Bit of news hitting the wires this morning.
UFC 115
The UFC has released the fight card for UFC 115 taking place in Vancouver, BC. This is another big deal event as it marks the debut of the UFC in Western Canada. Vancouver is only the second city in Canada to host a UFC event, which has made rabid Toronto fans quite envious, to be sure.
The card was supposed to feature a battle between the latest TUF coaches, which everyone presumed to mean Chuck vs Tito III. But a strange thing happened on the way to the octagon as rumours and leaked photos suggested Tito was off the show and Rich Franklin had taken his place. Then, it was made public that Ortiz had been hospitalized. Still, Dana White told all who would listen that the Tito-Chuck fight was still on. Whether this was just a ploy to avoid spoiling the TUF season surprises or his actual belief, I don't know, but it has been confirmed that Tito is out and Franklin is in for UFC 115.
Some are greeting the announcement with disappointment, but, to be honest, I think this makes for a more interesting fight. Liddell-Ortiz III wasn't going to settle anything since Chuck was up 2-0. Besides, Ortiz hasn't been relevant for quite some time while Rich Franklin has still been fighting top dogs and is making a bid for a light heavyweight title shot in the future - something Ortiz was likely never to get.
Franklin is best at middleweight, if you ask me, but he was never going to reclaim the belt while Anderson Silva was patrolling those waters. Now, if Silva moves up to light heavyweight...
But that's another story.
In the meantime, a Chuck-Rich fight is an interesting proposition. Both are popular fighters and former champions. A few years ago, this fight seemed unlikely to ever happen (being in different weight classes), but fortunes have changed for both men and this main event offers them an opportunity to get back into the light heavyweight conversation. There's a lot at stake here. The winner will be elevated in the rankings, while the loser will face retirement questions. UFC 115 will mark a turning point - and that's why it matters.
But the disappointment being expressed at 115 isn't limited to the main event. The undercard is a bit underwhelming on the surface.
Cro Cop vs Barry - Mirko simply isn't the same fighter in recent years.
Thiago vs Kampmann - Ok, but not sexy.
Condit vs MacDonald - Condit is known, MacDonald not so much.
Griffin vs Dunham - Ok, not great.
Danzig vs Wiman - Two inconsistent fighters.
Rothwell vs Yvel - Finally some fireworks! But may not be broadcast. Oh.
Wilks vs Sobotta - Wilks is known, Sobotta not so much.
Funch vs Patrick - Never a good sign when the website doesn't have a photo.
Pyle vs Lennox - Pyle is known, Lennox not so much.
Ok, so it isn't the sexiest card we've ever seen. But let's not bury it just yet. Sometimes these cards end up having the best fights. All of these fighters, known or not, will be looking to make an impression. None of these fighters are the cream of their weight class crop, but that means they won't be complacent. They need the wins. I bet the Thiago-Kampmann fight will be terrific.
Still, one would have hoped that the UFC would have made more of an effort to make the card a monster, it being a new market and all. The problem, of course, is that many of the top dogs in the UFC have fought recently and there are only so many fighters available for this June event.
Let's hope the fighters surprise us and put on a terrific show.
Penn vs Edgar rematch?
Normally, when a champ loses their belt, they are forced to earn a tune-up victory before getting a rematch with the new champion. GSP did this with Koscheck, Hughes did this with Alves (he lost), Liddell did this with Jardine (lost), Couture did this with Van Arsdale, and then there's Griffin, Rampage, Evans, etc etc.
But it seems that the UFC is in talks to reunite BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar in the octagon for the lightweight belt. Edgar, you'll recall, won the belt from Penn at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi in a stunner of an upset and with some questioning the judging. The "controversy" surrounding this one, though, does not appear to be on the same scale as the Mauricio Rua vs Lyoto Machida judging that prompted the perhaps ill-advised (it was a snoozefest, to be honest) rematch to be scheduled for Montreal at 113.
So why the immediate rematch? Is the UFC catering to Penn who had been built up as the "greatest lightweight of all time" in recent months? Does it have anything to do with Penn's rumoured desire to leave the division (with the belt) and move up to 170? Does the UFC lack confidence in the marketability of Edgar vs Maynard? Is the lightweight division so thin that no other match-up is palatable?
Who knows.
I'd love to hear the explanation, though. The real explanation.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
UFC 112 "Invincible" = Disgraceful
UFC 112 went off on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, a significant event in the history of the organization. By the end of the event, it would become a public relations nightmare. The storm may calm over the coming days and weeks, but at the time it was clear that everyone outside of Anderson Silva’s camp thought the main event was a disgrace to the sport. Dana White was fuming.
I sincerely hope the UFC finds a way to punish the middleweight champ for his antics in the octagon and the embarrassment he brought to the sport on this massive stage. If I were the UFC president, I’d consider stripping Silva of the belt and creating a Sonnen vs Silva, Belfort vs Marquardt tourney for the right to claim the title. Even if Silva won the belt back, he’d have to earn it and the 6 months removed from the title of middleweight champ would be a clear message that this sort of crap would not be tolerated.
Anderson Silva def. Demian Maia (unanimous) – In case you missed it, Silva spent five rounds dancing away from Maia, acting like an ass and landing just enough jabs to bloody his opponent and retain his belt. Silva’s taunting of Maia was almost violent as he urged the challenger to attack him. Message to Anderson Silva: counterstriking is YOUR game. Forrest Griffin and Chris Leben proved that attacking you with reckless abandon is just this side of suicidal. Why does Maia have to play your game? How about you attack him and finish him if he is so unworthy? Let’s get something straight: this was another example of terrible match-making. Sure, the UFC might have had this particular pairing thrust upon them because Sonnen, Belfort and Marquardt were all unable to fight on this date (and apparently Silva insisted on fighting in Abu Dhabi) but there was little doubt that this fight would be a repeat of the Silva-Leites fight that set the stage for Leites’ exit from the UFC. How is a jiu-jitsu practitioner with no real power in his fists supposed to handle Silva if Silva won’t go to the ground? It’s called a stalemate. Boring as hell. Maia, to his credit, did attack Silva more in the later rounds and landed a few good shots on the champ. Silva even said afterwards that he was surprised by Maia’s power. Was Silva so scared that he decided to just jump on his bike and backpedal for the last 5 minutes? Maybe. I’m glad Dana White did not try to sugar-coat the facts with some PR spinning. In fact, he showed his anger before the fight was even over, giving the belt to Silva’s manager and telling him to put the belt on “the champ”. I’m praying this is not the end of this story and that Silva will be sanctioned somehow. (1-0)
Frankie Edgar def. BJ Penn (unanimous) – This was the shocker of the night. Did anyone see this coming? Penn was apparently a 7-1 favourite. But did Edgar deserve the decision? I dunno… See, I always believed that to be the champ you had to beat the champ. If it was a close fight and it went to decision, odds were the champ would retain. I look at Arlovski-Silvia III for the best example of this. In my mind, Arlovski won that fight on points, but it was close, lacklustre and went to decision with Silvia getting the nod. Ok, fine. So what about this fight? Well, Edgar spent the five rounds dancing and circling around Penn, trying to land punches and feigning takedowns here and there (at least, I assume they were feints because if they were real efforts he failed miserably). He did land one takedown in the 5th round (I think) which I felt would give him that round, but for the rest of the fight it was Penn who was landing the more effective strikes. Edgar threw far more punches, don’t get me wrong, but Penn’s were landing at a far greater rate, it seemed. Penn did seem to fade in rounds four and five, but even then he seemed to be getting the better of the exchanges. When the scores were announced, I was disappointed that one judge had the fight 50-45, meaning he didn’t think Edgar deserved even that one takedown round. I was floored when the unanimous decision was actually going Edgar’s way, meaning that HE was being given all five rounds by that one judge. Wow. So what happens now? Will Penn want to regain his belt or will he use this as an opportunity to move back up to welterweight? (Man, I hope not – at least not if it means an undeserved second rematch with GSP!) It would seem inconsistent with Penn’s ego to vacate the lightweight division without the title in his hands, so I’m betting on a rematch in a few months, with Penn moving on if he wins that night. If that isn’t the plan, look for lightweights to be positively salivating at the prospect of facing Edgar for the belt and not Penn. First up, the man who last beat Edgar – Gray Maynard. Boy, wouldn’t Kenny Florian be pissed, too, since Edgar didn’t have to go through him to get his shot. If Penn, like other champs who have lost their belt, is forced to take a redemption fight before getting a rematch, then I’d love to see him square off against the Energizer bunny, Clay Guida. (1-1)
Matt Hughes def. Renzo Gracie (TKO 3) – When the fight card was announced, I feared it might turn into a complete dud of an evening with three boring fights to end it off. Aside from the shock of Edgar’s win and the insanity of Silva’s behaviour, I was right. All three main event fights were uneventful, boring fights. The fact that this one actually ended before it went to the scorecards is testament to the fact that Renzo had no business inside the octagon. Before this fight, Gracie hadn’t fought in 3 years. By his own admission, he hadn’t trained in two and a half years leading up to the six months of training for this fight. That’s ridiculous. Why did the UFC even make this fight? The guy makes his UFC debut at 43? WTF? Matt Hughes fights once a year and this is the match-up you give him? What a waste of time. That said, it’s not like Hughes dominated Gracie. He landed very few clean shots, basically wearing his opponent down with kicks. But Gracie still looked terrible. He clearly did not have the gas for this fight and went down at every occasion simply from fatigue. One knockdown was clearly a phantom punch. Eventually, Herb Dean stepped in not because Hughes was threatening to hurt his defenseless opponent but because Gracie simply could not continue. Pathetic. And he has a six fight contract? Let’s hope the UFC cuts him. (2-1)
Rafael Dos Anjos def Terry Etim (sub 2) – Sure, the main events were garbage, but the prelims/undercard fights weren’t bad. Etim had Dos Anjos in serious trouble in the first round with a deep guillotine choke but Dos Anjos turned the tables in the second, securing an arm bar submission for the win. Good fight. (2-2)
Mark Munoz def. Kendall Grove (TKO 2) – This was another one where one guy dominated in the first but got put away in the next round. Munoz took a big uppercut in the first and was on queer street for the rest of the round. His wrestling saved him as he was able to tie up Grove against the cage and ride out the storm. He didn’t look much better in the second, but still managed to land a few shots that shook Grove and then he dropped some bombs from the top to draw the ref’s mercy. Grove’s soft chin was exposed again. (3-2)
Phil Davis def. Alexander Gustafsson (sub 1) – I’m not sure why I picked Gustafsson in this one. Davis was insanely impressive in his beatdown of Brian Stann though he did have holes in his game. Still, they weren’t holes Gustafsson was going to be able to take advantage of on his feet and once this went to the ground it was pretty much over. Davis secured an anaconda choke that had Gustafsson tapping with just 5 seconds left in the round. Ouch. (3-3)
Rick Story def. Nick Osipczak (split decision) – Apparently Story eked this one out after a tough battle with the always game Osipczak. Wish I had seen it. (4-3)
DeMarques Johnson def. Brad Blackburn (TKO 3) – Didn’t see it, but Johnson earned KO of the Night. (5-3)
Paul Kelly def. Matt Veach (sub 2) – Oh well, my underdog pick didn’t pan out. Kelly was very successful in his lightweight debut, finishing Veach with a guillotine. Veach’s face was a mess afterwards. I’m looking forward to seeing Kelly’s future lightweight matches. (5-4)
Jon Madsen def. Mostapha Al Turk (unanimous) – Ok, that’s three losses in three appearances for Al Turk. Surely this is the end of his UFC career. I thought he’d redeem himself, but I was wrong. Time to go. (5-5)
Paul Taylor vs John Gunderson – This fight didn’t happen for medical reasons. I was a bit confused as to the weight class for this fight and apparently Taylor was, too.
So a .500 record for the night. A couple of dogs didn’t pan out and you can’t blame me for not picking Edgar. Still, I thought I’d do better. Next time.
I sincerely hope the UFC finds a way to punish the middleweight champ for his antics in the octagon and the embarrassment he brought to the sport on this massive stage. If I were the UFC president, I’d consider stripping Silva of the belt and creating a Sonnen vs Silva, Belfort vs Marquardt tourney for the right to claim the title. Even if Silva won the belt back, he’d have to earn it and the 6 months removed from the title of middleweight champ would be a clear message that this sort of crap would not be tolerated.
Anderson Silva def. Demian Maia (unanimous) – In case you missed it, Silva spent five rounds dancing away from Maia, acting like an ass and landing just enough jabs to bloody his opponent and retain his belt. Silva’s taunting of Maia was almost violent as he urged the challenger to attack him. Message to Anderson Silva: counterstriking is YOUR game. Forrest Griffin and Chris Leben proved that attacking you with reckless abandon is just this side of suicidal. Why does Maia have to play your game? How about you attack him and finish him if he is so unworthy? Let’s get something straight: this was another example of terrible match-making. Sure, the UFC might have had this particular pairing thrust upon them because Sonnen, Belfort and Marquardt were all unable to fight on this date (and apparently Silva insisted on fighting in Abu Dhabi) but there was little doubt that this fight would be a repeat of the Silva-Leites fight that set the stage for Leites’ exit from the UFC. How is a jiu-jitsu practitioner with no real power in his fists supposed to handle Silva if Silva won’t go to the ground? It’s called a stalemate. Boring as hell. Maia, to his credit, did attack Silva more in the later rounds and landed a few good shots on the champ. Silva even said afterwards that he was surprised by Maia’s power. Was Silva so scared that he decided to just jump on his bike and backpedal for the last 5 minutes? Maybe. I’m glad Dana White did not try to sugar-coat the facts with some PR spinning. In fact, he showed his anger before the fight was even over, giving the belt to Silva’s manager and telling him to put the belt on “the champ”. I’m praying this is not the end of this story and that Silva will be sanctioned somehow. (1-0)
Frankie Edgar def. BJ Penn (unanimous) – This was the shocker of the night. Did anyone see this coming? Penn was apparently a 7-1 favourite. But did Edgar deserve the decision? I dunno… See, I always believed that to be the champ you had to beat the champ. If it was a close fight and it went to decision, odds were the champ would retain. I look at Arlovski-Silvia III for the best example of this. In my mind, Arlovski won that fight on points, but it was close, lacklustre and went to decision with Silvia getting the nod. Ok, fine. So what about this fight? Well, Edgar spent the five rounds dancing and circling around Penn, trying to land punches and feigning takedowns here and there (at least, I assume they were feints because if they were real efforts he failed miserably). He did land one takedown in the 5th round (I think) which I felt would give him that round, but for the rest of the fight it was Penn who was landing the more effective strikes. Edgar threw far more punches, don’t get me wrong, but Penn’s were landing at a far greater rate, it seemed. Penn did seem to fade in rounds four and five, but even then he seemed to be getting the better of the exchanges. When the scores were announced, I was disappointed that one judge had the fight 50-45, meaning he didn’t think Edgar deserved even that one takedown round. I was floored when the unanimous decision was actually going Edgar’s way, meaning that HE was being given all five rounds by that one judge. Wow. So what happens now? Will Penn want to regain his belt or will he use this as an opportunity to move back up to welterweight? (Man, I hope not – at least not if it means an undeserved second rematch with GSP!) It would seem inconsistent with Penn’s ego to vacate the lightweight division without the title in his hands, so I’m betting on a rematch in a few months, with Penn moving on if he wins that night. If that isn’t the plan, look for lightweights to be positively salivating at the prospect of facing Edgar for the belt and not Penn. First up, the man who last beat Edgar – Gray Maynard. Boy, wouldn’t Kenny Florian be pissed, too, since Edgar didn’t have to go through him to get his shot. If Penn, like other champs who have lost their belt, is forced to take a redemption fight before getting a rematch, then I’d love to see him square off against the Energizer bunny, Clay Guida. (1-1)
Matt Hughes def. Renzo Gracie (TKO 3) – When the fight card was announced, I feared it might turn into a complete dud of an evening with three boring fights to end it off. Aside from the shock of Edgar’s win and the insanity of Silva’s behaviour, I was right. All three main event fights were uneventful, boring fights. The fact that this one actually ended before it went to the scorecards is testament to the fact that Renzo had no business inside the octagon. Before this fight, Gracie hadn’t fought in 3 years. By his own admission, he hadn’t trained in two and a half years leading up to the six months of training for this fight. That’s ridiculous. Why did the UFC even make this fight? The guy makes his UFC debut at 43? WTF? Matt Hughes fights once a year and this is the match-up you give him? What a waste of time. That said, it’s not like Hughes dominated Gracie. He landed very few clean shots, basically wearing his opponent down with kicks. But Gracie still looked terrible. He clearly did not have the gas for this fight and went down at every occasion simply from fatigue. One knockdown was clearly a phantom punch. Eventually, Herb Dean stepped in not because Hughes was threatening to hurt his defenseless opponent but because Gracie simply could not continue. Pathetic. And he has a six fight contract? Let’s hope the UFC cuts him. (2-1)
Rafael Dos Anjos def Terry Etim (sub 2) – Sure, the main events were garbage, but the prelims/undercard fights weren’t bad. Etim had Dos Anjos in serious trouble in the first round with a deep guillotine choke but Dos Anjos turned the tables in the second, securing an arm bar submission for the win. Good fight. (2-2)
Mark Munoz def. Kendall Grove (TKO 2) – This was another one where one guy dominated in the first but got put away in the next round. Munoz took a big uppercut in the first and was on queer street for the rest of the round. His wrestling saved him as he was able to tie up Grove against the cage and ride out the storm. He didn’t look much better in the second, but still managed to land a few shots that shook Grove and then he dropped some bombs from the top to draw the ref’s mercy. Grove’s soft chin was exposed again. (3-2)
Phil Davis def. Alexander Gustafsson (sub 1) – I’m not sure why I picked Gustafsson in this one. Davis was insanely impressive in his beatdown of Brian Stann though he did have holes in his game. Still, they weren’t holes Gustafsson was going to be able to take advantage of on his feet and once this went to the ground it was pretty much over. Davis secured an anaconda choke that had Gustafsson tapping with just 5 seconds left in the round. Ouch. (3-3)
Rick Story def. Nick Osipczak (split decision) – Apparently Story eked this one out after a tough battle with the always game Osipczak. Wish I had seen it. (4-3)
DeMarques Johnson def. Brad Blackburn (TKO 3) – Didn’t see it, but Johnson earned KO of the Night. (5-3)
Paul Kelly def. Matt Veach (sub 2) – Oh well, my underdog pick didn’t pan out. Kelly was very successful in his lightweight debut, finishing Veach with a guillotine. Veach’s face was a mess afterwards. I’m looking forward to seeing Kelly’s future lightweight matches. (5-4)
Jon Madsen def. Mostapha Al Turk (unanimous) – Ok, that’s three losses in three appearances for Al Turk. Surely this is the end of his UFC career. I thought he’d redeem himself, but I was wrong. Time to go. (5-5)
Paul Taylor vs John Gunderson – This fight didn’t happen for medical reasons. I was a bit confused as to the weight class for this fight and apparently Taylor was, too.
So a .500 record for the night. A couple of dogs didn’t pan out and you can’t blame me for not picking Edgar. Still, I thought I’d do better. Next time.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
UFC 112 : Silva vs Maia in Abu Dhabi
This has been an insanely busy few weeks for the UFC, and it all culminates with UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
This is going to be an open air event, which ought to pose some new and interesting challenges for some of the fighters. It will be a 7pm local start time, so it’s hard to say if the sun will be a factor – even a bright reflection could be distracting. Temperature and humidity may also play a part in these fights. This could turn into something out of a Pro Line commercial.
Alright, let’s get to the picks.
Anderson Silva vs Demian Maia (middleweight) – Anyone who tells you they think Maia will win is lying or an imbecile. Sure, Maia has a chance, but there’s no way anyone would bet on it without some serious odds – and even then a win would be like wining the lottery. We’ve seen what Silva does with jiu jitsu guys: he stands and bangs and when they fall down to try to lure him into their guard, Silva politely invites them to stand back up. The last jiu jitsu guy to try that got booted out of the UFC soon afterwards for one of the most lacklustre efforts ever seen (with the notable exception of Kalib Starnes, of course). Add in the fact that Maia’s chin has previously been exposed thanks to Nate Marquardt and this has all the makings of a walk in the park for Silva and a very very boring fight. Silva will win.
BJ Penn vs Frankie Edgar (lightweight) – Another fight featuring a massive underdog but in this one he has at least a puncher’s chance. Edgar is an up-tempo spirited fighter but I’m not sure he’s anywhere near ready for the likes of BJ Penn. He has beaten some great fighters (Mark Bocek, Jim Miller, Spencer Fisher, Tyson Griffin, Sean Sherk), with his only loss against Gray Maynard – the guy most likely to get the next shot (and probably should have gotten this one). Penn is a well-rounded fighter looking to get yet another re-match against GSP for the welterweight crown when, really, he should be focusing on the belt he has. It’s sad that people are already talking about Penn having “cleaned out” the lightweight division when he has only defeated Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez and Sean Sherk since earning the crown. Is that all the lightweight division has to offer? Sure, Sanchez and Florian are top dogs, but 3 defenses do not make for a “cleaning out” if you ask me. The problem is that Florian is acting as a bodyguard, protecting Penn from challenges by the likes of Clay Guida, Roger Huerta and even Takanori Gomi by defeating these guys before they can get their hands on Penn. Personally, I’d love to see a Penn-Guida fight to see if Penn could handle the intensity. For now, while I’d love to see Edgar take the Ego from Hilo down a notch, I’m picking Penn to win.
Matt Hughes vs Renzo Gracie (welterweight) – This is strictly a stunt fight. That’s to say that it was made not because these guys are on equal footing but because of their names and rivalry. Hughes defeated a geriatric Royce Gracie back in 2006 and now I guess cousin Renzo is out for revenge. Good luck with that. If Hughes, once dubbed the most dominant welterweight champion in UFC history, can’t defeat the likes of Renzo Gracie then he ought to retire. Renzo hasn’t fought in 3 years and has only 6 fights since 2001. He’s riding a three fight win streak, but against has-beens Pat Miletich and Carlos Newton and a DQ win over Frank Shamrock. Before that, he’d lost 6 of 7. I don’t know what Hughes thinks of these fights the UFC has been giving him (one fight per year?) since he lost his belt to GSP, but they certainly aren’t the ones that will get him back in contention. I’m picking Hughes to ground and pound his way to a decision.
Terry Etim vs Rafael Dos Anjos (lightweight) – This could be a very good fight and might steal the show. Dos Anjos has dangerous jiu jitsu while Etim is a well-rounded fighter with, I feel, a more impressive history. I imagine this will be fast-paced and lots of fun. I’m picking Etim.
Kendall Grove vs Mark Munoz (middleweight) – I like Grove, but he has always been one of those “on the bubble” fighters to me. He looks great in some fights and absolutely horrendous in others. He’s susceptible to knockouts and that’s Munoz’s game. I gotta say I like Munoz in this one if he can get inside.
Alexander Gustafsson vs Phil Davis (light heavyweight) – This is another candidate for fight of the night and features a battle of the unbeatens. I’m betting this one ends in a TKO early. Davis is the only one with a name on his record (a very impressive mauling of Brian Stann) but Gustafsson has more fights and tends to end them faster. Not to mention that he, too, has a wrestling background and ought to be able to defend against any Davis takedown attempts. I’ll pick Gustafsson.
Paul Taylor vs John Gunderson (welterweight?) – Can’t say I know much about Gunderson (listed as a lightweight), but Taylor always puts on a good performance (he has earned Fight of the Night three times in eight UFC fights). While he has an impressive record, Gunderson’s only fight of note is a loss to Bart Palaszewski three years ago. Taylor is susceptible to submissions, though, and Gunderson is a sub specialist. Tough call… I like Taylor, but I’ll pick Gunderson for the upset.
Nick Osipczak vs Rick Story (welterweight) – Nick doesn’t have many fights on his record, but he was impressive at times on The Ultimate Fighter. Story has been fairly impressive so far in the UFC and his wrestling background may prove to be the difference. I like Nick, but I’m going to pick the more experienced Story.
DeMarques Johnson vs Brad Blackburn (welterweight) – This is a tough one to pick because neither one of these fighters has been particularly impressive. Johnson famously lost the TUF finale to James Wilks while Blackburn has a mediocre record including a loss to Amir Sadollah. Johnson ought to pose similar problems as Sadollah did for Blackburn, with perhaps even better jiu jitsu. I’ll take Johnson.
Paul Kelly vs Matt Veach (lightweight) – Kelly is another Brit who puts on good shows. In fact, he defeated Paul Taylor in a Fight of the Night match-up a couple of years ago. He has had mixed success in the UFC, though, losing to Marcus Davis and, in his last fight, Dennis Siver via highlight spinning back kick. Veach was undefeated until he ran into Paul Kelly in his last fight. SO Kelly beat Taylor who beat Veach. Does that make Kelly the favourite? Probably. Kelly tends to go to decision, though, whereas Veach is a finisher. I’m gonna go against the odds and pick Veach in this one.
Jon Madsen vs Mostapha Al Turk (heavyweight) – The only heavyweight fight on the card and it’s a dark match. This is another tough one to call. Al Turk has more experience, but has had mediocre outings recently, losing to Cheick Kongo and Mirko Cro Cop (thanks to a poke in the eye). Madsen was only so-so on TUF. Both like to bang, but Madsen has a wrestling background and would be wise to use it. If Turk loses, surely it will mean his exit from the UFC, thin division or no. Against my better judgement, I’ll pick Al Turk to redeem himself and earn a reprieve.
Whoa - 11 fights, including two title fights. That's one packed card. Will it be a boring, predictable one, or will one of these underdogs shock the world?
This is going to be an open air event, which ought to pose some new and interesting challenges for some of the fighters. It will be a 7pm local start time, so it’s hard to say if the sun will be a factor – even a bright reflection could be distracting. Temperature and humidity may also play a part in these fights. This could turn into something out of a Pro Line commercial.
Alright, let’s get to the picks.
Anderson Silva vs Demian Maia (middleweight) – Anyone who tells you they think Maia will win is lying or an imbecile. Sure, Maia has a chance, but there’s no way anyone would bet on it without some serious odds – and even then a win would be like wining the lottery. We’ve seen what Silva does with jiu jitsu guys: he stands and bangs and when they fall down to try to lure him into their guard, Silva politely invites them to stand back up. The last jiu jitsu guy to try that got booted out of the UFC soon afterwards for one of the most lacklustre efforts ever seen (with the notable exception of Kalib Starnes, of course). Add in the fact that Maia’s chin has previously been exposed thanks to Nate Marquardt and this has all the makings of a walk in the park for Silva and a very very boring fight. Silva will win.
BJ Penn vs Frankie Edgar (lightweight) – Another fight featuring a massive underdog but in this one he has at least a puncher’s chance. Edgar is an up-tempo spirited fighter but I’m not sure he’s anywhere near ready for the likes of BJ Penn. He has beaten some great fighters (Mark Bocek, Jim Miller, Spencer Fisher, Tyson Griffin, Sean Sherk), with his only loss against Gray Maynard – the guy most likely to get the next shot (and probably should have gotten this one). Penn is a well-rounded fighter looking to get yet another re-match against GSP for the welterweight crown when, really, he should be focusing on the belt he has. It’s sad that people are already talking about Penn having “cleaned out” the lightweight division when he has only defeated Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez and Sean Sherk since earning the crown. Is that all the lightweight division has to offer? Sure, Sanchez and Florian are top dogs, but 3 defenses do not make for a “cleaning out” if you ask me. The problem is that Florian is acting as a bodyguard, protecting Penn from challenges by the likes of Clay Guida, Roger Huerta and even Takanori Gomi by defeating these guys before they can get their hands on Penn. Personally, I’d love to see a Penn-Guida fight to see if Penn could handle the intensity. For now, while I’d love to see Edgar take the Ego from Hilo down a notch, I’m picking Penn to win.
Matt Hughes vs Renzo Gracie (welterweight) – This is strictly a stunt fight. That’s to say that it was made not because these guys are on equal footing but because of their names and rivalry. Hughes defeated a geriatric Royce Gracie back in 2006 and now I guess cousin Renzo is out for revenge. Good luck with that. If Hughes, once dubbed the most dominant welterweight champion in UFC history, can’t defeat the likes of Renzo Gracie then he ought to retire. Renzo hasn’t fought in 3 years and has only 6 fights since 2001. He’s riding a three fight win streak, but against has-beens Pat Miletich and Carlos Newton and a DQ win over Frank Shamrock. Before that, he’d lost 6 of 7. I don’t know what Hughes thinks of these fights the UFC has been giving him (one fight per year?) since he lost his belt to GSP, but they certainly aren’t the ones that will get him back in contention. I’m picking Hughes to ground and pound his way to a decision.
Terry Etim vs Rafael Dos Anjos (lightweight) – This could be a very good fight and might steal the show. Dos Anjos has dangerous jiu jitsu while Etim is a well-rounded fighter with, I feel, a more impressive history. I imagine this will be fast-paced and lots of fun. I’m picking Etim.
Kendall Grove vs Mark Munoz (middleweight) – I like Grove, but he has always been one of those “on the bubble” fighters to me. He looks great in some fights and absolutely horrendous in others. He’s susceptible to knockouts and that’s Munoz’s game. I gotta say I like Munoz in this one if he can get inside.
Alexander Gustafsson vs Phil Davis (light heavyweight) – This is another candidate for fight of the night and features a battle of the unbeatens. I’m betting this one ends in a TKO early. Davis is the only one with a name on his record (a very impressive mauling of Brian Stann) but Gustafsson has more fights and tends to end them faster. Not to mention that he, too, has a wrestling background and ought to be able to defend against any Davis takedown attempts. I’ll pick Gustafsson.
Paul Taylor vs John Gunderson (welterweight?) – Can’t say I know much about Gunderson (listed as a lightweight), but Taylor always puts on a good performance (he has earned Fight of the Night three times in eight UFC fights). While he has an impressive record, Gunderson’s only fight of note is a loss to Bart Palaszewski three years ago. Taylor is susceptible to submissions, though, and Gunderson is a sub specialist. Tough call… I like Taylor, but I’ll pick Gunderson for the upset.
Nick Osipczak vs Rick Story (welterweight) – Nick doesn’t have many fights on his record, but he was impressive at times on The Ultimate Fighter. Story has been fairly impressive so far in the UFC and his wrestling background may prove to be the difference. I like Nick, but I’m going to pick the more experienced Story.
DeMarques Johnson vs Brad Blackburn (welterweight) – This is a tough one to pick because neither one of these fighters has been particularly impressive. Johnson famously lost the TUF finale to James Wilks while Blackburn has a mediocre record including a loss to Amir Sadollah. Johnson ought to pose similar problems as Sadollah did for Blackburn, with perhaps even better jiu jitsu. I’ll take Johnson.
Paul Kelly vs Matt Veach (lightweight) – Kelly is another Brit who puts on good shows. In fact, he defeated Paul Taylor in a Fight of the Night match-up a couple of years ago. He has had mixed success in the UFC, though, losing to Marcus Davis and, in his last fight, Dennis Siver via highlight spinning back kick. Veach was undefeated until he ran into Paul Kelly in his last fight. SO Kelly beat Taylor who beat Veach. Does that make Kelly the favourite? Probably. Kelly tends to go to decision, though, whereas Veach is a finisher. I’m gonna go against the odds and pick Veach in this one.
Jon Madsen vs Mostapha Al Turk (heavyweight) – The only heavyweight fight on the card and it’s a dark match. This is another tough one to call. Al Turk has more experience, but has had mediocre outings recently, losing to Cheick Kongo and Mirko Cro Cop (thanks to a poke in the eye). Madsen was only so-so on TUF. Both like to bang, but Madsen has a wrestling background and would be wise to use it. If Turk loses, surely it will mean his exit from the UFC, thin division or no. Against my better judgement, I’ll pick Al Turk to redeem himself and earn a reprieve.
Whoa - 11 fights, including two title fights. That's one packed card. Will it be a boring, predictable one, or will one of these underdogs shock the world?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Fight Night Live : Florian vs Gomi Results
Kenny Florian def. Takanori Gomi (sub3) – Takanori Gomi? More like Tacky Origami. The Japanese import was either overhyped or he folded under the UFC pressure. Can’t say I was impressed. He was barely a threat to Florian who seemed to be in awe of his opponent in the pre-fight build-up. Sure, Gomi had some dangerous swings, but they were wild and are ineffective against a mixed martial artist who knows the game. It’ll be a while before Gomi gets his desired rematch against Penn, I think. Florian, while essentially unchallenged, still managed to prove he is one of the very best in the lightweight division. (1-0)
Roy Nelson def. Stefan Struve (KO 1) – I picked Struve for fun, but I knew Nelson would probably squish him. I was a bit surprised he got such a clean knockout, though. I thought Struve would be smarter and use his reach to keep Nelson at bay until a takdown came, but Struve looked like an amateur. When you have an insane reach advantage, you don’t fight on the inside. Silly. (1-1)
Jorge Rivera def. Nate Quarry (TKO 2) – Another one where my pick disappointed. Quarry never looked like he was into this one, backing off and crumpling at the slightest touch. It didn’t look like Jorge was putting that much power into his shots, but Quarry went down like a $2 whore. Pretty stunning, actually. (1-2)
Ross Pearson def. Dennis Siver (unanimous) – Pearson looked good. He was faster than Siver and more effective than the kickboxer. It was a smart, steady, skilled victory and yet still managed to entertain. The fight was closer than the verdict would suggest, but Pearson certainly deserved the nod. (2-2)
Andre Winner def. Rafaello Oliveira (unanimous) – This was a dark match, so I can’t really comment. Apparently Winner controlled the fight. (3-2)
Jacob Volkmann def. Ronys Torres (split) – I hear this one was ugly and the scores (30-27, 30-27 and 28-29) would seem to support that. I’m surprised Torres couldn’t pull this one out. I wouldn’t mind seeing it. I thought Torres would outclass Volkmann for sure. (3-3)
Nik Lentz def. Rob Emerson (unanimous) – Dunno if Emerson will survive the next round of cuts. (4-3)
Gleison Tibau def. Caol Uno (TKO 1) – Caol Uno is a shadow of his former self. Seriously. He looked pathetic. It’s hard to believe this guy was once considered a serious threat in the UFC. Tibau should be fighting tougher guys. (5-3)
Yushin Okami def. Lucio Linhares (TKO 2) – Okami picked Linhares apart in this one, avoiding takedown attempts and using his precision striking to great effect. Linhares was cut so badly that the ref stopped the fight in the second round. It’ll be interesting to see if the UFC decides to give Okami another title push after this and pit him against top dogs. (6-3)
Gerald Harris def. Mario Miranda (TKO 1) – Looks like this might have been the most entertaining fight with two guys trying to knock each other’s heads off. Harris managed to get the upper hand and finished his opponent within the first round. (7-3)
Charlie Brenneman def. Jason High (unanimous) – This might have been a fun one to watch, too, with the two newcomers putting on a spirited show. High couldn’t secure a pair of guillotines and Brenneman got the decision on points. (7-4)
Another event, another winning record (7-4). Not bad.
TUF 11 kicked off last night as well. Some impressive fighters. Let’s see how it plays out.
Big event coming up on April 10. Stay tuned for picks.
Roy Nelson def. Stefan Struve (KO 1) – I picked Struve for fun, but I knew Nelson would probably squish him. I was a bit surprised he got such a clean knockout, though. I thought Struve would be smarter and use his reach to keep Nelson at bay until a takdown came, but Struve looked like an amateur. When you have an insane reach advantage, you don’t fight on the inside. Silly. (1-1)
Jorge Rivera def. Nate Quarry (TKO 2) – Another one where my pick disappointed. Quarry never looked like he was into this one, backing off and crumpling at the slightest touch. It didn’t look like Jorge was putting that much power into his shots, but Quarry went down like a $2 whore. Pretty stunning, actually. (1-2)
Ross Pearson def. Dennis Siver (unanimous) – Pearson looked good. He was faster than Siver and more effective than the kickboxer. It was a smart, steady, skilled victory and yet still managed to entertain. The fight was closer than the verdict would suggest, but Pearson certainly deserved the nod. (2-2)
Andre Winner def. Rafaello Oliveira (unanimous) – This was a dark match, so I can’t really comment. Apparently Winner controlled the fight. (3-2)
Jacob Volkmann def. Ronys Torres (split) – I hear this one was ugly and the scores (30-27, 30-27 and 28-29) would seem to support that. I’m surprised Torres couldn’t pull this one out. I wouldn’t mind seeing it. I thought Torres would outclass Volkmann for sure. (3-3)
Nik Lentz def. Rob Emerson (unanimous) – Dunno if Emerson will survive the next round of cuts. (4-3)
Gleison Tibau def. Caol Uno (TKO 1) – Caol Uno is a shadow of his former self. Seriously. He looked pathetic. It’s hard to believe this guy was once considered a serious threat in the UFC. Tibau should be fighting tougher guys. (5-3)
Yushin Okami def. Lucio Linhares (TKO 2) – Okami picked Linhares apart in this one, avoiding takedown attempts and using his precision striking to great effect. Linhares was cut so badly that the ref stopped the fight in the second round. It’ll be interesting to see if the UFC decides to give Okami another title push after this and pit him against top dogs. (6-3)
Gerald Harris def. Mario Miranda (TKO 1) – Looks like this might have been the most entertaining fight with two guys trying to knock each other’s heads off. Harris managed to get the upper hand and finished his opponent within the first round. (7-3)
Charlie Brenneman def. Jason High (unanimous) – This might have been a fun one to watch, too, with the two newcomers putting on a spirited show. High couldn’t secure a pair of guillotines and Brenneman got the decision on points. (7-4)
Another event, another winning record (7-4). Not bad.
TUF 11 kicked off last night as well. Some impressive fighters. Let’s see how it plays out.
Big event coming up on April 10. Stay tuned for picks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
