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ASK MMATORCH: Hansen and Penick answer reader questions on Vitor Belfort, UFC Fight Pass, BJJ, and Cyborg vs. Rousey
Jan 17, 2014 - 7:30:14 PM ASK MMATORCH: Hansen and Penick answer reader questions on Vitor Belfort, UFC Fight Pass, BJJ, and Cyborg vs. Rousey

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Welcome to another edition of "Ask MMATorch," where Torch Editor Jamie Penick and Torch Columnist Rich Hansen answer reader questions on the world of MMA. If you have a question you'd like addressed by either of them, make sure to send it in to askmmatorch@gmail.com. The more questions we receive, the more frequently we can run this feature!


David B. Writes: What would happen if Vitor Belfort doesn't get licensed to fight in Las Vegas? Do they move the fight to Brazil or get a new opponent? Can Chris Weidman refuse to fight him in Brazil? If Belfort were to win can he mandate that he only fight in Brazil?

MMATorch Columnist Rich Hansen Answers: There is zero (0) chance of Vitor not getting licensed in any state in the union. The only question is whether or not he'll be allowed to use testosterone replacement therapy in the lead up to the fight. Keith Kizer, the outgoing NSAC chief, indicated he wouldn't be able to use it, but now he's leaving that post.

Now, with that out of the way, I'm glad to answer the questions exactly as posed, as long as we realize it's purely hypothetical.

1.) If he doesn't get licensed, then Machida, Jacare, or Rockhold are getting a title shot. There's no way the UFC is going to take the PR hit of moving a title fight out of Vegas on a big money weekend to Brazil just to bend to the desires of a drug cheat who can't get a license to fight in the States.

2.) Weidman holds the belt and the leverage. He would be playing Russian Roulette if he refuses to fight Belfort in Brazil. More likely than not the UFC doesn't force him to fight a drug cheat in his own back yard, but it's not a guarantee, either. It would be a massive PR hit to the UFC to accede to Vitor Belfort's wishes.

3.) If Belfort wins the title, then he holds a lot of cards. That said, there's more money to be made fighting in the States than in Brazil, so more likely than not he'd agree to defend his title wherever and whenever the UFC mandates he do so. After all, he could tell himself that he won the title off the jungle juice, so he can defend it off the jungle juice as well. It's also possible that the UFC would be glad to let him fight in Brazil as Champion, maybe against Machida, Jacare, or a returning Anderson Silva.


Chris W. Writes: With all the talk from Dana White about UFC not being mainstream yet, is it really a good idea to put out yet another pay service like the Fight Pass? I'm a die hard fan so I'll pay, but I have countless friends that are not, they like to watch fights but they're not going to pay for a service. Shouldn't they be more focused on free fights to draw in new fans? After all the NFL doesn't put the Super Bowl on PPV even though they certainly could and make a ton of money.

MMATorch Editor Jamie Penick Answers: I think they're really doing both here. The pay service side of things with Fight Pass is kind of meant for the hardcore fan who will pay for access to their full library, want to see all of the international events, want to see the international Ultimate Fighter shows, etc. It's really not targeted at the casual fan, and I don't think they're expecting to necessarily nab those that wouldn't be interested in the first place.

On the other side of that coin, they're flooding the market with free shows this year. Even without the international events which will air on Fight Pass, they'll have more free cards between Fox, Fox Sports 1, and Fox Sports 2 than ever, with only 13 pay-per-view cards this year. There's going to be plenty in the way of free MMA for new fans to latch onto this year, so for those who don't want to pay anything extra, it's not a necessity.


Angel O. Writes: Hello, I'm about to be 27 years old and always wanted to do BJJ, am I too late to do it?

MMATorch Columnist Rich Hansen Answers: Absolutely not. Hit Google, find a gym near your place, and walk in. Watch a class, talk to the owner and instructors. If you're comfortable, take a class. Most gyms will give a free introductory class. If you aren't fully sold, talk to some of the students. Get cracking!


Joe Writes: Cyborg might be the only female MMA fighter who has the skills & size to legitimately challenge Ronda Rousey. What are the chances of seeing that matchup in the UFC?

MMATorch Columnist Rich Hansen Answers: As long as Cyborg thinks she's the biggest star in Women's MMA, it will never happen. She's being intransigent about dropping down to 135 pounds because she sees that as capitulating, showing weakness if you will, and since she thinks she's the best women's fighter in the sport, there's no reason in her head for her to do that.

Now with that said, I believe that she cannot safely make 135 pounds, so I'm about as interested in Cyborg vs. Rousey as I am in Barao vs. Fedor. I also don't think that Cyborg would beat Rousey more than 3 out of 10 times, which is admittedly a higher percentage than I would assign to any other fighter. Rousey, believe it or not, might actually be underrated as a fighter. Cyborg isn't going to KO her with one punch, and I think that Rousey is more likely to throw or trip Cyborg when the inevitable clinches occur than Cyborg is to KO Rousey before said trips occur. Add in the fact that Cyborg at 135 would be weaker and likely have cardio issues, it wouldn't be in Cyborg's best interest to take that fight. And Cyborg probably knows this, hence the reticence to attempt the drop. Sometimes it's better to be the big fish in the small pond than the chum in the Ocean.