Hm. Think I took a bath on this one... Let's see.
Anderson Silva def. Yushin Okami (KO 2)
Honestly. What are these guys thinking? I'm big, I'm a wrestler, I think I'll stand and bang with Anderson Silva. Are you f***ing retarded? Think. We know wrestling works against Silva - why do people insist on standing back and waiting to be knocked out? Ridiculous. Waste of a fight. (1-0)
Mauricio Rua def. Forrest Griffin (KO 1)
Again, what was this guy thinking? Griffin should have taken down Rua fast and worn him out, but instead stands with another heavy hitter and gets put on his ass. Way to go. Anyone else think Forrest might retire soon? Although I'm not sure what else he'd do... (1-1)
Minotauro Nogueira def. Brendan Schaub (KO 1)
Schaub had Nogueira hurt but couldn't finish before getting caught. Schaub doesn't make the leap into the top echelon of the division, but still looked like he could hang with Nogueira. (1-2)
Edson Barboza def. Ross Pearson (split)
Finally an upset that paid off. Pearson pressed the action, but Barboza had the more effective strikes, I thought. I gave it to him on a thin decision. (2-2)
Stanislav Nedkov def. Luiz Cane (TKO 1)
Cane looked good early and had Nedkov on the ropes but did not finish and got caught. (2-3)
Thiago Tavares def. Spencer Fisher (TKO 2)
Fisher is in trouble, dropping too many of these fights. The stoppage may have been premature, what with Fisher taking no damage (though he was turtled), but he wasn't exactly lighting up Tavares. (2-4)
Rousimar Palhares def. Dan Miller (unanimous)
Palhares looked as good as you can without finishing a fight. He didn't seem to go for too many submissions but he beat the crap out of Miller for most of the fight and got either two 10-8s or an unheard-of 10-7 from one judge. (3-4)
Paulo Thiago def. David Mitchell (unanimous)
Didn't see it, but it sounds like Thiago dominated. (4-4)
Raphael Assuncao def. Johnny Eduardo (unanimous)
Assuncao didn't impress much, it seems, but got the nod in the end. The fight might have been closer than the scorecards suggested. These failed upsets are killing me! (4-5)
Yuri Alcantara def. Felipe Arantes (unanimous)
Whatever. (5-5)
Yves Jabouin def. Ian Loveland (split)
This fight was close, it seems, with Loveland providing wrestling while Jabouin looked for highlight finishes. Strangely, Jabouin gets the decision despite one judge giving all three rounds to Loveland. (6-5)
Somehow I missed the Erick Silva vs Luis Ramos fight in my picks. This had a wicked KO with Silva getting the win.
So, 6-5 is not terrible and better than I thought I was going to do, considering many of my upsets didn't pan out. I'm not gonna celebrate, though. :P
Showing posts with label Spencer Fisher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spencer Fisher. Show all posts
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
UFC Rio picks
So apparently this event is so cool that they aren't giving it a number? Whatever. (It's UFC 134) Let's get to the picks.
Anderson Silva vs Yushin Okami (middleweight)
It's nearly impossible to go against Silva these days, especially because few fighters in the division have the tools to beat him. Sonnen is at least one fight away, so Silva gets another sacrifice. Does Okami have a chance? Sure, if he presses the action. But I bet he gets KTFO before he gets close. I'm picking Silva.
Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio Rua (light heavyweight)
I hate betting against Griffin, but I don't like his chances in this one. Rua is coming off big fights while Griffin has been MIA promoting books and such. Still, I'll pick Forrest just so that I don't root against him.
Brendan Schaub vs Minotauro Nogueira (heavyweight)
Schaub has KO power and that's his key to victory. He won't outwrestle Nogueira and he certainly can't BJJ the guy. Can Nog get Schaub down? Maybe. But I think Nogueira is way past his prime these days and Schaub will connect. I'm picking Schaub in the upset.
Ross Pearson vs Edson Barboza (lightweight)
I like Pearson, but he isn't god's gift to MMA. Barboza is relatively unknown but TKO's guys with kicks! That's crazy. This ought to be a slugfest and I'm picking Barboza.
Luiz Cane vs Stanislav Nedkov (heavyweight)
Stanislov who? The guy hasn't fought in over a year and was rarely fighting before that. Great record, but you'd think he'd need more seasoning... Anyhow, he's a BJJ black belt and knocks guys out fast. But with the ring rust... Cane is dangerous but has underperformed in the past. He, too, is a BJJ black belt with KO power. Not sure where to go here. I'll pick experience and go with Cane.
Thiago Tavares vs Spencer Fisher (lightweight)
Could be fight of the night. Both of these guys were impressive a few years ago, but have fallen on hard times since. I expect this to go to decision with Fisher getting the nod.
Rousimar Palhares vs Dan Miller (middleweight)
Both of these guys have black belts in BJJ but Palhares is on a different level. His kneebars and ankle locks are sick. Can Miller avoid them? We'll see. I'll pick Palhares.
Paulo Thiago vs David Mitchell (welterweight)
Thiago was a rising star not so long ago, but has lost two in a row - usually signifying a must win match. Mitchell is a submissions guy who won a decision in his UFC debut. I think he's being thrown to the wolves here, though - I'll pick Thiago.
Raphael Assuncao vs Johnny Eduardo (featherweight)
Assuncao is a bit of a name, though he has lost a few recently. Eduardo is a nobody but has a string of victories and is used to fighting in Brazil. Neither of these guys blows me away. I'll go with the upset again and pick Eduardo.
Yuri Alcantara vs Felipe Arantes (featherweight)
This is getting ridiculous. The UFC featherweight division is so thin that neither of these guys has a profile on the website. Alcantara has a sick record and finishes guys fast. Arantes doesn't even appear on Wikipedia. Fuck that guy, I'm picking Alcantara.
Yves Jabouin vs Ian Loveland (bantamweight)
Loveland has been doing well recently and has some power, but gets submitted easily. Good thing for him, Jabouin is a striker, too. Jabouin really needs a win. Since I hate going against Canadians, even transplanted ones, I'll pick Jabouin.
Anderson Silva vs Yushin Okami (middleweight)
It's nearly impossible to go against Silva these days, especially because few fighters in the division have the tools to beat him. Sonnen is at least one fight away, so Silva gets another sacrifice. Does Okami have a chance? Sure, if he presses the action. But I bet he gets KTFO before he gets close. I'm picking Silva.
Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio Rua (light heavyweight)
I hate betting against Griffin, but I don't like his chances in this one. Rua is coming off big fights while Griffin has been MIA promoting books and such. Still, I'll pick Forrest just so that I don't root against him.
Brendan Schaub vs Minotauro Nogueira (heavyweight)
Schaub has KO power and that's his key to victory. He won't outwrestle Nogueira and he certainly can't BJJ the guy. Can Nog get Schaub down? Maybe. But I think Nogueira is way past his prime these days and Schaub will connect. I'm picking Schaub in the upset.
Ross Pearson vs Edson Barboza (lightweight)
I like Pearson, but he isn't god's gift to MMA. Barboza is relatively unknown but TKO's guys with kicks! That's crazy. This ought to be a slugfest and I'm picking Barboza.
Luiz Cane vs Stanislav Nedkov (heavyweight)
Stanislov who? The guy hasn't fought in over a year and was rarely fighting before that. Great record, but you'd think he'd need more seasoning... Anyhow, he's a BJJ black belt and knocks guys out fast. But with the ring rust... Cane is dangerous but has underperformed in the past. He, too, is a BJJ black belt with KO power. Not sure where to go here. I'll pick experience and go with Cane.
Thiago Tavares vs Spencer Fisher (lightweight)
Could be fight of the night. Both of these guys were impressive a few years ago, but have fallen on hard times since. I expect this to go to decision with Fisher getting the nod.
Rousimar Palhares vs Dan Miller (middleweight)
Both of these guys have black belts in BJJ but Palhares is on a different level. His kneebars and ankle locks are sick. Can Miller avoid them? We'll see. I'll pick Palhares.
Paulo Thiago vs David Mitchell (welterweight)
Thiago was a rising star not so long ago, but has lost two in a row - usually signifying a must win match. Mitchell is a submissions guy who won a decision in his UFC debut. I think he's being thrown to the wolves here, though - I'll pick Thiago.
Raphael Assuncao vs Johnny Eduardo (featherweight)
Assuncao is a bit of a name, though he has lost a few recently. Eduardo is a nobody but has a string of victories and is used to fighting in Brazil. Neither of these guys blows me away. I'll go with the upset again and pick Eduardo.
Yuri Alcantara vs Felipe Arantes (featherweight)
This is getting ridiculous. The UFC featherweight division is so thin that neither of these guys has a profile on the website. Alcantara has a sick record and finishes guys fast. Arantes doesn't even appear on Wikipedia. Fuck that guy, I'm picking Alcantara.
Yves Jabouin vs Ian Loveland (bantamweight)
Loveland has been doing well recently and has some power, but gets submitted easily. Good thing for him, Jabouin is a striker, too. Jabouin really needs a win. Since I hate going against Canadians, even transplanted ones, I'll pick Jabouin.
Monday, February 28, 2011
UFC 127 Results
I missed this event, so I'm just going off reports and what I caught via the Interwebs.
BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch (majority draw)
Majority draw? What's up with that? Two had it 28-28, one had it 29-28. Was there really a 10-8 round for Penn? Probably not, which means two judges had it 29-28, really, for Penn, but since one round was 10-8 Fitch, it was 28-28. Ugh. (0-0-1)
Michael Bisping def. Jorge Rivera (TKO 2)
The only fight I did see. Hard to judge this one, 'cause there's no telling what impact that CRAZY illegal knee had on Rivera. He looked a little lost after that, just kinda winging his punches and not able to take the slightest abuse. Bisping isn't known for his power and yet he had Rivera wilting easily. Wonder what the docs thought of his condition. (0-1-1)
Dennis Siver def. George Sotiropoulos (TKO 2)
Bugger. George had little to gain and much to lose in this fight. And he lost. Bad first round cost him. (0-2-1)
Brian Ebersole def. Chris Lytle (unanimous)
Lytle couldn't finish him, so he lost yet another decision. (0-3-1)
Kyle Noke def. Chris Camozzi (sub 1)
Didn't see it. (1-3-1)
Ross Pearson def. Spencer Fisher (unanimous)
Gotta wonder if Spencer has lost a step. Bit of a surprise that the vet got beat. (1-4-1)
Alexander Gustafsson def. James Te Huna def. (sub 1)
Gustafsson impresses again. Bit of a mismatch, really. (2-4-1)
Nick Ring def. Riki Fukuda (unanimous)
Ring is good enough to finish guys. He needs to do that to stick around and get noticed. (3-4-1)
Anthony Perosh def. Tom Blackledge (sub 1)
Another quick one for Perosh. (4-4-1)
Tiequan Zhang def. Jason Reinhardt (sub 1)
Is Reinhardt a choker? Crazy good record, but loses both of his UFC fights in lightning quick submissions. WTFH? (4-5-1)
Mark Hunt def. Chris Tuchscherer (KO 2)
Maybe I didn't give Hunt enough props. Dominated the tough guy. (4-6-1)
Curt Warburton def. Maciej Jewtuszko (unanimous)
Stats tell a different story. Strange. (4-7-1)
Ugh. Crappy record.
BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch (majority draw)
Majority draw? What's up with that? Two had it 28-28, one had it 29-28. Was there really a 10-8 round for Penn? Probably not, which means two judges had it 29-28, really, for Penn, but since one round was 10-8 Fitch, it was 28-28. Ugh. (0-0-1)
Michael Bisping def. Jorge Rivera (TKO 2)
The only fight I did see. Hard to judge this one, 'cause there's no telling what impact that CRAZY illegal knee had on Rivera. He looked a little lost after that, just kinda winging his punches and not able to take the slightest abuse. Bisping isn't known for his power and yet he had Rivera wilting easily. Wonder what the docs thought of his condition. (0-1-1)
Dennis Siver def. George Sotiropoulos (TKO 2)
Bugger. George had little to gain and much to lose in this fight. And he lost. Bad first round cost him. (0-2-1)
Brian Ebersole def. Chris Lytle (unanimous)
Lytle couldn't finish him, so he lost yet another decision. (0-3-1)
Kyle Noke def. Chris Camozzi (sub 1)
Didn't see it. (1-3-1)
Ross Pearson def. Spencer Fisher (unanimous)
Gotta wonder if Spencer has lost a step. Bit of a surprise that the vet got beat. (1-4-1)
Alexander Gustafsson def. James Te Huna def. (sub 1)
Gustafsson impresses again. Bit of a mismatch, really. (2-4-1)
Nick Ring def. Riki Fukuda (unanimous)
Ring is good enough to finish guys. He needs to do that to stick around and get noticed. (3-4-1)
Anthony Perosh def. Tom Blackledge (sub 1)
Another quick one for Perosh. (4-4-1)
Tiequan Zhang def. Jason Reinhardt (sub 1)
Is Reinhardt a choker? Crazy good record, but loses both of his UFC fights in lightning quick submissions. WTFH? (4-5-1)
Mark Hunt def. Chris Tuchscherer (KO 2)
Maybe I didn't give Hunt enough props. Dominated the tough guy. (4-6-1)
Curt Warburton def. Maciej Jewtuszko (unanimous)
Stats tell a different story. Strange. (4-7-1)
Ugh. Crappy record.
Friday, February 25, 2011
UFC 127 Penn vs Fitch Picks
In a bit of a hurry, so gonna have to make this quick.
BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch (welterweight)
I honestly don't know how Penn earned this number one contender's fight. He loses to GSP and Hughes, drops to lightweight, gets another crack at GSP for some bizarro reason, gets slaughtered, loses his lightweight title to Frankie Edgar, loses AGAIN to Edgar to prove it wasn't a fluke, moves back up to welterweight and beats Hughes - a fighter who can't seem to beat any top ten fighter these days - and he gets this fight as a reward? WTF? How about beating some real fighters first? Fitch, meanwhile, has stayed in the top 5, beaten tough guys, but still hasn't earned a rematch with GSP, probably because he got smoked the last time out. Since losing to GSP, he has beaten Thiago Alves, Paulo Thiago, Ben Saunders and Mike Pierce. Penn has beaten Hughes. WTF? If Penn wins, he theoretically gets GSP for a third time (though that won't happen, whether GSP wins or loses). Penn getting a shot only makes sense if GSP beats Jake Shields, moves up to middleweight and vacates the belt. THEN a victorious Penn might deserve to fight for the title against...uh...who? Penn might jab Fitch to death the way GSP did, but if Fitch fights smart, he'll take this to the ground and wear Penn out. I'm picking Fitch.
Michael Bisping vs Jorge Rivera (middleweight)
Two fighters who have never really been to the top of the middleweight heap. Bisping hasn't improved all that much since his UFC debut. He still has no KO power to speak of, relying on a quick pace to get him through his fights. This is usually accomplished by running backwards and getting decisions. Rivera, on the other hand, is on his way up in the twilight of his career. A top guy? No, not really, but dangerous. If Rivera catches Bisping, it may end quick. If Bisping can keep his distance and fight his usual fight, he could get the decision. I'm gonna go with the upset and pick Rivera.
George Sotiropoulos vs Dennis Siver (lightweight)
This is a step back for George. He deserves to be ranked higher than Siver, which means he probably has more to lose than to gain from this fight. If he can submit Siver quickly, maybe he gets more respect from the match makers. I'm picking Sotiropoulos.
Chris Lytle vs Brian Ebersole (welterweight)
Lytle's original opponent (highly-touted Carlos Condit) had to back out, so in steps the experienced but relatively unknown Ebersole. Ebersole's biggest win may have been his recent decision nod over former UFC champ Carlos Newton; not exactly a top dog these days. He seems like a relatively dangerous fighter with submission skills, but I'm still picking Lytle.
Kyle Noke vs Chris Camozzi (middleweight)
A TUF reunion. Camozzi has a decent record, but Noke has fought tougher guys. He holds a win over George Sotiropoulos (a loss, too) and Brian Ebersole who is fighting Lytle. I'm picking Noke.
Ross Pearson vs Spencer Fisher (lightweight)
This could be fun. Pearson has done well, but Fisher is a tough test. Fisher has had a tough time recently, it seems, but is coming off a win, whereas Pearson is coming off a loss. Fisher lost to Siver, while Pearson beat him. Toss up. I feel a war coming, with a decision in the balance... I'm picking Fisher.
James Te Huna vs Alexander Gustafsson (light heavyweight)
Gustafsson is super dangerous, having only lost to Phil Davis by choke (no shame there). Otherwise, he destroys guys in the first or second round. Te Huna is decent, too, but hasn't faced anyone tough. I'm picking Gustafsson.
Nick Ring vs Riki Fukuda (middleweight)
Gotta go with the Canadian in this one. I'm picking Ring.
Anthony Perosh vs Tom Blackledge (light heavyweight)
Who? Both are 10-6. Perosh is a BJJ guy who wins or loses fast, Blackledge is a banger who wins or loses fast. I've heard of Perosh. I'll pick Perosh.
Tiequan Zhang vs Jason Reinhardt (featherweight)
The lighter boys. Reinhardt was undefeated until he fought Joe Lauzon at lightweight in his UFC debut. Tough start. ALL of his wins were in the FIRST ROUND. Wow. Zhang is 12-1 with some WEC experience. I like Reinhardt, so I'll pull for him.
Mark Hunt vs Chris Tuchscherer (heavyweight)
BIG boys. Chris has a good record, but, from what I understand, ought to be 0-3 in the UFC, what with his controversial win over Tim Hague. Hunt is coming off 6 straight losses (against some top Strikeforce guys, mind you) but SOMEHOW is getting a UFC spot. WTF? Oh...he's from New Zealand and the card is in Australia. See, this is where the UFC gets itself in trouble. Hunt has NO BUSINESS on this card. The UFC promotes itself as the best of the best and they bring in this guy? I call bullshit. I'm picking Tuchscherer.
Maciej Jewtuszko vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Who? MJ is a tough dude with an unblemished record. CW is a British banger who can knock you out, but has been submitte din less than a minute. I'm picking Jewtusko.
And I'm outta here!
BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch (welterweight)
I honestly don't know how Penn earned this number one contender's fight. He loses to GSP and Hughes, drops to lightweight, gets another crack at GSP for some bizarro reason, gets slaughtered, loses his lightweight title to Frankie Edgar, loses AGAIN to Edgar to prove it wasn't a fluke, moves back up to welterweight and beats Hughes - a fighter who can't seem to beat any top ten fighter these days - and he gets this fight as a reward? WTF? How about beating some real fighters first? Fitch, meanwhile, has stayed in the top 5, beaten tough guys, but still hasn't earned a rematch with GSP, probably because he got smoked the last time out. Since losing to GSP, he has beaten Thiago Alves, Paulo Thiago, Ben Saunders and Mike Pierce. Penn has beaten Hughes. WTF? If Penn wins, he theoretically gets GSP for a third time (though that won't happen, whether GSP wins or loses). Penn getting a shot only makes sense if GSP beats Jake Shields, moves up to middleweight and vacates the belt. THEN a victorious Penn might deserve to fight for the title against...uh...who? Penn might jab Fitch to death the way GSP did, but if Fitch fights smart, he'll take this to the ground and wear Penn out. I'm picking Fitch.
Michael Bisping vs Jorge Rivera (middleweight)
Two fighters who have never really been to the top of the middleweight heap. Bisping hasn't improved all that much since his UFC debut. He still has no KO power to speak of, relying on a quick pace to get him through his fights. This is usually accomplished by running backwards and getting decisions. Rivera, on the other hand, is on his way up in the twilight of his career. A top guy? No, not really, but dangerous. If Rivera catches Bisping, it may end quick. If Bisping can keep his distance and fight his usual fight, he could get the decision. I'm gonna go with the upset and pick Rivera.
George Sotiropoulos vs Dennis Siver (lightweight)
This is a step back for George. He deserves to be ranked higher than Siver, which means he probably has more to lose than to gain from this fight. If he can submit Siver quickly, maybe he gets more respect from the match makers. I'm picking Sotiropoulos.
Chris Lytle vs Brian Ebersole (welterweight)
Lytle's original opponent (highly-touted Carlos Condit) had to back out, so in steps the experienced but relatively unknown Ebersole. Ebersole's biggest win may have been his recent decision nod over former UFC champ Carlos Newton; not exactly a top dog these days. He seems like a relatively dangerous fighter with submission skills, but I'm still picking Lytle.
Kyle Noke vs Chris Camozzi (middleweight)
A TUF reunion. Camozzi has a decent record, but Noke has fought tougher guys. He holds a win over George Sotiropoulos (a loss, too) and Brian Ebersole who is fighting Lytle. I'm picking Noke.
Ross Pearson vs Spencer Fisher (lightweight)
This could be fun. Pearson has done well, but Fisher is a tough test. Fisher has had a tough time recently, it seems, but is coming off a win, whereas Pearson is coming off a loss. Fisher lost to Siver, while Pearson beat him. Toss up. I feel a war coming, with a decision in the balance... I'm picking Fisher.
James Te Huna vs Alexander Gustafsson (light heavyweight)
Gustafsson is super dangerous, having only lost to Phil Davis by choke (no shame there). Otherwise, he destroys guys in the first or second round. Te Huna is decent, too, but hasn't faced anyone tough. I'm picking Gustafsson.
Nick Ring vs Riki Fukuda (middleweight)
Gotta go with the Canadian in this one. I'm picking Ring.
Anthony Perosh vs Tom Blackledge (light heavyweight)
Who? Both are 10-6. Perosh is a BJJ guy who wins or loses fast, Blackledge is a banger who wins or loses fast. I've heard of Perosh. I'll pick Perosh.
Tiequan Zhang vs Jason Reinhardt (featherweight)
The lighter boys. Reinhardt was undefeated until he fought Joe Lauzon at lightweight in his UFC debut. Tough start. ALL of his wins were in the FIRST ROUND. Wow. Zhang is 12-1 with some WEC experience. I like Reinhardt, so I'll pull for him.
Mark Hunt vs Chris Tuchscherer (heavyweight)
BIG boys. Chris has a good record, but, from what I understand, ought to be 0-3 in the UFC, what with his controversial win over Tim Hague. Hunt is coming off 6 straight losses (against some top Strikeforce guys, mind you) but SOMEHOW is getting a UFC spot. WTF? Oh...he's from New Zealand and the card is in Australia. See, this is where the UFC gets itself in trouble. Hunt has NO BUSINESS on this card. The UFC promotes itself as the best of the best and they bring in this guy? I call bullshit. I'm picking Tuchscherer.
Maciej Jewtuszko vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Who? MJ is a tough dude with an unblemished record. CW is a British banger who can knock you out, but has been submitte din less than a minute. I'm picking Jewtusko.
And I'm outta here!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
UFC 120 Predictions
Ok, some quick picks for UFC 120 being held in London, England this weekend.
Michael Bisping vs Yoshihiro Akiyama (middleweight)
When Bisping is your main event draw you know it's a pretty weak card, UK locale or not. Neither of these fighters has been impressive of late. Akiyama came in to the UFC with much fanfare and delivered sub-par performances, earning a contentious decision over Alan Belcher and being submitted by Chris Leben (who is not exactly known for his ground game). Since losing to Dan Henderson, Bisping has been on a rollercoaster ride - beating Denis Kang, losing to Wanderlei Silva, beating Dan Miller. Both of these guys like to stand and box. Bisping is four inches taller, but they have the same reach. Maybe Bisping will use his kicks to his advantage. I'll pick Bisping by decision in an ok fight at most.
Dan Hardy vs Carlos Condit (welterweight)
If Condit is smart he would do well to avoid trading with the heavy handed Hardy and take this fight to the ground. If he does, he will submit Hardy. Hardy showed against GSP that he doesn't have much of a ground game. He survived only because GSP attempted very few submissions. Condit won't give Hardy that chance. I'm picking Condit.
John Hathaway vs Mike Pyle (welterweight)
This is the real fighter Britons ought to get behind. This guy has potential. Hathaway is young, but he has beaten Rick Story, Paul Taylor and Diego Sanchez. No small feat. Other than wins over journeyman Shonie Carter and a very young Jon Fitch, Pyle hasn't won any big fights against big names. But he does have experience. Still, I'm going to pick the hometown boy - Hathaway.
Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne (heavyweight)
Kongo might be in for a quick night. Unknown Browne has a perfect record and knocks guys out quick. He KO'd TUF fighter James McSweeney last time out, and has taken a major step up in competition. If he can make a highlight reel out of Congo, look for him to catapult up the rankings in the thin heavyweight division. Neither of these guys likes to hit the mat by the looks of it so it might just be a matter of who connects best. Kongo has a slight reach advantage, but he's been unimpressive recently. I'll pick the dog - Browne.
James Wilks vs Claude Patrick (welterweight)
Gotta go with the Canadian, right? TUF champ Wilks will be the favourite, but Commonwealth cousin Patrick has a very impressive record. If it goes to the ground, it ought to be interesting. I'll pick Patrick.
Cyrille Diabate vs Alexander Gustafson (light heavyweight)
This ought to be over quick. Both of these guys end fights fast and in devastating fashion. Diabate bulldozed Luiz Cane last time out, a guy who was the talk of the town at one point. Gustafson has a very impressive record, but Diabate has more experience. I'll pick Diabate.
Rob Broughton vs Vinicius Queiroz (heavyweight)
Wow. How sad is this card? This fight features two guys who do not have a profile on UFC.com. WTF? Broughton is "Britain's top heavyweight" while Queiroz doesn't even exist on Wikipedia or any other significant website. I'll pick Broughton.
Steve Cantwell vs Stanislav Nedkov (light heavyweight)
Cantwell made some noise that has largely disappeared while Nedkov is another "nobody". Nedkov does have an impressive record with wins over a couple of names. Cantwell, meanwhile, has fought the same guy 3 times! Out of 10 fights! I'll pick Nedkov for fun.
Paul Sass vs Mark Holst (lightweight)
Our first lightweight match - in a card filled with "lightweights". Sass is another mystery man with an impressive record. Holst is a Canadian with good jits as well. My mind says to pick Sass, but my heart is with the Canadian. I'll pick Holst against my better judgement.
Spencer Fisher vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Wait...why is this fight so far down the card? Fisher is a legit tough dude with a good record and big wins. Who the eff is Warburton? I'm picking Fisher.
James McSweeney vs Fabio Maldonado (heavyweight)
A guy with a losing record fighting in the UFC... Honestly, WTF? I don't care where he's from, it looks bad on the company. Maldonado has a very good record, but is another nobody. I'll pick Maldonado, despite the fact he is giving a great deal of weight up.
Tune in free to Spike TV on Saturday.
Michael Bisping vs Yoshihiro Akiyama (middleweight)
When Bisping is your main event draw you know it's a pretty weak card, UK locale or not. Neither of these fighters has been impressive of late. Akiyama came in to the UFC with much fanfare and delivered sub-par performances, earning a contentious decision over Alan Belcher and being submitted by Chris Leben (who is not exactly known for his ground game). Since losing to Dan Henderson, Bisping has been on a rollercoaster ride - beating Denis Kang, losing to Wanderlei Silva, beating Dan Miller. Both of these guys like to stand and box. Bisping is four inches taller, but they have the same reach. Maybe Bisping will use his kicks to his advantage. I'll pick Bisping by decision in an ok fight at most.
Dan Hardy vs Carlos Condit (welterweight)
If Condit is smart he would do well to avoid trading with the heavy handed Hardy and take this fight to the ground. If he does, he will submit Hardy. Hardy showed against GSP that he doesn't have much of a ground game. He survived only because GSP attempted very few submissions. Condit won't give Hardy that chance. I'm picking Condit.
John Hathaway vs Mike Pyle (welterweight)
This is the real fighter Britons ought to get behind. This guy has potential. Hathaway is young, but he has beaten Rick Story, Paul Taylor and Diego Sanchez. No small feat. Other than wins over journeyman Shonie Carter and a very young Jon Fitch, Pyle hasn't won any big fights against big names. But he does have experience. Still, I'm going to pick the hometown boy - Hathaway.
Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne (heavyweight)
Kongo might be in for a quick night. Unknown Browne has a perfect record and knocks guys out quick. He KO'd TUF fighter James McSweeney last time out, and has taken a major step up in competition. If he can make a highlight reel out of Congo, look for him to catapult up the rankings in the thin heavyweight division. Neither of these guys likes to hit the mat by the looks of it so it might just be a matter of who connects best. Kongo has a slight reach advantage, but he's been unimpressive recently. I'll pick the dog - Browne.
James Wilks vs Claude Patrick (welterweight)
Gotta go with the Canadian, right? TUF champ Wilks will be the favourite, but Commonwealth cousin Patrick has a very impressive record. If it goes to the ground, it ought to be interesting. I'll pick Patrick.
Cyrille Diabate vs Alexander Gustafson (light heavyweight)
This ought to be over quick. Both of these guys end fights fast and in devastating fashion. Diabate bulldozed Luiz Cane last time out, a guy who was the talk of the town at one point. Gustafson has a very impressive record, but Diabate has more experience. I'll pick Diabate.
Rob Broughton vs Vinicius Queiroz (heavyweight)
Wow. How sad is this card? This fight features two guys who do not have a profile on UFC.com. WTF? Broughton is "Britain's top heavyweight" while Queiroz doesn't even exist on Wikipedia or any other significant website. I'll pick Broughton.
Steve Cantwell vs Stanislav Nedkov (light heavyweight)
Cantwell made some noise that has largely disappeared while Nedkov is another "nobody". Nedkov does have an impressive record with wins over a couple of names. Cantwell, meanwhile, has fought the same guy 3 times! Out of 10 fights! I'll pick Nedkov for fun.
Paul Sass vs Mark Holst (lightweight)
Our first lightweight match - in a card filled with "lightweights". Sass is another mystery man with an impressive record. Holst is a Canadian with good jits as well. My mind says to pick Sass, but my heart is with the Canadian. I'll pick Holst against my better judgement.
Spencer Fisher vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Wait...why is this fight so far down the card? Fisher is a legit tough dude with a good record and big wins. Who the eff is Warburton? I'm picking Fisher.
James McSweeney vs Fabio Maldonado (heavyweight)
A guy with a losing record fighting in the UFC... Honestly, WTF? I don't care where he's from, it looks bad on the company. Maldonado has a very good record, but is another nobody. I'll pick Maldonado, despite the fact he is giving a great deal of weight up.
Tune in free to Spike TV on Saturday.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
UFC 104 Results
Turns out I pretty much completely missed the event, what with all the hob-knobbing I had to do that night, so I couldn't telepathically tell the fighters what to do. And so, many of my picks lost.
Let's inspect the dammage:
Lyoto Machida def. Mauricio Rua (unanimous) - It seems the three judges at ringside were the only ones who could unanimously agree Machida won this fight. There was an immediate uproar and booing of the champ when he retained the title. I only saw the last two rounds but when I walked in the door, the other guys were already calling it for Rua. One guy even paid his losing bet before the fight was over. We were stunned - STUNNED - when Machida's arm was raised. Judging by the champ's reaction, he was, too. Now there's talk of a rematch. Seriously? Ok, I get it that the UFC thinks Rua might have been robbed, but there are a bunch of guys waiting to fight the champ. Guys who HAVEN'T lost to him. Former champs who didn't get a rematch. When do THEY get their shot? Well, at least I picked the "winner" right. (1-0)
Cain Velasquez def. Ben Rothwell (TKO 2) - More controversy. Apparently this one was stopped early. From what I saw of replays, it looks like Rothwell was getting hammered, but was in no real danger. Oh, the ref was Mazzagatti, by the way. Go figure. From what I hear, Velasquez wasn't exactly impressive in terms of punching power. We'll see how far his wrestling takes him. (1-1)
Gleison Tibau def. Josh Neer (unanimous) - Yup. Should have gone with my heart. (1-2)
Joe Stevenson def. Spencer Fisher (sub 2) - This was a shocker for me. Looks like Stevenson threw Fisher around and then lay the smack down. I'm still in disbelief. Wanna see the replay. (1-3)
Anthony Johnson def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (TKO 1) - I'll be shocked if this isn't the end of Yoshida in the UFC after two massive knockouts. Johnson is gonna get a bigger push now. I'd pay to see him and Koscheck. (2-3)
Ryan Bader Vs. Eric Schafer (unanimous) - Bader dominated most of the fight. He lost some gas in the second but regained enough composure to take the third. Hopefully he learns not to tucker himself out in the first round. Schafer impressed with his chin (is that a compliment?). (3-3)
Pat Barry def. Antoni Hardonk (TKO 2) - Wow. Did Barry ever impress! Look for him to get more face time in the UFC. Fight of the Night for sure. (4-3)
Chael Sonnen def. Yushin Okami (unanimous) - No idea what happened here. I think Okami is likely on his way out of the UFC. (4-4)
Jorge Rivera def. Rob Kimmons (TKO 3) - Apparently Kimmons lost yet another big fight. Didn't see it. (4-5)
Kyle Kingsbury def. Razak Al-Hassan (split) - No idea. (4-6)
Stefan Struve def. Chase Gormley (sub 1) - Seems I did well on the fights I saw. Struve used his height to his advantage, wrapping his legs around Gormley for the choke. Not surprisingly, it won Submission of the Night - it was the only one! (5-6)
So 4-0 on the fights I saw (yay telepathy!) and 1-6 otherwise. I should have been one of those goat staring guys.
Let's inspect the dammage:
Lyoto Machida def. Mauricio Rua (unanimous) - It seems the three judges at ringside were the only ones who could unanimously agree Machida won this fight. There was an immediate uproar and booing of the champ when he retained the title. I only saw the last two rounds but when I walked in the door, the other guys were already calling it for Rua. One guy even paid his losing bet before the fight was over. We were stunned - STUNNED - when Machida's arm was raised. Judging by the champ's reaction, he was, too. Now there's talk of a rematch. Seriously? Ok, I get it that the UFC thinks Rua might have been robbed, but there are a bunch of guys waiting to fight the champ. Guys who HAVEN'T lost to him. Former champs who didn't get a rematch. When do THEY get their shot? Well, at least I picked the "winner" right. (1-0)
Cain Velasquez def. Ben Rothwell (TKO 2) - More controversy. Apparently this one was stopped early. From what I saw of replays, it looks like Rothwell was getting hammered, but was in no real danger. Oh, the ref was Mazzagatti, by the way. Go figure. From what I hear, Velasquez wasn't exactly impressive in terms of punching power. We'll see how far his wrestling takes him. (1-1)
Gleison Tibau def. Josh Neer (unanimous) - Yup. Should have gone with my heart. (1-2)
Joe Stevenson def. Spencer Fisher (sub 2) - This was a shocker for me. Looks like Stevenson threw Fisher around and then lay the smack down. I'm still in disbelief. Wanna see the replay. (1-3)
Anthony Johnson def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (TKO 1) - I'll be shocked if this isn't the end of Yoshida in the UFC after two massive knockouts. Johnson is gonna get a bigger push now. I'd pay to see him and Koscheck. (2-3)
Ryan Bader Vs. Eric Schafer (unanimous) - Bader dominated most of the fight. He lost some gas in the second but regained enough composure to take the third. Hopefully he learns not to tucker himself out in the first round. Schafer impressed with his chin (is that a compliment?). (3-3)
Pat Barry def. Antoni Hardonk (TKO 2) - Wow. Did Barry ever impress! Look for him to get more face time in the UFC. Fight of the Night for sure. (4-3)
Chael Sonnen def. Yushin Okami (unanimous) - No idea what happened here. I think Okami is likely on his way out of the UFC. (4-4)
Jorge Rivera def. Rob Kimmons (TKO 3) - Apparently Kimmons lost yet another big fight. Didn't see it. (4-5)
Kyle Kingsbury def. Razak Al-Hassan (split) - No idea. (4-6)
Stefan Struve def. Chase Gormley (sub 1) - Seems I did well on the fights I saw. Struve used his height to his advantage, wrapping his legs around Gormley for the choke. Not surprisingly, it won Submission of the Night - it was the only one! (5-6)
So 4-0 on the fights I saw (yay telepathy!) and 1-6 otherwise. I should have been one of those goat staring guys.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
UFC 104 Predictions
Time for predictions once again. I can't say this card fascinates me, but I still wouldn't wanna miss it.
Lyoto Machida Vs. Mauricio Rua - I'm blown away that this fight is even happening for the light heavyweight belt. Machida got his shot without fighting any real top flight competition (Ortiz before he left? untested Silva?) in his weight class (he has wins over Rich Franklin and BJ Penn) and Rua has received an even easier road to the title. Rua lost to Griffin, was crap against geriatric Mark Coleman, and beat Chuck Liddell at a time in his career where he was SO dangerous that Dana White promptly retired him after the fight. Honestly: what the f*ck? The light heavy division is stacked with talent and yet these guys get byes to the top. I call bullshit. Anyhow, I pick Machida to beat Rua.
Cain Velasquez Vs. Ben Rothwell - This fight could be boring as hell if it turns into a wrestling match. It could also end in dramatic fashion if Rothwell can catch Velasquez and tag the chin that Cheick Kongo exposed. Neither is deserving of a title shot, of course, though Velasquez is the latest UFC poster boy. Rothwell has a lot of experience and could pull off the "upset". He's certainly the biggest test of Velasquez's short career. I'll pick Rothwell to shatter Dana White's dreams.
Gleison Tibau Vs. Josh Neer - Both of these fighters have good reputations, but haven't been able to break into the top ranks of MMA, due to disappointing losses to upper-middle guys. Both have submission skills but Neer has more KO power. That could be the difference. My gut says Tibau, but my head says Neer. I usually go wrong when I don't go with my heart... I'll go with my head again. I'll pick Neer.
Joe Stevenson Vs. Spencer Fisher - I used to quite like Joe "Daddy" Stevenson but he just hasn't evolved and has never lived up to the potential he showed in TUF. Fisher is a warrior. I'll pick Fisher.
Anthony Johnson Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida - Yoshida has only beaten some so-so guys and got blasted by Josh Koscheck. Johnson is one scary dude. I'll pick Johnson.
Ryan Bader Vs. Eric Schafer - This could be another boring one. Bader is badass but is a pretty straight forward wrestler. Eric "The Red" is riding a four fight win streak but has always been one of those guys who just hasn't lived up to the hype. He might have the experience to outsmart Bader, though. Tough call. I like Bader, so I'll take him.
Antoni Hardonk Vs. Pat Barry - Hardonk is another underachiever. He has lost to McCully, Kongo and Mir, while beating no one of significance. Like Hardonk, Barry has a kickboxing background and has finished opponents with kicks. He isn't very experienced, but he seems like a scary guy. I'll pick Barry in another "upset". I just can't pick Hardonk.
Yushin Okami Vs. Chael Sonnen - both guys came in with big buzz but haven't quite lived up to the hype. Okami has at least pulled out some ugly victories, but Sonnen has been the poster boy for those who dismissed the WEC as a farm team organization. The guy just doesn't do it for me. I'll pick Okami in another boring decision.
Jorge Rivera Vs. Rob Kimmons - Why Rivera keeps getting face time in the UFC is a bit of a mystery. He really isn't all that good; inconsistent to say the least. He seems to alternate wins and losses, sometimes beating middle of the road guys, but often losing to anyone decent. Kimmons has an impressive record, but seems to lose all of his biggest matches. He has a crazy number of submissions on his resume, though, and so I'll give him the edge against the average Rivera. I'll pick Kimmons.
Kyle Kingsbury Vs. Razak Al-Hassan - Two guys trying to make names for themselves in the UFC and in danger of getting cut if they don't. Kingsbury was a TUF 8 cast member, but didn't impress. Al-Hassan is also making his second appearance in the UFC, after a spectacular loss almost a year ago to Steve Cantwell in which Al-Hassan had his arm broken...and still didn't tap. It was nasty. This one is a toss-up to me, but I'll pick Al-Hassan just 'cause of his guts.
Stefan Struve Vs. Chase Gormley - I can't wait to see this giant fight again to see just what he has to offer. He's 6'11"!! That's nuts. Gormley is making his UFC debut and that usually does not bode well, perfect record or not. Struve is a submission machine while Gormley seems more well-rounded. Another pick-'em, so I'll go with Struve for fun.
This doesn't appear to be an exciting card. I hope that I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
UFC 101 Predictions
The UFC heads to Philadelphia on Friday for UFC 101.
Can it continue the heat and media buzz generated by UFC 100? I doubt it, but it's still shaping up to be a pretty good card.
The main event features BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian for the lightweight belt, but make no mistake: people are tuning in to see Forrest Griffin take on the seemingly unbeatable Anderson Silva in Griffin's light heavyweight class. I'm a big Griffin mark, but I do not like his chances in this one. At the end of the night, I'm either going to be elated or depressed. I guess we'll see.
Now for my predictions:
BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian (lightweight)
This could be a really good fight. BJ likes to stand and bang when he can, but is known primarily for his jiu jitsu. Florian has good stand up and should enjoy a reach advantage. he's also well versed in jiu jitsu and could be on top if the fight hits the mat. If so, he's known for his finishing skills. Penn is still hurting from his destruction at the hands of GSP and could wilt if the fight isn't going his way. Penn is "the master" but he's also a big effing baby. Which Penn will shine through?
My money's on: Florian in a big upset. He doesn't look like much, but with the exception of Sherk's "lay and pray" strategy, Florian seems to be able to take what his opponents dish out and return the punishment in spades. I see a stand up battle at first, with Florian gradually taking the cardio advantage and punishing Penn on the mat.
Forrest Griffin vs. Anderson Silva (light heavyweight)
Silva is a beast at either middleweight or light heavyweight and has hands of stone. Griffin has terrific cardio and is always game, but has shown he can be knocked silly. Is it just a matter of time before he gets caught by the very accurate Brazilian and becomes another victim? Or will he come up with a strategy that will defy the odds and give him the biggest win of his life? (sorry, Rampage) I don't like Griffin's chances, but if you think I'm betting against him, you're nuts.
My money's on: Griffin. Not really, but I can't bet against him and don't want to "push". This would be a way bigger upset than the Florian victory. I give him a 10% shot at best.
Amir Sadollah Vs. Johny Hendricks (welterweight)
I like Sadollah and he has pulled off some surprising wins, but, really, he isn't THAT talented. CB Dollaway is way overrated. Hendricks has been plying his trade in WEC where the talent level isn't quite as high, but at least he has experience - and anyone who has a win by D'Arce Choke deserves respect.
My money's on: Hendricks. I like the look of this guy and think that after this win, the UFC will look to move him up the ladder.
Kendall Grove Vs. Ricardo Almeida (middleweight)
Grove was a guy I really wanted to watch after his TUF win, but he's been disappointing in his last few fights. He really got exposed by Jorge Rivera and Patrick Cote. Sure he has a win over former champ Evan Tanner, but Tanner was never that well rounded. Almeida, on the other hand, seems to be a guy who just doesn't deliver like he should. He's a talented guy, no doubt - he has a submission victory over Nate Marquardt - but he's never been that impressive (he has lost to Patrick Cote and Andrei Semenov).
My money's on: Almeida. If he doesn't beat Grove, send him packing.
Josh Neer Vs. Kurt Pellegrino (lightweight)
People seem to think highly of both of these fighters, but I haven't been that impressed. Pellegrino has lost to Nate Diaz, Joe Stevenson and Drew Fickett and beaten....who?... Rob Emerson? Thiago Tavares?... Junior Assuncao? Clearly he's not top notch. "The Dentist" Josh Neer has beaten a bunch of meatheads (Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard the possible exceptions) and lost to Nick AND Nate Diaz, Josh Burkman, Mark Miller, Drew Fickett and Spencer Fisher. Why is this fight on the main card?
My money's on: Neer. It's a toss up. Neer is bigger and more experienced, so there you go.
UNDERCARD
Shane Nelson Vs. Aaron Riley (lightweight) - Neither one has an impressive pedigree. Riley is far more experienced, but has lost to every significant fighter he's faced. This is a rematch set thanks to a controversial stoppage at UFC 96. I didn't see it, but I heard it was bad. Still, I'll take Nelson in the rematch, too.
Tamdan McCrory Vs. John Howard (welterweight) - I like this McCrory kid. If he can avoid those bloody armbars, it would seem he'd have a very promising career. I'll pick McCrory to submit Howard.
Thales Leites Vs. Alessio Sakara (middleweight) - Who would have thought a few months ago that we'd be seeing this fight buried in the undercard? These are two "name" guys who have fallen by the wayside. Leites looked promising at first, but put in such a stinker in his title fight against Anderson Silva that the UFC will probably toss him out on his ass if he lays another egg on Saturday. "Legionarius" was given much fanfare by the UFC commentators when he showed up, but he's been way way way less than impressive. He beat perennial punching bag Elvis Sinosic, but then dropped four of his next six UFC fights, including a devastating knockout by upstart Houton Alexander. How is this guy still in the UFC?! He should be shown the door if he loses Saturday. Oh, I guess my money's on Leites.
Matthew Riddle Vs. Dan Cramer (welterweight) - This ought to be fun. I like Riddle, so I'll pick him.
George Sotiropoulos Vs. George Roop (lightweight) - Some more TUF guys. I like Sotiropoulos, so I guess I'll pick him. He does seem to have the more impressive pedigree.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
UFC 100 - Predictions
Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir (heavyweight)Lesnar has to learn how to finish. He can be overwhelming early, but if he has to go 25 minutes with Mir, odds are good Mir will find a way to submit the big man somehow. Mir won’t be surprised by Lesnar’s speed and power again, and ought to be able to weather the early storm.
My money’s on: Mir. I like Lesnar and hope he wins, but I just think Mir is smart enough to find some way to submit the monster.
Georges St. Pierre vs Thiago Alves (welterweight)
This ought to be interesting. Alves is powerful and that’s usually GSP’s game. GSP will use his reach and boxing to keep Thiago at bay and then maybe throw him on his ass when he has the advantage. It’ll be interesting to see if Thiago can take GSP down.
My money’s on: GSP. No way I bet against him. He’s too smart and too good. He only loses by fluke.
Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping (middleweight)
This could have been a main event fight, but with this being UFC 100, well… This is of course the Ultimate Fighter coaches match. Team UK clearly won the show, but who will win the final battle? Henderson is the vet but he really hasn’t been very impressive since coming over from Pride where he was a champ in two weight classes.
My money’s on: Bisping. I’ve been back and forth on this one. I think Henderson would have won if he were 5 years younger, but he just seems to have lost a step. I see Bisping winning a decision if it stays on the feet. Could be a pretty boring fight. Hope I’m wrong.
John Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago (welterweight)
I don’t know too much about Thiago, but Fitch is a beast. He was humbled by GSP, but who hasn’t been recently?
My money’s on: Fitch. He’s a warrior.
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher (middleweight)
Akiyama has an impressive record, but Belcher has been the guy in the UFC trenches. He also enjoys a significant size advantage. The UFC will want Akiyama to get the nod so that they can start building him up. Both have beaten Denis Kang, which is no small feat.
My money’s on: Belcher. It’s about time he stepped up and lived up to the rep.
UNDERCARD
Mark Coleman vs. Stephan Bonnar (light heavyweight) - If Bonnar doesn’t win, he ought to quit. I mean, come on, Coleman? He’s ancient! I’m picking Bonnar. Could be a war.
Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller (lightweight) – Danzig had momentum coming off the TUF win, but he’s been less than stellar since, to be honest. I’ll pick Miller.
Jon Jones vs. Jake O’Brien (light heavyweight) – Both have had impressive outings. I’ll go with the Martian Manhunter – Jones.
Dong Hyun Kim vs. TJ Grant (welterweight) – Don’t know too much about these guys, but Kim has been impressive and is undefeated. Anyone who can go to a split decision with Karo Parisyan deserves respect. I’ll pick Kim, even though Grant is Canadian.
CB Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor (middleweight) – Features two TUF grads. On paper, Dollaway ought to be favoured, but he usually finds a way to make fights closer than they ought to be. Lawlor wasn’t impressive on the show. I’ll pick Dollaway in this one.
Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty (lightweight) – Don’t know these guys. Normally I’d go with the height advantage or better record, but they’re not that different. Grice’s UFC results aren’t very impressive while Gugerty went almost three rounds with Spencer Fisher. I’ll take Gugerty.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
UFC 99 Results
UFC 99 was a so-so event, with the card being one of the least exciting in recent memory. Even with the return of Cro Cop, this was a somewhat sub-par card, exacerbated by the 3pm ET start time.
Ok, let's see how I did on predictions.
Rich Franklin def Wanderlei Silva (Unanimous decision)
"My money’s on: Franklin. Wanderlei has crazy power, but not much reach. Franklin is younger, faster and smarter and will figure out a way to neutralize the disco-loving freak."
Sounds like I was pretty much right on. Franklin found a way to avoid Wanderlei's power and get the decision.
Cain Velasquez def. Cheick Kongo (Unanimous decision)
"My money’s on: Kongo. Boooooooring."
Thank goodness Kongo lost. I'm pretty sick of his dull fights and even in defeat he bored me. Velasquez overcame some pretty heavy shots by Kongo and took the big man down at will. Sure, it wasn't exciting, but if Velasquez can improve his game, he ought to be more exciting than the Frenchman.
Mike Swick def. Ben Saunders (TKO - Rd 2)
"My money’s on: Swick. I see an entertaining fight ending with Swick knocking Saunders on his ass."
Yup - got this one right on, too. This would have been a pretty big win for Saunders and a pretty devastating loss for Swick. With this win behind him, Swick can now look forward to bigger opponents.
Dan Hardy def. Marcus Davis (Split decision)
"My money’s on: Davis. Hardy will give him a run for his money, but Davis will win if he can get inside or take Hardy down. If he wins, hopefully the UFC will give the ageing Davis a real name opponent before he retires!"
I should have had this right on, too. Davis had this fight won, but lost it when he inexplicably gave up top position to attempt an ankle lock. At that point Hardy took top position, punished Davis and won the round. Without question, that was the turning point. This loss really hurts Davis who had an otherwise stellar UFC record. A loss against a mid-level guy like Hardy pretty much spoils any chance Davis had of fighting top flight opposition before he retires.
Spencer Fisher def. Caol Uno (Unanimous decision)
"My money’s on: Fisher. Look for him to start moving up to the top of the ladder after this one. The UFC has denied this guy’s talent for too long."
Right on again. The most boring fight of the night, probably, but Fisher deservedly got the nod.
Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic def. Mostapha Al Turk (TKO - Rd 1)
"My money’s on: Cro Cop. Barely. This could be another boring fight if the larger Al Turk takes Cro Cop down, but if it stays standing, Cro Cop could deliver a highlight finish or at least win on points via strikes. This is definitely the iffy fight of the night."
Cro Cop did provide a brutal victory, but not without controversy. How the ref missed the fact Al Turk had been poked is beyond me. Even if he didn't see it, Al Turk was clearly wounded by something other than a strike. Cro Cop is under no obligation to give his opponent any quarter, but the sportsmanlike thing to do would have been to back off.
So 4-2 on the main card. Not bad.
Other matches:
Terry Etim def. Justin Buchholz (Sub - Rd 2) – Go that.
Dennis Siver def. Dale Hartt (Sub - Rd 1) – Got that.
Paul Taylor def. Peter Sobotta (Unanimous decision) – Got that.
Paul Kelly def. Rolando Delgado (Unanimous decision) – Got that.
Denis Stojnic def. Stefan Struve (Sub - Rd 2) – Got that. I wanna see this Struve kid.
John Hathaway def. Rick Story (Unanimous decision) – Got that.
So 6-0 on the undercard - sweet! 10-2 for the night. Wow. I must be psychic.
A lot of the undercard fights went the distance which suggests they weren't very exciting. Like I said - not a fantastic card nor event.
Next up is UFC 100 - without a doubt the biggest card in recent memory if not UFC history. Stay tuned for my predictions!
Ok, let's see how I did on predictions.
Rich Franklin def Wanderlei Silva (Unanimous decision)
"My money’s on: Franklin. Wanderlei has crazy power, but not much reach. Franklin is younger, faster and smarter and will figure out a way to neutralize the disco-loving freak."
Sounds like I was pretty much right on. Franklin found a way to avoid Wanderlei's power and get the decision.
Cain Velasquez def. Cheick Kongo (Unanimous decision)
"My money’s on: Kongo. Boooooooring."
Thank goodness Kongo lost. I'm pretty sick of his dull fights and even in defeat he bored me. Velasquez overcame some pretty heavy shots by Kongo and took the big man down at will. Sure, it wasn't exciting, but if Velasquez can improve his game, he ought to be more exciting than the Frenchman.
Mike Swick def. Ben Saunders (TKO - Rd 2)
"My money’s on: Swick. I see an entertaining fight ending with Swick knocking Saunders on his ass."
Yup - got this one right on, too. This would have been a pretty big win for Saunders and a pretty devastating loss for Swick. With this win behind him, Swick can now look forward to bigger opponents.
Dan Hardy def. Marcus Davis (Split decision)
"My money’s on: Davis. Hardy will give him a run for his money, but Davis will win if he can get inside or take Hardy down. If he wins, hopefully the UFC will give the ageing Davis a real name opponent before he retires!"
I should have had this right on, too. Davis had this fight won, but lost it when he inexplicably gave up top position to attempt an ankle lock. At that point Hardy took top position, punished Davis and won the round. Without question, that was the turning point. This loss really hurts Davis who had an otherwise stellar UFC record. A loss against a mid-level guy like Hardy pretty much spoils any chance Davis had of fighting top flight opposition before he retires.
Spencer Fisher def. Caol Uno (Unanimous decision)
"My money’s on: Fisher. Look for him to start moving up to the top of the ladder after this one. The UFC has denied this guy’s talent for too long."
Right on again. The most boring fight of the night, probably, but Fisher deservedly got the nod.
Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic def. Mostapha Al Turk (TKO - Rd 1)
"My money’s on: Cro Cop. Barely. This could be another boring fight if the larger Al Turk takes Cro Cop down, but if it stays standing, Cro Cop could deliver a highlight finish or at least win on points via strikes. This is definitely the iffy fight of the night."
Cro Cop did provide a brutal victory, but not without controversy. How the ref missed the fact Al Turk had been poked is beyond me. Even if he didn't see it, Al Turk was clearly wounded by something other than a strike. Cro Cop is under no obligation to give his opponent any quarter, but the sportsmanlike thing to do would have been to back off.
So 4-2 on the main card. Not bad.
Other matches:
Terry Etim def. Justin Buchholz (Sub - Rd 2) – Go that.
Dennis Siver def. Dale Hartt (Sub - Rd 1) – Got that.
Paul Taylor def. Peter Sobotta (Unanimous decision) – Got that.
Paul Kelly def. Rolando Delgado (Unanimous decision) – Got that.
Denis Stojnic def. Stefan Struve (Sub - Rd 2) – Got that. I wanna see this Struve kid.
John Hathaway def. Rick Story (Unanimous decision) – Got that.
So 6-0 on the undercard - sweet! 10-2 for the night. Wow. I must be psychic.
A lot of the undercard fights went the distance which suggests they weren't very exciting. Like I said - not a fantastic card nor event.
Next up is UFC 100 - without a doubt the biggest card in recent memory if not UFC history. Stay tuned for my predictions!
Monday, June 8, 2009
UFC 99 - Preview
This weekend, the UFC travels to Cologne, Germany for what ought to be a very entertaining card.Rich Franklin vs Wanderlei Silva (195lbs)
This catch weight fight features two guys who need to win. There’s a reason this card is dubbed “The Comeback”. The winner will see their stock rise and perhaps even earn a title shot, whereas the loser will be facing retirement questions.
Silva is on his way down to middleweight (185 lbs) while Franklin has already started his transition to the light heavyweight division (205 lbs). If Silva can pull off the upset, he may very well get a title shot against bitter rival Anderson Silva, thanks in no small part to the fact that every other middleweight seems to be powerless against Silva. (Silva is like the Tiger Woods of that division - everyone is waiting for a serious challenger to appear from the wilderness.) If Franklin wins, he has de-throned a legend and puts himself in the light heavyweight title mix (if he wasn’t there already). The light heavyweight division is stacked, but title shots seem to be thrown around like tic tacs (Mauricio Rua…I’m looking in your direction…) so Franklin could easily see himself in a main event in three months or so.
My money’s on: Franklin. Wanderlei has crazy power, but not much reach. Franklin is younger, faster and smarter and will figure out a way to neutralize the disco-loving freak.
Cheick Kongo Vs. Cain Velasquez (205 lbs)
This fight could be the worst of the night if Kongo stays true to form. Despite wins, he probably hasn’t had a title shot because, quite frankly, he’s boring as hell. If he sits on Velasquez for three rounds, he may very well get the win, but a title shot? I dunno. I sense the UFC doesn’t like his style, either.
My money’s on: Kongo. Boooooooring.
Mike Swick Vs. Ben Saunders (170 lbs)
A battle of tall lanky guys that could end quick. Both of these guys seem to enjoy throwing. I wasn’t impressed with Saunders on the reality show, but he’s been looking pretty good since. I’m a fan of Swick’s though, and he needs this win.
My money’s on: Swick. I see an entertaining fight ending with Swick knocking Saunders on his ass.
Marcus Davis Vs. Dan Hardy (170 lbs)
This could be fight of the night. I like Davis’ style, but I like Hardy’s reach. Hardy has proven he has power, too, but Davis has heart. We’ve seen Davis get knocked on his butt and come back for the W; I don’t know if Hardy can do the same.
My money’s on: Davis. Hardy will give him a run for his money, but Davis will win if he can get inside or take Hardy down. If he wins, hopefully the UFC will give the ageing Davis a real name opponent before he retires!
Spencer Fisher Vs. Caol Uno (155 lbs)
Where the heck has Uno been? He ain’t the fighter he used to be, but maybe he’s still got some juice left in him. Spencer is proven winner, though, and can withstand the best opponents can dish out.
My money’s on: Fisher. Look for him to start moving up to the top of the ladder after this one. The UFC has denied this guy’s talent for too long.
Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Vs. Mostapha Al Turk (205 lbs)
Talk about a must win. Cro Cop’s rep has taken a beating in the past coupe of years after losses to Gabriel Gonzaga (in spectacular fashion) and Cheick Kongo (boooooring). If the UFC is ever to see the dream card of Cro Cop fighting for a belt, he has to start wining fast. Al Turk is clearly a sacrificial lamb, but so was Gonzaga once upon a time.
My money’s on: Cro Cop. Barely. This could be another boring fight if the larger Al Turk takes Cro Cop down, but if it stays standing, Cro Cop could deliver a highlight finish or at least win on points via strikes. This is definitely the iffy fight of the night.
Other matches:
Terry Etim Vs. Justin Buchholz (155 lbs) – don’t know much about Buchholz, but Etim has impressed. I’m picking Etim.
Dennis Siver Vs. Dale Hartt (155 lbs) – Going with experience. That means Siver over Hartt.
Paul Taylor Vs. Peter Sobotta (170 lbs) – Sobotta doesn’t even have a photo on the UFC website. That doesn’t bode well. Taylor losing would be upset of the night material. Taking Taylor to smoke the new guy.
Paul Kelly Vs. Rolando Delgado (155 lbs) – I like Rolando, but the shy kid is gonna get slaughtered by the tough Kelly.
Denis Stojnic Vs. Stefan Struve (205 lbs) – Who versus who? Holy crap; Stojnic is 5’11” & 235 lbs while “Skyscraper" Struve is 238 lbs and – get this – 6’11”!! Wow. Both have impressive records which means I’m taking the giant who knows how to win.
John Hathaway Vs. Rick Story (170 lbs) – Two more strangers with good records, but I’ll take the undefeated guy who at least has a photo. That means Hathaway over Story.
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