UFC 123 Rsults

How'd I do?

Rampage Jackson def. Lyoto Machida (split)
This was hardly an impressive fight for either fighter. The first round was a toss-up, with Rampage taking the second by a nose and Lyoto dominating the third. So it all came down to how you viewed the first round. Rampage got the nod, but he wasn't the only one surprised. Rampage didn't win this fight so much as Lyoto lost it due to inactivity. This doesn't move either fighter up my rankings. (0-1)

BJ Penn def. Matt Hughes (KO 1)
Wow. Even though I picked Penn, I didn't have him winning this quick, this easily. Penn caught Hughes with a nice shot to the side of the head and Hughes was done. Crazy. Penn looked smaller than his opponent, but he showed he was sharper. That's what you get when all of your recent fights are big ones and your opponent is fighting stiffs. If Hughes wants to have any kind of career going forward he has to sharpen his skills and face tougher dudes. Otherwise, he should move to the "Legends" division. (1-1)

Maiquel Falcao def Gerald Harris (unanimous)
Harris looked pathetic. All he had was a jab and a big swing. Falcao had opportunities to win this fight outright, but instead coasted his way to a decision. Is Falcoa dogging it or is he not as talented as it would seem? Remind me not to bet on Harris again. And I came THIS close to picking the dog... (1-2)

Phil Davis def. Tim Boetsch (sub 2)
Davis continues to impress. Boetsch was a spectator in this one. Davis finished him with a one-handed kimura! Wow. (2-2)

George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Lauzon (sub 2)
This was my Fight of the Night pick and I was right. I'm shocked George won this easily, though. Both guys have great jiu jitsu but George is SO dominant when he gets on top - something not all jiu jitsu guys handle well. George is definitely in line for a title shot, I'd say. Maybe one more fight against a Kenny Florian or something. (3-2)

Brian Foster def. Matt Brown (sub 2)
Brown was doing well, but Foster pulled off the choke when Brown stuck his neck out. Too bad for Brown. (4-2)

Mark Munoz def. Aaron Simpson (unanimous)
Close fight, but Munoz had the slight edge and got the nod. (4-3)

Dennis Hallman def. Karo Parisyan (TKO 1)
What has Karo been up to all this time? 'Cause it certainly hasn't been training. He looked AWFUL. He looked small, sick and lacklustre. Hallman made him his bitch in no time. Karo may not get another shot in the UFC. Brutal. A shadow of his former self. (5-3)

Edson Barboza def. Mike Lullo (TKO 3)
Didn't see it, but kinda wish I'd stuck around. TKO by leg kicks? Hm. (6-3)

Paul Kelly def. TJ O'Brien (TKO 2)
Paul Kelly won, but didn't exactly impress. Even when he had O'Brien pinned in a crucifix and had him at his mercy, it took a very obliging ref to stop the fight and give him the win. O'Brien was clearly not hurt. I wish they'd let it go and see if O'Brien could make it to the end of the round. Not that O'Brien looked good, either. (6-4)

Nik Lentz def. Tyson Griffin (split)
Didn't see it. (7-4)

7-4. Not bad.

UFC 123 Picks

Alright, some quick picks on the Rampage-Machida card:

Rampage Jackson vs Lyoto Machida (light heavyweight)
This is finesse versus the rabid dog; and it could get embarrassing. I could see Machida easily dodging Rampage's attacks and countering effectively, frustrating Jackson and eventually putting him away or winning a lopsided decision. But, make no mistake, Jackson has a puncher's chance. He may possess Shogun Rua's power, but unless he can move like Rua, it's hard to imagine him getting the KO. I'm picking Machida.

Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn (welterweight)
Penn moves back up to welterweight to settle the score in this rubber match. Is Hughes too old to catch Penn and take him down like he did last time? Is Penn going to use his skills to submit Hughes like he did the first time or will he stand and jab his way to a decision? Hughes hasn't been relevant since he lost his belt, mostly due to a long layoff and a couple of less-than-stellar since his return. (don't get me started on that Almeida fiasco) Hughes isn't the fighter he was, in my eyes, while Penn has been battling top-notch lightweights as champ. Both fighters are on the decline, but Hughes has the head start. I'm picking Penn.

Gerald Harris vs Maiquel Falcao (middleweight)
This has Knock Out of the Night written all over it. These two guys like to bang hard. Falcao is a nobody with an insane record and a mile-long list of first round KOs. I was gonna pick Harris, but this Falcao's record has me second guessing myself. Still, I'll go with the guy who has been under the big lights before - Harris.

Phil Davis vs Tim Boetsch (light heavyweight)
I wish Tim well, but there's NO WAY I'm going against Davis. Forget it. The guy is a machine. I'm picking...Davis.

George Sotiropoulos vs Joe Lauzon (lightweight)
This has Fight of the Night written all over it and I would suggest the winner will be knocking on the Title Shot door. Bot are favourites of mine and possess crazy jiu jitsu skills. But will they respect each other's strengths and choose to box instead? I hope not. I like Joe, but he had his shot at the #1 contendership with his disappointing fight against Florian - I'm cheering for Sotiropoulos.

Matt Brown vs Brian Foster (welterweight)
If Brown loses, I think this might be the last we see of him for a while. Foster has had some tough fights and beaten some decent opponents. I might cheer for Brown, but I'll bet on Foster.

Aaron Simpson vs Mark Munoz (middleweight)
Munoz is a very decent fighter who is much more suited to the middleweight division than his previous status as a light heavyweight. Simpson is a strong wrestler with KO power, which may give him the edge in this fight. I'm picking Simpson.

Karo Parisyan vs Dennis Hallman (welterweight)
Karo (hopefully) makes his return to the octagon against the man who has beaten Matt Hughes twice and never lost (which gives him a leg up over 2-1 GSP). Hallman has VERY good jiu itsu skills with a number of quick submission wins. Can he get Karo to the ground and submit him? Karo has an impressive record himself, but seems to lose big fights just when he's on the cusp of a title shot. He has way too many decision wins for my taste. This is only his second fight in almost two years. I like Karo, but I'll bet on Hallman.

Edson Barboza vs Mike Lullo (lightweight)
Ok, time to make some guesses. Lullo has no profile on Wikipedia and no big fights. Submission skills, though. Barboza is undefeated and knocks guys out. He does have one submission win, so he must have some skills. I'll pick Barboza.

Paul Kelly vs TJ O'Brien (lightweight)
Paul Kelly is a very decent fighter who dropped down to lightweight after a so-so welterweight career. So far he's...so-so. TJ O'Brien is a nobody but has a crazy submission victory record. It's his UFC debut, so Kelly will have a huge experience advantage, but I'll pick the tall, lanky kid to surprise everybody: O'Brien.

Tyson Griffin vs Nik Lentz (lightweight)
The undercard for this event is insane. Is this a dark match? Huh. Lentz is a wrestler who tends to win by decision - a lot of wins, mind you. Griffin is a former contender who is coming off two very disappointing loses. I'll pick the taller Lentz.

UFC 122 Results

This card turned out to be ok, or at least not as bad as it looked on paper. Strange judging, though, perhaps due to the German location. It seemed little credit was given for takedowns, which are gold elsewhere.

Let's see how I did.

Yushin Okami def. Nate Marquardt (unanimous)

Prime example of takedowns meaning little. One judge had it 30-27 Okami. Okami was doing well on his feet, but never really had Marquardt in any serious danger. Not the most exciting fight, and Dana White pulled no punches afterwards. White claimed Marquardt "choked" and it was probably his corner's fault. Take that, Greg Jackson. I don't see Okami giving the Spider much trouble. Waste of a title fight, probably. (0-1)

Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara (middleweight)

This fight didn't happen as Sakara came down with flu-like symptoms the day of the fight. Apparently, they both got paid. WTF? And Rivera gets Bisping in his next fight. Great for Rivera, not so much for Bisping. Gives you an idea of where his star is at.

Dennis Siver def. Andre Winner (sub 1)

It says submission, but this was really a TKO. Siver knocked Winner out, who flashed back when he was hit again. But he was still in dream land when Siver locked on an awkward rear naked choke. Siver was puny next to Winner; if he can drop weight classes, he probably should. (1-1)

Amir Sadollah def. Peter Sobotta (unanimous)

Sadollah eeked out another decision. Give the guy credit for having great cardio. Sobotta looked lost, backing up throughout the fight. (1-2)

Krzysztof Soszynski def. Goran Reljic (unanimous)

I was surprised KSos got the decision so easily. He was taken down a couple of times, which, again, appears to have been given no credit. He looked decent, but not great. He might need a better gym. (2-2)

Kyle Noke def. Rob Kimmons (sub 2)

Didn't see it. (2-3)

Vladimir Matyushenko def. Alexandre Ferreira (KO 1)

Guess the Janitor isn't dead yet. Interesting. (2-4)

Pascal Krauss def. Mark Scanlon (unanimous)

Fight of the Night. Too bad I missed it. Let's hope it shows up on Unleashed. (2-5)

Duane Ludwig def. Nick Osipczak (split)

Only saw the third round when Nick was gassed. It sounded like he was winning the fight, though, so a bit surprised by the decision, especially the 30-28 score for Nick. How the eff does that happen? There's NO WAY he won the third round, so how did he get a 30? I'm assuming that was misrepresented. (3-5)

Karlos Vemola def. Seth Petruzelli (TKO 1)

Vemola is a MONSTER. This guy is huge and threw Petruzelli around. Watch out for this guy's power. (4-5)

Carlos Rocha def. Kris McCray (sub 1)

McCray was lost in this one. Outclassed. Rocha did well. (5-5)

So it was a wash. Great. Next!!

UFC 122 Picks

Ok, I’ll admit it, I’ve been slacking off recently. Well, no, not really – I’ve been really busy right around event time (in fact I’ve missed a couple) and, frankly, the cards have been a little on the weaker side. So sometimes I’m not all that inspired to get my picks in on time. But even though this weekend card is one of the weakest in memory (that’s what you get for going to Europe and having to air the event free on Spike), I’m determined to make some quick picks. By the way, why is this an official UFC numbered event instead of simply a Fight Night or some sort? Anyways, here are my picks:

Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami (middleweight)

Marquardt is that really solid fighter who seems to have a hard time getting to the top of the mountain. But he’s a tough hombre for others to get through on their way there, too. Okami has been a pretty solid fighter who has not impressed beyond mid-card status. I’m really hoping to see Marquardt get another shot at Anderson Silva, so I’m picking Marquardt.

Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara (middleweight)

Talk about inconsistent mid-carders. The fact that these two are the co-main event is really indicative of the weakness of the card. Rivera seems like a nice guy but he was not that impressive on TUF and has been schooled in the past. He does have a couple of flashy knockout wins under his belt and voila – co-main event. Sakara will always be remembered by me as one of the guys who got destroyed by Houston Alexander. Alexander is out of the UFC now, but Sakara remains. I’m not sure how he stuck around after getting beaten by Chris Leben to make it 2 for 6 with no impressive wins, but then he reeled off three straight including a TKO over a returning James Irvin, so voila – co-main event. Sad. Both like to stand and bang but Rivera TKO’d Nate Quarry so I’m gonna give Rivera the edge.

Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner (lightweight)

Winner hasn’t beaten anybody of note with the exception of perhaps his decision win over Rafaello Oliveira. Siver is a mid-carder, really, but has been in with some of the best including Gray Maynard, Paul Kelly and Spencer Fisher. Neither one of these fighters turns my crank but I’ll give Siver the edge.

Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta (welterweight)

Sadollah is still a kid in this sport, but he’s a workhorse who can grind out a decision. Sobotta has lost his two UFC fights after building up a decent record, both by decision. This does not bode well for Sobotta. Sobotta should win, but I’m not going to count Sadollah out. Sadollah could find a way to secure the victory by boring decision. …But I’m gonna pick Sobotta by TKO.

Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic (middleweight)

I think this fight is at middleweight, though Soszynski has fought at light heavyweight and even heavyweight. The Polish Experiement has had an up and down career but is easy to cheer for due to his good nature. Reljic is also dropping down, so this ought to be an interesting match-up. Reljic has a good style for beating Soszynski, but the Winnipegger has heart – but he needs a good coach. The fighter that comes in with the best game plan will win. Here’s hoping that’s Soszynski.

Kyle Noke vs Rob Kimmons (middleweight)

Kimmons has a ton of experience and finishes guys off fast. No big wins, though. Good thing for him, he isn’t fighting a big name. Noke is decent, but not overwhelming. He has a split decision win over George Sotiropoulos (in the latter’s fourth fight) but a loss to him as well. A respectable record, but no big wins. I’m picking Kimmons.

Vladimir Matyushenko vs Alexandre Ferreira (light heavyweight)

Matyushenko is still alive? Huh. This guys has been around forever. He’s a wrestler who tends to win by decision. Ferreira is making his Octagon debut and has reeled off a string of quick submissions. This guy is slick but does not appear to have much of a gas tank. I’m picking Ferreira to put on a show.

Pascal Krauss vs Mark Scanlon (welterweight)

Two guys who don’t have a picture on the UFC website. Great. One guy doesn’t even have a record showing. WTF…? Both are undefeated though and Scalon won his last fight by head kick in ten seconds. Both guys seem to have an arsenal of submissions and power. After a 17-month layoff this is Scanlon’s FOURTH fight this year. OK, I’m picking Scanlon.

Duane Ludwig vs Nick Osipczak (welterweight)

Whoever loses this fight is getting cut for sure. Both are coming off a pair of losses. Neither has looked particularly good or has any big wins. Ludwig has a ton more experience, but Nick will have a height and reach advantage. I like Nick, but not his chances. I bet Ludwig knocks him out.

Seth Petruzelli vs Karlos Vemola (light heavyweight)

Vemola wins fights fast. He’s dropping down in weight after a decision loss to Jon Madsen. Petruzelli, the Kmbo Slice and EliteXC killer, also tends to avoid decisions. He has the greater pedigree, but I’m gonna go with Vemola in the upset anyways.

Kris McCray vs Carlos Rocha (middleweight)

McCray did not impress me at all on TUF, but he does have a decent record. Rocha appears to be a very dangerous submission artist. I’m gonan pick the new guy – Rocha.

UFC 121 Thoughts

Was pretty busy, so didn't have time to post my picks. Oops. I know you're all terribly disappointed.

I can give you my quick two cents, though.

Cain Velasquez def. Brock Lesnar (TKO 1)
This fight really exposed Lesnar's chin. He can throw a mean right hand, but he also cowers and covers up at the first sign of strong resistance. Not good. Lesnar need sot get punched in the face a few times by training partners to get over this impulse. His weaknesses seem to be psychological. you need to keep your wits about you when your opponent is standing over you dropping bombs. This is a tough task and requires significant mental discipline. So Velasquez is the new champ. Will it last? I dunno. He's good, but considering how much trouble he had against Cheick Kongo, you'll forgive me if I don't bestow godhood upon him. I could see him getting taken out by a wise veteran like Randy Couture or Frank Mir. Even Shane Carwin has to be foaming at the mouth. What's next for Lesnar? Well, some rest for one. But who else can this guy fight? I mean he's already beaten Couture, Carwin, Mir and Herring, so you can't really put him up against also-rans like Cro Cop or Barry or Kongo... So does Lesnar just keep getting title fights? He'll get a tune-up and, if he wins that, surely he'll get a rematch. But frankly he needs experience. Seven fights ain't much.

Jake Shields def. Martin Kampmann (split)
I wasn't surprised by the decision (unlike others) but I was not impressed by Shields. Does this fight earn him a title fight? Hell no. At least, not in my opinion. Dana White seems to think otherwise. Shields hasn't beaten anyone of significance in the UFC (Kampmann is tough, but not THAT tough) and his Strikeforce/EliteXC days can kiss my ass. How do these welterweights keep getting title fights without having to fight other top contenders? Shields should have to beat Fitch or Koscheck or Hardy or Alves or Hughes or SOMEONE who has fought for the title in the last five years before getting GSP. This is goofy.

Diego Sanchez def. Paulo Thiago (unanimous)
Would the real Diego Sanchez PLEASE stand up? Seriously. Diego has been LOST his last few fights, even if he got a title shot against Penn, but he shows up like a mofo against the very tough Thiago. Where has this guy been? Let's hope he keeps it up. He should still drop to lightweight in my opinion, though.

Matt Hamill def. Tito Ortiz (unanimous)
How long before the UFC cuts Ortiz? Who knows. He is a shadow of his former self, that's for sure. He needs a good camp. He needs someone to show him what he's doing wrong. His style is antiquated and isn't going to get him anywhere. He hasn't won a fight in four years and his two wins prior to that were over the geriatric Ken Shamrock. The UFC keeps Ortiz but cuts the very game Patrick Cote who is coming off an injury layoff and lost to a lay and prayer? Doesn't seem to make much sense... Hamill didn't look THAT good.

Brendan Schaub def. Gabriel Gonzaga (unanimous)
Pretty dull fight. Not a lot of leather thrown and Gonzaga didn't try hard enough to get this to the ground. not sure what his gameplan was.

Court McGee def. Ryan Jensen (sub 2)
McGee looked alright. Needs a lot more seasoning before he moves up the ladder.

Tom Lawlor def. Patrick Cote (unanimous)
Boring as hell. Cote couldn't get past Lawlor's ground game and the ref didn't stand them up enough to save him. Cote gets cut afterwards despite being two fights removed from a title fight (in which he was doing alright against Anderson Silva) and getting pile driven by Alan Belcher. Lawlor lays and prays his way to victory. Let's hope Cote can get his act together and come back.

Daniel Roberts def. Mike Guymon (sub 1)
Roberts looked good. Guymon looked lost.

Sam Stout def. Paul Taylor (split)
Didn't see it. I imagine it was a decent boxing match.

Chris Camozzi def. Dongi Yang (split)
Didn't see it.

Jon Madsen def. Gilbert Yvel (KO 1)
Yvel is in the UFC...why? He sucks. Seriously.