Didn't get to see this event - just a couple of fights on the web or in the prelim show. Let's see how ugly it got.
Jon Jones def. Rampage Jackson (sub 4)
Rampage is ridiculously one-dimensional, and despite his claims of being better prepared and in great shape, he demonstrated once again that he is a one-trick pony. Stay away from the big punches and you can pretty much guarantee yourself a win over Jackson. Jones used his reach to score and finally ended the fight with a rear naked choke. No surprise. (1-0)
Josh Koshcheck def. Matt Hughes (KO 1)
Honestly, is anyone still interested in seeing Hughes fight? Once again HUghes got knocked out early by a decent opponent. If Hughes isn't facing a has been or never was, that's pretty much the tune these days. Time to retire, Matt. Seriously. (2-0)
Travis Browne def. Rob Broughton (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (3-0)
Nate Diaz def. Takanori Gomi (sub 1)
Gomi had 4 punches land. FOUR. GTFO of the UFC, man. Why is Gomi around? (4-0)
Mark Hunt def. Ben Rothwell (unanimous)
Looks like this one might have been surprisingly one-sided. Rothwell is really stalling in the UFC. Hunt wins again? (4-1)
Tony Ferguson def. Aaron Riley (TKO 1)
Ferguson looked good. Broke Riley's jaw, forcing a stoppage after round one. Too bad. (5-1)
Tim Boetsch def. Nick Ring (unanimous)
Not sure what Ring's game plan was here. He backed away from Boetsch all night long. Was he trying to tire him out? Boetsch seemed better in all categories and Ring had nothing. (5-2)
Junior Assuncao def. Eddie Yagin (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (6-2)
Takeya Mizugaki def. Cole Escovedo (KO 2)
Didn't see it. (6-3)
James Te Huna def. Ricardo Romero (KO 1)
Romero...WTF? He looked AWFUL. Poor takedown attempts lead to him getting hammer fisted into unconsciousness. Brutal. I imagine he'll get cut. (6-4)
So 6-4. Not bad. 7-3 really, if you count the fact I actually called Boetsch's win but chose not to go against the Canadian. :P Doesn't that count for something?
Showing posts with label Jon Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon Jones. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
UFC 135 Picks
This looks like an ok card. Not great.
Rampage Jackson vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
Rampage seems like an interesting, decent guy, but he is WAY beyond his prime and has never impressed me in a UFC fight. He is terribly one-dimensional and not even that good at the one thing he does best: stand-up. Sure, he has great knock out power, but he has to connect first. Jones won't give him that chance. Expect a lot of kicks and takedowns and Rampage to lose a very lopsided decision. I'm taking Jones.
Matt Hughes vs Josh Koshcheck (welterweight)
Hughes is another one who is way past his best-before date. he might have a couple of ok fights left in him, but he is getting outclassed badly by anyone of any talent (Penn, GSP, Alves) and getting wins against has-beens and never-weres (Serra, Gracie, Almeida). He hasn't had an impressive win in 4 years. That's a long time, folks. Hughes is a better fighter than Koscheck who is generally overrated, but Koscheck ought to be much faster. I think that'll make the difference. I expect this one to stay on the feet and Koscheck to clip Hughes sometime within 15 minutes. Expect Hughes to reconsider his career after this one. I'm taking Koscheck.
Travis Browne vs Rob Broughton (heavyweight)
This is the third ranked fight? Yikes. Broughton is a Brit with some submission skills, but Browne is a BJJ guy with power. Browne has also faced MUCH tougher competition. I'm taking Browne.
Nate Diaz vs Takanori Gomi (lightweight)
A battle of underachievers. Diaz has talent but lacks brains and a game plan. Gomi came into the UFC with much fanfare but has not impressed me. He is 1-2 in the UFC and prone to submissions. You know who is great at submissions? Diaz. But he has to get him down first. If Diaz stays on his feet he might be in trouble and if it goes to a decision expect it to go Gomi's way. Diaz is 3-5 in his last eight, all losses by decision, all wins by submission. By all accounts Diaz is a douche; but he's a talented douche. Gomi appears to be neither. I'll take Diaz.
Ben Rothwell vs Mark Hunt (heavyweight)
More big boys. Rothwell is a former IFL champ who hasn't done much in the UFC, though his 2009 loss was to future champ Cain Velasquez (which may or may not have been stopped early). He's 31-7 but only 29 and has some big names on his resume. Hunt had an impressive win his last time out after I had written him off. Still, the guys has LOSING RECORD in MMA. How is he in the UFC? Sure, he has a better kickboxing record, but even that is only hit and miss. He has split decision wins over Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva but those guys are tiny in comparison and that was 7 years ago. I can't pick this guy. I'm picking Rothwell.
Tony Ferguson vs Aaron Riley (lightweight)
I like Ferguson, a TUF champ, but he may be in over his head here. Riley has an impressive record, but can't seem to get the big wins. This is a test for Ferguson. Riley usually goes to decision, while Ferguson has only gone the distance twice in this 13-fight career. I'm picking Ferguson.
Nick Ring vs Tim Boetsch (middleweight)
Ring has a perfect record (though that includes a bizarre win over Riki Fukuda) but Boetsch has way more experience and much bigger names on his resume. At 13-4, Boetsch is no pushover. I think Boetsch is gonna take this one, but I don't wanna bet against the Canadian, so I'll take Ring.
Junior Assuncao vs Eddie Yagin (featherweight)
Assuncao is dropping down for this one. This marks his return to the UFC after a four year and eight fight absence. Both of these guys have decent records and like submissions. Assuncao is much taller, though and should have the advantage on the feet. I'll take Assuncao.
Takeya Mizugaki vs Cole Escovedo (bantamweight)
I can't remember the last time I weighed 135... High school? Escovedo is a former WEC featherweight champ but has fallen on harder times since and has lost three of his last four. Mizugaki did well in Japan, but had a harder time in the WEC. He has won against so-so guys, lost to all the top guys. Is Escovedo a top guy? Not anymore, but I like his chances better. I'm picking Escovedo.
James Te Huna vs Ricardo Romero (light heavyweight)
Te Huna is a submissoins guy who seems to prefer striking these days. Romero is a talented up and comer who lost quickly and badly his last time out. This is a tough one to pick as both guys show potential and are well matched. Te Huna is the wrestler, though, and that would normally give the edge. I'm gonna buck that trend, though, and pick Romero.
Rampage Jackson vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
Rampage seems like an interesting, decent guy, but he is WAY beyond his prime and has never impressed me in a UFC fight. He is terribly one-dimensional and not even that good at the one thing he does best: stand-up. Sure, he has great knock out power, but he has to connect first. Jones won't give him that chance. Expect a lot of kicks and takedowns and Rampage to lose a very lopsided decision. I'm taking Jones.
Matt Hughes vs Josh Koshcheck (welterweight)
Hughes is another one who is way past his best-before date. he might have a couple of ok fights left in him, but he is getting outclassed badly by anyone of any talent (Penn, GSP, Alves) and getting wins against has-beens and never-weres (Serra, Gracie, Almeida). He hasn't had an impressive win in 4 years. That's a long time, folks. Hughes is a better fighter than Koscheck who is generally overrated, but Koscheck ought to be much faster. I think that'll make the difference. I expect this one to stay on the feet and Koscheck to clip Hughes sometime within 15 minutes. Expect Hughes to reconsider his career after this one. I'm taking Koscheck.
Travis Browne vs Rob Broughton (heavyweight)
This is the third ranked fight? Yikes. Broughton is a Brit with some submission skills, but Browne is a BJJ guy with power. Browne has also faced MUCH tougher competition. I'm taking Browne.
Nate Diaz vs Takanori Gomi (lightweight)
A battle of underachievers. Diaz has talent but lacks brains and a game plan. Gomi came into the UFC with much fanfare but has not impressed me. He is 1-2 in the UFC and prone to submissions. You know who is great at submissions? Diaz. But he has to get him down first. If Diaz stays on his feet he might be in trouble and if it goes to a decision expect it to go Gomi's way. Diaz is 3-5 in his last eight, all losses by decision, all wins by submission. By all accounts Diaz is a douche; but he's a talented douche. Gomi appears to be neither. I'll take Diaz.
Ben Rothwell vs Mark Hunt (heavyweight)
More big boys. Rothwell is a former IFL champ who hasn't done much in the UFC, though his 2009 loss was to future champ Cain Velasquez (which may or may not have been stopped early). He's 31-7 but only 29 and has some big names on his resume. Hunt had an impressive win his last time out after I had written him off. Still, the guys has LOSING RECORD in MMA. How is he in the UFC? Sure, he has a better kickboxing record, but even that is only hit and miss. He has split decision wins over Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva but those guys are tiny in comparison and that was 7 years ago. I can't pick this guy. I'm picking Rothwell.
Tony Ferguson vs Aaron Riley (lightweight)
I like Ferguson, a TUF champ, but he may be in over his head here. Riley has an impressive record, but can't seem to get the big wins. This is a test for Ferguson. Riley usually goes to decision, while Ferguson has only gone the distance twice in this 13-fight career. I'm picking Ferguson.
Nick Ring vs Tim Boetsch (middleweight)
Ring has a perfect record (though that includes a bizarre win over Riki Fukuda) but Boetsch has way more experience and much bigger names on his resume. At 13-4, Boetsch is no pushover. I think Boetsch is gonna take this one, but I don't wanna bet against the Canadian, so I'll take Ring.
Junior Assuncao vs Eddie Yagin (featherweight)
Assuncao is dropping down for this one. This marks his return to the UFC after a four year and eight fight absence. Both of these guys have decent records and like submissions. Assuncao is much taller, though and should have the advantage on the feet. I'll take Assuncao.
Takeya Mizugaki vs Cole Escovedo (bantamweight)
I can't remember the last time I weighed 135... High school? Escovedo is a former WEC featherweight champ but has fallen on harder times since and has lost three of his last four. Mizugaki did well in Japan, but had a harder time in the WEC. He has won against so-so guys, lost to all the top guys. Is Escovedo a top guy? Not anymore, but I like his chances better. I'm picking Escovedo.
James Te Huna vs Ricardo Romero (light heavyweight)
Te Huna is a submissoins guy who seems to prefer striking these days. Romero is a talented up and comer who lost quickly and badly his last time out. This is a tough one to pick as both guys show potential and are well matched. Te Huna is the wrestler, though, and that would normally give the edge. I'm gonna buck that trend, though, and pick Romero.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
UFC 128 Results
So it seems I missed another decent event. (Thank goodness for the free event this weekend) Let's see how I did with my picks for UFC 128.
Jon Jones def. Mauricio Rua (TKO 3)
I haven't seen the full fight, just the third and last round, but man, Jones dominated Rua pretty badly. I have long said I didn't think Rua would be champ for long, based on his performances against Griffin and Coleman, but I didn't think he'd get beat this badly. Rarely do we see champions get this outclassed. Things look good for Jones and he certainly has a ton of potential, but he's pretty green and I could see him losing to veteran with a good game plan. After all, we haven't seen how Jones does on HIS back. Randy Couture, anyone? But, really, the ultimate match-up for most would be Jones vs Anderson Silva; two lanky guys with power. If Silva faces and defeats GSP, would this be the next superfight? (1-0)
Urijah Faber def. Eddie Wineland (unanimous)
Looks like Faber is back in the title hunt. (2-0)
Jim Miller def. Kamal Shalorus (TKO 3)
Miller looks good again. (3-0)
Nate Marquardt def. Dan Miller (unanimous)
Marquardt is back on track. (4-0)
Brendan Schaub def. Mirko Filipovic (TKO 3)
Time for Cro Cop to retire, unless a new weight class is created. (5-0)
Luiz Cane def. Eliot Marshall (TKO 1)
Cane made Marshall look useless. (6-0)
Edson Barboza vs Anthony Njokuani (unanimous)
How in the world did Barboza get this decision? I picked him, and he looked great in the first round, but Njokuani woke up in the second and third while Barboza coasted. Barboza landed a highlight-reel spinning head kick at the last moment and had a takedown, but did not capitalize on either and Njokuani was active throughout both rounds. I thought Barboza had given it away for sure. But he celebrated like he had won, while Njokuani was stunned by the kick. Looks like the judges bought what Barboza was selling. Terrible decision. (6-0)
Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Almeida (unanimous)
Looks like I picked the wrong guy to win by decision. (6-1)
Gleison Tibau def. Kurt Pellegrino (split)
Tibau got the split, eh? Wish I'd seen it. (7-1)
Joseph Benavidez def. Ian Loveland (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (8-1)
Erik Koch def. Raphael Assuncao (KO 1)
Koch dropped a BOMB on Assuncao. Highlight KO. (9-1)
Nick Catone def. Constantinos Philippou (unanimous)
This one was a guess. Guessed wrong. (9-2)
9-2! Wow. That's pretty darn sweet if I do say so myself.
Jon Jones def. Mauricio Rua (TKO 3)
I haven't seen the full fight, just the third and last round, but man, Jones dominated Rua pretty badly. I have long said I didn't think Rua would be champ for long, based on his performances against Griffin and Coleman, but I didn't think he'd get beat this badly. Rarely do we see champions get this outclassed. Things look good for Jones and he certainly has a ton of potential, but he's pretty green and I could see him losing to veteran with a good game plan. After all, we haven't seen how Jones does on HIS back. Randy Couture, anyone? But, really, the ultimate match-up for most would be Jones vs Anderson Silva; two lanky guys with power. If Silva faces and defeats GSP, would this be the next superfight? (1-0)
Urijah Faber def. Eddie Wineland (unanimous)
Looks like Faber is back in the title hunt. (2-0)
Jim Miller def. Kamal Shalorus (TKO 3)
Miller looks good again. (3-0)
Nate Marquardt def. Dan Miller (unanimous)
Marquardt is back on track. (4-0)
Brendan Schaub def. Mirko Filipovic (TKO 3)
Time for Cro Cop to retire, unless a new weight class is created. (5-0)
Luiz Cane def. Eliot Marshall (TKO 1)
Cane made Marshall look useless. (6-0)
Edson Barboza vs Anthony Njokuani (unanimous)
How in the world did Barboza get this decision? I picked him, and he looked great in the first round, but Njokuani woke up in the second and third while Barboza coasted. Barboza landed a highlight-reel spinning head kick at the last moment and had a takedown, but did not capitalize on either and Njokuani was active throughout both rounds. I thought Barboza had given it away for sure. But he celebrated like he had won, while Njokuani was stunned by the kick. Looks like the judges bought what Barboza was selling. Terrible decision. (6-0)
Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Almeida (unanimous)
Looks like I picked the wrong guy to win by decision. (6-1)
Gleison Tibau def. Kurt Pellegrino (split)
Tibau got the split, eh? Wish I'd seen it. (7-1)
Joseph Benavidez def. Ian Loveland (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (8-1)
Erik Koch def. Raphael Assuncao (KO 1)
Koch dropped a BOMB on Assuncao. Highlight KO. (9-1)
Nick Catone def. Constantinos Philippou (unanimous)
This one was a guess. Guessed wrong. (9-2)
9-2! Wow. That's pretty darn sweet if I do say so myself.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
UFC 128 Picks
Alright, quick and dirty. I'm gonna miss this event, too. Damn social life!
Mauricio Rua vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
This is a funny match-up to me 'cause it features two guys who shouldn't be where they are. Rua was gifted a title shot (two, actually!) against Machida, a guy who, in turn, had not beaten any top 10 fighters to get HIS title shot (Silva was on the cusp). Sure, he won the belt against Rashad Evans, the last real top ten contender, but anyone can win on any night in this sport. Rua got his shot after getting schooled by Forrest Griffin, beating a geriatric Mark Coleman (who he had previously lost to) and then a way-past his-prime Chuck Liddell (who Dana White promptly tried to retire). That's pathetic. Jones is getting his shot because Rashad is injured, they need a last minute replacement, and all the other top dogs are busy or on medical suspension. Sure, he looks pretty good, but he hasn't faced any established top ten guys. Bader? Bader wasn't established either! This shot should have gone to Griffin, Rampage, Couture, Anderson Silva, Thiago Silva or even Machida - theoretically - before Jones got a shot. But this makes for a sexy fight and the UFC is all about making sexy fights for the almighty PPVs. If Jones wins, though, the belt once again spins into chaos with no true champion in sight. Rua has a change of giving the division some stability if he can beat a couple of true contenders, but that all goes out the window if the young buck can pull it off. Something tells me a smart vet could find a hole in Jones' game and exploit it. I wouldn't bet too much on him retaining the belt for long if he wins. And on we merrily go. As for my pick, well, I like Rua's smarts, but he's a stand and bang guy. Jones can stand and bang and he's faster. And he's a wrestler. Rua didn't do so well against Griffin in that department. Can Rus submit Jones? Dunno about that. Rua is by FAR the toughest opponent Jones has faced and is in a different league than Matyushenko, Bonnar and Vera. Can Rua reach Jones? How good is Jones' chin? These questions are what make this fight intriguing. I'm not that impressed with Rua, so I'm gonna go with the challenger in this one: Jones.
Urijah Faber vs Eddie Wineland (bantamweight)
Faber is the golden child, but he hasn't impressed me that much. Lately he seems to be more flash than substance. He's the former WEC featherweight champ and is now facing a former WEC bantamweight champ in the weight class. Wineland is obviously decent, but is susceptible to submissions. Both fighters are making their UFC debuts, though the spotlight is nothing new for Faber. I'll pick Faber.
Jim Miller vs Kamal Shalorus (lightweight)
If Miller wins, look for him to be the next lightweight title challenger (after Aldo, of course). He has the wins under his belt, having only lost to the champ and the #1 contender. Miller has twice the resume Shalorus has. I'm picking Miller.
Nate Marquardt vs Dan Miller (middleweight)
Marquardt is very good, but not "Great" as his nickname suggests. He needs to pull off some clutch wins. Still, he would represent a big notch in Miller's belt, seeing as MIller can't seem to beat anyone of any significant calibre. He has losses to Bisping, Maia and Sonnen and has only beaten mid-carders. Should be a decent fight, but I'll pick Marquardt.
Mirko Filipovic vs Brendan Schaub (heavyweight)
Can't Cro Cop make light heavy? Why does he insist on fighting at heavyweight where he is significantly outsized? If the UFC had a 205-220 division, he might be ok, but against 6'4" 240 Schaub? I dunno. Cro Cop has a shot if Schaub stands and bangs, which is likely. Against a wrestler, Cro Cop would be dead meat. I think a Cro Cop/Couture fight might be fun, but that's for another day. Is Cro Cop being fed to Schaub as a notch in his belt? Maybe. Is it gonna happen? Depends on Schaub's strategy. I'll pick Schaub.
Luiz Cane vs Eliot Marshall (light heavyweight)
Both of these guys have shown promise but have not quite delivered or have suffered big setbacks. Cane is coming off two losses, but against guys with power. Marshall is back on a slow rise after a disappointing loss to Matyushenko. Still, he hasn't exactly faced top dogs. Marshall's skills are his BJJ, but Cane is a black belt himself. The different here lies in Cane's power. I could see him getting the TKO. I'm picking Cane.
Edson Barboza vs Anthony Njokuani (lightweight)
...Who? Njokuani has some significant wins, and has only lost to top dogs. Barboza is undefeated and has power, but no significant opponents yet. Barboza has more belts and is more well-rounded. Njokuani is susceptible to submissions. I'll pick Barboza.
Ricardo Almeida vs Mike Pyle (welterweight)
Almeida is one of those guys who drives me nuts. You think he's on the cusp and then he lays an egg, like he did against Matt Hughes. That loss really killed his buzz. Pyle has lots of submissions, but, on paper, Almeida is the more dangerous BJJ guy. Almeida's wrestling skills may serve him well here. I'll pick Almeida by decision.
Kurt Pellegrino vs Gleison Tibau (lightweight)
This could be a good fight. They have similar styles, similar success in the octagon. I think Tibau has been short-changed at times. Pellegrino is a warrior. Tough call. I'm gonna pick Tibau.
Joseph Benavidez vs Ian Loveland (bantamweight)
The little boys again. I've heard of Benavidez, not so much Loveland. Benavidez is a small guy but has lots of heart and more prestige than Loveland. Loveland is coming off 7 straight wins after going 7-7 before that. No names in there, from what I can tell. I'm not sure how he'll do it, but I'll pick Benavidez.
Erik Koch vs Raphael Assuncao (featherweight)
Koch has been bounced around a bit, with opponents dropping out or switching fights. He looks tough, though and he's significantly bigger than Assuncao. Still, Assuncao should be the favourite as he has more prime time experience. Not a lot of info on Koch, but still he seems to have a record of finishing guys off quick, while Assuncao goes to decision these days. I'll pick Koch.
Nick Catone vs Constantinos Philippou (middleweight)
Isn't Nick Catone from N'Sync or something? He has mixed success in the UFC, losing to names, beating nobodies. Philippou is a ROC guy with a decent record and some quick KOs. Screw it: I'll pick Philippou for fun.
Who you got?
Mauricio Rua vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
This is a funny match-up to me 'cause it features two guys who shouldn't be where they are. Rua was gifted a title shot (two, actually!) against Machida, a guy who, in turn, had not beaten any top 10 fighters to get HIS title shot (Silva was on the cusp). Sure, he won the belt against Rashad Evans, the last real top ten contender, but anyone can win on any night in this sport. Rua got his shot after getting schooled by Forrest Griffin, beating a geriatric Mark Coleman (who he had previously lost to) and then a way-past his-prime Chuck Liddell (who Dana White promptly tried to retire). That's pathetic. Jones is getting his shot because Rashad is injured, they need a last minute replacement, and all the other top dogs are busy or on medical suspension. Sure, he looks pretty good, but he hasn't faced any established top ten guys. Bader? Bader wasn't established either! This shot should have gone to Griffin, Rampage, Couture, Anderson Silva, Thiago Silva or even Machida - theoretically - before Jones got a shot. But this makes for a sexy fight and the UFC is all about making sexy fights for the almighty PPVs. If Jones wins, though, the belt once again spins into chaos with no true champion in sight. Rua has a change of giving the division some stability if he can beat a couple of true contenders, but that all goes out the window if the young buck can pull it off. Something tells me a smart vet could find a hole in Jones' game and exploit it. I wouldn't bet too much on him retaining the belt for long if he wins. And on we merrily go. As for my pick, well, I like Rua's smarts, but he's a stand and bang guy. Jones can stand and bang and he's faster. And he's a wrestler. Rua didn't do so well against Griffin in that department. Can Rus submit Jones? Dunno about that. Rua is by FAR the toughest opponent Jones has faced and is in a different league than Matyushenko, Bonnar and Vera. Can Rua reach Jones? How good is Jones' chin? These questions are what make this fight intriguing. I'm not that impressed with Rua, so I'm gonna go with the challenger in this one: Jones.
Urijah Faber vs Eddie Wineland (bantamweight)
Faber is the golden child, but he hasn't impressed me that much. Lately he seems to be more flash than substance. He's the former WEC featherweight champ and is now facing a former WEC bantamweight champ in the weight class. Wineland is obviously decent, but is susceptible to submissions. Both fighters are making their UFC debuts, though the spotlight is nothing new for Faber. I'll pick Faber.
Jim Miller vs Kamal Shalorus (lightweight)
If Miller wins, look for him to be the next lightweight title challenger (after Aldo, of course). He has the wins under his belt, having only lost to the champ and the #1 contender. Miller has twice the resume Shalorus has. I'm picking Miller.
Nate Marquardt vs Dan Miller (middleweight)
Marquardt is very good, but not "Great" as his nickname suggests. He needs to pull off some clutch wins. Still, he would represent a big notch in Miller's belt, seeing as MIller can't seem to beat anyone of any significant calibre. He has losses to Bisping, Maia and Sonnen and has only beaten mid-carders. Should be a decent fight, but I'll pick Marquardt.
Mirko Filipovic vs Brendan Schaub (heavyweight)
Can't Cro Cop make light heavy? Why does he insist on fighting at heavyweight where he is significantly outsized? If the UFC had a 205-220 division, he might be ok, but against 6'4" 240 Schaub? I dunno. Cro Cop has a shot if Schaub stands and bangs, which is likely. Against a wrestler, Cro Cop would be dead meat. I think a Cro Cop/Couture fight might be fun, but that's for another day. Is Cro Cop being fed to Schaub as a notch in his belt? Maybe. Is it gonna happen? Depends on Schaub's strategy. I'll pick Schaub.
Luiz Cane vs Eliot Marshall (light heavyweight)
Both of these guys have shown promise but have not quite delivered or have suffered big setbacks. Cane is coming off two losses, but against guys with power. Marshall is back on a slow rise after a disappointing loss to Matyushenko. Still, he hasn't exactly faced top dogs. Marshall's skills are his BJJ, but Cane is a black belt himself. The different here lies in Cane's power. I could see him getting the TKO. I'm picking Cane.
Edson Barboza vs Anthony Njokuani (lightweight)
...Who? Njokuani has some significant wins, and has only lost to top dogs. Barboza is undefeated and has power, but no significant opponents yet. Barboza has more belts and is more well-rounded. Njokuani is susceptible to submissions. I'll pick Barboza.
Ricardo Almeida vs Mike Pyle (welterweight)
Almeida is one of those guys who drives me nuts. You think he's on the cusp and then he lays an egg, like he did against Matt Hughes. That loss really killed his buzz. Pyle has lots of submissions, but, on paper, Almeida is the more dangerous BJJ guy. Almeida's wrestling skills may serve him well here. I'll pick Almeida by decision.
Kurt Pellegrino vs Gleison Tibau (lightweight)
This could be a good fight. They have similar styles, similar success in the octagon. I think Tibau has been short-changed at times. Pellegrino is a warrior. Tough call. I'm gonna pick Tibau.
Joseph Benavidez vs Ian Loveland (bantamweight)
The little boys again. I've heard of Benavidez, not so much Loveland. Benavidez is a small guy but has lots of heart and more prestige than Loveland. Loveland is coming off 7 straight wins after going 7-7 before that. No names in there, from what I can tell. I'm not sure how he'll do it, but I'll pick Benavidez.
Erik Koch vs Raphael Assuncao (featherweight)
Koch has been bounced around a bit, with opponents dropping out or switching fights. He looks tough, though and he's significantly bigger than Assuncao. Still, Assuncao should be the favourite as he has more prime time experience. Not a lot of info on Koch, but still he seems to have a record of finishing guys off quick, while Assuncao goes to decision these days. I'll pick Koch.
Nick Catone vs Constantinos Philippou (middleweight)
Isn't Nick Catone from N'Sync or something? He has mixed success in the UFC, losing to names, beating nobodies. Philippou is a ROC guy with a decent record and some quick KOs. Screw it: I'll pick Philippou for fun.
Who you got?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
UFC 126 Results
Pretty good event. Some interesting fights and quality finishes.
Ok, how'd I do?
Anderson Silva def. Vitor Belfort (KO 1)
Wow. Highlight reel finish for sure. Straight kick to the face? Nice. It's a move that is rarely used, and then normally for defensive purposes. I like it, because guys often expect the side kicks but leave themselves open to this kind of attack. Worked beautifully for Silva. Everyone expected fireworks, but not like this. Too bad Belfort didn't get to show more. He had Silva on his heels when he did attack - he just took too long to do it. Should have gone berserker on Silva sooner. (1-0)
Forrest Griffin def. Rich Franklin (unanimous)
I saw it 29-28 for Forrest as well. He used his size to bully Franklin around a little, got him down and pounded out a decision. Not exciting, but effective, and smart. Really, it's what he should have done against Silva. Franklin didn't do much except get some counter jabs in - that's not gonna win you too many MMA fights. Does this do much for Forrest? We'll see. Something tells me his loss to Silva is going to haunt him and keep him out of the title mix for a long time. (2-0)
Jon Jones def. Ryan Bader (sub 2)
This fight was all Jones. Once Bader was on his back, it was over. Typical werstler's weakness. Aftre the fight, it was announced that Jones would replace the injured Rashad Evans against champion Shogun Rua next month. Great PR move, but not sure it's deserved. There are only so many guys who can take a fight on short notice, but Jones has beaten no one of significance (Bader included). Bader had actually faced tougher guys and this fight was supposed to determine who was "for real" not who was going to get the next shot. I may be biased, but it seems to me that Forrest would have been the more deserving choice, if he could step up. Forrest has beaten Rua before and lost his title to Evans. Like I said, it appears the Silva fight will haunt Griffin. (3-0)
Jake Ellenberger def. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (split)
Not even sure I remember this one. I think Rocha was doing well at first, but didn't fight smart. he let Ellenberger dictate and he took the fight. (4-0)
Miguel Angel Torres def. Antonio Banuelos (unanimous)
Pretty boring fight, but what do you want when one guys has such a ridiculous reach advantage? Of course he's going to keep his distance and jab his way to victory. Banuelos just couldn't seem to let go and risk going inside, despite his corner's encouragement. Some guys just don't seem to be willing to take a punch and risk the KO. (5-0)
Donald Cerrone def. Paul Kelly (sub 2)
Not a bad fight, but once it went to the ground, it was over. Kelly is a stand-up brawler and so he stood little chance against Cerrone's BJJ. Once again, Cerrone stood for longer than he should have. (6-0)
Chad Mendes def. Michihiro Omigawa (unanimous)
Mendes dictated the fight, Mendes won. Omigawa stuck in there and had a shot, but just did not fight smart. (7-0)
Demetrious Johnson def. Norifumi Yamamoto (unanimous)
Had to lose one sometime. Don't remember much... Underdog didn't pay. (7-1)
Paul Taylor def. Gabe Ruediger (TKO 2)
Can we PLEASE send Ruediger home now? Please? He clearly does not belong in the UFC. (8-1)
Kyle Kingsbury def. Ricardo Romero (KO 1)
Wow. This was a quick, brutal fight. Kingsbury looked possessed, swarming the dangerous Romero and knocking him out before he could really get a shot off (stats say he landed one punch in those 21 seconds). Should garner Kingsbury some more attention. (8-2)
Mike Pierce def. Kenny Robertson (KO 2)
Once again, the dog didn't pay. Picked the new kid against the boring wrestling vet and of course the boring wrestler won. At least he did it by TKO. (8-3)
Well, well: 8-3. Not bad at all.
Ok, how'd I do?
Anderson Silva def. Vitor Belfort (KO 1)
Wow. Highlight reel finish for sure. Straight kick to the face? Nice. It's a move that is rarely used, and then normally for defensive purposes. I like it, because guys often expect the side kicks but leave themselves open to this kind of attack. Worked beautifully for Silva. Everyone expected fireworks, but not like this. Too bad Belfort didn't get to show more. He had Silva on his heels when he did attack - he just took too long to do it. Should have gone berserker on Silva sooner. (1-0)
Forrest Griffin def. Rich Franklin (unanimous)
I saw it 29-28 for Forrest as well. He used his size to bully Franklin around a little, got him down and pounded out a decision. Not exciting, but effective, and smart. Really, it's what he should have done against Silva. Franklin didn't do much except get some counter jabs in - that's not gonna win you too many MMA fights. Does this do much for Forrest? We'll see. Something tells me his loss to Silva is going to haunt him and keep him out of the title mix for a long time. (2-0)
Jon Jones def. Ryan Bader (sub 2)
This fight was all Jones. Once Bader was on his back, it was over. Typical werstler's weakness. Aftre the fight, it was announced that Jones would replace the injured Rashad Evans against champion Shogun Rua next month. Great PR move, but not sure it's deserved. There are only so many guys who can take a fight on short notice, but Jones has beaten no one of significance (Bader included). Bader had actually faced tougher guys and this fight was supposed to determine who was "for real" not who was going to get the next shot. I may be biased, but it seems to me that Forrest would have been the more deserving choice, if he could step up. Forrest has beaten Rua before and lost his title to Evans. Like I said, it appears the Silva fight will haunt Griffin. (3-0)
Jake Ellenberger def. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (split)
Not even sure I remember this one. I think Rocha was doing well at first, but didn't fight smart. he let Ellenberger dictate and he took the fight. (4-0)
Miguel Angel Torres def. Antonio Banuelos (unanimous)
Pretty boring fight, but what do you want when one guys has such a ridiculous reach advantage? Of course he's going to keep his distance and jab his way to victory. Banuelos just couldn't seem to let go and risk going inside, despite his corner's encouragement. Some guys just don't seem to be willing to take a punch and risk the KO. (5-0)
Donald Cerrone def. Paul Kelly (sub 2)
Not a bad fight, but once it went to the ground, it was over. Kelly is a stand-up brawler and so he stood little chance against Cerrone's BJJ. Once again, Cerrone stood for longer than he should have. (6-0)
Chad Mendes def. Michihiro Omigawa (unanimous)
Mendes dictated the fight, Mendes won. Omigawa stuck in there and had a shot, but just did not fight smart. (7-0)
Demetrious Johnson def. Norifumi Yamamoto (unanimous)
Had to lose one sometime. Don't remember much... Underdog didn't pay. (7-1)
Paul Taylor def. Gabe Ruediger (TKO 2)
Can we PLEASE send Ruediger home now? Please? He clearly does not belong in the UFC. (8-1)
Kyle Kingsbury def. Ricardo Romero (KO 1)
Wow. This was a quick, brutal fight. Kingsbury looked possessed, swarming the dangerous Romero and knocking him out before he could really get a shot off (stats say he landed one punch in those 21 seconds). Should garner Kingsbury some more attention. (8-2)
Mike Pierce def. Kenny Robertson (KO 2)
Once again, the dog didn't pay. Picked the new kid against the boring wrestling vet and of course the boring wrestler won. At least he did it by TKO. (8-3)
Well, well: 8-3. Not bad at all.
Friday, February 4, 2011
UFC 126 Picks
Ok, here we go - back to predictions.
UFC 126 has a fairly decent card, with some interesting fights in the main events.
Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort (middleweight)
Anderson Silva has dominated the middleweight division for some time. But let's face it: it's a pretty weak division. Has he really faced the level of competition that other title holders have? For the most part, he has faced guys who are tailor-made for this style: stand-up guys with little knock-out power or jiu-jitsu guys with little to no wrestling ability. Not hard for a guy with crazy reach and KO power to dodge. Wrestlers have given him a harder time. Travis Lutter looked decent until he gassed and fell into a triangle. Chael Sonnen was kicking Silva's ass for 4.5 rounds until he also had a brain fart and got caught with a punch from the back followed by a triangle. I sense someone like Randy Couture could beat Silva. Even GSP, if he could get inside. But this is the first time Silva will face a guy with crazy KO power. We've seen Silva get stunned by punches before and not by powerful guys. If Belfort can crack Silva just once, that might be the end of it. Question is: can he get close enough to the champ? Belfort has only been TKO'd twice - by Randy Couture, a guy who grounded and pounded him to death first. That's not Silva's style. This is a great match-up, as both guys will be looking to bang. It'll be a matter of who connects best, first. Don't be surprised if Vitor KO's the champ. Still, I don't like the way his career has been up-and-down, and I'm not quite convinced he has earned this title shot. But, like I said, it's a weak division. I'm picking Silva, but I'll be cheering for Belfort.
Forrest Griffin vs Rich Franklin (light heavyweight)
Another interesting match-up. These two have very similar styles - stand-up guys, with not the greatest KO power. Franklin has the edge in the KO potential department, while Griffin will have a size advantage which may help if he plays it smart and takes Franklin down. I like both of these guys, but I've always been a big Forrest fan. I can't bet against him, even though I sense Franklin might get the TKO. I'm picking Forrest by decision.
Ryan Bader vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
Yet another fascinating match-up. The flashy, powerful Jones versus the powerful wrestler Bader. Two young guns with perfect records (forget that Matt Hamill nonsense) looking to move up the ladder in the UFC's deepest division. Can Bader get inside and take Jones down? Will Jones pull off some crazy move for the highlight-reel victory? Jones dominated Hamill, so why should this fight be any different? Bader has been impressive, but he hasn't faced someone with Jones' skills. This will be a big win for one of these fighters, moving them into the upper tier and perhaps two fights away from a title shot. I really like Bader, but my money's on Jones.
Jake Ellenberger vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha (welterweight)
Ellenberger is a wrestler with a very good record, though not huge wins. Rocha is a Brazilian jiu jitsu guy with a perfect record and zero important wins. He's super dangerous on the ground it seems, but he has very little experience. So should we believe the hype or will he fold to the veteran? One would think that the wrestler would avoid the ground and rely on his KO power. I'm guessing Ellenberger's not an idiot, so I'll pick him. Ellenberger by TKO.
Miguel Angel Torres vs Antonio Banuelos (bantamweight)
A WEC import fight. Personally, I'm a bit disappointed that the UFC has folded the WEC into the main house, since it means featuring the bigger guys less and making name recognition just that much more difficult. I can't say I know too many of these light guys, and it'll take some time to make them household names - at the expense of up-and-coming big men. Torres was the man at bantamweight for a while, of course, seemingly unbeatable - until he lost. Twice. Banuelos is known for some big fights in WEC as well as an early appearance on the TapouT talent hunt show. His record would suggest he's not quite in the same class as Torres, but he does have some fight in him, form what I recall. Still, I'm picking Torres to get his career back on track now that he's in the big show.
Donald Cerrone vs Paul Kelly (lightweight)
Should be a good fight. Both of these guys are active, stand-up guys, but Cerrone likes the ground, too. Kelly keeps surprising me, but I haven't seen his recent fights to know how he has handled himself. Cerrone is a guy who tends to stand more than he should. He has very dangerous ground skills which should serve him well in this fight. I'm picking Cerrone by submission.
Chad Mendes vs Michihiro Omigawa (featherweight)
9-0 versus 12-8? Seems like an obvious pick, right? Omigawa doesn't have the best record, but that's deceptive - most of his losses came early in his career and he's on a pretty good run right now. He also has power, which is unusual at that weight. But I'm not convinced that the Pride fighters are able to adapt to the octagon. Omigawa has fought twice in the UFC before, both losses. Mendes is a wrestler and has a perfect record. That's it: I'm picking Mendes.
Norifumi Yamamoto vs Demetrious Johnson (bantamweight)
Johnson is a wrestler with submission skills. Yamamoto is a wrestler with muay thai skills. That means Yamamoto ought to be able to keep this on the feet and use his power advantage. I'm gonna go against the grain and pick Yamamoto.
Paul Taylor vs Gabe Ruediger (lightweight)
Not sure why Ruediger is getting yet another fight in the UFC. He has shown nothing. Despite the fact that he has lost 5 of 7, Taylor sticks around because he goes all out and gets Fight of the Night honours. I'm picking the bigger Taylor to knock Ruediger out. I bet the loser gets cut.
Kyle Kingsbury vs Ricardo Romero (light heavyweight)
Kingsbury was a TUF competitor and has had mixed results since, but is coming off a FotN win. Romero, though, is no joke. He essentially has a perfect record, his only loss being a DQ when he soccer kicked a downed opponent. I'm picking Romero.
Mike Pierce vs Kenny Robertson (welterweight)
Pierce is a wrestler who almost always goes to decision. Boring, but he's 13-3. Robertson (no Wikipedia page) has a perfect record and submission skills. Let's hope he can put them to good use and show the wrestler that fans don't like boring. I'm picking Robertson.
UFC 126 has a fairly decent card, with some interesting fights in the main events.
Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort (middleweight)
Anderson Silva has dominated the middleweight division for some time. But let's face it: it's a pretty weak division. Has he really faced the level of competition that other title holders have? For the most part, he has faced guys who are tailor-made for this style: stand-up guys with little knock-out power or jiu-jitsu guys with little to no wrestling ability. Not hard for a guy with crazy reach and KO power to dodge. Wrestlers have given him a harder time. Travis Lutter looked decent until he gassed and fell into a triangle. Chael Sonnen was kicking Silva's ass for 4.5 rounds until he also had a brain fart and got caught with a punch from the back followed by a triangle. I sense someone like Randy Couture could beat Silva. Even GSP, if he could get inside. But this is the first time Silva will face a guy with crazy KO power. We've seen Silva get stunned by punches before and not by powerful guys. If Belfort can crack Silva just once, that might be the end of it. Question is: can he get close enough to the champ? Belfort has only been TKO'd twice - by Randy Couture, a guy who grounded and pounded him to death first. That's not Silva's style. This is a great match-up, as both guys will be looking to bang. It'll be a matter of who connects best, first. Don't be surprised if Vitor KO's the champ. Still, I don't like the way his career has been up-and-down, and I'm not quite convinced he has earned this title shot. But, like I said, it's a weak division. I'm picking Silva, but I'll be cheering for Belfort.
Forrest Griffin vs Rich Franklin (light heavyweight)
Another interesting match-up. These two have very similar styles - stand-up guys, with not the greatest KO power. Franklin has the edge in the KO potential department, while Griffin will have a size advantage which may help if he plays it smart and takes Franklin down. I like both of these guys, but I've always been a big Forrest fan. I can't bet against him, even though I sense Franklin might get the TKO. I'm picking Forrest by decision.
Ryan Bader vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
Yet another fascinating match-up. The flashy, powerful Jones versus the powerful wrestler Bader. Two young guns with perfect records (forget that Matt Hamill nonsense) looking to move up the ladder in the UFC's deepest division. Can Bader get inside and take Jones down? Will Jones pull off some crazy move for the highlight-reel victory? Jones dominated Hamill, so why should this fight be any different? Bader has been impressive, but he hasn't faced someone with Jones' skills. This will be a big win for one of these fighters, moving them into the upper tier and perhaps two fights away from a title shot. I really like Bader, but my money's on Jones.
Jake Ellenberger vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha (welterweight)
Ellenberger is a wrestler with a very good record, though not huge wins. Rocha is a Brazilian jiu jitsu guy with a perfect record and zero important wins. He's super dangerous on the ground it seems, but he has very little experience. So should we believe the hype or will he fold to the veteran? One would think that the wrestler would avoid the ground and rely on his KO power. I'm guessing Ellenberger's not an idiot, so I'll pick him. Ellenberger by TKO.
Miguel Angel Torres vs Antonio Banuelos (bantamweight)
A WEC import fight. Personally, I'm a bit disappointed that the UFC has folded the WEC into the main house, since it means featuring the bigger guys less and making name recognition just that much more difficult. I can't say I know too many of these light guys, and it'll take some time to make them household names - at the expense of up-and-coming big men. Torres was the man at bantamweight for a while, of course, seemingly unbeatable - until he lost. Twice. Banuelos is known for some big fights in WEC as well as an early appearance on the TapouT talent hunt show. His record would suggest he's not quite in the same class as Torres, but he does have some fight in him, form what I recall. Still, I'm picking Torres to get his career back on track now that he's in the big show.
Donald Cerrone vs Paul Kelly (lightweight)
Should be a good fight. Both of these guys are active, stand-up guys, but Cerrone likes the ground, too. Kelly keeps surprising me, but I haven't seen his recent fights to know how he has handled himself. Cerrone is a guy who tends to stand more than he should. He has very dangerous ground skills which should serve him well in this fight. I'm picking Cerrone by submission.
Chad Mendes vs Michihiro Omigawa (featherweight)
9-0 versus 12-8? Seems like an obvious pick, right? Omigawa doesn't have the best record, but that's deceptive - most of his losses came early in his career and he's on a pretty good run right now. He also has power, which is unusual at that weight. But I'm not convinced that the Pride fighters are able to adapt to the octagon. Omigawa has fought twice in the UFC before, both losses. Mendes is a wrestler and has a perfect record. That's it: I'm picking Mendes.
Norifumi Yamamoto vs Demetrious Johnson (bantamweight)
Johnson is a wrestler with submission skills. Yamamoto is a wrestler with muay thai skills. That means Yamamoto ought to be able to keep this on the feet and use his power advantage. I'm gonna go against the grain and pick Yamamoto.
Paul Taylor vs Gabe Ruediger (lightweight)
Not sure why Ruediger is getting yet another fight in the UFC. He has shown nothing. Despite the fact that he has lost 5 of 7, Taylor sticks around because he goes all out and gets Fight of the Night honours. I'm picking the bigger Taylor to knock Ruediger out. I bet the loser gets cut.
Kyle Kingsbury vs Ricardo Romero (light heavyweight)
Kingsbury was a TUF competitor and has had mixed results since, but is coming off a FotN win. Romero, though, is no joke. He essentially has a perfect record, his only loss being a DQ when he soccer kicked a downed opponent. I'm picking Romero.
Mike Pierce vs Kenny Robertson (welterweight)
Pierce is a wrestler who almost always goes to decision. Boring, but he's 13-3. Robertson (no Wikipedia page) has a perfect record and submission skills. Let's hope he can put them to good use and show the wrestler that fans don't like boring. I'm picking Robertson.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
UFC Fight Night Results
I thought this event might suck and it did, for the most part - at least the telecast version.
Jon Jones vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Jones dominated, looking a lot like Anderson Silva in his awkward, gangly approach. He got top position and started dropping some elbows to Vlad's head and it took Herb Dean about 3 seconds to jump in and stop the fight. While Vlad was in deep trouble, he wasn't hurt. This was a premature stoppage in my books. Still, Jones was clearly the better fighter. If Silva ever goes back up to 205, I'd love to see him fight Jones because their styles are so similar. (1-0)
Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Boring as hell. Munoz had a terrible gameplan, attempting lazy single-leg takedowns from five feet away. Okami just had to stuff the takedowns, lie on top of Munoz (who wouldn't let go) and hit him with hammer fists to get the win. Ridiculous. (1-1)
John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
Howard looked goods until he got smacked in the eye and it swelled shut in an ugly way. He clearly had an injury there and the doctor wisely stopped the fight. Too bad for Howard. (1-2)
Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Another pretty dull fight for all that it lasted. Give Gomi credit for turning the lights out on Griffin. (1-3)
Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
This wasn't aired. I wouldn't mind seeing it to see how the two performed. Once again Volkmann screwed me over. :P (1-4)
DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
Should have stuck with my boy Riddle. Johnson is overrated. (1-5)
James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
I think the Sandman may be done. Another poor performance. Seems he's a one trick pony. (1-6)
Brian Stann vs Mike Massenzio
Finally! Another win! Massenzio loses to CB Dolloway and then gets submitted by Stann? Dunno if he'll escape getting cut. (2-6)
Darren Elkins vs Charles Oliveira
I didn't know these guys before, but I know Oliveira now. That was quick and impressive. Dunno if he'd catch many UFC vets in such a straightforward triangle that easily, but he has probably earned another couple of fights in the UFC. (2-7)
Rob Kimmons vs Steve Steinbeiss
Steinbeiss has probably earned his walking papers with this one. As I said before, his record is less than impressive. (3-7)
Wow. 3-7. That sucks. Thank goodness I fare better at PPV's when it really counts, right? :P
Jon Jones vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Jones dominated, looking a lot like Anderson Silva in his awkward, gangly approach. He got top position and started dropping some elbows to Vlad's head and it took Herb Dean about 3 seconds to jump in and stop the fight. While Vlad was in deep trouble, he wasn't hurt. This was a premature stoppage in my books. Still, Jones was clearly the better fighter. If Silva ever goes back up to 205, I'd love to see him fight Jones because their styles are so similar. (1-0)
Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Boring as hell. Munoz had a terrible gameplan, attempting lazy single-leg takedowns from five feet away. Okami just had to stuff the takedowns, lie on top of Munoz (who wouldn't let go) and hit him with hammer fists to get the win. Ridiculous. (1-1)
John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
Howard looked goods until he got smacked in the eye and it swelled shut in an ugly way. He clearly had an injury there and the doctor wisely stopped the fight. Too bad for Howard. (1-2)
Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Another pretty dull fight for all that it lasted. Give Gomi credit for turning the lights out on Griffin. (1-3)
Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
This wasn't aired. I wouldn't mind seeing it to see how the two performed. Once again Volkmann screwed me over. :P (1-4)
DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
Should have stuck with my boy Riddle. Johnson is overrated. (1-5)
James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
I think the Sandman may be done. Another poor performance. Seems he's a one trick pony. (1-6)
Brian Stann vs Mike Massenzio
Finally! Another win! Massenzio loses to CB Dolloway and then gets submitted by Stann? Dunno if he'll escape getting cut. (2-6)
Darren Elkins vs Charles Oliveira
I didn't know these guys before, but I know Oliveira now. That was quick and impressive. Dunno if he'd catch many UFC vets in such a straightforward triangle that easily, but he has probably earned another couple of fights in the UFC. (2-7)
Rob Kimmons vs Steve Steinbeiss
Steinbeiss has probably earned his walking papers with this one. As I said before, his record is less than impressive. (3-7)
Wow. 3-7. That sucks. Thank goodness I fare better at PPV's when it really counts, right? :P
Friday, July 30, 2010
UFC Fight Night predictions
Can't say I'm terribly excited about this event. Still, let's pick some winners, ok?
Jon Jones vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Vlad is the old dog, facing off against the new blood. Don't know too much about him, which is odd considering this is the main event. His record is impressive, but he is getting up there (39) and most of his fights go to decision. Can he hang with the energetic Jones? I'm gonna say no. I'm picking Jones.
Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Two guys who have good records but who have stumbled when it matters most. Munoz is on Matt Hamill's highlight reel and Okami fell to Rich Frankin, climbed the ladder again, then fell to Chael Sonnen. This could be a close fight, but I'm gonna go with Munoz in a bit of an upset.
John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
I've missed most of Howard's fights, but he has been impressive, I hear. He has power and submission skills, while Ellenberger is a wrestler. If it goes to decision, I'd pick Ellenberger, but if it stops before the distance, then I'd bet on Howard. This could be an exciting finish or dull as hell. I'm gonna hope for exciting and pick Howard.
Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Gomi has been less than impressive since coming over to the UFC from Japan where he was revered. He has lost three of five and four of eight. Not good. Sounds like he's living off his reputation. Griffin is a mystery and is coming off a loss. He seems to be a skilled fighter but never seems to have a good game plan. He has 10 UFC fights, though, and has won fight of the night in five of those fights. That's impressive. I'm not sold on Gomi, so I'm gonna pick Griffin.
Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
I picked Volkmann once and he let me down. Bet against him the next time and he won a fight he shouldn't have. What to do? Kelly's a tough boy. I'm picking Kelly.
DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
I like Riddle, but he's a bit green. Johnson has more experience and I bet that's gonna serve him well. I'm picking Johnson.
James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
The Sandman returns. I hope he is all healed up and this won't be another disappointing and brief outing. He was brutalized by Anderson Silva then had to quit when Alessio Sakara punched him in the eye. I don't know much about Pokrajac other than his record is ok and he has beaten no one of consequence. It seems both of these guys can bang. I don't like Irvin's chances on the ground, but I'll pick him anyway.
Brian Stann vs Mike Massenzio
Stann is a pretty tough guy but has a mediocre UFC record. I know squat about Massenzio other than he tends to finish fights early and has lost to CB effing Dollaway for Pete's sake. If Dollaway can TKO this guy, so can Stann. I'm picking Stann.
Darren Elkins vs Charles Oliveira
Who...? Both of these guys have terrific records and finish fights early. maybe they haven't faced tough enough competition? Well, we'll see who responds to the pressure. Elkins or Oliveira? Elkins has fought once in the UFC so I'm gonna bet that helps. I'll pick Elkins.
Rob Kimmons vs Steve Steinbeiss
What is Steinbeiss doing in the UFC? He has lost his last two (one in WEC, one in UFC) and has lost to BILL EFFING MAHOOD for Pete's sake!! WTF? Kimmons has four UFC fights (2-2) with losses to Dan Miller and Jorge Rivera. Something tells me the loser is going home. I'm picking Kimmons for giggles.
This event might totally suck. We'll see.
Jon Jones vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Vlad is the old dog, facing off against the new blood. Don't know too much about him, which is odd considering this is the main event. His record is impressive, but he is getting up there (39) and most of his fights go to decision. Can he hang with the energetic Jones? I'm gonna say no. I'm picking Jones.
Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Two guys who have good records but who have stumbled when it matters most. Munoz is on Matt Hamill's highlight reel and Okami fell to Rich Frankin, climbed the ladder again, then fell to Chael Sonnen. This could be a close fight, but I'm gonna go with Munoz in a bit of an upset.
John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
I've missed most of Howard's fights, but he has been impressive, I hear. He has power and submission skills, while Ellenberger is a wrestler. If it goes to decision, I'd pick Ellenberger, but if it stops before the distance, then I'd bet on Howard. This could be an exciting finish or dull as hell. I'm gonna hope for exciting and pick Howard.
Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Gomi has been less than impressive since coming over to the UFC from Japan where he was revered. He has lost three of five and four of eight. Not good. Sounds like he's living off his reputation. Griffin is a mystery and is coming off a loss. He seems to be a skilled fighter but never seems to have a good game plan. He has 10 UFC fights, though, and has won fight of the night in five of those fights. That's impressive. I'm not sold on Gomi, so I'm gonna pick Griffin.
Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
I picked Volkmann once and he let me down. Bet against him the next time and he won a fight he shouldn't have. What to do? Kelly's a tough boy. I'm picking Kelly.
DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
I like Riddle, but he's a bit green. Johnson has more experience and I bet that's gonna serve him well. I'm picking Johnson.
James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
The Sandman returns. I hope he is all healed up and this won't be another disappointing and brief outing. He was brutalized by Anderson Silva then had to quit when Alessio Sakara punched him in the eye. I don't know much about Pokrajac other than his record is ok and he has beaten no one of consequence. It seems both of these guys can bang. I don't like Irvin's chances on the ground, but I'll pick him anyway.
Brian Stann vs Mike Massenzio
Stann is a pretty tough guy but has a mediocre UFC record. I know squat about Massenzio other than he tends to finish fights early and has lost to CB effing Dollaway for Pete's sake. If Dollaway can TKO this guy, so can Stann. I'm picking Stann.
Darren Elkins vs Charles Oliveira
Who...? Both of these guys have terrific records and finish fights early. maybe they haven't faced tough enough competition? Well, we'll see who responds to the pressure. Elkins or Oliveira? Elkins has fought once in the UFC so I'm gonna bet that helps. I'll pick Elkins.
Rob Kimmons vs Steve Steinbeiss
What is Steinbeiss doing in the UFC? He has lost his last two (one in WEC, one in UFC) and has lost to BILL EFFING MAHOOD for Pete's sake!! WTF? Kimmons has four UFC fights (2-2) with losses to Dan Miller and Jorge Rivera. Something tells me the loser is going home. I'm picking Kimmons for giggles.
This event might totally suck. We'll see.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
UFC Live: Vera vs Jones Results
Ok, let's see how I did...
Jon Jones def. Brandon Vera (TKO 1) – Jones keeps looking good. The fight itself, like a couple of others, was a bit of a dud, with Vera getting hurt by an elbow and essentially giving up without any sign of blood. He tried his hardest afterwards to sell the fact that he was hurt, though, which didn’t endear him to me. If you’re injured, you don’t have to sell it. I saw Dana White speak at the Toronto Eaton Centre on Tuesday and he didn’t exactly give Vera a vote of confidence, telling the crowd quite seriously that they’d have to think about what to do with Vera next. After another lackluster performance, I think he’s just one step removed from the door. Jones’ next fight will be against a big name like Griffin, Jackson, Evans, Silva or Couture to set him up for a title run next year. (1-0)
Junior Dos Santos def. Gabriel Gonzaga (KO 1) – Dos Santos is another guy who is burning up the charts. This guy is ready for prime time and his next fight could easily be a #1 contender’s fight against the likes of Velasquez, Carwin or Mir, depending on how ugly the picture gets with the ridiculous interim belt. Gonzaga is talented, but his chin has been tested a few times now and it has failed. (2-0)
Cheick Kongo def. Paul Buentello (sub 3) – Kongo looked great, but that’s probably due to the fact that Buentello was the perfect opponent for him. Buentello is a heavy hitter but has zero ground game or wrestling skills, it seems. Kongo was able to dodge any heavy shots and managed to get the fight to the ground where he pretty much lay on top of Buentello and wore him out with some G&P (the submission was due to strikes). Don’t be fooled though: Kongo is still far from being a top contender. Put him up against someone who knows what they’re doing on the ground and he’s screwed. (3-0)
Alessio Sakara def. James Irvin (TKO 1) – Perhaps the most disappointing fight of the night as Irvin cried “No mas” after getting a shot to the eye. If he doesn’t have some sort of severe fracture or dislocation, it would be pretty disappointing (in a sense) because it would mean he just wussed out and couldn’t fight through it. I wonder if his heart was in it. (3-1)
Clay Guida def. Shannon Gugerty (sub 2) – Guida is a monster. The guy just does not stop. He dominated Gugerty. Still, he can’t seem to pull off the big wins – when it matters the most. He’s clearly the gatekeeper to the upper echelons of the lightweight division, though. (4-1)
Vladimir Matyushenko def. Eliot Marshall (split) - I didn’t see this one. Can’t say I was surprised by the result. (5-1)
Darren Elkins def. Duane Ludwig (TKO 1) – This one was stopped 44 seconds in when Ludwig injured his ankle, so it hardly counts. What a waste of a training camp. (5-2)
John Howard def. Daniel Roberts (KO 1) – Roberts looked great, but Howard managed to get in the one heavy punch that turned out the lights. Too bad, ‘cause I sense Roberts is the greater talent. (5-3)
Brendan Schaub def. Chase Gormley (KO 1) – Zoinks, yo. Schaub kicked this guy’s ass like the guy owed him money. That boy has power. (6-3)
Mike Pierce def. Julio Paulino (unanimous) – Didn’t see it, but can’t say I’m surprised. (7-3)
Jason Brilz def. Eric Schafer (unanimous) – Didn’t see it. Again, not shocked. (8-3)
Whoa! 8-3 including that Ludwig dud? I’m definitely psychic.
Stay tuned for my UFC 111 picks – GSP vs Hardy!
Jon Jones def. Brandon Vera (TKO 1) – Jones keeps looking good. The fight itself, like a couple of others, was a bit of a dud, with Vera getting hurt by an elbow and essentially giving up without any sign of blood. He tried his hardest afterwards to sell the fact that he was hurt, though, which didn’t endear him to me. If you’re injured, you don’t have to sell it. I saw Dana White speak at the Toronto Eaton Centre on Tuesday and he didn’t exactly give Vera a vote of confidence, telling the crowd quite seriously that they’d have to think about what to do with Vera next. After another lackluster performance, I think he’s just one step removed from the door. Jones’ next fight will be against a big name like Griffin, Jackson, Evans, Silva or Couture to set him up for a title run next year. (1-0)
Junior Dos Santos def. Gabriel Gonzaga (KO 1) – Dos Santos is another guy who is burning up the charts. This guy is ready for prime time and his next fight could easily be a #1 contender’s fight against the likes of Velasquez, Carwin or Mir, depending on how ugly the picture gets with the ridiculous interim belt. Gonzaga is talented, but his chin has been tested a few times now and it has failed. (2-0)
Cheick Kongo def. Paul Buentello (sub 3) – Kongo looked great, but that’s probably due to the fact that Buentello was the perfect opponent for him. Buentello is a heavy hitter but has zero ground game or wrestling skills, it seems. Kongo was able to dodge any heavy shots and managed to get the fight to the ground where he pretty much lay on top of Buentello and wore him out with some G&P (the submission was due to strikes). Don’t be fooled though: Kongo is still far from being a top contender. Put him up against someone who knows what they’re doing on the ground and he’s screwed. (3-0)
Alessio Sakara def. James Irvin (TKO 1) – Perhaps the most disappointing fight of the night as Irvin cried “No mas” after getting a shot to the eye. If he doesn’t have some sort of severe fracture or dislocation, it would be pretty disappointing (in a sense) because it would mean he just wussed out and couldn’t fight through it. I wonder if his heart was in it. (3-1)
Clay Guida def. Shannon Gugerty (sub 2) – Guida is a monster. The guy just does not stop. He dominated Gugerty. Still, he can’t seem to pull off the big wins – when it matters the most. He’s clearly the gatekeeper to the upper echelons of the lightweight division, though. (4-1)
Vladimir Matyushenko def. Eliot Marshall (split) - I didn’t see this one. Can’t say I was surprised by the result. (5-1)
Darren Elkins def. Duane Ludwig (TKO 1) – This one was stopped 44 seconds in when Ludwig injured his ankle, so it hardly counts. What a waste of a training camp. (5-2)
John Howard def. Daniel Roberts (KO 1) – Roberts looked great, but Howard managed to get in the one heavy punch that turned out the lights. Too bad, ‘cause I sense Roberts is the greater talent. (5-3)
Brendan Schaub def. Chase Gormley (KO 1) – Zoinks, yo. Schaub kicked this guy’s ass like the guy owed him money. That boy has power. (6-3)
Mike Pierce def. Julio Paulino (unanimous) – Didn’t see it, but can’t say I’m surprised. (7-3)
Jason Brilz def. Eric Schafer (unanimous) – Didn’t see it. Again, not shocked. (8-3)
Whoa! 8-3 including that Ludwig dud? I’m definitely psychic.
Stay tuned for my UFC 111 picks – GSP vs Hardy!
Friday, March 19, 2010
UFC Live: Vera vs Jones picks
This is an event availble on regular cable tv (at least in Canada) whihc is pretty sweet, 'cause it's a decent card, unlike most Fight Night Live cards which feature TUF guys and one ok fight as a main event.
Let's get to the picks:
Brandon Vera vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight) - Remember when Vera was the next big thing? When he had a great record, was a young up and comer and appeared to be a threat in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions? Well, after some lackluster performances in his last - what - 5 fights, that seems like a long time ago. Now it's Jones who is the up and comer with the great record and appears to be a rising darling with the UFC. This fight could represent a transition in both fighters' careers. If Jones wins, we could see him move into the top flight of the UFC, ready to take on some of the contenders. Vera would be looking at his second straight loss, his fifth in nine fights, and 3-3 since moving to light heavyweight. I don't think he'd be in danger of getting cut, but his star would seriously lack some shine. He ought to be the favourite in this fight and yet fans have him as a 2-1 underdog. Is it over for Vera? It all depends on which Vera shows up. If Smart Vera shows up, he'll find the weaknesses in Jones' game and secure a takedown and submission. If Silly Vera shows up, he'll stand and bang and get knocked out. This is a tough one to call. Jones is scary, but we haven't seen Vera's chin tested and I don't know if Jones can handle Vera on the ground. I think this one might actually turn into a snooze fest after the first round, with Jones winning by decision after some modest ground and pound.
Junior Dos Santos vs Gabriel Gonzaga (heavyweight) - Gonzaga needs to get this one to the mat. If he stands and bangs I don't like his chances one bit. Dos Santos has tremendous power in his fists, moreso than Gonzaga who is no slouch himself. I'm picking Dos Santos by KO.
Cheick Kongo vs Paul Buentello (heavyweight) - I've never been a big fans of Buentello's. He's a guy who swings for the fences with his big gut sticking out and seems to lay eggs in the big fights. He's susceptible to submissions, but he's fortunate that his opponent on Sunday has no ground game whatsoever. Cheick Kongo is a big dude who made a splash upon his arrival in the UFC, but has also been unimpressive in recent fights (even in victory). Neither one of these guys strikes me as true MMA fighters or heavyweight contenders. Buentello might get the KO, but I'll pick Kongo to bore us with a decision. The loser should be halfway to the door.
Alessio Sakara vs James Irvin (middleweight) - This is a battle of returning fighters. Sakara's been away since August 2009 while Irvin's been away a month longer thanks to injury and a drug suspension. It also features Irvin's debut at 185, which is a bit of a surprise as that's Anderson Silva's weight class - the guy who clubbed him last time out. Both fighters need the win after so-so careers in the cage. Both seem to like to stand and trade, in which case I'd give Irvin the edge. It'll be interesting to see if Irvin can handle the weight drop, though. Still, I'll pull for him. Irvin by KO.
Clay Guida vs Shannon Gugerty (lightweight) - after an 18-3 start, Guida is 7-8 in his last 15. That's not good. But three times he's won Fight Of The Night honours and he's had lots of tough opposition. This guy simply does not stop. I can't see him losing to Gugerty who has a far less impressive resume and is simply filling in for Sean Sherk. I'm picking Guida.
Eliot Marshall vs Vladimir Matyushenko (light heavyweight) - I like Marshall, but I fear he may be outclassed by Matyushenko. The man from Belarus has a very impressive resume while Marshall is still pretty new to the game and has yet to face top competition. Clearly this is a test for Marshall, and I think his only hope is to outlast the older (39) Matyushenko. If this goes to the ground, it'll be interesting to see what Marshall's jiu-jitsu can do against the old wrestler. I see Matyushenko by dull decision.
Duane Ludwig vs Darren Elkins (lightweight?) - Elkins is listed as a welterweight on the UFC site...Not sure what class this is being fought in. Lightweight, I think. Ludwig is a capable fighter while Elkins is making his UFC debut. I'll take the experienced Ludwig.
John Howard vs Daniel Roberts (welterweight) - I've never heard of Roberts, but the guy is a submission machine. Howard is no slouch, either. He's on a 6 fight win streak, 3 in the UFC. This could be the best fight of the night. Howard tends to go to decision, though, while Roberts is a first round finisher. I'll pick the new guy, Roberts.
Brendan Schaub vs Chase Gormley (heavyweight) - Schaub will be looking to make up for his highlight reel loss to Roy Nelson in the TUF finale. Can't say I know much about Gormley. I like Schaub, so I'll pick him.
Mike Pierce vs Julio Paulino (welterweight) - although his record doesn't show it, Pierce has a much better resulme than Paulino, who seems to spend a lot of time fighting in Alaska. I'll pick Pierce.
Eric Schafer vs Jason Brilz (light heavyweight) - Schafer is good but has laid some eggs. Brilz is coming off a loss but is a wrestler with submission skills. That's always good. 17-2 is also good, though granted not against top flight competition. Still, I'll pick Brilz for fun.
Let's get to the picks:
Brandon Vera vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight) - Remember when Vera was the next big thing? When he had a great record, was a young up and comer and appeared to be a threat in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions? Well, after some lackluster performances in his last - what - 5 fights, that seems like a long time ago. Now it's Jones who is the up and comer with the great record and appears to be a rising darling with the UFC. This fight could represent a transition in both fighters' careers. If Jones wins, we could see him move into the top flight of the UFC, ready to take on some of the contenders. Vera would be looking at his second straight loss, his fifth in nine fights, and 3-3 since moving to light heavyweight. I don't think he'd be in danger of getting cut, but his star would seriously lack some shine. He ought to be the favourite in this fight and yet fans have him as a 2-1 underdog. Is it over for Vera? It all depends on which Vera shows up. If Smart Vera shows up, he'll find the weaknesses in Jones' game and secure a takedown and submission. If Silly Vera shows up, he'll stand and bang and get knocked out. This is a tough one to call. Jones is scary, but we haven't seen Vera's chin tested and I don't know if Jones can handle Vera on the ground. I think this one might actually turn into a snooze fest after the first round, with Jones winning by decision after some modest ground and pound.
Junior Dos Santos vs Gabriel Gonzaga (heavyweight) - Gonzaga needs to get this one to the mat. If he stands and bangs I don't like his chances one bit. Dos Santos has tremendous power in his fists, moreso than Gonzaga who is no slouch himself. I'm picking Dos Santos by KO.
Cheick Kongo vs Paul Buentello (heavyweight) - I've never been a big fans of Buentello's. He's a guy who swings for the fences with his big gut sticking out and seems to lay eggs in the big fights. He's susceptible to submissions, but he's fortunate that his opponent on Sunday has no ground game whatsoever. Cheick Kongo is a big dude who made a splash upon his arrival in the UFC, but has also been unimpressive in recent fights (even in victory). Neither one of these guys strikes me as true MMA fighters or heavyweight contenders. Buentello might get the KO, but I'll pick Kongo to bore us with a decision. The loser should be halfway to the door.
Alessio Sakara vs James Irvin (middleweight) - This is a battle of returning fighters. Sakara's been away since August 2009 while Irvin's been away a month longer thanks to injury and a drug suspension. It also features Irvin's debut at 185, which is a bit of a surprise as that's Anderson Silva's weight class - the guy who clubbed him last time out. Both fighters need the win after so-so careers in the cage. Both seem to like to stand and trade, in which case I'd give Irvin the edge. It'll be interesting to see if Irvin can handle the weight drop, though. Still, I'll pull for him. Irvin by KO.
Clay Guida vs Shannon Gugerty (lightweight) - after an 18-3 start, Guida is 7-8 in his last 15. That's not good. But three times he's won Fight Of The Night honours and he's had lots of tough opposition. This guy simply does not stop. I can't see him losing to Gugerty who has a far less impressive resume and is simply filling in for Sean Sherk. I'm picking Guida.
Eliot Marshall vs Vladimir Matyushenko (light heavyweight) - I like Marshall, but I fear he may be outclassed by Matyushenko. The man from Belarus has a very impressive resume while Marshall is still pretty new to the game and has yet to face top competition. Clearly this is a test for Marshall, and I think his only hope is to outlast the older (39) Matyushenko. If this goes to the ground, it'll be interesting to see what Marshall's jiu-jitsu can do against the old wrestler. I see Matyushenko by dull decision.
Duane Ludwig vs Darren Elkins (lightweight?) - Elkins is listed as a welterweight on the UFC site...Not sure what class this is being fought in. Lightweight, I think. Ludwig is a capable fighter while Elkins is making his UFC debut. I'll take the experienced Ludwig.
John Howard vs Daniel Roberts (welterweight) - I've never heard of Roberts, but the guy is a submission machine. Howard is no slouch, either. He's on a 6 fight win streak, 3 in the UFC. This could be the best fight of the night. Howard tends to go to decision, though, while Roberts is a first round finisher. I'll pick the new guy, Roberts.
Brendan Schaub vs Chase Gormley (heavyweight) - Schaub will be looking to make up for his highlight reel loss to Roy Nelson in the TUF finale. Can't say I know much about Gormley. I like Schaub, so I'll pick him.
Mike Pierce vs Julio Paulino (welterweight) - although his record doesn't show it, Pierce has a much better resulme than Paulino, who seems to spend a lot of time fighting in Alaska. I'll pick Pierce.
Eric Schafer vs Jason Brilz (light heavyweight) - Schafer is good but has laid some eggs. Brilz is coming off a loss but is a wrestler with submission skills. That's always good. 17-2 is also good, though granted not against top flight competition. Still, I'll pick Brilz for fun.
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