UFC 113 Results

Yet again, I missed most of the event. Ah, family.

Let's see how I did.

Shogun Rua def. Lyoto Machida (KO 1)
Wow. Rua really beat him senseless and earned the victory. Did he earn the title? I dunno. As I've said before, I don't think Rua deserved the original title shot, so... It'll be interesting to see if he can hold the belt any longer than his post-Liddell predecessors (Rampage, Griffin, Evans, Machida). Looks like Lyoto didn't learn anything from the first fight as I had thought he might. Well, he paid for it. Look for the winner of Rampage-Evans to get the next shot, especially since Griffin had to back out of his fight with Little Nog and Couture has been served softballs. (0-1)

Josh Koscheck def. Paul Daley (unanimous)
What a mess this fight was. First, Koscheck doesn't stand and bang as his mouth said he would (good thing, 'cause Daley was clocking him when he got the chance), then Daley loses his mind and sucker punches Koscheck after the bell before Koscheck tells the booing crowd where to stick it. Nice. These guys are all class. Unfortunately, Dana White said before the fight that the winner would get GSP after coaching against the champ during the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, so we're stuck with GSP-Koscheck II. If Koscheck wins, I'll cry. I'm serious. Daley, meanwhile, has been kicked out of the UFC which is exactly what I thought would happen as soon as I saw the punch. (0-2)

Jeremy Stephens def. Sam Stout (split)
Missed this Fight of the Night. Looks like Stephens dominated early, Stout came on late, but couldn't get the W. (0-3)

Matt Mitrione def. Kimbo Slice (TKO 2)
Kimbo did well early, but Mitrione came on strong after punishing the street brawler with leg kicks. According to White, Kimbo is done in the UFC. (0-4)

Alan Belcher def. Patrick Cote (sub 2)
This was Cote's first fight back in a long time, so he could be forgiven for being a little rusty. Still, this fight won't help his stock too much as he got manhandled by Belcher, from what I understand. Too bad, as Cote would have been on the fast track back to a title shot had he won. Now it's Belcher calling for his shot. (0-5)

Joe Doerksen def. Tom Lawlor (sub 2)
Doerksen was the only Canadian to win on this night. Yup, that's one of SEVEN. It also explains my miserable record in this event prediction as I tried to pick the Canucks where possible (which excludes Goulet). Apparently Doerksen looked alright. (1-5)

Marcus Davis def. Jonathan Goulet (TKO 2)
As predicted, Davis got a hold of Goulet's glass jaw and shattered it. I seriously believe Goulet has concussion issues or something, because it seems the lightest taps send him reeling. He should retire for his own health. This can't be good. Glad to see Davis back in the win column. (2-5)

Johny Hendricks def. TJ Grant (majority)
I went against the Canadian on this one, too, and it paid off. Hendricks is a great fighter, though he apparently didn't look too good in this. He called it his worst fight ever. And yet he won. (3-5)

Joey Beltran def. Tim Hague (unanimous)
Ugh. Hague loses again. He must be done with the UFC now. Too bad. Seems like a nice guy. (3-6)

Mike Guymon def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (unanimous)
Boy, I just can't catch a break. (3-7)

John Salter def. Jason MacDonald (TKO 1)
This one really shouldn't count as MacDonald broke his leg in two places while taking Salter down. Looks like The Athlete is gonna be on the shelf for a while. That sucks. (3-8)

Ok, surely this event will go down as my worst performance ever. No more picking the Canadian, that's for sure. Ugh.

NEXT!!

UFC 113 Montreal Picks

Not a lot of time to fart around today, so let's get to the picks for UFC 113 in Montreal.

Lyoto Machida vs Shogun Rua (light heavyweight) - This the "much anticipated" sequel to UFC 104 when a controversial decision prompted the UFC to grant an "immediate" rematch. As I said before, I didn't think Rua deserved the original title fight, but, hey, I don't get to pick the fights, so here we are. I'm not sure either of these guys are in the top two in this division, but circumstances have brought them here. I'm going to assume that Machida will be smarter this time and not be surprised by Rua's leg chops. I'll pick Machida. If Rua wins, every fighter who is Forrest Griffin or beaten Forrest Griffin will be chomping at the bit for a shot.

Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley (welterweight) - If they stay on the feet, Daley will KO the loud-mouthed bleach blonde but if Koscheck can get the fight to the ground, look for him to lay and pray a decision. Koscheck is cocky enough to challenge Daley on his feet, so I'll pick Daley.

Sam Stout vs Jeremy Stephens (lightweight) - Can I really go against the Canadian? I dunno. Stout can be impressive, but at times he is predictable and one-dimensional. He tends to stand and box, but this is MMA not the WBC. Stephens is a spark plug. Still, I’ll pick Stout by decision.

Kimbo Slice vs Matt Mitrione (heavyweight) – Why does Kimbo fight at heavyweight and not light heavy? I don’t get it. He’s listed at 215, so can’t he cut 10 pounds? It puts him at a disadvantage against bigger, heavier guys. Mitrione isn’t the biggest heavyweight around, but he’s close enough. If Mitrione had serious wrestling skills, I’d pick him in a heartbeat, but he tends to stand and bang. He’s got the fists to back it up, too. My head says to pick Mitrione, but Kimbo needs this win and he is being fed his type of opponent. I’ll pick Kimbo for fun, but I wouldn’t lay money on it.

Patrick Cote vs Alan Belcher (middleweight) – Identical records, but Belcher is the bigger guy and has more skills. Belcher seems to always might mid-card guys whereas Cote has a little more time in the sun thanks to matches against Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva and his TUF experience. When in doubt, go with the Canadian, I guess. I’ll pick Cote.

Joe Doerksen vs Tom Lawlor (middleweight) – Doerksen has an insane amount of experience and, well, he’s Canadian. Lawlor is a wrestler, Doerksen is a JJ guy. I’ll got with Team Canada again. Doerksen for the nod.

Marcus Davis vs Jonathan Goulet (welterweight) – I’m picking Davis. No doubt about it. If you’re betting on Goulet you have too much money to burn. Goulet does occasionally show up, but not recently in the UFC (though he did shockingly win Fight of the Night last time in Montreal – didn’t see it). His fights have been highlight reel fodder for his opponents. Make no mistake: Goulet is on the card ONLY because the event is in Montreal. I’m picking my boy Davis. Let’s hope this is the start of a new winning streak for him.

TJ Grant vs Johny Hendricks (welterweight) – Once again, I’m going to go against the Canadian. TJ Grant has a very decent record but Hendricks has been amazing and remains undefeated. I’m picking Hendricks.

Tim Hague vs Joey Beltran (heavyweight) – Which Hague will show up? The one who debuted with the UFC and choked a dude out or the one who got KO’d in 7 seconds? He was apparently robbed his last time out (didn’t see it) so here’s thinking he’ll be hungry and looking to finish. Beltran has an impressive record but his last fight against Rolles Gracie was far form impressive. I’ll pick Hague.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs Mike Guymon (welterweight) – Yoshida ended up on Koscheck’s highlight reel but he has a better record than that. Guymon really has zip on his resume though he has a decent record. I’ll pick Yoshida.

Jason MacDonald vs John Salter (middleweight) – MacDonald stepped in for David Loiseau who stepped in for Nick Catone. You gotta wonder what this does to Salter. When guys don’t get to prepare for a specific opponent, it’s all about your skill. MacDonald has more experience and he does have skills when he uses his head and sticks to his game plan. I’ll pick MacDonald.

The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale - Predictions

Okay, better get these in quick before I get too busy again.

Roy Nelson vs Brendan Schaub - If it stays up, Schaub takes it, but if Big (Fat) Country gets on top of Schaub on the ground, it could be all over. I doubt Schaub could buck Nelson the way he did Marcus Jones. I think Nelson will win by smothering, I hate to say.

Matt Hamill vs Jon Jones - I like Hamill but he's stubborn. He seems ot refuse to use his wrestling skills in favour of slugging. If it stays up, I see Jones taking it, but if Hamill is smart he'll use his wrestling and get the win. I'll go with Hamill, though I don't like his odds.

Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander - I don't know how much weight cutting Kimbo had to do, this being a catchweight fight. Houston will be bigger than usual, being a light heavyweight by trade. Houston doesn't have the best technique and he is being given this fight for one reason: to stand and bang. Can he out-bang the internet sensation? I wouldn't be shocked. But I expect he'll leg kick Kimbo to death. I'll take Houston. If Kimbo loses, well, that may be the end of his mystique after a disappointing showing on TUF.

Frank Edgar vs Matt Veach - Can't say I remember Veach. Which means I don't like his odds against Edgar. I'll pick Edgar.

Marcus Jones vs Matt Mitrione - I like Marcus Jones and I hope he keeps fighting. I expect he'll get some motivation after kicking Mitrione's ass. I think this'll be a cakewalk for Jones once he gets Mitrione down.

Darrill Schoonover vs James McSweeney - McSweeney's a douche. This is a bully vs bullied fight. I think McSweeney is the better fighter... Guess I'll have to pick him. Darn it.

Jon Madsen vs Justin Wren - I'll take Wren.

Brian Stann vs Rodney Wallace - Who? Stann it is.

John Howard vs Dennis Hallman - Can Hallman's record possibly be correct? 64-12-2? Seriously? AND he has beaten Matt Hughes TWICE? Ok, sure - I'll take him.

Mark Bocek vs Joe Brammer - I've heard of Bocek, never heard of Brammer. Bocek it is.

TUF 10 Episode 3 - Kimbo Tested

So here we are at episode 3 of The Ultimate Fighter X and we got our chance to see the legendary Kimbo Slice in the octagon.

It would be a big test - literally - as he would be taking on former IFL heavyweight champ Roy "Big Country" Nelson. Some said this match-up would have been fitting for a pay-per-view.

I think a lot of people would have been asking for their money back. And it probably says something about how foolish Elite XC was for sinking all their hopes into the Kimbo pool.

The fight didn't live up to the hype.

Neslon is a big fat fuck. He's hardly a fighter. I mean, the guy is not tall for a heavyweight, yet he tested the weight limit, weighing in at 264 lbs. It's all stomach, baby.

But that's all he needed against the inexperienced brawler. Nelson managed to get Kimbo down, then rested his big belly on the poor street fighter who could not free himself from The Blob.

Nelson was clearly upset that the referee (Herb Dean) did not stop the fight before the end of the first round when he had Kimbo in a crucifix-like position and dropped...uh...marshmallows on Kimbo's head.

I mean, let's face it - they were hardly bricks.

The second round went much the same way. Kimbo landed a couple of decent shots but fell under Nelson's weight again and, this time, the ref stopped the fight when Nelson landed another couple of dozen marshmallow shots to Kimbo's head.

Was Kimbo "defenseless"? Maybe. But was he in danger? Hardly.

Frankly, the ref should have let the fight continue. I mean, what's the criteria here? Do you have to "intelligently defend" yourself when you're in no danger? If Nelson can't finish properly from that position I say let him tire himself out and see what happens.

It was a terrible display by both Kimbo and Nelson. Neither would fare well in the UFC with this skills. The fact Nelson sees himself as the favourite is either a commentary on his ego or on the lack of talent on this season of TUF.

I fear it may be both.

So far this season is one big country dud.

Strikeforce - Carano vs Cyborg

This Saturday features a head-to-head match-up between the UFC and Strikeforce... kinda.

Strikeforce, the upstart MMA promotion, will be holding a live event while the UFC counters with a free presentation of some of the UFC 100 fights.

I live in Toronto, so the only way for me to get Strikeforce is on Super Channel (I think), which I don't get (I get, like 500 channels - but not that). So I probably don't have too much of a choice - I can catch the event at some bar (maybe - I don't know any that are showing it) or stay at home and watch a UFC event I've already seen for the most part. I'll see what I can do, but odds are I won't be able to catch the Strikeforce event and I'll be more than happy to catch a couple of fights I missed from UFC 100 (Bonnar-Coleman, Jones-O'Brien) on my TiVo.

I wanted to check out the Strikeforce card, though, so I looked up their website, which is pretty basic next to the UFC's. One of the things I like about the UFC site is the event breakdown with photos, record, weight, height and links to the fighter's profile. The Strikeforce event page is pretty sparse with no direct link to the fighters embedded. Strikeforce would do well to improve their look and get greater free exposure up north. The UFC has learned that Canadian fans are rabid about MMA.

I don't know many of the fighters on the card, so I won't bother picking winners. I'll say this: Strikeforce lives and breathes via "the face of women's MMA" - Gina Carano. They have now acquired another big name - Fedor Emelianenko. The Carano-Cyborg fight is one fans have wanted to see for a long time, but be careful what you wish for. Cyborg is the bigger lady and Carano is talented but not flawless (at least in her fighting style). I would be surprised if Cyborg didn't kick her ass - which may kill the golden goose, much like Kimbo's big loss was the death knell for EliteXC. Fortunately, Strikeforce has Fedor as a back-up, but imagine what would happen to the organization if Gina and Fedor both lost within the year. Fedor will be fighting meatheads, but it could happen. No one gave Seth Petruzelli a chance against Kimbo, either.

Here's the Strikeforce card:

MAIN CARD (BEGINNING AT 7:30PM):

Gina “Conviction” Carano (7-0) vs. Cris “Cyborg” (7-1) – 145lb Female Championship

Renato "Babalu" Sobral (35-8) vs. Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) - Light Heavyweight Championship

Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (15-2) vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1) – Lightweight Interim Championship

Jay "The Thoroughbred" Hieron (17-4) vs. Jesse "JT Money" Taylor (13-3)

UNDERCARD (BEGINNING AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM)

Mike "Mak" Kyle (12-6-1) vs. Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum (11-4-1)

Scott Lighty (4-0) vs. Mike Cook (7-4)

David "Tarzan" Douglas (4-1) vs. Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox (5-3)

James Terry (6-1) vs. Zac Bucia (2-3)

Isaiah Hill (4-6) vs. Alex Trevino (3-0)

Kimbo Slice the "Ultimate Fighter"?

Will Kimbo slice through the competition?

Seeing him in the same room as Dana White ought to be interesting.

Seeing him train ought to be interesting.

Seeing who picks him when ought to be interesting.

Seeing whether or not he improves ought to be interesting.

Seeing whether or not he gets to fight in the UFC regardless of his performance ought to be interesting.

It seems the UFC is doing all it can to promote Kimbo. Making it only a heavyweights’ show is one thing. Putting them in the house automatically is another indication (having him lose in an elimination match in the first episode would have sucked – IF you want him to do well…).

One way or the other, we’ll probably see Kimbo fight in the finale. After that, who knows?

Will one of the coaches pick him up as a training partner/protégé?