UFC 139 Results

This was a great card and from what I saw it did not disappoint.

Dan Henderson def. Maurcio Rua (unanimous)
What's a UFC event without controversy? Dan Henderson did very well for the first three rounds and then proceeded to shut it down and get his ass handed to him by Shogun Rua for the next ten minutes. Fortunately for him, the judges gave him 3 out of the 5 rounds and he got the unanimous decision. So where's the controversy? Well, if there was EVER an argument for a 10-8 (or even 10-7) round, Rua's utter dominance of Hendo in round #5 was it. Rua SLAUGHTERED Henderson for five full minutes. Shame on Rua for not finding a way to end it (submission, anyone?) but you HAD to give him 10-8 or better. Not ONE judge gave him the 10-8 margin, though, which would have made all the difference. I had it 47-47 and a draw - a fitting end to a fight that was so evenly matched overall. These guys deserve to go at it again. A win for Hendo was a bit disgraceful, considering how pathetic he looked for the final two rounds. And if he gets a TITLE SHOT after this?! Please. No one tuning in half way through could have possibly imagined the man on the bottom, getting relentlessly pummeled, could have POSSIBLY won that fight. Chalk another on up to bizarre judging. (0-1)

Wanderlei Silva def. Cung Le (TKO 2)
Wow. This was awesome. Silva looked tentative and nervous at first, and hung out on the periphery while Le measured him. But then Silva started letting his shots go and the tide turned quickly. Le has a questionable gas tank and Silva exploited it in the second round. In the end, Silva was just too much and Le was messed up. Great fight between two free swingers. (1-1)

Urijah Faber def. Brian Bowles (sub 2)
Give Faber credit for getting the submission against a tough opponent. Thanks to this, Faber will get YET ANOTHER title shot. Is there a fighter in MMA who gets more credit for wins than Faber? I dunno. Maybe other guys should get a shot once in a while? (1-2)

Martin Kampmann def. Rick Story (split)
Controversy again, in my mind. Story MAY have won round one, but who in their right mind had him winning one of the last two rounds? Kampmann clearly won those two. A split decision does not do Kampmann's win justice. This should have been at least 29-28 across the board. (2-2)

Stephan Bonnar def. Kyle Kingsbury (unanimous)
Bonnar fought smart (but dull) while Kingsbury honestly just did not show up. I thought Kingsbury would have an advantage in the wrestling department, but Bonnar flat-out schooled his less experienced opponent. Once Bonnar got on top, he used his underrated jiujitsu to secure the win. This was a big step back for Kingsbury. (2-3)

Ryan Bader def. Jason Brilz (KO 1)
Quick fight. Bader used his power, clipped Brilz behind the ear and it was all over. Puts Bader back on track. Look for him to get put back on the fast track with a much tougher opponent. (3-3)

Michael McDonald def. Alex Soto (KO 1)
McDonald looked great. He used his stand-up effectively and Soto got KTFO in under one minute. Things are looking up for the youngster. (4-3)

Chris Weidman def. Tom Lawlor (sub 1)
Weidman continues to surprise and look good. Lawlor is no push over, but Weidman seemed to finish him with ease. This kid has lots of potential. (5-3)

Gleison Tibau def. Rafael Dos Anjos (split)
Didn't see it. Fight metrics show Tibau got in more shots and a couple of take downs. (6-3)

Miguel Angel Torres def. Nick Pace (unanimous)
Didn't see it. Looks like it may have been the mismatch I expected. (7-3)

Seth Baczynski def. Matt Brown (sub 2)
This wasn't pretty, but it went the way I thought it would. Brown likes to swing and throw knees inside but he doesn't seem to have the complete game that is needed. He tends to get caught somehow and he did here, once again. Too bad. (8-3)

Danny Castillo def. Shamar Bailey (TKO 1)
Debatable early stoppage - especially with 8 seconds left in the round - but Bailey was pulling the turtle and was warned by the ref to fight back. Castillo pretty much dominated. (9-3)

Not bad!

UFC 139 Picks

I didn't bother making picks for UFC on Fox. It was a pretty crap card aside from the main event and the Henderson-Guida fight, which was awesome. Some people didn't give Dos Santos much of a chance against Velasquez, but it came as no surprise to me that he won. Velasquez had never really had his chin tested, except a bit against Kongo when he got rocked but recovered. I knew that if Dos Santos could stuff the takedowns he'd have a pretty good chance. Turns out he only had to stuff one before getting the big KO.

But now it's on to a real card - UFC 139. Let's get to it.

Dan Henderson vs. Maurcio Rua (light heavyweight)
So Hendo is back in the UFC and still can't seem to settle on a weight class. I think he'd have more success as a middleweight, personally, but if he wants to take on bigger guys, good for him. This is a huge fight for him. If he wins, he's right back in the title picture. If he loses, though, a lot of people will say he has lost it and point to his loss to Jake Shields as proof, despite his more recent victory over previously highly-touted Fedor Emelianenko. Rua is coming off his gimme win over Forrest Griffin (another no-win scenario fight for Griffin to take) and is looking to get back in the title hunt after getting smoked by current champ Jon Bones Jones. Both of these guys have power. Hendo has wrestling going for him, which appears to be a bit of a weakness for Rua. But Rua is smarter, more skilled, and has BJJ on his side. Can Hendo get Rua down? I dunno. I see this as a stand up war. I see Rua getting the decision. I'm picking Rua.

Cung Lee vs Wanderlei Silva (middleweight)
Silva has lost 6 of 8. Normally, that would get you kicked out of the UFC, but the UFC likes keeping legends around. This, again, falls into the category of guys getting fights for who they are not what they are. But Lee is not exactly a top level opponent at this time, so he has a chance. Lee has been away from MMA, pursuing an acting career. Frankly, the only reason we know his name is because he was a big fish in the small Strikeforce pond. For the most part, he has fought guys who couldn't cut it in the UFC. Sure, his record is good, but it's inflated, much like Fedor's. He's flashy and can throw punches and kicks from crazy angles, but can he withstand a Silva berserker attack. Silva isn't exactly known for fighting smart, so it remains to be seen if he can execute a proper gameplan. I could see Lee getting a decision, but Silva getting a KO. I don't like Silva's chances, but I'm gonna pick him anyway. I'm going with Silva.

Brian Bowles vs Urijah Faber (bantamweight)
This could be fight of the night. Talented, relentless guys in a speedy weight class. Faber is the name, but Bowles is the favourite in my mind. Frankly, I think Faber is overrated. Sure, he puts in the effort, but he seems to worry too much about putting on a good show and not enough about winning smart. I'm picking Bowles.

Martin Kampmann vs Rick Story (welterweight)
Another good fight. Both of these guys have done well and were on the rise before getting derailed. On paper, Kampmann is the more talented, well-rounded fighter. Story has shown, though, that he can overcome odds and upset favoured opponents. Still, I think Kampmann will fight smart and get the W. I'm picking Kampmann.

Stephan Bonnar vs Kyle Kingsbury (light heavyweight)
Another terrific match-up. This could be a war. Kingsbury is a beast, but does not necessarily fight smart. Bonnar is a relentless machine who takes punishment and keeps coming. This is not likely to be the prettiest fight of the night, but it's another FOTN candidate. If Kingsbury is smart, this could be a walk in the park - he just needs to take Bonnar down and keep him there. Boxing would be a mistake. I like Bonnar and all, but I'm picking Kingsbury in a disappointingly dull decision.

Ryan Bader vs Jason Brilz (light heavyweight)
How the mighty have fallen. Bader was considered a very strong up-and-comer until he ran into current champ Jon Jones and got slaughtered. Then the got submitted by a very fortunate Tito Ortiz and suddenly he's on the undercard. On paper, this is a mismatch in Bader's favour. He has more skills than Brilz, a better record, and he has beaten guys Brilz has lost to. So, no surprise, I'm picking Bader.

Michael McDonald vs Alex Soto (bantamweight)
Alex Soto is a replacement for Johnny Eduardo and is in tough against the more experienced McDonald. I'm picking McDonald.

Tom Lawlor vs Chris Weidman (middleweight)
Weidman is pretty raw, but has been impressive. Lawlor has talent, but has been upset more than once. Lawlor should have the experience edge, but he's fighting a guy who is also a wrestler, so he can't really rely on his top strength. I'm gonna go with the upset and pick Weidman.

Gleison Tibau vs Rafael Dos Anjos (lightweight)
Tibau is back again. I never know what to make of this guy. Sometimes he looks great, other times he looks awful. Dos Anjos is super talented at BJJ, but Tibau has some skills, too. Tibau is likely better ion the feet, though, which is where this fight will likely remain. Tough call. I'll pick the more experienced Tibau.

Miguel Angel Torres vs Nick Pace (bantamweight)
Speaking of fallen mighties...Holy cow. Torres was a big shot in WEC and a champ they thought would be on top forever. Suddenly he's near the bottom of the undercard? I guess losing 3 of 5 will do that. And how does a guys who is 38-4 get a fight against a guy who is 6-2? I thought they had commissions for this very reason. If Pace wins, I think it'll be a serious upset and perhaps the beginning of the end for Torres' long career. I'm picking Torres.

Matt Brown vs Seth Baczynski (welterweight)
Brown is a likable guy, but to be honest he simply isn't that good. After losing three in a row, he avoided being cut and got a win over John Howard. Baczynski is bigger than Brown and knows submissions - something by which Brown is prone to getting defeated. I'm picking Baczynski.

Shamar Bailey vs Danny Castillo (lightweight)
Bailey is known to TUF fans where he was favoured but did not reach the finals. Castillo does not have Bailey's celebrity, but he does have a more impressive resume, having fought some of the top dogs in the lightweight division. In fact, his only losses are against top guys, with the exception perhaps of Jacob Volkmann to whom he lost 29-28 on all cards. Both are wrestlers, but Castillo is also a striker. I'm gonna pick the upset and take Castillo.

Great card. I hope I get to see it!

UFC 132 Results

Another UFC event on a long weekend means yet another MISSED UFC event. Sorry, but the cottage takes precedent and there's nowhere to watch the event anywhere nearby. Too bad - I thought this might be a good event and it looks like it was.

Dominic Cruz def. Urijah Faber (unanimous)
This division has seen the belt change hands a lot, but Cruz is finally giving it a bit of stability. His win over perennial contender Faber clearly establishes him as the top dog. Faber represents a troubling trend in the UFC, as far as I am concerned. How many title shots is this for him? Sure, I understand it's at bantamweight, but, still, he seems to get title shots every other fight. Deserved? I dunno... He lost this fight cleanly according to the judges (50-45, 49-46, 48-47) but I'm not sure how Cruz would have won that first round. "Dancing around" was not a judging element last time I looked. In the second and third rounds Faber seemed to get the more significant strikes in and even a couple of takedowns, but at least two of the judges saw Cruz having the edge. If the scores are announced with one judge having it 50-45 and no one knows who won until the announcer actually says the guy's name - you have a problem. This fight ws definitely closer than 50-45. (1-0)

Chris Leben def. Wanderlei Silva (KO 1)
Wow. Quick fight. Just what the fans wanted, but perhaps a little TOO short. Wanderlei doesn't have the chin to stand up to guys like Leben anymore. Is he done? Maybe. He still represents a bit of a stepping stone for up-and-comers but he's no longer anywhere near the top. Leben took a hard shot and then gave it right back to Wanderlei in spades. (1-1)

Tito Ortiz def. Ryan Bader (sub 1)
Huh. I didn't give Ortiz much of a chance in this one, but he caught Bader and then threw on the guillotine. Bader looked hesitant and surprisingly smaller than Ortiz. Bader might have won had it lasted longer than a round, but that's what you get in MMA. Ortiz will wanna parlay this into some kind of title contention, but I think this just goes to show how ridiculous it was for Jones to get a title fight after beating Bader. Bader is good, but not that good. (1-2)

Carlos Condit def. Dong Hyun Kim (TKO 1)
Condit is climbing the ranks. He looked pretty good here, though it was a short fight. He has power, for sure. Nice flying knee. (2-2)

Dennis Siver def. Matt Wiman (unanimous)
I heard this one was controversial, but I don't get it. Wiman CLEARLY won the second round, but other than that, all he did was go for weak takedowns. He got one at the end of the first and midway through the third, but Siver was FAR more active on the standup. Takedown attempts should not count for anything, especially if it's a weak ass single leg. This was the right decision. (3-2)

Melvin Guillard def. Shane Roller (KO 1)
Guillard just looked way faster. This is one of those "yeah you're good - WEC good. Welcome to the UFC" kind of fights. (4-2)

Rafael dos Anjos def. George Sotiropoulos (KO 1)
Quick fight. Disappointing for George who was in the title hunt. He just got caught. (4-3)

Brian Bowles def. Takeya Mizugaki (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (5-3)

Aaron Simpson def. Brad Tavares (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (5-4)

Anthony Njokuani def. Andre Winner (unanimous)
Winner looked pretty one-dimensional. You won't win too many MMA fights that way. He hasn't grown since TUF. (5-5)

Jeff Hougland def. Donny Walker (unanimous)
Both of these guys looked good. Good fight. We'll see them again. (5-6)

Good event, but man did I get creamed. Surprising results.

UFC 132 Picks

Not a lot of time, so just quick picks:

Cruz

Wanderlei

Bader

Condit

Siver

Guillard

Sotiropoulos

Bowles

Tavares

Winner

Walker

This actually looks like a decent event. Too bad I'll miss it this cottage weekend.

UFC Live: Sanchez vs Kampmann Results

Pretty darn good event last night. Let's see how I did.

Diego Sanchez def. Martin Kampmann (unanimous)
Crazy. Kampmann kinda gave this one away because he let doubt creep into the minds of the judges. he should have run away with this fight. He massacred Sanchez in the first round, but let up a bit in the second and third. Even though he probably won the stand-up in those rounds in terms of accuracy, Sanchez was more ferocious, coming forward, throwing flurries and getting the odd takedown after numerous stuffs. This planted the seed in the judges' minds that maybe Sanchez deserved rounds two and three - hende the decision. If you looked at the fighters' faces after the fight you would have thought the judges were crazy. Sanchez was beaten to a pulp, much like he was by BJ Penn. But somehow he got the decision. I was on the fence as to whether he won those rounds, but I think this lends credence to the idea that there must be a score instituted for who wins the fight overall. Kampmann lost the fight because of the ten point must system. He deserved the win, and he should have won. This is a massive setback for him because Sanchez really isn't going anywhere in this division. Sanchez looked small and pudgy. He should be at lightweight. (0-1)

Mark Munoz def. CB Dollaway (TKO 1)

Some people thought this might have been stopped early, but Dolloway was clearly on dream street. Quick but good stoppage. Once again, Dolloway loks less than stellar. (1-1)

Chris Weidman def. Alessio Sakara (unanimous)
Another fight more lost than won. Sakara should have won this easily, but he let Weidman get on top and just smother him. Sakara was clearly the better fighter on the feet, but he let this one slip away. But I picked it! (2-1)

Brian Bowles def. Damacio Page (KO 1)

Page was winning this fight on the feet until Bowles caught him, put him down and then grabbed his neck. (3-1)

Danny Castillo def. Joe Stevenson (unanimous)

Seriously... Joe Daddy has to go, daddy. (3-2)

Cyrille Diabate def. Steve Cantwell (unanimous)
This one was never much in doubt. Cantwell couldn't get inside and take the big guy down or get a decent shot in. Diabate coasted to victory. Both of these guys looked awful. (4-2)

Shane Roller def. Thiago Tavares (KO 2)

See if this sounds familiar: Tavares was winning this fight on the feet until Roller caught him. Story of the night. This one was spectacular, though, as Roller knocked Tavares falt off his feet a la Franklin-Quarry. (5-2)

Takeya Mizugaki def. Reuben Duran (split)

Picking the underdog almost paid off again...except it didn't. Oh well. Didn't see it. (5-3)

Dongi Yang def.Rob Kimmons (TKO 2)

This time it did pay off. Yang demonstrated his power. Didn't see it. (6-3)

Rousimar Palhares def. Dave Branch (sub 2)

A kneebar win? Wish I'd seen it. Palhares is SICK on the ground. (7-3)

Igor Pokrajac def. Todd Brown (TKO 1)

Brown couldn't come out for the second round after getting his bell rung good. Not sure Pokrajac is the real deal, but he looked decent. (8-3)

Huh. 8-3 and a controversial decision in the main event. 9-2 is pretty amazing, I'd say.

UFC Live: Sanchez vs Kampmann Picks

This is actually a pretty decent card for a free event. Some tough choices. Let's have a look...

Diego Sanchez vs Martin Kampmann (welterweight)

There's a lot on the line in the match-up. Two guys who have been highly touted in the past but who are not on the way up and can't seem to win the big fights to get into title contendership. Sure, Sanchez fought for the title, but that was at lightweight where he was a monster. He got beaten up badly by BJ Penn, and yet he has decided to return to welterweight - a bad decision if you ask me. Earlier, he had lost big welterweight fights to Josh Koshcheck (did he even show up?) and Jon Fitch (split decision), and lost his return to welterweight against John Hathaway (unanimous decision). If he were a lightweight, he'd be a top 5 guy. At welterweight, he probably isn't top ten. That could change if he can upset Kampmann who is another dangerous guy who is snake-bitten when it comes to big fights. He lost spectacularly to Paul Daley, a win that earned Daley a #1 contenders bought against Josh Koshcheck. Then, after rebounding with a pair of victories, he lost a controversial split decision to Jake Shields - a win that earned Shields a title shot. If Kampmann loses, it'll be another big step backwards when he seems to be on the cusp of a title fight. If Sanchez loses, I think he'd have to consider a return to lightweight, especially now that Penn is not the champ and seems to be on the verge of retirement. Sanchez's best hopes of a title are at lightweight. In this fight, I'm picking Kampmann.

CB Dollaway vs Mark Munoz (middleweight)

Munoz is kind of a small middleweight - at least in stature. He has size around his waist. He also has heavy hands. Dollaway, on the other hand, is a talented guy with a brain problem - he just does not have the right attitude and does not fight smart, it seems. He is good at submissions, though, and can finish guys off quick. Munoz is a BJJ guy, though, so Dollaway won't be able to take advantage of his opponent's ignorance in this department. Though their records are similar, Munoz has faced tougher opposition. I could see Munoz getting a TKO, or Dollaway getting a decision. Will it go the distance? Let's hope not. I'll pick Munoz.

Alessio Sakara vs Chris Weidman (middleweight)

Weidman comes in as an injury replacement. He is only 4-0 so this is a BIG step up. Sakara is ok, but not great. He seems to have problems with power punchers (with the exception of James Irvin) and Weidman seems to fit the bill. Sakara has fought some tough opposition, but no one in the top ten. What do you say we go for the massive upset in this one and pick Weidman?

Brian Bowles vs Damacio Page (bantamweight)

Don't know much about these WEC guys, other than Bowles was champion at one point. Strangely, this is a rematch of a fight Bowles won easily in the first round. So why fight again? Dunno. Doesn't seem as though Page has earned it. I'm picking Bowles.

Joe Stevenson vs Danny Castillo (lightweight)

How is it that Joe Daddy still has a job with the UFC? Only 3 wins in his last 8 fights and two straight losses. Surely this is yet another "last chance". It might work out for him, though, as he fights a former WEC guy who will no doubt be a bit intimidated by the big show (though this is only a Fight Night Live). Styles match up well, too, as both are wrestlers who like to stand and fight. Castillo seems to have better KO power, but Stevenson is hard to take out. I like Stevenson in this one.

Steve Cantwell vs Cyrille Diabate (light heavyweight)

This could be fun. Diabate is a tall guy who can finish guys off fast, but he seems to lack aggressiveness - he relies on his opponents making a mistake. He looked great in his debut, awful in his sophomore fight. I'm gonna pick Diabate in this one and hope he picks up his game.

Thiago Tavares vs Shane Roller (lightweight)

Another UFC versus WEC match-up. Roller has a rep, but this is still a step up. Tavares' three losses were all Fight of the Night and he has faced tougher competition. Roller has faced the best of the WEC with mixed success. Roller is very dangerous, though, and can finish guys fast. Both like submissions, but Roller is a wrestler while Tavares is a BJJ guy. That should mean Roller will decide where this fight takes place. On the feet, Roller seems more dangerous. Dunno if it's an upset, but I'll pick Roller.

Takeya Mizugaki vs Reuben Duran (bantamweight)

Who? Hm... Ok, Mizugaki has WEC experience, but with mixed results. Duran doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. When in doubt, go with the known guy. But... Mizugaki goes to decision way too often. Duran is a finisher. I'll pick Duran. Underdog again!

Rob Kimmons vs Dongi Yang (middleweight)

Well, I've heard of Kimmons... He has a decent record but zero significant wins. Yang has decent power, it seems, but lost to Chris Camozzi in his UFC debut. Not good. Still, in the night of upsets, I'll pick Yang.

Rousimar Palhares vs Dave Branch (middleweight)

Palhares gets no respect. This guy is INSANELY dangerous on the ground. Branch is a bigger guy and is also a BJJ black belt. But is he on the same level as Palhares? I doubt it. Look for Branch to keep it standing and hope for a decision. He should have a significant reach advantage. Still, I'll pick Palhares.

Igor Pokrajac vs Todd Brown (light heavyweight)

Pokrajac has one win in 4 UFC fights yet still has a job. Brown is 15-2 but no significant fights except a loss in his UFC debut. Who to pick....? Toss up. I'll go with the fitter looking Pokrajac.

Ok, maybe it isn't such a great card. Let's hope it surprises us!