UFC 139 Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not bad!

UFC 139 Picks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great card. I hope I get to see it!

UFC 132 Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UFC 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.

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?