"We were talking about Vargas, but the thing is, I just came under some information that Vargas apparently has some kind of medical issue where he's not able to pass the test any more, and he could be retiring," Gracie said. "Vargas was very interested, but unfortunately, if he can't pass the test, he can't pass the test."

Gracie says now Diaz wants to fight Jeff Lacy.

This is all an interesting development since Scott Coker has basically indicated Diaz can't box while under contract with Strikeforce.

Vargas claims he's making a comeback and told ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto in January that he had his weight down to 187 pounds. If his goal is to make a run at a world title again, why would Vargas risk his reputation by fighting someone from the MMA world? Who wants to bet this "dream" fight never comes off?

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Chael Sonnen still talking about everyone

Chael Sonnen has not had a good 2011. The former UFC middleweight contender was fined $10,000 and given two years probation on a money laundering charge. He was suspended by the UFC. In applying to the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a fight license after he failed a drug test in California, he ticked off Keith Kizer, the head of the NSAC, which puts his chance of getting a license in jeopardy.

Has all this humbled Sonnen? Convinced him to quiet down and quit talking trash? Not a chance. On Monday's MMA Hour on MMA Fighting, he didn't mince words.

"I called them up and said, 'Give me the worst guy you've got under contract,'" he said. "They said, 'Chael, Wanderlei [Silva] won't fight you.' I said, 'Alright. Give me the second worst guy you've got under contract?' They said, 'Chael, how many times do we have to tell you: [Mirko] Cro Cop's a heavyweight.' I said, 'Alright, is there anybody available? How about Bisping? Is his dance card open? And then they said that might be a possibility. So that's where we left off. But that's just not my focus. My focus is making things right with director Kizer."

Ah, there's the Chael we know and tolerate. Ripping people he can't possibly fight because of their fight obligations -- Silva is facing Chris Leben at UFC 132 -- or the fact that they outweigh Sonnen by at least 50 lbs.

Next, he rips light heavyweights for not calling out Jon Jones enough.

"The hot topic that everybody should be talking about is that he's been the champion for three weeks and not one coward at 205 has challenged him. Not one guy has called him out and said, 'I want to fight that guy.' If you're all scared of a 23-year-old kid, turn your gloves in, sign your pink slip and show yourself the door."

That ignores the fact that most of the top light heavyweights have a fight in front of them, or just completed one. Of the MMA Weekly Top 10 205 lbers, three (Machida, Bader and Jackson) have fights in the next three months. Jones and Rua just fought, Dan Henderson isn't in the UFC, Thiago Silva is suspended and Rashad Evans is already slated to fight Jones. That leaves Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who just lost to Phil Davis, or Forrest Griffin.

Fine, Chael. Why hasn't Griffin called out Jones? Perhaps it's because he knew that Evans was already going to fight Jones and a "call out" would be a waste of breath?

That's just Chael being Chael. But to put the rough start of 2011 behind him, Sonnen might consider how running his mouth got him into trouble with the NSAC. Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Maybe it's time for a change, Chael.

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Vyrus 986 M2 Gets Race Partnership from MIVV Exhaust


The Vyrus 986 M2 has to be one of the most gorgeous motorcycles we’ve ever seen grace our pages here at Asphalt & Rubber. It’s edgy and doesn’t conform to many of the elements we’d expect from a motorcycle design, and best of all Vyrus intends to race the hub-center steering bike (well maybe the fact you can buy one/build your own is the best thing of all). With the Moto2 World Championship perhaps out ...

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Crime victim uses submission hold, alleged burglar dies from injuries

Martial arts choke holds are no joke. We've talked about that repeatedly after watching television and radio hosts asking MMA fighters to slap on the holds for a photo opportunity. The rear-naked or guillotine choke is a potentially lethal move if not treated with care. Just ask Alex Montalvo, who's in the center of a firestorm in New Jersey.

Back in July of 2010, Montalvo fought off a burglar, slapped on a submission hold and left Douglas Uhler unconscious on the street. Uhler never fully recovered and died yesterday at 19 years old.

On July 31 at 3:39 a.m. in Bridgewater, N.J., Montalvo and his wife heard their car alarm go off. The 42-year-old ran to the street, identified two suspects and chased them to the next block.

With one punch, he knocked out Brian Johnston, 18. That's when Uhler emerged:

Uhler ran out from nearby bushes and shouted: "You want a piece of me, (expletive)?!"

Uhler jumped on Montalvo, who put him in a submission hold, Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano said. The move blocked the teen's oxygen flow, causing a brain injury, Soriano said.

Uhler was taken to Somerset Medical Center and later treated at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. He never fully recovered from the injuries:

A once-strapping high school football player, Uhler spent his days in bed or in a wheelchair. He had to be fed through a tube, according to court records. He was non-vocal and unable to walk, sit or roll. He also had poor head control. Uhler had been in and out of several hospitals, including the Children's Specialized Hospital and the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.

Back in December, a grand jury indicted Uhler and Johnston on third-degree burglary charges. Johnson pleaded guilty and is awaiting charges. The Uhler family wants Montalvo in a courtroom next, claiming he used excessive force to subdue their son.

"New Jersey law allows you to defend your physical self as well as your property," said Jenny Carroll, an associate professor at Seton Hall Law School. "You're allowed to kill people under certain circumstances, particularly self-defense. If I jump on you, you're allowed to do what is required to make me stop hurting you. But if I pause, you can't just start kicking me in the head."

Carroll said there are no clear-cut answers.

"Here's the trick in this case ? did the homeowner exceed the need to protect his property?" she said. "If the kids are still in the process of taking the homeowner's property, then he has a right to defend his property and to use force. The prosecutor must decide whether the homeowner used justifiable force, and whether it was reasonable.

"Even in the heat of passion, if you're trying to subdue someone, it isn't reasonable to kill them," Carroll said.

The response to the story on NJ.com has been heated.

PrivateCitizen:

Self Defense means you are in imminent danger. This man chased these teens down. They were running FROM him. This man needs to go to prison. He is not the hero vigilante some people here think he is!

The attempted theft did not directly lead to the confrontation, his chasing them down did. Any 12 men or women will know that difference.

drock:

So is it wrong to defend one's property? What if this kid got passed out in the sleeper hold and then later recovered and didn't die? The act of putting one in a sleeper hold that you find robbing your car in the middle of the night doesn't exactly seem punishable to me.......you can't punish based on result or consequence but should punish based on action. In my opinion he didnt' do anything wrong and most people would chase down any if they caught them red handed too.

Some commenters even pointed to the rise of MMA as a reason for this tragedy.

mgm8822:

With the new popularity of MMA, every punk who has taken a martial arts class and learned how to throw a punch or put someone in a choke hold thinks they have the right to kick anyone's ass for any reason. We have a lot of unstable people walking around nowadays who are trained in the use of lethal force.

The Uhler family said their son had plans of attending William Patterson University, where he was looking to study sports medicine.

MMA skills used to fight crime took center stage in the last few months when UFC champion Jon Jones and his trainers subdued a burglar in Paterson, N.J. in late March. In mid-February, MMA fan Joe Lozito helped police catch an alleged serial stabber on a New York City Subway.

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