Ok, let's see how I did...
Dominick Cruz def. Demetrious Johnson (unanimous)
This was a lobsided decision, but I was very impressed with Johnson. That guy has an insane gas tank. He might give Clay Guida a run for his money. He couldn't handle Cruz's wrestling and size and that was the difference. If they ever make a 125 lb division, Johnson might dominate that. (1-0)
Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry (sub 2)
Barry never did get inside and made the massive mistake of going to the ground with Struve. The submission came quickly, despite a very impressive slam. Barry should have used his kicks more - they were working. (1-1)
Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman (TKO 1)
No question, Johnson was kicking Brenneman's ass, but this was an early stoppage. It was a massive head kick and Brenneman went down, but he was clearly not out. It should have gone a bit longer to see if Johnson could finish him. Fights shouldn't be stopped because a guy is in trouble; they should be stopped when the guy is DEFEATED. Johnson looked good. (2-1)
Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig (unanimous)
Close fight. The first round was iffy, but I scored it the same way - 29-28 Wiman, with him taking the first and third rounds. Entertaining fight. Chosen as "Fight of the Night". (3-1)
Yves Edwards def. Rafaello Oliveira (TKO 2)
Oliveira looked good until he got caught. He was far more aggressive, with Edwards barely throwing any leather. He got a bit careless on a series of strikes and ate a big knee. He wasn't the same after that and Edwards caught him again with big shots, putting him down and eventually forcing the ref to step in. (4-1)
Paul Sass def. Michael Johnson (sub 1)
Yup - as predicted, the submission skills were the difference. Sounds like Johnson was overmatched. Dunno if he'll stick around long. (5-1)
Mike Easton def. Byron Bloodworth (TKO 2)
Sounds like this one was a war. (6-1)
TJ GRant def. Shane Roller (sub 3)
Didn't see it. Apparently, Grant was winning the fight, taking the first two rounds. Good for him. Nice feather. (7-1)
Josh Neer def. Keith Wisniewski (TKO 2)
Sounds like Neer carved up Wisniewski and the doctor had to stop it. (8-1)
Walel Watson def. Joseph Sandoval (TKO 1)
Lots of stoppages in the undercard. Sounds like it was a good night for those in attendance. Good night for me, too! (9-1)
NICE!!!
Showing posts with label Anthony Rumble Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anthony Rumble Johnson. Show all posts
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
UFC Live: Cruz vs Johnson Picks
Is it my imagination or is there a UFC event every weekend these days?
Dominick Cruz vs Demetrious Johnson (bantamweight)
I know sweet FA about Johnson, other than he is tiny - even for a bantamweight. He's a wrestler, while Cruz is very well rounded. Both of these guys tend to go to decision recently. I'm gonna pick Cruz.
Pat Barry vs Stefan Struve (heavyweight)
I like both of these guys. On paper, Struve has a crazy advantage thanks to his reach. Both have KO power, but Bary has SERIOUS KO power. Struve's chin is questionable, though while Barry has yet to be KO'd (other than by fluke vs Kongo). I could see this as being a replay of Struve's loss to Travis Browne or Roy Nelson where the smaller guy finally gets inside and lands the big shot to the glass jaw. I also see Barry chopping down the giant with leg kicks. I'm picking Barry.
Anthony Johnson vs Charlie Brenneman (welterweight)
I like Brenneman, but I do not like his chances in this fight. Johnson is an up and comer who has shown great talent and would be contending for the title had it not been for an iffy loss to Josh Koshcheck and the phantom knee strike. Brenneman has the better record, but Johnson has tougher fights under his belt. Both tend to go to decision. Both are wrestlers, but Johnson has some striking pedigree as well. I'm picking Johnson.
Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig (lightweight)
Could be an interesting fight. Both of these guys are far form having secure places with the company. Mid-carders, essentially, who show little threat for the lightweight belt. Wiman is popular, but has not won any of the big fights he's been in. Danzig is a TUF champ who showed lots of promise but then fell on hard times, losing 3 straight to tough competitors. He is 2-1 since then, including a loss to the same Matt Wiman. It was a controversial stoppage, though, with the ref stepping in to break up a submission despite the fact Danzig had not tapped or been rendered unconscious. Danzig will be looking for revenge, which should give him an edge. Still, I'm gonna pick the more well-rounded Wiman.
Yves Edwards vs Rafaello Oliveira (lightweight)
Edwards has been fighting forever. He's a journeyman who has never really impressed in the UFC. Oliveira has a fine record but loses all of his significant fights. Is this a battle of losers? Tough pick. I think I'll pick Edwards.
Michael Johnson vs Paul Sass (lightweight)
Johnson was a TUF competitor from whom great things were expected. So far, though, he has shown that he is a diamond in the rough at best. He has also shown he can be submitted. Sass has a perfect record, though he has only one UFC fight. He is a submissions ninja, with a penchant for triangle chokes. I'm picking Sass.
Mike Easton vs Byron Bloodworth (bantamweight)
Who? Don't know these guys. Mystery bantamweights. I can't wait for this season of TUF to be over so that we'll have some more recognizable faces in the division. Easton has a good record, including a win over the supposedly well-known Chase Beebe. Easton is a champion (UWC) while Bloodworth doesn't have a Wikipedia page and is an injury replacement. I'm picking Easton.
Shane Roller vs TJ Grant (lightweight)
Could be a good fight. Roller is a well-rounded wrestler who contended for a belt not so long ago, but seems to drop the ball in the really big fights. Grant is a Canadian with very well rounded skills, but has dropped some decisions lately at 170. He's dropping down in weight here, so who knows what kind of effect it'll have. If he cuts right, he ought to have a slight size advantage over Roller and ought to be able to nullify any wrestling. I'd give Grant the edge on the feet, so I'm picking Grant.
Josh Neer vs Keith Wisniewski (welterweight)
After two years away, Neer is back in the UFC, this time at welterweight. He has had success at that weight away from the UFC. Wisniewski is a nobody but has a TON of fights over a 13-year career. The guy has fought in just about every organization and even has a loss to Shonie Carter via spinning back fist! I don't lie his chances here, though, so I'm picking Neer.
Walel Watson vs Joseph Sandoval (bantamweight)
No idea. Watson is a submissions machine, it seems. Very tall for a bantamweight (5'11"). Sandoval is undefeated and has some power, it seems. I hate decisions, though, so let's hope Watson submits him. I'm picking Watson.
Dominick Cruz vs Demetrious Johnson (bantamweight)
I know sweet FA about Johnson, other than he is tiny - even for a bantamweight. He's a wrestler, while Cruz is very well rounded. Both of these guys tend to go to decision recently. I'm gonna pick Cruz.
Pat Barry vs Stefan Struve (heavyweight)
I like both of these guys. On paper, Struve has a crazy advantage thanks to his reach. Both have KO power, but Bary has SERIOUS KO power. Struve's chin is questionable, though while Barry has yet to be KO'd (other than by fluke vs Kongo). I could see this as being a replay of Struve's loss to Travis Browne or Roy Nelson where the smaller guy finally gets inside and lands the big shot to the glass jaw. I also see Barry chopping down the giant with leg kicks. I'm picking Barry.
Anthony Johnson vs Charlie Brenneman (welterweight)
I like Brenneman, but I do not like his chances in this fight. Johnson is an up and comer who has shown great talent and would be contending for the title had it not been for an iffy loss to Josh Koshcheck and the phantom knee strike. Brenneman has the better record, but Johnson has tougher fights under his belt. Both tend to go to decision. Both are wrestlers, but Johnson has some striking pedigree as well. I'm picking Johnson.
Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig (lightweight)
Could be an interesting fight. Both of these guys are far form having secure places with the company. Mid-carders, essentially, who show little threat for the lightweight belt. Wiman is popular, but has not won any of the big fights he's been in. Danzig is a TUF champ who showed lots of promise but then fell on hard times, losing 3 straight to tough competitors. He is 2-1 since then, including a loss to the same Matt Wiman. It was a controversial stoppage, though, with the ref stepping in to break up a submission despite the fact Danzig had not tapped or been rendered unconscious. Danzig will be looking for revenge, which should give him an edge. Still, I'm gonna pick the more well-rounded Wiman.
Yves Edwards vs Rafaello Oliveira (lightweight)
Edwards has been fighting forever. He's a journeyman who has never really impressed in the UFC. Oliveira has a fine record but loses all of his significant fights. Is this a battle of losers? Tough pick. I think I'll pick Edwards.
Michael Johnson vs Paul Sass (lightweight)
Johnson was a TUF competitor from whom great things were expected. So far, though, he has shown that he is a diamond in the rough at best. He has also shown he can be submitted. Sass has a perfect record, though he has only one UFC fight. He is a submissions ninja, with a penchant for triangle chokes. I'm picking Sass.
Mike Easton vs Byron Bloodworth (bantamweight)
Who? Don't know these guys. Mystery bantamweights. I can't wait for this season of TUF to be over so that we'll have some more recognizable faces in the division. Easton has a good record, including a win over the supposedly well-known Chase Beebe. Easton is a champion (UWC) while Bloodworth doesn't have a Wikipedia page and is an injury replacement. I'm picking Easton.
Shane Roller vs TJ Grant (lightweight)
Could be a good fight. Roller is a well-rounded wrestler who contended for a belt not so long ago, but seems to drop the ball in the really big fights. Grant is a Canadian with very well rounded skills, but has dropped some decisions lately at 170. He's dropping down in weight here, so who knows what kind of effect it'll have. If he cuts right, he ought to have a slight size advantage over Roller and ought to be able to nullify any wrestling. I'd give Grant the edge on the feet, so I'm picking Grant.
Josh Neer vs Keith Wisniewski (welterweight)
After two years away, Neer is back in the UFC, this time at welterweight. He has had success at that weight away from the UFC. Wisniewski is a nobody but has a TON of fights over a 13-year career. The guy has fought in just about every organization and even has a loss to Shonie Carter via spinning back fist! I don't lie his chances here, though, so I'm picking Neer.
Walel Watson vs Joseph Sandoval (bantamweight)
No idea. Watson is a submissions machine, it seems. Very tall for a bantamweight (5'11"). Sandoval is undefeated and has some power, it seems. I hate decisions, though, so let's hope Watson submits him. I'm picking Watson.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
UFC 106 - Forrest wins, Koscheck still a douche
Ok, so I didn't get my predictions in for this one. My bad. Busy, busy and all that jazz.
I was looking forward to this event, though, as it featured one of my favs, Forrest Griffin, in a redemption fight - the opportunity to not only avenge his split decision loss to Ortiz in the first fight, but also to redeem himself in the eyes of fans who saw him run from the cage after his loss to Anderson Silva.
Here are the results:
Forrest Griffin def. Tito Ortiz (split) - Another debatable result, but, frankly, I thought Forrest won. Maybe it was my rose coloured glasses, but I thought that despite being taken down a couple of times, Forrest was FAR more active in the stand-up and got the best of the exchanges. It does bring up that age-old question of the importance/weight one should place on takedowns. I have always thought they were overrated and, let's face it, contribute to the legend of Randy Couture. A takedown should score points, but not more than a couple of solid shots to the face. It's what a fighter does AFTER they take down an opponent that matters. If they can get punches through, pass, and inflict damage, that's one thing, but laying a praying is b.s. Ortiz just didn't do enough in my book to outweigh Forrest's sustained action. Besides, they weren't exactly clean, skilled takedowns. They were pretty sloppy and Forrest just kinda fell. I would have picked Forrest in this one.
Josh Koscheck def. Anthony Johnson (sub 2) - I really wanted Johnson to knock uber-annoying Koscheck into next week. But c'est la vie. Koscheck did drop another couple of notches in my eyes, though, after blatantly faking an eye injury when Johnson threw a potentially illegal knee that connected with Koscheck's arm - AND NOT HIS HEAD. Johnson was deducted a point for the "foul", but replays showed Koscheck was just stalling for time, like the bitch he is. Way to bring MMA down to the level of soccer, you douche. Hey fighters: there's no point in faking injuries in a fight - you'll lose more respect than you gain when replays show you faked it. Seriously: f**k you, Kos.
Paulo Thiago def. Jacob Volkmann (unanimous) - Not the most exciting pairing, but what with all the injuries and backing out, the UFC bumped this to the main card. Thiago looked good, though.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Luiz Cane (TKO 1) - Little Nog looked good. Cane is no slouch and Nog took him out with extreme prejudice. The light heavyweight division just got more complicated. Wonder if the UFC will have Couture face the other Nogueira after his loss to big bro?
Amir Sadollah def. Phil Baroni (unanimous) - Much like Ortiz, Baroni had nothing after the first couple of rounds. He gassed badly and Sadollah just kept scoring and scoring. Not sure I'm drinking the Sadollah Kool-Aid just yet, but I'm sure the UFC will be testing him in the near future, so we'll see what he can do against better competition.
Ben Saunders def. Marcus Davis (KO 1) - This was a disappointment, but no surprise. It was a terrible match-up for Davis. Saunders is decent, not great, but his reach advantage was just too much. For a muay thai guy, reach is everything. Davis just couldn't handle it. He didn't get inside, which is where he had to be to inflict any damage. Staying at distance just allowed Saunders to soften him up before bringing in the big knees and taking Davis out.
Kendall Grove def. Jake Rosholt (sub 1) - Grove won, but didn't look great. Rosholt was slapping him around until Grove slipped on a triangle choke from his back. Grove is a talented kid, but he has a hard time standing and banging. If Rosholt had just stayed on his feet, it might have been a different outcome.
Brian Foster def. Brock Larson (TKO 2) - Brock Larson continues to underachieve in the UFC. What's up with this guy? Highly-touted, great record... but just doesn't seem to live up to the hype and can't beat anyone of consequence. Disappointing.
Caol Uno & Fabrico Camoes (majority draw) - Sounds like it was a stinker. Didn't see it. Two judges had it for Camoes, but since he had a point deducted, it was 28-28 on those scorecards. One judge had it 29-27 for Uno with the point deduction. Looks like Uno stunk the joint up again. He needs to go away.
George Sotiropolous def. Jason Dent (sub 2) - Dent is a gamer, but Sotiropolous is a very talented fighter who would be a big threat in the UFC if he could get a few things polished.
I think I would have been 5-4-1 in this event... At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I was looking forward to this event, though, as it featured one of my favs, Forrest Griffin, in a redemption fight - the opportunity to not only avenge his split decision loss to Ortiz in the first fight, but also to redeem himself in the eyes of fans who saw him run from the cage after his loss to Anderson Silva.
Here are the results:
Forrest Griffin def. Tito Ortiz (split) - Another debatable result, but, frankly, I thought Forrest won. Maybe it was my rose coloured glasses, but I thought that despite being taken down a couple of times, Forrest was FAR more active in the stand-up and got the best of the exchanges. It does bring up that age-old question of the importance/weight one should place on takedowns. I have always thought they were overrated and, let's face it, contribute to the legend of Randy Couture. A takedown should score points, but not more than a couple of solid shots to the face. It's what a fighter does AFTER they take down an opponent that matters. If they can get punches through, pass, and inflict damage, that's one thing, but laying a praying is b.s. Ortiz just didn't do enough in my book to outweigh Forrest's sustained action. Besides, they weren't exactly clean, skilled takedowns. They were pretty sloppy and Forrest just kinda fell. I would have picked Forrest in this one.
Josh Koscheck def. Anthony Johnson (sub 2) - I really wanted Johnson to knock uber-annoying Koscheck into next week. But c'est la vie. Koscheck did drop another couple of notches in my eyes, though, after blatantly faking an eye injury when Johnson threw a potentially illegal knee that connected with Koscheck's arm - AND NOT HIS HEAD. Johnson was deducted a point for the "foul", but replays showed Koscheck was just stalling for time, like the bitch he is. Way to bring MMA down to the level of soccer, you douche. Hey fighters: there's no point in faking injuries in a fight - you'll lose more respect than you gain when replays show you faked it. Seriously: f**k you, Kos.
Paulo Thiago def. Jacob Volkmann (unanimous) - Not the most exciting pairing, but what with all the injuries and backing out, the UFC bumped this to the main card. Thiago looked good, though.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Luiz Cane (TKO 1) - Little Nog looked good. Cane is no slouch and Nog took him out with extreme prejudice. The light heavyweight division just got more complicated. Wonder if the UFC will have Couture face the other Nogueira after his loss to big bro?
Amir Sadollah def. Phil Baroni (unanimous) - Much like Ortiz, Baroni had nothing after the first couple of rounds. He gassed badly and Sadollah just kept scoring and scoring. Not sure I'm drinking the Sadollah Kool-Aid just yet, but I'm sure the UFC will be testing him in the near future, so we'll see what he can do against better competition.
Ben Saunders def. Marcus Davis (KO 1) - This was a disappointment, but no surprise. It was a terrible match-up for Davis. Saunders is decent, not great, but his reach advantage was just too much. For a muay thai guy, reach is everything. Davis just couldn't handle it. He didn't get inside, which is where he had to be to inflict any damage. Staying at distance just allowed Saunders to soften him up before bringing in the big knees and taking Davis out.
Kendall Grove def. Jake Rosholt (sub 1) - Grove won, but didn't look great. Rosholt was slapping him around until Grove slipped on a triangle choke from his back. Grove is a talented kid, but he has a hard time standing and banging. If Rosholt had just stayed on his feet, it might have been a different outcome.
Brian Foster def. Brock Larson (TKO 2) - Brock Larson continues to underachieve in the UFC. What's up with this guy? Highly-touted, great record... but just doesn't seem to live up to the hype and can't beat anyone of consequence. Disappointing.
Caol Uno & Fabrico Camoes (majority draw) - Sounds like it was a stinker. Didn't see it. Two judges had it for Camoes, but since he had a point deducted, it was 28-28 on those scorecards. One judge had it 29-27 for Uno with the point deduction. Looks like Uno stunk the joint up again. He needs to go away.
George Sotiropolous def. Jason Dent (sub 2) - Dent is a gamer, but Sotiropolous is a very talented fighter who would be a big threat in the UFC if he could get a few things polished.
I think I would have been 5-4-1 in this event... At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Friday, October 30, 2009
My Psychic Powers: Koscheck to fight Johnson at UFC 106
Holy crap! I really am a mind-bender! I can even make Dana White and Joe Silva do my bidding!
Yesterday - YESTERDAY - in my UFC 104 recap, I wrote the following (as I'm sure you remember):
Guess what? I open TSN.ca today and find out that the two are now scheduled to meet in a hastily-arranged battle at UFC 106, in part because the card has suffered the loss of Lesnar vs Carwin.
This ought to be a great fight and a BIG test for Johnson. If he wins this, look for him to go right to the top of the rankings and perhaps be next in line to fight GSP (because he'd be one of the few top-flighters GSP hasn't beaten yet).
So: how should I use my psychic powers next?
Remember: with great power comes great responsibility.
Yesterday - YESTERDAY - in my UFC 104 recap, I wrote the following (as I'm sure you remember):
Anthony Johnson def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (TKO 1) - I'll be shocked if this isn't
the end of Yoshida in the UFC after two massive knockouts. Johnson is gonna get
a bigger push now. I'd pay to see him and Koscheck. (2-3)
Guess what? I open TSN.ca today and find out that the two are now scheduled to meet in a hastily-arranged battle at UFC 106, in part because the card has suffered the loss of Lesnar vs Carwin.
This ought to be a great fight and a BIG test for Johnson. If he wins this, look for him to go right to the top of the rankings and perhaps be next in line to fight GSP (because he'd be one of the few top-flighters GSP hasn't beaten yet).
So: how should I use my psychic powers next?
Remember: with great power comes great responsibility.
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