Q & A with Caleb Smith 2

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Hi I�m Caleb Smith and let's get straight into my Q & A session :

Question 1 from Rick O Shea-I would like to hear your views on the 5 round non title main events?
I think that 5 Round Non Title Main Events are an excellent addition to MMA, think about the past when you've seen 3 round non title main events go to controversial decisions or just exciting wars that deserve the extra 2 rounds
For Example :- Shogun vs Henderson would have ended up 3 rounds without this addition and then it wouldn't have even contended for FOTY because it would have been a one way fight without the last 2 rounds were Shogun showed his warrior heart.
But there can be some down sides as well such as Bad stylistic matchups like a Wrestler vs Wrestler or Clinch Stalling Matchup that would go on extra long.
Another great reason for this new addition is the fact that it primes fighters for future title fights and it acts as a great test for their cardio.

Question 2 from Rick O Shea-Do you think that Zuffa are stripping any credibility Strikeforce had? Do you see it becoming a "WWE" situation?
Right don't get me wrong on this I don't like the way they're going about it , they are sitting on the edge right now but I think they should either restore credibility to Strikeforce by sending over some fighters such as Gray Maynard or Jon Fitch , People who won't get another shot at the UFC title anytime soon for various reasons.
Or they should just take the rest of the good UFC level talent ala Gilbert Melendez Jacare and Luke Rockhold, and make it a feeder league for the UFC with guys like Efrain Escudero and Charles Oliviera who seem to struggle at the top level of MMA
However the thing that annoys me most about the situation is the lack of Gilbert Melendez in the UFC , that's not a good business move for Dana and not a good move for fans either , he is losing out on the momentum that 2010/2011 brought for Melendez in leaving him to destroy Strikeforce crap and it means we as fans miss out on great fights like Edgar/Melendez BJ/Melendez etc.
To Answer your question yes I think it is a WWE Situation already , like with WWE and ECW they started by leaving the promotions separate , then they nit picked a few top tier popular guys (Hendo,Diaz,Shields). But they left some fighters to bleed the fans of any cash they desire to put into Strikeforce and they made a bad decision IMO. They could have used Strikeforce as a great feeder league to the Big Time and it would mean so much more when a guy like Alistair Overeem comes through strikeforce blasting away and then earns his way to the ufc rather than just making it by beating lower tier competition all their career then being gifted a TUF spot.

Question 3 from Marc Bradford-Would you rather have your arm broken by Frank Mir, your nose broken by Anderson Silva, or wailed on for three rounds by Nick Diaz?
Well.... Frank Mir broke Tim Sylvia's arm and made him cry... then broke Big Nog's arm and left him out for 6 months .. so I�d stay away from that if possible I guess.. Anderson Silva completely made a joke out of Forrest Griffin with what seemed like an effortless and powerless backpedalling jab so I wouldn't want to feel that power on my precious nose.. But Nick Diaz made THE PRODIGY , a legend of MMA look like an amateur and a joke with his 3 round barrage of punches , and that's no easy feet..
In all honesty I think I�d rather have my Arm Broken by Frank Mir , cause then I can say that I have "NO TAP BRAZILIAN WARRIOR HEART" .. well I can get Wanderlei to say it for me...

Question 4 from March Bradford-Will wrestling always be the most important(arguably) aspect of MMA or do you see the sport evolving in the future?
Great question , let me answer that firstly by making an example of a few prospects in MMA, Rory Macdonald, Jon Jones and Nate Diaz. The reason I�ve said that is because if you look at Rory Macdonald , he doesn't have a base, well he does but his base is MMA.. That's why I mentioned him , he is much more likely to be close to a title shot then a guy like Fitch would be because he doesn't rely on lay n pray and he's exciting.. Not that lay n pray isn't a worthwhile tactic , it clearly is but it's not one that's going to get you many fans and get a calling for you to be plugged into a title shot anytime soon. With a base of MMA Rory Macdonald is able to feel comfortable in every aspect of the game and have more ways to win every time he steps in the cage.
Then I mentioned Jon Jones , he has a base of wrestling that's extremely important to his dominant game, why? because he's so confident in his Takedown Defense that he can afford to throw wild spinning elbows and spinning kicks whenever he feels like it. He also has the ability to take the fight down whenever he wants and that is a great way to score points or to impose his will on strikers , A la Machida.
Lastly I mentioned Nate Diaz , who has been on a role of late with superb boxing and a great Jiu Jitsu base, he can use his boxing freely without having to worry too much about being on his back because of his Jiu Jitsu , but he has struggled more than once against good wrestlers because he lacks that wrestling aspect of MMA.
However the point I am getting at is that no I don't think wrestling is THE MOST important aspect of MMA , because I don't think there is one , I think that the sport is evolving as prospects like Rory Macdonald make their way to the big time but not all fighters without a wrestling base will struggle because it's not the only skill needed in MIXED martial arts.

Question 5 from pdpreuss21-Which one of the UFC champions will lose their title first and who will beat them?
I'm going to go bold on this and say that by the time your reading this it will have already happened and Chad Mendes will have Trollololololed Jose Aldo and Knocked him out at UFC 142 , I don't see him holding onto the belt for long but I see Aldo losing and moving up to Lightweight were he seems to be heading soon either way.
However if that doesn't happen I see it being either GSP or Dominick Cruz , depending on whether the Cruz/Faber matchup or the GSP/Diaz matchup happens sooner..
yes I just overlooked Carlos Condit , but seriously he isn't going to beat Diaz and Diaz will steamroll GSP.. whereas I think Faber should be 2-0 against Dominick Cruz right now based on how I scored their UFC 132 matchup.

Question 6 from Pdpreuss21-Will Silva troll sonnen again if he beats munoz?
Well if when you say troll you mean toy with him and kick his ass worse than he did against Yushin Okami then yes , if you mean get beat for 4.6 rounds only to catch a triangle in round 5 then no I don't see the Spider making that mistake again.

Question 7 from Pdpreuss21-Who has the best facial hair in MMA?
Hmm , well chest hair goes to ebersole but Facial hair? Johnny Hendricks , that beard is seriously scary man he looks like he could be a crazy madman bipolar hobo guy who will knock you out for cash .. oh wait ...

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