Ok, UFC 120 was last weekend and 121 is this weekend, so I'd better get these results up fast so I can move on to my predictions!
Michael Bisping def. Yoshihiro Akiyama (unanimous)
Yup, picked this one right on - Bisping by decision in a so-so fight. It was pretty lacklustre. neither of these guys are true contenders in a division that has Anderson Silva at its head. Both of these guys would get killed by the champ. Akiyama has heavier hands and a solid chin, but he pretty much just stood there and took what Bisping had to dish. That will get you on the short end of a decision pretty much every time. I'm not looking forward to seeing either of these guys again. (1-0)
Carlos Condit def. Dan Hardy (KO 1)
Wow. Fireworks is this one. If you had told people that this would be a first round KO, most would probably have picked Hardy to be the man standing. Not so. Condit caught Hardy clean on a highlight reel double swing and it was Hardy who fell. We'll be seeing this one for a while. Hardy was gracious in defeat. (2-0)
Mike Pyle def. John Hathaway (unanimous)
Not a very interesting fight. Lots of dull ground game. Hathaway couldn't get anything going and seldom scored. Pyle fought smart if not spectacularly. (2-1)
Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne - draw (unanimous)
Wow. Kongo really really really sucks. Browne was gassed, otherwise he may have earned the victory. As it was, this was only a draw because Kongo had been docked a point for grabbing a hold of Browne's shorts once too often. Boring. (2-1-1)
Claude Patrick def. James Wilks (unanimous)
Another fight that lacked spark. They pretty much just jockeyed for position the whole time. Unimpressive. (3-1-1)
Alexander Gustafson def. Cyrille Diabate (sub 2)
Another awful fight. Did either guy want this? The fact that Gustafson didn't finish the fight sooner speaks volumes as to his lack of skill in jiu-jitsu. Dibate gave him his neck repeatedly and Gustafson tried choking his chin. WTF? (3-2-1)
Rob Broughton def. Vinicius Queiroz (sub 3)
Looks like Queiroz was doing well in the first round and then gassed. Broughton eventually wakes up and gets the rear naked choke for the win. Not sure these guys impressed. (4-2-1)
Steve Cantwell vs Stanislav Nedkov
Cantwell apparently injured himself on Thursday and had to withdraw. So the fight didn't happen - but since I picked Nedkov, it's kind of like I got it right...
Paul Sass def. Mark Holst (sub 1)
Yup - should have stuck with my head. Holst might have won this had he fought smarter. he just kept leaping into Sass's guard. Sass was wicked on the ground. (4-3-1)
Spencer Fisher def. Curt Warburton (unanimous)
Sounds like it was a close fight and Fisher was fortunate not to drop a decision to this nobody. (5-3-1)
Fabio Maldonado def. James McSweeney (TKO 3)
Now we know why McSweeney has a losing record. Let's hope we don't see him again. He gassed out in this one and was useless after the first round. Maldonado toyed with him by the sounds of it. (6-3-1)
A winning record. Not bad.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
UFC 120 Predictions
Ok, some quick picks for UFC 120 being held in London, England this weekend.
Michael Bisping vs Yoshihiro Akiyama (middleweight)
When Bisping is your main event draw you know it's a pretty weak card, UK locale or not. Neither of these fighters has been impressive of late. Akiyama came in to the UFC with much fanfare and delivered sub-par performances, earning a contentious decision over Alan Belcher and being submitted by Chris Leben (who is not exactly known for his ground game). Since losing to Dan Henderson, Bisping has been on a rollercoaster ride - beating Denis Kang, losing to Wanderlei Silva, beating Dan Miller. Both of these guys like to stand and box. Bisping is four inches taller, but they have the same reach. Maybe Bisping will use his kicks to his advantage. I'll pick Bisping by decision in an ok fight at most.
Dan Hardy vs Carlos Condit (welterweight)
If Condit is smart he would do well to avoid trading with the heavy handed Hardy and take this fight to the ground. If he does, he will submit Hardy. Hardy showed against GSP that he doesn't have much of a ground game. He survived only because GSP attempted very few submissions. Condit won't give Hardy that chance. I'm picking Condit.
John Hathaway vs Mike Pyle (welterweight)
This is the real fighter Britons ought to get behind. This guy has potential. Hathaway is young, but he has beaten Rick Story, Paul Taylor and Diego Sanchez. No small feat. Other than wins over journeyman Shonie Carter and a very young Jon Fitch, Pyle hasn't won any big fights against big names. But he does have experience. Still, I'm going to pick the hometown boy - Hathaway.
Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne (heavyweight)
Kongo might be in for a quick night. Unknown Browne has a perfect record and knocks guys out quick. He KO'd TUF fighter James McSweeney last time out, and has taken a major step up in competition. If he can make a highlight reel out of Congo, look for him to catapult up the rankings in the thin heavyweight division. Neither of these guys likes to hit the mat by the looks of it so it might just be a matter of who connects best. Kongo has a slight reach advantage, but he's been unimpressive recently. I'll pick the dog - Browne.
James Wilks vs Claude Patrick (welterweight)
Gotta go with the Canadian, right? TUF champ Wilks will be the favourite, but Commonwealth cousin Patrick has a very impressive record. If it goes to the ground, it ought to be interesting. I'll pick Patrick.
Cyrille Diabate vs Alexander Gustafson (light heavyweight)
This ought to be over quick. Both of these guys end fights fast and in devastating fashion. Diabate bulldozed Luiz Cane last time out, a guy who was the talk of the town at one point. Gustafson has a very impressive record, but Diabate has more experience. I'll pick Diabate.
Rob Broughton vs Vinicius Queiroz (heavyweight)
Wow. How sad is this card? This fight features two guys who do not have a profile on UFC.com. WTF? Broughton is "Britain's top heavyweight" while Queiroz doesn't even exist on Wikipedia or any other significant website. I'll pick Broughton.
Steve Cantwell vs Stanislav Nedkov (light heavyweight)
Cantwell made some noise that has largely disappeared while Nedkov is another "nobody". Nedkov does have an impressive record with wins over a couple of names. Cantwell, meanwhile, has fought the same guy 3 times! Out of 10 fights! I'll pick Nedkov for fun.
Paul Sass vs Mark Holst (lightweight)
Our first lightweight match - in a card filled with "lightweights". Sass is another mystery man with an impressive record. Holst is a Canadian with good jits as well. My mind says to pick Sass, but my heart is with the Canadian. I'll pick Holst against my better judgement.
Spencer Fisher vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Wait...why is this fight so far down the card? Fisher is a legit tough dude with a good record and big wins. Who the eff is Warburton? I'm picking Fisher.
James McSweeney vs Fabio Maldonado (heavyweight)
A guy with a losing record fighting in the UFC... Honestly, WTF? I don't care where he's from, it looks bad on the company. Maldonado has a very good record, but is another nobody. I'll pick Maldonado, despite the fact he is giving a great deal of weight up.
Tune in free to Spike TV on Saturday.
Michael Bisping vs Yoshihiro Akiyama (middleweight)
When Bisping is your main event draw you know it's a pretty weak card, UK locale or not. Neither of these fighters has been impressive of late. Akiyama came in to the UFC with much fanfare and delivered sub-par performances, earning a contentious decision over Alan Belcher and being submitted by Chris Leben (who is not exactly known for his ground game). Since losing to Dan Henderson, Bisping has been on a rollercoaster ride - beating Denis Kang, losing to Wanderlei Silva, beating Dan Miller. Both of these guys like to stand and box. Bisping is four inches taller, but they have the same reach. Maybe Bisping will use his kicks to his advantage. I'll pick Bisping by decision in an ok fight at most.
Dan Hardy vs Carlos Condit (welterweight)
If Condit is smart he would do well to avoid trading with the heavy handed Hardy and take this fight to the ground. If he does, he will submit Hardy. Hardy showed against GSP that he doesn't have much of a ground game. He survived only because GSP attempted very few submissions. Condit won't give Hardy that chance. I'm picking Condit.
John Hathaway vs Mike Pyle (welterweight)
This is the real fighter Britons ought to get behind. This guy has potential. Hathaway is young, but he has beaten Rick Story, Paul Taylor and Diego Sanchez. No small feat. Other than wins over journeyman Shonie Carter and a very young Jon Fitch, Pyle hasn't won any big fights against big names. But he does have experience. Still, I'm going to pick the hometown boy - Hathaway.
Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne (heavyweight)
Kongo might be in for a quick night. Unknown Browne has a perfect record and knocks guys out quick. He KO'd TUF fighter James McSweeney last time out, and has taken a major step up in competition. If he can make a highlight reel out of Congo, look for him to catapult up the rankings in the thin heavyweight division. Neither of these guys likes to hit the mat by the looks of it so it might just be a matter of who connects best. Kongo has a slight reach advantage, but he's been unimpressive recently. I'll pick the dog - Browne.
James Wilks vs Claude Patrick (welterweight)
Gotta go with the Canadian, right? TUF champ Wilks will be the favourite, but Commonwealth cousin Patrick has a very impressive record. If it goes to the ground, it ought to be interesting. I'll pick Patrick.
Cyrille Diabate vs Alexander Gustafson (light heavyweight)
This ought to be over quick. Both of these guys end fights fast and in devastating fashion. Diabate bulldozed Luiz Cane last time out, a guy who was the talk of the town at one point. Gustafson has a very impressive record, but Diabate has more experience. I'll pick Diabate.
Rob Broughton vs Vinicius Queiroz (heavyweight)
Wow. How sad is this card? This fight features two guys who do not have a profile on UFC.com. WTF? Broughton is "Britain's top heavyweight" while Queiroz doesn't even exist on Wikipedia or any other significant website. I'll pick Broughton.
Steve Cantwell vs Stanislav Nedkov (light heavyweight)
Cantwell made some noise that has largely disappeared while Nedkov is another "nobody". Nedkov does have an impressive record with wins over a couple of names. Cantwell, meanwhile, has fought the same guy 3 times! Out of 10 fights! I'll pick Nedkov for fun.
Paul Sass vs Mark Holst (lightweight)
Our first lightweight match - in a card filled with "lightweights". Sass is another mystery man with an impressive record. Holst is a Canadian with good jits as well. My mind says to pick Sass, but my heart is with the Canadian. I'll pick Holst against my better judgement.
Spencer Fisher vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Wait...why is this fight so far down the card? Fisher is a legit tough dude with a good record and big wins. Who the eff is Warburton? I'm picking Fisher.
James McSweeney vs Fabio Maldonado (heavyweight)
A guy with a losing record fighting in the UFC... Honestly, WTF? I don't care where he's from, it looks bad on the company. Maldonado has a very good record, but is another nobody. I'll pick Maldonado, despite the fact he is giving a great deal of weight up.
Tune in free to Spike TV on Saturday.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
UFC 119 Results
Oops. Didn't put in my picks for this one. Got busy. Sorry. Let's check out the results of what appeared, on paper, to be an underwhelming card.
Frank Mir def. Mirko Cro Cop (KO3)
This fight was boring as hell. Mirko is NOT a heavyweight. He should cut weitgh to 205 so he can face guys more his size. he runs around the ring looking scared and then does his patented two-handed shove off when opponents get too close. It's ridiculous. Neither fighter was engaging, which led to one of the dullest fights in recent memory. Cro Cop should cut weight or be cut, period. His time is LONG gone.
Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (unanimous)
This was hardly a barn burner, either. Bader deserved the nod, though, based on his aggression and takedowns.
Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra (unanimous)
Serra was game, but engaging Lylte in stand-up is pretty silly as far as game plans go. Lytle dominated.
Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham (split)
Dunham was robbed. This fight represents all that is wrong with judging. Sherk got takedowns, but he laid and prayed. Dunham had more heart.
Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens (split)
Bad decision.
CB Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen (sub 1)
Joe's never going to live this down in my mind. There's no excuse for losing to this meathead. Embarrassing.
Matt Mitrione def. Joey Beltran (unanimous)
Mitrione got through this by the skin of his teeth. Could have gone either way, I think. He needs to pick up his game.
Thiago Tavares def. Pat Audinwood (sub 1)
Didn't see it.
Waylon Lowe def. Steve Lopez (split)
Didn't see it.
TJ Grant def. Julio Paulino (unanimous)
Didn't see it.
Sean McCorkle def. Mark Hunt (sub 1)
Didn't see it.
Overall, it was a pretty shite event. Let's hope the next one's better - though the card doesn't look so hot.
Frank Mir def. Mirko Cro Cop (KO3)
This fight was boring as hell. Mirko is NOT a heavyweight. He should cut weitgh to 205 so he can face guys more his size. he runs around the ring looking scared and then does his patented two-handed shove off when opponents get too close. It's ridiculous. Neither fighter was engaging, which led to one of the dullest fights in recent memory. Cro Cop should cut weight or be cut, period. His time is LONG gone.
Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (unanimous)
This was hardly a barn burner, either. Bader deserved the nod, though, based on his aggression and takedowns.
Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra (unanimous)
Serra was game, but engaging Lylte in stand-up is pretty silly as far as game plans go. Lytle dominated.
Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham (split)
Dunham was robbed. This fight represents all that is wrong with judging. Sherk got takedowns, but he laid and prayed. Dunham had more heart.
Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens (split)
Bad decision.
CB Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen (sub 1)
Joe's never going to live this down in my mind. There's no excuse for losing to this meathead. Embarrassing.
Matt Mitrione def. Joey Beltran (unanimous)
Mitrione got through this by the skin of his teeth. Could have gone either way, I think. He needs to pick up his game.
Thiago Tavares def. Pat Audinwood (sub 1)
Didn't see it.
Waylon Lowe def. Steve Lopez (split)
Didn't see it.
TJ Grant def. Julio Paulino (unanimous)
Didn't see it.
Sean McCorkle def. Mark Hunt (sub 1)
Didn't see it.
Overall, it was a pretty shite event. Let's hope the next one's better - though the card doesn't look so hot.
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