Floyd Mayweather's comeback - double standards?

Last week it was announced that Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather will make his ring return this September against Victor Ortiz at a venue that is yet to be confirmed. For Mayweather 2011 is a much anticipated year for both himself and the fans with not only a ring return scheduled but also two court dates.

Mayweather is awaiting a hearing on domestic violence charges, for which he could be jailed for 34 years if found guilty, the date for which was postponed for a third time in April. With a hearing due on July 29 the verdict could throw a monumental spanner in the works of his proposed come back fight for Ortiz’s WBC welterweight strap.

Alongside felony charges following a domestic argument with his ex-girlfriend and two of their children Mayweather also faces misdemeanour harassment charges following accusations of the previous pound for pound king threatening two homeowner associations’ security guards outside his Las Vegas home.

Not only does the month of September have this welterweight collision but also a second court date for ‘Pretty Boy’. Mayweather will go up in front of the courts on misdemeanour battery charges stemming from allegations he poked a 21-year-old guard in the face during an argument over parking tickets in November.

Meanwhile, last month it was announced by the California State Athletic Commission that former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight challenger Chael Sonnen would be banned from competition in the state of California indefinitely. After a verdict of guilty was presented to Sonnen on money laundering charges in which he was forced to pay a $10,000 fine and his Real Estate trader’s licence removed for two years the CSAC initially revoked the Oregonian’s fighting license for six months.

With the six month ban served the CSAC then decided to look back at the ban following the emergence of knew evidence going on to rule the now indefinite ban that looks likely to end the mixed martial arts career of the exciting Sonnen.

Granted Sonnen has been found guilty of the crimes he committed and Mayweather is yet to be proven guilty but given his numerous impending court dates should he be granted a license to compete? The fact that I use the decision by the Californian State Athletic Commission is not to say that should the Mayweather fight be held in Las Vegas, Nevada he will not get a license but it has been the trend for Nevada to follow the advice and decision-making of the CSAC.

Before people cry “MMA is different to boxing” in terms of the way the licensing works, unfortunately it isn’t so that argument is redundant. The CSAC regulates professional boxing (for Mayweather), professional and amateur kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts (for Sonnen) therefore one would hope for consistency in their verdicts.

When the question of whether, should Mayweather get a license, it would be double standards on the part of the CSAC given there verdict on Sonnen was put to UFC supremo Dana White his response was emphatic.

“There’s a million percent a double standard being shown there, I’m not watching it closely, I know exactly what’s going to happen with these regulators who claim to be fair. Floyd Mayweather’s being going around sucker-punching everybody in the face, the threat to his wife and his kids. Watch what’s going to happen, how fast these regulators, I don’t care if its in Nevada, California or wherever it is, watch how fast they give Floyd Mayweather a license.”

Granted this whole scenario is pie in the sky and hypothetical, however should we not wait for the verdict of Mayweather’s various court dates to be presented before the ‘King of Pay-Per-View’ even contemplates a return to the ring?

Now there is no doubt in my mind that trial before September or no trail before September, verdict or no verdict Mayweather will be given a license by any athletic commission who is lucky enough to hold the fight, whether it be Dallas, Nevada or California and this screams of desperation on the part of boxing.

Boxing needs Floyd Mayweather, especially American boxing, fortunately fighters like Chael Sonnen will come and go and mixed martial arts and the UFC will continue its exponential growth but global interest in boxing from the casual outsider without Mayweather will wane. As a result Golden Boy and whoever is making this meeting with Victor Ortiz in September will do their damnedest to make it happen, double standards on the part of the now unemployed Chael Sonnen or not and it just isn’t fair.

The Count's time to shine

The UFC takes its brand of hard-hitting action to Australia with the ACER Arena playing host to UFC 127. The event sold out in minutes after going on public sale, making it the fastest selling UFC event in history.

The card is headlined by a welterweight showdown between Jon Fitch and B.J. Penn in what could be a changing of the guard when it comes to challengers to Georges St-Pierre's welterweight crown.

Significantly however for British Mixed Martial Arts it signals the opportunity for Clitheroe fighter Michael Bisping to stake his claim for a fight with middleweight supremo Anderson Silva. Standing in his way, UFC veteran Jorge Rivera.

At 38 Rivera may not be considered by non-UFC officianados as the most spritely of the organisations roster, we are however seeing a rejuvenated 'El Conquistador'.

Rivera disposed of middleweight contender Nate Quarry at UFC Fight Night 21 by TKO, landing 75% of his punches in what was dubbed by commentator Joe Rogan "the best performance of his career". It must be added that this victory came 11 months ago, are we to see elements of ring-rust from the veteran?

Bisping on the other hand finds himself far from exhibiting ring rust, his consistent activity has put him well and truly in the frame for a title tilt come the end of the year, should he make it three UFC wins in a row. 'The Count' comes off the back of Fight of the Night honours from UFC 120, an event that he himself headlined in a fight with Japan's Yoshihiro Akiyama.

In this fight a much improved Bisping was on display, the contest however not without a scare. The Brit rocked in the first round only to roar back after gaining his composure as he unleashed a flurry of combos to dominate his opponent. His notably improved boxing, added to his black belt Vale Tudo, allowed him to secure a unanimous decision from the judges, prompting murmurs of the possibility of a Silva showdown in the near future.

The build up to the fight at the 127 event has been just as compelling as the fight in the octagon is hoped to be with a bitter war of worlds developing.

Rivera has gone far enough as to post fake videos on YouTube of Bisping in which the American mocks the Clitheroe fighters accent and attitude towards mixed martial arts. This, prompting the Brit to brand his opponent 'a moron'. El Conquistador's tactics are ever more surprising given his unwillingness to do so in the past.

Regardless of what comes as a result of the fight for either party, Bisping in particular as he looks to mount a title challenge, there is no doubting that Rivera's actions have made the fight a matter of pride and respect.

In an interview with MMA Live 'The Count' stated that this was an oppurtunity to teach the American a lesson, claiming that: "he's underestimated me, as usual, people seem to do that".

He went on to say: "He's been very insulting to me as a fighter, and I take that seriously. I dedicate a lot of time and effort just like you do as a journalist [to interviewer]. . . . . . . . . I dedicate my life to this."

"Him and other people around him their making slanderous remarks and this and that, but you know I want to teach him a lesson, I want to win the fight, I want to get paid and get closer to a title shot but also I want to put him in his place and make an example of him."

It is fair to say that the pre-fight spat between the two fighters has made for a far more appealing fight than might otherwise have been the case when the card was published. One thing is for certain though, their is more than just money and the possibility of a title shot somewhere done the line at stake. This fight has been made personal.

UFC 127 Press Conference - Bisping Rivera Confrontation

UFC 127 is available on ESPN with coverage of the main card starting at 3am on the morning of Sunday the 27th GMT.