UFC 110 Results

It's really too bad that I had to miss most of this event. I knew it'd be a pretty good card, with some interesting match-ups. I hope to see most of these fights on UFC Unleashed soon.

Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Minotauro Nogueira (KO 1) - I knew I was asking for it when I said I didn't see Cain knocking Nogueira out. Sure enough, he did. It wasn't pretty, but it shows how much power Cain is able to summon. Cain will be fast-tracked to a title shot now, though I'd prefer to see him fight someone the likes of Mir or Carwin or Couture to get one more feather before his big shot. Cain vs Lesnar would be a clash of similar titans. (0-1)

Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping (unanimous) - I wish I had seen more of this. Caught the last round and a bit. I could tell as soon as I saw the screen that it was close, and likely not going in Wanderlei's favour. Bisping was still dancing and didn't appear to have a mark on him. It appeared Wanderlei was hesitant to let his hands go in that berserker style he has trademarked. Sure enough, when he let his hands go, he knocked Bisping down and that helped him secure the third round and the victory (29-28 across the board). Had he not done that, I'm not sure he would have won that round, or the fight. This really hurts Bisping and may prompt the UFC to fast-track Wanderlei into a #1 contender's fight so they can get the bad blood Wanderlei vs Silva match-up. If Silva is due to fight Maia then Sonnen, look for Wanderlei to get Vitor Belfort or Nate Marquardt in the interim (around the Sonnen fight), with the winner getting the shot after that. (1-1)

George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson (unanimous) - Another one I really want to see. This was an interesting match-up and apparently saw George dominate Joe Daddy. I thought it'd be a tough test for George, but apparently he came through with flying colours. This is a huge win for him and will see him propelled into the upper echelons of the lightweight division, one that is starving for challengers for BJ Penn. Look for George to get one more big test before a title shot. (2-1)

Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine (KO 3) - Yet another fight that saw an up-and-comer get a huge win over the favourite. Bader beat Jardine on his feet, where some might have thought Jardine had the edge. Jardine gets KO'd yet again and this definitely opens the door for his departure. Not sure he'll get cut, but he's headed in that direction. Losing 5 of 7 including 3 in a row will do that. (3-1)

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic def. Anthony Perosh (TKO 1) - Perosh didn't have much of a chance, did he? Taking the fight against Cro Cop on two days' notice would have been suicide three years ago, and despite the Croatian's recent troubles, it was still a recipe for disaster this weekend. I didn't see it, but Perosh was a bloody mess by the end of the first and the fight was stopped due to cuts. Did this do anything for Cro Cop's career? Maybe it gave him a small boost of confidence... He still has a ways to go before he's relevant in the heavyweight division again. (4-1)

Krzysztof Soszynski def. Stephan Bonner (TKO 3) - I'd be shocked if this wasn't changed to a no contest. The cut that stopped the fight was clearly the result of a clash of heads. Bonner was actually doing surprisingly well (or perhaps Soszynski was unimpressive) before the stoppage. I expected more out of the Polish Experiment. He needs a better game plan, for sure. He should have taken Bonner down and submitted him, but instead he chose to box against the former golden gloves champ. Soszynski needs to smarten up. If he can't beat one-dimensional meatheads like Bonner... Bonner is also 2 for 7 and loser of 3 in a row. Still, it'd be a surprise if he or Jardine were cut. That's the break you get for being a face from the TUF show - no normal fighter would still be around. (5-1)

Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster (submission 1) - Wow. Lytle by submission? Wow. Another bonus for Lytle (Submission of the Night). Nice. (6-1)

CB Dollaway def. Goran Reljic (unanimous) - Ugh. Dollaway earns another reprieve. Lovely. Now let's see him beat anybody of significance. (6-2)

James Te-Huna def. Igor Pokrajac (TKO 3) - Didn't see it. It was the pick-'em special and I guess I gambled wrong. (6-3)

6-3 - not bad at all. 6-1 in the meaningful fights. Damn.

UFC 110 Predictions

The UFC is headed down under for UFC 110. It'll be intersting to see if any fighters bitch about the start time (around noon local time) in the post-fight commentary. It can't be easy to have a matinee fight when you're used to evening fights.

Let's get to the predictions, shall we?

Antonio Minotauro Nogueira vs Cain Velasquez (heavyweight) - People keep talking about how old Nogueira is, but he's still one of the top dogs. Sure he had a rough night against Frank Mir, but he was coming off an illness and clearly wasn't himself. Cain, meanwhile, is super-hyped by the UFC and so they'd probably like to see him get the nod. I'd take Nogueira in a heartbeat, but the only reason I hesitate is because this is a 3 round fight, not 5 rounds. In a 3 round fight, Cain might be able to secure some takedowns and lay and pray. I don't see him knocking Nogueira out. Still...I'll take Nogueira.

Wanderlei Silva vs Michael Bisping (middleweight) - This is the Axe Murderer's first forray into the middleweight division and it'll be interesting to see if the weight cut hurts him. I don't think it will, since he has always appeared to be a small light heavyweight. Bisping's chin has been exposed thanks to Dan Henderson, and Wanderlei will be looking to smash it in. If he catches Bisping, it's over. Bisping is known for back-pedalling against aggressive opponents and squeaking out wins with jabs. His speed is his best weapon in this fight. Still...I'll pick Wanderlei for once. I can't see Bisping withstanding a wild puncher like Wanderlei. (and I used to be such a fan of Bisping...)

Joe Stevenson vs George Sotiropoulos (lightweight) - I'm a fan of George's but this is a bad match up for him. Stevenson will probably take him down with ease and will be able to avoid submissions. As the wrestler, Stevenson can also choose to stand and bang, where I might also give him the edge. This is a big step up in competition for George and a win would propel him to the upper echelons of the lightweight division. My head says Joe, my heart says George...which way am I supposed to go again? I forget. I'll pick George for fun. It'd be a shocker, though.

Keith Jardine vs Ryan Bader (light heavyweight) - Yet another fight featuring an up-and-comer against an established veteran in need of a win. Jardine should have the advantage here and it'll all come down to how he handles Bader's wrestling. Will Bader choose to stand and bang or take Jardine down? Jardine's a nice guy but overrated. He's lost 4 of 6 including his last 2 in a row, but I don't think the UFC would cut him with another loss. Still... His biggest win came against Griffin in a fight he hadn't earned, with honourable mention to his win over Chuck which was debtable and from which he looked much worse the wear. He's had trouble with bangers (Wanderlei and Houston Alexander) and Bader has shown some power in the past. I'll take the upset - Bader.

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic vs Anthony Perosh (heavyweight) - Perosh is taking this fight on two days notice. That's nuts. Ben Rothwell backed out due to illness, which sucks 'cause the result would have had a greater impact within the UFC. If Cro Cop wins, oh well, no big deal, this guy was a sacrifical lamb anyways. If Perosh wins, Cro Cop retires/gets cut but it doesn't really say much for him since most people think Cro Cop is washed up anyways. Perosh tends to win by submission and lose by KO/TKO. That's not great when you're fighting a pure stand-up guy like Cro Cop who refuses to be taken down. I'll take Cro Cop.

Stephan Bonner vs Krzysztof Soszynski (light heavyweight) - This is the fight I want to see. Soszynski has talent and needs to string together some wins, get some experience and then hopefully start moving up the ladder. Losing to Vera was a setback but not unexpected. Vera went on to fight Couture, for Pete's sake. Bonner has been sputtering since his big fight against Forrest Griffin (the first one, not the mismatch second one). Like Jardine, Bonnar has lost 4 of 6 including his last 2, but against weaker opponents than Jardine (he lost to MARK COLEMAN). He's a UFC darling, but he's in more danger of being cut than Jardine, I figure, especially with his steroid past. Here's hoping Soszynski's the one who puts him out to pasture. I'll pick Krzysztof.

Chris Lytle vs Brian Foster (welterweight) - Our first welterweight fight. I didn't know Lytle was on the card until just now. Nice. He's always good for an entertaining fight. In fact, he's won Fight of the Night honours in his last three fights. That's insane. This could be #4 in a row 'cause Foster is known to stand and bang, too. I'll pick Lytle.

CB Dollaway vs Goran Reljic (middleweight) - Dollaway needs to Goaway. Seriously. He needs to go to a smaller circuit, get some experience, earn his stripes anad come back with a new attitude. So far he's been hand-fed by the UFC and still he's only 3-2 in the octagon. Reljic had a huge win over Wilson Gouveia in his last outing, so maybe he's not the stepping stone Dollaway is usually given. I'm hoping Reljic wins.

James Te-Huna vs Igor Pokrajac (light heavyweight) - Don't know jack about these guys. Te-Huna has won 5 in a row, including one over Cro Cop's opponent. Pokrajac has a decent record (21-6) and had won 8 in a row before losing in his UFC debut against Vladimir Matyushenko. Both appear to be bangers with some submission thrown in. It's a toss up. I'll take Igor 'cause at least he's been there before.

The Elvis Sinosic vs Chris Haseman fight has been canceled 'cause of a shoulder injury to Elvis. He would have lost anyways, 'cause he sucks.

UFC 109 Results

Ok, how'd I do?....

Randy Couture def. Mark Coleman (sub 2) - Ugh. As in ugh-ly. Coleman looked ridiculous in this fight. He was never in it. He should most definitely retire. If you get submitted by Randy Couture, you don't belong in the UFC. Sure, Randy won, but like I said earlier, this does nothing for his career. Coleman looked bad more than Couture looked good, you know? The UFC may try to parlay this into a title shot, but it would be a sham of a justification. Randy need sot beat someone in the top five to deserve that. (1-0)

Chael Sonnen def. Nate Marquardt (unanimous) - What happened? How did Sonnen dominate so easily? Marquardt didn't seem to have an answer for Sonnen's wrestling skills when we've heard from Sonnen himself that that was not the case when they trained together a while back. Not sure what the deal was here, but this REALLY hurts Marquardt's chances at a rematch with Anderson Silva. (1-1)

Paulo Thiago def. Mike Swick (sub 2) - Man, did Swick disappoint. He hasn't been the same fighter since his first loss. He doesn't let his hands go anymore and appears gunshy. He used to win by throwing punches in bunches, but now seems convinced he's Chuck Liddell and can win if he just lands one punch. He needs to snap out of this funk or he'll drop like a stone in the rankings. (1-2)

Demien Maia def. Dan Miller (unanimous) - The fans were booing, but this wasn't that bad a fight. Maia pulled it off. Don;t think this will get him a title shot soon, though. He needs to be more dominant. Look for him to fight Swick next, perhaps. (2-2)

Matt Serra def. Frank Trigg (KO 1) - Someone PLEASE send Trigg away. PLEASE. He sucks. End of story. (3-2)

Mac Danzig def. Justin Buchholz (unanimous) - Barely watched it. Danzig avoids the chopping block for now. Look for Buchholz to disappear, though. (4-2)

Melvin Guillard def. Ronnys Torres (unanimous) - I'd have to watch this fight again. I had Torres winning the first two rounds. Either way, I thought he looked pretty good. (4-3)

Rob Emerson def. Phillipe Nover (unanimous) - Didn't see it. (5-3)

Phil Davis def. Brian Stann (unanimous) - This was a beatdown. Stann was overwhelmed. Davis looked great, but not flawless. He had Stann mounted but couldn't finish and Stann could have easily escaped to a better position had he kept his wits. Too bad we didn't see the scores. I had it 30-25. (5-4)

Chris Tuchscherer def. Tim Hague (majority) - Didn't see it, but another loss does not bode well for Hague. At least this one went beyond 7 seconds and reached a decision. Hague apparently came on strong at the end but by then had already given up the first two rounds. Still, one judge gave Hague a 10-8 third, resulting in a the majority decision. (5-5)

Joey Beltran def. Rolles Gracie (TKO 2) - WTF??? Gracie loked great for the first round and then tired out and was USELESS. His stand-up was ATROCIOUS. It looked like Gracie was gonna submit Beltran in the first 30 seconds, but then he just went retarded. This guy has GOT to disappear. (5-6)

5-6...should have bet with my head and not my heart...

UFC 109 Predictions

Ok, so UFC 109 is this weekend - better get my picks in so you can all mock me later, right?

Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman - Oh man, this is what it's come to, eh? Sure, it's a fight between legends, but it'll do nothing for two guys who are supposedly looking to make themselves relevant again. Who cares if an old guy beats an old guy? How does that move you up the rankings? Randy has more to lose than Coleman, that's for sure. I'll pick Randy to win. Look for the loser to contemplate retirement.

Nate Marquardt vs Chael Sonnen - I don't see how Sonnen has earned this, but if the UFC wants to give him a push, this is certainly one way to do it. Marquardt is super talented and can beat anybody if he puts things together. I'll pick Marquardt.

Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago - This could be the fight of the night. Expect these two to go fast and furious. Thiago has been impressive, but I like Swick too much to bet against him. Here's hoping he rebounds from his poor showing against Dan Hardy.

Demien Maia vs Dan Miller - Both of these guys are solid and have submission skills, but Maia is super dangerous on the ground and has beaten better fighters. If it gets there, look for him to eventually sink in a submission. Miller has to play it smart if he hopes to get the W. If Maia wins, look for him to get a title shot soon, possibly right after Marquardt.

Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg - Another battle between fighters who are looking at their best days in the rear view mirror. I can't believe Trigg is back. How many chances can the UFC give this guy? He has zero drawing power these days. Sure, he might beat the smaller Serra, but what does that do for the UFC? Here's hoping Serra gets the submission and Trigg retires for good.

Mac Danzig vs Justin Buchholz - Danzig is a fine fighter but just hasn't lived up to his billing. He won TUF easily due to his superior experience (it wasn't fair, really) but that hasn't translated into much in the big show. He has lost his last 3 fights and 5 of his last 7. He hasn't beaten anyone of consequence (except maybe Mark Bocek). If he loses tomorrow, look for his name in the next round of UFC cuts. Fortunately for Danzig, I think he'll actually pull it off.

Melvin Guillard vs Ronnys Torres - Guillard had better knock Torres out in a hurry or he's in trouble. If this fight goes to the ground, it's over. I don't know much about Torres, but he has a sick record and can submit you in a variety of ways. Guillard has proven he knows jack about the ground game. I'm picking Torres in his UFC debut.

Phillipe Nover vs Rob Emerson - Normally, I'd pick Nover in a heartbeat, but he's been injured while Emerson has been amassing experience. Emerson was useless on TUF but has since shown some significant improvement and powerful hands. This is a hard one to pick. Nover is probably the favourite, but I'll pick Emerson.

Brian Stann vs Phil Davis - This fight features a couple of guys with heavy hands. It could end early, but Davis is also a proven wrestler and may choose to take it to the ground. If so, look for him to get the win. Stann has way more experience, though, and may be calmer than the newcomer Davis. Tough call, but I guess I'll take Stann.

Tim Hague vs Chris Tuchscherer - I don't like the Canadian's chances, especially coming off his 7 second KO loss last time out. I imagine Tuchscherer will win, but I won't bet against the Canadian guy. I'll pick Hague in an upset.

Rolles Gracie vs Joey Beltran - Beltran has more experience, but never EVER bet against a man named Gracie. I'll pick the inexperienced Rolles.

Ok, let's see how I do!