Ahhh, the day after saturday night. Sunday morning (or afternoon, based on how much you've had to drink last night) has come and the card last night was somewhat entertaining, even if it wasn't really worth 60 dollars in HD.
In the main event, welterweight contenders BJ Penn and John Fitch fought to a majority draw. While the 3 judges scored it 29-28 for Fitch and 28-28 apiece (twice), I still believe that Penn did enough in the second round to eek out a slim decision.
In the first, Penn showed exactly how much training he spent in the gym with former rival Matt Hughes and he immeadiately went for a take down. He was able to get dominant position via a body triangle, and looked like he could get in a choke, but Fitch fought it off. The second round started out much of the same as the first, as Penn got a lot of good strikes inside in the clinch and was able to get Fitch's back and go for a choke, but Fitch spun it around and was able to use his weight to outgrind Penn until the end of the round. Fitch dominated the 3rd, securing a takedown early and grinding Penn with short elbows and hammer fists until the fight ended.
Afterward, Fitch thought he had done enough to win, while Penn was very desolate and thought he had lost the fight based on his performance in the 3rd. "I think I got some dominant position in the first and second rounds, but he kicked my butt in the third round," he said.
Next for Penn : a rematch with Fitch on a free Spike card.
Next for Fitch : a rematch with Penn on a free Spike card.
In the co-main event, Michael Bisping got Jorge Rivera to eat the words he talked via various videos on youtube with a second round TKO....though it wasn't without controversy. Midway through the first round following a scramble, Bisping clearly landed an illegal knee to Rivera's head (while he was on the ground), costing him a point and possibly the round. Rivera was never in it from that point, as aside from a right hand he landed on Bisping's chin got beat to the punch on every exchange, as Bisping finished him with strikes at 1:54 of round 2. Immediately afterward, Bisping gave us a display more tasteless than generic rice cakes, getting in Rivera's face telling him to "apologize" for his comments and spitting in the corner of his opponent.
Next for Bisping : I know this guy will call for a title shot. But he still has one more fight to go before that happens (even though it will be a cakewalk for Anderson Silva), and i suggest giving him the winner of Jorge Santiago and Brian Stann.
Next for Rivera : Perhaps Nate Marquardt, so he can pad his resume even further with names that have beaten him.
In the first of 2 main card fights I picked, hometown product George Sotiropoulos was defeated by Dennis Siver via unanimous decision. Puts the breaks on a potential title shot that Dana White was promising the Australian.
Next for Siver : Donald Cerrone.
Next for Sotiropoulos : Perhaps that fight with Canadian Marc Bocek doesn't seem so far fetched after all. Dear Mr. White and Mr. Silva, hope you're taking notes.
In the second, Brian Ebersole made every one of those 60+ fights on his resume count during his octagon debut, as he upset Chris Lytle by unanimous decision. So yeah, I went 0-3-1 for the four fights (MEH!) which drops my record this year to 6-7-1.
For some Canadian content, Calgarian and TUF season 11 veteran Nick Ring remained undefeated following a unanimous decision win over DEEP veteran Riki Fukuda. Look I'm all for Canadians going to represent, but what exactly were those judges thinking? Fukuda beat Ring to the punch on every exchange and secured takedown after takedown after takedown, although Ring's body locks were able to neutralize Fukuda's ground offense for the most part.
Questions? Comments? Agree or Disagree?
Get back to me, email me at mmarmaggedon@gmail.com.
Until next time, Fight fans!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
UFC 127 : Penn vs Fitch preview.
Well, its time for the UFC's second trip down under. This card sold out faster than Kimbo Slice's MMA career, and while i'm still trying to figure out why (well, its not that hard to figure out. They could have sold UFC 127 as a Kangaroo vs a Koala as a main event), The point is that its here and we're going to have a solid night at the fights. Now, onto my picks.
The main event will feature former welterweight and lightweight champ, BJ Penn take on perennial contender at 170, Jon Fitch. While people questioned BJ Penn's desire to continue on in his career (especially after his 2 consecutive losses to Frankie Edgar, the first of which resulted in the loss of his lightweight title), He turned heads with his 19 second KO of Matt Hughes in their 3rd encounter in Detroit as the co-main event of UFC 123 last November. His re-dedication to the craft has resulted in Penn bringing in the aformentioned Hughes to help him combat the positioning wrestling style of Fitch, who hasn't fought since he scored a unanimous decision win over Thiago Alves last August at UFC 117. For those who think Penn will be giving up too much weight to Fitch, Fitch has slimmed down do about 168 at the weigh-ins thanks to a new vegan diet he's been on. Penn has also brought in boxing trainer Freddie Roach to help him with his striking and stand up.
I can't see any chance Fitch will keep this fight standing. His "Lay N Pray" approach to the game heaps more scorn than praise from most fans, and while his run as a perennial contender is always without question, I think BJ will have enough tools in his arsenal to combat Fitch. Expect Penn to be deliberate, maintain composure on the ground after the takedown and look for the opening he needs to armbar Fitch late in round 2.
Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera - I am still scratching my head as to how this got co-main event status (yawn), but that is how the cards go. Bisping is probably a win away from getting his long anticipated title shot, while Rivera has about the most unimpressive 19-7 record in MMA history, as all his losses have come against quality names (Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin and everybody's favourite MMA criminal, Lee Murray to name a few). Rivera's video trash talk, in which he went after Bisping's British heritage amongst other things has certainly gotten under Bisping's skin. Bisping says he's going to shut up Rivera once and for all, but I think the trash talk will make him fall right into Rivera's hand as Rivera will bob and weave, use counter striking and come out victorious in a split decision. Yes folks, I'm going with the upset here.
George Sotiropoulos vs Dennis Siver - Well, well looks like the UFC's main meal ticket in Australia has to be on this card. Real shock there. Anyway, despite all of the talk about Sotiropoulos' pedigree, to his boring style, to his choice of fight attire, nobody can deny the man is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace. He'll need all of that when he takes on the Dangerous German Siver, who's a great striker, but who's skills on the ground are certainly lacking (though he certainly has a few submission wins, including his last time out against Andre Winner). Though I can't see Sotiropoulos losing at home. I'd still love to see Sotiropoulos fight Canadian Marc Bocek (Bocek even called him out, but ultimately will get Ben Henderson in his hometown in Toronto in April).
Sotiropoulos by 3rd round Submission.
Chris Lytle vs Brian Ebersole - I hear Ebersole is making his octagon debut, although he has over 60+ fights everywhere else (he was the opponent for perennial punching bag Stephan Bonnar's debut). Ebersole is also taking this fight on a very short notice. It doesn't bode well for him, as I see Lytle taking this by decision.
Well those are my picks. Questions? Comments? want to get back to me? hit me up at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Tune in next week where I'll have a full Bellator season 4 preview.
Until next time, Fight fans!
The main event will feature former welterweight and lightweight champ, BJ Penn take on perennial contender at 170, Jon Fitch. While people questioned BJ Penn's desire to continue on in his career (especially after his 2 consecutive losses to Frankie Edgar, the first of which resulted in the loss of his lightweight title), He turned heads with his 19 second KO of Matt Hughes in their 3rd encounter in Detroit as the co-main event of UFC 123 last November. His re-dedication to the craft has resulted in Penn bringing in the aformentioned Hughes to help him combat the positioning wrestling style of Fitch, who hasn't fought since he scored a unanimous decision win over Thiago Alves last August at UFC 117. For those who think Penn will be giving up too much weight to Fitch, Fitch has slimmed down do about 168 at the weigh-ins thanks to a new vegan diet he's been on. Penn has also brought in boxing trainer Freddie Roach to help him with his striking and stand up.
I can't see any chance Fitch will keep this fight standing. His "Lay N Pray" approach to the game heaps more scorn than praise from most fans, and while his run as a perennial contender is always without question, I think BJ will have enough tools in his arsenal to combat Fitch. Expect Penn to be deliberate, maintain composure on the ground after the takedown and look for the opening he needs to armbar Fitch late in round 2.
Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera - I am still scratching my head as to how this got co-main event status (yawn), but that is how the cards go. Bisping is probably a win away from getting his long anticipated title shot, while Rivera has about the most unimpressive 19-7 record in MMA history, as all his losses have come against quality names (Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin and everybody's favourite MMA criminal, Lee Murray to name a few). Rivera's video trash talk, in which he went after Bisping's British heritage amongst other things has certainly gotten under Bisping's skin. Bisping says he's going to shut up Rivera once and for all, but I think the trash talk will make him fall right into Rivera's hand as Rivera will bob and weave, use counter striking and come out victorious in a split decision. Yes folks, I'm going with the upset here.
George Sotiropoulos vs Dennis Siver - Well, well looks like the UFC's main meal ticket in Australia has to be on this card. Real shock there. Anyway, despite all of the talk about Sotiropoulos' pedigree, to his boring style, to his choice of fight attire, nobody can deny the man is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace. He'll need all of that when he takes on the Dangerous German Siver, who's a great striker, but who's skills on the ground are certainly lacking (though he certainly has a few submission wins, including his last time out against Andre Winner). Though I can't see Sotiropoulos losing at home. I'd still love to see Sotiropoulos fight Canadian Marc Bocek (Bocek even called him out, but ultimately will get Ben Henderson in his hometown in Toronto in April).
Sotiropoulos by 3rd round Submission.
Chris Lytle vs Brian Ebersole - I hear Ebersole is making his octagon debut, although he has over 60+ fights everywhere else (he was the opponent for perennial punching bag Stephan Bonnar's debut). Ebersole is also taking this fight on a very short notice. It doesn't bode well for him, as I see Lytle taking this by decision.
Well those are my picks. Questions? Comments? want to get back to me? hit me up at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Tune in next week where I'll have a full Bellator season 4 preview.
Until next time, Fight fans!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Huntington Beach Old Boy : Why doesn't Tito retire?
Hi guys, hope everybody (in Ontario and other places) enjoyed their long weekend. It was Family Day out here in a few provinces in Canada, and President's Day down in the US (Geez, it always seems there's a long weekend down there!). Anyway, let's get into what's really on everybody's mind :
-Tito Ortiz has been scrapped as a competitor in the UFC's first visit to the Pacific Northwest on March 24th in Seattle, Washington. ESPN.com/Sherdog was the first to report that "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has been forced to pull out of his fight with Antonio Rogerio Noguiera ("Lil Nog") due to a cut which required 22 stitches in training. Due to some matchmaking shuffling, Phil Davis, who was supposed to fight Matt Hammil (originally before he was moved to the UFC 130 main event against Rampage Jackson, who originally was supposed to fight Thiago Silva...but you all know the story there. Still following me?) then was supposed to fight Jason Brilz in Toronto at UFC 129, steps up to take his place. Vladimir Matyushenko will take Davis' spot against Brilz at the event at Rogers Centre.
Seriously, why is Tito prolonging his career? He's been winless in the octagon in 5 years (0-4-1 in his last 5 fights), that last win coming against a (then) 44 year old Ken Shamrock. His career has been on the slide for so long that the biggest story to come out involving him in recent years also involved his live-in girlfriend. He looked flat against Matt Hammil in his last bout and blamed it on training. Back in the days, when UFC was first getting mainstream exposure, people wanted to see him sell a fight...now, nobody wants to even watch him lose. Liddell, as prolonged as his retirement was, graciously stepped aside and decided enough was enough (it probably helped that Dana White was telling him he wasn't going to let him fight anymore). Why doesn't Dana be the bigger man and tell him its over? Is it worth getting his kicks to watch Tito piss away another fight?
Dana said his next fight was a "must win". Now we have to sit and wait to see if (or when) he gets taken out. Moving on :
-UFC 127 goes this weekend in Australia at Sydney's Acer Arena. Honestly, not looking forward to this card. The main event features the Lord of Lay 'N' Pray (Jon Fitch) taking on a man who clearly has more talent in his middle finger than Fitch does his entire body, BJ Penn. The problem is, that Penn relies on his talent a little too much. Dana White says whomever wins this deserves a "title shot" according to MMA Junkie. I see GSP going up in weight, and I see whomever wins this fight as the best Welterweight in the world (that includes Jake Shields!)
-Cain Velasquez seems to be keeping himself busy. Interviewing on MMAJunkie radio Monday, he said that despite the fact that he's abuzz (as is the rest of the MMA world) with excitement over the Strikeforce World Grand Prix its impossible to actually determine who is the #1 heavyweight in the world, because they all have to be under one banner for it to really be determined.
We won't know unless we get in the same organization," Velasquez told MMA Junkie Radio. "Who's to say that I'm No. 1 or they're No. 1 if we haven't fought yet?".
He also went onto say he was a little shocked by the loss of Fedor, and that he's always been an "undersized" heavyweight.
Hate to break it to Cain, but with these landmasses coming in, he's just as undersized as "The Last Emperor". Giving up 40 pounds to Lesnar blew your shoulder blade out, Cain. But you still won.
-Speaking of Fedor, it seems that I'm a little hypocritical. I really thought the man once the best in the world was officially done after his loss to "Bigfoot" Silva. Now according to several MMA media outlets, he's coming back. A report from ESPN.com/Sherdog said he "rushed his retirement too quickly" and that he's capable "of a few more fights".
Of course, these aren't actually Fedor speaking. These are "sources" close to Fedor (Read : Vladimir Finklestein's cronies). I hated Brett Favre for doing this to NFL fans 3 years in a row, and now if Fedor does this after every loss, i'm going to jump off his bandwagon I've been riding on for so many years. The report also goes onto say a fight between the loser of the 1st round match between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum in April seems likely.
Honestly, after seeing Bigfoot Silva pummel Fedor to the mat like he did, do i really want to see Overeem mount Fedor and drop him too? M-1 Global has tarnished this mans legacy; In 2008, I wanted to see him fight Randy Couture. Bad. To the point of pain. Now, all I want him to do is come back with a fury and show us why he was great for so long.
Well, that's my snide. Questions? Comments? Are you either Tito Ortiz or Vladimir Finklestein reading this and want to rip my head off? Get back to me mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, Fight Fans!
-Tito Ortiz has been scrapped as a competitor in the UFC's first visit to the Pacific Northwest on March 24th in Seattle, Washington. ESPN.com/Sherdog was the first to report that "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has been forced to pull out of his fight with Antonio Rogerio Noguiera ("Lil Nog") due to a cut which required 22 stitches in training. Due to some matchmaking shuffling, Phil Davis, who was supposed to fight Matt Hammil (originally before he was moved to the UFC 130 main event against Rampage Jackson, who originally was supposed to fight Thiago Silva...but you all know the story there. Still following me?) then was supposed to fight Jason Brilz in Toronto at UFC 129, steps up to take his place. Vladimir Matyushenko will take Davis' spot against Brilz at the event at Rogers Centre.
Seriously, why is Tito prolonging his career? He's been winless in the octagon in 5 years (0-4-1 in his last 5 fights), that last win coming against a (then) 44 year old Ken Shamrock. His career has been on the slide for so long that the biggest story to come out involving him in recent years also involved his live-in girlfriend. He looked flat against Matt Hammil in his last bout and blamed it on training. Back in the days, when UFC was first getting mainstream exposure, people wanted to see him sell a fight...now, nobody wants to even watch him lose. Liddell, as prolonged as his retirement was, graciously stepped aside and decided enough was enough (it probably helped that Dana White was telling him he wasn't going to let him fight anymore). Why doesn't Dana be the bigger man and tell him its over? Is it worth getting his kicks to watch Tito piss away another fight?
Dana said his next fight was a "must win". Now we have to sit and wait to see if (or when) he gets taken out. Moving on :
-UFC 127 goes this weekend in Australia at Sydney's Acer Arena. Honestly, not looking forward to this card. The main event features the Lord of Lay 'N' Pray (Jon Fitch) taking on a man who clearly has more talent in his middle finger than Fitch does his entire body, BJ Penn. The problem is, that Penn relies on his talent a little too much. Dana White says whomever wins this deserves a "title shot" according to MMA Junkie. I see GSP going up in weight, and I see whomever wins this fight as the best Welterweight in the world (that includes Jake Shields!)
-Cain Velasquez seems to be keeping himself busy. Interviewing on MMAJunkie radio Monday, he said that despite the fact that he's abuzz (as is the rest of the MMA world) with excitement over the Strikeforce World Grand Prix its impossible to actually determine who is the #1 heavyweight in the world, because they all have to be under one banner for it to really be determined.
We won't know unless we get in the same organization," Velasquez told MMA Junkie Radio. "Who's to say that I'm No. 1 or they're No. 1 if we haven't fought yet?".
He also went onto say he was a little shocked by the loss of Fedor, and that he's always been an "undersized" heavyweight.
Hate to break it to Cain, but with these landmasses coming in, he's just as undersized as "The Last Emperor". Giving up 40 pounds to Lesnar blew your shoulder blade out, Cain. But you still won.
-Speaking of Fedor, it seems that I'm a little hypocritical. I really thought the man once the best in the world was officially done after his loss to "Bigfoot" Silva. Now according to several MMA media outlets, he's coming back. A report from ESPN.com/Sherdog said he "rushed his retirement too quickly" and that he's capable "of a few more fights".
Of course, these aren't actually Fedor speaking. These are "sources" close to Fedor (Read : Vladimir Finklestein's cronies). I hated Brett Favre for doing this to NFL fans 3 years in a row, and now if Fedor does this after every loss, i'm going to jump off his bandwagon I've been riding on for so many years. The report also goes onto say a fight between the loser of the 1st round match between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum in April seems likely.
Honestly, after seeing Bigfoot Silva pummel Fedor to the mat like he did, do i really want to see Overeem mount Fedor and drop him too? M-1 Global has tarnished this mans legacy; In 2008, I wanted to see him fight Randy Couture. Bad. To the point of pain. Now, all I want him to do is come back with a fury and show us why he was great for so long.
Well, that's my snide. Questions? Comments? Are you either Tito Ortiz or Vladimir Finklestein reading this and want to rip my head off? Get back to me mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, Fight Fans!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday night at the fights.
So, Friday night was able to check out the doubleheader they had going on. The twin bill of the Strikeforce Challengers and Tachi Palace Fights in California were the events. While both cards were probably mediocre at best (The TPF featured a red mat in the cage and native entertainment. I know, its a indian reservation casino!) The 2 fights I was most interested in were entertaining nonetheless. Here's how they break down :
-Randy Couture's eldest son Ryan improved to 2-0 in the strikeforce cage following a 3rd round submission win. He had a few attempts on his opponents in the opening 10 minutes but finally was able to secure a rear naked choke with about 2 minutes left to force a tap. Kudos to him he seems like a chip off the old block.
-David Loiseau proved that if the cage isn't in the UFC, he can still be dangerous. While his fight for the middleweight tachi palace fights title was mostly a ground affair, he showed flashes of the old crow (including a flying knee attempt that landed him head first into the cage) and systematically beating down defending champion Leopoldo Serao, forcing a 5th round stoppage due to a deep cut on Serao's head. Loiseau improves to 20-10. Now if he could only get it together in the Octagon, that would be much better.
I'll be back to post a couple of entries into the blog this week and give you my thoughts on the upcoming UFC 127 card between Penn and Fitch as well as how I see Bellator's Season 4 tournaments breaking down.
Until next time, fight fans.
-Randy Couture's eldest son Ryan improved to 2-0 in the strikeforce cage following a 3rd round submission win. He had a few attempts on his opponents in the opening 10 minutes but finally was able to secure a rear naked choke with about 2 minutes left to force a tap. Kudos to him he seems like a chip off the old block.
-David Loiseau proved that if the cage isn't in the UFC, he can still be dangerous. While his fight for the middleweight tachi palace fights title was mostly a ground affair, he showed flashes of the old crow (including a flying knee attempt that landed him head first into the cage) and systematically beating down defending champion Leopoldo Serao, forcing a 5th round stoppage due to a deep cut on Serao's head. Loiseau improves to 20-10. Now if he could only get it together in the Octagon, that would be much better.
I'll be back to post a couple of entries into the blog this week and give you my thoughts on the upcoming UFC 127 card between Penn and Fitch as well as how I see Bellator's Season 4 tournaments breaking down.
Until next time, fight fans.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Stairway to Heaven : The Crow is back, but does anybody really care?
At UFC 126, during the fight between Jon Jones and Ryan Bader, Jones threw a flying kick at Bader midway through the first round. While impressive, I knew I had seen it before.
It was June 2005, and my devotion to MMA was just getting started. I had been watching Pride for a few years, mind you, but the UFC was still relatively new to me. At UFC 53, I seen a silky smooth Canadian Fighter try that same kick Jones threw, as well as escaping a early rear naked choke attempt and finishing off Charles McCarthy with a spinning roundhouse and a flying knee. I was on the edge of my chair and thought the performance was impressive. I had to find out who this dude was. Joe Rogan interviewed him and identified him as David Loiseau.
Immediately, I thought this guy was somebody who was destined for great things. Possessing speed, quickness, mental toughness and raw athleticism, I figured it was only a matter of time before this guy was on the top of the mountain.
When that title shot came at UFC 58 : USA vs Canada, I expected him to put up a good fight and possibly take the belt from then champion Rich "Ace" Franklin. Instead, I seen a one sided beating from Ace, as Loiseau was never in the fight and lost it by unanimous decision.
It seems that was a bad dream for Loiseau, who never woke up from it. Following that fight were 2 more losses to Mike Swick (and his subsequent release), and Joey Villasenor in EliteXC, Loiseau found some success on the regional circuits in Canada (going 3-1 in such places as Gatineau and Calgary, Alberta) only to come back to the UFC against Ed Herman...and subsquently not show up, as he lost by unanimous decision in UFC 97. Another win on the regional circuit brought him back to the UFC, only to see him get pummeled by Mario Miranda at UFC 115, which was Chuck Liddell's swansong.
Friday night, Loiseau makes his return to the regional circuit as he goes for the Middleweight title at "Tachi Palace Fights 8 : All or Nothing" in California, being streamed live in MMAJunkie staring at 8:30 pm EST. His fight coincides with the release of the documentary "The Striking Truth" (with Georges St. Pierre), set to debut in Toronto this month. The title of the card really defines what's on the line for Loiseau : Its really all or nothing.
Should he win, does the UFC make the call to bring him back? Even if that did happen, how good would he look in the Octagon? is it just Octagon jitters why he always seems to do well on the undercard, but fail on the big stage?
In an interview with MMAJunkie this week, he is calling for a "return to vintage days". He's only 31 years old, and I feel if he were able to figure it out, he may be able to return to the big leagues because everybody who's seen him fight back then knows he's got the tools to survive.
If not, I'll always remember that spinning back kick.
It was June 2005, and my devotion to MMA was just getting started. I had been watching Pride for a few years, mind you, but the UFC was still relatively new to me. At UFC 53, I seen a silky smooth Canadian Fighter try that same kick Jones threw, as well as escaping a early rear naked choke attempt and finishing off Charles McCarthy with a spinning roundhouse and a flying knee. I was on the edge of my chair and thought the performance was impressive. I had to find out who this dude was. Joe Rogan interviewed him and identified him as David Loiseau.
Immediately, I thought this guy was somebody who was destined for great things. Possessing speed, quickness, mental toughness and raw athleticism, I figured it was only a matter of time before this guy was on the top of the mountain.
When that title shot came at UFC 58 : USA vs Canada, I expected him to put up a good fight and possibly take the belt from then champion Rich "Ace" Franklin. Instead, I seen a one sided beating from Ace, as Loiseau was never in the fight and lost it by unanimous decision.
It seems that was a bad dream for Loiseau, who never woke up from it. Following that fight were 2 more losses to Mike Swick (and his subsequent release), and Joey Villasenor in EliteXC, Loiseau found some success on the regional circuits in Canada (going 3-1 in such places as Gatineau and Calgary, Alberta) only to come back to the UFC against Ed Herman...and subsquently not show up, as he lost by unanimous decision in UFC 97. Another win on the regional circuit brought him back to the UFC, only to see him get pummeled by Mario Miranda at UFC 115, which was Chuck Liddell's swansong.
Friday night, Loiseau makes his return to the regional circuit as he goes for the Middleweight title at "Tachi Palace Fights 8 : All or Nothing" in California, being streamed live in MMAJunkie staring at 8:30 pm EST. His fight coincides with the release of the documentary "The Striking Truth" (with Georges St. Pierre), set to debut in Toronto this month. The title of the card really defines what's on the line for Loiseau : Its really all or nothing.
Should he win, does the UFC make the call to bring him back? Even if that did happen, how good would he look in the Octagon? is it just Octagon jitters why he always seems to do well on the undercard, but fail on the big stage?
In an interview with MMAJunkie this week, he is calling for a "return to vintage days". He's only 31 years old, and I feel if he were able to figure it out, he may be able to return to the big leagues because everybody who's seen him fight back then knows he's got the tools to survive.
If not, I'll always remember that spinning back kick.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Crossroads : What is Fedor's Legacy?
Long before he entered the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, critics were dubious of Fedor Emelianenko's status as "the best heavyweight in the world". Following a loss to Fabricio Werdum, the majority of people believed that Fedor would simply walk through his first round opponent, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Instead of a return to his familiar form, we got an emphatic thud as Fedor spent a round lying on his back taking shot after shot from a bigger, stronger opponent. After the doctor stopped the fight due to his eyelid shutting, Fedor essentially said the loss was again (like he did after his loss to Werdum) "God's Will"
After the debacle Saturday night, It has been reported by numerous MMA media outlets that the former Pride champ is contemplating retirement (the irony is that his fight with Silva received a record 1.1 million viewers for Strikeforce, who wanted to either see a) the redemption and return of Fedor to form or b) to see him lose, though nobody thought he'd be that outclassed). Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and M-1 Global head Vladimir Finklestein were both quick to down play the comments, saying it was him getting caught up in emotion, though Finklestein was the first to say that the final decision would rest with "The Last Emperor"
So if he does indeed retire, what will his legacy be?
To find the answer, you have to look at the bigger picture here. Yes the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the biggest organization in the sport of MMA and has been since their acquisition of Pride Fighting Championships in 2007...but to look at the big picture, you have to go back to those days of the aforementioned Pride.
At the time when Fedor was dominant in Pride, the top 3 heavyweights (arguably) were Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, holding a combined 5 title reigns and 12-7 record in title fights (of course this was during the UFC 'dark ages' where sanctioning was difficult) from the years 2001-2007. In contrast, the top 3 fighters in the Pride organization at that time were (arguably) Mirko "Cro Cop" Flipovic, former UFC heavyweight champion Antonio "Minotauro" Rogerio Noguiera, and Fedor. Those 3 combined for 3 title reigns (2 for Noguiera, one for Fedor) with a combined record of 18-3 in title fights (12 of those were defenses by Fedor). In terms of heavyweight divisions, Pride was much better (title contenders in the UFC's heavyweight division featured Wesley "Cabbage" Corerria, plus the UFC's best heavyweights like Josh Barnett and Mark Coleman were lured away to Pride because there was no sanctioning and heftier salaries).
So in the years 2001-2007, there was no heavyweight better than Fedor Emelianenko.
Then M-1 entered the picture.
In M-1, the head of the organization, Vladimir Finklestein, was able to secure a deal to promote with Affliction clothing subsidary "Affliction Entertainment" and Billionaire real estate holder Donald Trump, who founded the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) and were able to lure fighers like Sylvia and Arlovski away from the UFC with promises that Pride had similarly made (heftier salaries). Fedor was able to handle them both; the fight that most people wanted however, was Fedor vs Randy Couture. Sadly, that would never happen.
In the meantime, after UFC bought Pride, Dana White was able to sign former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar, acquire former Pride mainstays Noguiera and Cro Cop, and assemble a crop of fine talent (Frank Mir, who had come back from a car wreck, Shane Carwin, Junior Dos Santos and the current UFC heavyweight champ, Cain Velasquez).
So when the opportunity came to sign with the UFC, M-1 spurned them and signed with their biggest rival, Strikeforce. Many fans wondered why. Finklestein said it had to do with "difficult negotiations", but UFC president Dana White bluntly had said "no" to co promotion. Finklestein didn't think the deal was for him, and promptly left.
That was the beginning of the end. Unfortunately, as his fight with Brett Rogers was won, Fedor's deficiencies in that fight can no longer be ignored (his submission attempts were sloppy, his KO was more like a EA Sports Haymaker) and while the legions of Fedor fans were jubulant in his victory, the rust was starting to show. Then came the debacles against Werdum, and Bigfoot Silva.
Sadly, the problem is that most people will remember those 2 defeats more than they'll ever remember Fedor's 32 victories. If he indeed does decide to retire, it will be more disheartening than anything else. I'm sure that Fedor doesn't have the heart to fight through adversity; His complacency in being "the best" makes the scenario of defeat more difficult for him. The fact is that he looked old, and clearly outclassed by a big man with some skill. His legacy will be one that all MMA practicioners should strive to achieve, as 28 consecutive wins is no easy task and the majority of fighters he fought were bigger than him in sheer size (at 6'0" and 230, he was an undersized heavyweight). But his 2 defeats should remind that anything could happen in this sport, and that nobody can stay at the top forever.
After the debacle Saturday night, It has been reported by numerous MMA media outlets that the former Pride champ is contemplating retirement (the irony is that his fight with Silva received a record 1.1 million viewers for Strikeforce, who wanted to either see a) the redemption and return of Fedor to form or b) to see him lose, though nobody thought he'd be that outclassed). Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and M-1 Global head Vladimir Finklestein were both quick to down play the comments, saying it was him getting caught up in emotion, though Finklestein was the first to say that the final decision would rest with "The Last Emperor"
So if he does indeed retire, what will his legacy be?
To find the answer, you have to look at the bigger picture here. Yes the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the biggest organization in the sport of MMA and has been since their acquisition of Pride Fighting Championships in 2007...but to look at the big picture, you have to go back to those days of the aforementioned Pride.
At the time when Fedor was dominant in Pride, the top 3 heavyweights (arguably) were Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, holding a combined 5 title reigns and 12-7 record in title fights (of course this was during the UFC 'dark ages' where sanctioning was difficult) from the years 2001-2007. In contrast, the top 3 fighters in the Pride organization at that time were (arguably) Mirko "Cro Cop" Flipovic, former UFC heavyweight champion Antonio "Minotauro" Rogerio Noguiera, and Fedor. Those 3 combined for 3 title reigns (2 for Noguiera, one for Fedor) with a combined record of 18-3 in title fights (12 of those were defenses by Fedor). In terms of heavyweight divisions, Pride was much better (title contenders in the UFC's heavyweight division featured Wesley "Cabbage" Corerria, plus the UFC's best heavyweights like Josh Barnett and Mark Coleman were lured away to Pride because there was no sanctioning and heftier salaries).
So in the years 2001-2007, there was no heavyweight better than Fedor Emelianenko.
Then M-1 entered the picture.
In M-1, the head of the organization, Vladimir Finklestein, was able to secure a deal to promote with Affliction clothing subsidary "Affliction Entertainment" and Billionaire real estate holder Donald Trump, who founded the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) and were able to lure fighers like Sylvia and Arlovski away from the UFC with promises that Pride had similarly made (heftier salaries). Fedor was able to handle them both; the fight that most people wanted however, was Fedor vs Randy Couture. Sadly, that would never happen.
In the meantime, after UFC bought Pride, Dana White was able to sign former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar, acquire former Pride mainstays Noguiera and Cro Cop, and assemble a crop of fine talent (Frank Mir, who had come back from a car wreck, Shane Carwin, Junior Dos Santos and the current UFC heavyweight champ, Cain Velasquez).
So when the opportunity came to sign with the UFC, M-1 spurned them and signed with their biggest rival, Strikeforce. Many fans wondered why. Finklestein said it had to do with "difficult negotiations", but UFC president Dana White bluntly had said "no" to co promotion. Finklestein didn't think the deal was for him, and promptly left.
That was the beginning of the end. Unfortunately, as his fight with Brett Rogers was won, Fedor's deficiencies in that fight can no longer be ignored (his submission attempts were sloppy, his KO was more like a EA Sports Haymaker) and while the legions of Fedor fans were jubulant in his victory, the rust was starting to show. Then came the debacles against Werdum, and Bigfoot Silva.
Sadly, the problem is that most people will remember those 2 defeats more than they'll ever remember Fedor's 32 victories. If he indeed does decide to retire, it will be more disheartening than anything else. I'm sure that Fedor doesn't have the heart to fight through adversity; His complacency in being "the best" makes the scenario of defeat more difficult for him. The fact is that he looked old, and clearly outclassed by a big man with some skill. His legacy will be one that all MMA practicioners should strive to achieve, as 28 consecutive wins is no easy task and the majority of fighters he fought were bigger than him in sheer size (at 6'0" and 230, he was an undersized heavyweight). But his 2 defeats should remind that anything could happen in this sport, and that nobody can stay at the top forever.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Strikeforce and M-1 Global present : Fedor vs Bigfoot re-hash
Well, first Fedor was submitted. Now, Fedor has been finished.
No, it wasn't the unceremonial, unconscious finish we've seen from fighters like say, Chuck Liddell,
but Bigfoot Silva will take it.
Silva finished Emelianenko for the first time in his long illustrious career Saturday. Due to a ref stoppage after 2 rounds, the man known as Bigfoot will move on in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, to face the winner between April's quarterfinal match with Strikeforce Heavyweight kingpin Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum.
Fedor came out like a house on fire, throwing hooks and uppercuts in the early going, but Bigfoot was able to stun Fedor and take him down as the first round ended. The second round was dominated by the Brazilian, who scored a takedown and used his sheer size to his advantage and pounded Fedor's face with a bombardment of shots that closed the Russian's eye. Dan Margliotta could no longer let Fedor sustain damage, and ended the fight after 2 rounds amid some confusion. Again, Fedor made no excuses, but made clear this is probably his final time in the cage.
"Something went wrong from the very beginning, and I didn't re-adjust myself," Emelianenko said through an interpreter. "Maybe it's time to leave."
"Maybe it's the last time," Emelianenko said. "Maybe it's high time. I thank God for everything. I've spent a great, beautiful, long sport life."
Next for Fedor : Retirement. Perhaps a gig in Russian Politics. He was 27-0 before going to Strikeforce. He's 1-2 since that gamble. Maybe he'd have finished 0-3 in the UFC but who will know now?
Next for Silva : The winner of Werdum-Overeem.
In the other quarterfinal, Andrei Arlovski looks as close to being done as Fedor after suffering his 4th straight loss overall and 3rd in Strikeforce. Sergei Kharitonov showed that despite his long layoffs here and there due to injuries, when healthy he can still be a force as he pushed forward and scored a 1st round KO victory over the former UFC heavyweight kingpin. Kharitonov has been dubbed by many as a "Dark Horse" in this field, and he certainly showed it in his dismantling of the man known as the "Pitbull".
Next for Kharitonov : the winner of Barnett-Rogers.
Next for Arlovski : If he isn't retiring, he's definitely going online to look up how much "Rosetta Stone" is, so he can learn how to properly say "Watashi wa Andrei".
The night was not all a total loss, as Strikeforce announced that standout women's MMA fighter Gina "The Conviction" Carano will fight this year, possibly in June. Obviously she was completely stunned, as she looked as giddy as a schoolgirl during her interview. I wonder if she had too much to drink?
Well, what do you think? What is the legacy that Fedor has left now? feel free to get back to me, at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans!
No, it wasn't the unceremonial, unconscious finish we've seen from fighters like say, Chuck Liddell,
but Bigfoot Silva will take it.
Silva finished Emelianenko for the first time in his long illustrious career Saturday. Due to a ref stoppage after 2 rounds, the man known as Bigfoot will move on in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, to face the winner between April's quarterfinal match with Strikeforce Heavyweight kingpin Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum.
Fedor came out like a house on fire, throwing hooks and uppercuts in the early going, but Bigfoot was able to stun Fedor and take him down as the first round ended. The second round was dominated by the Brazilian, who scored a takedown and used his sheer size to his advantage and pounded Fedor's face with a bombardment of shots that closed the Russian's eye. Dan Margliotta could no longer let Fedor sustain damage, and ended the fight after 2 rounds amid some confusion. Again, Fedor made no excuses, but made clear this is probably his final time in the cage.
"Something went wrong from the very beginning, and I didn't re-adjust myself," Emelianenko said through an interpreter. "Maybe it's time to leave."
"Maybe it's the last time," Emelianenko said. "Maybe it's high time. I thank God for everything. I've spent a great, beautiful, long sport life."
Next for Fedor : Retirement. Perhaps a gig in Russian Politics. He was 27-0 before going to Strikeforce. He's 1-2 since that gamble. Maybe he'd have finished 0-3 in the UFC but who will know now?
Next for Silva : The winner of Werdum-Overeem.
In the other quarterfinal, Andrei Arlovski looks as close to being done as Fedor after suffering his 4th straight loss overall and 3rd in Strikeforce. Sergei Kharitonov showed that despite his long layoffs here and there due to injuries, when healthy he can still be a force as he pushed forward and scored a 1st round KO victory over the former UFC heavyweight kingpin. Kharitonov has been dubbed by many as a "Dark Horse" in this field, and he certainly showed it in his dismantling of the man known as the "Pitbull".
Next for Kharitonov : the winner of Barnett-Rogers.
Next for Arlovski : If he isn't retiring, he's definitely going online to look up how much "Rosetta Stone" is, so he can learn how to properly say "Watashi wa Andrei".
The night was not all a total loss, as Strikeforce announced that standout women's MMA fighter Gina "The Conviction" Carano will fight this year, possibly in June. Obviously she was completely stunned, as she looked as giddy as a schoolgirl during her interview. I wonder if she had too much to drink?
Well, what do you think? What is the legacy that Fedor has left now? feel free to get back to me, at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com
Until next time, fight fans!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Strikeforce and M-1 Global present : Fedor vs Bigfoot preview.
Well, its almost time, kids : We're about to see if Strikeforce's "huge gamble" will pay off, as Saturday night gives us their first round of a heavyweight Grand Prix, live from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
This is an ambitious move by the California based promotion. Not since the days of the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships have we seen 8 heavyweights compete in a single elimination tournament, with the winner of this arguably having a shot at being the best heavyweight in the world. I'm only going to focus on the 2 main event fights which have tournament implications (the 3 other main card fights are merely "alternate" bouts, which means a winner may or may not get slotted in, depending on medical suspensions and injury).
Fedor vs Bigfoot :
The main event gives us the man that was once dubbed "the baddest man on the planet" and former Pride heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko return to the cage following his first career loss (well, first non-controversial loss, all things considered) against Fabricio Werdum last June. After a contract negotiation that took us until the end of last year, he takes on Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, the man who last held the defunct EliteXC's heavyweight strap. Silva himself has also lost to Fabricio Werdum in his Strikeforce debut, but rebounded by defeating Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision, and surviving a scare against Mike kyle in his last fight in December on the undercard of "Henderson vs. Babalu II"
Its clear that Silva has a distinct size advantage (Fedor is 6'0" with insoles in his shoes. Its generous for people to list him at that), and he's no slouch on the ground either. However, the fight against Kyle showed that anybody can get caught. Fedor, despite his off night against Werdum last June, is still a solid favorite on oddsmakers books. With his one punch KO power due to the anvils in his fists, I expect Fedor to be very patient, timid and not bull rush in like he has the past few fights. If Silva is able to push up against the cage and get him to the ground, Fedor has great ground skills and can armbar anybody. I expect to see Fedor get taken to the ground and hit a few times, but find an opening and armbar Silva early in Round 2.
The co-main event features the aforementioned former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski take on former Pride standout and Emelianenko's former training partner Sergei Kharitonov. Arlovski is coming off a loss to Bigfoot Silva his last time out, while Kharitonov has battled injuries the past few years but, looked good his last time out in a fight at Dynamite! 2010 on New Year's Eve in Japan.
Arlovski is a great all around fighter : fast hands, good stand up and a solid ground game with Jiu-Jjitsu and Sambo skills to put on his resume. All around, except.....the motion touch sensor he calls a chin. He's been KO'd on more than few occasions and lost several fights (including fights to Fedor and Brett Rogers) because of it. Kharitonov might have gotten KO'd in the K-1 Grand Prix 2010 early in December, but I think he has enough to push forward and land a solid strike on Arlovski's chin, and once he has him down he'll gut out a majority decision.
Well, what do you think? Am I just biased towards Russian guys? Would you rather see Fedor take on a mutant Bigfoot instead of a dude just calling himself "Bigfoot"? get back to me. email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or tweet me at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
until next time, fight fans!
This is an ambitious move by the California based promotion. Not since the days of the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships have we seen 8 heavyweights compete in a single elimination tournament, with the winner of this arguably having a shot at being the best heavyweight in the world. I'm only going to focus on the 2 main event fights which have tournament implications (the 3 other main card fights are merely "alternate" bouts, which means a winner may or may not get slotted in, depending on medical suspensions and injury).
Fedor vs Bigfoot :
The main event gives us the man that was once dubbed "the baddest man on the planet" and former Pride heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko return to the cage following his first career loss (well, first non-controversial loss, all things considered) against Fabricio Werdum last June. After a contract negotiation that took us until the end of last year, he takes on Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, the man who last held the defunct EliteXC's heavyweight strap. Silva himself has also lost to Fabricio Werdum in his Strikeforce debut, but rebounded by defeating Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision, and surviving a scare against Mike kyle in his last fight in December on the undercard of "Henderson vs. Babalu II"
Its clear that Silva has a distinct size advantage (Fedor is 6'0" with insoles in his shoes. Its generous for people to list him at that), and he's no slouch on the ground either. However, the fight against Kyle showed that anybody can get caught. Fedor, despite his off night against Werdum last June, is still a solid favorite on oddsmakers books. With his one punch KO power due to the anvils in his fists, I expect Fedor to be very patient, timid and not bull rush in like he has the past few fights. If Silva is able to push up against the cage and get him to the ground, Fedor has great ground skills and can armbar anybody. I expect to see Fedor get taken to the ground and hit a few times, but find an opening and armbar Silva early in Round 2.
The co-main event features the aforementioned former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski take on former Pride standout and Emelianenko's former training partner Sergei Kharitonov. Arlovski is coming off a loss to Bigfoot Silva his last time out, while Kharitonov has battled injuries the past few years but, looked good his last time out in a fight at Dynamite! 2010 on New Year's Eve in Japan.
Arlovski is a great all around fighter : fast hands, good stand up and a solid ground game with Jiu-Jjitsu and Sambo skills to put on his resume. All around, except.....the motion touch sensor he calls a chin. He's been KO'd on more than few occasions and lost several fights (including fights to Fedor and Brett Rogers) because of it. Kharitonov might have gotten KO'd in the K-1 Grand Prix 2010 early in December, but I think he has enough to push forward and land a solid strike on Arlovski's chin, and once he has him down he'll gut out a majority decision.
Well, what do you think? Am I just biased towards Russian guys? Would you rather see Fedor take on a mutant Bigfoot instead of a dude just calling himself "Bigfoot"? get back to me. email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or tweet me at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
until next time, fight fans!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Fedor : A true underdog story
When Fedor Emelianenko went into the cage for his fight against Fabricio Werdum last June, many thought the Russian would dispatch of the unheralded Brazilian and move onto bigger and better things....
Within 2 minutes, Fedor tapped.
MMA fans were shocked. Either they sat there with despondent looks on their faces, or celebrated with jubilation that the last holdout from the old Pride days, one whom many had written off as "overrated", had finally lost to a fighter with a credible MMA pedigree.
A few weeks after the fight, at an EA sports press conference promoting the release of the game "EA MMA", a few members of the media gathered around to ask Fedor what he had learned from that loss.
His answer? "Don't hurry, take your time".
That answer seemed to parallel Fedor's response in the weeks following. He wanted a new fight extension (which he received), as well as remarking that the loss had re-ignited his "competitive fires". He had called for possible fights with Alistair Overeem and re-match with Werdum (being held in Russia), he had been seen in numerous youtube clips training, including with current Strikeforce champion "Jacare" Souza. Yet he took the 2nd half of the year off, not fighting and not showing anybody his hand.
Saturday night, the long wait is over. Fedor will face Brazilian Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix. In "not hurrying" and "taking his time" to get back, has all the skill from the once proud champion diminished? Has he simply taken too long between fights to be considered "relevant" anymore? Or better yet, was he ever "relevant" in MMA fans eyes in the first place?
I can see Fedor as a clear underdog in this tournament. He arguably would have the toughest path to a tournament victory (that being Bigfoot, the winner between Werdum and Overeem in march in a semi and the winner of the second bracket in the final). Let's not forget that he is 34 (turning 35) years old, an age where most athletes aren't on the way up or coming back, but generally on the way down, in the "twilight" of their careers.
Call it nostalgia, but I am rooting for "The Last Emperor". The way it appears, the 28 fight win streak that endeared him to so many fans caused an incredible amount of pressure every time a fight was added to it. With that loss, the pressure is off. He does not need to go in and think about how many wins he's at. He doesn't need to worry about a UFC contract should he win; nor does he need to worry about the scorn he'd get from fans that he'd beat another "tomato can".
He just needs to win.
Let's see if he does Saturday night.
Within 2 minutes, Fedor tapped.
MMA fans were shocked. Either they sat there with despondent looks on their faces, or celebrated with jubilation that the last holdout from the old Pride days, one whom many had written off as "overrated", had finally lost to a fighter with a credible MMA pedigree.
A few weeks after the fight, at an EA sports press conference promoting the release of the game "EA MMA", a few members of the media gathered around to ask Fedor what he had learned from that loss.
His answer? "Don't hurry, take your time".
That answer seemed to parallel Fedor's response in the weeks following. He wanted a new fight extension (which he received), as well as remarking that the loss had re-ignited his "competitive fires". He had called for possible fights with Alistair Overeem and re-match with Werdum (being held in Russia), he had been seen in numerous youtube clips training, including with current Strikeforce champion "Jacare" Souza. Yet he took the 2nd half of the year off, not fighting and not showing anybody his hand.
Saturday night, the long wait is over. Fedor will face Brazilian Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix. In "not hurrying" and "taking his time" to get back, has all the skill from the once proud champion diminished? Has he simply taken too long between fights to be considered "relevant" anymore? Or better yet, was he ever "relevant" in MMA fans eyes in the first place?
I can see Fedor as a clear underdog in this tournament. He arguably would have the toughest path to a tournament victory (that being Bigfoot, the winner between Werdum and Overeem in march in a semi and the winner of the second bracket in the final). Let's not forget that he is 34 (turning 35) years old, an age where most athletes aren't on the way up or coming back, but generally on the way down, in the "twilight" of their careers.
Call it nostalgia, but I am rooting for "The Last Emperor". The way it appears, the 28 fight win streak that endeared him to so many fans caused an incredible amount of pressure every time a fight was added to it. With that loss, the pressure is off. He does not need to go in and think about how many wins he's at. He doesn't need to worry about a UFC contract should he win; nor does he need to worry about the scorn he'd get from fans that he'd beat another "tomato can".
He just needs to win.
Let's see if he does Saturday night.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
UFC 126 : Silva vs Belfort re-hash
Hi folks, happy Sunday to all. So I went 2-2 in my picks overall, not bad but not great. Still posting a winning record for the year however (5-3) and hoping to keep that up with next weekend's "Fedor vs Silva" card airing on Showtime. Let's get to it :
-In the main event, we saw UFC Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva defend his title for an unprecedented 8th time as he dispatched of challenger Vitor Belfort. The contest, which was being hyped up as "The fight of the Century" in both fighters native homeland, Brazil, saw a feeling out process of more than 3 minutes with a couple of exchanges (and Anderson Silva using the moves he learned from none other than Steven Seagal, who was in his entourage).
At just after the 3 minute mark, Silva landed a front kick that looked more like a goal kick from soccer, his lanky legs giving extra extension to the strike and it landed square on Belfort's jaw. Belfort fell to the ground and Silva finished him off with a few strikes before the ref stepped in at 3:25 of the first round.
Next for Silva : That long anticipated superfight with GSP talk seems to keep popping up. But let's wait to see how the French-Canadian does against Jake Shields in Toronto April 29th.
Next for Belfort : Ring rust was indeed a factor in "The Phenom"s defeat. Perhaps throw him in a fight with Chris Leben or Yoshihiro Akiyama.
In the co-main event, We were treated to a fight between former division champions at middleweight and light heavyweight respectively, Rich "Ace" Franklin and Forrest Griffin. The first round saw Forrest dominate after an early takedown and show his ground superiority, with a lot of short elbows and shots. While Franklin did a good job of containing for the most part, Griffin did enough to win the round 10-9.
The second round saw a lot of stand up action in the first minute and a half featuring a few low leg kick attempts by Griffin, and some counter punching by Franklin. After a head kick from Griffin that was checked by Franklin with his recently broken arm, Griffin took him down and attempted to take Franklin's back. Franklin scrambled and got back up, was taken down again, got back up and created separation and returned to his feet at the midway point of the second round.
Through another exchange of leg kicks by Griffin, he caught Franklin with a left hook that staggered him, but couldn't put him away. Franklin while more competitive in this round, he simply didn't do enough to take it, I gave it to Griffin 10-9.
While Franklin tried to takedown Griffin early in the third, it was reversed and while he showed a lot of fight, he simply didn't do enough on this night and Griffin took all 3 rounds 30-27.
Next for Griffin : Well, he might be another win or 2 away from being back in the title hunt. Throw him in the cage against Ryan Bader.
Next for Franklin : He showed he can still be competitive in this division. A fight between the loser of Rampage Jackson and Thiago Silva might be just what the doctor ordered.
Next, the fight between hot prospects between the aforementioned Ryan "Darth" Bader and Jon "Bones" Jones, had been hyped by many to have future implications in the light heavyweight division, though nobody thought how fast the future could come. Jones dominated Bader from the start, taking him down and avoiding a guillotine choke by Bader. Jones got from into side control and north south, attempting a north south choke but was unable to secure. After a scramble that saw Bader get back up to his feet, saw Jones land a head kick and sprawl at a Bader takedown attempt and reverse him. Jones landed a few elbows, avoided a kimura attempt by Bader and land some more solid shots with elbows to the ribcage.
The 2nd started out on the feet, Jones able to land a few athletic shots, like a flying kick that was reminiscent of Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat, while Bader landed a right hand that would have rocked anybody, but Jones was able to walk through. Jones was able to secure a takedown that lead to another Darth choke attempt. Bader, frustrated by this point, could no longer withstand and tapped at 4:20 of the 2nd round.
Next for Bones : Afterwards, Joe Rogan dropped a bombshell. With Rashad Evans out due to a knee injury, Jones has secured a light heavyweight title shot against kingpin Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on March 19th in Newark due to his victory on Saturday. Shogun was in attendance in Las Vegas, and congratulated Jones on his victory and said he "looked forward" to facing the blue chipper Jones.
Next for Bader : He's still a notch below the top-tier. Either a fight with Forrest Griffin or the Winner of Rampage and Thiago Silva.
The last fight I picked was the one between Jake Ellenberger and Carlos Rocha. Rocha was able to secure quite a few submission attempts early, almost securing a kimura before the first round ended. But he wasn't able to keep the pressure up, and Ellenberger walked away with a split decision victory.
Next for Ellenberger : That fight with Jon Fitch, regardless of how he does against BJ Penn later this month.
Next for Rocha : Carlos Condit doesn't seem to be up to much lately. How about it?
So, what do you guys think? How was the card? Questions? Does Jon Jones have what it takes to dethrone the Champ Rua? Get back to me via e-mail mmarmageddon@gmail.com or twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans.
-In the main event, we saw UFC Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva defend his title for an unprecedented 8th time as he dispatched of challenger Vitor Belfort. The contest, which was being hyped up as "The fight of the Century" in both fighters native homeland, Brazil, saw a feeling out process of more than 3 minutes with a couple of exchanges (and Anderson Silva using the moves he learned from none other than Steven Seagal, who was in his entourage).
At just after the 3 minute mark, Silva landed a front kick that looked more like a goal kick from soccer, his lanky legs giving extra extension to the strike and it landed square on Belfort's jaw. Belfort fell to the ground and Silva finished him off with a few strikes before the ref stepped in at 3:25 of the first round.
Next for Silva : That long anticipated superfight with GSP talk seems to keep popping up. But let's wait to see how the French-Canadian does against Jake Shields in Toronto April 29th.
Next for Belfort : Ring rust was indeed a factor in "The Phenom"s defeat. Perhaps throw him in a fight with Chris Leben or Yoshihiro Akiyama.
In the co-main event, We were treated to a fight between former division champions at middleweight and light heavyweight respectively, Rich "Ace" Franklin and Forrest Griffin. The first round saw Forrest dominate after an early takedown and show his ground superiority, with a lot of short elbows and shots. While Franklin did a good job of containing for the most part, Griffin did enough to win the round 10-9.
The second round saw a lot of stand up action in the first minute and a half featuring a few low leg kick attempts by Griffin, and some counter punching by Franklin. After a head kick from Griffin that was checked by Franklin with his recently broken arm, Griffin took him down and attempted to take Franklin's back. Franklin scrambled and got back up, was taken down again, got back up and created separation and returned to his feet at the midway point of the second round.
Through another exchange of leg kicks by Griffin, he caught Franklin with a left hook that staggered him, but couldn't put him away. Franklin while more competitive in this round, he simply didn't do enough to take it, I gave it to Griffin 10-9.
While Franklin tried to takedown Griffin early in the third, it was reversed and while he showed a lot of fight, he simply didn't do enough on this night and Griffin took all 3 rounds 30-27.
Next for Griffin : Well, he might be another win or 2 away from being back in the title hunt. Throw him in the cage against Ryan Bader.
Next for Franklin : He showed he can still be competitive in this division. A fight between the loser of Rampage Jackson and Thiago Silva might be just what the doctor ordered.
Next, the fight between hot prospects between the aforementioned Ryan "Darth" Bader and Jon "Bones" Jones, had been hyped by many to have future implications in the light heavyweight division, though nobody thought how fast the future could come. Jones dominated Bader from the start, taking him down and avoiding a guillotine choke by Bader. Jones got from into side control and north south, attempting a north south choke but was unable to secure. After a scramble that saw Bader get back up to his feet, saw Jones land a head kick and sprawl at a Bader takedown attempt and reverse him. Jones landed a few elbows, avoided a kimura attempt by Bader and land some more solid shots with elbows to the ribcage.
The 2nd started out on the feet, Jones able to land a few athletic shots, like a flying kick that was reminiscent of Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat, while Bader landed a right hand that would have rocked anybody, but Jones was able to walk through. Jones was able to secure a takedown that lead to another Darth choke attempt. Bader, frustrated by this point, could no longer withstand and tapped at 4:20 of the 2nd round.
Next for Bones : Afterwards, Joe Rogan dropped a bombshell. With Rashad Evans out due to a knee injury, Jones has secured a light heavyweight title shot against kingpin Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on March 19th in Newark due to his victory on Saturday. Shogun was in attendance in Las Vegas, and congratulated Jones on his victory and said he "looked forward" to facing the blue chipper Jones.
Next for Bader : He's still a notch below the top-tier. Either a fight with Forrest Griffin or the Winner of Rampage and Thiago Silva.
The last fight I picked was the one between Jake Ellenberger and Carlos Rocha. Rocha was able to secure quite a few submission attempts early, almost securing a kimura before the first round ended. But he wasn't able to keep the pressure up, and Ellenberger walked away with a split decision victory.
Next for Ellenberger : That fight with Jon Fitch, regardless of how he does against BJ Penn later this month.
Next for Rocha : Carlos Condit doesn't seem to be up to much lately. How about it?
So, what do you guys think? How was the card? Questions? Does Jon Jones have what it takes to dethrone the Champ Rua? Get back to me via e-mail mmarmageddon@gmail.com or twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
UFC 126 : Silva vs Belfort preview.
3 weeks, 3 cards lined up back to back. I mean, is it possible to overload from all this MMA? Sad it say, it is. But that's ok because I still have another week until the start of the Strikeforce Grand Prix (which will be enticing).
Anyway, looking up and down this card, it is definitely stacked. In addition to the Spike TV prelim fights, there are also 2 being streamed live on Facebook starting at 8.
I went 3 out of 4 last time i played MMA predictor. Let's see if I can run the table this time :
Let's start with the main event, Vitor Belfort vs Anderson Silva. A lot is riding on the line besides the title here. In addition to Silva winning his 15th straight fight (which would already add to a UFC record for consecutive victories) is a potential superfight with welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre should "The Spider" prevail.
Don't get it twisted; People might say that Chael Sonnen was only able to push Silva to the limit due to a rib injury by the champ and Sonnen's subsequent suspension for illegal substances, but everybody knows one thing : Anderson Silva has horrible wrestling skills and is merely so-so off of his back. Vitor's best chance to win this fight is to crowd Anderson and go for a takedown. From there, he may be able to secure a chance to finish through Ground and Pound.
In contrast, Silva's chance to win this fight is to do what he's always done : By giving Belfort angles and not backing down from what "The Phenom" throws. While Vitor has one punch KO power, Silva has enough of a chin he could take more than a few shots. It would be nice if we could see Silva force the issue and take him down and show more of his Jiu-Jitsu skills that he showed in his fight against Sonnen.
The Pick : Vitor might throw a ton of punches in the early going, but it will be only a matter of time before he "gives up" and allows Silva to take over. I'm taking Anderson by submission.
Next, we have a fight between former champions from the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions, between Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin. Franklin hasn't fought since he played Shawn Michaels to Chuck Liddell's Ric Flair and retired him last June, While Griffin has battled a rash of injuries that have prevented him from fighting since beating Tito Ortiz (of all people),
in a rematch of their first fight in November of 2009.
Let's get it straight folks : this won't be a ground fight, but rather a stand up war. Both competitors come from stand up backgrounds and expect to see a lot of leg kicks from Griffin in the early going. That being said, Franklin might be able to do enough to check his leg kicks and may throw with some of his own. He also punches really hard, and as we saw in his fight against Anderson Silva, Forrest's jaw doesn't like hard punches.
Expect this fight to go all 3 rounds, with a split decision victory for Franklin.
Our third fight brings us 2 of the young studs of the 205 lb. division, with what I think are 2 of the best nicknames in the sport, that being Ryan "Darth" Bader and Jon "Bones" Jones. Bader is coming off a decision victory over Antonio Rogerio Noguiera last September, while the always game Jones dismantled Vladimir Matyushenko in his last fight in August. Bader comes into the fight 12-0, while Jones' only loss came via disqualification, at a point in a fight where he was in full control.
Stylistically, these 2 match up very well : Bader is a guy who likes to muscle and bully his opponents, while Jones' raw athleticism (he might be the most athletic fighter in MMA today in my opinion) gives him all kinds of angles to throw spinning backfists and elbows. Expect a war for about a round, until Jones takes control and wins via ground and pound.
Our 4th fight brings us Jake Ellenburger, who has stated nobody wants to fight Jon Fitch "more than he does" in an interview with MMAJunkie, take on prospect Carlos Rocha. Ellenburger might be looking forward a little too much to Fitch, and I think Rocha might take him via submission.
Well those are my picks. How about yours? Agree or disagree? anything else you want to get back to me on? Hit me up at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or tweet me at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next t ime, fight fans.
Anyway, looking up and down this card, it is definitely stacked. In addition to the Spike TV prelim fights, there are also 2 being streamed live on Facebook starting at 8.
I went 3 out of 4 last time i played MMA predictor. Let's see if I can run the table this time :
Let's start with the main event, Vitor Belfort vs Anderson Silva. A lot is riding on the line besides the title here. In addition to Silva winning his 15th straight fight (which would already add to a UFC record for consecutive victories) is a potential superfight with welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre should "The Spider" prevail.
Don't get it twisted; People might say that Chael Sonnen was only able to push Silva to the limit due to a rib injury by the champ and Sonnen's subsequent suspension for illegal substances, but everybody knows one thing : Anderson Silva has horrible wrestling skills and is merely so-so off of his back. Vitor's best chance to win this fight is to crowd Anderson and go for a takedown. From there, he may be able to secure a chance to finish through Ground and Pound.
In contrast, Silva's chance to win this fight is to do what he's always done : By giving Belfort angles and not backing down from what "The Phenom" throws. While Vitor has one punch KO power, Silva has enough of a chin he could take more than a few shots. It would be nice if we could see Silva force the issue and take him down and show more of his Jiu-Jitsu skills that he showed in his fight against Sonnen.
The Pick : Vitor might throw a ton of punches in the early going, but it will be only a matter of time before he "gives up" and allows Silva to take over. I'm taking Anderson by submission.
Next, we have a fight between former champions from the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions, between Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin. Franklin hasn't fought since he played Shawn Michaels to Chuck Liddell's Ric Flair and retired him last June, While Griffin has battled a rash of injuries that have prevented him from fighting since beating Tito Ortiz (of all people),
in a rematch of their first fight in November of 2009.
Let's get it straight folks : this won't be a ground fight, but rather a stand up war. Both competitors come from stand up backgrounds and expect to see a lot of leg kicks from Griffin in the early going. That being said, Franklin might be able to do enough to check his leg kicks and may throw with some of his own. He also punches really hard, and as we saw in his fight against Anderson Silva, Forrest's jaw doesn't like hard punches.
Expect this fight to go all 3 rounds, with a split decision victory for Franklin.
Our third fight brings us 2 of the young studs of the 205 lb. division, with what I think are 2 of the best nicknames in the sport, that being Ryan "Darth" Bader and Jon "Bones" Jones. Bader is coming off a decision victory over Antonio Rogerio Noguiera last September, while the always game Jones dismantled Vladimir Matyushenko in his last fight in August. Bader comes into the fight 12-0, while Jones' only loss came via disqualification, at a point in a fight where he was in full control.
Stylistically, these 2 match up very well : Bader is a guy who likes to muscle and bully his opponents, while Jones' raw athleticism (he might be the most athletic fighter in MMA today in my opinion) gives him all kinds of angles to throw spinning backfists and elbows. Expect a war for about a round, until Jones takes control and wins via ground and pound.
Our 4th fight brings us Jake Ellenburger, who has stated nobody wants to fight Jon Fitch "more than he does" in an interview with MMAJunkie, take on prospect Carlos Rocha. Ellenburger might be looking forward a little too much to Fitch, and I think Rocha might take him via submission.
Well those are my picks. How about yours? Agree or disagree? anything else you want to get back to me on? Hit me up at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or tweet me at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next t ime, fight fans.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Possiblities of an "Open" weight tournament?
With the undeniable buzz surrounding the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix that is to commence February 12th on Showtime, with main events showcasing Andre Arlovski and Sergei Kharitonov, as well as Fedor Emelianenko's comeback fight against Brazilian Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, it certainly feels as if there's a nostalgic feel to things.
After all, the Grand Prix was essentially what made the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships. Don't get me wrong, while Zuffa, LLC was doing great things to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) at that time in the earlier part of this century, from 2000-2006 the Grand prix tournaments provided us with loads of highlights, from Mark Coleman returning out of his 3 year hiatus to win The open weight tournament in 2000, To Fedor's dominance of the Heavyweight division with his defeat of Noguiera in 2004, to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's coming out party complete with a hammer fisting into the mat of Ricardo Arona the next year. The Fertittas and Dana White knew it too, which is why they brought their best Light Heavyweight (at that time) Chuck Liddell to the organization in 2003, where despite an early KO (of future Strikeforce Heavyweight Alistair Overeem), he was ultimately eliminated by finalist Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Since Pride's demise in 2007, no North American promotion has attempted such a thing until Strikeforce's gamble, while the Japanese contribution has more or less been a mish mash of attempts which while noble and have seen the emergence of fighters like Gegard Mousasi, have none the less been freak shows (including the Jose Canseco attempt at Mixed Martial Arts in Dream's "Super Hulk" tournament, which ended very very badly).
Why am I saying this? Well, with the abundance of lighter fighters in the UFC (due to the recent merger and subsequent folding of WEC into the parent promotion) , I feel that a lot of fighters are NOT going to get the neccessary "game" action to remain competitive. I feel that now it is the perfect time for the UFC to try to hold a tournament.
Now, i'm not a head of any athletic commission, but is there a chance they could hold an "Open Weight" tournament? Sadly no, the could not because of the possibility to get sanctioned.
However, if they could cap the weight limit and make it a Grand Prix featuring 135-155 lb Fighters, would it happen then? I think the possibilities of this idea are endless.
Here's how it could work : You take 3 or 4 of the top 10 from each of Bantam, Feather, and Lightweight, with champions and suspended fighters omitted. Here's how it might look :
Bantam >> Jorgensen, Faber, Bowles and Benavidez. Bowles is coming back from an injury, as well as Jorgensen is coming back from a tough loss to Dominick Cruz and Benavidez and Faber are both coming off wins.
Feather >> Mike Brown, Gamburyan, Josh Grispi and Raphael Assuncao. Brown and Grispi need to right the ship pretty quick (brown's lost 4 of 6 fights), Gamburyan is fighting Assuncao (might make an interesting first round match)
Light >> Pettis, Guida, Guillard and Florian. Pettis wants to stay active, a first round matchup with Guida might be just what the doctor ordered. Guillard wants to step up in competition, so let's throw KFlo at him and see what happens.
From these 12 fighters, you can seed them from 1 through 12 on the basis of Won-Loss record, strength of opponents records and record against the top 5 in their weight class (it would carry more clout if any of the top 5 is in the tournament), as well as title fights (if applicable). With seeding, give #1 and #12 each a first round bye, with seeds #2 through 11 finishing the first round. #12 would be entered into the quarterfinals, with #1 entering the fray after the 3 remaining fighters advanced to the semis. The end of the tournament could be either the end of the year, or could ease into 2012 based on whether or not if it would just be Pay per view or even free cards (like on Versus or Spike TV).
As for the fights themselves, to take care of the weight difference (much like in Pride's "Open Weight" showcases), lighter fighters would be given the option of allowing kicks and punches to the face in a "four points" position. So obviously the Athletic Commissions would have to permit blows to a grounded opponent and eliminate elbows (which probably wouldn't happen).
Would it work? I have no doubt through a little bit of leniency, patience and some chain pulling it might be able to pull it off. That being said, Athletic Commissions probably wouldn't go for this, and the fights might have to happen in Japan.
Questions? Agree or disagree? Want to inject with something else? hit me back at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or tweet me at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
After all, the Grand Prix was essentially what made the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships. Don't get me wrong, while Zuffa, LLC was doing great things to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) at that time in the earlier part of this century, from 2000-2006 the Grand prix tournaments provided us with loads of highlights, from Mark Coleman returning out of his 3 year hiatus to win The open weight tournament in 2000, To Fedor's dominance of the Heavyweight division with his defeat of Noguiera in 2004, to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's coming out party complete with a hammer fisting into the mat of Ricardo Arona the next year. The Fertittas and Dana White knew it too, which is why they brought their best Light Heavyweight (at that time) Chuck Liddell to the organization in 2003, where despite an early KO (of future Strikeforce Heavyweight Alistair Overeem), he was ultimately eliminated by finalist Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Since Pride's demise in 2007, no North American promotion has attempted such a thing until Strikeforce's gamble, while the Japanese contribution has more or less been a mish mash of attempts which while noble and have seen the emergence of fighters like Gegard Mousasi, have none the less been freak shows (including the Jose Canseco attempt at Mixed Martial Arts in Dream's "Super Hulk" tournament, which ended very very badly).
Why am I saying this? Well, with the abundance of lighter fighters in the UFC (due to the recent merger and subsequent folding of WEC into the parent promotion) , I feel that a lot of fighters are NOT going to get the neccessary "game" action to remain competitive. I feel that now it is the perfect time for the UFC to try to hold a tournament.
Now, i'm not a head of any athletic commission, but is there a chance they could hold an "Open Weight" tournament? Sadly no, the could not because of the possibility to get sanctioned.
However, if they could cap the weight limit and make it a Grand Prix featuring 135-155 lb Fighters, would it happen then? I think the possibilities of this idea are endless.
Here's how it could work : You take 3 or 4 of the top 10 from each of Bantam, Feather, and Lightweight, with champions and suspended fighters omitted. Here's how it might look :
Bantam >> Jorgensen, Faber, Bowles and Benavidez. Bowles is coming back from an injury, as well as Jorgensen is coming back from a tough loss to Dominick Cruz and Benavidez and Faber are both coming off wins.
Feather >> Mike Brown, Gamburyan, Josh Grispi and Raphael Assuncao. Brown and Grispi need to right the ship pretty quick (brown's lost 4 of 6 fights), Gamburyan is fighting Assuncao (might make an interesting first round match)
Light >> Pettis, Guida, Guillard and Florian. Pettis wants to stay active, a first round matchup with Guida might be just what the doctor ordered. Guillard wants to step up in competition, so let's throw KFlo at him and see what happens.
From these 12 fighters, you can seed them from 1 through 12 on the basis of Won-Loss record, strength of opponents records and record against the top 5 in their weight class (it would carry more clout if any of the top 5 is in the tournament), as well as title fights (if applicable). With seeding, give #1 and #12 each a first round bye, with seeds #2 through 11 finishing the first round. #12 would be entered into the quarterfinals, with #1 entering the fray after the 3 remaining fighters advanced to the semis. The end of the tournament could be either the end of the year, or could ease into 2012 based on whether or not if it would just be Pay per view or even free cards (like on Versus or Spike TV).
As for the fights themselves, to take care of the weight difference (much like in Pride's "Open Weight" showcases), lighter fighters would be given the option of allowing kicks and punches to the face in a "four points" position. So obviously the Athletic Commissions would have to permit blows to a grounded opponent and eliminate elbows (which probably wouldn't happen).
Would it work? I have no doubt through a little bit of leniency, patience and some chain pulling it might be able to pull it off. That being said, Athletic Commissions probably wouldn't go for this, and the fights might have to happen in Japan.
Questions? Agree or disagree? Want to inject with something else? hit me back at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com or tweet me at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
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