Saturday, April 9th, 2005.
It was a fantastic night, one I'll always remember. I was living in Calgary at the time, and sleeping in on a Saturday, I managed to catch the SPIKE marathon of its sleeper runaway hit "The Ultimate Fighter". Caught the episode from Josh Koscheck clowning around on Chris Leben until the very last episode.
When that episode concluded, we were treated to a night of fights live on Spike, featuring some fights involving many cast members, including Leben, Koscheck, Nate Quarry, Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian.
None of those fights are forever trenched in my mind, however, than the Light Heavyweight TUF tournament final contested between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
Through 15 minutes, we were treated to fantastic action, as both competitors never backed down, throwing combinations and leg kicks, both men dripping with sweat and exhaustion as the final bell rang. On a tiny 25" Television in Alberta, I was out of my seat going as crazy as the fans at the Cox Pavilion, as both fighters got a standing ovation and while Griffin won by unanimous decision, both had made enough of an impression to convince UFC president Dana White to give them permanent jobs, and the UFC revolution began in earnest.
I am only walking down memory lane today, because of the major announcement in regards to the very first UFC card on a cable outlet (FOX) announced today. That announcement, it was reported by numerous outlets, will feature what was to be the UFC 139 main event on November 19th, that being a Heavyweight world championship contest between returning kingpin Cain Velasquez, and current #1 contender Junior Dos Santos. In being on cable television, it will move a week up from its previously scheduled date, November the 12th.
In the press conference today, White maintained that he moved the fight up for one simple reason : He has the notion this tilt will have Griffin-Bonnar overtones, saying the fight is "now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver", going onto say He's "literally betting everything" on an exciting heavyweight fight and that a snooze fest between the 2 juggernauts is just "not going to happen".
While it might be true we've never seen Dos Santos or Velasquez in a "boring" fight before, this is an incredible gamble. He's going to have a one hour time slot which will feature a title fight and nothing more or nothing else. Plus, there will be people who will tune into this event, given its advertisement on NFL pre-season games and the Saturday MLB game of the week on FOX, who have no idea of the rules or regulations of Mixed Martial Arts. White says "Some people are going to need to be educated on what the sport is, where it comes from. So we're going to need some time to kind of set up the whole, 'The UFC is on FOX' and what's going on. That's basically why it was done that way."
Velasquez will have been out of action for a year by the time he steps into the cage on November 12th. Dos Santos has been active meanwhile, dispatching of TUF winner Roy Nelson and taking out former title challenger Shane Carwin to secure his spot. While White is hyping up the tilt as a "barnburner" of a heavyweight fight, a lot will depend on the champion's match fitness. What will happen if Velasquez comes in out of shape, is able to take the Brazilian "Cigano" down at will and grind out a decision? Or, if Dos Santos floors the champion in the first 3 minutes, what will happen then? Will the fans be excited enough to tune in again, like they were after that historic light heavyweight contest?
For years I have watched Dana White spew words from his mouth, talking about everything from Anderson Silva's impending firing to the incredible drama what was the signing that wasn't (Fedor). He has said that he can count on one hand the amount of "bad" fights he's seen in 10 years, but I'm pretty sure more than one of those involved the man he is now calling the greatest Mixed Martial Artist ever (Anderson Silva). Of all the times, Brock Lesnar losing the title and being embarrassed by a true Mixed Martial Artist (Velasquez) was about the only time he looked to fall flat on his face....
Let's hope he's right this time.
-In other news, during the said press conference, MMAJunkie reported that White called an internet rumor circulating about former Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar's impending retirement "ridiculous". White said that Lesnar was working on a farm in Canada, and he expected him to be back "very soon". White didn't say when (like usual), but is banking on a late December card in Toronto or early 2012. Personally, I said in the last blog post that I'd like to see Lesnar get an easier fight this time around, hope White obliges.
-MMAFighting is reporting that Rampage isn't worried about the alleged Jon Jones spy he has in his camp. Jackson says that while he doesn't know who the alleged mole is, he hopes that they quote "Believe in Karma". I firmly hope that Jackson is in a well state, as I'm not sure why anybody would have to spy for Jones or give the champ any information. His lopsided victories are a testament to the skill he no doubt has, Spy or no spy.
-In time for the Rugby World Cup next week, ESPN UK is reporting that England star Matt Stevens considered a career switch to MMA during a 2 year drug ban. Stevens, a prop who will star for the English Rugby team, kept in match fitness during his exile by training with Roger Gracie, going onto say that MMA athletes are "the most well-rounded athletes in the world". Just exactly how big is this guy? I'd have paid money to see this Stevens dude and Brock Lesnar throw down.
-ESPN UK is also reporting that Brit Ross Pearson, fresh off his loss to Edson Barboza at UFC 134, is exploring a rematch. Pearson if you remember, tasted a close split decision loss in Rio. I said it while watching the fight that Pearson wouldn't win because the fight was in Rio, though I still feel Barboza did enough to earn the victory.
Questions? Comments? Leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
3rd times a charm : Will Lesnar/Mir III happen, or is it a waste of time at this point?
Brock Lesnar will return to the Octagon in 2012. Lesnar if you remember, hasn't fought in the UFC since getting pasted and roughed up by Cain Velasquez for the Heavyweight title last October at UFC 121, and being diagnosed with diverticulitis during his stint on the 13th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" this past year, opposite Junior Dos Santos. Shane Carwin stepped in Lesnar's place and received a pounding from the Brazilian at UFC 131 in Vancouver this past June.
In recent reports, UFC president Dana White has said Lesnar's recovery has been "miraculous" and that "its a matter of time" when the University of Minnesota product returns. Early speculation has him returning at the year end UFC 140 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto in December.
So, Lesnar is to return, but whom will his opponent be?
In a recent interview with ESPN.uk, Frank Mir suggested he might be willing to step in there against the former jack of all trades athlete Lesnar, by saying that if a "Lesnar fight works out, it works out". He goes on to also mention former Strikeforce Champion Alistair Overeem, who as it turns out is under negotiations with the UFC regarding a contract.
I know that Mir is wanting a rubber match with Lesnar really, really badly. However, a trilogy at this point is simply not in the cards. Why? Well, from long ago Dana White has hyped up Lesnar, calling him "one of the best ever" even though in this sport, he's a relative novice. However, if he were to fight Mir at this point, it would be considered a joke, as it will be his 8th fight as a professional and he'd have already fought Mir 3 times! There has to some other fighter that's willing to step up in competition.
I would have considered Brandan Schaub or Matt Mitrione for Lesnar's comeback fight. Give him a up and comer, somebody who like him, is relatively raw. Carwin, whom at this point is also out due to the injuries suffered at the hands of Dos Santos, is another re-match that should happen one day, but not now. Lesnar came across in his last 2 fights as "gun shy" and afraid "to pull the trigger", waiting for Carwin to gas and for the ref to step in during Velasquez's pounding.
The bottom line is, Lesnar is still relatively raw with a shattered confidence. Why not throw him a prospect, say Brandan Schaub or Matt Mitrone in his comeback fight. Both are relative newcomers as well, with Schaub's career stock plummeting recently (following a KO loss to grizzled vet "Minotauro" Nogueira) and Mitrione looking beat up, but fresh in every one of his fights. Mitrione is probably somebody that is catered perfect for Lesnar : A straight stand up fighter who pushes forward and likes to punch, a lot.
Of course with Lesnar's takedown prowess, it can easily be assumed we'll just see him takedown whomever he fights, save his pretty face and get a decision. Anybody care to argue?
-In Other news, Sam Stout is out of his UFC 137 tilt with Denis Siver. MMAJunkie reported the news on Monday. No reason has been given for Stout's departure, but I speculate the recent passing of his head trainer, brother in law and mentor Shawn Tompkins would no doubt have something to do with it. WEC vet Donald Cerrone has been tagged to replace him.
-Bellator is going HD. For the first time ever, the promotion's 5th season will feature HD simulcasts on MTV2 affiliate EPIX, as MMAJunkie reported. I'm not sure how this effects me, as I get neither channel and it broadcasts HD as well as standard def. on The Score up here in Canada. Still hoping it will be a good season. Also, Brazilian Wilson Reis has replaced former featherweight champion Joe Soto in the season 5 featherweight tourney, due to an injury suffered by Soto. He'll meet Eduardo Dantas in the first round September 10th.
-Shogun has apparently set his sights on a rematch with Jon "Bones" Jones. An article with ESPN.uk says in a recent Fighters Only article that "Of the five losses in my career, I have won three rematches. Only one of them won't happen, which is the loss against [Renato Sobral] Babalu because today he's part of the team [at Kings MMA], so this fight won't happen." A trilogy with Lyoto Machida probably looks better at this point, because while the argument was that Rua wasn't 100% against Jones, if he was 100%, I think the result would have been the same. Probably not as dominant or definitive, but no doubt...still the same.
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom or email me mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com you can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
In recent reports, UFC president Dana White has said Lesnar's recovery has been "miraculous" and that "its a matter of time" when the University of Minnesota product returns. Early speculation has him returning at the year end UFC 140 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto in December.
So, Lesnar is to return, but whom will his opponent be?
In a recent interview with ESPN.uk, Frank Mir suggested he might be willing to step in there against the former jack of all trades athlete Lesnar, by saying that if a "Lesnar fight works out, it works out". He goes on to also mention former Strikeforce Champion Alistair Overeem, who as it turns out is under negotiations with the UFC regarding a contract.
I know that Mir is wanting a rubber match with Lesnar really, really badly. However, a trilogy at this point is simply not in the cards. Why? Well, from long ago Dana White has hyped up Lesnar, calling him "one of the best ever" even though in this sport, he's a relative novice. However, if he were to fight Mir at this point, it would be considered a joke, as it will be his 8th fight as a professional and he'd have already fought Mir 3 times! There has to some other fighter that's willing to step up in competition.
I would have considered Brandan Schaub or Matt Mitrione for Lesnar's comeback fight. Give him a up and comer, somebody who like him, is relatively raw. Carwin, whom at this point is also out due to the injuries suffered at the hands of Dos Santos, is another re-match that should happen one day, but not now. Lesnar came across in his last 2 fights as "gun shy" and afraid "to pull the trigger", waiting for Carwin to gas and for the ref to step in during Velasquez's pounding.
The bottom line is, Lesnar is still relatively raw with a shattered confidence. Why not throw him a prospect, say Brandan Schaub or Matt Mitrone in his comeback fight. Both are relative newcomers as well, with Schaub's career stock plummeting recently (following a KO loss to grizzled vet "Minotauro" Nogueira) and Mitrione looking beat up, but fresh in every one of his fights. Mitrione is probably somebody that is catered perfect for Lesnar : A straight stand up fighter who pushes forward and likes to punch, a lot.
Of course with Lesnar's takedown prowess, it can easily be assumed we'll just see him takedown whomever he fights, save his pretty face and get a decision. Anybody care to argue?
-In Other news, Sam Stout is out of his UFC 137 tilt with Denis Siver. MMAJunkie reported the news on Monday. No reason has been given for Stout's departure, but I speculate the recent passing of his head trainer, brother in law and mentor Shawn Tompkins would no doubt have something to do with it. WEC vet Donald Cerrone has been tagged to replace him.
-Bellator is going HD. For the first time ever, the promotion's 5th season will feature HD simulcasts on MTV2 affiliate EPIX, as MMAJunkie reported. I'm not sure how this effects me, as I get neither channel and it broadcasts HD as well as standard def. on The Score up here in Canada. Still hoping it will be a good season. Also, Brazilian Wilson Reis has replaced former featherweight champion Joe Soto in the season 5 featherweight tourney, due to an injury suffered by Soto. He'll meet Eduardo Dantas in the first round September 10th.
-Shogun has apparently set his sights on a rematch with Jon "Bones" Jones. An article with ESPN.uk says in a recent Fighters Only article that "Of the five losses in my career, I have won three rematches. Only one of them won't happen, which is the loss against [Renato Sobral] Babalu because today he's part of the team [at Kings MMA], so this fight won't happen." A trilogy with Lyoto Machida probably looks better at this point, because while the argument was that Rua wasn't 100% against Jones, if he was 100%, I think the result would have been the same. Probably not as dominant or definitive, but no doubt...still the same.
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom or email me mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com you can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Spy vs. Spy : Is there really a mole in Jackson's camp, or is this just all nonsense?
Sports have seen its notorious cheating scandals. Who remembers "Spygate" from 2007 involving the Patriots, to the Steroid Scandal that surrounded Major League Baseball with Jose Canseco's published book "Juiced", The downfall of sprinters such as Ben Johnson and Marion Jones, to the constant accusations about Lance Armstrong's supposed cheating during 7 Tour De France wins that despite constant denial, just won't go away....
It appears that cheating isn't limited to those sports, as now its apparently crossed into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. In an article on Yahoo!Sports released Monday, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson makes the accusation that his opponent at UFC 135 in Denver, Colorado next month, that being current 205 lb. kingpin Jon "Bones" Jones, allegedly has placed a mole at Jackson's camp in Denver.
Jackson goes onto say he allegedly suspected someone of pulling a Benedict Arnold in the days leading up to last year's UFC 114 unanimous decision loss to Rashad Evans. He says that during that fight, Evans repeatedly punched Jackson's knee, which is strange....considering Rampage is now claiming that he injured it during camp, and let nobody know about it.
“In all my years of fighting, I’d never been punched in the knee before and I never saw anyone punch someone in the knee,” Jackson is quoted as saying in the article.
Jackson states that he then last week claimed a injury about a hand to everybody in his camp...to see it where it would go. It eventually was relayed to UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva, who promptly called "Rampage's" manager, Anthony McGann whom revealed the source of this information : Malki Kawa, who happens to be Bones' manager.
In an followup article on MMAJunkie, Malki Kawa denies any spy exists and essentially says that Jackson is looking to "excuse an imminent loss".
Jackson's accusations are not to be taken lightly. Let's face it, like the Patriots had in that 2007 regular season, Jon Jones (essentially ignoring say 2 12-to-6 elbows on Matt Hamill's chin) is undefeated. Jones might be considered this Sport's Tom Brady to the sports Bill Belichick, which would be Greg Jackson. But while Jackson has been long under scrutiny for training fighters to be "tactical" and "boring" by everybody, from you MMArmaggedists to UFC president Dana White, his fighters have come under cheating clouds recently. Earlier, it was Nate Marquardt and the TPT saga, and now this.
But it was why those Patriots stayed undefeated why people refer to them as cheats. If Jones were to win, would we now consider him a cheat? And while it might be possible Jackson is telling the truth about the story, remember this :
This guy did follow up a unanimous decision loss to Forrest Griffin in 2008 by going off the deep end, only to turn it into a starring role in last year's summer blockbuster "The A-Team".
Hey, I'm just throwing it out there...
-In other news, re-signed Women's Strikeforce Champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos has been announced by Scott Coker as returning to action.....in December. MMAJunkie reported that it could be the previously unannounced December 17th event on Showtime, also rumored to feature a lightweight world title fight between Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Melendez. So, with both title fights on the card, at least Santos' title fight will be worth watching.
-Junkie also reported that the UFC 134 prelim fights, highlighted by the most bizarre display ever in a fight by Rousimar Palhares' near first round KO of Jim Miller, netted 1.3 million viewers. This was despite the threat of electricity being wiped out due to Hurricane Irene, people still tuned in. Though I think it really has something to do with the UFC being shown on FOX in Brazil why the figure is so high.
-Speaking of everybody's near KO artist Rousimar Palhares, he said that Saturday night's fight he heard the words "Stop...Stop" from Jim Miller, this is according to Palhares' Trainer, Murilo Bustamante, in an article from ESPN.com/Sherdog published Sunday. Palhares' lame brain tactics cost him in a KO loss to Nate Marquardt. Now I don't know, but from where I watched the fight i didn't hear a thing. Maybe i'm deaf, the crowd was really loud, or Palhares just hears voices in his head. Very very strange stuff.
-and I know this is coming out of left field, but I got to give a shout out to everybody's favourite father figure of the '90s, Al Bundy. As various media outlets have informed us, Ed O'Neill, star of FOX's "Married with Children" and current star of ABC's "Modern Family", will be receiving a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. Why does this have to do with MMA?
Well did you know O'Neill has his black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu?
You didn't?
Well, now you know.
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter, at Twitter.com/MMArmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
It appears that cheating isn't limited to those sports, as now its apparently crossed into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. In an article on Yahoo!Sports released Monday, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson makes the accusation that his opponent at UFC 135 in Denver, Colorado next month, that being current 205 lb. kingpin Jon "Bones" Jones, allegedly has placed a mole at Jackson's camp in Denver.
Jackson goes onto say he allegedly suspected someone of pulling a Benedict Arnold in the days leading up to last year's UFC 114 unanimous decision loss to Rashad Evans. He says that during that fight, Evans repeatedly punched Jackson's knee, which is strange....considering Rampage is now claiming that he injured it during camp, and let nobody know about it.
“In all my years of fighting, I’d never been punched in the knee before and I never saw anyone punch someone in the knee,” Jackson is quoted as saying in the article.
Jackson states that he then last week claimed a injury about a hand to everybody in his camp...to see it where it would go. It eventually was relayed to UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva, who promptly called "Rampage's" manager, Anthony McGann whom revealed the source of this information : Malki Kawa, who happens to be Bones' manager.
In an followup article on MMAJunkie, Malki Kawa denies any spy exists and essentially says that Jackson is looking to "excuse an imminent loss".
Jackson's accusations are not to be taken lightly. Let's face it, like the Patriots had in that 2007 regular season, Jon Jones (essentially ignoring say 2 12-to-6 elbows on Matt Hamill's chin) is undefeated. Jones might be considered this Sport's Tom Brady to the sports Bill Belichick, which would be Greg Jackson. But while Jackson has been long under scrutiny for training fighters to be "tactical" and "boring" by everybody, from you MMArmaggedists to UFC president Dana White, his fighters have come under cheating clouds recently. Earlier, it was Nate Marquardt and the TPT saga, and now this.
But it was why those Patriots stayed undefeated why people refer to them as cheats. If Jones were to win, would we now consider him a cheat? And while it might be possible Jackson is telling the truth about the story, remember this :
This guy did follow up a unanimous decision loss to Forrest Griffin in 2008 by going off the deep end, only to turn it into a starring role in last year's summer blockbuster "The A-Team".
Hey, I'm just throwing it out there...
-In other news, re-signed Women's Strikeforce Champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos has been announced by Scott Coker as returning to action.....in December. MMAJunkie reported that it could be the previously unannounced December 17th event on Showtime, also rumored to feature a lightweight world title fight between Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Melendez. So, with both title fights on the card, at least Santos' title fight will be worth watching.
-Junkie also reported that the UFC 134 prelim fights, highlighted by the most bizarre display ever in a fight by Rousimar Palhares' near first round KO of Jim Miller, netted 1.3 million viewers. This was despite the threat of electricity being wiped out due to Hurricane Irene, people still tuned in. Though I think it really has something to do with the UFC being shown on FOX in Brazil why the figure is so high.
-Speaking of everybody's near KO artist Rousimar Palhares, he said that Saturday night's fight he heard the words "Stop...Stop" from Jim Miller, this is according to Palhares' Trainer, Murilo Bustamante, in an article from ESPN.com/Sherdog published Sunday. Palhares' lame brain tactics cost him in a KO loss to Nate Marquardt. Now I don't know, but from where I watched the fight i didn't hear a thing. Maybe i'm deaf, the crowd was really loud, or Palhares just hears voices in his head. Very very strange stuff.
-and I know this is coming out of left field, but I got to give a shout out to everybody's favourite father figure of the '90s, Al Bundy. As various media outlets have informed us, Ed O'Neill, star of FOX's "Married with Children" and current star of ABC's "Modern Family", will be receiving a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. Why does this have to do with MMA?
Well did you know O'Neill has his black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu?
You didn't?
Well, now you know.
Questions? Comments? leave one at the bottom or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter, at Twitter.com/MMArmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Who's Next : The strange dilemna now surrounding the UFC and Anderson Silva.
Following yet another one sided dominating performance at UFC 134 in his native country of Brazil, Anderson Silva stands on top of the world. With him having relatively cleaned out his remaining opponents (excluding a winner between his nemesis, Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann challenging him) with his schalcking of Yushin Okami Saturday night, its clear that while another year older at 36, he still knows how to pick his opponents apart and at will. Its clear, that when its all said and done, people may reciprocate the worlds of UFC President Dana White, who has called "The Spider" the greatest athlete to ever grace the centre of the Octagon.
But, with his challengers dwindling and him getting older in the tooth, Its clear Silva will not be around forever. Even at times during his fight with Okami, he looked fatter and older, with his face with bags underneath. While his precision was still there, a year or 2 from now, it may not be. While a potential superfight between Silva and current welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre has long been discussed, it appears now there is another argument for a superfight between Silva and current Light Heavyweight kingpin, Jon "Bones" Jones, and Silva as a heavyweight attraction would be catch some attention against the likes of Cain Velasquez.
So, in the meantime, while Silva is cementing his legacy reaping in dollars from the likes of Nike and Burger King, let's talk hypotheticals : Who would give Silva the greatest challenge in a Superfight, and why?
First, let's look at Georges St. Pierre. Its clear that GSP is strong in the one department Silva is lacking, that being wrestling, and its clear that the UFC has run short of opponents for him to fight as well (to the point Nick Diaz parlayed his boxing aspirations into a title shot versus the French Canadian later this year). Like Silva, GSP has also defended his belt at least 6 times, and carries an impressive winning streak (8 victories) into a fight versus Silva.
Pros : This fight would bring huge revenues for the UFC in terms of mere PPV buys, with it being more of an international flair, being Canada vs Brazil. Also, it would be a definite fight of different methods, with GSP trying to use his superior Ground and Pound against Silva.
Cons : GSP being a welterweight would mean he'd have to come up to 185, which would be no problem as he usually cuts about 5-10 pounds to fight anyway. However, he'd probably look smaller against Silva, which means Anderson would have strength advantage and St. Pierre would likely put up against the cage and get carved up.
Why this fight won't happen : Dana White likes something to tease us with. They'll keep fighting contenders left and right until one of them calls it a career.
Next, we have current Light Heavyweight kingpin, Jon "Bones" Jones.
Pros : New York would be stupid to not sanction MMA in time for this potential blockbuster. MSG would sell out, groups would convene on Times Square to watch on the JumboTron, and media from all over could attend the weigh-ins at the Plaza Hotel, with the feel of an old-school big time prize fight. They are the 2 most raw athletes in MMA, with Silva throwing front kicks and Jones cutting the angles down, swinging with wild spinning backfists.
Cons : Jones is merely 23 years old, and The UFC I'm sure wants him to mature before there is any "Greatest ever" talk. They'll clearly want to coddle him, make sure he gets some more experience under his belt, and then go after just about anybody they can throw at him. Which means, by that time, Anderson will be in his 40s.
Why this fight won't happen : New York is still pretty stupid. And Jon Jones is still pretty young. Plus, he hasn't defended the title yet.
Finally, we have Cain Velasquez
Pros : I hear the UFC wants to sell out a 100,000 seat stadium in Brazil in Sao Paolo in time for UFC 150. Assuming their career and title reigns last that long, would it be too crazy to assume that he make a move up to heavyweight, to challenge Velasquez for the title? Heavyweight fights always sell, and having just about the biggest Mixed Martial Artist in the world today in the only weight class that matters would clearly do wonders.
Cons : Velasquez is bigger, stronger and meaner. Silva might dance around for a round or 2, but the cardio and iron will of the Arizona State grad would prevail, him overpowering Silva with a healthy dose of takedowns and ground and pound.
Why this fight won't happen : Velasquez will lose before he has the chance to talk about this superfight. And Silva will probably retire.
-In other news, MMAJunkie reported that UFC 134 was watched by over 30 million fans in Brazil, with the arena being sold out for weeks at 17,000 strong at the HSBC arena. Plans for an international office in Rio are in the inital stages, as well as a 100,000 seat stadium show for 2012. In this MMArmaggedist's words, This is to die for.
-Resurrected MMA outfit PROElite held its first show in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday night. The Main event featured former UFC fighters Kendall Grove and Joe Riggs put on an entertaining affair, with the TUF alum Grove winning via standing guillotine choke at just 59 seconds of round 1. As well, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski ended what was the worst losing streak of his career, winning via TKO over Ray Lopez. Yes, after all those losses, Arlovski needed a can of some sort to restore his confidence. Wonder if Fedor is next?
-It turns out that Alistair Overeem might be headed for the Octagon. In an article posted here last month, I mentioned that The Golden Glory product and former Strikeforce Champion might parlay his K-1 and Boxing aspirations into a UFC contract. True to form, ESPN.com/Sherdog and MMAJunkie are reporting that the talkways are open between "The Demoltion Man" and Zuffa, and we might see Overeem in the Octagon sooner rather than later. Whether he turns it into a title shot remains to be seen.
Questions? Comments? Want to get back to me? Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or feel free to email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com you can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
But, with his challengers dwindling and him getting older in the tooth, Its clear Silva will not be around forever. Even at times during his fight with Okami, he looked fatter and older, with his face with bags underneath. While his precision was still there, a year or 2 from now, it may not be. While a potential superfight between Silva and current welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre has long been discussed, it appears now there is another argument for a superfight between Silva and current Light Heavyweight kingpin, Jon "Bones" Jones, and Silva as a heavyweight attraction would be catch some attention against the likes of Cain Velasquez.
So, in the meantime, while Silva is cementing his legacy reaping in dollars from the likes of Nike and Burger King, let's talk hypotheticals : Who would give Silva the greatest challenge in a Superfight, and why?
First, let's look at Georges St. Pierre. Its clear that GSP is strong in the one department Silva is lacking, that being wrestling, and its clear that the UFC has run short of opponents for him to fight as well (to the point Nick Diaz parlayed his boxing aspirations into a title shot versus the French Canadian later this year). Like Silva, GSP has also defended his belt at least 6 times, and carries an impressive winning streak (8 victories) into a fight versus Silva.
Pros : This fight would bring huge revenues for the UFC in terms of mere PPV buys, with it being more of an international flair, being Canada vs Brazil. Also, it would be a definite fight of different methods, with GSP trying to use his superior Ground and Pound against Silva.
Cons : GSP being a welterweight would mean he'd have to come up to 185, which would be no problem as he usually cuts about 5-10 pounds to fight anyway. However, he'd probably look smaller against Silva, which means Anderson would have strength advantage and St. Pierre would likely put up against the cage and get carved up.
Why this fight won't happen : Dana White likes something to tease us with. They'll keep fighting contenders left and right until one of them calls it a career.
Next, we have current Light Heavyweight kingpin, Jon "Bones" Jones.
Pros : New York would be stupid to not sanction MMA in time for this potential blockbuster. MSG would sell out, groups would convene on Times Square to watch on the JumboTron, and media from all over could attend the weigh-ins at the Plaza Hotel, with the feel of an old-school big time prize fight. They are the 2 most raw athletes in MMA, with Silva throwing front kicks and Jones cutting the angles down, swinging with wild spinning backfists.
Cons : Jones is merely 23 years old, and The UFC I'm sure wants him to mature before there is any "Greatest ever" talk. They'll clearly want to coddle him, make sure he gets some more experience under his belt, and then go after just about anybody they can throw at him. Which means, by that time, Anderson will be in his 40s.
Why this fight won't happen : New York is still pretty stupid. And Jon Jones is still pretty young. Plus, he hasn't defended the title yet.
Finally, we have Cain Velasquez
Pros : I hear the UFC wants to sell out a 100,000 seat stadium in Brazil in Sao Paolo in time for UFC 150. Assuming their career and title reigns last that long, would it be too crazy to assume that he make a move up to heavyweight, to challenge Velasquez for the title? Heavyweight fights always sell, and having just about the biggest Mixed Martial Artist in the world today in the only weight class that matters would clearly do wonders.
Cons : Velasquez is bigger, stronger and meaner. Silva might dance around for a round or 2, but the cardio and iron will of the Arizona State grad would prevail, him overpowering Silva with a healthy dose of takedowns and ground and pound.
Why this fight won't happen : Velasquez will lose before he has the chance to talk about this superfight. And Silva will probably retire.
-In other news, MMAJunkie reported that UFC 134 was watched by over 30 million fans in Brazil, with the arena being sold out for weeks at 17,000 strong at the HSBC arena. Plans for an international office in Rio are in the inital stages, as well as a 100,000 seat stadium show for 2012. In this MMArmaggedist's words, This is to die for.
-Resurrected MMA outfit PROElite held its first show in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday night. The Main event featured former UFC fighters Kendall Grove and Joe Riggs put on an entertaining affair, with the TUF alum Grove winning via standing guillotine choke at just 59 seconds of round 1. As well, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski ended what was the worst losing streak of his career, winning via TKO over Ray Lopez. Yes, after all those losses, Arlovski needed a can of some sort to restore his confidence. Wonder if Fedor is next?
-It turns out that Alistair Overeem might be headed for the Octagon. In an article posted here last month, I mentioned that The Golden Glory product and former Strikeforce Champion might parlay his K-1 and Boxing aspirations into a UFC contract. True to form, ESPN.com/Sherdog and MMAJunkie are reporting that the talkways are open between "The Demoltion Man" and Zuffa, and we might see Overeem in the Octagon sooner rather than later. Whether he turns it into a title shot remains to be seen.
Questions? Comments? Want to get back to me? Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or feel free to email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com you can also follow me on twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
UFC 134 : Silva vs Okami re-hash : Silva makes short work of Okami as Brazilians impress
Before UFC 134, the Fighters Only issue featured a crowd of Brazilian fighters including Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and in the centre of them all, Anderson Silva. At the bottom, the cover read "Fighting Nation : Mixed Martial Arts comes home".
After UFC 134, it is known that all three of those fighters just showed how much a "Fighting Nation" Brazil was as all 3 fighters won. And looked relatively good doing it.
In the main event, Silva fought Okami for the 185 lb. strap. Going into the main event, the question was of how much was Okami going to incorporate the strategy of one Chael Sonnen, who seemed to have Silva figured out for almost 25 minutes before tapping. Suprisingly, it was Okami who came out the aggressor, pushing forward and missing with a combo and Silva, dancing around hitting the Japanese product with a right leg kick. Silva spent the next half minute or so dancing, throwing jabs and picking off "Thunder" with his timing, until Okami got inside and got a half thai clinch. Suprsingly, while Okami was trying the dirty boxing, it was Silva whom got the better of it, finishing with shoulder punches and knees. After being pushed away, Silva used head movement in dodging most of Okami's punches before ending the first round with an exclaimation point, courtesy of a head kick as the horn sounded.
The second round saw Silva coming forward, as Okami was clearly warded off by that head kick, and after dropping him a minute in and begging Okami to get back up, Silva dropped him at 1:45, finishing off with a thunderous flury of knees and punches as referee Herb Dean called the action at 2:02 of round number 2.
Next for Silva : World Domination. Or a fight with just about whomever he really wants.
Next for Okami : How about going back to Team Quest and telling Chael Sonnen to do his own dirty work. Or, perhaps a fight with Rousimar Palhares?
The co-main event was the rematch between former light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. I had hoped this would be a slugfest, and true to form, for about 2 minutes, it didn't disappoint. At times both fighters pressed forward, Griffin landing his leg kicks while Shogun, amidst chants of "Ruuuuuuuuuuuaaaaa" from the crowd, hit with his masterful body combinations. After hitting Griffin with a pair of solid uppercuts a few seconds apart, the former Chute Boxe alum known as Shogun landed with another at the same time as the Columbus, Ohio native Griffin attempted a takedown. Knowing Griffin was hurt, Rua swarmed, landing several shots and hammerfists before Marc Goddard called a stop to the action at 1 minute and 53 seconds of round number 1.
Next for Rua : Probably another fight or 2 from the mountain top. How about a fight with Rashad Evans?
Next for Griffin : Perhaps a trilogy fight with Stephan Bonnar looks a little more appealing from the view of Griffins camp. I will agree.
Having a year off inbetween fights can really ruin 35 year olds careers. Just ask a certain Russian, (who well we're not mentioning). For Antonio Rogerio "Minotauro" Nogueira, it was a year and a half between fights, but it didn't matter, as Saturday night, he clearly looked fresher than Brandan Schaub. Perhaps a little bit slower, but definitely fresher.
Nogueira looked very sluggish early, and for awhile there it wasn't looking good for the only man to ever hold both the UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles in their career. The former NFLer Schaub was pressing the action in the clinch, landing several body hooks and reversing Nogueira against the cage. While Schaub got Nogueira hurt with a cross-hook combination that finished with an uppercut, its clear that, like the MMArmaggedist said, his chin could withstand Schaub's punches. And if it did, to expect an upset, as Nogueira pressed Schaub to back pedal against the cage, dropping a beautiful hook that rocked the American, dropping the TUF alum at the 4:10 mark of the opening round.
Next for Schaub : A fight with Stephan Struve or Sean McCorkle.
Next for Nogueira : He did well enough to hold off a coaching career. Perhaps a fight with the winner of Roy Nelson-Cro Cop or the winner of Hunt-Rothwell?
Rousimar Palhares overcame a suspect gas tank and his own bone headedness en route to a unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller. After dominating the first round, the Brazilian Palhares used his much improved standup in securing victory.
Next for Palhares : Well, a fight with the winner of Maia-Santiago sounds interesting. Or how about, Yushin Okami?
Next for Miller : A fight against the loser of Stann-Sonnen or Paulo Thiago.
Honorable Mention : It was fitting that Nogueira finally puts on a show fighting for the first time in front of his countrymen. While "Big Nog" isn't quite the fighter he once was, he was able to show us that his boxing is as good as it always was. Shogun Rua showed that the fight against "Bones" Jones was mere ring rust, as he looked in great shape and cruised past Griffin. Palhares' boneheaded move in the first round of his fight against Dan Miller. One judge scored it 30-25, which means Palhares won not one, but 2 10-8 rounds. While the first was clearly 10-9 and maybe 10-8, Palhares showed that his head is sometimes not where it needs to be. After dropping Miller with a hook, he hit with 2 wild shots and proceeded to do his best impression of both Shogun and Wanderlei Silva in one motion, jumping up on the cage with his arms triumphantly before being promptly informed by Herb Dean that the fight was still going on. I don't honestly know where the second 10-8 round came from. Palhares looks like he'd be a contender because while he has all the tools, his head sometimes just isn't there. Jungle Fight Champion Erick Silva dropping Shooto Brazil champ Luis Ramos in 40 seconds. Dangerous. It was worth watching that knockout 3 times, just to see it again and again. Stainislav Nedkov breaking up the clean sweep for the Brazilians by dropping Luis Cane with a left-right combintation. and Oh yeah, Anderson Silva is a very, very dangerous man.
I ran the gauntlet, going 4-0 on my picks for the first time since UFC Toronto. It also brings my record to an impressive 39-21-2 for the year. I'm hoping to stay hot from here on out.
Until next time, fight fans!
After UFC 134, it is known that all three of those fighters just showed how much a "Fighting Nation" Brazil was as all 3 fighters won. And looked relatively good doing it.
In the main event, Silva fought Okami for the 185 lb. strap. Going into the main event, the question was of how much was Okami going to incorporate the strategy of one Chael Sonnen, who seemed to have Silva figured out for almost 25 minutes before tapping. Suprisingly, it was Okami who came out the aggressor, pushing forward and missing with a combo and Silva, dancing around hitting the Japanese product with a right leg kick. Silva spent the next half minute or so dancing, throwing jabs and picking off "Thunder" with his timing, until Okami got inside and got a half thai clinch. Suprsingly, while Okami was trying the dirty boxing, it was Silva whom got the better of it, finishing with shoulder punches and knees. After being pushed away, Silva used head movement in dodging most of Okami's punches before ending the first round with an exclaimation point, courtesy of a head kick as the horn sounded.
The second round saw Silva coming forward, as Okami was clearly warded off by that head kick, and after dropping him a minute in and begging Okami to get back up, Silva dropped him at 1:45, finishing off with a thunderous flury of knees and punches as referee Herb Dean called the action at 2:02 of round number 2.
Next for Silva : World Domination. Or a fight with just about whomever he really wants.
Next for Okami : How about going back to Team Quest and telling Chael Sonnen to do his own dirty work. Or, perhaps a fight with Rousimar Palhares?
The co-main event was the rematch between former light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. I had hoped this would be a slugfest, and true to form, for about 2 minutes, it didn't disappoint. At times both fighters pressed forward, Griffin landing his leg kicks while Shogun, amidst chants of "Ruuuuuuuuuuuaaaaa" from the crowd, hit with his masterful body combinations. After hitting Griffin with a pair of solid uppercuts a few seconds apart, the former Chute Boxe alum known as Shogun landed with another at the same time as the Columbus, Ohio native Griffin attempted a takedown. Knowing Griffin was hurt, Rua swarmed, landing several shots and hammerfists before Marc Goddard called a stop to the action at 1 minute and 53 seconds of round number 1.
Next for Rua : Probably another fight or 2 from the mountain top. How about a fight with Rashad Evans?
Next for Griffin : Perhaps a trilogy fight with Stephan Bonnar looks a little more appealing from the view of Griffins camp. I will agree.
Having a year off inbetween fights can really ruin 35 year olds careers. Just ask a certain Russian, (who well we're not mentioning). For Antonio Rogerio "Minotauro" Nogueira, it was a year and a half between fights, but it didn't matter, as Saturday night, he clearly looked fresher than Brandan Schaub. Perhaps a little bit slower, but definitely fresher.
Nogueira looked very sluggish early, and for awhile there it wasn't looking good for the only man to ever hold both the UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles in their career. The former NFLer Schaub was pressing the action in the clinch, landing several body hooks and reversing Nogueira against the cage. While Schaub got Nogueira hurt with a cross-hook combination that finished with an uppercut, its clear that, like the MMArmaggedist said, his chin could withstand Schaub's punches. And if it did, to expect an upset, as Nogueira pressed Schaub to back pedal against the cage, dropping a beautiful hook that rocked the American, dropping the TUF alum at the 4:10 mark of the opening round.
Next for Schaub : A fight with Stephan Struve or Sean McCorkle.
Next for Nogueira : He did well enough to hold off a coaching career. Perhaps a fight with the winner of Roy Nelson-Cro Cop or the winner of Hunt-Rothwell?
Rousimar Palhares overcame a suspect gas tank and his own bone headedness en route to a unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller. After dominating the first round, the Brazilian Palhares used his much improved standup in securing victory.
Next for Palhares : Well, a fight with the winner of Maia-Santiago sounds interesting. Or how about, Yushin Okami?
Next for Miller : A fight against the loser of Stann-Sonnen or Paulo Thiago.
Honorable Mention : It was fitting that Nogueira finally puts on a show fighting for the first time in front of his countrymen. While "Big Nog" isn't quite the fighter he once was, he was able to show us that his boxing is as good as it always was. Shogun Rua showed that the fight against "Bones" Jones was mere ring rust, as he looked in great shape and cruised past Griffin. Palhares' boneheaded move in the first round of his fight against Dan Miller. One judge scored it 30-25, which means Palhares won not one, but 2 10-8 rounds. While the first was clearly 10-9 and maybe 10-8, Palhares showed that his head is sometimes not where it needs to be. After dropping Miller with a hook, he hit with 2 wild shots and proceeded to do his best impression of both Shogun and Wanderlei Silva in one motion, jumping up on the cage with his arms triumphantly before being promptly informed by Herb Dean that the fight was still going on. I don't honestly know where the second 10-8 round came from. Palhares looks like he'd be a contender because while he has all the tools, his head sometimes just isn't there. Jungle Fight Champion Erick Silva dropping Shooto Brazil champ Luis Ramos in 40 seconds. Dangerous. It was worth watching that knockout 3 times, just to see it again and again. Stainislav Nedkov breaking up the clean sweep for the Brazilians by dropping Luis Cane with a left-right combintation. and Oh yeah, Anderson Silva is a very, very dangerous man.
I ran the gauntlet, going 4-0 on my picks for the first time since UFC Toronto. It also brings my record to an impressive 39-21-2 for the year. I'm hoping to stay hot from here on out.
Until next time, fight fans!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
UFC 134 : Silva vs Okami preview.
On October 16th, 1998 in Sao Paolo, the Ultimate Fighting Championship would hold its "Ultimate Brazil" card at the Ginasio de Portugesa. In what would be remembered as a night Wanderlei Silva was handed his most humiliating loss (up until his recent KO defeat to Chris Leben) by Vitor Belfort and Pat Miletich capturing the UFC lightweight (Now Welterweight) championship. While the crowd was appreciative and the fans loud, the upcoming hard times for the SEG would inevitably force them to sell to Zuffa, and well you know the rest of the story.
On Saturday night, August 27th, 2011, The UFC returns to what is arguably, the home and mecca of Mixed Martial Arts : Brazil. From Royce Gracie to Demian Maia, every Brazilian on the current UFC roster was eager to get a shot on this card, both young and old. And while we won't get to see a "Legends Tournament" like I alluded to in previous postings earlier in the year, we will no doubt get the best of what the UFC has to offer, as Anderson Silva will defend his belt and his reputation as "The best fighter, ever" on the line.
Onto my picks :
Silva vs Okami - Anderson Silva will take on Japanese fighter Yushin Okami in the main event. Okami last saw action last November, disposing of Nate Marquardt at UFC 122 in Germany, while Silva did his best Dhalsim from Street Fighter impression with a front-push kick Knockout of former #1 contender Vitor Belfort in February. Okami has been training with Chael Sonnen's Team Quest in preparation for Silva, who's wrestling skills are known to long be his weak point.
I can only see Okami trying to stand in the pocket and withstand Silva's methodical, strategic standup in the hopes of going for a takedown and trying to grind it out (as it certainly did help Sonnen in his 23 minute and 55 second dominance of Silva). The question is will he be able to withstand combinations and attacks from every angle. The answer to this is probably no, and I have a feeling that after a round and a half, the man known as "The Spider" Will have his hand raised.
The Pick : Silva by KO.
Rua vs Griffin - The co-feature is one that will be contested at 205 lbs, with former champions Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Forrest Griffin renewing acquaintances. This is a rematch, as the Brazilian Rua was defeated by the American Griffin at UFC 76 in 2007. Rua is fighting for the first time since looking out of shape and ultimately losing his belt in March against Jon Jones, While Griffin grinded out a unanimous decision victory over former Middleweight kingpin Rich "Ace" Franklin at UFC 126, the same card that Silva floored Belfort.
I expect to see Rua a lot more prepared for Griffin this time around. There will be a lot of standing and trading, as both are Muay Thai standup competitors and can take shots with the best of them. The question will be whom will tire first. In a fight that will certainly have fight of the night honors being mentioned, The Brazilian will take the victory in a close, yet impressive, decision.
The Pick : Rua by Decision.
Schaub vs Nogueira - A Heavyweight tilt between grizzled PRIDE veteran Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and TUF graduate and prospect Brandon Schaub are another one of the highlights on the main card. Big Nog hasn't fought in nearly a year and a half, as his last fight was against Cain Velasquez (in which he took the KO loss from the current UFC heavyweight champ) in February 2010, in the meantime pulling out of a rematch with Frank Mir due to knee surgery, while Schaub is coming off a victory against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in February, in which he was losing up until the Croatian fell flat on his face.
Ring rust will definitely be a factor for Nog. At 35 years old, It is clear the wear and tear on his body has taken its toll. However, Schaub seemed to be lacking in all facades of the game against Cro Cop : He was beaten to the punch routinely by an older man, and while Schaub scored with takedowns, it was obvious he struggled. Fortunately for Schaub, Cro Cop has a bad knee and a even worse chin. Unfortunately for Schaub, while Noguiera's chin isn't what it was, it might be enough to take Schaub's punches. And if it is, expect an upset.
The Pick : Nogueira by decision.
Palhares vs Miller - The Spike prelims before the main PPV card are highlighted by a middleweight clash between BJJ whiz Rousimar Palhares and Dan Miller. In a fight that will give us a contender for "Submission of the night", I expect the Brazilian to derail the American Miller's trip to Rio.
The Pick : Palhares by submission.
Those are my picks. Questions? Want to get back to me? Leave a comment or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com . You can also follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
On Saturday night, August 27th, 2011, The UFC returns to what is arguably, the home and mecca of Mixed Martial Arts : Brazil. From Royce Gracie to Demian Maia, every Brazilian on the current UFC roster was eager to get a shot on this card, both young and old. And while we won't get to see a "Legends Tournament" like I alluded to in previous postings earlier in the year, we will no doubt get the best of what the UFC has to offer, as Anderson Silva will defend his belt and his reputation as "The best fighter, ever" on the line.
Onto my picks :
Silva vs Okami - Anderson Silva will take on Japanese fighter Yushin Okami in the main event. Okami last saw action last November, disposing of Nate Marquardt at UFC 122 in Germany, while Silva did his best Dhalsim from Street Fighter impression with a front-push kick Knockout of former #1 contender Vitor Belfort in February. Okami has been training with Chael Sonnen's Team Quest in preparation for Silva, who's wrestling skills are known to long be his weak point.
I can only see Okami trying to stand in the pocket and withstand Silva's methodical, strategic standup in the hopes of going for a takedown and trying to grind it out (as it certainly did help Sonnen in his 23 minute and 55 second dominance of Silva). The question is will he be able to withstand combinations and attacks from every angle. The answer to this is probably no, and I have a feeling that after a round and a half, the man known as "The Spider" Will have his hand raised.
The Pick : Silva by KO.
Rua vs Griffin - The co-feature is one that will be contested at 205 lbs, with former champions Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Forrest Griffin renewing acquaintances. This is a rematch, as the Brazilian Rua was defeated by the American Griffin at UFC 76 in 2007. Rua is fighting for the first time since looking out of shape and ultimately losing his belt in March against Jon Jones, While Griffin grinded out a unanimous decision victory over former Middleweight kingpin Rich "Ace" Franklin at UFC 126, the same card that Silva floored Belfort.
I expect to see Rua a lot more prepared for Griffin this time around. There will be a lot of standing and trading, as both are Muay Thai standup competitors and can take shots with the best of them. The question will be whom will tire first. In a fight that will certainly have fight of the night honors being mentioned, The Brazilian will take the victory in a close, yet impressive, decision.
The Pick : Rua by Decision.
Schaub vs Nogueira - A Heavyweight tilt between grizzled PRIDE veteran Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and TUF graduate and prospect Brandon Schaub are another one of the highlights on the main card. Big Nog hasn't fought in nearly a year and a half, as his last fight was against Cain Velasquez (in which he took the KO loss from the current UFC heavyweight champ) in February 2010, in the meantime pulling out of a rematch with Frank Mir due to knee surgery, while Schaub is coming off a victory against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in February, in which he was losing up until the Croatian fell flat on his face.
Ring rust will definitely be a factor for Nog. At 35 years old, It is clear the wear and tear on his body has taken its toll. However, Schaub seemed to be lacking in all facades of the game against Cro Cop : He was beaten to the punch routinely by an older man, and while Schaub scored with takedowns, it was obvious he struggled. Fortunately for Schaub, Cro Cop has a bad knee and a even worse chin. Unfortunately for Schaub, while Noguiera's chin isn't what it was, it might be enough to take Schaub's punches. And if it is, expect an upset.
The Pick : Nogueira by decision.
Palhares vs Miller - The Spike prelims before the main PPV card are highlighted by a middleweight clash between BJJ whiz Rousimar Palhares and Dan Miller. In a fight that will give us a contender for "Submission of the night", I expect the Brazilian to derail the American Miller's trip to Rio.
The Pick : Palhares by submission.
Those are my picks. Questions? Want to get back to me? Leave a comment or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com . You can also follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon
Until next time, fight fans!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Bellator 48 recap : Curran floors Sandro with vicious head kick, wins 145 lb. tourney.
Bellator's inaugural Summer Series concluded Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, airing live on MTV2 and the Score.
The main event featured Sengoku veteran and native Brazilian Marlon Sandro squaring off against American product Pat Curran, who was looking to become the first man in the promotion's history to win tournaments in 2 seperate weight classes. Through the first 5 minutes, however, Curran was routinely beat to the punch, and while he landed several blows to the training partner of Jose Aldo, including push kicks to the abdomen and 2 flying knees, Sandro's activity and ability to throw combinations consistently combined with his head movement gave him the first round, albeit a close 10-9. The second round started as the first had ended, with Sandro landing combinations, opening up a huge cut under the right eye of the Island Lake, Illinois native Curran. Just when it seemed like the Brazilian was going to cruise to another 10-9 round, disaster struck. After coming in for another huge combination finishing with a hook, Sandro left his right hand down, and Curran countered with a incredible head kick that sent Sandro flying to the mat, finishing off with mop up punches and the referee stopping the action at 4:00 of the second round. Curran moves onto a featherweight title shot against the winner of the rematch between 145 lb. Kingpin Joe Warren and Brazilian Patricio Pitbull.
The co-main event was a heavyweight tilt between DeathClutch mainstay and Bellator heavyweight champ Cole Konrad and UFC veteran Paul Buentello. Through 10 minutes of standup, Konrad was clearly more active, landing methodically and just enough to score, while the veteran known as the "Headhunter" clearly looked every bit his 37 years (and 43 fights), moving slowly, throwing wild flurries and not engaging, preferring to back up and throw when his back was against the cage. While Buentello certainly was game, he didn't do enough and a takedown in the final frame was enough for Konrad to take the fight by unanimous decision, by scores of 29-28 and 30-27 (twice). With the loss, Buentello has lost now four of his last six.
Other winners included Rene Nazare, who won by TKO via doctor's stoppage after 2 rounds against his Costa Rican opponent Juan Barrantes, and Seth Petruzelli (yes, THAT Seth Petruzelli) who floored former UFC heavyweight kingpin Ricco Rodriguez via short right hook midway through the second round.
Honorable Mention : Neil Grove looks to be about the most humble fighter you've ever seen. When I attended Bellator 47 last month at Rama, Ontario, he came out after his opening match to take pictures and sign autographs for a large group of people. Last night, you saw how articulate he was as a commentator. He was always in the conversation and never seemed disinterested ,which is a far cry from what we've seen in the past (Joe Warren and Eddie Alvarez sitting between Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock watching the fights up close, just agreeing with Smith, almost giving you the illusion that they had left until they piped in with something between rounds). Though he scored every round for Konrad, you could clearly tell there was no bias. I'd like to see more of him as the third guy in the booth.
Buentello needs to call it a career. He was angry as the 3rd round sounded, but there was no excuse for his performance. Sluggish, unmotivated and aging come to mind. Also, Ricco Rodriguez, who despite being only 34, looked out of shape and in no position to make a run back to the top. Seth Petruzelli, who said he didn't want his career being defined by flooring former street fighting phenomenon turned MMA fighter Kimbo Slice. He made clear it wouldn't be with a devastating KO of Rodriguez. He said he'd like a shot at Christian M'Pumbu's strap. He's got to earn it, and I'd like to see him have a shot at doing that.
The next Bellator will kick off the promotion's 5th season, airing from Caesar's Atlantic City on September 10th on MTV2. Log back on here soon for a season preview.
Until next time, fight fans!
The main event featured Sengoku veteran and native Brazilian Marlon Sandro squaring off against American product Pat Curran, who was looking to become the first man in the promotion's history to win tournaments in 2 seperate weight classes. Through the first 5 minutes, however, Curran was routinely beat to the punch, and while he landed several blows to the training partner of Jose Aldo, including push kicks to the abdomen and 2 flying knees, Sandro's activity and ability to throw combinations consistently combined with his head movement gave him the first round, albeit a close 10-9. The second round started as the first had ended, with Sandro landing combinations, opening up a huge cut under the right eye of the Island Lake, Illinois native Curran. Just when it seemed like the Brazilian was going to cruise to another 10-9 round, disaster struck. After coming in for another huge combination finishing with a hook, Sandro left his right hand down, and Curran countered with a incredible head kick that sent Sandro flying to the mat, finishing off with mop up punches and the referee stopping the action at 4:00 of the second round. Curran moves onto a featherweight title shot against the winner of the rematch between 145 lb. Kingpin Joe Warren and Brazilian Patricio Pitbull.
The co-main event was a heavyweight tilt between DeathClutch mainstay and Bellator heavyweight champ Cole Konrad and UFC veteran Paul Buentello. Through 10 minutes of standup, Konrad was clearly more active, landing methodically and just enough to score, while the veteran known as the "Headhunter" clearly looked every bit his 37 years (and 43 fights), moving slowly, throwing wild flurries and not engaging, preferring to back up and throw when his back was against the cage. While Buentello certainly was game, he didn't do enough and a takedown in the final frame was enough for Konrad to take the fight by unanimous decision, by scores of 29-28 and 30-27 (twice). With the loss, Buentello has lost now four of his last six.
Other winners included Rene Nazare, who won by TKO via doctor's stoppage after 2 rounds against his Costa Rican opponent Juan Barrantes, and Seth Petruzelli (yes, THAT Seth Petruzelli) who floored former UFC heavyweight kingpin Ricco Rodriguez via short right hook midway through the second round.
Honorable Mention : Neil Grove looks to be about the most humble fighter you've ever seen. When I attended Bellator 47 last month at Rama, Ontario, he came out after his opening match to take pictures and sign autographs for a large group of people. Last night, you saw how articulate he was as a commentator. He was always in the conversation and never seemed disinterested ,which is a far cry from what we've seen in the past (Joe Warren and Eddie Alvarez sitting between Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock watching the fights up close, just agreeing with Smith, almost giving you the illusion that they had left until they piped in with something between rounds). Though he scored every round for Konrad, you could clearly tell there was no bias. I'd like to see more of him as the third guy in the booth.
Buentello needs to call it a career. He was angry as the 3rd round sounded, but there was no excuse for his performance. Sluggish, unmotivated and aging come to mind. Also, Ricco Rodriguez, who despite being only 34, looked out of shape and in no position to make a run back to the top. Seth Petruzelli, who said he didn't want his career being defined by flooring former street fighting phenomenon turned MMA fighter Kimbo Slice. He made clear it wouldn't be with a devastating KO of Rodriguez. He said he'd like a shot at Christian M'Pumbu's strap. He's got to earn it, and I'd like to see him have a shot at doing that.
The next Bellator will kick off the promotion's 5th season, airing from Caesar's Atlantic City on September 10th on MTV2. Log back on here soon for a season preview.
Until next time, fight fans!
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