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.

UFC 111 Results - Oh, and Boston Pizza Sucks

UFC 111 is in the books.

I tried to watch it with friends at the local Boston Pizza, but when fight time came, the signal was lost as if they’d never ordered it. The crowd was not happy. The manager assured us it would start momentarily and that other bars were in the same boat, but that was a bold faced lie. After 45 minutes we left (paying full price for our order, no less!) and booked it to my place to order it in. Turned out to be a better night that way anyways. F*ck you very much, Boston Pizza. You’ve lost my business for good, along with many fight fans in the Yonge & Eglinton neighbourhood, I imagine. Hope it was worth it to ya.

So, let’s review, shall we?

Georges St-Pierre def. Dan Hardy (unanimous) – This was a compete mismatch and highlighted why Hardy was not quite ready for prime time. The UFC clearly erred in giving the Brit a title shot before he was anywhere near ready. Sure, he may have punching power which was displayed in so-so wins, but he has no real ground game and he’s nowhere near GSP’s class. Hardy needs to measure himself against the likes of Fitch, Alves and Koscheck before he can lay claim to the #1 contender’s spot. GSP dominated from beginning to end. I can’t believe the judges did not score more 10-8 rounds. Give Hardy credit for not tapping out to a couple of sick submissions. In the end, he may have gained more fans as a result, but the night suffered for it. The result was never in doubt. (1-0)

Shane Carwin def. Frank Mir (KO 1) – Is Mir all talk? Sure, he beat a sick Nogueira and a lackluster Kongo, but despite all of his posturing he can’t seem to win when it matters most. I really thought he’d put in a better performance, but Carwin relied on the tried and true Lesnar playbook and beat Mir with some wrestling and ground and pound. I’m glad Carwin pulled it off so that we don’t have to see Lesnar-Mir III. Carwin came out unscathed, so we will likely see him face Lesnar in June. That leaves Cain Velasquez without a dance partner. Personally, I hope that means we’ll see Velasquez vs Dos Santos to see who gets the next title shot. (2-0)

Kurt Pellegrino def. Fabricio Camoes (sub 2) – I was a bit distracted during this fight, so I can’t recall too much of it. I don’t recall this fight turning my crank. There was one cool moment, though, when Pellegrino, fighting off a rear naked choke, did a front summersault and slammed Camoes’ head on the mat. I thought Camoes was going to go out right then and there, but he showed some heart and fought his way back into the match before finally getting submitted. (3-0)

Jon Fitch def. Been Saunders (unanimous) – This was one of the fights we missed thanks to Boston Pizza’s incompetence. Sounds like it wasn’t close, with Fitch keeping Saunders on the ground most of the fight. Predictable. (4-0)

Jim Miller def. Mark Bocek (lightweight) – We missed this fight too. I hear this one was close, with some thinking Bocek was robbed. (4-1)

Nate Diaz def. Rory Markham (TKO 1) – Not sure what happened with Markham but this was not an impressive performance. I’m shocked Diaz was able to overwhelm Markham so easily on the feet since he was coming up from lightweight and is still not a big guy. I’m still not convinced Diaz will find much success at 170, but he sure looked good on Saturday. (4-2)

Ricardo Almeida def. Matt Brown (sub 2) – Brown held his own for a while, but in the end, Almeida’s wrestling and jiu-jitsu were simply too good. Brown can turn in some exciting fights when it stays on the feet, but his ground game is clearly a weakness. (5-2)

Jared Hamman def. Rodney Wallace (unanimous) – Ths was a bit of a ugly slugfest. Entertaining, sure, but hardly top calibre stuff. Both fighters blew up early and were fist-swinging zombies by the end. Wallace seemed more tired, though, and likely lost the decision as a result. (6-2)

Matthew Riddle def. Greg Soto (DQ 3) – I’m glad Riddle got the win, though I pegged his opponent to get the decision. It seems there was an illegal upkick (?) in this one that halted the action in the third and prompted the DQ. It seems Riddle was leading the fight at the time, so it isn’t as controversial as it might have been. Still, a bad win to decide a fight. (6-3)

Oops…Looks like I missed a fight somehow(?).

Rousimar Palhares def. Tomasz Drwal (sub 1) – I’m fairly certain I would have picked Palhares in this one, but we won’t count that. Palhares looked awesome as he locked in a sick heel hook after knocking Drwal down. Not since Andrei Arlovski have I seen a guy go for that move as his first option. It was a bit bizarre, and very risky, but it worked – and I don’t think Drwal will be walking around for a while.

So 6-3 on the fights I picked. Not bad at all. Seems my luck is turning around.

The busy month continues as this Wednesday features another Fight Night Live and the debut of the new season of The Ultimate Fighter. Sweet.

Stay tuned for picks.

UFC 111 GSP vs Hardy Picks

UFC 111 takes place in Newark, NJ on Saturday. It features two title fights (kinda) and some sleeper fights in the undercard.

Let’s break it down:

Georges St-Pierre vs Dan Hardy (welterweight) – Hardy has a puncher’s chance. That’s it. GSP so ridiculously outclasses Hardy it isn’t funny. No way Hardy deserves this title shot, since he hasn’t fought anybody in the top five of the welterweight division. How do you get a title fight without fighting Fitch, Alves or even Koscheck? Hardy (barely) beat Marcus Davis (split decision) who, despite an 11-fight winning streak, appeared nowhere on the UFC’s title radar, and Mike Swick who hadn’t fought any tough guys himself. This is the sort of thing that makes you wonder about the UFC’s match making. Is Hardy getting the shot because of who he is (a colourful character) or what he is (a true contender – which he isn’t)? Still, Hardy has a chance of winning. Anybody can win on any given day. The point is, if he wins, has he earned it? I don’t think so. It’ll be Matt Serra all over again, with people salivating at the chance to un-seat Hardy who has shown no ground game. I think GSP ought to win, and I really, really hope he does since it would be a shame to repeat the Serra fiasco.

Frank Mir vs Shane Carwin (heavyweight) – Shane Carwin is a nice guy. He is also undefeated at 11-0. Good for him. But he is another guy who simply has not earned his shot. Who has he beaten? Gabriel Gonzaga? Great. Nice job. But Gonzaga was winning that fight and Gonzaga isn’t exactly setting the UFC on fire with losses to Randy Couture, Fabricio Werdum and Junior Dos Santos. Is Gonzaga really the guy that is the benchmark for heavyweight title contenders? I don’t think so. But that just goes to show how thin the heavyweight division has become. Get one big win and you’re in title contention. Why is the UFC bothering with this interim title crap if Lesnar is back? When his health was in doubt, ok, it made sense. But now? In the end, this fight is exactly what it should be – a contender’s fight. Whoever wins is probably deserving of a shot – at least, more deserving than they are now. Do we really wan to see Lesnar-Mir III, though? That would account for half of Lesnar’s matches… As for the fight at hand, I think Mir will win, but I’d like to see Carwin pull it off, so I’ll bet on Carwin.

Kurt Pellegrino vs Fabricio Camoes (lightweight) – Why is this fight on the main card? I’ve never been a big fan of Pellegrino and who the hell is Camoes? There are better fights on the card. Camoes makes his UFC debut, while Pellegrino is 6-3 in the UFC. Both of these guys tend to win by submission, with Pellegrino having more experience and tougher fights. I’ll pick Pellegrino.

Jon Fitch vs Been Saunders (welterweight) – Thiago Alves had to pull out of his rematch with Fitch (again) due to injury (again). So instead, we get Saunders who was supposed to fight Jake Ellenberger (I guess the UFC really wanted Fitch on the card) and is coming off a devastating win over Marcus Davis. Saunders is a nice guy and is obviously talented, but he’s out of his league with Fitch. Fitch is unstoppable and has a crazy record; his only loss in his last 20 fights was to GSP and while the champ pushed him around for five rounds, Fitch refused to quit. Although Fitch hasn’t prepared for Saunders (who has a completely different style than Alves) I’ll pick Fitch.

Jim Miller vs Mark Bocek (lightweight) – Both of these guys are impressive and both have lost to Frank Edgar (no shame there). Both seem to like submissions. Tough one to call. I’ll cheer for the Canadian, I guess: Bocek.

Nate Diaz vs Rory Markham (welterweight) – Diaz makes his debut at 170, which to me is an odd move (although, having lost 3 of 4, perhaps he was hoping the move would extend his life span in the UFC). It seems to me his style is much better suited to lightweight, where his reach was formidable. At 170 he’ll be facing even stronger guys who will be able to lay and pray. Diaz’s weak point is clearly his game plans. He either needs a new coach or he needs to smarten up. You can’t win if you stay on your back unless you submit your opponent. Markham is a KO specialist who will try to keep this one on its feet. Look for Diaz’s chin to be tested. I’ll pick Markham if he can keep this on its feet.

Ricardo Almeida vs Matt Brown (welterweight) – Almeida is making his debut at 170 as well. He’s a talented guy, but has gone to decision a few too many times for my liking. Not sure why he’s dropping down in weight when the middleweight division seems so thin. I like Brown but he is susceptible to submissions, which happens to be Almeida’s specialty. Anybody who can submit Nate Marquardt is impressive. I don’t like Brown’s chances. I’ll pick Almeida.

Rodney Wallace vs Jared Hamman (light heavyweight) – Who? Two former football players with similar records, both coming off losses in their UFC debuts. Wallace tends to go to decision while Hamman knocks guys out quick. I’ll pick Hamman.

Matthew Riddle vs Greg Soto (welterweight) – Another welterweight fight. Soto will be the hometown favourite in his UFC debut. He has a better record and more experience than Riddle who has shown some promise. I don’t like Riddle’s chances, though I’ll secretly be cheering for him. My head says Soto.

Man, I hope GSP is still champ come Monday…

UFC 107 Results - Penn survives the Nightmare

Alright, kiddies, let's see how it all went down:

BJ Penn def Diego Sanchez (TKO 5) - If you had told me that BJ would TKO Sanchez in round 5 I would have told you you were nuts. This seemed to be the least likely scenario based on BJ's gas tank and Diego's determination. But since it was a DOCTOR's stoppage, I understand. That was a crazy gash on Diego's forehead. I'm glad BJ was winning handily at the time or it might have been tragic. I didn't see the event, so I can't comment on how Diego was doing, but I understand BJ had things well in hand at that point. In the end, perhaps the fact that it was Diego's first fve rounder caught up to him a little, but a three rounder would have had the same result - BJ is still the champ. It appears that BJ was most impressive on Saturday. I'm somewhat surprised he was as effective as he was, even in rounds four and five. Good for him. As for Diego, this is his first loss in a while and he still has an incredible record and great potential, so we may see him back in the title mix soon. (0-1)

Frank Mir def Cheick Kongo (sub 1) - This appears to have been a non-fight. Was MIr that impressive or did Kongo suck that badly? I've never been all that impressed by Kongo, and have long felt he was overrated by the UFC, but what are you going to do with a depleted heavyweight division? Mir looked huge and is clearly hoping for Mir-Lesnar 3. He may never get it, based on health reports from the Lesnar camp, but he may get his shot at an interim title in the coming months. Look for him to take on the winner of Carwin-Velasquez. (1-1)

Jon Fitch def Mike Pierce (unanimous) - No big surprise, other than perhaps the fact that it went the distance. This is the problem with many of Fitch's recent fights. He needs to finish more. This doesn't appear to be the kind of fight that puts him back in title contention. (2-1)

Kenny Florian def Clay Guida - Wish I had seen this. Looks like the gash that Florian opened up on the side of Guida's head really made the difference. Guida was bleeding like a stuck pig. I'm shocked that Guida was stopped so easily. (2-2)

Stefan Struve def Paul Buentello (majority) - Looks like this was a close fight - perhaps closer than it ought to have been given that Struve apparently put it in cruise control late in the fight. I think the surprising thing was that Struve stood and banged it out with Buentello. I'm glad Struve won (a rare majority decision thanks to one 28-28 score). He seems to be a good kid. I doubt he'll go too far with his lankiness, but he makes for a fun fight to watch. (3-2)

Alan Belcher def Wilson Gouveia (TKO 1) - A bit of a surprising result (the quickness of it). Not sure where this leaves Gouveia. (4-2)

Matt Wiman def Shane Nelson (unanimous) - I hope both fighters impressed, but considering it went to decision... (5-2)

Johny Hendricks def Ricardo Funch (unanimous) - Another decision. Hendricks is still undefeated, so I wonder if he'll go up in competition. Watch out for this guy. (6-2)

Rousimar Palhares def Lucio Linhares (sub 2) - Palhares is a freak. If he can get by against bigger opponents watch out. He's dangerous. I'd like to see this one, just to see how he pulled off the heel hook. (7-2)

DeMarques Johnson def Edgar Garcia (sub 1) - Johnson pulled it off. Garcia dropped his second straight UFC fight, the only two blemishes on his record. Losing in the first round by submission never looks good. Wonder if we'll see this kid again. (7-3)

TJ Grant def Kevin Burns (TKO 1) - Nice to see the Canadian win. First round TKO makes it pretty impressive. Knockout of the Night? Doubly impressive. This ought to get him on another UFC card soon. (8-3)

Whoa: 8-3! That's pretty impressive, too! And had I picked the favourites in KenFLo and BJ I would have been almost perfect. Now we have a bit of a layoff (3 weeks is a layoff?!) before UFC 108 pits Rashad Evans against Thiago Silva on an otherwise less than impressive card.

Happy holidays.

UFC 107 Predictions

Another week, another UFC event - this time on PPV - and yet again, I'm gonna miss it. This time, even TiVo won't save me. F*ck!

It's shaping up to be a good one, too. And with the health of most elite UFC fighters these days being fragile at best, it may be the best collection of fights we'll see for a while.

Ok, my picks:

BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez

Am I the only one who gives Sanchez even odds in this fight? Sanchez ought to be the bigger, stronger fighter and he has a wide range of skills, much like Penn. He's no rookie, either, and aside from a bad health stretch a while back, his record is pretty much spotless. He could have easily been undefeated at this point. Yet people seem to think he's a ridiculous underdog in this fight. Ridiculous? Maybe. Underdog? Not by much. If this fight goes into the third round and beyond, Sanchez's odds of winning increase exponentially. Sanchez doesn't seem to tire and Penn still has an anemic gas tank as we saw with GSP. I think Penn is the smarter fighter and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he gets a decision (I can't see him finishing Sanchez), but I'm gonna go balls out and pick Sanchez to pull off the "upset" and become the new lightweight champ.

Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo

Kongo could lay and pray all night and try to blast Mir like Lesnar did, but I don't see it. I think Kongo will try to stand all night while Mir will be desperate to get this fight to the ground. If it does go to the mat, look for Mir to secure a submission. Otherwise, this could turn out to be yet another boring Kongo dance. I'm pulling for Mir.

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce

Pierce seems ok, but I don't think too many fighters are in Fitch's class. I think this fight will get Fitch back into contention and possibly set up a Fitch-Koschceck #1 contender's fight to face the GSP-Hardy winner.

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida

A potential fight of the night battle between two guys who like to go and try to finish fights. Guida is a freak of nature with his cardio, so Florian will have his hands full. It's almost impossible to knock Guida out, so Florian will likely try to work the submissions, likely from the bottom as Guida uses his wrestling skills. I don't like Florian's odds in this one. I could see Guida getting the decision. Sorry, KenFlo.

Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve

Buentello returns to the UFC. Can't say I was a fan of his the first time around. He was famously knocked out by Andrei Arlovski. Struve will have his usual massive height and reach advantage, so it'll be interesting to see if Buentello can get inside and use his power - otherwise, he's screwed. I could see Struve wearing Buentello out, and securing a submission in the third round. I'll pick him.

Alan Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia - Two guys who tend not to impress but somehow manage to get wins when you least expect them. Not sure who to pick here. Belcher works hard, at least, whereas Gouveia seems to fluke out knockouts. I'll pick...Belcher?

Matt Wiman vs Shane Nelson - I'm a fan of Wiman's so I'd like to see him get back on the winning track. Three losses in a row could be the end of him. I'll pick Wiman.

Johny Hendricks vs Ricardo Funch - Hendricks is good and Funch is a nobody who has fought no one of consequence. I'll take the experienced guy.

Rousimar Palhares vs Lucio Linhares - Palhares is awesome but needs to drop a weight class. He's too small at middleweight. He'll be six inches shorter than his opponent. Still, I'll pick him for fun.

DeMarques Johnson vs Edgar Garcia - Johnson didn't exactly overwhelm me with his talent on TUF, so I'll go with the darkhorse Garcia who will have something to prove after dropping his UFC debut (his only MMA loss).

Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant - Can't go against the Canadian in a toss up fight. I'll pick Grant.

I look forward to reading the results... *sigh*

UFC 104 Predictions

Time for predictions once again. I can't say this card fascinates me, but I still wouldn't wanna miss it.

Lyoto Machida Vs. Mauricio Rua - I'm blown away that this fight is even happening for the light heavyweight belt. Machida got his shot without fighting any real top flight competition (Ortiz before he left? untested Silva?) in his weight class (he has wins over Rich Franklin and BJ Penn) and Rua has received an even easier road to the title. Rua lost to Griffin, was crap against geriatric Mark Coleman, and beat Chuck Liddell at a time in his career where he was SO dangerous that Dana White promptly retired him after the fight. Honestly: what the f*ck? The light heavy division is stacked with talent and yet these guys get byes to the top. I call bullshit. Anyhow, I pick Machida to beat Rua.

Cain Velasquez Vs. Ben Rothwell - This fight could be boring as hell if it turns into a wrestling match. It could also end in dramatic fashion if Rothwell can catch Velasquez and tag the chin that Cheick Kongo exposed. Neither is deserving of a title shot, of course, though Velasquez is the latest UFC poster boy. Rothwell has a lot of experience and could pull off the "upset". He's certainly the biggest test of Velasquez's short career. I'll pick Rothwell to shatter Dana White's dreams.

Gleison Tibau Vs. Josh Neer - Both of these fighters have good reputations, but haven't been able to break into the top ranks of MMA, due to disappointing losses to upper-middle guys. Both have submission skills but Neer has more KO power. That could be the difference. My gut says Tibau, but my head says Neer. I usually go wrong when I don't go with my heart... I'll go with my head again. I'll pick Neer.

Joe Stevenson Vs. Spencer Fisher - I used to quite like Joe "Daddy" Stevenson but he just hasn't evolved and has never lived up to the potential he showed in TUF. Fisher is a warrior. I'll pick Fisher.

Anthony Johnson Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida - Yoshida has only beaten some so-so guys and got blasted by Josh Koscheck. Johnson is one scary dude. I'll pick Johnson.

Ryan Bader Vs. Eric Schafer - This could be another boring one. Bader is badass but is a pretty straight forward wrestler. Eric "The Red" is riding a four fight win streak but has always been one of those guys who just hasn't lived up to the hype. He might have the experience to outsmart Bader, though. Tough call. I like Bader, so I'll take him.

Antoni Hardonk Vs. Pat Barry - Hardonk is another underachiever. He has lost to McCully, Kongo and Mir, while beating no one of significance. Like Hardonk, Barry has a kickboxing background and has finished opponents with kicks. He isn't very experienced, but he seems like a scary guy. I'll pick Barry in another "upset". I just can't pick Hardonk.

Yushin Okami Vs. Chael Sonnen - both guys came in with big buzz but haven't quite lived up to the hype. Okami has at least pulled out some ugly victories, but Sonnen has been the poster boy for those who dismissed the WEC as a farm team organization. The guy just doesn't do it for me. I'll pick Okami in another boring decision.

Jorge Rivera Vs. Rob Kimmons - Why Rivera keeps getting face time in the UFC is a bit of a mystery. He really isn't all that good; inconsistent to say the least. He seems to alternate wins and losses, sometimes beating middle of the road guys, but often losing to anyone decent. Kimmons has an impressive record, but seems to lose all of his biggest matches. He has a crazy number of submissions on his resume, though, and so I'll give him the edge against the average Rivera. I'll pick Kimmons.

Kyle Kingsbury Vs. Razak Al-Hassan - Two guys trying to make names for themselves in the UFC and in danger of getting cut if they don't. Kingsbury was a TUF 8 cast member, but didn't impress. Al-Hassan is also making his second appearance in the UFC, after a spectacular loss almost a year ago to Steve Cantwell in which Al-Hassan had his arm broken...and still didn't tap. It was nasty. This one is a toss-up to me, but I'll pick Al-Hassan just 'cause of his guts.

Stefan Struve Vs. Chase Gormley - I can't wait to see this giant fight again to see just what he has to offer. He's 6'11"!! That's nuts. Gormley is making his UFC debut and that usually does not bode well, perfect record or not. Struve is a submission machine while Gormley seems more well-rounded. Another pick-'em, so I'll go with Struve for fun.

This doesn't appear to be an exciting card. I hope that I'll be pleasantly surprised.

UFC 100 - Results

Ok, let's see how I did...

Lesnar def. Mir - I picked Mir 'cause I figured he'd withstand the initial attack, better than he did last time. Well, I guess that didn't happen. I'm glad Lesnar won, but man he was a douche afterwards. Glad he apologized in the press conference. Props to Dana White for taking him to task. Lesnar can now play the villain champ, which will be good for UFC PPV buys - everyone will wanna see him lose. I picked wrong (0-1), but my fav won.

GSP def. Thiago Alves - Not a close fight. GSP dominated from the opening bell. He was on his back for about a minute only because he gave up position while going for a submission. Let's hope his injury isn't serious. I picked right (1-1).

Henderson def. Bisping - It went the way I thougth it would, aside from Bisping getting clobbered. Bisping inexplicably kept circling to the left, putting him in range of Henderson's killer right. That was certainly a highligh reel knockout. Was the follow-up shot overdoing it? Dunno. Sure, he could have pulle dup, but at least it was one shot, not the 5-10 some guys throw in after the guy is out. This is a serious speed bump in Bisping's title journey. Picked wrong, though I waffled back and forth and actually changed my pick at the last minute (1-2).

Fitch def. Thiago - Not a great fight. Fitch looked pretty good, but not as stellar as we've seen recently. He'll have to put together a few wins if he wants another title shot against GSP, who smoked his ass. Picked right (2-2).

Akiyama def. Belcher - I went back and forth on this one and changed my vote at the last minute. After doing some research, I figured Akiyama was overhyped and Belcher would squeeze it out with experience. It looked that way in the ring, too. Akiyama won the second round for sure, but I felt he lost the third and the first was a toss-up. Belcher and the announcers clearly thought Belcher had won. It suited UFC's purposes to see the new star, Akiyama, get the nod and he did. This may have been an example of reputation getting the edge. How one judge saw it 30-27 is beyond me. Picked wrong (2-3).

Coleman def. Bonnar - I have to see this to believe it. Bonnar ought to be let go from the UFC after this. He clearly is not improving, unlike other TUF alumni like Griffin and Evans. Picked wrong (2-4).

Miller def. Danzig - Wanna see this one too. Danzig is in trouble and may see his UFC career end prematurely. He's had tough bouts, but he hasn't impressed. Picked right (3-4).

Jones def. O'Brien - This guy is one to watch. Too bad we didn't get to. Picked right (4-4).

Kim def. Grant - Too bad the Canadian lost. Picked right (5-4).

Lawlor def. Dollaway - Yet another where I changed my vote at the last minute and paid for it. Definitely wanna see this. Dollaway is on his way out. Picked wrong (5-5).

Gugerty def. Grice - Grice was pissed after this one. Picked right (6-5).

So 2-3 on the main card (should have been 4-1) and 4-2 on the undercard. Not too bad, but no one's hiring me as an analyst at this rate!

Next up: Griffin vs. Silva and Penn vs. Florian. Ought to be interesting!

UFC 100 - Predictions

Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir (heavyweight)

Lesnar has to learn how to finish. He can be overwhelming early, but if he has to go 25 minutes with Mir, odds are good Mir will find a way to submit the big man somehow. Mir won’t be surprised by Lesnar’s speed and power again, and ought to be able to weather the early storm.

My money’s on: Mir. I like Lesnar and hope he wins, but I just think Mir is smart enough to find some way to submit the monster.

Georges St. Pierre vs Thiago Alves (welterweight)

This ought to be interesting. Alves is powerful and that’s usually GSP’s game. GSP will use his reach and boxing to keep Thiago at bay and then maybe throw him on his ass when he has the advantage. It’ll be interesting to see if Thiago can take GSP down.

My money’s on: GSP. No way I bet against him. He’s too smart and too good. He only loses by fluke.

Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping (middleweight)

This could have been a main event fight, but with this being UFC 100, well… This is of course the Ultimate Fighter coaches match. Team UK clearly won the show, but who will win the final battle? Henderson is the vet but he really hasn’t been very impressive since coming over from Pride where he was a champ in two weight classes.

My money’s on: Bisping. I’ve been back and forth on this one. I think Henderson would have won if he were 5 years younger, but he just seems to have lost a step. I see Bisping winning a decision if it stays on the feet. Could be a pretty boring fight. Hope I’m wrong.

John Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago (welterweight)

I don’t know too much about Thiago, but Fitch is a beast. He was humbled by GSP, but who hasn’t been recently?

My money’s on: Fitch. He’s a warrior.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher (middleweight)

Akiyama has an impressive record, but Belcher has been the guy in the UFC trenches. He also enjoys a significant size advantage. The UFC will want Akiyama to get the nod so that they can start building him up. Both have beaten Denis Kang, which is no small feat.

My money’s on: Belcher. It’s about time he stepped up and lived up to the rep.

UNDERCARD

Mark Coleman vs. Stephan Bonnar (light heavyweight) - If Bonnar doesn’t win, he ought to quit. I mean, come on, Coleman? He’s ancient! I’m picking Bonnar. Could be a war.

Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller (lightweight) – Danzig had momentum coming off the TUF win, but he’s been less than stellar since, to be honest. I’ll pick Miller.

Jon Jones vs. Jake O’Brien (light heavyweight) – Both have had impressive outings. I’ll go with the Martian Manhunter – Jones.

Dong Hyun Kim vs. TJ Grant (welterweight) – Don’t know too much about these guys, but Kim has been impressive and is undefeated. Anyone who can go to a split decision with Karo Parisyan deserves respect. I’ll pick Kim, even though Grant is Canadian.

CB Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor (middleweight) – Features two TUF grads. On paper, Dollaway ought to be favoured, but he usually finds a way to make fights closer than they ought to be. Lawlor wasn’t impressive on the show. I’ll pick Dollaway in this one.

Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty (lightweight) – Don’t know these guys. Normally I’d go with the height advantage or better record, but they’re not that different. Grice’s UFC results aren’t very impressive while Gugerty went almost three rounds with Spencer Fisher. I’ll take Gugerty.

Tim Sylvia's career is over

I've never been a Tim Sylvia fan. The guy never struck me as particularly talented. He was a freak of nature who manged to befuddle his opponents - that's about the best you can say.

The only time he showed any MMA skill was in his highlight-reel stoppage of a freak of a different sort - Tra Telligman. His other wins have come by straight-up knockouts.

Other than that, he has been submitted like a bitch by Frank Mir, Antonio Nogueira, and Andrei Arlovski, bullied by Randy Couture, been involved in boring matches (Arlovski 3, Brandon Vera) and been suspended for taking steroids.

He lost to Mir in 50 seconds, Arlovski in 47 seconds and Fedor Emelianeko in 36 seconds. He's lost 3 of his last 4.

Oh, but wait - as if the Fedor match weren't humiliating enough (sure, it's Fedor, but 36 seconds?! Who is he - Jonathan Goulet?) the cherry on the top of Sylvia's sundae of suckitude came on Saturday night when he lost an MMA fight to former boxing champ Ray Mercer...

...in 9 seconds!

Dude. You suck.

There's no way he's ever going back to the UFC (I don't think Dana White was a fan anyways) and even the lesser organizations would have a hard time hyping a fight with this giant turd.

Sylvia's story is one of a guy who achieved success far beyond his abilities thanks to his freakish size; but now it seems the rest of the world has discovered Sylvia is all bark and little bite.

UFC 102 - Couture vs Nogeira

It's being reported that UFC 102 will feature Randy "The Natural" Couture vs. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira.

This fight has been in the works more or less since Nogueira's arrival from Pride, but delayed by Randy's holdout and the heavyweight title unification "tournament" that now has Frank Mir facing Brock Lesnar after both "champions" lost their semi-final matches. So I guess this is a "consolation final" of sorts.

Who knows how many fights Randy has left, but this is one of the few opponents for which he seems to think it's worth staying active. The dream of seeing Randy take on Fedor Emelianenko seems to be just that, and with news that Mirko Cro Cop has flown the coop and signed with Japan's Dream organization, there are few big name match-ups left. If Randy beats Nogueira, look for a Mir-Couture match-up in the future, regardless of the Lesnar fight's outcome. Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez are not quite ready for prime time - at least not in booking terms.