Mailbag: Talking Tanner, Liddell-Evans, and more

There were so many major topics that the mailbag is overflowing with questions and comments, but before I get to those, I feel compelled to call out the UFC for its lack of response to Evan Tanner's death.

As of 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, there was no official statement from the UFC on its Web site for its one-time middleweight champion, whose body was discovered in a mountainous area near San Diego after he went missing on a camping trip.

I contacted UFC president Dana White on Monday for a response and didn't receive an answer. Though UFC.com has a story by Thomas Gerbasi announcing Tanner's death, there is no comment in that story from anyone connected with the UFC.

When ex-light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was arrested in July, White was on a plane to Southern California within an hour of learning the news. UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta or White (or both) should have acknowledged Tanner's death with a statement on Monday. They look very bad for having seemingly ignored the tragedy.

Hopefully, the UFC will acknowledge his passing with an appropriate tribute at its next show. It's the least they could do.

With that, let's get on to your thoughts about Tanner as well as on many other hot topics in the mixed martial arts world. My answers are in italics.

GREAT MAN LOST

Evan Tanner died doing something he loved. It is such a shame, though, that a man who had just gotten his life back together lost that very life so soon. He was a great man and I wish he could be brought back. After all of his problems, he was able to make it back to the UFC and was a major inspiration to me. As a beginner MMA fighter, I will dedicate any kind of career I have to his memory and hope I can mimic his strength and spirit.

Aaron R.
British Columbia, Canada

Tanner had a unique ability to touch people, with his words and with his deeds. He was as interesting a person as I've met in 30 years of covering sports.

MAN OF DEPTH

Wow. I'm not really qualified to say much about Evan Tanner, considering I've only been a fan of the UFC for a few years, but after reading your well-versed words about the man, I felt moved by the need to say something to someone who better understood the man. Evan was this wild-looking man, his long hair streaming down, almost hiding his face, who was always moving forward in his fights. He was always very stoic in the octagon with pure determination written on his face. He was joyous in his wins and disappointed but gracious in defeat. It's nice to read of his depth, his outlook, his concerns about this life. It seems that he was not only very astute but he lived a part of his life in a manner befitting his erudition. It's a shame he's gone, whatever the circumstances.

Stephen Wilde
Fairfax, Calif.

Tanner understood as well as anyone that MMA is a sport and he had it in its proper perspective.

THANK YOU

No question here, Mr. Iole. I just wanted to thank you for honoring Evan Tanner's life in such a warm manner. You're dead right about him. I saw him in a very similar light and as an MMA student, avid reader and ronin, I found him admirable and relatable. Humble champions like him are few, and I feel lucky to have been touched by his spirit. Rest in peace, Evan. I'm sure you will find the ultimate adventure(s) in the hereafter.

Young
Seattle

Thanks, Young. It was hard not to have something nice to say about Evan Tanner.

SO LONG, EVAN

Evan Tanner was always an awesome fighter. He trained himself to fight the way he did and he used the best of what he knew. The best usually consisted of taking an opponent to the ground and then raining down elbows until the referee stopped the fight. It was a rather efficient strategy. It was his character that made me a fan. He was never one of those fighters who tried to make a big show of himself or of his opponent. He just went in to the octagon and fought. It just makes sense that he took on life the same way.

T.J. Hill
Portland, Ore.

He was a character who had great character, no doubt.

BE PREPARED

Your requiem for Tanner will be a requiem for his readers without education on why he died. There is no excuse for a "free spirit" to rely solely on equipment. That he ran out of gas seems to have been followed by inadequate water. A readily available personal locator Beacon would have helped, had he carried one and stayed put. Friends who wait 48 hours to alert authorities after cessation of communications are hardly responsible friends.

Chris Kavanaugh
Thousands Oaks, Calif.

Hopefully, news of Tanner's death will help prevent others from making the same mistakes he made in his final days and hours. I can only hope he didn't suffer greatly before he died and hope his death will serve as a warning to others.

WHY NOT MACHIDA?

Why do you think Lyoto Machida is continuously overlooked by the UFC for a title fight? Evans is only undefeated because of a controversial decision over Michael Bisping. Granted, he made a great accomplishment by beating Chuck Liddell, but Lyoto seems to have been waiting for a while now and holds more victories over big-name opponents like Tito Ortiz and even Rich Franklin. And then the UFC turns around and gives Brock Lesnar a title shot after only three fights? I realize the heavyweight division in the UFC is the most uneventful and has a smaller amount of talented fighters. But there seems to be lots of inconsistency in the matchmaking to me. I think plenty of people would like to see Lyoto get a shot. I can't be the only one who's noticed this.

Rob

I don't believe Machida has been wronged yet, Rob. Liddell won the title from Randy Couture at UFC 52 on April 16, 2005. He kept it until he lost to Jackson at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007. Jackson defended it successfully once, in a PRIDE vs. UFC title bout, against Dan Henderson, before losing to Forrest Griffin on July 5 at UFC 86. Who would you have suggested Machida jump in line ahead of? But given his accomplishments, I think he should be in line for a shot soon. I would bet Machida will fight the winner of Griffin-Evans sometime next year.

SO MANY LIGHT HEAVIES

Do you think Lyoto Machida will ever get a title shot? I still think he's one of the top light heavyweight contenders, but it looks like Dana White is just throwing fan favorites or his TUF fighters in positions to win the championship. I wish he would just set up a tournament. There are just too many good fighters in that division right now for there not to be a tournament.

Justin Kessler
Costa Mesa, Calif.

There won't be a single-day tournament, because neither White nor the state athletic commissions who regulate the sport in the U.S. care for them. But you will see sort of a de facto round robin. The significance of every fight in the division is going to be magnified now, with guys like Evans, Machida, Wanderlei Silva, Thiago Silva, Liddell, Jackson, Franklin and others in the mix. And don't forget that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva could choose to make a run at the light heavyweight belt, too.

BIASED FOR CHUCK

I understand that Chuck Liddell is the face of the UFC, but it astounds me how biased people are towards him. While Evans is undefeated with one draw and underrated, in my opinion, Liddell in losing still seems to garner much of the spotlight, even from your article. While Evans is not flashy like Liddell, he is a proven winner. What will Evans have to do to prove that he is relevant and deserving of some of the attention you so freely lavish on Liddell?

Lowell
Bolingbrook, Ill.

I don't think you're paying close enough attention, Lowell. Before UFC 88, I wrote a preview column focusing on Evans, not Liddell. Given that we had two columnists covering the fight, my colleague, Dave Meltzer, and I split the duties. He wrote his column about the implications of Evans' win while I wrote about Liddell's future. Clearly, Liddell is the most popular man in the sport and many of our readers wanted to know what was going to happen with him. But we provided both sides of the story.

BAD CALL

The recent Dong Hyun Kim decision over Matt Brown was the worst since the Bisping-Hamill fight at UFC 85 in London. I don't know what else to say. It was that bad.

Scott Simms
Millersport, Ohio

I disagree with you, Scott. I had it 29-28 for Kim, as did my colleagues Dave Meltzer and Dave Doyle. I gave Kim the first and third and Brown the second. At ringside, opinion was split at press row. White had it for Brown; UFC matchmaker Joe Silva had it for Kim. It wasn't an outrageous decision and wouldn't have been no matter who had won. It was a close fight and is worthy of a rematch.

LUCKY PUNCH

How could Rashad Evans be given a title shot after landing a lucky punch to Chuck Liddell? I mean, beating a superstar (but one not really in his prime) can move him up the light heavyweight ladder but come on, there are more deserving fighters out there. I think he should first have to face Lyoto Machida before even getting Forrest Griffin.

Marlon Mina
Manila, Philippines

I will disagree vehemently about that being a lucky punch. Evans and his striking coach, Mike Winkeljohn, noted Liddell's susceptibility to that punch on film and worked on it relentlessly in training. Winkeljohn predicted that Evans would win the fight that way, so there's no way it could be described as lucky. It was the product of hard work.

LESNAR CHOICE A JOKE

I had hoped that MMA would one day become a legitimate sport, especially now that real sports writers like yourself are covering it, but judging from this upcoming Brock Lesnar-Randy Couture bout in Las Vegas at UFC 91 on Nov. 15, I see that the UFC would like to steer it more along the way of being a WWE type of sports- entertainment instead of a real sport. I realize that you are an actual serious sports journalist, Kevin, so how does it feel now that you realize you're writing about a soap opera with athletes instead? I'm disgusted with this move by the UFC, because in no way does Lesnar deserve a title shot. This is all about money. And I'm really disappointed with Couture. I thought he cared more about this sport and the hard core fans, not about money. I guess I was wrong. It's a sad, dark day for MMA.

Brian
Commerce, Ga.

Brian, I'm going to disagree vehemently with you. First, whether the sports writers covering it are good, bad or indifferent has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the sport. And two, this is hardly a WWE move. True, Lesnar is getting the fight earlier than most because of his popularity. But he's an extremely accomplished amateur wrestler. He has terrific credentials as an amateur and was the NCAA heavyweight champion in 2001. He's looked good as a pro. While I would have thought he'd need a couple of more fights, I can understand why the bout was made and accept it as a legitimate match. Lesnar has a very real chance to win and claim the UFC title. As for Couture, he had little choice. He was losing his lawsuit and had to settle. He wants to fight ex-PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko, but Emelianenko is signed with another promoter. He had to fight someone who was signed with the UFC and took the option which will pay him best. Given the risks fighters take, can you blame him?