With UFC 60 coming up I was wondering if any one else will be seeing the PPV?

They have Gracie vs Hughes on top with a strong under card with undeafted Brandon Vera, TUF winner Diego Sanchez, and Joe Riggs taking on Mike Swick.


Also theirs lots of MMA of free TV too. FSN is running Pride FC fights. And the new IFL starts tonight on FSN.

not sure if we should make a separate thread for this or not, but i've been having a blast with The Ultimate Fighter 3...

before i knew their personalities, i was a huge Shamrock fan and thought Ortiz was an ass... after watching the show, though, my views of both guys are now the polar opposite...

Ortiz seems like a guy I could actually be friends with... always encouraging his guys while at the same time working them out to the highest level... he's very down-to-earth and doesn't have an inflated sense-of-self... very grounded in reality and is grateful for all the opportunities he's had... sure, he trashtalks a lot... but he'll then say to the camera he's just doing it to get under his opponents' skin...

the same can't be said even remotely for Shamrock... his training has been awful (his guys have lost 6 straight matches after winning the first)... he gives guys days off for no reason at all... and he just seems like a genuine asshole with his "god's gift to mankind" attitude...

i REALLY hope Tito makes his face a bloody pulp when they meet again...

I'm enjoying the TUFIII as well. I was suprised that Tait lost as he's been getting so much screen time and he's a 10th Planet Jui-Juitsu guy (He trains with Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo).

I'm looking for ward to the Semis. It seems as thought theirs some really good talent here that should have good matches. Kalib, Rory, Mike Bisbing, Kendall and Josh all have talent. Plus we still have to see Matt who wasa gold medalist in the deaf games anda Div.III wrestler and Ed Herman who trains with team quest (Randy Couture's team). At this point pretty much all the "cans" are gone. (Well Jesse came back but I expect him to lose again)

Well, if you're interested, head on over to http://www.thetvtimeout.com/mma and read my preview of the UFC 60 preliminary bouts.

Coming Friday: the main card!

[Edited on 5-25-2006 by GimmickMan]

MMA preview for the weekend.

Friday @ 10:30 ( FSN also says 9 so I'm not sure) local time FSN.
Best Damn Beatdowns
50 of the greatest ass whoopin's in Pride, UFC and Boxing.

Sunday. International Fight League episode II 6pm (Central)
Renzo Gracies Pitulls take on Maurce Smiths Tiger Sharks with the winning team to advance to the championship to take on The Silverbacks.

9pm(Central) Best Of Pride FC. Main Event Don Frye vs Ken Shamrock

Also FSN is running a heavywheight boxing match of Javier Mora vs. Fres Oquendo

UFC 60 Main Card Preview and weigh-in results!

http://www.thetvtimeout.com/mma

Check it!

The Lineups For the TUF final and the next UFN are being posted on some websites.

ULTIMATE FIGHTER 3 LIVE FINALE: JUNE
24 IN LAS VEGAS

-Light-Heavyweight Finals of The Ultimate Fighter 3
-Middleweight Finals of The Ultimate Fighter 3
-Kenny Florian vs. Sam Stout
-Keith Jardine vs. Wilson Gouveia
-Josh Neer vs. TBA

Main card airs live on Spike TV on Saturday, June 24th from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM Eastern Time

ULTIMATE FIGHT NIGHT: JUNE 28

-Stephan Bonnar vs. Rashad Evans
-Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben
-Luke Cummo vs. Jonathan Goulet
-Josh Koscheck vs. Dave Menne
-Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves
-Jorge Gurgel vs. Mark Hominick
-Justin Levens vs. Jorge Santiago


Main card airs live on Spike TV on Wednesday, June 28th from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time

Im interested to see Cumo, Florian, and Gurgel. It will be interesting to see how well Jardine does after that close lose to Bonnar.

Bonnar should be able to beat Evans. Id like to see Bonnar get a "Legends" fight against Mark "The Hammer" Coleman now that hes done with Pride. COuld be a good PPV debut for The American Psycho.

Also UFC 61 is being annouced as Shamrock vs Tito and Arlovski vs Silvia for the title HW title.

Bonnar vs. Coleman won't work because Coleman won't want to cut down to 205.

Bonnar vs. Vitor or Shamrock? I'm in.

I heard a rumor that Coleman thinks he can make 205, if he can't do that I'd put him in a heavywheight bout against Brandon Vera.

I have to say, Evans and Koshchek are two of the boringest fighters that have come out of the TUF series.

Just bought my tiks for 61. Thats going to be swetness.

Hopefully the TUF Finals are solid bouts, because the finale card, main evented by Florian vs Stout is rather lacklustre. Florian just doesn't capture ones imagination. Stout should maul him.

Ideally the TUF finals would have Mike Bisping vs Matt Hamil for the light heavyweight contract and Kendall Groves vs Kalib Starnes for the middleweight contract. Actually any middleweight final will probably be a good match, however the light heavies already have a couple of cans in the semi's(Josh Haynes and his zero gound game and inaccurate strikes/ Jesse Forbes and his loss to a rather slow armbar). If Nickels upsets Hamil, the division is shot, not to take anything away from Nickels though as he is a tough kid, just said to be really lacking in skills(especially given his age).

Ultimate Fight Night on the 28th looks to be a solid card. The fight I'm most looking forward to is Mark Hominick vs Jorge Gurgel and of course Anderson Silva vs Chris Leben. Bonnar didn't impress me versus Keith Jardine(I think he lost actually), and Evans is a one trick pony who had his hands full with Sammy Hogar. Jonathan Goulet is looking to avenge his 11 second loss to Bang Ludwig on UFN3, I'd like to see him beat Cummo.

I wonder which fights will air though...

[Edited on 5-29-2006 by Shaggy]

I think Stout/Florian will be better than anticipated. The thought of Kenny Florian in a UFC main event does make me chuckle, though.

As for UFN, I am PUMPED. This card is one of the best cards the UFC has produced PPV or not in a long time, which is saying something.

You can also add Jason Lambert vs. Branden Lee Hinkle to that UFN card. Lambert said on MMAWeekly Radio the other week that that fight is signed.

As for UFN, though, it will be tight. I'm looking forward to seeing Goulet again. He's a great fighter. I was afraid that was flash KO would be the end of him in the UFC. I'm surprised that he hasn't fought in TKO since then. Obviously, Cummo is tight, too.

Silva/Leben should be SICK. Bonnar/Evans is more of a "meh" fight for me right now. Stephan should take it with ease. Koscheck/Menne should be interesting.

But the fight I'm looking forward to the most is Jorge Gurgel vs. Mark Hominick. I just hope it's on the main card.

I'm surprised that Gurgel hasn't gotten a shot yet, unless he hasn't been completely healthy. And I'll be very glad if Hominick isn't pulled because of his loss in TKO a few weeks back.

I don't know what it is about Gurgel, but I think he can be a force. We'll have to wait and see.

Justin Levens is also an exciting fighter. That won't be on the main card, though.

My main card:

Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben
Stephan Bonnar vs. Rashad Evans
Jonathan Goulet vs. Luke Cummo
Jorge Gurgel vs. Mark Hominick

And if they figure out a way to include five bouts: Josh Koscheck vs. Dave Menne.

And is anyone else as excited about the Lightweight division as I am?

Word on the street is that the winner of Stout/Florian will face Sean Sherk for the LW Title. I've said it on Sherdog, but I think the LW Title should become a main event staple of Ultimate Fight Night. That would be pretty cool, but it would create time problems because of having to include a possible five round fight in a 2-hour broadcast. Or they could just make it 3-hours long, which would be A-OK in my book.

And UFC 61 is shaping up to be an amazing card, as well. As is UFC 62 with Liddell vs. Babalu and Diego vs. Karo and hopefully BJ Penn fighting someone.

What a great time to be a fan of MMA!

I'm pumped about the LW division my self. I was hoping they'd do an 8 or 16 man tourny spread over a few PPVs and UFNs for the belt instaed of this 4 fourman minnie tourney they seems to be running.

I was impressed in Florians last outing where he busted that guys face open.

I've been waiting to see Gurgle (He's Rich Franklins cornerman for those who don't know.) Back in the UFC since he lost to Jason Von Flue in dramtic fashion.

I'd like to see him compete for the LW belt some day.

Goulet has something like 6 loses by KO so Luke should be able to handle him. It make sence that Zuffa would want to protect Luke thought. I could see him developing into a Jeremy Horn or Evan Tanner type of gatekeeper. He won't be the best fighter in the division, but hecan beat any given fighter on a given day just not everyday. You'd have to beat him to prove you deserve a shot and win or lose its exciting.

I don't think Evans Bonnar willl be a FOTY year but it will be interesting to see who comes out on top and how they look it doing so. Could be fun if they stand and trade.

UFC.TV has confirmed UFC 61 as Silva vs Alrovski III and Shamrock vs Ortiz II

i'm definitely envisioning the Evans/Bonnar fight to be better than expected... wasn't a huge fan of Evans during TUF2, but seeing his Ultimate Fight Night fight at a more natural weight for him is promising... very very agile... and this is coming from a Bonnar mark...

I think Bonnar will take the match if/when it gets to the ground... Rashad's shown he's got a good chin, but he's also shown he's got plenty of work to do when it comes to the submission game... i say Bonnar wins by OMG~!!! Armbar in the 3rd round...

and HELL YEAH we get to see more of Luke Cummo!!!... he was far and away my fave guy to come out of TUF2... probably just the "inner nerd" in me... i agree that I don't think he'll ever be champion, but he'll never be an easy W for any of his opponents...

Has anybody been watching the IFL on Fox Sports Net? It's MMA in a team format, no elbows or knees to a down fighter.

you can read all about it here
www.internationalfightleague.com

The fighters aren't as good as the ones in the UFC but its fun none the less and the unusal format is interesting. I just wish they could get FSN to give them a 90minute or two hour spot so they didn't have to edit some of the fights for time.

In some very sad news, former UFC interviewer Ryan Bennett of MMAWeekly.com and the host of MMA Weekly Radio died last night in a car crash on I-15 in Utah.

He was travelling with his family (wife and four kids) when a tire popped, causing him to lose control, rolling five times. He was partially ejected and died at the scene. His wife is in surgery, two kids are in the hospital and two checked out fine (physically, of course).

I had just got in to listening to the radio show with him and Frank Trigg. It was a great, great show. In fact, I had won a DVD on their 1,000th show a few weeks back that was sent out to me by Bennett. Kinda weird now. Hopefully his wife and kids pull through as well as possible.

RIP.

http://kutv.com/local/local_story_152103825.html
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2165&zoneid;=2

Theirs going to be another UFN on August 17th. This will be headkined by Karo Parisyan vs Diego Sanchez.

The UFN will leading to TUF4. TUF4 will feature veterans who have previously been in the UFC trying to earn their way back in.

UFC 62 will likely be Chuck Liddell vs Babalua and the Winner of Stout-Florian vs Sherk
UFC 63 will Be Matt Hughs vs George St. Peirre

[Edited on 6-4-2006 by Jheaton]

interesting couple of quips from Dana White, here:

http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=16493

quote:

---

Dana White talks UFC, Boxing, McCain and WWE

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP PRESIDENT DANA WHITE

IS JULY PLAYBOY'S 20Q

The Man Behind the UFC Discusses The Ultimate Fighter Reality Show, Why He Credits Senator John McCain for the Existence of the UFC

and Why the UFC Crushes the WWE

UFC President Dana White is about to add two new pros to his stable of fighters on the June 24th season finale of The Ultimate Fighter 3, the popular Spike TV reality series which features16 fighters who live together as they prepare to compete for UFC contracts. White will then return to television on August 17 as host of The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback. The success of The Ultimate Fighter has other networks such as Fox Sports, BET and Oxygen scrambling to develop fight-related series of their own. White is proud of the reality show and how it has turned the UFC around: "We got on TV and suddenly people were watching mixed martial arts without realizing they were watching it because they got caught up in the story lines," said White in Playboy's July 20Q (on newsstands Friday, June 9th).

Following are selected quotes from White's 20Q, conducted by Playboy contributor Jason Buhrmester:
On Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: "You also get to learn about the characters and see that these guys aren't a bunch of f*cking gorillas who just rolled in off a bar stool. You can see how hard they train and that they have real lives and families."

On Senator John McCain's opposition to the UFC: "I'll tell you what about Senator John McCain. He's a boxing fanatic and he went after the UFC, and thank god he did. I credit Senator McCain with our having this sport today. The bottom line is this sport needs to be regulated...If it weren't for McCain, we wouldn't be where we are today."

On how Mike Tyson would do in a UFC fight: "He would get destroyed. I know it. He's been getting destroyed in boxing lately. I'm not trying to slam Mike Tyson, because I'm still a huge fan. I like real fighters."

On why he didn't become a pro boxer: "I found out early in my career that I didn't have it. I was about 26 or 27 when the window started closing. For a long time it really messed with me that I hadn't fought a pro fight. But to fight pro is a lot of work, a lot of money and a lot of sacrifice. I didn't take that step. I always felt I didn't have the balls to turn pro."

On why he hates golf: "I happen to f*cking hate golf. Golf is the most useless f*cking sport of all time. It's a waste of f*cking time. It's a waste of f*cking land. It's a waste of everything. Homeless people are sleeping in the streets, and these rich dicks are out there golfing. Give me a f*cking break. They ought to build houses for the homeless on all the golf courses."

On why the UFC is better than the WWE: "...Because it's real. I think the WWE is fantastic. It's amazing when you're 12 to 15 years old. But when you hit 16 or 17, you realize it's fake, and you want to see something real. I was a huge WWE fan as a kid. I got to an age when I got tired of the sh*t. It was just acting."

On why he doesn't want his kids to be fighters: "I love my kids so much. Do I want them to be fighters? No way. But I don't want them to be football players, either. And I don't want them to stub their toes. I don't want them to get hurt at all. This is how f*cked up I am, that I sit around and think about this, but I dread the day when they get into a fight at school. I have two boys, so it's inevitable, but I dread that day."

On the most vicious thing he's ever seen during a UFC fight: "Nothing really makes me cringe. I love fighting. But when Frank Mir broke Tim Sylvia's arm with that arm bar, it was pretty crazy. Hell, we have four f*cking DVD's of Ultimate Knockouts, so there have been some awesome knockouts."

On what makes a guy want to become a UFC fighter: "It's the competition. These guys are real athletes and real fighters. It doesn't matter if they used to be schoolteachers or accountants. They love to compete. It's great when you're part of a team and you run out onto the field and the crowd is cheering. But when you walk into a f*cking arena with 17,000 people and your music is playing and everybody is looking at you and going crazy, it's an amazing feeling. It's a high you can't even imagine."

On whether someone will inevitably get seriously injured or killed in the UFC: "I fear it. I really do. To be honest, I don't know how I would deal with something seriously happening to one of these guys I f*cking love and care about."

---

I read something about PRIDE being forced to shut down, something about shady dealings, losing their TV slot and ties to the yakuza. The article mentioned that you could compare this to WCW going out of business, only much, much larger. I am not a big fan of the MMA stuff, is this really that kind of deal? And is any of this true, or just rumors?

UFC.com confirmed fights for upcoming events:

Ultimate Fighter 3 Ultimate Finale - June 24 - 9 p.m.

Kenny Florian vs. Sam Stout - Winner to face Sean Sherk at UFC 62 in August to determine new UFC Lightweight Champion

TUF3 Middleweight Final
TUF3 Light-Heavyweight Final

Ultimate Fight Night 5 - June 28 - 8 p.m.

Chris Leben vs. Anderson Silva
Rashad Evans vs. Stephan Bonnar
Jonathan Goulet vs. Luke Cummo
Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch
Dave Menne vs. Josh Koscheck
Branden Lee Hinkle vs. Jason Lambert

UFC 61: Bitter Rivals - July 7 - 10 p.m.

Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski
Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
Frank Mir vs. Dan Christison
Josh Burkman vs. Josh Neer
Gilbert Aldana vs. Cheick Kongo

Pride FC is in the middle of a scadal about being linked to organized crime. They have been kicked off their Japanese Televison station. Its a little early to be calling this the death of Pride fighting as there have been other scandals in the Japanese MMA/Pro wrestling industry.

I thought the Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale had 3 awesome fights and 2 shows of pure domination.

The 2 show finals were great, and I have no objection to Dana White offering Ed Herman a contract, too (even if it's just ***bEEcOZZ*** I wanna see SOMEbody kick his ass). Kudos to Kendall for pulling the upset.

Bisping is going to be a star. He's got a complete set of tools, and he's shown he's got a pretty solid chin, too. The Light Heavyweight division is fucking loaded right now.

And in the show's "extra time" Matt Hamill completely obliterated Jesse Forbes. He showed he was in a different class when it comes to wrestlign and was fucking relentless with the pounding once Jesse made a mistake. He still needs to get a little more training in submissions and striking, but he'll be a force to be reckoned with, too. Would've been VERY interesting to see he and Bisping make it to the finals.

When was the Hammill/Forbes fight? I completely missed that. Only fight I saw with Matt was the one with Nichols where he stayed on his feet the whole way because he was hurt.

The Herman/Groves fight was awesome just to see Ed manage to not tap out to all those submisions Kendall locked on him. That was sick. The rear naked choke he had on him late in the match looked like it had him dead and he managed to last to the bell.

And I love Bisping. Love him. I think if UFC makes a point to feature him in their Spike programming he might single handedly make me a dedicated UFC fan. I was praying that he'd destroy Josh because it seemed like he was nothing but a wild swinger. So I'm glad he did. And that flying knee he pulled out of his ass against Ross in the semis made me leap out of my seat.

Lucky, due to the extreme brevity of the "main event", they had a few minutes extra to give us the Hamill/Forbes fight. Extreme fucking domination by Hamill, even if his only "skills" right now are wrestling and relentlessly pounding the fuck out of people. You could tell Forbes was wanting to keep it on his feet because even HE is afraid of Hamill's wrestling. I think he remains under Tito's tutelage, learns the submission side of things better, and learns to keep his hands up during boxing. He will be a dangerous, dangerous fighter. I could see a few years from now the division being dominated by him and Bisping.

Here's a quick list of the Light Heavyweight division:
Michael Bisping
Stephan Bonnar
Rashad Evans
Forrest Griffin
Matt Hamill
Sam Hoger
Keith Jardine
Chuck Liddell
Dean Lister
Tito Ortiz
Ken Shamrock

That's a ridiculous list of quality fighters at that weight class. No wonder Rich Franklin is staying in the Middleweight class. And honestly, I don't see Kendall Grove staying there, either. It just doesn't look like a comfortable weight for him, being 6'6" and all. But hey, if he can stay there he's got a much better chance than he does at Light Heavyweight.

DVR'd the Ultimate Fight Night from last night and only got through the first fight so far, so I'll have my insight on those fights tomorrow.

And I couldn't agree more with you about Bisping. He seems ready for the spotlight, already. Was very comfortable and mature when being interviewed even immediately after his fight. He's got all the skills needed, and he's not afraid to bust them out when other things don't seem to be working (see: flying knee on Ross). Oh, and his g/f is hot as hell, too

So I watched all of Ultimate Fighter 3 and every wrestling fan I know who did the same came out with the exact same opinion. "I was a Shamrock fan going in but Ortiz seems like such a better guy." And while I agree that Ortiz clearly went into that thing with a hell of a lot more desire to help these guys (and him taking Kendall Groves under his wing as Goldberg was saying at the finale proves that even more, as do his claims that he was taking Matt Hamill under his wing presuming they were real) and Shamrock just didn't give a shit. That was the difference between the two teams, clearly. But Tito sure as hell never came off as a good guy to me. Shamrock admitted that most of his blowups were calculated to inspire his team or get under Ortiz' skin but Tito clearly did everything he could to get under Shamrock's. And he was constantly taking shots at Shamrock's guys. It just seemed like Tito was as big of an ass as Shamrock but did it in a much calmer way.

Then you say the clip of Ortiz laughing like a little girl during his press conference with Shamrock. And you hear all his "Shamrock's nothing, he's old and beaten down, I'll kill him" stuff. And I read somewhere that part of the hate these guys have for each other is that Shamrock was hurt during their first bout and had a rematch written into the contract but Tito kept dodging him (I have no idea how true that is, its just what I read). And Tito more and more came off like an ass to me.

That's why I loved reading this:

http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006_/articles/1152405653.php

quote:

---

A final incident between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz took place at yesterday's UFC 61 Weigh-Ins. After Shamrock weighed in at 206, Ortiz threw a fit, arguing that the fight contract was clear about the weight limit being 205. Nevada State rules, however, allow a fighter in a non-title match to go over the limit by one pound, so Shamrock's weight was perfectly fine.

Interestingly enough, Ortiz then weighed in at 206.5 and had to drop the half-pound before weighing in again.

---

So yeah, popping into the sports forum for the second time ever just to comment about the PPV tonight.

I hated the Sylvia/Arlovski fight. For two guys who have had great battles before, even if they do have mutual respect now, nobody paid to see them box for 25 minutes. That was bullshit!

I'm torn on Ortiz/Shamrock. Unlike a lot of people I've met, I love Tito Ortiz. Sure, he's an asshole, but at least he doesn't pretend he's not, like Shamrock does. One part of me thinks that Herb should not have stopped the fight so soon, but the other part looked at the replay and saw how Tito was bashing him with elbows and Ken clearly wasn't protecting himself. So I'm stuck between wanting to see these two guys give a great fight and not wanting one of them to get seriously injured. However, I do think Shamrock should retire.

The doctors made a good decision on the Stevenson fight. Yves was bleeding like a stuck pig.

Question, why the hell did they put the Burkman fight after Ortiz/Shamrock? Was it just for a palette cleanser or was there another reason?

Yeah, Court, it is a palette clenser. The UFC calls it the "swing fight". They have one for every PPV.

The "swing fight" is one that might not be on the PPV, time permitting. Since the Tito-Shamrock fight ended so fast, they put it on. It may have been taped earlier, I'm not sure. The order may get changed on the DVD, not sure if UFC does that.

From the UFC website:

"Q: What Does "May not be broadcast" mean? What is a "Swing Fight"?

A. Fights labeled as "may not be broadcast" are scheduled to take place before the live broadcast begins. These pre-recorded fights are inserted into the broadcast if time permits. However, due to broadcast time constraints some of these undercard bouts may not be seen on a broadcast. These additional bouts can be found as bonus footage on the event DVD and online at http://video.ufc.com.

A "Swing Fight" is a bout scheduled during the live event, but under very rare circumstances, may not be shown. Swing Fights may also take place out of order from listed programming."

Found here: http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=LearnUFC.QandA

quote:

---

Originally posted by courtney

I'm torn on Ortiz/Shamrock. Unlike a lot of people I've met, I love Tito Ortiz. Sure, he's an asshole, but at least he doesn't pretend he's not, like Shamrock does.

---

It's just any time I see him in an interview or on TV, he's just comes across as a guy who thinks too much of himself. At least to me anyways.

"Here's a quick list of the Light Heavyweight division:
Michael Bisping
Stephan Bonnar
Rashad Evans
Forrest Griffin
Matt Hamill
Sam Hoger
Keith Jardine
Chuck Liddell
Dean Lister
Tito Ortiz
Ken Shamrock

That's a ridiculous list of quality fighters at that weight class. No wonder Rich Franklin is staying in the Middleweight class. And honestly, I don't see Kendall Grove staying there, either. It just doesn't look like a comfortable weight for him, being 6'6" and all. But hey, if he can stay there he's got a much better chance than he does at Light Heavyweight. "

You forgot to list Babalu (whos got the next shot at Chuck) and Brandon "The Truth" Vera. Personaly I wonder how long Rich Franklin will be able to make 185? At the wheigh ins he allways looks gaunt.

I think the best thing for kendal to do would to try add about 10-15lbs of muscle and then stay at LHW by dropping water wheight. He jsut looks too skinny to be fighting at Heavywheight.

Franklin's not leaving 185. If you look at the first time he went to 185 at UFC 50, he looked bad. If you look at him at UFC 53, 56 or 58, he looks good. They got the weight cutting down pat.

From Sherdog.com


"As Sherdog.com reported on Friday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been negotiating with Tito Ortiz (Pictures) and Ken Shamrock (Pictures) to promote a third installment of their blood-feud.

Apparently the talks went well.

UFC president Dana White is quoted in Sunday�s Las Vegas Review-Journal that the trilogy-making bout will take place.

�[Ortiz-Shamrock II] had a lot of buildup and a lot of hype and it ended in a minute,� White told Kevin Iole. �Nobody got to see the fight they paid to come to see, so we�re going to give it to them.�

Sherdog.com has learned through sources close to both fighters that the show was scheduled for October 10 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and would have aired live on SpikeTV.

However, there has been a holdup on securing the venue and the particulars of the event remain up in the air at this time.

According to one source, the card has been finalized but no contracts have been sent out to any of the fighters due to the venue issues.

It would seem likely that the show could be held at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas � where Diego Sanchez (Pictures) fights Karo Parisyan (Pictures) on August 17�s UFC Fight Night � if things are not resolved in Florida. The resort is the newest piece of UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta�s hotel and casino empire. "

[Edited on 8-8-2006 by Jheaton]

On Aug 17th we get the lates installment of Ultimate Fight Night followed by TUF4:The Comeback.

The card for UFN has Diego Sanchez Vs. Karo Parisyan and Chris Leben Vs. Jorge Santiago on top. (Leben is sure coming back quickly from that KO) also fighting are Dean Lister (Tito's grappling coach on TUF),Jason Von Flue Vs. Joe Riggs, and Josh Koscheck Vs. Jonathan Goulet . Another solid card allright.

TUF 4 has fighters who have all ready been in the UFC returning with the winner of the whole thing getting a title shot. Some of the more notable fighters are Matt Serra (who trains Luke Cummo), Shonnie Carter (whos in his 40's), and Gideon Ray. Randy Couture and George St. Pierre (whos fighting Matt Hughs at UFC 63 so this will be used to promote that card) are the coaches this season.

UFC 62 has a great pair main events in Babalu vs Chuck Liddell for the world lightheavy wheight strap. Liddell knocked out Babalu a few years ago and since then Babalu has been on a ten win tear with 3 of those wins being inside the UFC.

Also on this card is the rematch of Bonnar and Griffen. With both men coming off loses (Griffen to Tito and Bonnar to Rashad) this could be a bit if a cross roads fight with the winner going towards an eventual title shot and the loser going back to the drawing board.

UFC 62 has allmost nothing of note on the undercard altho there is rumor of a Frank Mir vs Brandon Vera fight.

Another rumor circulating the net is that the next fight for heavywheight Tim Sylvia will be against Jeff Monsoon. UFC 64 will possibly feature Rich Franklin (who will be coming off a broken hand) defending against Anderson Silva (the fellow who knocked out Leben) also rumored is the fight for the vacant light wheight title between Sean Sherk and Kenny Florian (Florian wanted more time to train so the bout got pushed back)

The IFL returns to FSN in september. I'm not sure exactly when it will air.

The Outdoor Living Network has signed a deal with top rank promotions to show live fights on thursday nights. This week features Oylimpian Brian �Hawaiian Punch� Viloria vs Omar Nino for the WBC Light Flywheight title plus the undercard.
Viloria has been featured on ESPN's friday night fights and is allways fun to watch.

OLN (which is changing its name to Versus in september) is showing live fights on alternate thursdays and "Legends of the Ring" which will feature past superstar of the sport. Tonight at 11 there is an Ali vs. Bonavena match.

Finally the Oxygen network is showing a two hour documentary "Fight Girls" about several young ladies training to go to Tailand to fight for Muy Tai championships. Its very good and well produced. Its shot in a similar "reality show" style that is used by The Contender and TUF. I watched it last night and highly recomend it to anyone whos a fight fan.

Holy crap was UFC Fight Night exciting! Probably the best installment to this point.

Diego Sanchez has earned my respect. His fights with Nick Diaz and now Karo Parisyan have been two of the best fights of the past year. I had my first markout MMA moment today with Karo's judo throws. Usually, I'm reserved and concentrating watching fights, but those throws nearly had me out of my seat. Despite the L, Karo freaking rocks.

Diego was very, very explosive the whole fight. I cannot believe the twats over at Sherdog are actually complaining about this decision. I can understand being annoyed over the judge scoring it 30-26 for Diego, that's brutal, but the other two scored it exactly as I did, 29-28 Diego. Diego took round one, Karo took the second and Diego dominated the third. I love these exciting technical bouts.

Josh Koscheck made quick work of Jonathan Goulet, which, if you were basing it off the odds, would not seem like that big of a surprise, but Goulet is a solid fighter. It seems that Koscheck has improved a lot since the last time we saw him on TV in October when he was pretty much KO'd by a last minute knee by Drew Fickett and choked out. I will now look forward to seeing his name on the main card.

The Lister/Sasaki fight was pretty cool and technical. My favorite part, though, by far, was Joe Rogan saying that Lister had "blown his wad" after two rounds from all the submission attempts.

I had the same feeling during the Leben/Santiago fight that I had during Liddell/Couture III. I was nervous for Leben, especially when he took that hard shot that staggered him early in the fight and kept keeping his hands down. But he came back and scored one of the biggest KTFO's of the year.

And color me surprised by the Diesel! Who knew he could choke somebody out?

All in all, an awesome card. It was made even better when they announced that they will be broadcasting the UFC 62 weigh-ins live next Friday at 10 pm on Spike, in which they will officially announce (presumebly) Tito-Ken III for the Oct. 10 SpikeTV card.

Sweet.

Two thumbs up from this corner!

I thought it was a very good UFN.

I had the frist two rounds of Sanchez vs Parisyan to close to call. However Diego took the fight with the final round. Possible fight of the year right there.

Lister vs. Sasaki was dramatic. Lister has bad standup and Yuki has a bad ground game. I was watching to see if list was going to be able to avoid getting knocked out. I thought Lister took the frist two rounds and Yuki took the third. However I was thinking that the judges might have given the second to the Karate Kid bcause they often seem to value striking more than grappling.

These last two fights have exposed Chris Leben. Sure hes got sledgehammers for arms but he has not technique. If he was to fight some one like Franklin he'd either get knocked out or picked arpart over the course of the fight for a desision loss.

Josh Korcheck was impressive but I haven't seen too many of his fights to see how good he really is. Zuffa does seem to be giveing him the "Leben" push as well so I guess Ill have to wait and see.

TUF4 should be good. I don't think that theres going to be that complete and udder lack of heart as disiplayed on the last season.

The UFC top ten raking according to JHEATON. The opinions expressed in here in are mine and mine alone.

Heavyweight

Champ Tim Sylvia
1. Jeff Monson
2. Andre Arlovski
3. Brandon Vera
4. Mario Cruz
5. Frank Mir
6. Gabriel Gonzaga
7. Paul Buentello
8. Dan Christison
9. Brad Imes
10. Brandon lee Hinkle

Comments: After Sylvia regaining the title Arlovski drops to number 2 behind Monsoon. Brandon Vera is number three he would be higher if he decided to stick with a weight class. Marico �Pe De Pano� Cruz is in 4th due to his win over form champ Mir. The rest are just sort of filling out a weak weight class, Paul Buentello trying to comeback after being knocked out by The Pitbull, Christison , and Imes are trying to make a name for themselves after coming off TUF.

Light heavy Weight

Champ Chuck Liddell
1. Rento Sorbral
2. Tito Ortiz
3. Forrest Griffen
4. Rashad Evans
5. Stephan Bonner
6. Brandon Vera
7. Keith Jardine
8. Jason Lambert
9. James Irvin
10. Michael Bisbing

Comments: Bablua is fighting this month for the title. Tito Ortiz is number 2 after his close win Forrest Griffen. Forrest is at 3 where I feel that his lose legitimized him. Rashad takes the fourth spot with a win over Bonnar. Brandon Vera could be higher but he fights in two divisions. Keith Jardine has a close loss to Bonnar but a good win following that. Jason Lamebert is a potential sleeper at 8 with two wins in the octagon one over Rob MacDonald. James the Sandman Irvin has a knock out win against Terry Martin and loss against Bonnar. Michael Bisbing rounds out the list with his win of the TUF contract all thou in doing so he beat two fighter who weren�t that good (Ross and Christian) and one that should be fighting at 185 or 170 (Josh). All in all this is probably the strongest division in the UFC with major shake ups coming with the rematches on Bonnar Griffen and Babalu Iceman.

Middleweight

Champ Rich Franklin
1. Jeremy Horn
2. Anderson Silva
3. Chris Leben
4. Mike Swick
5. Nate Marquardt
6. Evan Tanner
7. Dean Lister
8. David Loiseau
9. David Terrell
10. Kendal Grove

Comments: Another solid division in the UFC. Rich is champ. I put Horn at number one even thou he won�t fight Franklin. He might be done with the UFC as he�s fighting Matt Lindland at the IFL. Anderson Silva made a huge debut by knocking out top ranked contender Chris Leben. Silva is rumored to get the next title shot at Rich Franklin. Chris Leben ends up at 3 with his long winning streak coming to an end at the hands of Silva. Swick is a young up and comer whose 3 and 0 in the UFC. Nate Marquardt is the same story as Swick being two and 0 in the octagon. Evan Tanner looked strong in his victory over Levens. Dean Lister is two and o in the UFC and is a possible contender. David Loiseau has been inactive since his defeat at the (broken) hands of Franklin. Kendal Grove is 20 with his win over Angry Ed at the TUF final.

Welterweight

Champ Matt Hughes
1. George St. Pierre
2. Diego Sanchez
3. Karo Parisian
4. Josh Burkman
5. Josh Neer
6. Josh Koscheck
7. Joe Stevenson
8. Joe Riggs
9. Thiago Alves
10. Nick Diaz



Comments: Matt Hughes is scheduled to face #1 contender GSP in the long awaited rematch at UFC 63. Diego Sanchez will apparently get the next shot after that by defeating Karo Parisian who will have to wait that much longer for his shot. Josh Burkman stopped the win streak of Josh Neer so he�s at number 4. Josh Koscheck is at six with his win at UFN. Joe Riggs is trying to climb the rankings with his win over Jason Von Flue and win over Nick Diaz. Thiago Alves was on a role until he lost at UFN and Nick Diaz is on a three fight losing streak no matter and may be out of the UFC. If BJ Penn fights in this division again then he could make the rankings. Until then he hasn�t won so he out.

Lightweight
Champ Vacant
1. Kenny Florian
1. Sean Sherk
3 Sam Stout
4 Spenser Fisher
5 Jens Pulver
6 Mark Hommick
7 Yevs Edwards
8 Vacant
9 Vacant
10 Vacant


There still re building this division so it�s hard to rank it. Florian and Sherk will be fighting for the Vacant UFC light heavy weight title At UFC 64. Sam Stout has lost to Florian but beat Fisher. Jens Pulver has yet to fight in his return but he never lost the title to begin with, However I can�t justify ranking him above the fighter who are actually fighting. Mark Hommick beat Yevs Edwards at UFC 58 in a 155lbs contest. Its going to be interesting to see which welterweights drop down (Melvin Guilard and Diego have been rumored but I don�t think Diego will with him getting a WW title shot in the future)and what talent get brought in. TUF 5 may have lightweights (I think they should do LW and HW as both those divisions need to be built up) with Jens Pulver as a coach. The whole season will build towards Jens getting a title shot. Also BJ Penn has said he�s going to drop down but with him who knows.

GimmickMan's Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-5 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Tim Sylvia, Champion
1) Jeff Monson
2) Brandon Vera
3) Frank Mir
4) Andrei Arlovski
5) Cheick Kongo

Light-Heavyweight - Chuck Liddell, Champion
1) Babalu
2) Tito Ortiz
T-5) Forrest Griffin
T-5) Jason Lambert
T-5) Rashad Evans

Middleweight - Rich Franklin, Champion
1) Nathan Marquardt
2) Anderson Silva
3) Mike Swick
4) Evan Tanner
5) David Terrell
6) Dean Lister
7) David Loiseau
8) Chris Leben
9) TUF4 Winner

Welterweight - Matt Hughes, Champion
1) Georges St. Pierre
2) BJ Penn
3) Diego Sanchez
4) Karo Parisyan
5) Jon Fitch
6) Joe Riggs
7) Josh Burkman
8) Josh Neer
9) TUF4 Winner

Lightweight - Vacant
1) Sean Sherk
2) Spencer Fisher
3) Mark Hominick
4) Kenny Florian
5) Jens Pulver
6) Melvin Guillard
7) Joe Stevenson
8) Hermes Franca
9) Yves Edwards

Well, with bad news comes some decent good news.

The bad news: Georges St. Pierre had to pull out of his Sept. 23 Welterweight Title fight against Matt Hughes with a severe groin pull.

The decent good news: Taking his place:



That is the man who never actually lost the Welterweight Title after beating Hughes in Jan. 2004, BJ Penn.

SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!!!

Tomorrow (Sunday Aug.17) Fox Sports Net is airing Pride Bushido. (check your locl scedual for air times). Featured on the card are Dennis Kang, Takanori Gomi, Dan Henderson, Akihiro Gono, Gilbert Melendez.

All the fights are welter weight or below so there should be lots of action and excitement. FUN WILL BE HAD BY ALL~!

Quick UFC 62 thoughts.

Babalu Vs Chuck. Babalu got knocked the F out. I couldn't believe that he went down that fast. I ahd thought that this would be a late round stoppage or desicion for Chuck. I like Babalu and I kinda feel bad for him that he lost in this fashion. I wonder if Dana will keep him around after a loss like that.

Griffen vs Bonnar. Griffen proved to be the supior fighter. Not the war that the frist fight was but not a bad fight either. Bonnar may have more tools in his tool box but Griffen is simply better. Griffen moves up in another step towards the elite LHW. Bonnar will probably be keep around, hes still a draw and his personality and heart will keep him fans.

Nick Diaz finally lived up the "future of the welterweight division" that Mike Goldberg says ever time he fights. neither Diaz or Josn Neer are ever in a bad fight and this was no exeption.

The undercard was quite good. Kongo looks like a solid addittion to the HW scene.Hermes Franca Vs. Jamie Varner was good and I'd like to see more from both men. Wilson Gouveia looked impressive coming off his loss to Jardine.

On a personal note this was actually the frist UFC PPV I've ever seen live. Every other on that I've seen was either on Video or A PPV rerun. Me and a couple of fellows went to hooters and drank a ton of beer (the table behind us had a group of girls who seemed intent on engaging their homoerotic fanticys everythim the fighter fought on the ground, They practically lost it when one of the fighters took rear mount). I went home at 1 got up at 7 and ran a 5K in 21:30.

Anyone else see the PPV?


Also Hughes vs GSP is now Hughes vs Penn. And the PPV after that is now Franklin vs Silva and Sherk vs Florian for the lightweight title.

I didn't get to see the PPV, but my GOD did Edwin Dewees lose more blood than anybody else I have ever seen in any sport. I wish the boards weren't sucking all week so I could HIGHLY recommend to anybody out there to catch a replay from last Thursday's episode.

Seriously, think Flair times 10. It just started SPURTING out onto the mat.

Edit: Here are a coupla pics from the fight, and even these don't do justice to the amount of bloodshed.





[Edited on 8-30-2006 by GatorBait]

MIRKO CROCOP!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion.



GOOD NIGHT NOW!

As he says:

Right kick: Hospital
Left kick: Cemetery

[Edited on 9-11-2006 by GimmickMan]

Hell yes. Cro Cop is ridiculously bad ass. Poor Silva just got put OUT by the kick. You know it's coming, but shit, it doesn't make one bit of difference. That kick was gorgeous. And Barnett is a bitch, so it was awesome to see him get some. In the post-fight interview he was already making excuses. Oh, I might have over trained, oh, he accidentally hit me in the eye, all kinds of shit except "I'm a loser and Cro Crop hit me so hard I went blind." (Also, "Oh, I had his knee and heard him yelling, I thought I submitted him" shut the fuck up, dude.) Hopefully Cro Cop vs. Fedor for the New Years show does happen, because my two favorite fighters going at it would make me pretty happy.

Other thoughts: Is it just me, or do Pride refs wait considerably longer than UFC refs to stop a fight? Aleksander was murdering the other russian THEN hit some knees before the ref was in there. I guess Pride doesn't have to worry about proving itself as a safe, legit sport like UFC does.

Diabate's pre-fight interview was hilarious. Talking about how his biggest asset was his brain, and how Shogun probably has better kicks and knees and shit. He got brought in to get killed and he knew it. And sure enough, a stomp to the face spells doom for him. My buddy was over, and he had never seen Pride before. I told him before it started, "Less elbows, more stomps." Even after it happened, he couldn't believe that man would just stomp on that other man's face like that.

Overeem talks a good game, but that doesn't do him much good as Arona does exactly what he was accused of doing - controls the fight on the ground. Then Overeem's leg explodes, so he gives up.

As much as I like ragging on Barnett (and I really do because he is a crybaby and a loser) his fight with Nog was tons of fun, a great fight, and I was impressed with his performance in the final.

I throughly enjoyed this presentation of the fighting and look forward to the next show I will watch. (Which is first, The Real Deal, or the next UFC? Speaking of The Real Deal, Mark Coleman: The only fighter with THE COURAGE to face Fedor.

Upcoming schedule:

Sept. 23 - UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn
Oct. 10 - UFC Fight Night: The Final Chapter, Ortiz vs. Shamrock
Oct. 14 - UFC 64: Franklin vs. Silva/Sherk vs. Florian
Oct. 21 - PRIDE 32: The Real Deal - Fedor vs. Coleman/Shogun vs. Randleman
Nov. 5 - PRIDE Bushido 13: Welterweight GP Finals
Nov. 11 - The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale
Nov. 19 - UFC 65: Sylvia vs. Monson
Dec. 30 - UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz
Dec. 31 - PRIDE Shockwave 2006: Fedor vs. CroCop?

Thanks for that schedule, Gimmick. Fedor/Coleman is all of a sudden non-title, which lends itself to Fedor/Cro Cop for the title at Shockwave.

Get pumped for UFC 63 with my faux UFC 63 video intro video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZJhXDgzd5A

[Edited on 9-14-2006 by GimmickMan]

Originally, I was just going to tell you to fuck off folby, but I am actually kind of interested in your point of view. Barnett is my favorite fighterbecause he shows actual personality outside of the ring and seems to be areally cool guy. I think that he is very determined and good at what he does. I will admit that I don't know nearly as much about MMA as I do wrestling, but I have never seen any article where Barnett comes off as a baby. You seem t makiung him out to be the Matt Hardy of MMA, which would not be good. What really threw me for a loop was that I thought you would be proud of Barnett. I mena he is showing the pro-wrestling/shoot wrestling/catch wrestling (whatever you want to call it) is a viable style and you are all about bringing tremendous realism to wrestling. And Barnett is raising the stock of pro-wrestling realism.

[Edited on 9-14-2006 by Firebreaker Chip]

I got the same exact impression that folby got from Barnett, Chip, but I still like him.

UFC 63 Weigh-In Results:

Matt Hughes (170) vs BJ Penn (166.5)
Mike Swick (184) vs David Loiseau (185.5)
Gabe Ruediger (155) vs Melvin Guillard (156)
Jason Lambert (205.5) vs Rashad Evans (204)
Joe Lauzon (155.5) vs Jens Pulver (154)
Jason Dent (155.5) vs Roger Huerta (155)
Mario Neto (235.5) vs Eddie Sanchez (223)
Danny Abbadi (155.5) vs Jorge Gurgel (154)
David Lee (153.5) vs Tyson Griffin (155)

Went to Buffalo Wild Wings last night to see the UFC. And the place was packed.
Remember all those casul WWF fans form 98-2001? I'm pretty sure that there now casual UFC fans. One thing that completly took me by suprise was how into the gound fighting everyone was. Ever time someone got a take down a huge cheer went up, you certainly wouldn't have seen that a few years ago.

I'm in sourthern Illinois not to far from Hillsboro so people where reacting to Hughes as though he was the second coming.

As for the card. One of the best in a while.

Hughes in my opion is the nuber two pound for pound in the world. he weathered the storm and when BJ gassed he took advantage. Great display of heart to not tap to the tiangle at the end of the second.

Rashad really improved his game. He actually finsihed a fight. People really reacted strongly to his slams. I think Pro Wrestling has made people think that body slams are much more devesating than they actualy are.

The Crow vs. Swick fight was underwelming. Not a bad fight but a bit dissaponting seeing how David didn't engage untill the final round.

On the undercard Tyson Griffen showed that he's a beast and will be a force to be reckonded with at 155. Same with Lauzon.

Melvin Guillard is still one dimensional but hits like a truck.

I didn't realize there were so many fights at lightweight on this card. They are really focusing on building that division.

Lightweight is such a fucking badass division right now. Look who you have:

Sean Sherk
Spencer Fisher
Mark Hominick
Kenny Florian
Jens Pulver
Melvin Guillard
Joe Stevenson
Hermes Franca
Tyson Griffin
Joe Lauzon
Roger Huerta
Jorge Gurgel
Matt Wiman

(Misc.: Yves Edwards has been released, according to MMA Weekly. I think we'll see Matt Serra back at 155 after TUF4.)

That is the UFC's deepest and sickest division. It'll be interesting to see the cream that rises to the top. If I'm Joe Silva, I'm making these matches (or they've already been made. I note those with a *).

Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian* (UFC 64, Title fight)
Mark Hominick vs. Joe Stevenson* (UFC 65)
Spencer Fisher vs. Melvin Guillard
Jens Pulver vs. Matt Wiman/BJ Penn?????
Tyson Griffin vs. Jorge Gurgel
Hermes Franca vs. Joe Lauzon

Those are some badass fights right there. Any combination is sweet. I wonder if Hominick/Stevenson is going to be a No. 1 contenders bout?

And the thing about these guys is that most of them are YOUNG. This division is going to be sweet for a long time.

The two big questions, in my mind, are as follows:

1) Can Tito Ortiz finish Ken Shamrock in under a minute? The first time it took 5 minutes, but in the most recent bout it took less than a minute and a half. I think Tito is up to the challenge.

2) How fast is Shamrock going to pop back up and complain that he wasn't getting killed?

Bonus Question: Should they keep running this fight until Tito can put Shamrock down just as fast as Shamrock can come back up?

(Psssst, folby, the first fight was 15 minutes.)

1) No
2) He's not getting up fast this time.

I am excited for UFC Fight Night 7.

Yes, it was, I misread some results. Thanks for setting me straight.

I have spoken to two people now who claim to have been disappointed by Ortiz/Shamrock. Both went in knowing what was going to happen (as anyone paying attention did), and yet both left wanting more than they got. Does anyone else here feel that way?

Me, I got exactly what I expected. A takedown, some defensive manuvers, but inevitably, several substantial shots and a stoppage. The fights preceding it were not objectionable, and I rather enjoyed McDonald's win. What's to be disappointed about?

The only really interesting thing from the show was Shamrock's demeanor. I had asked Gimmick in chat (probably more than once) if he thought Shamrock was 'shoot crazy' or just working people to get a good audience for the third fight. After last night, I'm a lot more convinced he was just fucking around the whole time. His demeanor walking down to the ring suggested to me that he wasn't taking the fight seriously, and the only reason he wouldn't take it seriously is because he knows what's going to happen. I don't think Shamrock thinks Ortiz is some pushover, so one can reasonably assume Shamrock knew he was going down. His post-fight actions are even more telling. Suddenly, all his hatred for Tito was gone, and even the middle fingers from that goon failed to set Ken off. All he wanted to do was shake Tito's hand and remind him that they made a lot of money together. His post-fight behavior is more fitting coming from an "I was playing along because that's how this works" perspective than a "I was just beaten into retirement by a man I despise" perspective. While I don't doubt that there was (or is) some bad blood between these two men, at this point I think that much of Ken's recent umbrage in regards to Tito was, to be frank, phoney. And good for Ken, his bank account is better off for it and I had a grand time sitting in the chat last night typing out "HE GONNA GET IT."

I'm curious as to what the rest of you think, though. Was the fight disappointing? Is Ken Shamrock crazy, or crazy like a fox?

P.S. 'shoot crazy' is a joking term I do not actually talk like that. 'shoot slut' is also pretty good.

Edited because I always spell disappointed wrong.

[Edited on 10-11-2006 by folby]

During TUF almost EVERY time Shamrock acted out against Ortiz you then had him talking to the camera about how he did it to get under Tito's skin or light a fire under his team. So yeah, I do think the "crazy stuff" was a lot of acting or psychology. But I can imagine that he genuinely did dislike Ortiz. Lord knows I do. Ortiz doing his idiocy could certainly have set him off a time or two, but I'd probably agree with you for the most part.

Then again Shamrock could have just come to terms with everything. It was the end of his career in front of a big audience. And he had to have some idea of what an underdog he was, even if he was delusional enough to think he could win. So going out with some dignity might have just inspired him to let it go and be the man. Because if nothing else, despite losing in almost the exact same match as he did 2 he comes out looking like the better man after the way Ortiz behaved. Tito walks away looking like a clown.

I got what I was expecting from Shamrock/Ortiz but I probably was a little disappointed. I hoped Shamrock would put up a better fight. And of course I hoped that the match wouldn't end with another ref stoppage. But I got pretty much what I expected.

The undercard REALLY underwhelmed me. Hammil didn't impress me at ALL. I could wait for that match to end. Lots of hype that didn't look like it held up. I like Groves but that fight wasn't much of anything.

Herman/McDonald seemed like the only fight worth watching. I dig Herman but I'm getting the sense that he's not that good. That's 2 in a row to Groves and McDonald and I imagien McDonald isn't exactly a major blue chipper considering this show seemed designed to push the Shamrock/Ortiz TUF guys (which made sense since I was pumped when I realized that). Still, I was impressed with how long he held on locked into a triangle choke, kimora arm bar, and bleed from the head (while catching elbows). If I remember correctly didn't he fight out of a bunch DEEP submissions in the Grove fight too? If nothing else it seems like the guy can take a beating.

Show did nothing for me. One match I felt was worth watching, Ortiz making an ass of himself, and Hammil looking worthless. And if this was a big TUF3 reunion where was Bisping, damn it!? I don't see anything on the web about the guy since his TUF victory. I would think UFC would feature him last night if they could. I know its only been 4 months so its not like he's dissappeared or anything, but just curious.

I liked the show last night. Nothing flashy, but nothing overly offensive, either. It's free MMA. I dig it.

Lucky, Bisping was hurt but he will be fighting on the TUF4 Finale on Nov. 11 against Eric Schafer (who fought and won at UFC 61 or 62).

There's a lot of MMA coming in the next few weeks.

Oct. 14 - UFC 64
Oct. 21 - PRIDE 32
Nov. 5 - PRIDE Bushido 13 (WWGP Finals)
-NOTE: Bart Freaking Gunn is fighting on this card!
Nov. 18 - UFC 65

Should be a good one!

In some hilarious news from PRIDE, known for their "freak-show" fights, one of the bouts of their card next week has been changed to a boxing match! The Nevada State Athletic Commission will not allow the Mark Hunt/Butterbean fight to be contested under MMA rules. That is hilarious. First time that has ever happened. (It has never happened to the UFC).

There is also a UFC Fight Night scheduled for Dec. 6 featuring Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Riggs(!!!) and Chris Leben vs. TBA.

The rumor for PRIDE Shockwave on NYE is not Fedor/CroCop, it is for Fedor/Shogun. Dumb, dumb matchmaking by PRIDE if true. Yeah, let's run our most promising middleweight star out there against our undefeated Heavyweight Champion.

From what I've heard Bispings out with a hand injury. You can expect to see him Headline the TUF4 Finals against Eric Schafer.

I think this was the weekest of the UFN/TUF Finals shows on spike. I'm not too dissapointed because 1. It was free and I avoid bitching about free fights unless they suck out loud (I had fun watching this show even if it wasn't as good as Bonnar/Griffen, Cummo/Stevens, Leben/Silva ect)2. It was to be expected, none of the adviertised fights where going to be barn burners.

As for the fights.

Matt Hammil is boring to watch. I started the fight cheering for him and by the end wanted to see him get caught in a submission. He's 30 so I don't know how much time he has to get to the elite level of fighters in his weight class. If nothing else they can promote himas the guy who didn't get his right full shot on the TUF show and feed him to Bisping or something.

Unlike Hammill Kendell Groves looked very impressive. The fight was to short to be anything great but I'm looking forward to seeing him fight better opposition.

I liked seeing Macdonald tap Angry Ed. Thats what Ed gets for being sucha cocky bastard. He believes his own hype to the point where he blinded. Much like the groves fight he under estemated the fighter across the octagon and paid for it.

The Tito/Shamrock fight was as expected.
As for Shamrocks true feelings towards Ortiz? I think its a little from column A a little from column B. He truly dislikes Tito but at his heart Shamrocks a bit of a carny. He wants to get paid and knows he can by playing up the hatred part. Remember Ken wasa pro wrestler before he got into MMA so he knows how to work a feud. And I think hes big enought to bury the hatchet as well.

Early reprots have the show drawing a 3.1 which is great for Spike.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jheaton
Matt Hammil is boring to watch.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jheaton
I liked seeing Macdonald tap Angry Ed. Thats what Ed gets for being sucha cocky bastard. He believes his own hype to the point where he blinded. Much like the groves fight he under estemated the fighter across the octagon and paid for it.

---

Technically Shamrock was a UFC fighter before he was a wrestler who went back to UFC.

He's never impressed me in either realm, the only thing that disappoints me from reports from this show is that Ortiz didn't flat out kill the man. But now that Shamrock may finally be out of the MMA world, any chance of getting Dan Severn in the octagon so Ortiz could kill him too.

Severn is pushing 50, so there's no way that would happen. Ever.

What about Don Frye? He's only 41 and he fought last week. I'm not so sure he could pass a test, though.

quote:

---

Originally posted by DevilSoprano
Technically Shamrock was a UFC fighter before he was a wrestler who went back to UFC.

---

Ken Shamrock wrestled on the indys as Vince Torelli for a while, and Wayne Shamrock before that. I saw him live as Vince Torelli as a cocky heel, and he did pretty well with it.

I can't imagine what he'll do next though...maybe work some TNA?

Wow, just wow.

Rich Franklin was absolutely DESTROYED by Anderson Silva. Unbelievable. 3:59 of the first round.

A knee bent Franklin's nose so far I can't even describe it. He just didn't look right.

For Silva, I'd think his first defense will be against the TUF4 winner on Super Bowl weekend, so that'll give them some time to scramble some interested contenders since they can't rely on Frankiln to sell the fight anymore. After the TUF4 winner, it's probably Nate Marquardt then David Terrell, Mike Swick, Dean Lister (?) and then maybe Evan Tanner, but who knows about him. He's currently going psycho. They might need to swollow their pride and bring back Matt Lindland or Ivan Salaverry. I'd like to see Franklin fight Mike Swick or Dave Terrell on the same card that Silva defends his belt on.

Pretty decent card. UFC 65 is shaping up to be pretty awesome, though, as is PRIDE 32 on Saturday.

Franklin just got destroyed. Wow. Interesting that a few the months ago there wasn't much going on in the division. Now we have a new champ and quite a few contenders Mike Swick, Nate Nathan Marquardt, Chris Leben still a round, Dean Lister and Kenndal grove coming up. Things will be interesting.

I wonder what was up with Rich thou? he seemed off as thought he had over trained or over depleted making his cut. Even before he started eating knees he didn't seem to have the fire and intensity of his fights with Shamrock, Tanner, and the Crow.

I think you could run Silva vs Swick, then the winner of that vs TUF4 winner and have Rich vs Nate in a number one contenders match.

I think Kenflo vs Muscle Shark could be fight of the year. That was a lot of fun, With Kenny getting pounded and yet still fighting back.

If Kongo had one he probably would have been looking at a title shot. Now its back to the drawing board. Sucky fight either way.

One thing I was kicking around was with the way UFC: USA VS CANADA was promoted a while ago if UFC would consider running a TEAM MFS vs TEAM QUEST or a MFS vs THE WORLD. I think both could be fun esspecially considering that MFS has enough fighters to fillout a card.

[Edited on 10-15-2006 by Jheaton]

Dude, Sean O'Haire will be fighting Butterbean at the Pride "The Real Deal" PPV this Saturday.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=5896

Pride is truer MMA than K-1, right? I've hated seeing O'Haire in those kickboxing matches, and I believe he's still undefeated in true MMA matches.

But Butterbean?!? How/why in the holy blue fuck is he fighting Butterbean?!?

Sherdog say's he's 1-1. But I have no idea where the best source for MMA records is or what different places count into records and don't.

http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=11706

He lost to Min Soo Kim in K-1 Hero's (which I believe is the MMA branch of K-1?).

Ah, ok. I've always thought that most K-1 fights were that stupid kick-boxing shit. I knew he had the one loss from the guillotine, though. I had read somewhere (and I'll try to find it) that he was 10-0 or 11-0 in MMA before he became a wrestler.

Still, Butterbean?!?

Yes Pride is MMA. they have a show on FSN that is worth checking out.

K-1 is a kickboxing orginization. K-1 Heros is their MMA division (They have Royce Gracie under contract and UFC had to go through them to get him to fight Hughs).

Sherdog.com and Full Contact Fighter have data bases for records (http://www.fcfighter.com/news.htm)

Pride is owned by people who have a history in the pro wrestling buissness so you often see these freakshow type fights on the undercard.

[Edited on 10-20-2006 by Jheaton]

Well then for those of you who may have seen Butterbean in an MMA fight, how does he hold up? Will he put up a good fight for O'Haire, or will it be over quickly one way or the other?!?

quote:

---

Originally posted by GatorBait
Ah, ok. I've always thought that most K-1 fights were that stupid kick-boxing shit. I knew he had the one loss from the guillotine, though. I had read somewhere (and I'll try to find it) that he was 10-0 or 11-0 in MMA before he became a wrestler.

---

Yeah, that's what I was figuring, too regarding the level of competition he faced before wrestling.

And you're in a fight club, huh? I 've thought about training up the street at the local place, here, if for no other reason than to get into better shape. For my frame, I should be a 205-lb fighter, and I'd love to cut the 20-lbs of weight necessary to get there. I'm just not motivated enough to ride a bike more, and my knees are too fucked from volleyball in high school to run for long distances. Fighting seems like it'd be a lot more fun and i wouldn't think of it as working out. Am I on the right track?

I have NO idea. I was just making that up. I have a friend of a friend who is in the Naval Academy and trains/fights and I've sparred with him once or twice just for the hell of it (and gotten my ass kicked) but that's it. Sorry.

Heh no prob. I'm at least waiting until my wife and I get the porch finished so that I have some extra $$$ to throw into it. But I've actually been giving it serious thought, lately.

I'll keep you guys posted if I do. And if Shonie Carter can pull off the "Flags of the World" Speedo look, I'm sure I'll be able to pull off fighting in the Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake tights I have. Heh heh.

(on the Shonie topic, I didn't see last night's ep of TUF 4 (have it DVR'd), so please don't mention any results until 4:30 Eastern time, today! A whole extra 30 mins!)

It is my understanding that fights go on the record when they are sanctioned by the local athletic commission or governing body. Obviously a kickboxing match wouldn't count towards your MMA record, because it's not an MMA match. What makes an MMA match I would assume has to do with rule sets and the like. The Ultimate Fighter fights aren't real fights, they're exhibition bouts. They do that because the non-final fights are taped, and if it's a sanctioned fight the results have to be immediately reported and available. Since that would spoil the show, they run exhibition bouts so they don't have to put out the results.

Bas Rutten is the fucking man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNXRInrSSVU

"Hey! Drawer Number 3 - a Glock!"

Sometimes, the stupider, the better...

I figured I do a UFC 65 preview and Post it here


Main Events

World Welterweight Championship
Matt Hughes (41-4-0) vs. George St. Pierre (12-1-0)

Two years ago these men fought with Hughes winning via arm bar in 4:59 of the first round. Since then both men have been on winning streaks leading up to this fight, GSP looks to avenge his loss while Hughes looks to put loss number 2 on GSP. This fight was supposed to take place at UFC 63 but �Rush� had to pull out due to injury.

Matt Hughes has been one of the most dominate champions that the UFC has ever seen. Over the past several years his list of victories reads like a who�s who of the MMA Welterweight scene, Carlos Newton (twice), Frank Trigg (twice), GSP, Royce Gracie, Sean Sherk, Joe Riggs, BJ Penn, and Hayato Sakurai.
GSP not to be out done also has a fine list of vanquished competitors including Frank Trigg, BJ Penn, Jason �Mayhem� Miller, Sean Sherk, Pete Spratt, and Karo Parisyan.
Matt Hughes gamelan is simple use his wrestling ability (he�s a four time colligate all American wrestler) along with his incredible strength to get his opponent down then ground and pound his way to victory. One thing to remember his he's not a one dimensional fighter he has 14 wins via TKO however he has 18 wins coming from submissions. Being a MFS fighter you know he�s well rounded. He�s shown the ability to go into deep water with a several decision wins and late round stoppages. His one weakness would be his stand up ability. Although in recent years he has proven to be an adequate stand up striker although he is much more comfortable in a ground war.

GSP is a fighter who is a bit more diverse in his attack. Of his 12 wins he has four submissions 2 RNC, 1 Kimura and 1 arm bar. He has 5 TKOs and 3 decisions. A student of Kyokushin karate he has no problem with fighting on his feet. He also has trained in boxing, Maui Tia, Jiu-Jitsu and works out with the Canadian National Wrestling team. He has gone the distance 3 times but never a 5 round fight against a fighter of Matt Hughes caliber. He�s never seemed to be out of shape but it will be interesting to see what happens if the fight goes into rounds 3, 4, and 5.

Both these fighters have a different approach to the fight game Hughes prefers to focus on his strengths (wrestling and ground fighting) while GSP seems to be interested in becoming a more well rounded fighter. GSP will likely want to keep the fight standing up and may have the takedown defense to do so. He�s held off wrestlers such as Frank Trigg and Sean Sherk. And if it does go to the ground he may be able to work for a submission.
Matt on the other hand will want to take the fight to the ground he�s willing and able to trade to set up the shot and if he gets GSP down there he�s more than able to get a stoppage from strikes or pull of a submission.

My Prediction: GSP. He�s younger and more well rounded. I think he�s shown that he�s improved from the Hughes loss and will be able to keep it standing. At UFC 63, before BJ Penn injured his ribs he was defending Matt�s takedown attempts and out boxing him. I feel that GSP can do the same either getting a late round knock out or a decision.


World Heavyweight Championship
Tim Sylvia (24-2-0) vs. Jeff Monson (24-5-0)

This fight probably won�t be a barn burner but it will be interesting. Big Tim is coming off his second victory in a row over Andre Arlovski. Jeff Monson hasn�t lost a fight since he lost a decision to Forrest Griffin in 2002. Since then he�s won 16 straight. Along with picking up the ADCC championship. For those who don�t know what that is it�s the most prestigious submission wrestling championship in the world.
This fight ahs a lot of what can be called intangibles first is Moson simply good enough to beat Tim Sylvia. Jeff has looked impressive when fighting sub par competition but has struggled to beat to top guys at light heavyweight and now heavy weight. He�s lost decisions to Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell and been TKO by Ricco Rodriguez (who was knocked out by Big Tim.) The most impressive win on his r�sum� is his decision win over Mario Cruz, a decorated Brazilian Ju-Jitsu black belt but in experienced MMA competitor.
The next thing is can Tim Sylvia knock out the Snow Man? Jeff Monson has only been TKO�d once in 27 fights. Tim loves to throw heavy leather but can he KO Jeff? By the same token can Jeff Monson submit Tim? In addition to his ADCC title Jeff trains with American Top Team Ju-Jitsu and has 13 submission victories to his credit. Tim Sylvia claims to have a decent grappling and has two victories via choke. I don�t think he can last on the ground with some one the caliber of Jeff Monson thou. Both of Tim's losses come from being caught in submissions (Arm bar vs. Frank Mir, Straight Ankle Lock vs. Arlovski).
When you look at experience Tim Sylvia has fought and beat much better competition than Jeff Monson. Tim has victories over Mike Whitehead (twice), Andre Arlovski (twice), Jason Lambert, Ricco Rodriguez, Wessely �Cabbage� Correia, Tra Telliman, and Gan McGee. While not all of those names are exactly world class he has fought and beaten level of fighter that Monson hasn�t.
We don�t know how Jeff�s cardio will hold up if the fight goes long. On the other hand while not the body beautiful Tim Sylvia has shown the ability to go five rounds with Arlovski and a few other 3 round decisions.

My Prediction: Many people don�t seem to like Tim Sylvia for what ever reason. I suspect it�s because he doesn�t look like what they think a champ should look like. He�s chubby, knock kneed and a little bit dopey looking. But the thing is he wins, he has this ability to come out on top of his fights. I pick Tim to win via knock out.

Main Card

Brandon Vera (7-0-0) vs. Frank Mir (9-2-0)
Heavyweights

This will most likely determine the next number one contender to the title. Frank Mir was heavyweight champion when he broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. Since returning he really hasn�t been the same. He�s showed up looking uninspired, overweight and slow. He was stopped on a cut against Mario Cruz and got an uninspired win against Dan Christison. On the side of the octagon Brandon Vera has gone 7 and 0 in impressive fashion, with the last 3 in the UFC. Both of these men have the potential to be champion but who will pull the trigger? Frank has fought and beat better opposition (Tank Abott, Tim Sylvia, and Pete Williams) but Brandon Vera appears to be better rounded with several TKO victories to his name.

My Prediction: In my opinion Frank Mir is a second generation fighter, he�s great on the ground and has cross trained enough to be reasonably proficient in there areas of the fight game (like Matt Hughes). Brandon Vera is a third generation fighter one who can handle the fight no matter where it ends up (like GSP). I think Vera comes in better shape, is the one hungriest for a win and knocks out Frank.

Alessio Sakara (14-4-0) Vs. Wilson Gouveia (7-4-0)
Light heavyweights

Sakara is a striker who is coming off a win against Elvis Sinosic and a loss against Dean Lister. Gouveia is a ju-jitsu practitioner coming off a loss to Keith Jardine and a win against Wes Combs. This is a bit of a cross roads fight, seeing as both men have had a bit of mixed success in the octagon look for the winner to go on to bigger and better things. High profile fights, being shown on Unleashed, and maybe a title shot down the road. The loser will drop quite a bit. Maybe back to the under card maybe out of the UFC all together. Although Alessio has fought slightly more fights Gouveia has fought slightly better competition including a win over Jon Fitch.

My Prediction: Alessio Sakrar is a boxer who has adopted leg kicks, Wilson Gouevia is a BJJ black belt who can strike as well. Plus he is the better finisher of the two. I see Gouvia ending the fight early either in the feet or on the round.

Joe Stevenson (25-7-0) vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (17-4-2)
Light weights

Stevenson won the TUF2 welterweight competition. Since then he has some mixed success Losing to Josh Neer and winning against Yves Edwards. DM is a submission fighter out of Japan. He has had a lot of success fighting in Pride and Shooto so he�s not a can brought in for Joe to make his debut at 155 against. You can expect this fight to go to the ground early as Stevenson is a wrester who likes to pound on his opponents until the ref pulls him off or he can grab a submission like wise DM is a ground fighter a well who likes chokes and leg locks. Neither fighter is the strongest finisher in the world so don�t be surprised if this one goes the distance. Both fighters are about equal in experience thou Joe ahs more total fights but both fighters have fought against fighters who are good and bad and have won and loosed.

My Prediction: Stevenson is able to out wrestle his opponent getting and maintaining top position en route to a decision.

Prelim Fights

Brad Imes (3-2-0) vs. Antoni Hardonk (4-2-0)
Heavyweights

I can safely assume this fight exists for two reasons. One UFC needs Heavyweight contenders. Two Dana hopes to get something out of his investment of Brad Imes. Both fighters have remarkably similar records. Neither man has ever been knocked out. Imes has a decision loss against Rashad Evans and a submission loss against Dan Christison. Hardonk has two decision losses. Neither man has victory over any man of note but Imes did perform well on The Ultimate Fighter show making it to the finals. Both men also have submission victories on there record as well.

My Prediction: Back when Imes lost to Rashad I thought to my self sure he doesn�t have all the tools yet but he�s big and athletic and that could cause him to go a long way. I think in this fight that happens. I believe that Zuffa brought in Hardonk to lose to Imes. Hardonk has never knocked anyone out and he�s beaten nobody. I expect Imes to win via knockout. If this happens then expect it to make the PPV Dana would love to fashion Imes into a pseudo heavyweight contender.

James Irvin (11-3-0) Vs. Hector Ramirez (6-1-1)
Light heavyweights

This is another cross roads fight. James Irvin needs to win and be impressive in doing so if he wants to stay in the UFC. Hector Ramirez has an opportunity to get notices and make a name for himself. In the UFC James �The Sandman� Irvin has lost to Mike Kyle, beaten Terry Martin, and lost to Stephan Bonnar. Since then he has gone 2-1-1 outside of the UFC. He gets another shot here and he better make something of it because unlike at Heavyweight there�s too many potential match ups that can be made for a so so fighter to be kept around.
Ramirez one loss has come against Rashad (who won a decision, surprise, surprise) Evans he also holds a win over Kendall Groves. Both men are strikers who have had most of there success come via TKO although there is only on TKO loss between them.

My Prediction: Hector Ramirez is a slightly better fighter than James Irvin He won�t be able to stop him but e will be able to get the decision win.

Jake O�Brien (5-0-0) vs. Josh Shockman (2-0-0)
Heavyweights

Somebodies O has got to go!!! Once again UFC needs heavyweight contenders. With the Kongo experiment seemingly running out of steam the UFC needs some one else to step up. Obviously with only 7 fights between these two there�s not a lot of experience however with those 7 wins are 7 knock outs.

My Prediction: Based solely on the fact that he ahs slightly more experience I�m picking Jake O�Brien to win. If we get a quick knock out we might it on the PPV however with two title fights and the possibility that some of the other fights on the main card go the distance I don�t know if that will happen.

Nick Diaz(14-6-0) vs. Gleison Tibau (23-2-0)
Welterweights

I don�t think this will show up on the PPV but I hope it makes air on Unleashed in the future. This is a battle between two Ju-Jitsu fighters. Tibau has fought more fights bit Diaz has faced better opposition. Although he has come up short when facing the likes of Karo Parisiyan, Shawn Sherk, Diego Sanchez, and Joe Riggs he improves every time we see him. Nick Diaz also has fairly good stand up as seen against Josh Neer and Robbie Lawler. Time and time again we�ve heard Mike Goldberg call him �the future of the welterweight division� but he hasn�t exactly lived up to that name. Although Diaz is versatile he sometimes fights the wrong fight like when he tried to grapple with Diego Sanchez and tried to Strike with Joe Riggs. Zuffa obviously thinks he�s a marketable personality so they keep bringing him back. I suspect that although not much is know about his opponent that they feel Nick can beat Gleison and continue to rehab his image as a world class fighter.

My Prediction: I think Diaz is a fighting a fighter who ahs had some success on a lower level but hasn�t fought at his level yet. There for I expect Diaz who had 6 TKO victories on his resume getting the win either by knock out, submission, or decision. And I expect him to try to KO his opponent, then submit him, and as a last resort get the decision.

[Edited on 10-28-2006 by Jheaton]

So, am I way off in my assumptions that the guys who win the title shots on TUF will just get murdered by the champs?

Welterweight, yes.

Middleweight, not so fast my friend.

If Travis Lutter wins, I think he could give Anderson Silva some serious problems because he's not dumb enough to stand there and trade with him. His fight plan is going to be 1) Takedown 2) Takedown 3) Takedown.

If Patrick Cote wins, he'll just be another notch on Silva's belt. I like Cote and if Franklin were still champ, I'd want Cote to win. But now that Silva is the champ, I think Lutter would make for a much more competitive fight.

As for welterweight, Chris Lytle is the definition of a journeyman. In reality, he's one of my favorite fighters, has been for a while. He's always in exciting fights, but just isn't good enough for the top competition.

Matt Serra is a weird case. If he wins, is he allowed to take his title shot at the 155-pound champion? Or is he required to fight the 170 champ? Serra would have no chance against Hughes or St-Pierre. They're both way too big and way too strong for him. His natural weight is 155. And while Sherk would be bigger than him, it would be a better fit and while, more than likely, Sherk would win, it would be more competitive (read: decision) than Serra getting stopped by Hughes or St-Pierre. I think Serra's style could give Hughes some issues, but Hughes would just be waaaay too strong for him.

The other fights on the live card tomorrow night:

155-lbs
Rich Clementi vs. Din Thomas

185-lbs
Jorge Rivera vs. Edwin Dewees

I'm looking forward to it.





EDIT: Double post

posted on 11-12-2006 at 12:21 AM Edit Post Reply With Quote Report Post to Administrator
Interesting TUF4 Finale.

I enjoyed the card. They packed in a lot of fights.

Everyone looked good and Pete Sell/Scott Smith was by far the fight of the night.

I'll try to have a clip of it soon.

EDIT: Here's the clip (3.1mb, AVI)

[Edited on 11-12-2006 by GimmickMan]

[Edited on 12-3-2006 by LuckyLopez]

Yeah, Smith's "Oh shit, I think you broke my ribs but I've got a knockout punch left in me" was a serious markout moment. I'll admit I thought he seemed like a pussy during the season, but he looked like a fuckin' maniac out there, even against Drago.

Edit: Am I the only one hoping Matt Hughes gets his ass handed to him by GSP on Saturday?

Also, I dont' know much about the guy other than there will be a HUGE height difference. But what are Monson's chances against Sylvia? I think the heavyweight division is utter shit, right now, and I'd love to see somebody other than Sylvia or Arlovski on top. All I know about Monson is that he's a submissions expert.

[Edited on 11-16-2006 by GatorBait]

Matt Hughes isn't very high on anyone's charts right now.

As for Monson, if he gets Sylvia down to the mat, he has a chance. You have to remember that Sylvia was submitted twice in less than two minutes against Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski at UFC 48 & 51. But if Tim can keep it standing, Monson has zero chance of winning, just on the basis of the reach advantage. I could see Tim winning this one with a "high" kick. I'd like Monson to win because it'd be interesting, but I can't see it happening. He's going to have to get in close to get a takedown, and chances are he's going to get hit coming in.

I'd be very interested to see how Sylvia is game planning for this fight.



EDIT: Double post

posted on 11-19-2006 at 12:41 AM

GEORGES ST-PIERRE NEW WELTERWEIGHT CHAMP!

[Edited on 12-3-2006 by LuckyLopez]

Updated Jheaton Rankings...

Heavyweight
Champ Tim Sylvia
1 Brandon Vera
2 Andre Arlovski
3 Jeff Monson
4 Mario Cruz
5 Frank Mir
6 Carmelo Marrero
7 Cheick Kongo
8 Eddie Sanchez
9 Gabriel Gonzaga
10 Dan Christison

Comments: Monson Drops and Vera rises. I could seriously see AA vs Big Tim part four if they contiue to clean out the division from opposite ends (assume that AA beats Cruz next month).

Light Heavyweight
Champ Chuck Liddell
1 Tito Ortiz
2 Forrest Griffen
3 Rashad Evans
4 Keith Jardine
5 Jason Lambert
6 Stephan Bonner
7 Rento Sorbral
8 Wilson Gouveia�
9 Michael Bisbing
10 James Irvin
Comments: Next for Chuck is Tito. After that? Forrest and Rashad are the top guys but while the UFC give each of them a shot or make them face ach other in a Number One contenders fight? James Irvin returns after his win last night and Vera appears to have settled on heavyweight. Mike Bisping and Keith Jardine are two other contendrs in divison who could end up in title shots eventualy.

Middleweight

Champ Anderson Silva
1 Travis Lutter
2 Mike Swick
3 Rich Franklin
4 Chris Leben
5 Nate Marquardt
6 Evan Tanner
7 Dean Lister
8 Kendal Grove
9 Yushin Okami�
10 Rob MacDonald

Comments: Travis Luttter is the new Number One contender, he could give the champ problems as Silva has had trouble with ground fighters before.

Welterweight
Champ George St. Pierre
1 Matt Serra
2 Diego Sanchez
3 Matt Hughes
4 Jon Fitch
5 Karo Parisian
6 Josh Burkman
7 Josh Koscheck
8 Nick Diaz
9 Joe Riggs
10 Thiago Alves

Comments: Matt Serra has the most upside for the UFC out of any of the fighters on TUF4. In addition to being the biggest star of the season he has his shot against St. Peirre, the (asumming he loses. I think GSP is just to big for him) He can have money matches with Shonie Carter and possibly Matt Hughes. (I'd book Matt Hughes vs Serra and have Deigo as GSP first challenger) After that Serra can drop down to 155 and become a challenger there. With Hughes losing the belt we might see BJ Penn vs Hugh 3 as well.

Lightweight

Champ Sean Sherk
1 Joe Stevenson
2 Spencer Fisher
2 Kenny Florian
4 Sam Stout
5 Hermes Franca
6 Joe Lauzon
7 Mark Hommick
8 Melvin Guillard
9 Tyson Griffin
10 Clay Guida

A lot happened after the last couple of PPV. We crowned a new champ and had a ton of foghts in this divison. I think Stevenson and Spencer Fisher are the top challengers. Florian can be rebuilt towards a rematch with Sherk and you have Melvin, Joe Lazon, Tyson Griffen, and Clay Guida all looking to make a name for themselves.

Isn't BJ Penn dropping down to 155 as well?

Serra is going to get destroyed by Georges, I wonder if he could cash in his title shot in the 155lb division. Sherk vs Serra would be a much better bout.

I'd like to see a Diego Sanchez vs Matt Hughes No.1 contender match, if Hughes wants back in the game. Of course he probably deserves a title shot without having to fight for it given his reign.

Anderson Silva dominated Franklin, however Franklin didn't fight a smart fight and was rocked early. Lutter shouldn't stand a chance either, however if he gets him on the ground...

With Penn who knows?

I was thinking about non title matches that could main event or co-main event a show. (Seeing as Zuffas gonna need them with all the new shows they have).

The ones I can think of.
Penn vs Hughes III
Carter vs Serra III
Rashad vs Forest for a shot at the title.
Forest vs Tito II
Hughes vs Serra
Franklin vs Leben
Diego vs Hughes for a title shot.
Although in my little fantacy booking senerio you have GSP vs Serra (Serra Loses) Diego beats Joe Riggs (this is happening at the next UFN) Serra vs Cartar(Serra wins) Diego vs GSP at the Montreal show. Serra vs Hughes on the under card.(Serra loses drops down in weight) Hughes vs GSP. Hughes vs Penn (title or not doesn't matter)







EDIT: Understandable double post to bump the thread. Thread's bumped now so double post can go.

posted on 11-28-2006 at 02:42 PM

If you like Boxing theres going to be a hell of a bout on Versus (formerly OLN).

This Thursday at 9ET/8CT
Miguel Cotto vs. Paulie Malignaggi
This should be as good as it gets for fights on free TV.

[Edited on 12-3-2006 by LuckyLopez]

GimmickMan's Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-5 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Tim Sylvia, Champion
1) Brandon Vera
2) Andrei Arlovski
3) Marcio Cruz
#3 is a total reach...horrible, horrible depth.

Light-Heavyweight - Chuck Liddell, Champion
1) Tito Ortiz
2) Forrest Griffin
3) Rashad Evans
4) Michael Bisping (sad)
5) Keith Jardine?
This is ridiculous...

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1a) Travis Lutter
1b) Nathan Marquardt
3) Mike Swick
4) Rich Franklin
5) Dean Lister
6) David Terrell

Welterweight - Georges St-Pierre, Champion
1a) Matt Serra
1b) Diego Sanchez
1c) Matt Hughes
4) Nick Diaz
5) Karo Parisyan
6) Jon Fitch
7) Josh Koscheck
8) BJ Penn (not actual "skill" rank, but everyone above deserves a title shot before he gets another one)
9) Joe Riggs

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) Spencer Fisher
2) Mark Hominick
3) Hermes Franca
4) Joe Stevenson
5) Melvin Guillard
6) Tyson Griffin
7) Jens Pulver
8) Joe Lauzon
9) Clay Guida

News on the UFC heavyweight front...

As most of you know the outside of the top 2 or 3 UFC Heavyweight divison is a whos who of who cares. But that may be changing.

Mirko Cro Cop a former top K1 fighter and Pride Grand Prix Champion has on fight left on his contract and is currently entertaining a large offer form the UFC.

Jerome Le Banner is one of the top fighters in the K1 promotion and he has expressed interest in fighting in the UFC. Mainly he wants to challenge Tim Sylvia. Now he's undercontract to K1 but the UFC and K1 have worked together in the past(thats how Royce Gracie was able to fight Matt Hughes).

Pride Champ Fedor Emelianenko is going to be fighting Jeff Monson at the next Bodog foght PPV. His current Pride contract has expired and his is only taking single fight deals. UFC would love to get him with either a short or a long term deal.

Also Alex Emelianenko (Fedors brother) is on the open market and Heath Herring is under a short term contract to the WFA. Alex has said he wants to fight in the UFC for the title. While neither of these men where the top dog when they where in Pride they certainly could help shore up a lack luster divison in the UFC.

Man, it'd be like, a classic UFC PPV, all outside the country and shit. Because Alexsander (convicted felon) isn't going to have an easy time getting a visa.

Some huge news went down today as the UFC has bought BOTH the WFA and WEC.

The WEC will be used mainly as a minor league and maybe to cock-block another promotion from getting a TV deal.

The WFA, on the other hand, is a HUGE acquisition.

Essentially, the UFC is buying contracts of their choosing from WFA. Which ones, we don't know, but two of the biggest ones will surely be Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Matt Lindland. And there's a rumor that BAS RUTTEN has one fight left on his WFA contract, so if they picked that up, that would be fucking amazing.

The WFA also has some very stellar fighters under contract, so it will be interesting to see who they pick up.

Hopefully, they nab Mayhem Miller and Urijah Faber. There's some conflicting reports about whether Heath Herring was under contract or not, but if they signed him, that would be awesome for the HW division. And it would be nice if Ricco Rodriguez stopped being a fatass and wanted to be a contender again and then there's Ivan Salaverry and Lyoto Machida, who would be extremely solid additions.

So Fedor and Cro Cop are both off of the Pride New Years show. Cro Cop says his leg is still hurt and Fedor hurt his toe.

Maybe Pride is falling apart, maybe it isn't.

On a side note, Gimmick, the other night in chat I mentioned that Fedor in the UFC would run into a serious problem, as elbows are like razors to his delicate Russian skin. SO: Does this prevent Fedor from fighting in the UFC? Or do you think he'd just fight there and make an extra effort to not get pounded (in the event he were grounded.) I realize this is all speculation but I mean, if he's superman he's superman and he ain't got no reason to be scared of elbows.

Well, you actually have to get hit with said elbows before they cut you. You could just as well get hit with a soccer kick to the face that had the same effect. But he doesn't.

Think back to Rich Franklin-David Loiseau at UFC 58. Everyone was like, "Rich, you gotta watch out for Loiseau's elbows!" and you know what happened? I don't think Franklin got hit with one elbow.

Although getting hit with an elbow from the bottom could be potentially devestating for Fedor, as he would be on top a lot (see Joe Riggs/Chris Lytle at UFC 55 for an awesome example of this). I think he would be fine. But he does have a serious problem with getting cut.

But, honestly, I think we're going up a creek without a paddle here. Fedor ain't coming to the UFC anytime soon.

CroCop, on the other hand...

Nah they will both get half a billion dollars from Calvin Ayers to fight in front of 15 people live and another 75 on PPV.

Man, is there anything better than a money mark?

Short right hook. Running knee to the face. Good night, Mr. Diesel. Diego Sanchez is a fucking monster. If he doesn't get a title shot at GSP, he deserves at least a shot against Hughes.

After watching all the guys tonight, the UFC and Matt Serra would be of the best mind to have Serra use his title shot on Sherk and not have him anywhere NEAR the Welterweight division. Although I'd love to see him fight Hughes.

quote:

---

Originally posted by folby
Man, it'd be like, a classic UFC PPV, all outside the country and shit. Because Alexsander (convicted felon) isn't going to have an easy time getting a visa.

---

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 66 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-5 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Tim Sylvia, Champion
1) Mirko CroCop
2) Brandon Vera
3) Heath Herring
4) Andrei Arlovski
5) Gabriel Gonzaga

Light-Heavyweight - Chuck Liddell, Champion
1) Quinton Jackson
2) Rashad Evans
3) Keith Jardine
4) Lyoto Machida (if his contract was bought)
5) Michael Bisping
6) Renato Sobral
7) Forrest Griffin
8) Tito Ortiz

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1a) Travis Lutter
1b) Nathan Marquardt
3) Mike Swick
4) Rich Franklin
5) Dean Lister
6) Yushin Okami
7) Jason MacDonald
8) David Terrell

Welterweight - Georges St-Pierre, Champion
1a) Matt Serra
1b) Diego Sanchez
3) Karo Parisyan
4) Nick Diaz
5) Matt Hughes
6) Jon Fitch
7) Josh Koscheck
8) Thiago Alves

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) Spencer Fisher
2) Mark Hominick
3) Hermes Franca
4) Joe Stevenson
5) Melvin Guillard
6) Tyson Griffin
7) Jens Pulver
8) Joe Lauzon
9) Clay Guida

Geez there's been a lot of things going on in the last couple of days, huh? Genki Sudo retires, Kid Yamamoto goes back to Olympic traning, Cro Cop and Quinton Jackson to fight in UFC, Liddell knocks out Ortiz again, Jardine upsets Griffin.

Cro Cop in UFC is an awesome prospect. Time for some purely American MMA fans to learn about Mirko.

[edit: They've signed Matt Hughes vs GSP for an April title defence pending GSP defeating Serra. Don't know if that affects your 'realistic' rankings.]

[Edited on 1-2-2007 by thegenerator]

Gen,

That fight has not been signed. The UFC in Montreal that was supposed to go down isn't now and has been moved to Houston.

Matt Hughes is fighting on the March card in Columbus.

My mistake, I hadn't seen the update.

I still believe in either case Diego Sanchez requires either a title shot or a match with a top-rated welterweight ASAP. Having someone 18-0 knocking around part-timers is pointless.

Jesus Christ.

Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture

March 3 - Columbus, Ohio

I have to be there.

What?!?!? Couture is coming out of retirement to face Sylvia? He's gonna get destroyed. I hope he's getting a HUGE fucking paycheck for it.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
Jesus Christ.

Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture

March 3 - Columbus, Ohio

I have to be there.

---

I'll definitely be ordering that one. Couture is one of my absolute favorites. I am scared that Slyiva might kill him though. I just watched Rocky IV last night and I'm getting that vibe.

Two of the most historic things in MMA history happening this week.

Couture vs Sylvia and Ken Shamrock changes his facial hair.

Jheat, I thought that was Arlovski on quick glance.

Shammy looks weird!

So not only is Couture back, he's back for 4 fights over two years. I think this could go one of two ways: He fights cherry-picked opponents from time to time to bolster weak cards, and everyone can enjoy a great fighter past his prime, or he fights top-shelf heavyweights and just gets killed, four times over two years. The fact that they are opening with a shot at the Heavyweight title does not give me much hope for option 1.

Several sources on the MMAWeekly board are reporting that Zuffa is buying Pride, but I'm not up on MMA sources. I'd imagine this would be huge.

I wonder if UFC would bury Pride, even though they are keeping the WEC going...

Yeah, that's over on the Underground, too, where it started.

Who knows, though. I guess we'll see.

I don't see Zuffa pulling a WWE. They brought out WEC (a lesser known fed) and basically just do challenge exchanes with them. WEC gets to use the Octagon at their big events and UFC gets to pick from their best fighters for UFC events.

If they did that with WEC, I could see them doing it with Pride and doing like a brand split sort of thing with them. I mean they already exchange talent from what I undestand.

And the next PPV, which I'm looking at getting, is hyping the hell out the involvement of Cro Cop and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Speaking of which Quinton is one scary looking dude and I want to see him fuck somebody up.

In BODOG in April:

Fedor (#1 HWT) vs. Matt Lindland (#1 MW)

Wowzer.

And I still need to find a way to get duckets to UFC 68 in C-Bus.

-Tim Sylvia (#5 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Randy Couture
-Matt Hughes (#2 Welterweight)* vs. Chris Lytle
-Rich Franklin (#5 Middleweight)* vs. Jason MacDonald
-Renato "Babalu" Sobral (#6 Light Heavyweight)* vs. Jason Lambert
-Mike Swick vs. Yushin Okami
-Jon Fitch (#7 Welterweight)* vs. Luigi Fioravanti
-Matt Hamill vs. Rex Holman
-Martin Kampmann vs. Drew McFedries
-Assuerio Silva vs. TBA

UFC Fight Night on Thursday should be amazing. Spencer Fisher vs. Hermes Franca will be off the hook.

Then, UFC 67 is Feb. 3 and will be awesome.

-Mirko Cro Cop (#2 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Eddie Sanchez
-Anderson Silva (#2 Middleweight)* vs. Travis Lutter
-Quinton Jackson (#7 Light Heavyweight)* vs. Marvin Eastman
-Ryoto Machida vs. Sam Hoger
-Tyson Griffin vs. Frank Edgar
-Melvin Guillard vs. Dustin Hazelett
-Scott Smith vs. Patrick Cote
-Jorge Rivera vs. Terry Martin
-Roger Huerta vs. John Halverson


I am pumped.

It'll be interesting to see how 68 shakes out. MacDonald vs. Franklin and Lytle vs. Hughes...I wonder if either guy can pull off the upset. I really like MacDonald, and i hope he can match-up with Franklin.

He's the Batista of the UFC. They didn't expect him to be a breakout star, but when it happened, they immediately rode it out.

UFN thoughts...

I'm not a really a fan of "Sugar" Rashad but I'd be a liar not to notice how much he is improving. Thats two KOs in two fights. He came back after being out worked in the 1st round to win with that high kick. Shows that hes interested in becoming a more well rounded wreslter.

Looks like Angry Ed learned a thing or three about humility and respecting your opponents. I hope he contiues to win so we can get a re match between him and Kenndall. He looked really good to night and showed that if his head is screwed on right he has the talent to go places and do things.

I wasn't that suprised that Jake O'Brien beat Heath Herring. I said it before in this theard that Herring wasn't exactly a world beater in Pride so I don't think its that big of an upset. Jake showed that he has the tenacity, talent, stamina ,and heart to grind out a win over anybody. It wasn't pretty but he showed he could get the job done. A few more wins and the UFC got another contender.

I hope Franca gets a shot. This was a good showing by both men. Sorry Spencer tonight wasn't your night. The more fights from Franca I see the bigger a fan of his I am.

For those interested, here's the Rashad fight. I completely agree that he's been more and more impressive each time out. That was a NASTY high kick. Salmon was out on his feet, and the way he was (not) reacting afterwards, I thought he might've been dead. Seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01N3-bY_BYY

UFC 67: All or Nothing

Title Fight

World Middleweight Championship
Anderson Silva (17-4-0) vs. Travis Lutter (12-3-0)

Not much to be said about this one. Silva showed up in the UFC to fight Chris Leben. He promptly put his knee through poor Chris�s face. The he did the same thin to Rich Franklin.

On the other side of the octagon Travis Lutter won the right to fight for the title by winning the TUF via submitting Patrick Cote in the finals. He�s 2-2 in the UFC with Wins over Cote and Marvin Eastman and losses to Matt Lindland and Trevor Prangley.

Now a lot of people expect Silva decimation but out of all the fighters on TUF Lutter might be the worst match up for Silva. Lutter is a world class submission fighter with strong wrestling. With two of Silva�s 4 losses coming from submissions that could be a problem. Unlike Franklin and Leben he won�t try to stand with Silva. Also when the fight starts on the Lutter can throw hands as witness by his highlight reel KO of Marvin Eastman. Silva is going to want to strike, as he has ten KOs on his record. How ever he won�t be a fish out of water on the ground as he has a Black Belt in Jiu-jitsu and two wins coming from submission. Lutter has only been KO�ed once so he has a chin. Silva has never been Ko�d either so this could be quite the compelling contest where ever it takes place.

Too compare opponents Silva has KO victories over Rich Franklin, Chris Leben, Tony Fryklund, Jorge Riveria, and Carlos Newton. He also has Decision victories over Jeremy Horn and Hayato Sakurai.

Lutter has Ko�d Marvin Eastman and Sub�ed Patrick Cote. But other than that he lost each time he�s stepped up in class. He�s lost to Jorge Riveria, Matt Lindland, and Trevor Prangley.

My prediction: Another Anderson Silva KO. Lutter will probably manage to last longer than Franklin and Leben (and maybe last longer than Franklin and Leben combined) but he will eventual fall to the Knee of Silva.

Main Card.

Mirko Cro Cop (21-4-2) vs. Eddie Sanchez (6-0-0)

Awww Hellsss Yheaaa!!! Cro Cop in the UFC. If Cro Cop wins then he�s eventually going to get a shot at the title. How ever should Dirty Sanchez get the up set then we have another undefeated heavyweight prospect.

Sanchez made his debut KOing Mario Neto at UFC 68.Cro Cop is considered the most dangerous striker in the heavyweight division in the world. Last year Cro Cop won the 2006 PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix.

This should be an interesting (and most likely exciting) affair. Eddie has never been to a decision with 4 KOs and 2 Submission wins. Also He�s undefeated so he won�t lay down for Mirko. On the other hand Cro Cop has 14 KO�s in 21 wins. He�s beaten Fujita, Josh Barrnet, Yoshida, Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman and Alex Emilanko.

He�s only losses come to a who�s who of top heavyweights, Fedor, Randleman (and He latter got the win back), Nogeuria, and Mark Hunt. His biggest weakness is his ground game. He�s worked to improve it but he�s never seemed totally comfortable on the ground. Sanchez is quite capable on the ground so he will want to move the fight there.

My Prediction: It may come early it may come late but sometime during the fight Mirko Cro Cop lays out Sanchez with the Left High Kick.

Marvin Eastman (13-6-1) vs. Quinton Jackson (25-6-0)

This fight was originally going to happen in the WFA before Zuffa bought it.
Two interesting stories here. The first one is that Quinton �Rampage� Jackson is making his UFC debut. He beat Chuck Liddell in the 2003 Pride Gran Prix and is the only man to beat Chuck and not get beaten in a rematch.

The second is that this fight has happened before. Way back in Rampages 3rd fight he lost to Eastman now 6 years latter he looks for revenge.

This will be Eastman 3rd fight in the UFC with losses coming against Travis Lutter and Victor Belfor. Eastman has lost a number of fights to no name fighters with the biggest wins against Rampage and Vernon White.

Jackson on the other hand has been able to slam and Ground and Pound many a fighter but has had limited success against up level talent.
He�s beaten Chuck Liddell, Kevin Randleman, Igor Vovchanchyn, Ricardo Arona, Matt Lindland, Murilo Bustamante, and Murilo Rua.

He�s lost two Marvin Eastman, Kazushi Sakuraba, Wanderlei Silva (twice), and Mauricio Rua. He�s a very talented fighter who sometimes seems a bit like Kevin Randleman in that he relies two much on his wrestling and therefore sometimes comes up short.

My Prediction: At this point in his career Marvin �The Beastman� Eastman is simply a journey man. He�s a fighter that other fighters fight in order to make a name for them selves. Quinton gets the slam and KO�s Eastman most likely in the 1st round.

Sam Hoger (6-2-0) vs. Lyoto Machida (8-0-0)

Another UFC debut and one that seems to have flown under everybody�s Radar. Why should you care? Remember when there was that commercial that was showing Rich Franklin as having a record of 22-1? That one loss� Machida.

Lyoto has an unblemished record of 8 wins. Those win include victories over such guys as Rich Franklin, Vernon White, BJ Penn, and Stephan Bonnar. He has 3 KO�s and Submission.

Sam Hogers record is nowhere near as impressive. He beat Bobby Southworth at the TUF Finale, Lost to Stephan Bonnar, beat Jeff Newton, and lost to Rashad Evans. He has 4 submission victories and has never been knocked out or submitted himself. Basically he being brought in to make Lyoto look good, in return he has a chance to make a name for himself.

My Prediction: Hoger is a lamb being led to the slaughter. Lyoto gets the KO.

Patrick Cote (9-4) vs. Scott Smith (10-2)

Patrick is an interesting case. He�s a perfect 9-0 outside the octagon and a perfect 0-4 inside the UFC. The best thing you can say is that all his losses come to contenders in the UFC. He�s lost to Tito Ortiz, Chris Leben, Travis Lutter and Joe Doerkson. He has two wins over Bill Mahood and a win over Jason Macdonald. 6 of his victories have been either KO or Submission. He maybe the best fighter in the UFC with a losing record (in side the octagon).

Scott Smith got the win over Pete Sell in the famous double KO fight at the TUF4 Finale. All ten of his wins come from either KO or submission. He�s lost to David Terrell and James Irvin so this will be a test to see how well he can do against top competition.

My Prediction: Both guys are very strong finishers so this should make for an entertaining fight. Patrick Cote finally gets the W he�s been searching for in side the Octagon.

Roger Huerta (17-1-1) vs. John Halverson (13-4-0)

Roger is a wrester and a BJJ guy. John is a puncher with a strong chin.
Both guys have strong records, but neither has faced anybody of real consequence. This fight is somewhat interesting as Roger Huerta is some one who I have heard a lot of good things about.

My Prediction: Huerta by submission.

Undercard

Tyson Griffin (8-0-0) vs. Frankie Edgar (5-0-0)
We last saw Tyson choke out David Lee on the undercard of UFC 68. He�s a beast who has 5KO�s and 3 submissions he has wins over Duane Ludwig and Urijah Faber.

Edgar is making his UFC debut. He�s a well rounded fighter who will provide a good test for Tyson.

My Prediction: Tyson by Sub.


Terry Martin (14-2-0) vs. Jorge Riveria (14-5-0)

This is bit of a cross roads fight. The winner goes up the loser fall off.
Terry martin was undefeated when he made his UFC debut. At 10-0 he got knocked out by James Irvin he had two tune up fights then fought in the UFC again but got TKO�d by Jason Lambert. He really needs the win here to continue his UFC career.

Jorge is approaching journeyman status. He�s beaten Travis Lutter, Solomon Hutchinson, David Louieau, Dennis Hallman, and Edwin Dewees. He�s lost to Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Chris Leben, Lee Muray, and Brandon Lee Hinckle. If he losses here there�s not much the UFC can do with him as he�s lost to pretty much all the top guys at 185. He�s 3-3 in the UFC and has somewhat rehabilitated his career on TUF4 and the win over Edwin Dewwes. He needs this win or he�s a talented fighter who can be exciting but ultimately can�t hang with the A-level fighters. He�ll be someone like Marvin Eastman who young fighters look at as someone they can beat and out on there resume.

My Prediction: This one could go either way. I think Terry Martin wins in a stand up war.


Final thoughts: Only eight fights on this card. Yet there�s a lot of guys making there UFC Debuts. I wouldn�t be surprised if 6, 7 or even all 8 fights make the air. A lot of these guys are strong finishers and we could have a night of KO�s.

Q: Travis Lutter, is it true you're a giant shithead who pissed away the biggest opportunity of his entire career?
A: I'm sorry, I can't hear you over my fat.

[Edited on 2-3-2007 by folby]

Main Card Predictions:

Smith dec. Cot�
CroCop KO Rd. 1 Sanchez
Jackson TKO Rd. 2 Eastman
Huerta Sub. Rd. 3 Halverson
Silva KO Rd. 1 Lutter

I loved this re-cap of UFC 67 on Sherdog. Especially the parts about CroCop:

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=6679

There was a point in the Cro Cop fight where it became less exciting and more sad. For me, it was right when Mirko drilled him with a left and Sanchez looked scared, then started backpedaling. Luckily he eventually kicked Sanchez in the ribs and it sounded like a tree cracking, and the fight was exciting again. Still, it was a trip to watch a man so clearly being picked apart. Also, I got a huge kick out of Mirko's post fight interview.

I enjoyed the show, but nothing really astounded me. I won a tiny bit of money by betting on Cote for no real reason aside from my buddy wanting to bet on Smith. I have yet to see Edgar/Griffin, which everyone is saying was the fight of the night. I got a pretty good laugh out of Travis "Fat Ass" Lutter taking the fight where he needed to take it and still getting beat.

PRIDE has a pretty good card coming up this weekend:

PRIDE 33: The Second Coming LIVE! from Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas.

PRIDE World Middleweight Championship
Wanderlei Silva (c) vs. Dan Henderson
Prediction: Henderson by decision

"Welterweight" Fight (at 160 lbs.)
Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz
Prediction: Gomi by TKO?
--This is going to be the fight of the night, I think. This is just awesome. I have no clue who is going to win, but Gomi isn't the PRIDE Lightweight Champion for nothing.

Light-Heavyweight Fight
Mauricio Shogun vs. Alistair Overeem
Prediction: Shogun by TKO
--A rematch of the semifinal of the 2005 MW Grand Prix. Shogun wins again.

Middleweight Fight
Frank Trigg vs. Kazuo Misaki
Prediction: Trigg by decision
--Eh?

Other fights:
-Hayato Sakurai (#2 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Mac Danzig
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (#5 Light Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
-Joachim Hansen (#7 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Jason Ireland
-Sergei Kharitonov (#10 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Mike Russow [Kharitonov's opponent was scheduled to be Gilbert Yvel, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission has denied Yvel's request for a fighters' license due to his previous assault of a referee]

SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!

Sorry for the double post...

UFC has announced the following bouts for UFC 70: Nations Collide, its first card in the UK since UFC 38.

This is going to be sick. MMAWeekly rankings are the by the fighters

Mirko CroCop (#2 HW) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Fabricio Werdum (#7 HW) vs. Andrei Arlovski (#6 HW) (!!!)
Michael Bisping vs. Elvis Sinosic
Forrest Griffin vs. Lyoto Machida

In addition, MMAWeekly has the following bouts rumoured:

-Assuerio Silva vs. Cheick Kongo
-Dennis Siver vs. Jess Liaudin
-Alessio Sakara vs. Victor Valimaki
-Tito Ortiz (#8 LHW) vs. TBA
-David Lee vs. TBA

Werdum-Arlovski is going to be awesome. Werdum trains with CroCop so this makes for a natural signing. He's 9-2-1 in his career with the only losses coming to Sergei Kharitonov (split decision - PRIDE 30) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (unanimous decision - PRIDE Critical Countdown Absolute). He holds wins over Aleksander Emeilanenko, Alistair Overeem, Roman Zentsov and Gonzaga (his only career loss).

So that'll be a good card.

Sorry for the triple post...

HOLY CRAP!

I missed the first two fights because of Comcast, but Jesus Tittyfucking Christ, what I saw on PRIDE 33 tonight was fucking amazing.

First you have unheard-of Sokoudjou knocking out Rogerio Nogueira in the first 30 seconds! This is the first time a Nogueira has EVER been knocked out.

Then, later on, you have Nick Motherfucking Diaz using PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi's head as a speedbag and then, after Gomi takes him down, submitting him with a fucking gogoplata! Rarely do fights have me jumping out of my seat. This one did. And let's put it this way: There had NEVER been a gogoplata submission in UFC or PRIDE until PRIDE's NYE show two months ago. Now there's been two.

Then, in the main event, Dan Henderson becomes the first double champ in MMA history when he KTFO's Wanderlei Silva in the third round with a left hook to win the PRIDE Middleweight Championship. Just unbelievable. This had me out of my seat as well. Silva was, up until 20 minutes ago, the only Middleweight Champion in PRIDE's history, beating Sakuraba for the newly created belt at PRIDE 17 on 11/3/2001. So this is a big accomplishment for Henderson. Afterwards, he pulled out the quote of the night:

"I'm going to my after party at Body English at the Hard Rock. Either there, or at Wanderlei's after-party at the hospital!"

This was a great night of fights. I'd highly suggest ordering the replay if you're interested.

And, to talk about Wanderlei, he is in some serious trouble. He clearly wasn't the fighter he was before CroCop kicked his head into the 5th row last September. Someone on Sherdog brought up a great point that he still might be suffering from some post-concussion issues. This is a guy who had NEVER, in his career, been KO'd before that fight. Now it's two in a row. That's something to be afraid of. If you look at someone like Rampage Jackson after Wanderlei brutalized him, he is just now getting back to where he was before that and that fight was in Oct. 2004.

Wanderlei needs to take a long time off before he fights again, heal up, get straight mentally and then come back.

But is there now any doubt who would win between him and Chuck Liddell?

Overall, a sweet event.

I'll be there live (with media credentials!!!) for UFC 68 next Saturday in Columbus. They have a lot to live up to!

EDIT: I think the next logical fight, and it'd have a "revenge" factor is Wanderlei's teammate Mauricio Shogun finally getting his title shot against Henderson.

[Edited on 2-25-2007 by GimmickMan]

Had to check them out for myself. Nice quick knockout on Nogueira. And HOLY SHIT on the Diaz/Gomi fight. How in the hell is Diaz so ineffective in the UFC? Surely the cage doesn't make that much a difference:

For those of you who want to watch for yourselves:

COUTURE OWNS SYLVIA.

Just, wow.

FUCK ALL YOU NON-COUTURE BELIEVERS!!!!!!!!!!!












Yeah, I betted on Sylvia too.

ALL HAIL KING COUTURE!

And I'll fill everyone in on my UFC 68 adventure tomorrow or something. Short preview: I had a media credential and had my picture taken with Dana White and OMG RANDY~!!!

That's awesome gimmick. You have to post a pic.

FFC and myself tried to watch it at BW3s, but had no luck since UFC blocked the show from being shown in the city it was being held at. I did catch alot of hype for Silva/Couture and wanted to see it. Glad to see the old guy beat the giant young guy.

Tim Sylvia looked so bad at one point I wondered if the fight was fixed. It was absurd. The rest of the show I thought was okay, nothing really exciting, but the main event was fucking awesome.

ALSO HOLY SHIT RANDY COUTURE PROBABLY HAS A GOOD SHOT AT BEATING MIRKO CRO COP

My UFC 68 Story:

So, for the hell of it, I decided to apply for UFC 68 credentials. To my surprise, I was approved, so I was all set to head out to the sold out Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the event.

I got to Columbus around 5 p.m. and the city was already rocking because of UFC and the Arnold Classic. All the restuarants were packed in the downtown area. I called up my buddy who works for the Blue Jackets and we found one that wasn't so packed and grabbed a bite to eat. At about 7 p.m., I headed into the arena.

I grabbed my credential and went into the media center, where there was a huge buffet available. Sadly, I had already eaten. After dicking around for a while, I headed out to my seat (a lot of media were assigned actual seats in the building), which was in Sec. 107 in one of the corners of the lower bowl. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.

I went out around 8 p.m. and the place was already packed and buzzing. The first fight was scheduled to begin at 8:15. The first three fights went on without a hitch and then for the fourth preliminary bout, Matt Hamill fought Rex Holman. Hamill was crazy over with the crowd, getting a thunderous ovation. He said in the post fight press conference that he could actually feel the vibration and that's the first time that's ever happened for him.

The prelims ended around 9:40, so, with 20 minutes to go before the live broadcast went on the air, I headed back to the media center to grab a drink. When I was in there, Dana showed up and was talking to people, as was Rachelle Leah, host of UFC All Access. Rachelle peaced out pretty quickly, but Dana stuck around and took some pictures with people, including myself.



After the picture, he told us all to enjoy the fights and went back out. He was really super cool.

I then went back to my seat and they showed this really freaking bad ass highlight video set to Teenage Wasteland. I don't know why that's never made the air.

Then the live show went up and we sat for about 15 minutes before the Babalu-Lambert fight. There were a lot of Babalu fans in the house. This was a pretty exciting fight.

Next up was Hughes/Lytle. Hughes was way over. Eventually the crowd started booing.

Next was Franklin/MacDonald. A lot of Canadian flags in the house for MacDonald. Then Franklin, essentially a hometown hero, came out to a very loud ovation. He pretty much dominated MacDonald and MacDonald's corner had seen enough after the second round.

Post fight, Anderson Silva came in to hype the rematch between he and Franklin. Crowd booed Silva a ton, but Rich and his corner tried to discourage that.

Next up was Kampmann/McFedries. McFedries was in big time control early, but got taken down and Kampmann sunk in a sweet arm-triangle that put McFedries to sleep.

Then it was time for the main event. I have never been been so nervous for a fight. I'm a huge Couture fan and was scared for his well-being. Randy came out first to a thunderous ovation. Then came Big Tim, who was booed mercilessly. Chants of "Randy! Randy!" rang through Nationwide before the fight. The fans went nuts for Randy and killed Tim during the intros. When Randy dropped Tim with the first punch of the night, the place went apeshit. The place exploded with every takedown and whenever Eddie Bravo's scoring showed Randy winning a round. And the thing was, despite Randy taking the fight to the ground, there were no cat calls for a stand up or booing because people actually like Randy.

From about 30 seconds down in the fifth round, the crowd noise kept building and building until the final horn.



When Rogan interviewed Sylvia after the fight, the crowd was not getting over Sylvia that much until he casually brought up that he was injured, the crowd booed the everloving shit out of him.

Personally, if I were Tim Sylvia, I'd be more pissed off that I was just tooled by a guy that I had six inches, 13 years and 60 pounds on. But that's just me.

This was just amazing to see in person. If there is a more motavational person than Randy Couture in sports, I'd be surprised. I watched the final few minutes of the fight on DailyMotion and even Joe Rogan was mentioning how the crowd was.

Randy was the hot commodity at the post-fight press conference. Lots of questions for him. I'll post the bits of news Dana delivered when I listen to my tape, but when I talked to him personally, he said they'd be in New York by the end of 2008, in Michigan "soon", and that an event in July will be held in Ireland.

Here's me and Randy after the press conference.



We left Nationwide at about 3 a.m. and got back to Indianapolis (where I was doing my real job and covering the Big Ten women's basketball tournament) around 5:30 a.m. I slept until 2:30 and that is why this post is coming at the time it is because I'm not tired.

So, to sum this up: One of the coolest days of my life. OMG RANDY~!!!

[Edited on 3-5-2007 by GimmickMan]

Awesome, Gimmick - but, I gotta say - Dana looks cocked in that picture, like he's had a wee bit too much to drink. Still, good shit.

Teenage Wasteland - are you talking about The Who's "Baba O'Riley"? Maybe they were trying to tie in Baba to Babalu? Just a thought...

It was a fucking outstanding fight, and Silvia had the biggest knot on his eye that I think I've ever seen (save for Monson after his fight with Silvia).

Crowd at the Seattle Hooters was pumped for the show, and the roof nearly blew off the place when Randy won.

I gotta say, while it might have been crazy for Couture to come out of retirement for this fight, I can see why the UFC was pushing for it. Silvia just doesn't look like a champion. He's big, sure, but he's gangly, soft around the middle, and just doesn't have the aura of a champ. Couture, on the other hand, looks every bit like a champ, and I think this might have just been Dana's way of getting the belt off Silvia since Arlovsky just couldn't get the job done.

Couture taking apart Sylvia seemed to akin to a smaller kid standing up to a bully on the playground and kicking said bullies ass.

It's pretty amazing that Couture continues to improve at this stage in his carrer. For a guy whos been known as a ground and pounder his striking was phenominal.

A lot of questions thought about what happens in his next fight. Gonzaga vs Cro Cop is for a shot at Randys belt and it will be interesting to see what happens. Neither man is as big as Sylvia but Gonzaga has better submissions and Cro Cop is a better striker.

Matt Hughes put on a clinic. That was classic Hughes, take a man down, hold him there pound the shit out of him. If he can do this in 3rd fight against GSP he has a good chance of winning.

Franklin should try to do less Muay Tia and more Karate/Boxing. He has more success striking from the outside than from the clince. It was a nice victory over a tough opponent. He looked like the Rich Franklin that beat Evan Tanner twice not the shell of Rich that got in the cage with Anderson Silva.

Damn, the next card looks fun as hell.

-GSP should tear Serra apart, but Serra's got heart, so he's got a chance.

-Diego Sanchez vs. Josh Koscheck should be a very fun encounter. Both guys (from what I've seen) have insane stamina, so it should be an intense battle beginning to end. I'll give the edge to Diego because he's got a more balanced game, but Koscheck is still world-class at the takedowns.

-Okami/Swick... 'nuff said.

-Imes/Herring COULD be a better-than-expected heavyweight fight. I wasn't impressed with Herring's performance at the latest Ultimate Fight Night, but he's still far more traveled than Imes. Imes is still a huge motherfucker, though.

-And very glad to see that Luke Cummo is still around. He should run circles around Josh Haynes.

Dave Meltzer wrote an awesome, awesome column in the LA Times about Couture's win. Read it, monkeys!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-spw-mmacol9mar09,1,7988710.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-boxing&ctrack;=1&cset;=true

quote:

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If mixed martial arts is here to stay as a sport in the United States, then years from now people will look back and marvel at how much of the sports media missed what would have to be one of the great sports stories and moments of the era.

In an octagon cage and with the UFC's world heavyweight title at stake, seven seconds into the fight, undersized heavyweight Randy Couture, the most admired and popular fighter in the history of the sport in the United States, threw a low kick, and then came over the top with the hardest overhand right of his career.

The least popular champion in UFC history, the monstrous Tim Sylvia, was knocked on his back. At the same moment, a sellout crowd of 19,079 fans leapt to their feet. For the next half hour, they never sat down again. With the exception of 21 seconds, Couture dominated the fight. With ten seconds left, the crowd, in unison, reacted like they were in Times Square, and New Year's was coming early. "Ten, nine, eight...." The pop built and exploded as the clock hit zero. The first seven seconds, and the last ten seconds are sports moments that none of the people there live, nor the two million or so watching on PPV or in sports bars around North America, will likely ever forget.

Randy Couture, at nearly 44 years old, came out of retirement to become the UFC's world heavyweight champion for a third time. Giving up seven inches in height, a foot in reach, and probably in the range of 60 pounds when they got in the ring, Couture told a story that even Sylvester Stallone didn't dare tell in "Rocky Balboa," a movie that in many ways inspired the fight.

In the days since the fight on March 10th at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, the few sportswriters who did realize they saw something that will become legendary struggled to find a sports comparison. In the end, there isn't one.

Jack Nicklaus won the Masters at 46. But you simply can't compare golf with fighting. Golf is a skill sport that older men have been able to compete with younger men at. With the exception of Couture, the oldest man to ever win a major promotion championship in MMA was Dan Severn, at 37, and that's when the sport was in its infancy. Couture is the only man over 40 in history to be truly competitive at the top level.

George Blanda won the NFL MVP award at 43. That was an improbable series of miracles week after week where Blanda either threw a touchdown pass, kicked a field goal or a conversion to lead the Oakland Raiders to wins (or in one case a tie) six straight Sundays. But that was still a team effort.

Muhammad Ali beating George Foreman in Zaire is the comparison many have made. In both cases, you have a bigger and more powerful knockout artist who was heavily favored to not just beat, but possibly hurt badly, a beloved but aging former champion. But the aging Ali was all of 32 years old at the time, and he was not coming out of retirement, nor had he been knocked out in two of his three prior matches at light-heavyweight before retirement.

Foreman himself was older, 45, when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 to become the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing. But Foreman was much bigger and stronger than Moorer, and had incredible physical gifts that Couture simply couldn't match. He could take punishment like few heavyweights, and he may have been the hardest punching heavyweight in history. The fact was, Moorer was making Foreman look like he had no business in the ring with him for nine rounds, until Foreman tapped Moorer's chin and ended the fight.

Couture was dominant in every aspect of the game from start to finish.

Even when Stallone made "Rocky Balboa," which in a small way inspired this match (the main inspiration is they simply had no other match that would do the kind of business this one would, and the logical contender for Sylvia, Brandon Vera, was involved in a contract dispute with UFC), in the end, Rocky didn't beat Mason Dixon. That was too much for even a scripted movie. But the movie character proved himself a champion by defying logic, having his moment where he was competitive, and leaving with pride and dignity. The perfect venue to capitalize on the movie was pro wrestling. On paper, the UFC is probably the worst place to try and reenact a Stallone movie.

Without question, from a business standpoint, this was the right call. It's pretty well guaranteed it will be the biggest PPV event of any type for at least the first quarter of this year.

But what if Couture was completely shot? Sure, Couture is an excellent wrestler, but Sylvia had eaten younger wrestlers like Ricco Rodriguez and Jeff Monson for lunch. He left UFC's hope for their own Mike Tyson-like scary heavyweight---Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski---whimpering like a cocker spaniel.

Worse, the theme of MMA in 2006 was that the legendary champions of the past, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman, Royce Gracie, Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Kerr, and Couture himself, were all shown that time had moved on. A new generation of fighter---younger, faster and better trained in the sport from their youth, as opposed to converted wrestlers and Jiu Jitsu practitioners---had taken over. Couture was one of the last of the two-hand set shot guys still trying to compete with the slam dunkers.

But there was no mistaking people loved Couture, and even more, loved a good story. Ticket sales took off in the days after Couture went on "Inside the UFC" and announced the match. It sold out farther in advance than any major MMA show in history. But the experts feared he was a little lamb being led to a giant slaughter.

Sylvia was 6-8, and had to dehydrate himself down to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit. He weighed in officially at 263. In the cage, he was probably between 280 and 285 pounds. Couture came in at 222.5 pounds, a weight most modern light-heavyweights are going into battle at after rehydrating. The gate topped $3 million, the first time such a figure had been reached outside of Japan or Las Vegas, and broke a record set by the Rolling Stones for the largest indoor entertainment gate ever in the state of Ohio.

Even Couture's friends quietly hoped for simply a good showing. The hope was that he would show himself to at least be competitive, and come out of it retaining his dignity, and more importantly, his physical health. As long as he got a takedown or two, got a little bit of offense in, and lasted until the third round, it would be a huge moral win. He'd leave with an even bigger standing ovation than when he announced his retirement on Feb. 4, 2006, after being knocked out by Chuck Liddell.

Of course everyone knew what an incredible thing it would be for both the sport and for business for him to win, but it really wasn't all that hard to get people in UFC to talk about Sylvia's probable upcoming title defense later this year against Mirko Cro Cop.

Ironically, Couture would have disagreed with both statements. A week before the fight, it was noted to him what a great thing for the sport it would be if he won. He'd give the sport a champion the older sports establishment couldn't shun because it didn't look like the boxing they grew up with. An army vet, college grad and Olympic team alternate couldn't be dismissed as a tattooed, Mohawk-haircut bar-room brawler, who they saw as a thug simply cleaned up with rock music, flashy lights and 10,000 screaming fans to look legit.

Instead, the UFC, of all places, would have a hero for post-40 men by proving hard work and smart strategy can overcome all kinds of physical and age disadvantages in one of the physically toughest sports in the world.

But Couture was there to win, not just to show up, try not to embarrass himself, and collect a big paycheck at the end.

He wasn't the best athlete, the biggest, nor the strongest, nor the best in the world at any specific discipline. He was hardly unbeatable, and perhaps that made him that much more admired. He hadn't had one fight in the last seven years that if he didn't bring his A game, he would have won. And there were several days, due to bad strategy, and perhaps outside stresses and issues in life, where he didn't bring his A game, and he did lose, and in some cases, lose badly.

He was a very normal high school coach (before UFC took off, Couture was a high school wrestling coach in Gresham, Ore.), who, aside from being a remarkably fit older guy, hardly looked like the kind of guy who would fight the baddest men on the planet. But on more than one occasion, he was capable of doing things decidedly not normal. He had been the underdog in nine previous UFC fights, and won eight of them, including stopping Chuck Liddell and spanking Tito Ortiz at the age of 40.

If he was the best at anything, maybe it was at knowing how to train for his own strengths and limitations. Maybe it was at avoiding abusing his body, to where he didn't have the injuries that would have doomed people younger than him. Whether it was through smart training, lack of drug abuse, or simply genetics and luck, he was a 43-year-old athlete who had competed at a top level for a quarter-century. Yet he had never had a major joint or muscle operation. Except for winning two world titles after the age of 40, that is probably his most amazing athletic accomplishment.

Nobody at 40 can dominate a highly physical sport at the top level simply on natural athletic ability. Very few can even survive to play at the top level. Michael Jordan was the greatest athlete of our generation, and he couldn't do it. Muhammad Ali couldn't. Dan Gable couldn't. Even the famed Russian wrestler, Alexander Karelin, the single most physically dominant athlete over a long period of time in any combat sport in modern history, couldn't do it. Think about this. Karelin is four years younger than Couture. He came from the same sport about at the same time as Couture, and was throughout his prime, so far superior it's not even worthy of discussion. Yet even his body broke down to the point he retired seven years ago.

If anything, maybe he was the guy who puts down on paper the best strategy to beat people who expect their athletic ability, size, power and mostly youth, to guarantee them a win. Most likely, he trained that much harder, and ate that much stricter. And none of the success went to his head. Perhaps what kept him competitive was the knowledge he really wasn't better than anyone else, and his success came by working harder than his competition. And these last few months in training, when his body was telling him he couldn't work harder, he listened, and worked smarter.

To the people who saw it, it was one of the greatest fights of all time. Unfortunately, it's one of those things that could only be fully comprehended in the moment they took place. People will tell their kids, and grandkids about this one night, and this normal man who did things that weren't normal, and this unreal night where a movie script nobody would dare write happened in real life. Undoubtedly, there will some day be a movie chronicling this story about the 21st century "Cinderella Man."

Of course, the real fight and real night will be easily accessible on a DVD, or whatever technology will exist in those days. People will watch it, and unfortunately, it's very doubtful they'll be able to even come close to understanding what the fuss is all about.

Sure, the crowd was going crazy for the match, but why? Why was Couture already a Hall of Famer when he only had a 15-8 record? They may even see it as a boring match. Aside from that first punch, there were no telling blows, no near submissions, and not even any true reversals. Couture was never in trouble, but after the opening seconds, Sylvia was never in danger of being finished either. It wasn't even close going down the wire. One guy was old, although he was in great shape. The other was just goofy looking. Sure, the announcers were putting it over as something unreal and the fans seemed to think they were seeing something special. But people looking back won't understand, and think it just shows how little the fans in 2007 must have understood the sport.

Of course, those of us who saw it will never be able to fully explain it. But we'll know it has something to do with concepts like time and context, and the moment. In 2007, there was this movie. And there was this match to take advantage of the movie. And there was this normal man, whose main talent is that when the odds say he can't possibly win, he almost always does. There was this sport at a crossroads, that could have either gone up or down depending on what happened. There was this giant opponent. And there was this night. And there was this crowd. And there was this fear that this legend's comeback was going to be embarrassing, or worse, he'd get badly hurt.

And there was this moment, when an overhand right connected. And for the next half hour, it was all euphoric magic. And everyone celebrated until 3 a.m. And they woke up later in a stupor, still not being able to fully grasp what they just saw happen and why they were feeling the way they were feeling. But they knew that for the rest of their lives, that moment would be etched in their memories, and frozen in time.

Dave Meltzer is the creator and author of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a leading publication in coverage of pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. For more information, go to www.wrestlingobserver.com.

---

according to this article, UFC 70 is going to be on spike TV in the US - I don;t know if they'll be able to pull it off live (due to time differences, it'll be a 2pm start time for the east coast), but still, avoiding the internet on a saturday afternoon is pretty easy!

According to several sources, the Fertitta Brothers (owners of the UFC and WEC) have bought Pride FC for 65 million.

quote:

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Originally posted by stewieisgood
According to several sources, the Fertitta Brothers (owners of the UFC and WEC) have bought Pride FC for 65 million.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TarheelMike
I don't follow MMA, but I would assume that this is kind of a big deal.

---

Just like when Vince bought WCW, and promised to keep them seperate...

I think their ultimate goal HAS to be to own all the MMA promotions, or at least the big / noteworthy ones. That way, they can have a UFC Champ, Pride champ and something else the way Boxing has the WBA, WBC and IBF(?) champs.

The only thing that I think will keep them from this is K1/Cage Rage - the two brits that own cage rage look like they're up for taking on UFC, even if it is alot like TNA competing with WWE (quarter of the fan base, only one or two really good fighters).

MMANews or MMAweekly (I forget which) has an article claiming that Cage Rage will have a presence on US TV by the end of April. Believe it when you see it?

Everyone made weight for tomorrow night's UFC 69: Shootout from Houston.

There was a ton of tension between Diego Sanchez and Josh Koscheck � Diego almost shoved Koscheck on his ass after they got in each other's faces during the staredown. A lot of heat between the two. You can watch the video on UFC.com

Main Card:

UFC Welterweight Championship
Matt Serra (169.5) vs Georges St-Pierre (169.5)
Josh Koscheck (170.5) vs. Diego Sanchez (168.5)
Yushin Okami (184) vs. Mike Swick (184)
Alan Belcher (184) vs. Kendall Grove (185.5)
Leonard Garcia (154.5) vs. Roger Huerta (155)

Preliminary Bouts:
Brad Imes (260.5) vs. Heath Herring (245)
Thales Leites (186) vs. Pete Sell (186)
Marcus Davis (169.5) vs. Pete Spratt (170.5)
Josh Haynes (171) vs. Luke Cummo (170)

I'm pretty excited for the card, especially coming off a pretty good night last night with UFN and TUF5.

Holy.Fucking.Shit.

Matt Serra - your new UFC Welterweight Champion. Didn't see that one coming... I'm glad to see Rush took the loss in stride.

Also, while a pretty boring fight, it's good to see Diego Sanchez brought down a notch.

When I finished watching PRIDE and sat around waiting for the dawn, it occured to me that the sun might not even rise today. The whole world has gone crazy and for all I know, the only thing that was going to come over the horizon Benny and Billy McCrary.

EVERYTHING IS FUCKED UP AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE IN ANYMORE

GSP got hammered, Butterbean WON by submission, and Obviously-Would-Have-Been-Champ-If-Not-For-Teammate-Holding-Title Arona got killed by the African Judo Champion.

Fedor. Fedor will save us. He is not human, he will not suffer whatever voodoo curse is wreaking havoc on everyone else. A Russian Cyborg to put a cold stop to Team Quest FURY. I can't wait. OH GOD IF FEDOR LOSES I'LL JUST DIE.

also pretty big news... Sportscenter covers UFC!





In Honor of Matt "The Terror" Serra victory I'll post this. Matt Serra in the first MMA match to be shown on ESPN back in 1998.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY4Rhu20uTc

[Edited on 4-8-2007 by Jheaton]

Yeah, I saw that last night on Sportscenter. I was amazed. Finally, ESPN thinks this is worth reporting on. How long will it take for UFC footage to overtake the spelling bee footage?

Not sure how long it'll be up, but here's the GSP/Serra fight for anybody who wants to see it:



I've always been a big fan of both of these guys, so it was hard for me to root either way. I guess I was pulling for Serra because he was in the "underdog" role, though. And I'd love to see him go ballistic on Matt Hughes if they don't do a rematch, first. The 2 of them have a genuine disgust for each other.

Phil Baroni arrested in Miami:

http://www.miami-dadeclerk.com/cjis/case.asp?4DAE90B0B6AEC6AEB873B6C0B4C0B8B2909383B08A7D84AE858183C08573C5B2908653

Figured I'd post my updated rankings...

Heavyweight
Champ Randy Couture
1 Tim Sylvia
2 Brandon Vera
3 Gabriel Gonzaga
4 Andre Arlovski
5 Jake O'Brian
6 Mario Cruz
7 Frank Mir
8 Mirko Cro Cop
9 Carmelo Marrero
10 Cheick Kongo

Comments: Couture debuts by winning the gold. Brandon Vera is supposed to be fighting Jake O'Brian and if he signs his contract extension he'll be getting a shot soon rather than latter. Cro Cop and Gonzaga will be fighting over a chance to become #1 contender latter this month.

Lightheavyweight
Champ Chuck Liddell
1 Rashad Evans
2 Keith Jardine
3 Jason Lambert
4 Tito Ortiz
5 Forrest Griffen
6 Michael Bisbing
7 Wilson Gouveia�
8 Rento Sorbral
9 James Irvin
10 Lyoto Maciado

Comments: Not a lot changes here. Chuck beats Tito so that pretty much leaves Rashad and Jardine as top contenders, Although Rampage will be getting the next shot seeing as he holds a win over the Iceman. Look for Bisbing and Lyoto to continue to climb the rankings.

Middleweight
Champ Anderson Silva
1 Yushin Okami�
2 Nate Marquardt
3 Rich Franklin
4 Mike Swick
5 Jason Macdonald
6 Dean Lister
7 Travis Lutter
8 Chris Leben
9 Kendal Grove
10 Martin Kampmann

Comments: Okami now has four straight wins in the UFC inclding one over Swick so hes my #1. Nate the Great is getting the next shot, which is good he deserves it. I'd like to see Okami get the next shot after that as I feel that Franklin needs at least one more fight before a rematch with Silva.

Welterweight
Champ Matt Serra
1 George St. Pierre
2 Josh Koscheck
3 Matt Hughes
4 Diego Sanchez
5 Jon Fitch
6 Josh Burkman
7 Karo Parisian
8 Thiago Alves
9 Joe Riggs
10 Drew Ficket

Comments: Serra takes the Belt off of GSP. So whats next? Serra vs Hughes? Does Dana give Kos a shot after that lackluster preformance? GSP vs Hughes III? GSP vs SerraII?

Lightweight
Champ Sean Sherk
1 Joe Stevenson
2 Hermes Franca
2 Kenny Florian
4 Sam Stout
5 Spencer Fisher
6 Joe Lauzon
7 Mark Hommick
8 Melvin Guillard
9 Frank Edgar
10 Tyson Griffin

Comments: Stevenson and Franca have stepped out ahead of the pack withFlorian looking for another crack at the title. Behind them you ahve a long list of talent who are looking to make a name for themselves.

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 69 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-5 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Mirko CroCop
2) Gabriel Gonzaga
3) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
4) Andrei Arlovski
5) Tim Sylvia
6) Fabrico Werdum
7) Brandon Vera
8) Heath Herring

Light-Heavyweight - Chuck Liddell, Champion
1) Quinton Jackson
2) Rashad Evans
3) Keith Jardine
4) Lyoto Machida
5) Michael Bisping
6) Jason Lambert
7) Forrest Griffin
8) Tito Ortiz
9) Renato Sobral
10) Wilson Gouveia

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Nathan Marquardt
2) Yushin Okami
3) Rich Franklin
4) Ivan Salaverry
5) Marty Kampmann
6) Terry Martin
7) Mike Swick
8) Kendall Grove
9) Jason MacDonald
10) Chris Leben

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes
2) Georges St-Pierre
3) Josh Koscheck
4) Karo Parisyan
5) Diego Sanchez
6) Jon Fitch
7) Josh Burkman
8) Drew Fickett
9) Chris Lytle

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) Hermes Franca
2) Joe Stevenson
3) Spencer Fisher
4) BJ Penn/Jens Pulver
5) Roger Huerta
6) Melvin Guillard
7) Kenny Florian
8) Frank Edgar
9) Tyson Griffin
10) Din Thomas

[Edited on 4-11-2007 by GimmickMan]

For anyone who's interested Sportsline has an interview with Brock Lesnar about his upcoming MMA fight here.

There's really not all that much of substance in there, but it's a nice read of about 5 minutes...

Shit, I don't care what anybody says about it, I'd still LOVE to see he and Angle go at it in a real fight. That'd probably be what it takes for me to actually order an MMA PPV. I mean I love the UFC right now and I'm getting more on board with Pride, but I don't even buy wrestling PPV's.

On a different note, FREE UFC PPV-caliber event this Saturday night on Spike. We'll finally see how Bisping fares post-TUF. Can't wait!

Hoooo-lee shit.

What happened to Mirko?

He just got knocked the fuck out!

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!



I'm amazed he was standing and walking after the way he fell back on his knee and ankle. That was sickening to watch and I thought for sure his knee and/or ankle was destroyed.

And Bisping brought it! And Cerra called Hughes a dick on national TV!

[Edited on 4-22-2007 by LuckyLopez]

Whoa, who had the betting lines on Gonzaga KO'ing Cro Cop with a head kick in under 5 mintes? I will be beyond amazed if Cro Cop doesn't have something torn/broken/fucked in half after that fall. Oh, and Pride totally has the best fighters in the world, even though i've been telling anyone who will listen for over a year that UFC would rule. I <3 vindication. And I <3 head kicks.

When something like this happens does everyone spend $10 minutes cursing at themselves for not having the foresight to lay some money down?

Remember kids. When Gonzaga wants to tap gloves, you better tap gloves.

The image of that kick is still haunting me today. I cannot get it out of my head.

I mean, wow. CroCop doesn't land a single punch to my recollection, just that one kick. What the fuck. I know Anderson Silva didn't land (or throw, I believe) a single punch against Travis Lutter, but that worked out for him.

That whole thing last night was unreal. I was telling everyone that would listen that Gonzaga had a heck of a chance, but I never said anything about him winning by a KTFO head kick.

As for Mirko, he got up and walked out, so I guess it just looked bad, or the dizzyness was masking the pain. Reports are that he was limping today.

MMA is crazy right now. First Couture dominates Sylvia, then Serra over GSP and now this. This is simply unreal. And it's not just the fact that these guys are winning, but it's HOW they're winning. Couture drops Sylvia? No way. I've never seen him drop anyone in my life. Serra KO's GSP? Unbelievable. Gonzaga KO's CroCop with a friggin' high kick? Jesus Tittyfucking Christ.

Fedor is next when he fights a man his own size.

[Edited on 4-23-2007 by GimmickMan]

Is anybody else fearing for Couture's life after seeing Gonzaga in that fight? Couture himself said that Gonzaga is a far worse matchup for him.

And as Joe Rogan said, somebody PLEASE kidnap Congo and take him to a wrestling camp for 6 months. The guy's standup is sick, and with even a semblance of a ground game could do wonders for the guy.

Bisping didn't disappoint. And Sinosic may be the best jobber evar. EVAR!!!

What did the five fingers say to the face?



SLAP!

quote:

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Originally posted by GatorBait
Is anybody else fearing for Couture's life after seeing Gonzaga in that fight? Couture himself said that Gonzaga is a far worse matchup for him.

---

quote:

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Fedor is next when he fights a man his own size.

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^^^^ What folby said.

I once doubted The Natural. Then, he wailed on Sylvia, and I became a True Believer.

That being said, I'm not counting Gonzaga out of anything. Even Randy noted that Gonzaga's got a good ground game to go along with his striking - making coming up with a strategy difficult.


As for Gonzaga-Cro Cop, I was surprised when Herb Dean stood them up. I thought Gonzaga was doing enough to keep things grounded. Yes, he slowed down some, but I thought he was still getting enough shots in to warrant not getting stood up. Apparently, Dean thought otherwise...


And with the Bisping fight, my brother and I were keeping our own scorecards. I had the first round at 10-8 Bisping, but my brother had it 10-7. I can't recall ever seeing a 10-7 round, unless it was due to a point being taken away. Have any of you guys seen a round scored 10-7?

Yeah, there was one a few months ago on a UFN. It was a decision win, a total domination and I believe one of the scorecards read 30-23 (10-8, 10-8, 10-7, I'd assume). I wanna say it was Forrest Petz vs. Sammy Morgan. (A quick check of the NSAC report tells me it was at the Aug. 17 UFN. It was scored 30-27 by Adalaide Byrd, 30-26 by Doc Hamilton and 30-23 by Marcos Rosales

But I think that was 10-8, tops in the Bisping fight.

As for the officiating, the stand-up in the main event was definitely too quick, but after the Arlovski fight that Dean had just officiated, can you blame him? But, for the first time since I've been a fan, I was actually yelling for a stand-up in the Silva-Kongo fight because Assueiro was doing nothing at all. We pretty much had the entire spectrum on this card.

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 70 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-8 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Gabriel Gonzaga
3) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3) Andrei Arlovski
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Mirko CroCop
6) Fabrico Werdum
7) Brandon Vera
8) Heath Herring

Would like to see in UFC: Emelianenko Fedor, Brock Lesnar, Josh Barnett, Mark Hunt (can he cut to 265?)

Light-Heavyweight - Chuck Liddell, Champion
1) Quinton Jackson
2) Rashad Evans
3) Keith Jardine
4) Lyoto Machida
5) Jason Lambert
6) Michael Bisping
7) Forrest Griffin
8) Tito Ortiz
9) Renato Sobral
10) Wilson Gouveia

Would like to see in UFC: Mauricio Shogun, Wanderlei Silva, Sokoudjou

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Nathan Marquardt
2) Yushin Okami
3) Rich Franklin
4) Ivan Salaverry
5) Marty Kampmann
6) Terry Martin
7) Mike Swick
8) Kendall Grove
9) Jason MacDonald
10) Chris Leben

Would like to see in UFC: Dan Henderson, Evan Tanner, Matt Lindland, Denis Kang, Robbie Lawler

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes
2) Georges St-Pierre
3) Josh Koscheck
4) Karo Parisyan
5) Diego Sanchez
6) Jon Fitch
7) Josh Burkman
8) Drew Fickett
9) Chris Lytle

Would like to see in UFC: Jake Shields, Nick Diaz

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) Hermes Franca
2) Joe Stevenson
3) BJ Penn/Jens Pulver
4) Spencer Fisher
5) Roger Huerta
6) Kenny Florian
7) Melvin Guillard
8) Frank Edgar
9) Tyson Griffin
10) Din Thomas

Would like to see in UFC: Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez, Tatsuya Kawajiri

The Biggest Money fight in the history of the sweet science.

I had it scored 115-114 Floyd


Links!!!

round 1
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wryc_oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-floyd-mayweathe

round 2
http://www.dailymotion.com/BoxerManiac/video/x1wsu0_oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-floyd-mayweathe

round 3
http://www.dailymotion.com/BoxerManiac/video/x1wtck_oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-floyd-mayweathe

round 4
http://www.dailymotion.com/BoxerManiac/video/x1wu25_oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-floyd-mayweathe

round 5
http://www.dailymotion.com/BoxerManiac/video/x1wua7_oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-floyd-mayweathe

round 6
http://www.dailymotion.com/BoxerManiac/video/x1wvay_oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-floyd-mayweathe

round 7,8,9
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wrph_hoya-vs-mayweather-rounds-79-part-3

round 9,10,11,12
www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wqlw_de-la-hoya-vs-mayweather-round-912

Story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/05/22/ultimate0528/index.html

Well, if he's not HIV positive, he's certainly on drugs:

http://www.mmahq.com/2007/05/10/tommy-morrison-vs-chuck-liddell/

quote:

---

Remember Chuck Liddell�s infamous appearance on that Texas morning news show? Yeah, the one where he appeared to be drugged but was just high on pain and cold medication? Well, remember how Chuck said he wanted to fight Tommy Morrison for his next fight? Looks like Tommy�s practicing� The World Fighting Championship announced today that Tommy Morrison will make his MMA debut on June 9 against 340lb. John Stover at the Cliff Castle Casino in Arizona. Personally, I doubt if this is anything more than a money-grab by Morrison and a promotional hype for the WFC.

May 10, 2007 - Tommy �The Duke� Morrison, one of the most intriguing boxers to even step into the squared circle, shocked the MMA world this week by announcing his intention to fight 340 lb. John Stover, an experienced cagefighter with 8 professional fights, on June 9, 2007 at the Cliff Castle Casino (www.cliffcastlecasino.net) in Arizona in Gino Carlucci�s World Fighting Championship (www.thewfc.com).

Morrison�s bombshell announcement comes over a decade after his previous bombshell announcement that rocked the boxing world that he had tested positive for AIDS. Morrison, however, has been symptom free for 10 years now and claims that he was the victim of a false positive test result. He recently started boxing again and was cleared to return to the ring by the West Virginia Athletic Commission after passing a battery of medical tests in Arizona, the results of which were forwarded to West Virginia.

Best known to the general public for his role as Tommy Gunn in Rocky V, Morrison was on top of the boxing world before a single test result in 1996 took it all away. But Morrison (46-3-1, 40 KOs) was no celluloid tiger and was a significant fighter and box office draw. George Foreman, for example, lost to only five fighters in his career and Morrison is one. Morrison also held a share of the heavyweight title on two occasions.

�I had just signed a three-fight deal with Don King,� Morrison recalls, �that was going to lead to showdown with Mike Tyson that was worth $38 million. My first fight was against Stormy Weathers in Las Vegas, but then came the test result and the fight was cancelled. I estimate that cost me around $100 million in fight purses over the past 10 years.�

Morrison was spurred to start cagefighting by an interview that Chuck Liddell gave on Good Morning Texas where Liddell called out Morrison and said he wanted to fight him. �I couldn�t believe that,� Morrison says. �It�s one thing to talk about fighting someone but another thing to actually do it. Let�s see if Chuck Liddell�s heart is as big as his mouth. He is crazy to want to get into the cage with me. I beat George Foreman. Nobody in the history of boxing hit harder than George Foreman. So why would I be afraid to get hit by Chuck Liddell? He should be the one to be afraid. Liddell has never been hit by anyone like me. Dana White always talks about how a top cagefighter like Liddell could beat a top boxer so here�s a chance to make it happen. I want to know if Liddell and Dana White really mean what they say or if they are just full of talk. I will take on Chuck Liddell anytime, anyplace, anywhere.�

Morrison�s first step in his mixed martial arts career will be followed and reported on around the world and �The Duke� is dead serious about his upcoming fight. �I�m really excited to be fighting in the WFC and I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me. If you want to see the future of mixed martial arts then come to the Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde Arizona on June 9, 2007�because that future is me.�

---

"On June 2 in L.A., Johnnie Morton, a former Detroit Lions receiver, and Brock Lesnar, a former NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ turned professional wrestling star, are fighting on a K-1 Dynamite card."


Johnnie Morton? Really??? Huh - I wonder how he'll fare...

I assume they mean fighting against other opponents, not each other.

Right?!?

Right - not against each other, just on the same card. According to the site, Morton faces Bernard Ackah, while Lesnar faces Hong Man Choi.

God, Johnnie Morton was bad at the end of his Lions tenure.

I hope he gets speedbagged.

Well, he at least looks like he's in shape:


I was reading another forum and found it funny. One guy (jokingly) said that Lesnar will have no problem with Choi (who is a legit 7'2" to Lesnar's 6'2") since he was able to F-5 The Big Show. And the part that REALLY made me chuckle was the next guy who predicted a Choi victory via Fame-Asser. Now try to tell me THAT mental image doesn't make ya chuckle a bit!

Choi was medically denied by the California State Athletic Commission today.

This event is a total gong show. FEG (the promoter) hasn't even secured a promoter's license yet. The Showtime part of the card from 9-10p is set to go, but the actual PPV from 10-1 is not looking good.

If Choi wasn't cleared, there's no fucking way Sakuraba is going to get cleared. I highly doubt the Sakuraba-Royce Gracie fight will happen.

Not to mention there will be 2,000 fans in a 90,000 seat stadium.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4006&zoneid;=13

Agree? Disagree? You decide.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)

#1 Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

3. Mirko Cro Cop

4. Josh Barnett

5. Randy Couture

6. Gabriel Gonzaga

7. Tim Sylvia

8. Andrei Arlovski

9. Fabricio Werdum

10. Aleksander Emelianenko

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)

#1 Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Chuck Liddell

2. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

3. Dan Henderson

4. Wanderlei Silva

5. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

6. Ricardo Arona

7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

8. Quinton Jackson

9. Tito Ortiz

10. Kazuhiro Nakamura

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)

#1 Middleweight Fighter in the World: Matt Lindland

2. Anderson Silva

3. Paulo Filho

4. Rich Franklin

5. Dan Henderson

6. Denis Kang

7. Nathan Marquardt

8. Robbie Lawler

9. Kazuo Misaki

10. Frank Trigg

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)

#1 Welterweight Fighter in the World: Matt Serra

2. Georges St. Pierre

3. Matt Hughes

4. Josh Koscheck

5. BJ Penn

6. Diego Sanchez

7. Karo Parisyan

8. Jon Fitch

9. Jake Shields

10. Akira Kikuchi

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (160 pounds and lower)

#1 Lightweight Fighter in the World: Takanori Gomi

2. Hayato Sakurai

3. Gilbert Melendez

4. Tatsuya Kawajiri

5. Shinya Aoki

6. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro

7. Joachim Hansen

8. Mitsuhiro Ishida

9. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

10. Sean Sherk



EDIT: More fightin' words from Mr. Morrison.

quote:

---

I think he [Chuck Liddell] must have had a double dose of cold medicine!� Morrison says. �I�ve never met the guy. He shouldn�t have done that. People are talking about it now. The thing people don�t understand is these UFC guys, if they�re going against another UFC guy, they�re probably pretty good, but a skilled boxer�Butterbean is putting guys in the f*cking hospital. And Butterbean in the boxing world is below mediocre, but in UFC he�s mowing through guys like a knife through hot butter. And (Ray) Mercer is making the transition, Mayweather�s talked about it, and I�m going to do it. Once fighters (boxers) start planting these f*ckers, that sport will go down the tubes in six months. You wait. It�s gonna happen, and we�re going to cash in on it before it happens and ride the waves and expose them.

---

Well, here we go.

All fighters made weight for UFC 71 and, after much deliberation, I'm going to pick Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to win the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship tomorrow night.

But with that, let me say this: This is about as close to a 50/50 UFC main event that we've had in a long time. Just going through in my head, the only other ones in the past two years that have been this hotly contested on paper have been Matt Hughes-Georges St-Pierre at UFC 65 and Matt Hughes-BJ Penn at UFC 63. Other than that, I can't think of another main event that has a lot of people on both sides confused about a possible outcome.

Over the past few days, I have become increasingly excited for this bout. Very few fights have me nervous the day before when listening to radio shows about it or reading columns about it.

Keeping with the theme of the past few months (and then some), I keep seeing this one ending abruptly and shockingly, much like CroCop-Gonzaga last month.

If you look at Rampage's losses, he really hasn't been one-punched, which is what Chuck has been doing lately.

His KO losses (three of six) have come mainly from knees (Wanderlei Silva x2, Mauricio Shogun), not punches. I don't really forsee Chuck throwing Chute Boxe thai knees.

On the other hand, if you look at Chuck's losses, all have come from ground-and-pound, more or less one of Rampage's strengths. If Rampage can wear him down and make it so Liddell doesn't have the energy to pop right back up, then Chuck is going to get GNP'd into next week and that's a fact.

If you look at the first fight between these two and the first Couture fight, they were nearly carbon copies of each other. Since Rampage, I think you could count the number of punches Chuck's opponents have landed on him on the ground on one hand. Nobody has been able to take him there.

But Rampage can.

Rampage in 1:53 by punches.

Finally PRIDE gets a bit of...well, pride back.

Last week I was thinking Chuck was goign to win. Yet last night I had a bad feeling in my gut about what was going to happen to Chuck. I wonder how mcu he has left in the tank at age 38.

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 71 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-8 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Gabriel Gonzaga (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Randy Couture)
2) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Next fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Heath Herring)
3) Andrei Arlovski
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Mirko CroCop
6) Fabrico Werdum
7) Brandon Vera
8) Heath Herring
9) Frank Mir

Dropped out: N/A
In the mix: Frank Mir

Light-Heavyweight - Quinton Jackson, Champion
1) Dan Henderson (Next Fight: TBA vs. Quinton Jackson)
2) Chuck Liddell
3) Rashad Evans (Next Fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Tito Ortiz)
4) Lyoto Machida
5) Jason Lambert
6) Keith Jardine
7) Michael Bisping
8) Forrest Griffin
9) Tito Ortiz
10) Wilson Gouveia

Dropped out: Renato Sobral
In the mix: Dan Henderson
Incoming? : Maurico Shogun, Wanderlei Silva, Houston Alexander

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Nathan Marquardt (Next Fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Anderson Silva)
2) Yushin Okami (Next Fight: UFC 72 in June vs. Rich Franklin)
3) Rich Franklin
4) Terry Martin
5) Marty Kampmann
6) Ivan Salaverry
7) Mike Swick
8) Kendall Grove
9) Jason MacDonald
10) Kalib Starnes

Dropped out: Chris Leben
In the mix: Kalib Starnes

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes (Next Fight: TBA vs. Matt Serra)
2) Georges St-Pierre (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Josh Koscheck)
3) Josh Koscheck
4) Karo Parisyan
5) Jon Fitch (Next Fight: UFC Fight Night 11 in June vs. Roan Carneiro)
6) Diego Sanchez
7) Josh Burkman
8) Drew Fickett
9) Chris Lytle
10) Jeff Joslin

Dropped out: N/A
In the mix: Jeff Joslin

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) Hermes Franca (Next Fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Sean Sherk)
2) Joe Stevenson (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Kurt Pelligrino)
3) BJ Penn/Jens Pulver
4) Spencer Fisher (Next Fight: UFC Fight Night 11 in June vs. Sam Stout)
5) Roger Huerta
6) Kenny Florian
7) Frank Edgar
8) Tyson Griffin
9) Din Thomas
10) Melvin Guillard

Dropped out: N/A
In the mix: N/A

most of those fights were weird. I think the ref stopped the lidell fight too quickly. I�ve watched it a dozen times now (downloaded the match, it was only 26mb!), and whilst lidell was �knocked out� by the time the ref stood over him (with his arm out on the canvas), the ref got there too quick for my liking. And 5 seconds later lidell was up and looking well annoyed. That�s probably the better thing about boxing, you have to really knock them out to stop the fight. That would have been a five count, and he'd get up and we'd at least get one round - I think in time they might have to amend the rules there to extend match time. In ufc, you just knock em down, and the ref stops it. Fair enough if Rampage had hit like 7 or 8 unanswered shots, but three? No fun.

I don�t know if I like this or not though. It all seems to be getting very dodgy. Its as if all these upsets are happening too co-incidentally, and setting up at least another years worth of fights. Think about the two top draws: Heavy weight, and light heavy weight titles:

Start of the year: Champ = Silva (or silvia, whatever). Possible opponents = nothing exciting, he�s already beaten everybody.

The fix: make Couture champ. Legend gets one last title run, opens up new matches with everyone the old champ beat, a big rematch, and a possible big name showdown with one of the PRIDE guys - he might not be the number one contender, but if Cro-cop only has 3 fights left before he retires, one of them should be against Couture.

The future: Cro Cop is awesome, but wants to retire next year. Bring him in, job him out, make people famous off him. Easy enough.

Light Heavyweight: Same problem. Iceman�s beaten everyone, Couture is tied to heavyweights, and lidell / Ortiz 4 won't draw like the third did.

Solution: new champ! Rampage can now fight Ortiz amongst others, and at the end of the year we get Rampage vs Lidell 3, where Lidell vows to retire if he can�t beat Rampage. Lidell retires for 6 months, like Couture did. And Foley. And Nash. And Hogan.



Its like UFC is being ran by an on-form Vince Mcmahon!!!

A few potential problems with this scenario...

1: Cro-Cop vs. Couture should be nice, but it loses most of its sizzle if Couture doesn't get by Gonzaga. Without the title, it's still a fight many would want to see, but it doesn't mean quite as much without the title.

2: Jackson over Liddell wasn't really an upset. As we all know, Jackson had previously beaten Chuck, and was expected by many to win.

3: Even had Liddell won, there's still a ton of opponents for him to face. Sure, if Tito can get by Evans (which I have the bad feeling Rashad's first loss is coming) and face Jackson, sure - it'd be better than another Chuck-Tito match.


That being said, I see your point, in that it almost seems like someone's actually writing a script. However, do you think the E's creative team would be this capable?

Somebody please fill me in because I haven't seen the fight announced anywhere: where is the info coming from that Tito will be fighting Rashad?!?

UFC 73 -Stacked

Supposedly, Tito said he was going to make Rashad his "nappy-headed ho."

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gobshite
most of those fights were weird. I think the ref stopped the lidell fight too quickly. I�ve watched it a dozen times now (downloaded the match, it was only 26mb!), and whilst lidell was �knocked out� by the time the ref stood over him (with his arm out on the canvas), the ref got there too quick for my liking. And 5 seconds later lidell was up and looking well annoyed. That�s probably the better thing about boxing, you have to really knock them out to stop the fight. That would have been a five count, and he'd get up and we'd at least get one round - I think in time they might have to amend the rules there to extend match time. In ufc, you just knock em down, and the ref stops it. Fair enough if Rampage had hit like 7 or 8 unanswered shots, but three? No fun.

---

I should've taken your pick, Gimmick. We were in Vegas for the fight, and I lost $140 to Lidell's loss. But I do agree, it was very 50/50. I definitely thought Rampage had a chance but that Lidell was going to take it to him. Ah well. Congrats to Rampage. He's probably just as good of a spokesperson for the sport as Lidell, but in a different way.

quote:

---

Also Chuck was clearly laid out cold, Rampage was landing shots on an unconsious man who wasn't defending himself. Stoppage was justified. Also stopping fights this way is safer, in boxing a fighter gets knocked down then gets an 8 count to recover. Then he gets hit more this is how brain damage occurs.

---

Arturo "Thunder" Gatti vs "Irish" Mickey Ward was one of the most excitng and memorable trilogies in boxing history. if you in any way shape or form a fight fan then you owe it to yourself to check it out

Highlights from Youtube!!!

Arturo Gatti vs Mickey Ward was one of the best trilogies in Boxing History. heres a look back.

Gatti vs. Ward 1 Highlights Rocky Style!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqxPRu-k2vI

fight 1 round 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIqRKLrjrWw

Round 9 round of the year 2002

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIun44xgYGo


Gatti vs Ward 2 Highlights Rocky Style!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjCu7z6Xzgo

Fight 2 round 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKntwgc-CBc

Gatti vs. Ward 3 Rd. 7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvvb5oYBrI4

Triology Highlights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TvS8m5ctBc

I LOVE THE GATTI/WARD TRILOGY!!!

And here's a very good article on Lesnar from Sherdog.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=7703

quote:

---

Using the antiquated body mass index provided by our good friends in Washington D.C., we can make absolutely certain of one fact: Brock Lesnar (Pictures) is a morbidly obese individual.

Fluctuating between 265-300 pounds, the former collegiate wrestling champion's body mass seems ridiculously disproportionate to his 6' 2" frame, more suited to perpetual rotation at a fast food drive-thru than any athletic endeavor.

That's the story on paper. In reality, Lesnar is a mammoth human being, layered in enough muscle to put Hasbro's sculpting department to shame.

Unlike most men of his dimensions, his physique is functional: as a high school senior, he amassed a 33-0 record on the mat; in 2000, he placed first in the NCAA Wrestling Championships; in four years of college, he lost five bouts and won 106.

He is, in short, a very scary man.

With a reputed mean streak and a deep-sea diver classification in the waters of grappling, Lesnar seemed a good fit for MMA, where hard-nosed wrestlers had dominated. Unfortunately, his graduation in 2000 ran parallel to a poor year for the sport, with limited exposure on television and weak crowds stateside.

Professional wrestling courted Lesnar � understandably eager to inflate the traditionally empty bank account of collegiate grapplers, he listened.

To the dismay of fight fans, Lesnar became a sentient action figure, competing in faux matches that had more in common with cartoons than professional sports. He traveled the world for three years, playing the Bearded Lady to Vince McMahon's P.T. Barnum, before realizing that he hated it, hated the schedule and hated the theatrics.

And then Lesnar simply quit.

There was the attempt at playing professional football, though no one since Vince Papale had managed to walk off the street and into the league. (Lesnar had never played college ball, making his NFL hopes suspect at best.) There were the lawsuits against WWE, which had hoped to tie up Lesnar in a no-compete clause through 2010. (He eventually extricated himself from the agreement.)

Nearing 30, Lesnar was approaching that valuable window of physical opportunity for a combat artist, where a career that starts at 35 is likely not going to be a career that lasts very long.

So it comes down to Saturday, where, after roughly one year of training, Lesnar will strap on four-ounce gloves and attempt to spike Min Soo Kim (Pictures) -- who, rumor has it, has replaced Hong-Man Choi in the "Dynamite USA!!" main event -- through the mat. No points are given for a pin, and no script is memorized before the party.

And with a win or a loss comes a realization: either we'll witness the beginning of a tyrannical heavyweight legacy, or we'll be shaking our head at yet another alleged tough guy who couldn't hack the peerless rigors of an MMA ring.

Is Lesnar the most credentialed wrestler to compete in the game? Not hardly. Kevin Jackson, Kenny Monday, and Matt Lindland (Pictures) all have Olympic medals in their display cases. Is he the most athletic? Doubtful. Egypt's Karam Ibrahim (Pictures) has more fast-twitch muscle fibers than an African safari.

But what Lesnar does have is the kind of complete physicality that anyone in any athletic pursuit should envy: despite his bulk, he's incredibly quick. (Using a highly complex mathematical formula, we can deduce that "speed + power" = "hospitalization.") And though strikes make greater demands on the cardiovascular system, Lesnar's lungs seem up to the challenge of oxygenating his considerable muscle mass.

There was a time when that was all a wrestler needed to dominate. Mark Coleman (Pictures), a fellow collegiate champion, came into the UFC in 1996 and ran roughshod over his opponents, to the point where you actually began pitying the next one; Kevin Randleman (Pictures) was a multi-time UFC champ because no one could reverse his positional control; and Randy Couture (Pictures) � well, hell, it's easier to recommend you read his forthcoming autobio for that story.

But because MMA's landscape is under consistent tectonic shift, wrestlers who remain wrestlers are no longer the buzz saws of the genre. Strikers learned how to defend a takedown, and promoters learned that the glorified dry-humping that some grapplers engaged in on the mats were anathema to fans.

If you're a wrestler, you'd better know how to punch. And if you're a puncher, you'd better know how to wrestle. That's the mandate for 2007.

We don't know if Lesnar can punch. We don't know if he can take a punch. (Though that bull neck shouldn't hurt the cause.) We don't know how formidable his ground striking is, and we don't know if he can defend submissions, or apply them.

The training is more than respectable: Lesnar started out spending time with Pat Miletich (Pictures), who is arguably the most effective coach in the game today, the same Miletich who took another farm boy in Matt Hughes (Pictures) and turned him into the most decorated welterweight of all time.

Greg Nelson then settled in as Lesnar's primary coach; his prot�g�, Sean Sherk (Pictures), became the UFC's lightweight champion.

The pedigree is impressive and indicates that Lesnar understands he's a ball of clay at this point, mostly potential and no real work of art. But how effective Kim is going to be in sculpting him remains to be seen.

Kim presents with a far different approach than what Lesnar had been training for in Choi, a gigantic South Korean kickboxer with a background in modified wrestling. An Olympic silver medal judoka during the 1996 Atlanta Games, Kim will happily engage Lesnar in the clinch.

In the wrestler's favor is the fact that Kim is, to put it mildly, a wet washcloth of an MMA fighter, with a 2-5 record and no significant wins to his credit. Against strikers, he's been knocked out four times. Against reformed pro wrestler Sean O'Haire, he pulled off a submission win. (O'Haire is 1-2 in the sport; Kim's other submission victim, Yoshihisa Yamamoto (Pictures), is 6-16.)

He's bulbous, with the physique of an athlete who enjoys his cheat meal on a daily, rather than weekly, basis. Completely ineffectual on his feet, he doesn't like being in the pocket: against Mighty Mo, he was positively bashful, keeping his distance before kissing canvas.

It's obvious that a fight between Lesnar and the unheralded South Korean won't pack the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but K-1, mindful of financial support from Asian TV networks, needs Kim's ethnicity. And Lesnar, being a debuting MMA athlete, needs to cut his teeth with a pillow fight rather than a gunfight.

But a punch to the face is a punch to the face, and Kim has the benefit of being a ring veteran.

The closest approximation to this bout in terms of experience and style is a 2004 clash between Olympic wrestler Rulon Gardner and judoka Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures). While Yoshida had logged plenty of time in the PRIDE ring, Gardner was making his MMA debut. The rookie battered Yoshida from ring post to ring post, laying heavy hands and imposing his will when it went to the ground. He won a decision.

Lesnar would certainly enjoy a similar outcome; beholden to the erratic and obtuse K-1 for only one bout, an impressive win would leave him open for generous offers from the UFC, Pro Elite, and other suitors. The elephant in the room is undoubtedly Kurt Angle, whose rivalry with Lesnar from their WWE days would make for explosive box office in a reality setting.

"I humbled him," Angle told Real Fighter magazine of their grappling contest behind closed doors. "Everybody knew who the man was."

Imagine that kind of talk from both men for months on end, and you can understand the kind of business a showdown would generate.

Future plans aside, the idea that a decorated wrestler with a desire to compete and the most complete athletic tools of any heavyweight fighter to date should be enough to bait observers into seeing what the "Next Big Thing" can do, regardless of their distaste for his prior vocation.

As for the outcome? Common sense gives the advantage to the bigger, stronger grappler, but that's the appeal of this bout: no one really knows what Lesnar has to offer. And that ignorance breeds a certain kind of suspense among fans, one that recalls the single-discipline ninjas and death-touch practitioners in the early days of the Octagon.

Lesnar may be turn out to be a mediocre mixed martial artist, but he possesses something that no amount of training, diet, or drills can teach: he's a charismatic presence that people will pay to see, an enigma that piques curiosity.

He is, in short, an attraction -- even if the FDA thinks he could drop a few pounds.

---

6/23/2007 World Extreme Cage Fighting makes it's debut on Versus.

http://www.versus.com/nw/article/view/33864/?tf=worldcagefighting.tpl&catID;=76

(LIVE) Urijah Faber vs. Chance Farrar
'The California Kid' Urijah Faber, 27-years-old, who holds a 18-1 record and is the current WEC Featherweight Champion takes on Chance Farrar (3-0) of San Diego in the Featherweight Title Fight. From the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Card subject to change.

HISTORY

World Extreme Cagefighting (www.wec.tv) is dedicated to delivering top-quality mixed martial arts action, with an eye toward delivering an unmatched product that fans simply can�t get enough of.

Founded in 2001, WEC quickly built a reputation as a quality organization, featuring hard-nosed fighters and no-nonsense matchups. Managed by Scott Adams and Reed Harris, the WEC sold out 22 of 24 cards.

A recently signed deal with VERSUS positions WEC as a major player in the MMA scene, with the cable network committed to airing three live fights and a half-dozen highlight shows, beginning this summer. These broadcasts will usher more fans into the fold than ever before, with fighters and fights that deliver a memorable bang, pitting the best against the best. WEC is poised to tap into the exploding growth of the sport by delivering the kind of fights that fans remember, and want to see again. There�s no soft touches. No filler fights. And no excuses. While the talent base in the sport continues to expand, the WEC is committed to finding tomorrow�s champions while putting today�s to the test. Because of our commitment to top-level action, you�ll see a commitment to showcasing fighters in lower weight classes like lightweight (155), featherweight (145), bantamweight (135) and more. And in the WEC, you can rest assured the deserving contenders will get their shot at a champ as soon as they�ve proven they�re worthy -- we will strive to uphold the highest ethics, integrity, and respect for the sport and in the process set the standard for others to follow.

And the talent? It�s there. The WEC already has a number of top fighters, including 155-lb. champ �Razor� Rob McCullough, a potent striker who has won 12 of his last 13, and recently knocked out world champion Thai Boxer Kit Cope in his latest defense. And the featherweight champ Urijah �The California Kid� Faber is emerging as one of the top 145-lb. fighters in the world, with a punishing ground-and-pound attack that defines high intensity. Welterweight sensation, Carlos Condit is considered one of the best Welterweight fighters in the nation. Throw in tough veterans like John Alessio, Alex Karalexis, and plenty of unbeaten young talent, and it�s clear that the WEC is setting the bar high. World Extreme Cafefighting -- the future of mixed martial arts. And the future is now.

Press Release

STAMFORD, Conn. (January 19, 2007) � VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition in all its forms, today announced a major partnership with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), which is owned by Zuffa, LLC. to televise the mixed martial arts league on VERSUS starting in the summer of 2007. As part of the initial coverage of WEC, VERSUS will air three live fights and six one-hour highlight shows.

The WEC brand is recognized as one of the best mixed martial arts organizations in the United States in its category and is owned by the premier organization in the sport. Founded in 2001, the WEC features many of the most prominent athletes in the sport of mixed martial arts today, including Urijah Faber, Rob McCullough, Alex Karalexis, Richard Crunkilton, and John Alessio. The WEC organization has produced 24 professional mixed martial arts events with an impressive 22 total sell-outs.

�This is a partnership that will propel VERSUS and the WEC to the top of the mixed martial arts world,� said Gavin Harvey, President of VERSUS. �With other full-contact, high-impact sports like the NHL and the PBR on the network, VERSUS is a place like none other for mixed martial arts. This genre fortifies the competitive core of the VERSUS brand�it�s in VERSUS� blood to bring real, pure and raw sports to our viewers�and we intend to be an aggressive leader in this category.�

�VERSUS is one of the top sports networks and World Extreme Cagefighting is the premier brand in the world of mixed martial arts, making this a perfect fit for both of us in 2007,� said Peter Dropick, Vice President of Operations & Production. "The WEC, much like the highly popular Ultimate Fighting Championship, will have tremendous success in putting on top quality mixed martial arts events. We�re proud to be a part of the VERSUS family, and viewers should get ready to witness some exciting competitive fights every time they tune in.�

�World Extreme Cagefighting will continue to put on the best fights in the world,� said Scott Adams, General Manager of WEC. �The fighters make the fight and we have the best talent in the nation in all of our weight divisions.�

MMA is a universal sport that combines techniques from a variety of combative sports disciplines including boxing, wrestling, judo, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing and others. MMA techniques can be broken down into two categories, striking and grappling. The types of strikes permitted include blows with hands, feet, knees or elbows. Grappling involves submissions, chokeholds, throws and takedowns. Nearly all techniques used in WEC competition are allowed by some form of Olympic sport. Today�s fighters are skilled in many martial arts, an aspect due in part to the evolution of the sport. No single discipline reigns.

�We are thrilled to be aligning with the company that has the number one position in the sport to bring the WEC franchise to our viewers,� said Marc Fein, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for VERSUS. �They organize great fights and they consistently deliver a huge television viewing audience. The WEC fights on VERSUS will feature the best fighters in the category in an extreme action environment and it�s the quality of the fights and fighters in the WEC that sets them apart from the competition.�

One of the fights that will be featured on VERSUS will take place on January 20 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas�the first ever Las Vegas fight card for the WEC. The fight will include two WEC Championship bouts featuring a main event matchup between Kit Cope vs. Razor �Rob� McCullough in a battle for the vacant WEC Lightweight title. In the other championship bout WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah �California Kid� Faber will defend his WEC Featherweight title. Details about future matchups as well as the announcing team will be released as details become available.

VERSUS (VERSUS.com) celebrates real competition in all its forms. The network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events like The Tour de France, the America's Cup, the Dakar Rally, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), Professional Boxing, the Boston Marathon and Davis Cup. Now in more than 70 million homes, the network features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can't find elsewhere. The network offers unique, competition-themed original programming and is the exclusive home of Survivor in syndication. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

Promotional Poster

[Edited on 6-1-2007 by Jheaton]

So Brock is fighting his first MMA fight and he's at a completey insane 265lbs. That is about 25lbs less then when we saw him in a wrestling ring. He's going to be so cut it will be scary. Hopefully he can take a punch, and destroys his opponent with ease.

Also on the card is Gracie vs Sakuraba, and Johnie Morton... yea the football player, vs some guy. Looks interesting.

from MMAWEEKLY.com

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. � K-1 made their U.S. mixed martial arts debut as they presented K-1 Dynamite!! USA, in conjunction with EliteXC at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.

In the main event, former WWE star Brock Lesner made his MMA debut against late replacement Min Soo Kim. Lesner immediately scored a takedown and mounted Kim, dropping several punches that forced Kim to tapout at 1:09 of the first round.

The most anticipated fight of the night was the rematch between Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba, who waged a classic ninety-minute war seven years ago. Both fighters received a huge reaction from the crowd as they made their way to the ring. The match would go the distance, but it wasn�t as compelling as the first time they meet. Both fighters were cautious throughout the fight as neither imposed their will on the other, although Gracie later commented, �The fight went exactly as we planned.�

The majority of the fight played out with both fighters clinched along the ropes, waiting for the other to make a mistake that neither fighter would end up making. In the end, Gracie was the aggressor throughout the majority of the fight and that swayed the judges in his favor, taking the fight by unanimous decision.

Brock's fight


I was let down since I expected Lesnar to rip an arm or two off.

What? No F-5?!?

I keeeeeeed! I keeeeeeed!

And Johnnie Morton (formerly of the Detroit Lions) got KTFO!

goddamit, I need to be in the loop more about this. I forgot that this fight was happening last weekend in LA until last night. I would've love to have seen Brock's debut and Morton getting Biff Tannen'd. Once a Detroit Lion, always a Detroit Lion, eh?

[Edited on 6-6-2007 by salmonjunkie]

Live fights on SpikeTV tomorrow!!!

[Edited on 6-11-2007 by LuckyLopez]

Wow, I'd have to say that this installment of UFC Fight Night, while not the strongest card on paper, totally delivered with a Fight of the Year Candidate between Spencer Fisher and Sam Stout.

Fisher took a unanimous decision victory and Stout's nicename should be changed from "Hands of Stone" to "Head of Stone" after that performance. That was pretty incredible.

And we have another great fight on SpikeTV is less than two weeks when Jens Pulver and BJ Penn square off again, but between that, we have UFC 72 on Tuesday.

Well, it didn't have footage of an exploding limo or a ten bell salute. But a Really good night of fights.

The main event was a lot of fun. I guess Spencer is back in the title contender picture. You could give Spencer and Stout another fight or two each and then have part three on PPV or you could have Spencer fight Joe Stevenson for a title shot. BJ vs Pulver is supposed to be for a title shot. But after that fight I would rather have BJ go back up to 170 and have thrid fight with Matt Hughes or a second fight with GSP. And I like to see Jens drop down to 145 and start the featherweight divison against someone (Bring in Uriah Fabber from WEC perhaps?)

Jon Fitch is a really fun fighter. Some wresters are boring who end up doing lay and pray but Fitch allways put on fun ground based fights.

I tuned in just as Stout/Fisher started, and I have to say that was an INTENSE fight. When Stout's corner guy said that he was winning every exchange, I chortled a bit, but... damn. It's a pity that it only went three rounds... I could've watched those two beat the hell out of each other for another half hour.

Sam Stout may have the best "chin" I've ever seen, because ANY of those dozens of punches Fisher hit him with would've KO'd a normal man. I'd love to see those 2 guys in a no-rounds go-until-it's-over bloodbath. Rogan was SOLID on commentary with calling how Fisher kept mixing EVERYTHING up. Stout had no idea what was coming next, but yet he still came forward the entire time.

Yes, I know UFC 72 went live at 3 pm this afternoon, but I am waiting for the 10 pm replay to watch with friends and thus have avoided results, even though I've friggin' clicked the "Sherdog" link on my bookmarks bar twice tonight out of habit. So, here are my predictions for the main card:

Rich Franklin def. Yushin Okami TKO Rd 3
--Honestly, I'm pulling this one out of my ass. I have no idea how this one will shake out. This should be a good fight, although I could see it going to a decision.

Forrest Griffin def. Hector Ramirez by Decision

Tyson Griffin def. Clay Guida Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Rd 2

Jason McDonald def. Rory Singer Submission (Triangle Choke) Rd 1

Ed Herman def. Scott Smith Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Rd 2

So we'll see how those work out for me.

Linkies..Get em' While there hot!!!

Marcus Davis vs.Jason Tann
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyn6pPedPKI

Ed Herman vs. Scott Smith:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRDf0yLxt1w&NR;=1

Jason MacDonald vs. Rory Singer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQrPc6Z7GUk

Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida:
Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmpbYB9SbJA
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTnWKxfgXos

Forrest Griffin vs. Hector Rameriz:
Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCprjLUj_KQ
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3ve-wGP4Y

Rich Franklin vs. Yushin Okami:
Part1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkxeDWpFLsA
part2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwnyYE_BbHM

Big post here:

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 71 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-8 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Gabriel Gonzaga (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Randy Couture)
2) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Next fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Heath Herring)
3) Andrei Arlovski
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Mirko CroCop
6) Fabrico Werdum
7) Brandon Vera
8) Heath Herring
9) Frank Mir

Dropped out: N/A
In the mix: Frank Mir

Light-Heavyweight - Quinton Jackson, Champion
1) Dan Henderson (Next Fight: TBA vs. Quinton Jackson)
2) Chuck Liddell
3) Rashad Evans (Next Fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Tito Ortiz)
4) Lyoto Machida
5) Jason Lambert
6) Keith Jardine
7) Forrest Griffin
8) Tito Ortiz
9) Michael Bisping
10) Wilson Gouveia

Dropped out: Renato Sobral
In the mix: Dan Henderson
Incoming? : Maurico Shogun, Wanderlei Silva, Houston Alexander

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Nathan Marquardt (Next Fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Anderson Silva)
2) Rich Franklin (Next Fight: TBA vs. Silva/Marquardt)
3) Terry Martin
4) Yushin Okami
5) Martin Kampmann
6) Ivan Salaverry
7) Jason MacDonald
8) Kendall Grove
9) Drew McFedries
10) Ed Herman

Dropped out: Mike Swick (mainly because he has announced intentions to move to 170lbs), Kalib Starnes
In the mix: Drew McFedries
Incoming?: Evan Tanner

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes (Next Fight: TBA vs. Matt Serra)
2) Georges St-Pierre (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Josh Koscheck)
3) Josh Koscheck
4) Karo Parisyan
5) Jon Fitch
6) Diego Sanchez
7) Josh Burkman
8) Drew Fickett
9) Chris Lytle
10) Jeff Joslin

Dropped out: N/A
In the mix: Jeff Joslin

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) Hermes Franca (Next Fight: UFC 73 in July vs. Sean Sherk)
2) Joe Stevenson (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Kurt Pelligrino)
3) BJ Penn/Jens Pulver
4) Spencer Fisher
5) Roger Huerta (Next Fight: TUF5 Finale Saturday vs. Doug Evans)
6) Kenny Florian
7) Frank Edgar
8) Tyson Griffin
9) Din Thomas
10) Clay Guida

Dropped out: Melvin Guillard
In the mix: Clay Guida
Incoming?: Sam Stout

-------------------------

This Saturday, we have The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale, LIVE at 9pm ET on SpikeTV.

Main event:
Jens Pulver vs. BJ Penn

Tournament Final:
Nate Diaz vs. Manny Gamburyan

Lightweight Bout:
Roger Huerta vs. Doug Evans

Middleweight Bout:
Thales Leites vs. Floyd Sword

Preliminary Bouts:
-Joe Lauzon vs. Brandon Melendez
-Gray Maynard vs. Robert Emerson
-Leonard Garcia vs. Allen Berube
-Cole Miller vs. Andy Wang
-Matt Wiman vs. Brian Geraghty

This will be a great night of fights.
----------------------------------
On Friday, EliteXC and Strikeforce present Judgment Day live on PPV.

-Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni
-Joey Villasenor vs. Falaniko Vitale
-Paul Buentello vs. Carter Williams
-Josh Thomson vs. Nick Gonzalez
-Cung Le vs. Tony Fryklund
-Paul Daley vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig (swing bout)

This, too, is going to be a great card. I would be buying this if I were home. I will be following it online for sure, though.

Predictions for both to come Friday...

Diaz/Gamburyan has to be the least compelling Finals match yet (mostly cause I don't count last season). Diaz just seems to wildly throw submission attempt after submission attempt out there, hoping to catch somebody in one of them while Gamburyan just tanks his way to a takedown, then grinds his buzzed head into any cuts that he may have opened on the other guy. I'm not entirely familiar on everyone in the 155 lbs weight class, but the really good guys there are going to absolutely handle either of those two.

Personally, I think that, especially since he's a Couture trained guy, that Gray Maynard will have the best shot at long term success in the UFC (don't even get me started on why Corey Hill won't last...he needs to bulk up to make it and there's very little chance he can do that and remain at 155, where he'd have success).

Corey Hill has a huge reach at 155 that will allow him use his jab and striking to win fights. Bulk up to go where though? 170? This isn't WWE where you need mass to get a push. He has a great advantage being over 6 feet tall in a division where many of fighters are 5'5" to 5'8".

Alos Diaz vs. Manny is a great match up. Nate like his older brother has pretty good boxing but is great on the ground. And he doesn't just wildly throw submission attempts out there. he attempts subs from his back and is very good at it.

On the other ahnd you have Manny who is strong as hell, with good wrestling and great judo. A great top player vs a great bottom player. Sounds like a great match up to me.

Plus you have the whole Diaz brothers vs. Armenian cousins angle. Jui-Jutsiu vs. Judo.

Hill has huge reach in the division, sure, but he lacks any sort of knockout power. His fight against Emerson was him tagging Emerson with punches and Emerson unwilling to move in closer because he feared getting hit by a knockout blow. But when Diaz went in, attempted take down after take down (and was kind of tossed away on the first few attempts), it became clear that Hill didn't have the ability to hurt Diaz. And I'm sure any experienced 155 lbs. fighter would see that and become less afraid to shoot in, take Hill down, and start pounding away at him (or throw him into a submission, which Diaz did easily).

Now I'm also sure that with the offers he got from Pulver and Horn to train with them will help him improve his ground game, but ultimately he needs to put some "oomph" behind those punches for that reach to help him. Otherwise, it's just a whole lot of arm for someone to throw in an armbar.

--Post Finale Edit:

Nate Diaz is now the least convincing winner of any professional sport ever. He gets his ass absolutely kicked for the first five minutes and wins because his opponent dislocates his own shoulder. On a side note, I'm sold on Manny Gamburyan, and after watching Gray Maynard, I'm even more sold on him (not to mention Joe Lauzon is probably the smartest fighter around).

[Edited on 6-24-2007 by nOOb]

BJ Penn looked very impressive last night.
If he comes in shape and doesn't get injured mid fight there are not to many fighters that I see BJ losing too.

Rankings...

Champ Randy Couture
1 Gabriel Gonzaga
2 Tim Sylvia
3 Brandon Vera
4 Andre Arlovski
5 Jake O'Brian
6 Frank Mir
7 Cheick Kongo
8 Mirko Cro Cop
9 Eddie Sanchez
10 Heath Herring

Comments: Cruz is gone so Heath debuts at #10. Couture is going to defend against Gonzaga next. Cro Cop and Kongo are rumored to face off as well. I'd like to see the winner of that going against Arlovski to be top contender while Bumbling idiot Big Tim is chaseing revenge against frank Mir for breaking his arm.

Champ Quinton Jackson
1 Chuck Liddell
2 Rashad Evans
3 Houston Alexander
4 Keith Jardine
5 Jason Lambert
6 Tito Ortiz
7 Michael Bisbing
8 Wilson Gouveia�
9 Forrest Griffen
10 Lyoto Maciado

Comments: Quinton debuts by taking the top spot from Chuck. Houston Alexander debuts by KO ing Jardin and claims the third spot. Rashad Evans is taking on Tito in an attempt to get that one step closer to the title while the cahp is going to be faceing off against Pride champ Dan Henderson. Interesting weight class where theres a bunch of guys who ahve fought and lost against each other. I'd like to see Alexander vs. forrest and Jardine vs. Jason Lambert with the winners facing off. Then you have a clear cut number guy ready to step up and challenger for the belt after Rampage vs Hollywood Dan and before Chuck and Rashad are ready for there title shots.

Champ Anderson Silva
1 Nate Marquardt
2 Rich Franklin
3 Yushin Okami�
4 Mike Swick
5 Jason Macdonald
6 Dean Lister
7 Travis Lutter
8 Kalib Starnes
9 Chris Leben
10 Kendal Grove

Rich Franklin secured his title shot with the winner of Marquet vs. Anderson. After those fights its interesting to see what happens as everyone else has either lost to the top four fighters or is jst on cusp of becoming a challenger.

Champ Matt Serra
1 George St. Pierre
2 Josh Koscheck
3 Matt Hughes
4 Diego Sanchez
5 Jon Fitch
6 Karo Parisian
7 Marcus Davis
8 Josh Burkman
9 Thiago Alves
10 Drew Ficket

Comments: Matt Hughes and Matt Serra are the next coaches on TUF and then fight for the title. GSP and Kosceck are going to be fighting for the nest shot in the up coming months. You also ahve up and comer Jon Fitch whos getting more and more ready for a shot and Karo who never get a shot. Marcus Davis also has a streak of 4 wins in a row.

Champ Sean Sherk
1 Joe Stevenson
2 Hermes Franca
2 Kenny Florian
4 Spencer Fisher
5 Joe Lauzon
6 Sam Stout
7 Frank Edgar
8 Tyson Griffin
9 Thiago Tavares�
10 Roger Huerta

Comments: The hardest weight class to rank. So many guys coming in and some many of them haven't fought each other. I really want to see some of the newcomers like Griffen, Huerta, Edgar and Guida fight some of the top guys like Fisher, Stout, Stevenson, and Florian

And likely to get his ass kicked, again. Sean O'Haire will be taking on Mark Kerr (who my parents went to HS with) on August 17th.

http://www.globalfightingchampionships.com/


In unrelated news, Matt Hamill will be fighting Michael Bisping at UFC 75. Now why exactly would they put two of their most promising undefeated talents in there together this early in their careers?!?

OK, I've been atching some of the UFC Fight Nights, and trying to get involved by watching soem stuff on youtube and I've decided that I'm ready to order my first UFC PPV. Only thing is, I want it to be a PPV worth ordering, because I plan on inviting all of my friends over and everything. So, with that in mind, I come here - I'm not sure when the next UFC PPV is, but when the next, really big kickass UFC PPV is scheduled, someone let me know. Because I'd like to get involved with all of the conversation around here about it.

This Saturday's (7/7/07) would not be a bad choice to make your first. You get 2 potentially awesome title fights in Marquardt/Silva (even though Silva should dominate) and Franca/Sherk (which has the potential to be a FOTY candidate). And the even better part about tha Sherk/Franca fight is that they're lightweights. While the lightweights don't typically hit as hard, they move a helluva lot quicker and make up for with speed what they often lack in brutality.

Additionally on the card there's a potentially AWESOME match between Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz. This match will finally tell us if Tito really is past his prime because Rashad can really bring it (not to mention he's undefeated). If you haven't already, find some footage on Tito. When he's on, he's absolutely devastating.

You also get a should-be-quality heavyweight fight between two PRIDErs in Heath Herring and Nogueira. And the "may not be broadcast" fights should provide some excellent filler with Nickels/Bonnar and Saraiva/Gurgel.


If that's not up to your taste, UFC 74 may provide you with the in-ring death of Randy Couture at the hands of Gabriel Gonzaga. Also on the card are what should be some dynamic fights between Josh Koscheck and GSP, & Pellegrino versus Joe "Daddy" Stevenson. (with more fights yet to be announced).

quote:

---

Originally posted by GatorBait
If that's not up to your taste, UFC 74 may provide you with the in-ring death of Randy Couture at the hands of Gabriel Gonzaga.

---

Oh, believe me, I'm not doubting Couture.

But Gonzaga is not the bumbling oaf that Sylvia is. Gonzaga nearly decapitated Cro-Cop with his own finishing move! That's pure humiliation!

MMA News and Notes:

-Phil Baroni tested positive for two types of anabolic steroids following his TKO loss to Frank Shamrock on June 22. He has been suspended for one year and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission. Baroni's management contends he did no such thing (of course).

-Although the first rumor was that Diego Sanchez would be facing off against PRIDE star Hayato "Mach" Sakurai at UFC 74 in August, it has been confirmed by Sherdog.com that Sanchez will instead face none other than BJ Penn on that card. With Penn seemingly giving up his title shot at 155, I would have to think that if Joe Stevenson wins his fight on the same card, he would be the No. 1 contender.

-Mauricio Shogun is said to be making his UFC debut at UFC 76 in Anaheim on Sept. 22. No opponent has been named yet and it's really tough to speculate at this point.

UFC 73: STACKED PREVIEW AND BREAKDOWN:

Middleweight Championship
Anderson Silva vs. Nathan Marquardt

This will be Silva first title defense and it will be interesting to see where this fight takes place. Silva, obviously, wants to keep it standing. If Marquardt becomes a bonehead and keeps it there, as well, he will be in for a long night.

Marquardt needs to take this to the ground. If he does, I can see him getting a rear naked choke victory.

With that being said, I'm going to go with Silva by TKO in the third round.

Lightweight Championship
Sean Sherk vs. Hermes Franca

Sherk will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon for his first title defense since winning the vacant title against Kenny Florian at UFC 64 in October.

It will be interesting to see what Franca's strategy is here. I doubt he'll be able to take Sherk down and I doubt he'll be able to stop Sherk's takedowns. Yes, he would submit him from the bottom, but I think Sherk is savvy enough to stay out of those.

Obviously, Sherk will want to unleash his ground and pound offense on Franca. Franca has some weird strikes that I'm sure Sherk will want to avoid. We'll see how this one goes, but I can see it being another fast-paced lightweight war.

One of two things will happen in this fight: Sherk will win by decision, or Franca will gas and Sherk will win by TKO in the third or fourth round.

Light-Heavyweight Bout
Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans

Tito Ortiz is coming off a TKO loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 66 while Rashad Evans is coming off a crushing KO win over Sean Salmon at UFC Fight Night in January.

This is an interesting bout. The winner of this fight could be Shogun's first opponent in a No. 1 Contender bout.

Despite his strong wrestling, I think Rashad will want to keep this standing. I have no idea what Tito has planned.

Essentially, these two are the same fighter style-wise - that's what makes this fight hard to predict.

Evans has improved by leaps and bounds each fight. Tito, on the other hand, hasn't finished anyone under 40 in five years.

Evans by TKO, Rd. 1

Heavyweight Bout
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Heath Herring

Another one of my man-crushes, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, makes his UFC debut against a man he already holds two wins over, Heath Herring.

Herring, in two UFC fights, hasn't exactly been impressive and I can't see this one going any other way than a win for Big Nog.

Nogueira by submission (rear naked choke) Rd. 3

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
This will be Silva first title defense and it will be interesting to see where this fight takes place. Silva, obviously, wants to keep it standing. If Marquardt becomes a bonehead and keeps it there, as well, he will be in for a long short night.

---

I would like to invite whoever to join my group on MMAPlayground.com, a free MMA fantasy game site.

You can make picks on cards and they give you a fantasy bankroll that you can bet against the actual odds on the fights. Seems pretty cool.

So, sign up and go here (http://www.mmaplayground.com/camps/liver-shot/) to join my group!

SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!

[Edited on 7-7-2007 by GimmickMan]

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 73 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-9 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Gabriel Gonzaga (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Randy Couture)
2) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3) Andrei Arlovski
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Mirko CroCop (Next Fight: UFC 75 vs. Cheick Kongo)
6) Fabrico Werdum
7) Brandon Vera
8) Heath Herring
9) Frank Mir

Light-Heavyweight - Quinton Jackson, Champion
1) Dan Henderson (Next Fight: Sept. 8 vs. Quinton Jackson)
2) Mauricio Rua (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Lyoto Machida)
3) Chuck Liddell (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. TBA)
4) Wanderlei Silva
5) Rashad Evans (Next Fight: UFC 77 in October vs. Tito Ortiz)
6) Lyoto Machida
7) Jason Lambert
8) Tito Ortiz
9) Forrest Griffin
10) Michael Bisping

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Rich Franklin (Next Fight: UFC 77 in October vs. Anderson Silva)
2) Terry Martin
3) Nathan Marquardt
4) Yushin Okami
5) Martin Kampmann
6) Ivan Salaverry
7) Jason MacDonald
8) Kendall Grove (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Patrick Cot�)
9) Drew McFedries
10) Ed Herman

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes (Next Fight: UFC 79 in December vs. Matt Serra)
2) Georges St-Pierre (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Josh Koscheck)
3) Josh Koscheck
4) Karo Parisyan
5) Jon Fitch (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Diego Sanchez)
6) Diego Sanchez
7) Josh Burkman
8) Chris Lytle
9) Drew Fickett
10) Jeff Joslin

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) BJ Penn (Next Fight: UFC 78 in November vs. Sean Sherk)
2) Joe Stevenson (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Kurt Pelligrino)
3) Spencer Fisher (Next Fight: UFC Fight Night in Sept. vs. Din Thomas)
4) Roger Huerta (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. TBA)
5) Din Thomas
6) Kenny Florian
7) Frank Edgar
8) Tyson Griffin
9) Clay Guida (Next Fight: UFC 74 in August vs. Marcus Auerilo)
10) Hermes Franca

[Edited on 7-13-2007 by GimmickMan]

So i'm reading that Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva have a verbal agreement to fight at UFC 76. I knkow to wait till the ink is dry, but I would pay 20 bucks for that fight alone.

Well, Wanderlei Silva has "pulled out" of his scheduled main event at UFC 76 against Chuck Liddell.

This fucks the UFC over because it leaves them without a true main event and all the other top 205-pounders are committed to another fight.

So, instead of matching Liddell up against Forrest Griffin, which, from a drawing standpoint would be worthy of a main event, they call up Keith Jardine, who is fresh off being KTFO'd by an old man with seven professional fights.

Hoo-rah.

Wow...really? I mean, I know Chuck just lost to a guy that they expected him to revenge his previous loss against, but this fight makes it seem like they're saying Liddel somehow "lost" it and they're giving him this fight to make him look legitimate again. As much as I may dislike the "stand and fight followed by a vicious ground and pound" fighting style, I can never really say Liddel has lost "it". Of course, Jardine beats him, then maybe they look a bit smarter for this fight...

Don't slight Jardine for that one loss. Sure, it was a brutal loss, but you expect one or two of those when you're basically a standup fighter. Liddell is the same way. I look for Liddell to win decisively, but Jardine will at least make it fun to watch somebody throw the leather with Liddell.

Edit: UFC 75 to be Free-per-view on Spike!

LINK

[Edited on 7-18-2007 by GatorBait]

Well, Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca have tested positive for various steroids, according to The Jordan Breen Show on the Sherdog Radio Network. They are citing an MMAWeekly.com report. Right now I can't get to MMAWeekly.

Personally, I get the feeling that Sherk's might be a false-positive (or from tainted supplements) while Franca has already issued a statement admitting to use because of an ankle injury.

If Sherk's test does hold up, expect him to be stripped of the Lightweight Title, per UFC history.

It would be most unfortunate.

Frank Mir should not be in any top 10. Plain and simple. He has lost two of his last three in brutal fashion and barely escaped a decision vs a lesser fighter in the lone win.

If it were an MMA top-10, I'd agree. He's not in the top-25 worldwide, but in the UFC he is top-10 and, really, in that division, that doesn't mean much and I'm hesitant to rank Cheick Kongo in the top-10.

All the talk of Butterbean in the wrestling forum got me thinking about the last Pride show where he subbed that other guy. I mean, he's Butterbean! He beat a guy by submission! It's nuts!

I guess what I'm trying to say is this thread has fallen too far. Gimmick, what are you most looking forward to in MMA? Is Wanderlai Silva totally broken, or do you think he can do some damage in the UFC? If he is broken, is he broken enough for Rampage to beat him? Do you think that they'll be able to find Rich Franklin's head after Anderson Silva takes it off?

And last, but not least: How do you see Randy vs. Gonzaga going down? I know we all learned that you're never supposed to pick against Captain America, but I don't know...

quote:

---

Originally posted by folby
I guess what I'm trying to say is this thread has fallen too far. Gimmick, what are you most looking forward to in MMA? Is Wanderlai Silva totally broken, or do you think he can do some damage in the UFC? If he is broken, is he broken enough for Rampage to beat him? Do you think that they'll be able to find Rich Franklin's head after Anderson Silva takes it off?

And last, but not least: How do you see Randy vs. Gonzaga going down? I know we all learned that you're never supposed to pick against Captain America, but I don't know...

---

I hate to say it, cause I have a massive man-crush on Couture, but Gonzaga is going to destroy him.

By the way, anyone in the Seattle area want to see the show at my place, drop me a line. Hopefully Comcast will have it in HD over here.

Wandy to the UFC!!!!

The Global Fighting Championships debut card was canceled an hour before showtime on Friday. This was of note to me because Sean O'Haire was to fight Mark Kerr (who went to high school with my parents). From Meltzer:

quote:

---

The debut show of Wayne DeMilia's Global Fighting Championships scheduled for tonight at the Mohegan Sun Casino was canceled one hour before the 8 p.m. start time.

It was announced the show was canceled due to not having enough matches. Multiple fighters, including headliner Mark Kerr, failed to pass their medical testing yesterday and at last minute, the promotion was unable to get replacements.

Kerr was scheduled to face Sean O'Haire in the main event. It had been rumored Kerr was nearly 300 pounds going into the fight. His weight yesterday at weigh-ins was 289.5 pounds, and after weigh-ins, he was not allowed to fight due to high blood pressure.

Edwin Dewees, who had to cut significant weight because he came in heavy, after cutting, failed to pass his testing as well believed to be from high blood pressure. Dewees weighed 193 pounds for a fight contracted at 185, and was given two hours to make weight. He came less than a pound from making it.

---

Gator: You're a moron.

The weigh-ins just concluded, here are the results:

HW: Champion Randy Couture (228.5 lbs.) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (252 lbs.)
LW: Alberto Crane (155 lbs.) vs. Roger Huerta (155 lbs.)
WW: Georges St. Pierre (170 lbs.) vs. Josh Koscheck (170 lbs.)
LW: Joe Stevenson (155 lbs.) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (155 lbs.)
MW: Patrick Cote (184.5 lbs.) vs. Kendall Grove (184 lbs.)
MW: Ryan Jensen (185 lbs.) vs. Thales Leites (188 lbs.)
LH: David Heath (205 lbs.) vs. Renato �Babalu� Sobral (204 lbs.)
HW: Antoni Hardonk (244 lbs.) vs. Frank Mir (255 lbs.)
LW: Marcus Aurelio (155 lbs.) vs. Clay Guida (155 lbs.)

Thales Leites has two hours to drop two pounds to make weight.

Also of note, Gabriel Gonzaga is coming into this fight 10 POUNDS heavier than he did when he defeated Mirko CroCop in April, which I find very interesting.

To me, it says he plans to take Couture down and wants some more weight to put down on him. Either way, I don't think he's been that heavy in any of his fights. (He weighed in at 255 in UFC debut, but had a personal situation going in, 244 for his next fight and 244 again for his next fight.)

So, WHO YA GOT?

Gimmick: Based on your rankings and opinions, I have Gonzaga -120 Saturday night. Good bet or does the weight gain concern you?

And do you see any other sleepers?

[Edited on 8-25-2007 by Attitude Adjuster]

I honestly have no idea what to think of the weight gain. I'm very surprised by it. The only other time Gonzaga came in that heavy is when he couldn't train the last few weeks before his fight with Kevin Jordan because his wife had to give birth prematurely to twins, one of which died. So is he hiding an injury that has caused him to not train properly? Or is it a strategic ploy in that he plans to take Couture down and impose that extra weight on Couture?

So like I said, I'm not positive, but betting on Gonzaga is not a bad thing here. But like I said, if the weight gain is anything but strategy, I would be concerned.

As for some good 'dogs, I'm looking at the lines on Bodog and the one that stands out to me is Josh Koscheck at +200. The lines on the other fights I would consider close are too close to make an underdog bet on.

Koscheck +220 over St. Pierre it is. I've heard good things about Koscheck at other places. We'll see how it goes.

Holy shit.

Randy Couture is STILL the UFC Heavyweight Champion! He absolutely OWNED Gabriel Gonzaga, pounding him out with a 3rd round TKO. Randy got hit with some hard shots and ate Gonzaga's RHK and then took him down and pounded him out.

Randy stunned Gonzaga twice in the opening seconds, as did Gonzaga.

The real turning point was in the first round when Randy corralled Gonzaga and got a violent takedown which busted open and broke Gonzaga's nose. After this, to me, Gonzaga's will was all but broke.

Gonzaga had the fight stopped in the second round, complaining he couldn't see, so they cleaned out the cut. If you complain you can't see, the fight should be stopped (just my opinion, you shouldn't be able to complain and then be cleaned out during the round). Then Gonzaga was deducted a point for grabbing the fence (no warning -- thank God, it's about time!).

Just an incredible event. Patrick Cot� TKO's Kendall Grove, Joe Stevenson beats Kurt Pellegrino and Georges St-Pierre runs over Josh Koscheck, although two of the judges gave one round to Koscheck. GSP totally ran him over.

Roger Huerta put on another exciting fight, defeating Alberto Crane by 3rd round TKO. A great ground war and another great 155-lb fight.

Just a great, great night of fights. Every Couture fight is becoming a big, big event. I was at Hooters and the place was off the hook (lead by me, I think) for Randy.

Just wow.

I'll be back with my updated rankings tomorrow.

Only caught half the card, but that was a great show. Randy is the fucking man. Very early in he did a very subtle trip on Gonzaga that showed how ahead he is in experience and technique. Plus he completely rocked Gonzaga with a hard but short punch that looked brutal as all hell. I've only seen a little bit of Randy, but he's my fucking hero for crushing these guys in every aspect of the game. Plus I kinda hate Gonzaga for what he did to my man crush, Cro Cop. And I agree about the 'I can't see' bullshit that was pulled by Gonzaga. I didn't know you could do that in a fight and I was surprised the ref let him... it seemed he was just trying to buy some time and figure out what to do.

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 74 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-9 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2) Brandon Vera (Next Fight: UFC 77 vs. Tim Sylvia)
3) Andrei Arlovski
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Gabriel Gonzaga
6) Mirko CroCop (Next Fight: UFC 75 vs. Cheick Kongo)
7) Fabrico Werdum
8) Frank Mir
9) Heath Herring

Light-Heavyweight - Quinton Jackson, Champion
1) Dan Henderson (Next Fight: Sept. 8 vs. Quinton Jackson)
2) Mauricio Rua (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Forrest Griffin)
3) Chuck Liddell (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Keith Jardine)
4) Wanderlei Silva (Next Fight: UFC 79 in Dec. vs. TBA)
5) Kazuhiro Nakamura (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Lyoto Machida)
6) Rashad Evans (Next Fight: TBA vs. Tito Ortiz)
7) Lyoto Machida
8) Jason Lambert
9) Tito Ortiz
10) Michael Bisping

Notes: I had a hard time ranking the incoming Nakamura. I went with where I did because, even though he's 11-6, here are his losses: Shogun, Barnett, Wanderlei, Hendo, Rogerio x2).

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Rich Franklin (Next Fight: UFC 77 in October vs. Anderson Silva)
2) Terry Martin (Next Fight: UFC Fight Night in Sept. vs. Chris Leben)
3) Nathan Marquardt
4) Yushin Okami (Next Fight: UFC 77 in October vs. Jason MacDonald)
5) Jason MacDonald
6) Martin Kampmann
7) Ivan Salaverry
8) Thales Leites
9) Drew McFedries
10) Ed Herman

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes (Next Fight: UFC 79 in December vs. Matt Serra)
2) Georges St-Pierre (Next Fight: TBA vs. Welterweight Champion)
3) Karo Parisyan (Next Fight: UFC 78 in Nov. vs. TBA)
4) Jon Fitch (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Diego Sanchez)
5) Josh Koscheck
6) Diego Sanchez
7) Josh Burkman (Next Fight: UFC 77 in Oct. vs. TBA)
8) Chris Lytle
9) Drew Fickett
10) Marcus Davis

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) BJ Penn (Next Fight: UFC 78 in November vs. TBA)
2) Joe Stevenson
3) Spencer Fisher
4) Roger Huerta
5) Din Thomas (Next Fight: UFC Fight Night in Sept. vs. Kenny Florian)
6) Kenny Florian
7) Frank Edgar
8) Tyson Griffin (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Thiago Tavares)
9) Clay Guida
10) Kurt Pellegrino

Great, Great UFC...

Apperently Babalu is having his purse withheld.
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/blog/box_experts/post/-quot-Babalu-s-quot-purse-withheld?urn=box,42967

I think the second round of Couture/Gonzaga was a 10-8 round. That was just Randy laying a whooping on the man. Its amazing that Randy is preforming at this level.

I think Kenddal Grove was kind out from the big punch from Cote that dropped him. I didn't see him offer up any sort of mount defence.

Roger Huerta is just and another in a long line of Mexican Warriors. You can see why Dana White wants to make him the UFC's version of Oscar De La Hoya.

Stevenson put on another good display in his fight. I'd like to see Joe Daddy fight the winner of Kenflo/Din Thomas either for a number 1 contender spot or the belt if sherk vacates.

The second round of the title fight WAS a 10-8 round because Herb Dean deducted a point from Gonzaga for holding the fence.

Kudos to Couture for proving me completely wrong. Not to say that Couture wouldn't have still won, but I'd be interested to see how that fight would've panned out had Gonzaga not had his nose busted. It's one thing to be conditioned for 10 rounds as Gonzaga claimed to be, but that goes out the window if you're forced to constantly breathe through your mouth.

I think the extra weight on Gonzaga was strategy. Probably his knowing about Couture's Greco-Roman background and wanting to make it harder for Randy to throw him. Not a bad strategy at all, if you ask me (which you didn't). Gonzaga's still a young guy. If Couture can be "the man" with a 16-8 record, then I think Gonzaga's career is FAR from over.

As for the other fights, I was sad to see Grove taken out so quickly. Cote is such as 1-dimensional fighter, but that was all he needed Saturday night.

I'm officially on the Huerta bandwagon. Crane is a world-champion at BJJ, and Huerta just worked him and escaped from everything Crane threw his way. Huerta is far far more versatile that I had realized. He should be the Lightweight champ in no time.

Also on the lightweight side of things, Joe Daddy Stevenson continues to impress since dropping in weight. The fucker even threw a german suplex! I'll try to find a clip of it. Stevenson/Huerta is a money match in the lightweight division.

I'm fully convinced that when GSP is motivated, he's unbeatable. He was out-wrestling the wrestler in Koscheck. He was beating him to the punch. Just completely fucking worked him. Whichever of the 2 judges who gave a round to Kos need to have their licenses revoked.

And does anybody know who's blood was painted all over the mat from an earlier fight?

That blood belonged to David Heath.

My thoughts on Randy Couture:

http://statenews.com/index.php/article/2007/08/about_ufc

Roger Huerta = Smartest guy in UFC.
I watched the show with the usual crowd and someone picked up on him watching the big screens to deliver those elbows even before the announcers caught it.

Amazing!

That really was smart and hilarious. Other than Randy's win, that was my favorite moment of the card. It was so obvious, you could see it in his eyes. What a great maneuver.

I wonder if we're going to see people doing that now. You always see people looking to the board for the time, but never to find out where their opponent was positioned.

It's also good to know that Huerta is smart enough to figure out that everything is opposite on the screen.

And was I seeing things, or did it seem like Huerta was humping Crane's head at one point?!?

I finally got around to watching the title fight with Gonazaga and I'm in awe of how smart Randy fights. There wasn't more than 10 or 15 seconds at a time where he wasn't holding Gonzaga in the clinch and pressing him against the fence, rendering his reach and powerful shots moot. Much like Tim Sylvia, Gonzaga simply had no answers for the questions Couture presented. He's a phenomenal athlete and an incredible fighter. If he fights Fedor, whoever wins is unquestionably the greatest fighter to this point in the history of the sport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_xZvj3sIV0

I don't know how long this link will last, but the German suplex is around 30 seconds and again in slow motion a little after a minute into the video.

Thanks for finding it, rk!

I marked out like a little bitch when I saw it, even though I'm not much of a Joe Daddy fan. (I was really pulling for Luke Cummo to pull the upset in the TUF finale.)

Couture broke his arm blocking Gonzaga's high kick.

quote:

---

AM UPDATE � AUGUST 27


What�s happening in the world of mixed martial arts now �

By Loretta Hunt ([email protected]) and Brian Knapp

COUTURE BREAKS ARM

Even Superman feels it from time to time.

Following yet another feather-in-his-cap performance Saturday at UFC 74 in Las Vegas, real life superhero Randy Couture (16-8), was informed Sunday by doctors that he�d broken his arm during his third round TKO stoppage of Gabriel Gonzaga (8-2).

Couture, 44, sustained the injury Saturday blocking a Gonzaga right high kick with his left forearm, cleanly separating the ulna bone with a �nightstick fracture,� a break common in law enforcement circles. The injury placed the UFC heavyweight champion�s arm in a splint for six weeks. The appendage will not need a cast.

�It�s not displaced, so the doctors think it will reattach in about a week and a half,� said Couture, who embarks on a South African adventure to shoot a leading role in major motion picture �The Scorpion King � The Akkadian� in nearly six weeks. It is believed the injury will not effect Couture�s shooting schedule.

---

Dana White, as usual, has done the right thing and released Babalu from his UFC contract.

THANK YOU DANA.

http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/30/renato-babalu-sobral-cut-from-ufc-contract

�The Scorpion King � The Akkadian�?

Taking over for The Rock? Now those are big shoes to fill for any athlete crossing over into film.

It says that he's in a leading role - I was thinking that Randy might be the bad guy. Who knows, though?



And good riddance, Baby-Lu! I think you taught Heath some respect by totally dominating him. Now, I'm sure the guy (as well as the rest of us) has lost any respect for you that he had left.



EDIT: I looked on IMDB, and there's nothing listed for a new Scorpion King film, but there are two films with Randy coming out next year - "Redbelt" and "Big Stan" - the latter also has Don Frye and Bob Sapp.

Yes - he's the bad guy.

quote:

---

�It�s my first lead in a feature film,� Couture told UFCjunkie.com. �I�m playing the Rock�s nemesis, but it�s a teenage Rock in this movie. It�s a prequel to the others, and I�m the bad warrior king. I leave Oct. 3 for South Africa to begin shooting.�

---

Note: I do my ranking a little bit different than Gatorbait. My ranking are based on accomplishment inside the UFC. I don't give guys who coming into the UFC with a lot of hype or a lot of crediblity from fighting in Pride (which is why I feel that at this moment Frank Mir is more deserving of a title shot than Big Nog, if Nog wants that spot beat him for it). I don't rank guys based on talent (which is why BJ Penn isn't ranked) only who they beat. Guys go up and down the ranking based on who they beat. (An exception to this rule is when a #1 contender loses to the champ he drops with out losing to the guys below him). Also when some one leaves the UFC ( or gets a drug related suspension) they lose there spot and thea created a vacantcy. Finally some times I will movea figter based on inactivity and/or another fighters activity. basically you have to defend you spot or someone who fights more will get it. On a side note I will on occasion give a former champion a higher ranking than an unproven commodity in a close situation.

Heavyweight

Champ Randy Couture
1 Tim Sylvia
2 Brandon Vera
3 Andre Arlovski
4 Gabriel Gonzaga
5 Jake O'Brian
6 Frank Mir
7 Cheick Kongo
8 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
9 Mirko Cro Cop
10 Eddie Sanchez

comments: Nog Debuts at #8. Gonzaga falls to #4. No real clear cut contender at the moment but Vera and Big Tim will be fighting to settle that while Randy recovers and makes movies. Frank Mir still hanging around trying to get a rematch for the belt he never lost, he's now 2 for 4 in his comeback.

Lightheavyweight

Champ Quinton Jackson
1 Chuck Liddell
2 Rashad Evans
3 Houston Alexander
4 Keith Jardine
5 Jason Lambert
6 Tito Ortiz
7 Michael Bisbing
8 Wilson Gouveia�
9 Forrest Griffen
10 Lyoto Maciado

Comments: Quinton debuts by beaing the Champ. Next for him is Dan Henderson. Lots of new blood incoming with Shogun and Kazuhiro Nakamura.

Middleweight

Champ Anderson Silva
1 Rich Franklin
2 Yushin Okami�
3 Mike Swick
4 Nate Marquardt
5 Jason Macdonald
6 Dean Lister
7 Travis Lutter
8 Kalib Starnes
9 Chris Leben
10 Patrick Cote

Comments: Anderson Silva still looking strong by knocking Nate the great down to fourth. Rich Franklin earns the #1 spot by beating Okami. Cote Debuts at # 10 by knocking out Kenndal Grove.
Just missing the top ten cut are Kendal Grove, Martin Kampmann, Ed Herman
and Thales Leites. All up and comers who could be contenders to the King but need that big win.

Welterweight:
Champ Matt Serra
1 George St. Pierre
2 Matt Hughes
3 Josh Koscheck
4 Diego Sanchez
5 Jon Fitch
6 Karo Parisian
7 Marcus Davis
8 Josh Burkman
9 Thiago Alves
10 Drew Ficket

Comments: Possibly the deepest divison in the UFC. GSP secures his position as #1 Contender by dominating GSP.

Lightweight:

Champ Sean Sherk
1 Joe Stevenson
2 Kenny Florian
2 Spencer Fisher
4 Joe Lauzon
5 Frank Edgar
6 Sam Stout
7 Tyson Griffin
8 Thiago Tavares�
9 Roger Huerta
10 Din Thomas

Comments:

Sherks Championship status is still pending his Appeal of the PED charge.
Din Thomas and Kenny Florian are both on winning streaks and are going to collide with the winner being a top contender to the title. Joe Stevenson is stillw aiting for his shot and BJ Penn may or may not show up here again.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
That blood belonged to David Heath.

---

Tonight on Versus 9e/8c

Richard Crunkilton Jr. Vs. Rob McCullough

Rani Yahya Vs. Chase Beebe

Then on Spike its Countdown to UFC 75 at 11e/10c


Then on Saturday its UFC 75 Champion vs. Champion 9e/10c live on Spike TV

Featuring

Quinton Jackson Vs. Dan Henderson
Matt Hamill Vs. Michael Bisping
Mirko Cro Cop Vs. Cheick Kongo
Houston Alexander Vs. Alessio Sakara

LIGHTS OUT RADIO PRESENTS UFC 75: CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION PREVIEW!

We go over all the main card bouts at UFC 75 with analysis, predictions and random conversation about some UFC issues.

http://lightsoutradio.thetvtimeout.com

So, please, I beg you, check us out. Spread it to your friends. Send us questions! Post some feedback!

I promise...

IT WILL BE A GOOD ONE!

I keep going back and forth on whether or not Hendo can do it. I think Team Quest is probably the best fight team to ever exist, but the two people I think would help Hendo the most here have moved on. Is Dan a smart enough fighter to rely on his wrestling?

If Dan Henderson could fight that fight with his own right hand but everything else from Matt Lindland, I think he'd take it no problem. As it stands...I think he might decide to stand and bang with Rampage and Page might get the better of him there.

I, too, have been wavering on the main event.

Now, I've pretty much settled into thinking that I've seen Henderson sucking air after 10 minutes too often. I say Rampage takes a decision or a TKO in the fifth round.

So we'll see.

quote:

---

Originally posted by folby
I keep going back and forth on whether or not Hendo can do it. I think Team Quest is probably the best fight team to ever exist, but the two people I think would help Hendo the most here have moved on. Is Dan a smart enough fighter to rely on his wrestling?

If Dan Henderson could fight that fight with his own right hand but everything else from Matt Lindland, I think he'd take it no problem. As it stands...I think he might decide to stand and bang with Rampage and Page might get the better of him there.

---

Here is how I see the matches going down:

Rampage winning before the 4th round. Henderson outstruck Wanderlei and that makes him AWESOME in my book, but Rampage is a freaking monster, younger, faster, and driven. That counts for a lot and I think he's going to pound out a victory before the 4th. I would not be surprised or sad if Henderson wins, but either way, i don't see this being a 5 round decision.

Hamill vs Bisping: I am hoping to see Hamill win. Bisping gets a little overzealous in the ring in front of his home crowd and he got absolutely rocked the last time and was only saved bc the opponent didn't capitalize well enough. Hamill is a machine and just seems more focused/dedicated. Either way, I am going to be satisfied with this fight.

Cro Cop vs Kongo: Cro Cop has something to prove, NEEDS a decisive victory, and has finally started training with elbows and a cage. Kongo is dangerous, but the edge definitely goes to the one man highlight reel.


Alexander/Sakara: I'm almost betting that this will be the KO/TKO of the evening with Alexander doing exactly what he did to the Dean of Mean. I see Alexander simply overwhelming Sakara and taking it to a 1 round highlight reel fight.

The funny thing is that those 4 fights, imho, make this a much better card than the upcoming UFC76....and this one is FREEEEEEE.

That said, i'm wanting to see Lidell destroy Keith Jardine. I don't even see that as an even or decent matchup and i'm not sure why it's headlining a PPV. Well, other than it's Lidell. I love his fights, so who knows.

1) Cro cop looked like shit and I think he's pretty much done as a fighter at this point. You were pretty fun for a while Mirko, thanks. (You can go home now.)

2) Anyone who gave that fight to Bisping is a fucking limey sympathizer bullshit addict. Hamill had that won, plain and simple.

3) Rampage surprised me, in a good way. Hendo took that fight where he needed to, relying on his wrestling, and Rampage still beat him. And Rampage has jiu jitsu! Can anyone stop this man? It was a decisive win for the LHW champ, and I was happy to see it.

So alexander starts off with a HUGE bang and that match was simply exciting. I'm glad I got that right and i can't wait till he's against lidell or tito or heck, any of the top 205 lb people, there are quite a few.

Marcus davis got rocked with a beautiful kick...and turns around and wins, how freaking awesome is that.

Cro Cop...I don't know WHAT that was or what is wrong, but his transition to the octagon has just sucked. Kongo simply owned him..on the ground, on the feet, didn't matter and there is NO way Kongo was supposed to be anything but canon fodder. I don't know what's going on with that. Highly disappointing loss for Cro Cop.

Hamill/Bisping...one judge has it 30/27, which is exactly what i had it, the other two somehow have it 29/27 or 28/27..Somethin's fishy, that's for sure. I don't know how they can sleep at night after just mugging a deaf dude. There is no way Hamill didn't win that match and didn't definitively win that match. He owned on the ground, he owned on standup, he took bisping down at will and landed more punches. I don't get it and i have no clue what the judges were watching.

jackson/henderson. Jackson went from highlight reel to insanely intelligent/well rounded fighter...That was a classic chess match/perfect matchup between two champions. No one dominated the other wholeheartedly, and most of the fight was spent jockeying for position. Great stuff and Rampage was hilarious as always.

I love rampage's staredowns, but it was in stark contrast to Henderson's smile and attempt at shaking hands. Then the 'touching gloves' at the beginning of the first round was kinda funny. Rampage really is two diff people before and after the bell.

Overall, awesome PPV for free, i'm STILL pissed at the judges decision for Bisping. hamill was robbed after an amazing performance. I hope bisping fails his drug test and they reverse the decision...

Rampage has now ascended into the land of the greats. He has beaten some top notch fighters in Linland, Liddell and Henderson. That was a great fight.

As for the Bisping decision it looks kind of funky but as you can see with the Rampage decision the judges were not rewarding take downs. Hammill basicly lay and prayed once he took Bisping down. I though Bisping did enough to win the second round. Oh well. Until Bisping drops a weight class he will be the best of the rest in the 205 division. He is just too small.

Crop Cop has not transitioned well at all. He looks very one diminsional now and rather easy to beat. This was the guy who was supposed to redefine the UFC's HW division. Wow. This guy was the Open Weight Grand Prix Champion a year ago. What the hell happened?

The worst part of the event was Fedor was in attenedance and thought to have a special announcement of his signing. No such luck.

75 was a great event. The loads of commercial breaks were excessive. I may watch the next free Spike event on a 30 minute delay next time.

Does anyone feel that Bisping lost some of his shine with the trash talking after the fight?

quote:

---

Originally posted by globalsmack
Does anyone feel that Bisping lost some of his shine with the trash talking after the fight?

---

I am glad to see that the overwhelming sentiment (well, 3 of you) on this board is that HAMILL WAS FUCKING ROBBED because that's how I felt too. Methinks judges gave it to Bisping to somehow pacify/make the crowd happy after the previous 2 "hometown" boys, Cro Cop and Taylor, lost in their respective fights. Fuck you, Cecil Peoples and the other judge!

Poor Mirko. He's like the Lance Storm of MMA. Serious as sin. Credible threat in the other promotion, but once he made the jump, never really found his niche. And they look alike too.

Okay, I just wanted to make the "they look alike" comment.

Houston "doesn't work by the round" Alexander may be explosive, but he was hella winded after just 61 seconds of action. Don't think he'll win in an extended fight.

The 2 marquee fights (Rampage VS Henderson, Cro Cop VS Kongo) were disappointing to me. Lots of dragging moments and lulls. Although, Rampage with his "jiu jitsu" 1-liner (with camera stare) was hilarious!

If you thought Rampage/Hendo was boring, watch it again. If you still think it was boring, well, you and me might have beef. That was a phenomenal fight with two superior fighters battling back and forth to exert control. Henderson fought the fight he needed to fight, relying on his wrestling, and Rampage did more than hold his own in the clinch and on the ground. I was seriously impressed with Rampage last night, and I'd be curious to know why you weren't.

Too many restholds and not enough Shooting Star Presses.

Seriously, though, well, first off, folby, I've got to admit that I'm not an MMA mark. I watch all the UFC I can (because it's free here), but outside of UFC, I don't know much.

It's that I keep seeing these reels of Rampage: powerbomb here, powerslam there, explosive offense, you know? And ever since arriving in UFC, I've yet to see any of those. Granted, he's been in a grand total of 3 fights, but I keep waiting for that moment of devastation, of "rampage", if you weeeeell.

I see it from the perspective of someone who heard all this hype for Rampage (and Mirko) but who've never seen them in actual competition prior to the UFC, outside of clips and reels. The hype was these men are 2 of the most EXPLOSIVE competitors in their respective divisions. Not technical, but hella* EXPLOSIVE. And this is the reason why I watch Rampage/Cro Cop matches. I keep waiting to see what the "hype" is/was all about, and I still am.

*I just watched the Cartman "hella" episode. Sue me.

Anywho, for serious fight fans, I understand where you're coming from. The technical side, the development of Rampage's wrestling skills and how he was able to control Henderson on the ground, the all-around maturity as an MMA fighter, that's good and all. I'd just like to finally see Rampage win a UFC fight using POWER~!

On another note, what about that "Brock Lesnar" mention from the commentators, huh? I think Couture himself name-dropped Brock when talking about possible contenders to the HW Title.

Rumor has it Lesnar is going to sign with the UFC.

For the record, many of the guys that Rampage slammed and Cro-Cop murdered were guys who weighed anywhere from 25 to 40 pounds less than they did. I wouldn't count on that happening in the UFC, on account of rigid weight classes and athletic comissions.

Rampage is fucking money. Not only is he badass, his outside ring persona is likeable, and I think UFC has a guy they can market as their champ just as much as Lidell.

Alexander - DAMN! I love fighters that use Muay Thai knees. I'm a fan of this guy. He also looks like a mean version of the rapper, Common.

I thought Hammill had that fight won. Ah well.

Is this the first time Cro Cop fought someone taller, bigger, and with a longer reach than he? I never saw his Pride matches.

I think Hendo vs. Rampage was an exciting fight to watch as it happened but it may not be that exciting if I was to rewatch it. A great technical dispaly for sure. Rampage is just on another level right now. I wonder who he gets next? I could see the winners of Rashad/Tito and Shogun/Griffen faceing off with the winner getting a title shot. however will Rampage be idle until then or will he face a lower ranked LHW light Lyoto or Lambert?

Another great preformance by Houston Alexander. However hes in his mid 30s so The UFC needs to make hay while the sun is shining with him. His next fight should match him up against one of the top LHWs. Lyoto, Lambert, Shogun, Griffen, Liddell, Jardine would all be fine match ups.

Another good win for Marcus Davis. he's now in postion like Jon Fitch where hes the top of the bottom in the Welterweight division. A good matchup for him could be Thiago Alves with teh winer going on to fight Josh Koscheck or Karo Parysian.

Hamill vs. Bisbing. At first I thought Hamill got jobbed however in retrospect he really only dominated the 1st round. I don't know maybe the desision wasn't that bad. However what I do know is that both guys looked like shit. Hamill got some take downs and did pretty much nothing with them. He work a slow jab. Bisping got out jabbed by Matt Hamill. when he was on the ground he misses a ton of submission opertunities for chokes and armlocks. When standing he was one dimensional. he never through any kicks which Hamill was open for too the body and to the head ans never through any punchs to the body at all. Both guys really ahve some work to do if want to make a dent in the endlessly deep LHW divison.

Hamill coming out to "Born in the USA" was cool. You ahve to love a guys whos willing to play the heel. And Bisping countering it by coming out to "London Calling" was great.

Cro Cop was mentally broken after about the middle of the second round. You have to wonder what's left for him. Does he still have it in him to be a fighter? And who does he fight next? I wouldn't be suprised to see him booked to fight the lower HW like Eddy Sanchez, Jake O'Brien, Anthony Hardonl, or Justin McCully. Either he gets few wins against lesser opponents or he helps make some new stars. I could alos see him being put against Arlovski or Mir to help rebuild them.

[Edited on 9-9-2007 by Jheaton]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jheaton
Hamill coming out to "Born in the USA" was cool. You ahve to love a guys whos willing to play the heel. And Bisping countering it by coming out to "London Calling" was great.

---

quote:

---

Cro Cop was mentally broken after about the middle of the second round. You have to wonder what's left for him. Does he still have it in him to be a fighter?

---

a lot of people on mma boards are pissed at the bisping/hamill highway robbery. I know I am. When one judge has it 30/27 for one and the other two are 29/28 for the other, you gotta question something. Hometown hero, whatever, fact is, hamill was robbed.

I've seen CroCop destroy several people his size or bigger, the dude really is a machine, but he really has not found his groove in the UFC. It was "odd" seeing him trying submission moves on the mat, but on the ground during the first round was the only time he was even convincing as a fighter. Heck, i would HATE to see what couture would have done to him.

Rampage, however, is probably their most marketable guy alongside Couture at the moment. He's hilarious on the mic, puts on great matches, makes a scene where ever he goes, and is just 'likable'. "I GOT JIU JITSU" . I just rolled at that. I think that match was probably the closest i've ever seen to two perfectly matched competitors. It was a chess match from start to finish, not the most exciting to watch in the 'OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT" department, but more in just wondering who was going to get a dominate position.

Houston Alexander is fast becoming one of my favorites. He may have been winded at 61 seconds, but my god, what a 61 seconds he put in. Heck, he could die of a heart attack at 63 seconds, but if he gets the job done in less than that, i'll still be cheering him. He did an interview where he basically said he just goes out to be exciting, and i think he does that very well. I'd like to see him against bisping next.

If i'd known there were going to be so many commercials, though, i would have watched a delay or just found a feed somewhere. 1 2 minute match in the first half hour, 1 4 minute match in the 2nd half hour. I would have loved to have seen some of the undercard matches as i heard a couple of those were blowouts.

Sorry for repeating myself. thanks for reading

Quick thoughts:

-Houston Alexander is gaining a ton of fans.
-Marcus Davis is, too.
-CroCop sucks shit.
-Hamill got robbed.
-Rampage is awesome.

Find out the rest at...

http://lightsoutradio.thetvtimeout.com !!!!

I tried watching this to get into UFC and such, and maybe I am missing the nuances of the fight, but holy shit was that main event boring!

a lot of people on mma boards are pissed at the bisping/hamill highway robbery. I know I am. When one judge has it 30/27 for one and the other two are 29/28 for the other, you gotta question something. Hometown hero, whatever, fact is, hamill was robbed.

I've seen CroCop destroy several people his size or bigger, the dude really is a machine, but he really has not found his groove in the UFC. It was "odd" seeing him trying submission moves on the mat, but on the ground during the first round was the only time he was even convincing as a fighter. Heck, i would HATE to see what couture would have done to him.

Rampage, however, is probably their most marketable guy alongside Couture at the moment. He's hilarious on the mic, puts on great matches, makes a scene where ever he goes, and is just 'likable'. "I GOT JIU JITSU" . I just rolled at that. I think that match was probably the closest i've ever seen to two perfectly matched competitors. It was a chess match from start to finish, not the most exciting to watch in the 'OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT" department, but more in just wondering who was going to get a dominate position.

Houston Alexander is fast becoming one of my favorites. He may have been winded at 61 seconds, but my god, what a 61 seconds he put in. Heck, he could die of a heart attack at 63 seconds, but if he gets the job done in less than that, i'll still be cheering him. He did an interview where he basically said he just goes out to be exciting, and i think he does that very well. I'd like to see him against bisping next.

If i'd known there were going to be so many commercials, though, i would have watched a delay or just found a feed somewhere. 1 2 minute match in the first half hour, 1 4 minute match in the 2nd half hour. I would have loved to have seen some of the undercard matches as i heard a couple of those were blowouts.

Sorry for repeating myself. thanks for reading

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 75 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-9 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2) Brandon Vera (Next Fight: UFC 77 vs. Tim Sylvia)
3) Andrei Arlovski
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Gabriel Gonzaga
6) Cheick Kongo
7) Fabrico Werdum
8) Frank Mir
9) Heath Herring

Light-Heavyweight - Quinton Jackson, Unified Champion
1) Mauricio Rua (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Forrest Griffin)
2) Dan Henderson
3) Chuck Liddell (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Keith Jardine)
4) Wanderlei Silva (Next Fight: UFC 79 in Dec. vs. TBA)
5) Kazuhiro Nakamura (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Lyoto Machida)
6) Rashad Evans (Next Fight: TBA vs. Tito Ortiz)
7) Lyoto Machida
8) Jason Lambert
9) Houston Alexander
10) Tito Ortiz

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Rich Franklin (Next Fight: UFC 77 in October vs. Anderson Silva)
2) Terry Martin (Next Fight: UFC Fight Night in Sept. vs. Chris Leben)
3) Nathan Marquardt
4) Yushin Okami (Next Fight: UFC 77 in October vs. Jason MacDonald)
5) Jason MacDonald
6) Martin Kampmann
7) Thales Leites
8) Drew McFedries
9) Ivan Salaverry
10) Ed Herman

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes (Next Fight: UFC 79 in December vs. Matt Serra)
2) Georges St-Pierre (Next Fight: TBA vs. Welterweight Champion)
3) Karo Parisyan (Next Fight: UFC 78 in Nov. vs. TBA)
4) Jon Fitch (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Diego Sanchez)
5) Josh Koscheck
6) Diego Sanchez
7) Josh Burkman (Next Fight: UFC 77 in Oct. vs. TBA)
8) Marcus Davis
9) Chris Lytle
10) Drew Fickett

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) BJ Penn (Next Fight: UFC 78 in November vs. TBA)
2) Joe Stevenson
3) Spencer Fisher
4) Roger Huerta
5) Din Thomas (Next Fight: UFC Fight Night in Sept. vs. Kenny Florian)
6) Kenny Florian
7) Frank Edgar
8) Tyson Griffin (Next Fight: UFC 76 in Sept. vs. Thiago Tavares)
9) Clay Guida
10) Kurt Pellegrino

Well, I could make a post but I can just quote this.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
Quick thoughts:

-Houston Alexander is gaining a ton of fans.
-Marcus Davis is, too.
-CroCop sucks shit.
-Hamill got robbed.
-Rampage is awesome.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by salmonjunkie
Alexander - DAMN! I love fighters that use Muay Thai knees. I'm a fan of this guy. He also looks like a mean version of the rapper, Common.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LuckyLopez
Cro Cop blows. This is all the hype? Wow. This would be easier to take if all the Cro Cop fans had been saying "he might be done" when he got to UFC rather than 2 shitty fights in. All that "CRO COP! CRO COP! FUCKING CRO COP!" and this?

---

Anyone who thought the main event was boring doesn't understand MMA. That was an awesome fight.

While UFC Cro Cop sucks horribly the Pride Cro Cop is a top 3 HW in the world. Apparently the cage isn't for him. He trained with Dean Lister yet still showed no BJJ skills or ground and pound skills. He could have submitted Kongo at least 3 times.

Rampage looks as good as he has ever looked. However he is a Chute Boxe bitch with a 0-3 record against Shogun and Wand.

You guys that love Rampage did you ever see him talking on his cell phone while the star spangled banner was playing before his 205 pound Grand Prix ass whooping at the hands of Wand? Talk about no class. His trainer had to tell him to get off of the phone.

I guess i don't get it then because two guys barely moving on the mat for five minutes at a time is not my idea of an awesome fight.

Which sucks too because I really want to like UFC. I guess I will just have to watch more.

Meh. I try and time my bathroom and beer breaks during the anthem. I'm classless too. Yet if I'm stuck in my seat I take my hat off and refuse to talk to my friend. But I also never talk in church and never talked in class right up until the final days of college. I'm weird like that.

I get the "the main event was boring" people. I was one of them 2 or 3 years ago. I've slowing been learning MMA as I watch more and more. I want to see the nasty knockouts and crazy shit. Alexander rocked in that way. But I've managed to learn enough that I can jump up in my seat when I see Henderson locking an arm bar onto Jackson even if it amounts to nothing. But I've watched those fights with others and they don't see it. I REALLY enjoyed the main event but I wouldn't have 2 years ago.

And I've watched fights with folks who saw thinks I didn't. Hell, early in Rd2 of the Bisbing/Hamill fight Rogan and Goldberg freaked over some combination Bisbing delivered to Hamill. I couldn't see it. I was lost. I rewinded it twice and couldn't see it. It was weird. I still don't know if I just completely missed it or if they were overdoing it for the hometown favorite who was clearly sucking.

GM, I get the Cro Cop stuff. I don't mean to say he sucked before UFC. He just REALLY sucks in UFC. And this is the only real exposure I've had to him. I've read the stuff and I've seen the highlights. But I've only seen him in UFC. And its such a crazy dud I'm shocked. I don't know if he's just a complete fish out of water but he just seems lost. And Gonzalez basically "CRO COPPED" him. Maybe I'll go back and watch that crappy Kongo fight. It didn't strike me that the cage was fucking with him. But maybe I missed it. The match was dull and I just sort of zoned out waiting for something to draw my attention.

How different are the UFC and Pride rules beyond the cage? Is there no mat wrestling in Pride? But again, didn't Gonzalez basically beat him on his feet?

[Edited on 9-10-2007 by LuckyLopez]

Moose, that was an awesome fight.

It sounds like you entered your viewing with negative perceptions of what's-what and that altered your view of the fight.

What you saw was a fight between two of the top 3 fighters at that weight in the world. Extremely competitive, extremely tactical and extremely good.

I can see, as a new fan, how you'd find that fight lacking, but really, it was a great display of will.

Like when Rampage had top control and Henderson slapped on a kimura to get Rampage to roll out of it. That was a great reversal. Or the work in the clinch the entire fight.

Dan Henderson is a friggin' world-class Greco-Roman wrestler, so for Rampage to control him in the clinch and on the ground like he did was something to behold.

And then those two landing bombs on each other and only producing one knockdown...that's two high-level fighters with tremendous chins right there.

If you want a list of fights to watch that display what MMA is about, let me know.

EDIT:

quote:

---

Originally posted by LuckyLopez
How different are the UFC and Pride rules beyond the cage? Is there no mat wrestling in Pride? But again, didn't Gonzalez basically beat him on his feet?

---

I did appreciate some of the ground stuff that they did, and the one you mentioned the armlock thing to get him to roll was pretty sweet. For me, it was just too much jockeying for position on the mat and throwing little punches to the head. I am not saying it wasn't good, but as a new viewer it really didn't do much to get me to go "I HAVE TO SEE MORE OF THIS!!!!" though the last few seconds of round five was pretty good.

Now the match between the Deaf guy and the Guy Who Screwed Him (still learning names) was pretty good. If memory serves, there was not AS much on the mat stuff, and a lot more of trying to kill each other. I like that.

Like I said, I am not shitting on it, I will watch more because I kind of want to eventually get into this, but as an outsider, I appreciate what Rampage did, but it was not real exciting to watch.

And I hate Joe Rogan

That's not Moose going in with a negative perception, GM. That's him not truly recognizing the mat game and what he was seeing. That's all. Its natural. I was there 2 years ago and I still probably am not half as good as most of you guys at recognizing this stuff.

On the other hand that Hamill/Bisbing fight was pretty sloppy and both guys seemed a bit lost. But there were lots of strikes and scary moments. CLEAR moments where someone was in trouble. That's the problem with the mat game. So often a guy is trouble on the mat and its hard to recognize for a novice. I can't tell you how many times I watched a fight end with an arm bar that seemed to come out of nowhere. Eventually I learned to recognize the steps that came before the submission.

Moose, if you really want to get into MMA I suggest following the same route I did. Watch Ultimate Fighter and the Spike shows. They show good fights of varying styles. There will be kick ass knockouts and some other stuff. But if you watch enough of it and listen to Goldberg and Rogan you start to get what's happening. Its the same as when I was learning boxing. Originally I just wanted Gatti to knock someone the fuck out. Then I learned how to appreciate BOXING instead of fighting. Mind you, I still don't care for it that much. And Gatti's done.

Ultimate Fighter was just fun to watch because I got to get into the personalities and a lot of the stuff was being taught to me. Some fighter who sucked at submissions had someone saying he sucked at submissions. And then he fought a fight where it cost him the win. It was a "lecture" and "practice" experience. It worked for me. Then again it seems like I got the right season that seems to have been the consensus best one. But I intend to give this Cerra/Hughes one a go.

Pretty much everything I've wanted to comment on has already been said. I'll echo some of it, though.

I used to love Bisping, too. He seemed like a very confident, yet humble guy who was going out there to support his family. Then we get the bouncy, thoroughly unconcerned with a FIGHT that is starting in 2 minutes guy who just oozed arrogance.

I was always impressed with Hamill, but I hated that Tito seemed to baby him. Yes, Hamill showed a ton of potential and was always eager to learn, but Tito should've saved that for after the season. Fast-forwarding, Hamill has improved by leaps and bounds. AND he had the balls to come out in London to fucking "BORN IN THE USA"!!! That provided us with the commentary gem of the night that I was thinking to myself right before they said it:

Goldberg: "Oh, that song's not going to go over well. Listen to the crowd booing."

Rogan: "It's not like he can hear them, anyway."

Then the fight starts and Hamill fucking obliterates Bisping in the first round. On top of that, he kept coming forward for the entire 15 minutes, even when he was a bit winded. He just kept coming. Bisping actually looked SCARED in the first round. I personally scored the fight 30-27 for Hamill, but I could've conceivably seen it as 29-28 with Bisping getting the 3rd round. The ONLY thing I could think of was that the "bad" judges were scoring based on defense rather than offense, as Bisping did seem to control the ground and get back to his feet when he needed. Oddly, I saw that more as Hamill being ballsy and saying "Okay, I'll beat you at your own game, you limey prick" (not sure what the sign language for "limey" would look like).

And then the post-fight interviews solidified my new preference for Hamill and utter distaste for Bisping. Arrogant prick. And Hamill was all class. I'll be rooting for Hamill now no matter who he faces. And I'll be rooting AGAINST Bisping.

I second the idea presented that they feed Bisping to Houston Alexander next. That guy is all heart, and Bisping could really learn a lesson from that.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GatorBait
The ONLY thing I could think of was that the "bad" judges were scoring based on defense rather than offense, as Bisping did seem to control the ground and get back to his feet when he needed. Oddly, I saw that more as Hamill being ballsy and saying "Okay, I'll beat you at your own game, you limey prick" (not sure what the sign language for "limey" would look like).

---

Thom, I agree completely with the aggression part, which is why the decision is even more baffling. Hamill did not stop coming forward for all 3 rounds. He never took any big shots, rather he delivered all the punishment. Anybody who looked at their respective faces at the end of the match could tell who deserved to win.

Well its not just aggresion but effective aggression. I guess they felt that Hamill really didn't do much of anything on ground and that Bisping was more effective striking on the feet. Bisping seemed to throw more in the 2nd and third round even if most of the shots where blocked. Bisping seemed to land enough solid shots at the end of round 3 to take that one.

As for rules in prine. One of the biggest rules is in pride no elbows where allowed.

I can see the "effective aggression" argument being relevant, but I'd still give the first 2 rounds to Hamill based on that. And if that's the main basis, then he'd have gotten a 10-8 out of round 1 from me.

I'm not sure how many of you guys listen to Beatdown on Sherdog.com or not, but Nick Diaz was on for about 50 minutes today and was just ranting about everything under the sun. I mean, these topics were as random as they come. I can't even begin to explain it, but some of the highlights were:

"Healthy food and healthy weed are good things and if you don't agree...FUCK YOU!"

"The perservatives will fuck with you!"

"They're feeding it to your kids, feeding Red-40 to your children, giving them a chemical imbalance."

"You gave them too much fucking red Kool-Aid with red-40 in it and they're bouncing off the fucking walls."

"I'll flush my system out quicker fucking faster than anyone else"

"If they wanna start taking my hair out of my head, that's another story"

After listening to that, I am reminded of this quote from Billy Madison:

"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

quote:

---

Originally posted by GatorBait

I was always impressed with Hamill, but I hated that Tito seemed to baby him. Yes, Hamill showed a ton of potential and was always eager to learn, but Tito should've saved that for after the season. Fast-forwarding, Hamill has improved by leaps and bounds. AND he had the balls to come out in London to fucking "BORN IN THE USA"!!! That provided us with the commentary gem of the night that I was thinking to myself right before they said it:

Goldberg: "Oh, that song's not going to go over well. Listen to the crowd booing."

Rogan: "It's not like he can hear them, anyway."
*snip*
I second the idea presented that they feed Bisping to Houston Alexander next. That guy is all heart, and Bisping could really learn a lesson from that.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by chrissul
as for a boring fight, watch GSP vs Frank trigg. It's boring in that GSP just totally overwhelmed and dominated trigg in a way that should never...ever..happen in a properly matched up fight. it's one thing for a fighter to get caught after making a mistake, but for one to just be completely dominated start to finish is just obscene.

---

Ok, I finally saw the Rampage/Henderson fight (I had this on my DVR, but didn't get to watch the main event yet). I enjoyed it. It wasn't as dramatic as the Hamill/Bisbing match, and it didn't have the oh holy shitness of Alexander's match, but it was solid as all hell. Rampage looked like the real deal out there, especially being able to hold down Henderson on the mat with his ju-JIT-su the way he did.

Rampage has the best post-match interviews ever. He is my new favorite fighter. What an awesome motherfucker. "He got a rock head, man!"

And oh yeah, he won a match with a fucking powerbomb once:



WOOOOOOOO!


[Edited on 9-11-2007 by salmonjunkie]

quote:

---

Originally posted by salmonjunkie
Alexander - DAMN! I love fighters that use Muay Thai knees. I'm a fan of this guy. He also looks like a mean version of the rapper, Common.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LuckyLopez
HA! I rewatched his fight just to see that. He does! AWESOME! He needs to come out to "The Bitch in Yoo" or something. I wish I could think of another Common song that isn't light.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by joerizal
You mean like Couture VS Ortiz, or Ortiz VS Shamrock?

---

I think Bisping has realized that he didn't truly win that match and he's already calling for a rematch with Hammill.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,3-2007420960,00.html

I think it's funny too if you look on the main page of the UFC's site there is a poll asking who people thought won the fight and the last time I saw it it was something like 90% thought Hammill won.

Well at least he acknowledged he was being a dick in the post-fight interview by not giving Hamill any credit.

I actually re-watched the fight with a little more focus on effective striking the second time around. In that viewing, I gave round 3 to Bisping, but STILL 1 and 2 clearly for Hamill.

Make the rematch happen, Dana White!!!

In other news, Nate Diaz finally made his post-Ultimate Fighter debut last night on a Wednesday night fight special and managed to pull of a win...against a guy I'm almost positive Joe Rogan (EDIT-Probably Joe Morgan too) said specialized in Caiporeia (that Jamaican Dance fighting). I'll give it to Dana White: he knows the kid sucks compared to a good portion of the other guys on that show and he's hiding him from sight.

[Edited on 9-20-2007 by nOOb]

Man, I'm glad TUF is back. This should be a fun season because I'll never get tired of Serra calling Hughes a dick.

The Fight Night had some interesting matches too. Leben may not be the most talented guy, but he looked like a completely different fighter last night. (Until he got punched in the face and reverted back to his wild swinging ways.) KenFlo looked good as well.

And was I the only one questioning Pete Sell's decision to go with "Condom Depot" on the ass of his shorts?

quote:

---

Originally posted by rk
Man, I'm glad TUF is back. This should be a fun season because I'll never get tired of Serra calling Hughes a dick.

---

I completely forgot about Fight Night Live. I hate myself.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GatorBait

I used to DESPISE Leben, but I could really come around and root for the guy with his newfound outlook on life.

---

Thom, definitely catch a replay. My "spoilerizing" of the results for you will not affect your enjoyment of the event.

Well, damn...

Griffin with a dominating win over Shogun, and Jardine bounces back nicely and goes over Liddell.

Is it too soon to ask if Liddell (who is getting a bit older - nevermind Couture and his age) is just about done? I mean, Rampage handed him his ass, and Jardine takes it right to him. How much does he have left in the tank? And - yes - I know Chuck would kick my ass, so I'm just wondering...


ETA: Where did the term "catch weight" originate? I know it happens when (at least) one fighter can't make weight. And does it simply mean that the fight doesn't take place "in (xxx) division?" Actually heard the term for the first time (or at least, picked up on it) tonight, and wasn't quite sure what it meant.

[Edited on 9-23-2007 by Thom]

I fucking hate MMA right now.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
I fucking hate MMA right now.

---

Shogun lost? Well shit, I'm glad I didn't take that bet.

quote:

---

Nate Diaz vs. Junior Assuncao was pretty much what I expected. Why the lack of love for Nate? He's a matchup problem for everybody in that weight class with his height, especially since he likes to wrap people up with his legs. Was nice to see 2 very gifted guys working a mainly ground fight, for once.

---

Was 76 the "Night of Upsets" or what?

Jardine over Lidell. Fitch over Diego. To a lesser extent, Tyson Griffin over the undefeated Tavares.

But, man, the upset of the night for me was FOREST GRIFFIN OVER SHOGUN BY FUCKING TAPOUT! All that hype, and AGAIN! the crossover guy loses.

What is up with all these top and massively-hyped crossover guys (with the exception of Rampage) getting their Pride/K1 asses handed to them in the UFC?? "OMG! Mirko Cro Cop", Dan Henderson, and now Shogun..I mean, dude, like wow, can somebody explain this to me?

Who's gonna be Wanderlei's opponent in December?

Hendo didn't get his ass handed to him.

Edited to address the 'explain it to me' bit. Japanese MMA is pretty different from American MMA. To address the specific shortcomings of the fighters, the two biggest things I would point to are steroids and weight classes. Steroids, while technically not allowed in Japan, were never tested for and according to some fighters, outright encouraged by promoters. There's nobody saying other drugs weren't involved either. If you want to be a super fast and aggressive fighter there's plenty of things to take that will help you with that.

The weight class thing is part of why they all looked so dominant. It's easy for Rampage to powerbomb a guy when the guy is 25 pounds lighter than he is. It's easy for Mirko to bully and destroy a guy when he's got 4 inches and 15 pounds on him. I was talking to Gimmick about it and he pointed out that PRIDE fighters weren't really tested or challenged in 75% of their fights. Once a year they fought the absolute best in the world, but the rest of the time was stuff like Fedor pounding on a 350 pound African guy.

Before last night, Shogun's matches always ended in the first round, except for one loss and one decision win. He hadn't been tested in a long, long time and guess what? He came up really, really short.

PS hey gimmick I heard that cyborg santos failed a breathlyzer test because he couldn't stop sucking wind


chute box suxxxx

[Edited on 9-23-2007 by folby]

So folby/Gimmick, given the above, is there any crossover guy that you think is gonna excel or at least be significantly competetive in the UFC?? I think Rampage's got more to offer than what we've seen from him, but what of the others? I know it's early, but what does the UFC future hold for Hendo, Shogun? I read Mirko's thinking of quitting soon but, given his back-to-back losses, I think he'll be looking for redemption before finally calling it quits.

Will Wanderlei Silva live up to his hype?

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 76 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-9 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Randy Couture, Champion
1) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2) Brandon Vera (Next Fight: UFC 77 vs. Tim Sylvia)
3) Andrei Arlovski
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Gabriel Gonzaga
6) Cheick Kongo
7) Fabrico Werdum
8) Frank Mir
9) Heath Herring

Light-Heavyweight - Quinton Jackson, Unified Champion
1) Forrest Griffin
2) Wanderlei Silva (Next Fight: UFC 79 in Dec. vs. TBA)
3) Lyoto Machida
4) Rashad Evans (Next Fight: TBA vs. Tito Ortiz)
5) Keith Jardine
6) Dan Henderson
7) Mauricio Rua
8) Chuck Liddell
9) Houston Alexander
10) Jason Lambert

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Rich Franklin (Next Fight: UFC 77 in October vs. Anderson Silva)
2) Yushin Okami
3) Nathan Marquardt
4) Jason MacDonald
5) Terry Martin
6) Martin Kampmann
7) Thales Leites
8) Drew McFedries
9) Chris Leben
10) Ed Herman

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Matt Hughes (Next Fight: UFC 79 in December vs. Matt Serra)
2) Georges St-Pierre (Next Fight: TBA vs. Welterweight Champion)
3) Jon Fitch
4) Karo Parisyan (Next Fight: UFC 78 in Nov. vs. TBA)
5) Josh Koscheck
6) Diego Sanchez
7) Josh Burkman (Next Fight: UFC 77 in Oct. vs. TBA)
8) Thiago Alves
9) Marcus Davis
10) Luke Cummo

Lightweight - Sean Sherk, Champion
1) BJ Penn
2) Joe Stevenson
3) Spencer Fisher (Next Fight: UFC 78 in November vs. Frankie Edgar)
4) Roger Huerta
5) Kenny Florian
6) Tyson Griffin
7) Frank Edgar
8) Din Thomas
9) Clay Guida
10) Thiago Tavares

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
10) Luke Cummo

---

UFC 76 thoughts: You should listen!!!

http://lightsoutradio.thetvtimeout.com

TUF continues to be great.

Between Matt Hughes' Bible Study, and Dorian's wish that he'd passed out instead of tapping so he could have dreamt about "fat hookers and a little Latino midget" this show has been great fun.

And it appears that they totally demolish the house next week, so that should spark an always-entertaining-expletive-filled Dana White rant.

Anyone else watching?

Definitely watching. Still love Serra. Still hate Hughes. Actually, I think I hate Hughes more and more each week. Didn't think that was possible.

Serra's little bitch Joey really needs to either be a man about things or get the fuck off the show, though. He's annoying the piss out of me.

I generally only catch the last 15 minutes of the show or so, because I find everything except for the fights unbearably boring. I gave the most recent episode another another chance and was reassured that I wasn't missing much. They edit one guy to look like a whiner, Matt Hughes is pompous (and a closet jew), and Matt Serra is a loudmouth. Next week a bunch of guys figure they can make their name by acting all crazy.

more fighting less reality show plz

I honestly thought after the first episode that they were just going to focus on five guys (the replacment and each team's first two picks) because those are the only guys they talked to or even featured that episode. But hey, I learned who another guy on the show was and almost learned who they guy who beat him was.

Well Sean O'Haire got a win back to bring his record to 2-2. Sounds like he was fighting a shlub, though. At least the Hooters' girls seemed impressed:

http://www.islandpacket.com/sports/local/story/42806.html

quote:

---

SAVANNAH -- Muhsin Corbbrey had no one to throw a punch against, but he watched his crew choke, kick and pulverize their competition.

Hilton Head Island resident Sean O'Haire, thrust into the makeshift main event, earned a first-round victory with one blow, and the rest of Corbbrey's fighters dominated their bouts at Saturday's mixed martial arts event at the Savannah Civic Center. In the night's nine bouts, six Champion Training Center fighters who are coached by Corbbrey went 6-0.

The only one missing from the party was the Bluffton-based Corbbrey, the billed main event for the evening.

Corbbrey, who is 11-2 as a professional mixed martial artist, is in the middle of a three-fight deal with Los Angeles-based EliteEC to appear on Showtime's mixed martial arts programs. Saturday was supposed to be his tune-up for his next televised fight Oct. 26 against Bobby McMasters.

Last week, the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission deemed Corbbrey's opponent, Californian Larry Jaxson, not competitive enough for the bout, according to Kevin Odom, co-owner of Champions Fight Promotions.

The decision left Corbbrey void of time to find a replacement and ultimately crestfallen.

"I really wanted to put on a show for the crowd," he said.

So did his fighters.

"He's slicker than slick and hits like a brick," said Champion Training Center 150-pounder Lawson McClure. "Trust me, I know."

Three other fighters were removed from the 15-bout card because they didn't produce mandatory blood-test results in time, leaving a few of Corbbrey's fighters without foes, too.

The ones left with opponents dented pride and a few jaw bones, starting with O'Haire.

The 265-pound former World Championship Wrestling tag team champion faced Darrell Wood, who stood 8 inches shorter and was originally scheduled to fight earlier on the card. After the fighters shuffled around the ring for about 30 seconds, O'Haire landed a left jab onto Wood's chin. Wood staggered back and to the ground, and before O'Haire could pounce, the referee shielded Wood and called the fight.

"I knew it was going to be a one-something," said O'Haire, who drew the loudest cheers of the night before, during and after his match, and even compelled a few "Hooters" girls, working as waitresses, to stand on chairs and scream.

The rest of his Champion Training Center mates earned their own yells, too.

In their pro debuts, McClure, Derek Schroeder, John Juarez and Stephen Bass won in very impressive and very different fashions. The wiry McClure won in the second round against Beaufort resident Larry Landry, taking control with an early right jab and repeated knee blows to the face.

"I really shocked him with my right hand," said McClure, who sported a green mohawk. "I knew he was real tough in the first round ... but it's tough to keep my pace."

The 135-pound Schroeder won by unanimous decision against Shane Weinischke in a very technical bout. Schroeder controlled most of the action by staying on top of Weinischke on the ground.

Juarez didn't need three rounds, or even most of the first. The 265-pound brute pummeled Lindsey Rouse with early punches, then wailed away to the back of his head while pinning him down on his stomach. It didn't take long for the referee to halt action.

And 145-pound Stephen Bass won his debut in 30 seconds, throwing a triangle choke on Chris Thorne, who submitted.

In the other professional fights, Willie Smalls earned a first-round tap-out by Alan Calkins, and 150-pound Josh Odom defeated Harris Norwood in the second round.

In the two amateur fights, Demetrice Turner and Champion Training Center's Chris Scott earned submission victories.

---

Finally got around to watching the replay of the lates Fight Night Live, and two things I loved:

1. Kenny Florian, after getting taunted by Din Thomas, beating the crap out of Thomas and getting him to tap.

2. Terry Martin, after taunting(? - or was he just surprised Leben didn't go down after that rockin' right-hand?) Leben, gets laid out immediately.

And, yes, I liked the kindler, gentler Crippler, but I'll give him another fight or two of being humble before truly being a fan.

Thom, did The Terry Martin taunting thing not remind you of Glass Joe in Punchout?!? Fucking loved it.

And in case you didn't know already, Thomas blew out his knee when he shot in on Florian, so that's why Kenny looked like he was dominating him after that. Not to say that Florian wasn't already winning, but that's why the fight ended how it did.

Well, Thom, to be fair to Din, he did blow out his knee going for the takedown.

Oh, yeah - I knew his knee was fucked up - it's just that I loved seeing Florian pummel him after he got taunted.

And I don't really remember Knock-Out all that well, so I don't remember Glass Joe doing anything like that. But, I'll take your word for it.

Looked similar to this, but with both gloves taunting:

I know we have a week+ to UFC 77, but the card for UFC 78 has been released. Bisping vs. Evans is the main event? Really? Huh... Doesn't sound like a "must-see" event, even though I like Rashad.

No it really doesn't. And it also means that the fights that most of us would like to see rematches to, Tito vs. Rashad and Bisping vs. Hammil, will have to wait. Of course, if they want to throw Tito/Hammil out there too, I'm all for it, but that won't happen.

Just saw this at LV Forums and was shocked it wasn't mentioned here yet by Gimmick:

Thursday, October 11, 2007
by Josh Gross ([email protected])

Randy Couture (Pictures), the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and one of mixed martial arts most revered fighters, notified the UFC via fax from South Africa at 11 o'clock Thursday morning that he has chosen to resign from the UFC, "The Natural" confirmed with Sherdog.com.

"I sent the letter of resignation to the UFC today, resigning not only from my position in the company as a commentator and as an ambassador, but also as the heavyweight champion," Couture said over the phone from South Africa, where he is currently filming a movie.

"The motivation for the decision is two-fold," he continued. "I know Fedor (Emelianenko) just signed with another organization and that's the only real fight that makes sense for me at 44 years old as the heavyweight champion of the UFC. That's the fight I wanted and if that can't happen it doesn't make sense for me to compete with all these other guys. And then obviously that's not going to happen now. And, two, I'm tired of being taken advantage of, played as the nice guy and basically swimming against the current with the management of the UFC. I have a lot of other things going on in my life that I'm doing just fine with. I don't need the problems. I don't feel like I get the respect I deserve from the organization, and that's motivation No. 2 for the letter of resignation that was sent today."

Couture (16-8) is the only fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two weight divisions. The current UFC heavyweight champion, he recaptured the belt in March by coming out of retirement to out-point Tim Sylvia (Pictures). Couture defended the title in August, stopping challenger Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) in the third round.

The Sylvia win came after a year away from the sport after Couture suffered the second of two knockouts to then UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell (Pictures). Couture won the first bout in the trilogy by capturing an interim UFC light heavyweight title in June of 2003, stopping Liddell in the third period.

Couture's ledger in the UFC reads like a who's who. "The Natural" first captured UFC heavyweight gold against Maurice Smith (Pictures) in 1997 before doing it for the third time against Sylvia in 2007.

A day after news broke that Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), the widely regarded top heavyweight in the sport, had apparently declined to sign with the UFC, Couture submitted his resignation.

"I want that fight and would have waited if the fight was offered to me," Couture said. "Knowing what they offered him, I would have made demands to get paid equally or better than him as the champion. Whether or not those would have been met is another question."

Couture will have to wait nine months for his current UFC deal to lapse before he can go after Emelianenko. Over that span Couture said he will concentrate on acting, continuing to franchise his Xtreme Couture training facilities, as well as growing his Xtreme Couture clothing line.

His success outside the ring is proof of his success inside the Octagon. But Couture said it was a lack of respect by the UFC, in particular its president Dana White, that led him to resigning.

"I think the final straw for me was meeting with White and Lorenzo (Fertitta, UFC co-owner) where they claimed I was the No. 2 paid athlete in the organization, which I know is a bold-faced lie," Couture said. Polling other athletes, said Couture, he learned that his compensation -- some $250,000 a fight with pay-per-view bonuses, according to the Couture camp -- was nowhere near what other top UFC fighters were making.

"All us athletes are all pretty tightly intertwined," he said. "You hear what other guys were paid signing bonuses and what other guys were paid on the record and off the record with bonuses. I've heard Chuck's numbers. Tito's numbers. Hughes' numbers. Quinton's numbers. Cro Cop, Wanderlei. I heard what they were offering Fedor, and it's insulting."

Couture's rocky history with the Zuffa-owned UFC began in 2001.

"I think what set us off on the wrong foot was that my management [at the time] wasn't willing to give up ancillary rights across the board with no option for some sort of compensation," said Couture, alluding to a reason cited by Emelianenko's representatives as to why the Russian did not end up with the UFC. "All the other athletes at that time were signing those contracts. That created a lot of animosity and got me pulled out of the Carmen Electra campaigns to promote the athletes and the sport and the video game and all that stuff."

Beyond the money, both Couture and his wife Kim stressed Thursday's resignation from the UFC was about respect. It's a move "The Natural" acknowledged could have far-reaching effects.

"Certainly there's personal motivation for resigning and taking stand for myself," he said. "If it sets a precedence that down the road requires athletes to be treated better than that's icing on the cake."

Attempts to reach the UFC for comment went unreturned.

HOLY FUCK RANDY COUTURE STRAIGHT UP QUIT THE UFC

http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=5085

Also Fedor ducked him and signed with M-1.

So, I came across this today.

quote:

---

Thursday, October 11, 2007
by Sherdog.com Staff (Photo Courtesy of ProElite)

Backyard brawler turned mixed martial artist Kevin Ferguson (Pictures) has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight deal with EliteXC, ProElite.com reported on Thursday afternoon.

Ferguson, who is known by the moniker "Kimbo Slice," was scheduled to face veteran David "Tank" Abbott on Oct. 12 in Atlantic City, but the card was cancelled after Cage Fury Fighting Championship president Felix Martinez announced that the event would be cancelled due to the "loss of a major investor."

Reports swirled in the following days that the main event would be picked up another promoter, most notably Lemoore, Calif.-based Palace Fighting Championships and Hardcore Championship Fighting out of Calgary, Canada. But in the end it was EliteXC that scored the rights to Ferguson, who gained fame with several Internet broadcast bare-knuckle boxing matches held in Miami, Fla.

Slice is expected to debut for the promotion on Nov. 10 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sam Caplan, a blogger for ProElite.com, stated that possible opponents include Abbott and UK heavyweight James Thompson (Pictures).

Financial terms were not disclosed.

---

No, not really a big deal in the MMA world. Especially not with the same-time news of Couture's retirement. He beat Ray Mercer, but that's about it.

And with the Couture news, anybody else think this would be the perfect time to announce they've signed Brock Lesnar? No, I'm not saying to put him right into a title fight. No way in hell. But that'd still be great "face-saving" news for all.

Hey remember that guy you all loved who was champion? He's gone. BUT HERE'S A GUY WHO MAIN EVENTED WRESTLEMANIA ONCE~!

As for Kimbo, it's not just that he beat Ray Mercer, it's that he kind of sort of looked like he was serious about training for MMA. Kimbo's never going to be a world-class anything, but if he takes his training seriously he could be a very entertaining guy in some mid-level promotion.

quote:

---

Originally posted by folby
As for Kimbo, it's not just that he beat Ray Mercer, it's that he kind of sort of looked like he was serious about training for MMA. Kimbo's never going to be a world-class anything, but if he takes his training seriously he could be a very entertaining guy in some mid-level promotion.

---

Excuse me, Butterbean is MMA's Butterbean. In case you didn't know, motherfucker knows submissions now!

I can't really even compose thoughts about this whole Couture situation. It's been almost two days and I still don't know what to say.

As for Kimbo, I'd love to see Kimbo vs. James Thompson and I'd take Kimbo by KO in about 15 seconds. I love James Thompson.

quote:

---

Originally posted by folby
Excuse me, Butterbean is MMA's Butterbean. In case you didn't know, motherfucker knows submissions now!

---

My only pick this weekend is that Vera will lose by decision or late KO.

I'm with ya on that, folbster. Seems like there are nothing but "toss-up" matches on the card. That's definitely a good thing.

And as much as I HATE Tim fucking Sylvia, I see him coming out on top, too.

Aww, I was rooting for Vera (Filipino Pride, baby!). Okay fight, dragged initially but picked up in the end.

I am officially an Anderson Silva-convert. I liked when he was dodging Franklin's attacks WITHOUT defending his face. And those combos were just fluid and deadly, man! "The Spider", indeed.

Tim Sylvia: Boring, not stupid.

I feel kind of bad for Franklin. He's in the same position Cro Cop was when he couldn't beat Fedor. He just has to accept that he doesn't have what it takes.

Edited to add the fear of God in Rich's eyes:



[Edited on 10-21-2007 by folby]

Was it so obvious that Brock was gonna sign with the UFC that nobody comments on the news?

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=9597

quote:

---

Best known as a pro wrestling star for the WWE, Brock Lesnar (Pictures) stormed his way into mixed martial arts in June, making his professional debut on K-1's "Dynamite!! USA" card at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

On the strength of his 69-second trouncing of Min Soo Kim (Pictures), the physically gifted heavyweight, who in 2000 was an NCAA champion wrestler for the University of Minnesota, has entered the UFC.

"If you want to go with the NFL of the fighting game, it's the UFC, and it was an easy choice for me," said Lesnar in a prepared statement. "Obviously I don't think I'm ready for a title shot right away, but I will be there, and I'm not gonna turn down any opponent because I'm here to prove myself. I'm not here to pick and choose my fights. I'll fight whomever they want. I don't make the fights; that's not my job. I've got one job to do and that's to fight."

Lesnar makes his home out of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., and works with Sean Sherk (Pictures)'s trainer Greg Nelson.

"For me, my amateur roots and everything, I've always loved this sport," said Lesnar during Saturday's UFC 77 broadcast from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he watched from cage-side. "I've always wanted to participate in it, and I thank God that I'm able to do this."

No date or opponent was announced for the 30-year-old Lesnar's UFC debut.

"I don't think there are any other pro wrestlers that can make the transition to MMA, except for Brock Lesnar (Pictures)," UFC president Dana White was quoted as saying in a prepared statement. "And if you look at his amateur wrestling credentials, his size, and what he's done, this guy can end up being a force in the heavyweight division of the UFC."

---

Dude, theres a whole thread on it in the current events section.

Anyway, Randy's got a press conference tomorrow. I know it sounds obvious, but he'll either a) announce he's re-considered reirement (rather than 'coming out' of it again), or b)hand over the title, and he'll vanish from UFC history quicker than Benoit from WWE.

I don't know about alot of you, but I feel like UFC is in a pretty weird position: as a group, they've never been so popular, but they're struggling to find stand out main event stars, especially in the heavyweight class.

So they really need Couture, and Dana will fuck him over royally and make him pay if he retires. I'll bet there was some sort of stipulation in his contract that if he retired before making all of his fights, he has to forfeit a bucketload of cash - or offer him shit loads to face Lesnar in February. It may sound like a stupid move, but it wouldn't really suprise me.

Thanks for that. I'm heading over to CE right now.

Well, UFC / Dana White announced last night that Wanderlei Silva will face Chuck Lidell on the December 29th card.

Anyone else worried that this may end Lidells career? So far Pride guys (with the exception of Jackson) have looked like they're in over their heads - so if Lidell suffers a third loss in a row to an inferior outsider, I think he'll have to step away for a year or so.

Or forever.

I wouldn't mind that one bit. I've never liked Chuck as a fighter.

Nice guy. I just hate watching his fights.

Except his last 2 where he got his ass beat.

HERE WE GO WANDERLEI, HERE WE GO!



It's all over for Chuck! Come join the Chuck Liddell Retirement Party at UFC 79 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas!

I like Chuck, but he's definitely lost the eye of the tiger. Somebody needs to have him put Rocky III in his Netflix cue before December.

He's almost 40, so I don't see him coming back if he steps away now.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gobshite
Well, UFC / Dana White announced last night that Wanderlei Silva will face Chuck Lidell on the December 29th card.

Anyone else worried that this may end Lidells career? So far Pride guys (with the exception of Jackson) have looked like they're in over their heads - so if Lidell suffers a third loss in a row to an inferior outsider, I think he'll have to step away for a year or so.

---

Sean Sherk's appeal was heard by the California State Athletic Commission starting an hour ago. No word yet. I'm really hoping they overturn the suspension because I don't want to see him out of action until July.

If it is upheld, we're looking at a BJ Penn/Joe Stevenson Lightweight Championship fight, possibly on Dec. 29.

EDIT: Welp, since the CSAC is a bunch of dumb twats, the appeal has been pushed back to, I think, Nov. 13.

God dammit.

[Edited on 11-1-2007 by GimmickMan]

So, Brock Lesnar gets Frank Mir in his first UFC fight. Somewhat surprising, as Mir isn't a pushover. Mir may not be as good as he once was, but at least Lesnar is going against a name opponent.

Story

Yes, I posted this in the other thread, too - and I'm ready to get an ass-whooping from a Mod for posting the same thing twice. I just wanted to make sure people who may not read both threads actually got the news...

I'll mark out if Brock comes out to his WWE theme and Joe Rogan says "Welp, here comes the pain!"

The funny thing, GM, is that I can totally see Rogan doing just that. I can also see Goldberg being completely lost at the reference - "Pain? What?"

Thom, in reading that post, it made me think of BILL Goldberg, not MIKE Goldberg.

It would be totally hilarious to see Brock come out to his WWE music and then a quick pan to Bill in the crowd with a "HUH?" reaction on his face.

EliteXC: Renegade LIVE tomorrow night at 10 p.m. on Showtime from Corpus Christi, Texas featuring the EliteXC Lightweight (160-lb) Title fight between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons and featuring the MMA debut of Kimbo Slice along with a sweet welterweight bout between Jake Shields and Mike Pyle.

Lights Out Radio EliteXC: Renegade PREVIEW! (Please listen!)

So Kimbo mauled a late replacement who was 10-11 coming into the fight:

I happened to catch most of this on The Fight Network on Sunday.

Kimbo was so impressive that the guy tapped out in anticipation of a beat down. Pretty tomato-can-like.

And what is the deal with the goofy weight limits? I wish MMA would keep standard weight classes so it's easier to compare fighters and champions. 160 lbs? When I hear "lightweight", I've been taught to think 155. In any event, K.J. Noons looked good, and while I think Diaz could have continued, he was pretty cut up so I wasn't too distressed by the stoppage. (Unlike Diaz, who threw a nice temper tantrum.)

Lights Out Radio presents its UFC 78: Validation PREVIEW show!

Should be a good one!

Didn't Wanderlei leave Chute Boxe? I believe he's training at Extreme Couture now.

Validation looks weak as hell. Bisping/Evans is not a PPV main event - maybe a UFN ME or TUF Finale ME.

However the next few fight cards after Validation look stacked. If money is tight, skip Validation to make sure you have the cash to get the next two.

[Edited on 11-15-2007 by Shaggy]

Shaggy, Shaggy, Shaggy.

Validation is f'n awesome. You shouldn't judge an entire card by the main event alone. This is a sweet ass card. If the main event was Evans/Bisping and it had the UFC 77 undercard, I'd be upset.

These fights, though, should be some of the most exciting and competitive fights in UFC history. I've never seen a card where I've been unable to pick a clear winner.

Let's look at this main card:

-Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping
-Evans has a clear advantage in my book, but Bisping is dangerous. Should be a solid fight, but at the same time, I'm probably less pumped for this fight than for any other fight on the card.

-Karo Parisyan (#6 Welterweight in the World)* vs. Ryo Chonan
-The Shark makes his UFC debut at 170 lbs after fighting at 183 in PRIDE. Chonan fought the best of the best at 183 in PRIDE and is a solid competitor.

-Spencer Fisher vs. Frankie Edgar
-Jesus Tittyfucking Christ will this be fucking awesome. So, so pumped. This will be off the hook.

-Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
-This will be a slugfest of a ridiculous nature. Somebody is going down and somebody is going down hard in round one.

-Joe Doerksen vs. Ed Herman
-Was supposed to be Dave Terrell vs. Herman, but, like always, he got injured. Doerksen already holds a technical submission win over Herman back in 2004. This is a tough fight.

So, this card will be friggin' sick and I'm so excited. Plus, the chance to see Thiago Alves vs. Chris Lytle on the prelims along with Joe Lauzon, Akihiro Gono and Marcus Auerilo against good opposition.

SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!

EDIT:

Also, I should mention the Strikeforce event that'll be going down tomorrow and be streamed LIVE!!!! on Yahoo! Sports for those of us who reside 150 miles or more outside of San Jose.

-Cung Le vs. Sam Morgan
-Paul Buentello vs. Alistair Overeem
-Bobby Southworth vs. Anthony Ruiz
-Sean Salmon vs. Dennis Hallman
-Luke Stewart vs. Bryson Kamaka
-Nam Phan vs. Billy Evangelista
-Brian Schwartz vs. Lemont Davis

4-Man Middleweight Tournament
-Falaniko Vitale
-Trevor Prangley
-Jorge Santiago
-Yuki Sasaki

That'll be tight, as well. I think it starts at 11 p.m. ET.

[Edited on 11-15-2007 by GimmickMan]

Shaggy, listen to Gimmick on this one. This card is fucking loaded. And the main event may lack "star quality", but it should still be a helluva fight. People have really been hating Bisping lately, and I have a feeling he'll be getting a TON of heat from the fans.

lololol best undercard of the year my eye. I'm so glad I didn't pay for this show.

UFC 78: SOMEBODY 'BOUT TO GET LAYED ONNNNNNNN

-Spencer Fisher vs. Frankie Edgar - I'll give Edgar all the credit in the world, he was a fucking beast here. This was enjoyable just because of how relentless he was, taking Fisher down at will and pushing the pace for all three rounds. Good for him. However, his laying on top of Fisher got old by round three.

-Joe Doerksen vs. Ed Herman - This was the only thought I actually found exciting. It was a hell of a fight with Herman throwing bombs and Doerksen getting SO FUCKING CLOSE to a submission victory. Good stuff here, I hope these guys got the FOTN bonus from Dana (though barring any amazing prelims I'd be shocked if they didn't.)

-Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan - Karo makes Chonan look like a fool for 3 straight. I'm used to seeing Judo guys get schooled in MMA so it was cool to see one trip and weight-shift his way to victory. Joe Rogan sure was enjoying it but the rest of us thought it was kind of boring. Hey Chonan, what are you doing under there? GETTING LAYED ON BY KARO!

-Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva - This was pretty funny just because Silva was so offended that anyone would think Alexander could face him. I HAVE NINE KNOCKOUT! And lo and behold, Alexander was absurdly outclassed and got his face beat in. Thanks for coming, Houston! Guy's got heavy hands and if he weren't 35 I'd say a great future. Who knows what happens now?

-Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping - Both of these guys should be taken out back and shot. I had trouble staying awake during this abortion of a contest. I'd call it a fight, but, well, I didn't really get that feeling from what these lads were doing. I had breakfast this morning with Rashad Evans and about what I thought was halfway through the meal he got up and put on his coat. "What are you doing," I asked, "There's still a bunch of eggs on that plate." Rashad looked at me and replied "Oh, I guess I just couldn't finish."

quote:

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People have really been hating Bisping lately, and I have a feeling he'll be getting a TON of heat from the fans.

---

Sweet vindication.

Best part of the night, other than the Herman vs Doerkson fight was Dana telling the main event fighters what to say during the post-bout interviews.

Anybody who bought into the Houston Alexander hype is a rube. With his punching power, if he had any semblence of a ground game he would have been "discovered" long before his 33rd birthday.

Next couple of cards look promising and worth the buy.

I don't feel that this card ended up being as bad as a lot of people seem to thing. Nothing was great but nothing was too horrible either.

Ed Herman looked good knocking out though veteran Joe Doerkson. I'm curious to see who ends up being the better fighter after it's all said and done Herman or Kendal Grove.

I think people are being a bit hard on Houston Alexander. He showed decent ground defence for a while and I think his loses had more to do with Thiago Silva being really good than anything to do with Houston being exposed. Plus he's the same age now that Randy was when he started. Randy lost a few fights early in his career as well. Alexander's no spring chicken but I would call him done yet.

Frankie Edgar looked good in controlling Fisher. I thought this fight was kinda fun but again not great. Theres so many quality lightweights that it really is a shame that the belts tied up with the Sherk situation.

Joe Lauzon gets another solid win. I'd want to see him fight one of the top LWs. I say lets put him and Edgar in together.

I wouldn't say I was buying the "Houston Hype", but it was fun rooting for the 1-dimensional American Underdog (maybe that should be his new nickname?). I think people were backing him due to Rocky-like reasons. Put the guy in there against another pure striker and you'll have an exciting bout with a guaranteed KO one way or another. I don't think Dana's done with him, yet.

And I'm kinda glad I stayed home sick Saturday instead of going out to the bar to see this. Doesn't seem like it lived up to my expectations.

That guy was the biggest star on the show. There's no way in hell he's gone. This guy will never be a serious contender, but he can be a big star if they match him up correctly. I don't care if this guy fights the 205-lb version of Bo Cantrell everytime, I just want to see this guy in there.

Houston Alexander vs. Stephan Bonnar, anybody?

Edit: Hell, Alexander vs. Liddell would be entertaining as fuck.

Silva-Henderson Announced for UFC 82
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=10025

quote:

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Dan Henderson fell short in his first attempt to unify UFC and PRIDE titles. He'll get a second chance, UFC president Dana White announced Saturday, when the only man to hold the PRIDE 183-pound title fights UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva March 1 in Columbus, Ohio.

Silva, the top pound-for-pound fighter as ranked by Sherdog.com, has dominated since entering the UFC in June 2006. Using what many consider the most dangerous standup game in mixed martial arts, the 32-year-old Silva brutally finished each of his five fights in the Octagon while raising his overall record to 20-4.

Henderson, 37, returned to the UFC in September and put his PRIDE 205-pound title on the line against UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson. After five hard-fought rounds, Jackson walked away a unanimous decision winner.

Though he balked at the idea of dropping weight to fight Silva at 185 pounds, Henderson (22-6) eventually agreed to the bout after signing a contract extension with the UFC, Sherdog.com has learned.

---

I wonder how much more Dana had to pay to get Hollywood to cut. There is a belief that Hendo is a better 205 fighter, however the Middleweight Division is hurting for a top contender for Spider otherwise.

Bisping is reportedly dropping down to 185lb as well, which is probably his natural fight weight to begin with. He doesn't look like he cuts too much to get to 205, which puts him at a detriment.

Rashad Evans should probably join him down there in a year once he gets blown out by the top guys in 205 and decides he's closer to the title in 185.

I may be alone on this, but I always thought Hendo was a better fit at 185 given his size and fighting style. He can push those guys around in a way he couldn't against the likes of Rampage. Just my 2 cents, though.

Bisping dropping to 185 will be a good idea, not Rashad, though. Again, I say this based on their relative frames. Bisping looks like he has some mass he could lose, but Rashad does not. Rashad already looks REALLY puny compared to his TUF heavyweight days, and I don't see another 20 pounds getting knocked off.

I see it exactly opposite in that Bisping isn't really built for 205, however Evans has a lot of muscle packed on his frame. FWIW Evans wrestled at 174 at MSU according to his wiki entry.

Either way, Bisping is rumored to be dropping down, I don't believe Evans has ever entertained the idea.

Well, bad news kids.

Matt Serra suffered a herniated disc in his back and is now out for his UFC 79 Welterweight Title fight against Matt Hughes.

Get GSP in there and fight for another interim title.

Serra is just ascared is all. Not that I like Hughes, I hate Hughes, I just hate Serra more.

So is the fight just pushed back 6 mos? That will mean the WW title hasn't been defended in a friggin year. Whatajoke.

[Edited on 11-23-2007 by Shaggy]

quote:

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Originally posted by GimmickMan
Get GSP in there and fight for another interim title.

---

I assume it's for an interim title in order to allow it to have championship rounds - I mean the winners next fight will likely be Serra in six months time.

I'm sort of glad this happened in a way because I saw Hughes beating Serra for the title and then Serra dropping fown to 155lb and GSP never getting to avenge his loss.

This way I see GSP beating Hughes and going on to stomp Serra. Serra will still fight Hughes in a future grudge match of sorts because he talked too much shit not to do so now.

Yes, GSP/Hughes 3 will be a 5-round match.

And dammit. I was really wanting to see Serra humble that smarmy motherfucker Hughes. At least GSP can do that, now.

My show, Lights Out Radio, is conducting some End of Year awards balloting. If you'd like to participate, U2U me for the ballot/suggestions.

Last night, I caught the tail end of a replay of FSN's Sports Science(?)

They basically took a whole shitload of various hits and measured their forces of impact. Off the top of my head - a KO punch, a blindside blitz/sack, a check into the boards, and a powerbomb. There probably were others, but I can't recall.

The winner, with most impact force? Rampage's Powerbomb (although they called it a body slam). 400Gs, with a Head-Injury-Criteria of 3500.


Fuuuuuuuck.

He got JIU JITSU!!!


And a heads up to all who may have been ignoring The Ultimate Fighter this season. Even if you haven't been following, check it out tonight. It's just gonna be the 2 semi-final matchups, and they should be damn good fights.

Can anyone remember exactly what Dana White has said in interviews regarding the differences in violence levels between boxing and MMA? Or was it boxing and UFC? I know he's stated that nobody's died due to sanctioned bouts, but I can't remember if he was talking about UFC, explicitly - or MMA, in general.

The reason I ask, is because It just happened last week.

quote:

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MMA fighter dies weeks after being injured in Houston bout
Dec. 3, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports


HOUSTON -- A mixed martial arts fighter has died in a hospice about six weeks after he was injured in a sanctioned bout, a rare fatality for a combat sport that is growing in popularity.

Sam Vasquez, 35, of Houston, was injured at the Toyota Center on Oct. 20 and died Friday. The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Vasquez's death, but spokeswoman Stacey Mitchell said it could be several days before the official cause is determined.

...

Vasquez was hospitalized after he was knocked out by Vince Libardi of San Antonio in the third round of a fight at the Renegades Extreme Fighting show. He lost consciousness and suffered a seizure.

---

It's a tough loss, but it's not something that's going to damn the sport. Texas has already started that they aren't going to stop regulating MMA fights.

Well if you use UFC 1 as the starting point of MMA then MMA has had two deaths in 14 years (this most recent one and an one in an unsanctioned event in russia).
Whereas boxing averages 8 deaths a YEAR. So I don't hink this is going to be much of anything.

quote:

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Originally posted by Thom
Last night, I caught the tail end of a replay of FSN's Sports Science(?)

They basically took a whole shitload of various hits and measured their forces of impact. Off the top of my head - a KO punch, a blindside blitz/sack, a check into the boards, and a powerbomb. There probably were others, but I can't recall.

The winner, with most impact force? Rampage's Powerbomb (although they called it a body slam). 400Gs, with a Head-Injury-Criteria of 3500.


Fuuuuuuuck.

---

Rampage is Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, the bad ass looking dude in the picture above. He joined UFC from Pride and is the only real success story of the buy out so far. He knocked Chuck Lidell out to win the light heavyweight title earlier in the year.

Brock Lesnar makes his UFC Debut on Superbowl Saturday, facing former world champion Frank Mir.

Thats all. Any more questions? If you don't ask, we can't tell you.

Everyone made weight for TUF6 Finale, headlined by Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta (!!!) in a lightweight showdown.

That fight will also be the last fight that "Big" John McCarthy will officiate, as he is retiring to become an analyst for The Fight Network.

It's too bad because I would've liked to see him go out officiating Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell.


MOD: Double Post.

In big news, Dave Meltzer is reporting that the UFC has stripped Sean Sherk of his Lightweight Championship since the CSAC held up part of his suspension.

BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson is now for the UFC Lightweight Championship.

But, in reality, Sherk will fight a can in two months and be the No. 1 contender again.

[Edited on 12-9-2007 by LuckyLopez]

And just think how much force a worked powerbomb would still have on pro-wrestlers.

Rampage and Forrest Griffin are rumored to be the next coaches on TUF. Of course with a fight after the show.

While I think Forrest and Rampage could be great on TUF. I hate the idea of the TUF schedule mucking up the UFC title scenes. Of course Rampage is hurt, so maybe it's not really effected this time around. I believe they don't start taping the next season until Feb, and who knows when it will air and finish. So we're looking at eight months before a light heavyweight title fight?

The fight between Guida and Huerta was pretty awesome. Guida was doing great with takedowns but Huerta just kept getting out. I thought Huerta was done for after he got rocked by that uppercut, but man, that finish was really nice.

quote:

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Originally posted by Joeldacat
Who's Rampage? Was this show basically saying that a powerbomb is more dangerous than any of those other kinds of hits from various sports- or specifically someone's ultra-violent version of the powerbomb? I guess this is a weird question for a UFC thread, but I want to know.

UFC-wise: I'm only a casual fan sucked into the occasional Ultimate Fighter show- but has Brock Lesnar's first fight been announced in terms of date? That might be the first PPV I order in months.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by Gobshite
Rampage is Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, the bad ass looking dude in the picture above. He joined UFC from Pride and is the only real success story of the buy out so far. He knocked Chuck Lidell out to win the light heavyweight title earlier in the year.

Brock Lesnar makes his UFC Debut on Superbowl Saturday, facing former world champion Frank Mir.

Thats all. Any more questions? If you don't ask, we can't tell you.

---

the powerbomb in question is from Quentin Rampage Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona, if you're searching on one of the popular video sharing sites that Zuffa doesn't patrol.

Or you could just use this link.

GimmickMan here once again to pimp my radio show.

In our first of two shows this week, we talk the TUF6 Finale and look ahead to Wednesday's huge WEC show featuring Jens Pulver vs. Cub Swanson, Urijah Faber vs. Jeff Curran and Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen.

Check it out!

Lights Out Radio~!!!

Hly Fuck was that a fun TUF finale. While the Guida/Huerta fight was probably even better than advertised, we got another MOY candidate from the show, and I can't believe nobody is talking about it!

J-Roc vs. War Machine was all kinds of fucking awesome. War seemed like he was close to passing out from exhaustion about 7 different times, and then he'd fire off 3 or 4 HARD shots in a row. Then J-Roc was going fucking apeshit with the elbows, even from the guard! The finish was fucking fantastic, too.

And the WEC card this Wednesday is probably the best card I've ever seen them have. Those of you who haven't seen Faber or Filho in action owe it to yourselves to check this one out. Sonnen, Pulver, and Curran aren't schleps, either.

quote:

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Originally posted by Joeldacat

Re-Edit: Did he nail anything like that (the slams in the video) on Chuck Lidell?

---

The WEC card is probably the best card broadcast on free TV this year (and, in this purpose, I'm not counting the two numbered UFC's that aired on Spike).

It features three title fights and Jens Pulver's redebut at 145 pounds.

Tomas Rios of Sherdog.com has a bang-up preview here.

Paulo Filho (and his FLANNEL POWER!) will smash Chael Sonnen.



Urijah Faber will be taken deep by Jeff Curran but will ultimately retain his title.

Doug Marshall will lose his Light-Heavyweight Title.

Jens Pulver will win and we will have a mega-fight between Faber and Pulver early next year.

SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!

Sherdog actually had an article (if anybody wants to hunt it down for my lazy at-work ass) claiming Filho may be an even better pound-for-pound fighter than Anderson Silva. I can't argue that too much.

Gator, let me know when Sherdog issues a retraction.

quote:

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Paulo Filho (and his FLANNEL POWER!) will smash Chael Sonnen.

---

Count me in as being very disappointed with Filho's performance. Chael was working him pretty well, and he was winning the fight until he got caught. He was clearly tapping, though, so I didn't appreciate his babying afterward.

Jens Pulver took advantage of Cub Swanson's inexperience. For those of you who were watching Swanson for the first time, don't take that as an indicator of his overall abilities. He's a great up-and-coming fighter who just happened to get caught.

And Faber is a fucking maniac. Jeff Curran is no slouch, and Faber basically neutralized the best that Curran threw at him. I loved Frank Trigg's comment "I think I've only seen that move in The Matrix, before" when he hit Curran with a jumping knee from the clinch.

Faber vs. Pulver? Count me in. If Faber gets the win, they really need to move him to the UFC and help flesh out the rest of the lightweight division (yes, I know he'd have to put on 10 more pounds). Faber could have serious money-matches with Joe Stevenson, BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Mac Danzig, and Kenny Florian. Actually, that's a nice little round robin of matches right there.

For those of you who missed the show, you also missed a RELEASE GERMAN SUPLEX!!!



As for Wanderlei/Liddell, I hope Chuck gets KTFO yet again and that the ref doesn't step in to save him as he gets his skull bludgeoned and spread in tiny bits across the blood-soaked mat. Is that wrong of me?

quote:

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Originally posted by folby
Gator, let me know when Sherdog issues a retraction.

quote:

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Paulo Filho (and his FLANNEL POWER!) will smash Chael Sonnen.

---

Sonnen made a stupid mistake. Filho got the win, but there wasn't much smashing involved. How do you feel about Chute Box being a bunch of fairly decent but certainly beatable chubby dudes when not on the gas, Gimmick? Chuck Lidell is going to smash Silva's face in. USA USA USA

Good night of fights for sure, I really enjoyed that show. Faber is a beast.

[Edited on 12-13-2007 by folby]

---

I call BS. He was winning the fight in a big way on his feet. Going for the takedown was a mistake. Had he not shot in a second time he never would have gotten caught. Credit where credit is due: Filho is a tough motherfucker who stuck with it to win the fight. That said, it was Sonnen's mistake (shooting in, sticking his arm out) that swung the direction of the fight.

I heard about the release german, oh but that youtube link no longer works.


Finally got around to watching the first half of TUF last night on my dVR. Holy shit, the 3rd round of War Machine/J-Roc was amazing. Shit like that is why I love MMA. Wow.

Here you go, friend:

[Joey Styles] No Bridge All Impact!![/Joey Styles]

On 12/7, Sean O'Haire got another victory in a league that Sherdog doesn't even recognize. Looks like he's finally getting himself into shape, again. BRING ON BROCK! (I keed! I keed!):

http://www.wallopfightgear.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=32&g2;_page=18

Pics from his fight start on page 16.

If you have an HDTV and can get HDNet, I would suggest doing it now.

This weekend they'll have Sportfight: Season's Beatings from Portland

Dec. 29 they'll have the IFL Grand Prix Finals.

Then, to cap it all off, on Dec. 31 they have YARENNOKA from Saitama Super Arena in Japan featuring these confirmed bouts:

Fedor Emelianenko (#1 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Hong Man Choi
-Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (#2 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa
-Gilbert Melendez (#3 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (#9 Lightweight in the World)*
-Tatsuya Kawajiri (#4 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Luiz Azeredo
-Shinya Aoki (#5 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante (#6 Lightweight in the World)*
-Kazuo Misaki (#8 Middleweight in the World)* vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (#10 Middleweight in the World)*
-Murilo Bustamante vs. Makoto Takimoto

By my count, that's four OMG~!!! bouts.

Hopefully the show will use PRIDE rules. I haven't had that special feeling I get when I see someone get soccer kicked or stomped in a long time. I miss that. (It'll never be better than seeing Wanderlei stomp Yuki Kondo's face in at Final Conflict 2004.)

Also, I love Mayhem and Tim Kennedy (from Saturday's pretty good HDNet Fights show):



[Edited on 12-19-2007 by GimmickMan]

Yeah, it fuckin' sucks that I've got Cox for my cable provider. I've been wanting HDNet for awhile.

Here's hoping that big goofy Korean can knock Fedor's teeth out!

Gimmick, at what point are you going to stop ranking Fedor #1 based on inactivity and/or quality of opposition? Fedor is my favorite fighter ever but I'm not going to deny he's kind of a bitch about some things.

Has anybody decisively de-throned Fedor atop the heavyweight division, though? Couture has been winning against sub-par (for now... I still see big things from Gonzaga) competition.

I completely see the arguments against him being the pound-for-pound champ, but nobody in the heavyweight division can hold Fedor's jockstrap at the moment.

quote:

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Originally posted by folby
Gimmick, at what point are you going to stop ranking Fedor #1 based on inactivity and/or quality of opposition? Fedor is my favorite fighter ever but I'm not going to deny he's kind of a bitch about some things.

---

Good article here:

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=10517

quote:

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Telling the media that he had "accomplished all that I could as a fighter" following his Dec. 8 bout with Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather intimated that he would be happy to retire with a perfect 39-0 record and the unofficial title of best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet.

But if Mark Cuban is to be believed, the 30-year-old pugilist has a prescient sense of history and wants to add one more chapter to his inevitable self-congratulatory autobiography -- Mayweather could become the first boxer in his career prime to risk hyper-extended ligaments in a mixed martial arts contest.

Mayweather, Cuban said, will be involved in some capacity with the billionaire's fledging HDNet Fights promotion and will visit MMA gyms in the coming months to gauge his interest in an open-style fight.

Perhaps Mayweather, who is nothing if not shrewd, sees that there is increasing debate about the superior combat sport, and that his participation would prompt a lot of people to fork over a lot of money for resolution. Or perhaps he believes that observers in the future will question why none of boxing's royalty ever made the transition, especially now that the UFC's media saturation has made good paydays feasible.

Alternately, he could be under the woeful delusion that if he can hurt people with 16-ounce gloves, then four-ounce gloves would be akin to sanctioned homicide. (More likely, his notoriously brittle hands would suffer more than his opponent's jaws.)

However you slice it, Mayweather's move would be spectacular business for Cuban, who may have just found himself the only athlete that could make a legitimate attempt to outpace the UFC for pay-per-view clicks. Mayweather versus Athlete X is more than the sum of its parts; it would be boxing versus MMA, ingrained institution versus upstart eyesore. It's the kind of territorial promotion that boxing made its bones on, with countries rallying behind their athletes and fights being more socio-political in nature than just two jocks exchanging jabs.

It could be, in short, the first goosebump-inducing attraction in years, a spectacle that both sports have struggled to provide, with their respective mega-fights taking place years after their expiration dates. (Randy Couture (Pictures) will be cashing Social Security checks before he ever steps in the ring against Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures); Roy Jones Jr. versus Felix Trinidad is a running punchline in boxing circles.) Mayweather himself is running out of options in his native sport, with the Hatton bout drawing only a third the TV business of the De La Hoya meeting.

For Floyd, the question won't be how much money he can make stuffing takedowns (it'll be a lot), but if the purse justifies the risk to his reputation. Boxers who have stepped into MMA in the past have either been too old (see: Ray Mercer), too one-dimensional (see: Art Jimmerson), or too ill-prepared for the task at hand (see: Francois Botha (Pictures)). Boxers that have seen a modicum of success (Jeremy Williams, LaVerne Clark (Pictures)e) also happen to have substantial wrestling backgrounds. Hardly a coincidence.

Whether Mayweather realizes it or not -- and his handlers will inevitably clue him in -- walking into a mixed-style arena with his only current abilities is a dangerous arrogance. His vaunted defensive style assumes his oversized gloves will help block attacks; in MMA, the thin membrane of leather and stuffing will leave him exposed. His boxing stance doesn't need to concern itself with kicks or flying knees; in MMA, strikes will come from impossible angles courtesy of appendages he didn't even know existed. Worse, punches that begin at his feet and use his entire body for support and power will only leave him planted and ripe for takedowns.

In short, the Floyd Mayweather we see now has no practical application in MMA. If he's serious, he'll need to begin shaping Floyd 2.0: a striker with quick, devastating hands who has jet fuel in his gloves and the agility and reflexes to defend shots and kicks.

Mayweather might find inspiration in Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), a Croatian kickboxer who was a dangerous -- if not elite -- participant in K-1 that went on to beat people bloody in MMA. Filipovic had no collegiate wrestling background, but was eager to learn, was brought up slowly and had undeniable athleticism. Sure, Mayweather doesn't have Cro Cop's lower-body arsenal � but the kickboxer doesn't have Mayweather's hands, either.

Marrying Mayweather's hand speed with takedown defense and submission awareness is one thing, but applying it is another. I don't think there are enough years on the calendar for Mayweather to equip himself well enough to deal with the wrestling prowess of a Urijah Faber (Pictures) or Sean Sherk (Pictures). (Then again, I've seen Filipovic stuff takedowns from Mark Coleman (Pictures), so who knows?) It's far more likely he would take inspiration from someone like Cung Le (Pictures), who has been matched with athletes in MMA that are predisposed to stand up and trade with him.

Assuming he goes that far, the boxer's Sherdog record won't consist of any Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts or NCAA champions. To even imagine him in the same contained space as a "Kid" Yamamoto is sadistic. Instead, he's likely to oppose a spastic, undisciplined combatant on the level of a Charles Bennett (Pictures) or Melvin Guillard (Pictures), someone who is just as apt to make positional mistakes as he is.

But I'm not sure Mayweather's legendary work ethic would be inspired by mid-level competition; nor am I sure the fights between champions like Sherk and Faber would be entertained by Zuffa.

That leaves fights that have little to do with rankings, but a lot to do with emotional investment. The historian in me would love to see Helio Gracie's wish for Joe Lewis come to life in the form of Mayweather versus Royler Gracie (Pictures). The grappler versus striker conceit would be presented in its purest form; the 40-ish Royler would create some kind of doubt as to whether he's still nimble enough to wrestle an antagonist to the ground.

And the Gracie name has obvious promotional implications. From all perspectives, it's the perfect fight.

But until Mayweather proclaims his commitment to the sport, it's also just fantasy. Mike Tyson used K-1 -- and K-1 used Tyson -- just to get press for years. Lennox Lewis considered it (a co-promotion with the WWE and Brock Lesnar (Pictures)), but ultimately rejected the notion of getting mounted and elbowed in the face; Michael Moorer said he'd do it, but out-priced himself; Shannon Briggs trained at American Top Team, and obviously, he must've seen something there he didn't like.

Not exactly encouraging precedents. Mayweather might follow the same path of having an ego bigger than his skill set.

Or perhaps he'll follow the classic archetype of the fighter who has everything to lose, but still keeps coming forward.

---

If Floyd Mayweather takes an MMA fight within the next three years I'll eat my hat and the hats of several of my close friends.

Gimmick: There's an MMA card Saturday night, right? Liddell/Silva, I think? Any thoughts on who will win anywhere on that card...for news matter only and not to be used in violation of any Federal, State or Local law(s).

Yeah, I'm heading to Reno for New Year's.

Well while we wait for Gimmick's OOficial predictions, I'll toss mine out. If any of you can catch the fights Saturday, it should be one hell of a card. And at least the top 2 fights are big BIG name matchups:

Matt "The Douche-Jock" Hughes (43-5-0) vs. Georges "Rush" St-Pierre (14-2-0)
This was supposed to be Hughes vs. Matt Serra for the title in a fight where 2 guys really REALLY don't like each other. Instead we're left with what should be one hell of a rubber match between two amazing fighters. Hughes won the first one in '04 with an OMG ARMBAR~!~~!! as time was running out in the first round. GSP took the second fight just over a year ago, stopping the fight with strikes. Hughes is wanting to push hard for his final few fights, and he REALLY wants to get his hands on Serra, but GSP is in his prime.

Prediction: GSP again via strikes, but in round 4 this time.

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (20-5-0) vs. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva (31-7-1)
This was a fight that was supposed to happen about 47 years ago in Pride. Both of these guys love to strike, and both love to go for the KO. Silva has the "age and experience" advantage, being the younger fighter by 7 years. And he's got a more versatile striking offense, as well. Chuck has been reeling of late.

Prediction: Silva by KO early in round 2.

Lyoto Machida (11-0-0) vs. "The African Assassin" Rameau Sokoudjou (4-1-0)
For you boxing fans, Machida is the Chris Byrd (old-style) of MMA. He's a boring fighter who goes for "points" over finishes. At least that's been the trend lately. 6 of his last 7 fights have been full-time unanimous decision wins. Blah. Nevertheless, he's still undefeated in MMA.

Sokoudjou is a ball of fire and will likely push this fight from the get-go. And he's black, so we know he likes to punch people. Apparently, he knows some judo. He knocked out Big Nog in :23, too.

Prediction: Machida finally falls. KO toward the end of Round 1.

Rich "No Love" Clementi (37-12-1) vs. "The Young Assassin" Melvin Guillard (39-7-3)
One word: EXPLOSIVE. Both are rather inconsistent fighters, and that's what is going to make for one hell of a fight. Both can strike. Both have solid ground games. And both have everything to gain AND lose from a win or a loss.

Prediction: Clementi by split decision in the Fight of the Night.

Soa "The Hulk" Palelei (8-1-0) vs. "The Manic Hispanic" Eddie Sanchez (9-1-0)
Sanchez hasn't really beaten anybody of note, with the only name fight on his resume being a TKO loss to CroCop. Soa hasn't really fought anybody, either, but he does have a 2-inch and 35 pound advantage on Sanchez.

Prediction: Soa via ground-and-pound in round 3.

Also, a pretty decent non-broadcast portion of the card with these fights:
Luiz "Banha" Cane (8-0-0) vs. "The Sandman" James Irvin (12-4-1)
Nate Mohr (8-4-0) vs. "The Pitbull" Manny Gamburyan (5-3-0)
Jordan Radev (16-2-0) vs. "The Boogeyman" Dean "Tito's Bitchboy" Lister (9-5-0)
Roan "Jucao" Carneiro (11-6-0) vs. Tony DeSouza (10-3-0)
Mark "No Nickname" Bocek (4-1-0) vs. "No Nickname" Doug Evans (6-1-0)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Attitude Adjuster
Gimmick: There's an MMA card Saturday night, right? Liddell/Silva, I think? Any thoughts on who will win anywhere on that card...for news matter only and not to be used in violation of any Federal, State or Local law(s).

Yeah, I'm heading to Reno for New Year's.

---

I hope Choi embarrasses him.

Well, you also hope Sean O'Haire will become a respectable MMA fighter.

Neither will ever happen.

AA, I think Silva will win.

WANDERLEI SILVA FTW!

Reppin' Chute Boxe & Xtreme Couture, my two favorite gyms.





Also, I grabbed tickets for UFC 82: PRIDE of a Champion in Columbus, Ohio today!!!

March 1 cannot come soon enough.

[Edited on 12-29-2007 by GimmickMan]

Hey, any Chuck Liddell fans willing to make an av bet?

One week or so?

Wish I had seen that yesterday. You and some Hammer House fans should start a support group Gimmick, SSWS - San Steroids We Suck.

quote:

---

Originally posted by salmonjunkie
AA, I think Silva will win.

---

First off: BOOM!



Now, onto my UFC 79 thoughts (full thoughts here)

Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard
-This was fun. I knew about the backstory between these two but wasn't really expecting what happened. Clementi got rocked but stayed in there and got it where he needed to be - the ground. From there, he pretty much had his way. The crotch chop was nice as was the post-fight interview. I laughed.

Sokoudjou vs. Ryoto Machida
-This was very interesting. Sudoku rocked Machida really early but after that, he couldn't do much. Mario Yamasaki continues to show why he is the absolute worst big name referee out there, standing them up right when Lyoto was locking in an arm-triangle. And although I had my $1 (our group bets on the fights) on Sokoudjou, I can't complain with a submission victory that has the word "triangle" in it.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell
-Jesus Tittyfucking Christ did this ever live up to the hype and more. This was utterly awesome. Maybe the reason I had so much fun because I was so into it, but regardless of that, this was fun to watch. These two were landing total bombs on each other. I loved Wanderlei baiting Chuck in the first round and then firing off a hard shot. Liddell shooting a straight double had me laughing my ass off. That actually took a lot of the edge off for me. It was like the strangest thing I've ever seen in the Octagon.

While I love Wanderlei, I was not disappointed in the end result. What we saw was two fighters going at it for 15 minutes, toe-to-toe and never backing down or quitting. Wanderlei showed so much heart and has nothing to be ashamed of. Sure, he's lost three in a row, but I'd like to see any fighter not named Fedor get through Mirko CroCop, Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell without losing at least two of three, if not all three.

This was one of those fights that I'm glad went to a decision and we had the pleasure of seeing them in there for all 15 minutes. In my eyes, this was one of the top-2 most-anticipated fights in MMA history along with Fedor/CroCop. Both were similar in that they were skilled battles between two top fighters that went the distance with a pretty much clear-cut winner. While this may not have been the most technical fight ever, I'd be lying if I said I thought it was anything other than extremely awesome.

Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes
GSP just ran a figurative train on Hughes in this one. This was 13 different types of awesome. I knew coming in that, judging by the first two fights between these two, that Hughes' chances in this fight were slim to none and slim never left the farm. GSP never gave him a chance. If the first round was 10 seconds longer, we would've had the same finish except in the first round.

According to CompuStrike, GSP landed 77 total strikes while Hughes landed FIVE. This was just a complete and utter domination. I said on my show going in that I just couldn't see a way in which Hughes could win. That materialized.

GSP is just a man on a mission right now. I love him dominating people at their own games. Right now, he's tooled Trigg, Sherk, Hughes x2 and Koscheck at wrestling and it's been hilarious. He's blown all these guys out of the water. The guy is just constantly improving. I loved him passing Matt's guard like a hot knife through butter. Hughes offered absolutely nothing. That throw was hilarious. I would've never imagined I'd see Matt Hughes � the longtime powerhouse of the UFC Welterweight Division � getting ragdolled like that in a fight.

There was just so much awesomeness in this fight. I loved GSP's post-fight interview as well. This guy gives the best fucking post-fight interviews ever. I think it's impossible to not love this guy.

I pray to God that GSP dispatches of Serra rather easily and that sets up what should be a mega showdown between he and Fitch in the summer. That would be amazing.

Overall
Great night of fights. UFC has a lot of good things to look forward to in January/February...my highlights:

BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum
Drew McFedries vs. Patrick Cot� (!!!)
Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar

And MORE!!!

Good shit right here.

Man, what an awesome card. From that crazy opening fight right down to GSP giving the fans a master's class in MMA, there wasn't anything in this card not to like. Wow.

Wrong. Wrong. WRONG.

40% of the card absolutely blew goatsac. Michida is still the Chris Byrd of MMA, but at least he finished a fight. And the Soa fight was one of the worst fights I've ever seen.

That being said, I think I may finally have a favorite fighter in the lightweight division. Rich Clementi is just awesome. He at least gets me interested to see his fights. Not that the Penn/Stevenson fight will be anything to shrug at, but I'm really curious to see what Clementi would do against a little better competition. He's got a very well-rounded arsenal if nothing else.

The Chuck/Wanderlei fight was what it was. Nothing much more to be said about it. I don't see this being the "great comeback" for Chuck, though. And Silva's still gonna have a couple fun fights against some guys who aren't pure strikers.

GSP may be the best fighter alive, today. Pound-for-pound. Any sport. I don't know why I forgot about him when I said the same about Anderson Silva. Anybody think there's a chance GSP will ever bump up a class to take on Anderson Silva? After Silva plows through Hendo, he won't have any more worthy challengers.

I don't think GSP needs to move to 185. There's still so much for him to do at 170.

Maybe in time, but not now.

Although I think Matt Hughes could possibly give Anderson a run for his money at 185. I mean, he'd just revert to straight wrestler mode and pray to God he'd never be on the bottom.

I was actually thinking a move for Hughes in the other direction might not be bad for him. There are plenty of other interesting matchups for him at Lightweight. Silva would obliterate him.

I'm not the biggest MMA fan around and barely get around to watching much except for the real big cards. I know the big names that have been around like Liddell, Ortiz, CroCop, Rampage, etc. but I have no real in depth knowledge of styles and who meshes with who, but that was an awesome show.

GSP fucking owned Hughes and made him look like a bitch. I remember watching the Serra/GSP fight and how everyone I was with was in absolute shock that Serra won, now I see why. If GSP is that damn good on a consistent basis I can't see how he ever loses.

And Chuck Liddell is fucking awesome. That match was brutal, but anytime I see someone throw a spinning back fist and it connects at all, that person becomes an all-time great. He didn't hit it clean because if he had Silva gets knocked out right there. If Silva didn't take a small step forward, that spinning back fist connects clean across Silva's face and he goes down without question. But the fact is, both guys took the absolute best of each other but Liddell just wanted it so much more.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GatorBait
I was actually thinking a move for Hughes in the other direction might not be bad for him. There are plenty of other interesting matchups for him at Lightweight. Silva would obliterate him.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by GatorBait
Wrong. Wrong. WRONG.

40% of the card absolutely blew goatsac. Michida is still the Chris Byrd of MMA, but at least he finished a fight. And the Soa fight was one of the worst fights I've ever seen.

That being said, I think I may finally have a favorite fighter in the lightweight division. Rich Clementi is just awesome. He at least gets me interested to see his fights. Not that the Penn/Stevenson fight will be anything to shrug at, but I'm really curious to see what Clementi would do against a little better competition. He's got a very well-rounded arsenal if nothing else.

The Chuck/Wanderlei fight was what it was. Nothing much more to be said about it. I don't see this being the "great comeback" for Chuck, though. And Silva's still gonna have a couple fun fights against some guys who aren't pure strikers.

GSP may be the best fighter alive, today. Pound-for-pound. Any sport. I don't know why I forgot about him when I said the same about Anderson Silva. Anybody think there's a chance GSP will ever bump up a class to take on Anderson Silva? After Silva plows through Hendo, he won't have any more worthy challengers.

---

Yeah, after reading Gator's pre-match comments regarding Machida, I was expecting a subpar semi-snoozefest (only offsetted by my anticipation of what the African Assassin could do). But Machida was spot-on with his strikes, the ground stuff didn't last too long, and as mentioned, that Arm Triangle finish was niiiice.

Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard
- Fun. Decent opener

Sokoudjou vs. Ryoto Machida
- Sokoudjou sucked ass.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell
- SO. FUCKING. GOOD. These guys gave it their all. I thought Silva would win, but Liddell finally got out of the slump. Which is good. Hopefully we'll see these gusy fight again. It'll be a lot of fun again, fo sho.

Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes
GSP just DOMINATED. He kicks so much ass right now and is on the top of his game. He will beat Serra.


I am looking forward to all the matches Gimmick is looking forward to too. I predict 2008 is going to be an awesome year for UFC.

[Edited on 1-1-2008 by salmonjunkie]

GatorBait-


Sokoudjou knocked out little nog, not Big Nog. Bad set of predictions as well.


As for the card, I liked the 3 advertised fights. Machida is the real deal. Even though most MMA fans find him boring I think his fights are exciting. The guy avoids damage while striking for real power. Damn he looked so small next to Sokoudjou.

Chuck and Wand delivered. Nice show of respect at the end of the fight by Chuck. Wand was beaten and looked like he didn't know where he was. Chuck took him down and let the time expire.

GSP has said he would move up to fight Anderson Silva at 185. That would be an awesome fight. Hopefully Anderson keeps the belt long enough for it to happen.

I finally caught this one, and it reminded me why I don't like UFC.

First, I'll admit I'm a huge Silva fan. His explosive style got me into MMA, and I was hoping he'd bring it back and kick the shit out of Liddell. That being said, Chuck definitely won the fight via points, however:

- I think the fight was MUCH closer than the announcers and judges gave Wandy credit for. I think he controlled like 75% of the 2nd round, and yet Rogan and Goldie said something like, "Chuck, always the stalker," when Liddell finally got some offense in. They also said he "slipped" one of the times he fell, when a replay showed Wand nailing him with a punch.

- Did anybody else think the replays were VERY bias toward Chuck?

Again, I'm not arguing the winner, but I definitely think there was some really clear bias shown toward the home team.

Edited for clarification.

[Edited on 1-4-2008 by MrTootles]

No doubt. I completely agree.

I was telling my friends at the end of the fight when Goldberg was in his crazy hyperbole mode about Chuck that you'd think by the way they were acting that Chuck knocked him out three times in the fight but he was saved by the bell each time.

With each passing event, I hate Mike Goldberg more and more.

gimmick just mad cuz his brazilian boyfriends is bogus

Dear folby:

Go fuck yourself.

Sincerely,
GimmickMan

xoxo

Getting this in under the wire, but this is my preview of UFC 80 that I wrote for my paper:

quote:

---

Although not rich on big names, this weekend�s UFC 80: Rapid Fire card from Newcastle, England should provide plenty of excitement.

The card will air live at 3 p.m. Saturday on pay-per-view. Here is my breakdown and my predictions of the main card.
In the main event, former UFC Welterweight Champion BJ Penn will face Joe Stevenson for the UFC Lightweight Championship.

I�m having trouble seeing a way in which Stevenson wins this fight. Stevenson is a competent fighter and should be challenging for a title, but when Penn is on his game, he is one of the top three fighters in the world. His chin is rock hard, his submission skills are outstanding and his striking is dangerous.

Everything that Stevenson does, Penn does better. While Stevenson�s wrestling is one of his strengths, Penn�s takedown defense and insane flexibility should let him keep the fight standing if he chooses.

While I don�t expect this to be a complete blowout, Penn will systematically pick apart Stevenson, culminating in a third round submission victory via a rear-naked choke.

In the co-main event, Gabriel Gonzaga will collide with Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight bout. These two have fought before � Werdum came out on top with a third round TKO.

I expect things to be different this time.

Gonzaga had a ton of momentum going before his loss to UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture back in August. I�d look for Gonzaga to gain some revenge here with a second round knockout.

Also on the card, Marcus Davis will knockout Jess Liaudin in the first round, Jason Lambert will pick up a unanimous decision over Wilson Gouveia and Kendall Grove will return to form with a second round submission of Jorge Rivera.

---

Despite being light on names I thought UFC 80 was pretty fun. What's not to like about a night full of flash knockouts and blood? When the show first started and BJ said "Bad time...bad time to fight BJ Penn right now." I wanted him to finally be for real. I wanted all the talk about him taking everything seriously and training hard and eating right to finally be legit and for him to come out and just fuck Stevenson up. The look on his face before the fight started made me thing it was all finally coming together, and while he didn't knock him clean out of the cage or anything it was a dominating performance and I'm excited to see what BJ does going forward.

Congrats to Werdum but goddamn is the heavyweight division a mess.

I don't know what to think of Penn. Obviously, he's a great fighter, and I used to really like him - but the more he talks, the less I like him. Yeah, he won, so he's earned the right to talk. But there's just something about the way he handles himself while doing so. The fact that he kept the choke on Pulver in their last fight doesn't help, either. If Sherk hadn't been busted for PEDs, I'd want him to win, I think. As it is, I'm just pulling for Kenny Florian to work his way back up and put some respect back into BJ.

Anyone know any websites that stream UFC? I wanna watch it live if possible, but its not on over here till tomorrow...

Check your U2Us.

Can Brock Lesnar actually lose this fight? I mean, they've built this up pretty well to the point where I'm going to get this like I did Rampage/Liddell. And from the UFC Countdown show and the Brock Lesnar Spotlight show, I can see Frank Mir throwing Brock in an armbar, trying to break it in half, and Brock just looking down at him confused and throwing down a punch with his other hand, knocking the bejesus out of Mir.

There are plenty of ways an accomplished BJJ guy can beat a wrestler. Armbars, triangles, chokes, etc. It's all about how well Brock has transitioned to MMA. If he's still relying mostly on wrestling skills I can see him getting caught. If he's worked hard on submission defense it should be a cakewalk for him. It's not a given at this point. It also depends on how "back" Mir is. Mir was a good fighter once, at this point he might be a washed up hack. Brock may turn his face into pudding inside of 15 seconds. We shall see!

Edited to add that Randy Couture (who is as good at picks as he is at fighting) has picked Mir to win. Here's hoping!

[Edited on 2-2-2008 by folby]

Brock Lesnar by TKO (G&P;) Rd. 3
Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira by Submission (Armbar) Rd. 4

I want Big Nog to win the title. But it won't happen. There's no way. I feel so strongly about this that I will put my legendary avatar on the line.

Avatars - 1 week, Gimmick. If you've got the stones for it.

We all know that PRIDE has the better heavyweights. That will hold true tonight.

BIG NOG FTW.

Oh I wasn't even talking about the wrestling. Lesnar, even at 265, is still built like a tank. Just watching them show Mir breaking Sylvia's arm, then comparing the size of Sylvia's arm to that of Lesnar, it just makes me wonder HOW it's possible. Sure, he could make a sloppy shot like he did in his first NCAA title shot, but his neck is close to being not there for him to get thrown in a guilotine, his arms are thick to the point where Mir may not even be able to bend them to cause the pain needed for a tapout...and that's not even considering most of Lesnar's workouts revolve around exploding out of situations where if he does get caught, he might just overpower his way out of the hold and start pounding away. Watching his workout was like watching a combo of all the good parts of Rocky and Ivan Drago's workouts from Rocky IV times 10.

Also, I found it pretty funny that he ordered the XXL gloves they use in UFC and they still don't fit.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
We all know that PRIDE has the better heavyweights. That will hold true tonight.

BIG NOG FTW.

---

N-O-G-U-E-I-R-A!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH BABY!

So who won?

Big Nog by submission (guillotine choke) in round 3, and Mir by submission (knee bar) in round 1.

Guess Brock wasn't was ready as he thought.

They showed Angle, Taker and Austin all in the crowd...

Wow. And all of my friends and me had placed money (imaginary) on Brock. Just goes to show that just because you're built like a tank and can do Spider-Man push ups doesn't necessarily mean you can win a fight.

Okay, sorry for the double post, but I finally got to watch the video on YouTube. This definitely was a matter of experience and over eagerness. Brock kept going into Mir's guard who turned that into a great kneebar. Wow.

Lesnar/Mir

I watched this at a restaurant / bar, it was my first UFC PPV experience. I enjoyed it- I got a huge kick out of seeing the Undertaker, Kurt Angle and Stone Cold in the crowd, and was really hoping for some total chair-thrown-in-the-ring shenanigans that would've completely pissed off my hardcore UFC only friend.

Alas, Brock lost pretty quick, although I thought he looked pretty vicious in there. It would've done the UFC well to have him win; while he was dominating, he looked like a monster, and it would've kept the mystique alive at least for another fight to see if he could do it again.

Oh well, viva Mir, good job, sir!

Brock was a little slow to put the sharpshooter on Mir.

Anyone who bases Lesnar's readiness on the fact that he lost in the first round is a fool. Yeah, he should've stood up Mir instead of trying to pass his guard, but cmon: Mir was knocked out. Steve Mazzagati continues to piss me off with his ability to make stupid ass calls, like the one in the Ultimate Fighter 5 finale between Gray Maynard and random douche where random douche was slammed to the ground, tapped out, yet it was ruled a no-decision because Maynard was unable to get away from him quick enough and therefore was ruled to have knocked himself out. That punch to the back of the head didn't make him woozy: the vicious punches following the punch to the back of the head did. And it wasn't even an intentional punch; Lesnar was already commited to the punch and all Mir could do to defend himself was try and turn to his back. He couldn't lock an armbar or a guilotine, and the only way he could tap him was unavailable since he was in a bad position.

But hell, Lesnar said it best: you can't win em all. I really want to see him take on another heavyweight contender in a few months. This fight kind of reminded me of his first NCAA title shot where he made that sloppy shot that cost him the match: he keeps training like he does, no way he gets caught like that again. And oh yeah, no way Mir ever wants to fight him again.

Also, I'm not thinking Big Nog loses the title any time soon. You really can't seem to knock him out, and for some reason when they do, they always let him back up, and I just don't think he can be caught in a submission: he'd just be content to take punches rather than to move into a bad position.

I don't agree with the point deduction but I don't think it's so clear cut as to say it was an accidental blow. Mir was squirming and he turned away from Brock, then Brock threw the punch. I think a warning would have been fine. And despite Mazagatti's predilection for letting people die out there, I don't think Mir was finished at all.

Bull fucking shit. That was the worst penalty call I've ever seen in UFC. No warning? One hit and he's penalized? Fuck that.

Brock looked good, but his inexperience showed at the end. Guy's gotta get a better ground game. Oh well, I think he could be a factor later.

A lot of people don't know, but Frank Mir got jiu-jitsu.

Brock looks like he'll do fine. He just got caught, that's all. That's less Brock's inexperience but more Mir's quick thinking and the caliber of fighter he is. Good job by both.

folby: Here you go. Size it down.

I still would like to know who's face ultimately looked worse after the show was all said and done: Big Nog or Mir? I mean, Nog took a steady line of shots, but Mir took a lot more vicious shots and his face looked like it was swelling as he left..

It's Nog by a mile.

Go to Sherdog and look at their pictures.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GimmickMan
It's Nog by a mile.

---

Gimmick, you should have given me something I would be ashamed of. I like Nog, and I'm happy he won. If I were you, I would have made me rock that fat, awkward sissy I thought was a winner.

Man, Boetsch laid a straight ass-whoopin' on Heath.

That was a great fight and I can't wait to see him again.

Best thing to happen to his career.

EDIT:

folbs: Hells nah. I ain't looking at that ugly ogre each time I see you post for a week.

VIVA NOG~!!!

[Edited on 2-4-2008 by GimmickMan]

GimmickMan's Post-UFC 81 Realistic (And Correctly Spelled) Top-9 (or more) UFC Rankings:

Heavyweight - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Champion
1) Randy Couture
2) Fabrico Werdum (TBA vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira)
3) Andrei Arlovski (UFC 82 vs. Jake O'Brien)
4) Tim Sylvia
5) Cheick Kongo (UFC 82 vs. Heath Herring)
6) Frank Mir
7) Gabriel Gonzaga
8) Heath Herring
9) Brock Lesnar
10) Mirko CroCop

Light-Heavyweight - Quinton Jackson, Unified Champion
1) Forrest Griffin (TBA vs. Quinton Jackson)
2) Lyoto Machida (UFC 84 vs. Tito Ortiz)
3) Rashad Evans (UFC 84 vs. Thiago Silva)
4) Keith Jardine (UFC 84 vs. Wanderlei Silva)
5) Chuck Liddell (UFC 84 vs. Mauricio Rua)
6) Thiago Silva
7) Mauricio Rua
8) Wanderlei Silva
9) Wilson Gouveia
10) Sokoudjou

Middleweight - Anderson Silva, Champion
1) Dan Henderson (UFC 82 vs. Anderson Silva)
2) Yushin Okami (UFC 82 vs. Evan Tanner)
3) Ricardo Almeida
4) Nathan Marquardt
5) Patrick Cote
6) Rich Franklin (UFC 83 vs. Travis Lutter)
7) Martin Kampmann
8) Jason MacDonald (UFC 83 vs. Joe Doerksen)
9) Thales Leites
10) Alan Belcher

Welterweight - Matt Serra, Champion
1) Georges St-Pierre (Next Fight: UFC 83 in April vs. Matt Serra)
2) Jon Fitch (UFC 82 vs. Chris Wilson)
3) Karo Parisyan (UFC Fight Night vs. Thiago Alves)
4) Matt Hughes
5) Josh Koscheck (UFC 82 vs. Dustin Hazelett)
6) Marcus Davis
7) Thiago Alves
8) Diego Sanchez
9) Chris Lytle
10) Mike Swick

Lightweight - BJ Penn, Champion
1) Sean Sherk (UFC 84 vs. BJ Penn)
2) Roger Huerta
3) Frankie Edgar (UFC Fight Night vs. Gray Maynard)
4) Kenny Florian (UFC Fight Night vs. Joe Lauzon)
5) Joe Stevenson
6) Tyson Griffin
7) Spencer Fisher (UFC Fight Night vs. Marcus Auerilo)
8) Clay Guida (UFC Fight Night vs. Samy Schiavo)
9) Thiago Tavares
10) Joe Lauzon

[Edited on 2-4-2008 by GimmickMan]

How are you going to do Fedor like that, Gimmick? I know inactivity is a bitch but come on, he beat Cro-Cop when he was on roids for chrissake. Herring, Werdum, Arlovski, Fedor is a heavy favorite over all of them. I'm not going to insist he be #1 forever and ever (well I mean maybe in my heart) but he deserves top 10.

Who are you all picking in Silva/Hendo? I want to say that the longer the fight goes the more it favors Hendo, but the truth is Silva's conditioning is a question mark. It might be great for all we know, nobody's been able to test him. I think Henderson has the best chance of taking out Silva - he's got a good chin (never been KOed) and great conditioning. He's been tapped twice, but only by the Nogueira brothers, and Silva's BJJ isn't quite at their level.

I'd pick Silva out of habit but if anyone's going to beat him it's probably Hendo.

Those are straight UFC rankings, not MMA.

I'm still on the fence about Silva/Hendo. If Dan Henderson can't beat Anderson Silva, nobody will beat Anderson Silva. He needs to go to the takedown early and often and try to work some GNP. If he stands and trades with Silva, he'll get out-pointed.

If the long list of guys that Dan Henderson has faced have never knocked him out, Anderson Silva won't. Dan has to work his wrestling and his best chance of winning this fight is by decision. I just can't see, right now, either of these guys finishing each other. So where the fight takes place will dictate who wins the decision.

But make no mistake: It will be fucking awesome.

Hendo isn't the smartest fighter in the world though, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him try and stand & bang.

I'm just going to go with Henderson simply because he's due and Silva seems to be a little too dominant for his own good.

Can you elaborate on that a bit? I get that Hendo is coming off of a loss, but he had two wins before that, one of them a massive upset. (though now that we know how chute box does without roids I think that result is less stunning.) He's won 6 of his last 8 and generally only gets beaten by top guys who outweigh him. I'm also not sure the concept of being 'due' applies in MMA. In my mind there are two things that make fights: styles and strategy. Some guys are a bad match for other guys. Fedor is the best fighter who's ever lived and he's ducking Tim Sylvia for chrissake. Strategy is just as important, you play it right and you can do things you by all rights shouldn't be able to. (Couture, Big Nog, etc.)

Using that criteria, Hendo has a good chance. He's got as good a style to beat Silva as anyone, good wrestling, good submission defense, etc. But he's got to be smart about it, if he wants to rely on his big right hand I can see him getting caught like everybody else.

I just can't imagine Silva putting Henderson down.

Vitor couldn't do it, Wanderlei couldn't do it twice (!!!) and neither could Yvel or Ninja.

Brock is gonna be good. Once he developed his submission defense and learn some jiu-jitsu, he's going to be a force to reckon with. Mir is no pushover, so Brock shouldn't be ashamed of the loss. It was a good learning experience, if not humbling. And Sable still looks good.

These upcoming fights look pretty good. Hendo and Silva will kick ass. I think GSP will best Serra.

Ugh...did I type "He's due"? I'm not even going to edit it: I think he's due is what I meant. I like Henderson and think he's too good to suffer back to back losses to two world class fighters. It's more of a gut-instinct than anything. Then again, my gut said Brock and Tim Sylvia were going to win pretty dominantly and I only got the dominant half of that right in the both of those fights. So my gut is telling me Henderson will win period.

I've watched the Lesnar fight numerous times now, and have to say whilst it was his inexperience that did him in, I think it was in a totally different way: not just by letting himself get caught in the leg lock, but in trying to force the fight into an early finish.

When I think of this fight I think of the Rampage / Lidell fight - Rampage knew he could win, but planned to take his time, and got lucky with that quick punch early on. Lesnar was the opposite, and WANTED to end the fight early on, and seemed to be forcing it. I don't know if this was just desire to impress, or what, but I think he should have gone for a slower approach when every time Mir was on his back and Brock was struggling at his feet, he should have stepped back quickly, let Mir up, and charge him down again.

However, I like, others, have no idea why the ref jumped in.

Finally, I think the undertaker looked badass. That is all.

If you subscribe to Showtime, is the event just free...as in not a ppv.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1NgCoJX4_0 - Please enjoy these momentos hil�rios do Vale-Tudo!

Here's Tank/Kimbo, pretty much what you'd expect:


That was slightly embarassing to listen to. The ref sounded like he wanted to be just as much of a highlight as the fighters and the announcers seemed to have no grasp on the rules of MMA (Kimbo starts pounding at the back of Tank's head while he's down and the announcer excitedly proclaims it's over...are you retarded??). And really, Tank's washed up and Kimbo seems like he'd get torn to shreds by an real UFC or Pride heavyweight, so yeah...

So, to someone relatively new to the whole MMA thing, whats the difference between UFC and EliteXC? There was also something on last night that was Elite Cagefighting or something.

[Edited on 2-17-2008 by mooseheadjack]

It could easily be described using 90's pro wrestling terms: UFC is the WWF, PRIDE is WCW, the WEC or whatever its called on the Versus channel is ECW and the one on Showtime would be an Indy type of deal; but instead of all the competition, and exclusive contracts, you can expect a fighter to show up on all three shows if he wanted to...just not the big names, or at least not very often.

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Originally posted by folby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1NgCoJX4_0 - Please enjoy these momentos hil�rios do Vale-Tudo!

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Who was the guy featured in the first half of the video doing the flip off of the ropes (among other things)?

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quote:

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Originally posted by nOOb
Kimbo seems like he'd get torn to shreds by an real UFC or Pride heavyweight, so yeah...

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That's NOT gonna happen.

What might happen, though, and would be a great fight is Kimbo Slice vs. Paul Buentello.

UFC 82 is in less than two weeks. I will be there. I will have trouble sleeping until then.

quote:

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Originally posted by Figure Foreskin

What exactly makes him seem like he'd get torn to shreds by anyone? Unless he Brocks up and gets caught in a submission, he's a fucking destroyer.

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Here�s what we really know about the man at this point in his career - he can knock out bad heavyweights who stand in front of him. That�s it. End of list.

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MMAJunkie.com confirmed this last week, but here's the official announcement.

quote:

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LOS ANGELES -- Mixed martial arts will air on one of the major television networks for the first time.

CBS announced a deal Thursday with ProElite, which produces MMA events, to broadcast in prime time a sport that has been growing in popularity. The plan is to televise two-hour live specials four times a year on Saturday nights.

ProElite CEO Douglas DeLuca called it a "pivotal moment for the sport."

ProElite already produces MMA events for its EliteXC fight division on the Showtime cable channel, which is owned by CBS.

"Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and a wildly popular entertainment vehicle for upscale, young adult audiences," Kelly Kahl, CBS Primetime's senior executive vice president, said in a release.

AP NEWS

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UFC 82: Pride of a Champion weigh-ins just concluded from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Here are the results (and bout order):

John Halverson - 155
Jorge Gurgel - 154.5

Diego Sanchez - 169.5
David Bielkheden - 170

Josh Koscheck - 169.5
Dustin Hazelett - 170

Luke Cummo - 170
Luigi Fioravanti - 170.5

Andrei Arlovski - 241
Jake O'Brien - 231.5

Chris Leben - 185
Alessio Sakara - 185

Jon Fitch - 170
Chris Wilson - 169.5

Evan Tanner - 185
Yushin Okami - 184.5

Cheick Kongo - 233.5
Heath Herring - 248

Unified Middleweight Championship
Dan Henderson - 184.5
Anderson Silva - 185

Headed down to Columbus shortly. Here are my picks for the main card.

Silva by UD
Kongo by UD
Tanner by Rd.3 Sub
Fitch by Rd.2 Sub
Leben by Rd.1 KO

Although the experience will not likely top last year's UFC 68, I am still mega-pumped.

Should be a good one!

What was your reasoning behind Silva by decision? I had figured it was going to go Hendo by decision (he keeps it on the ground and grinds it out) or Silva by KO (Hendo gets dumb and gets caught.) Neither of us were right but I'm curious as to the logic behind your call.

oh yeah and no one will ever beat silva for the rest of his life and in a few months I expect mark coleman to get busted for submitting lemonade instead of urine

So, having seen NOTHING of Coleman, what are Brock's chances this time around? If he's just going up against a ground and pound guy, is Brock likely to pick up the win?

Why are they putting him up against established guys? Is it to justify putting him on PPV? Are they hoping for the Rich Franklin effect, hoping that he'll beat a legend and be taken seriously, and just forgetting the experience Fanklin had before the Shamrock fight?

MMA is coming to 'terrestrial' / Network tv over here in May. Its gonna be on ITV4, a free to air 'freeview' channel. I guess its what USA is to NBC over there, but its a bit bigger due to the way everyone receives tv channels over here.

And Lidell is headlining UFC 85 over here in London in July. Whoo!!

I haven't seen Coleman since the early UFCs. Never seen his Pride fights.

As far as Brock being put into matches with big names, I think it makes sense. They don't want Brock losing to a nobody because of inexperience.

I can say that I don't think I saw enough of Lesnar in that Mir fight to really judge his chances against Coleman. Coleman is VERY experienced, but a bit over the hill. Would he be able to think as quick and have as hard of a head as Mir did to find an out while getting pummelled by those hamhock fists? And will Brock learn from his mistake from the last match and not be in too much of a rush to win the fight?

quote:

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Originally posted by folby
What was your reasoning behind Silva by decision? I had figured it was going to go Hendo by decision (he keeps it on the ground and grinds it out) or Silva by KO (Hendo gets dumb and gets caught.) Neither of us were right but I'm curious as to the logic behind your call.

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"Buzz Berry" sounds like a flavor of YJ Stinger.

"Ken Shamrock" sounds like 230 pounds (give or take) hitting the canvas.

UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre II

GSP by first round TKO (ground and pound)

I concur

LIGHTS OUT RADIO UFC 83 PREVIEW!

Took a little longer than a round (only two, though), but GSP showed what he can do when he isn't underestimating the winner of a reality show solely for washed-up fighters fighting for a title shot.

Also, I had all but forgotten about "Rock" Quarry, and was impressed with what he could do with an opponent that did nothing but run from him. Seriously, that 30-24 was well deserved. AND he pulled out some Rocky 4 in the end, which automatically made him my favorite fighter ever until Lesnar fights again.

A little old, but funny to me. I have a little Sunday MMA column over on 411 and so I've been keeping up with and researching a lot of MMA. A couple of weeks ago, a group called Yamma had an event and get this, one of the headliners was Butterbean. Marvel as Butterbean pulls a Vader and just falls down.

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Originally posted by nOOb
Seriously, that 30-24 was well deserved. AND he pulled out some Rocky 4 in the end, which automatically made him my favorite fighter ever until Lesnar fights again.

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Just an aside: is it just me or is MMA becoming the new Jackass? I only say this because a former teammate of mine in highschool started doing MMA a year or two back and became a champion at 145, and now, at his title defense this weekend, the undercard is stacked with all the losers, meatheads, and adrenaline junkies. And not to mention all these scrub wrestlers in high school now have at least one story of how they got disqualified for throwing forearms at their guy in lieu of a crossface or for choking a guy out...mind you all of this happened well before the UFC instituted actual rules and became as popular as it is today, but whatever.

No.

Saying MMA is like the new Jackass is like saying "Ace of Cakes" is the new Jackass. If it's on t.v., for better or worse, someone is going to emulate it. I still don't think television ever told me to shoot someone in the face, but I can't deny that the main reason I started training in jiu jitsu is because of what I saw on t.v. Just like my girlfriend tries new recipies from the million and a half cooking shows out there.

Ignoring all that, even if you just meant to equate the two as something that appeals to loser/meathead/jock/jerks, then again, it's not accurate because MMA appeals to a much broader demographic than Jackass ever has, so of course there's some crossover with the sort of person that might view illegally elbowing a downed opponent is just as fun and brilliant as stapling your nuts to your thigh.

I had a point, I think, but in the end all that matters is that MMA is not the new Jackass.

Yeah, I see what you're getting at. It kind of makes me a little bit angry to go to the bars and see all these losers from high school who maybe had a bit of JV wrestling all of a sudden think they know Jiu Jitsu, though I will say it also makes me very happy when said losers sign up for amateur fights in undercards of my friend's fight and promptly get beaten as badly as I would expect/hope. And I guess I made the connection because these are the same losers that, in high school, were videotaping themselves jumping into mall water fountains or driving through the neighbor's lawn.

Also, to make this not worthless, here is the best summary of the Starnes/Quarry fight ever assembled, with probably the best ending to a fight ever.

UFC 84: Ill Will Preview!

http://www.lightsoutradio.com

So, Coleman's injured and won't be facing Lesnar. Although I haven't seen confirmation from UFC, supposedly Heath Herring will step in to face Brock.

Unless Herring catches Lesnar early, I can't see anything other than Lesnar taking him down and pounding out a victory.

Now that I've said that, watch Herring show us something new and make Lesnar submit again...

EliteXC had their National TV debut yesterday on CBS starring Kimbo Slice...what a fucking embarassment to MMA. The showboaters got knocked out and the only good fight ended with a stupid No Decision in the 3rd round. And Kimbo Slice was completely exposed as an incomplete project, which also made EliteXC look like the MMA version of the XFL.

For those who didn't see it, the guy they put Kimbo against (an Englishman they called Colossus) came into the fight with a huge bout of Cauliflower ear that we (correctly) predicted would explode on first hit. However that hit did not come until early in the third round. What did take place was a first round where Kimbo landed a few of his power blows but could not take Colossus down, but was taken down by Colossus, who showed a complete inability to lock in any sort of submission hold despite Kimbo's piss poor ground defense. The second round saw a winded Kimbo throw a few more power blows before being easily taken down by a sloppy shot and then pounded by elbow and punch after elbow and punch for the last full minute of the fight, while the ref maintained a large distance from them, clearly showing they had no intentions of stopping the fight in the other guy's favor (this coming from a ref and a promotion that stopped two fights after punches knocked guys down to the ground, but not completely out). And then the third round ended in the first minute or so when a very, very, very winded Kimbo made contact with the Cauliflower ear, the ear exploded, and the ref really quickly ended the fight.

Oh yeah, and then the post fight interview guy came in and verbally blew Kimbo while the other announcers made it sound like Kimbo was the second coming of Jesus. Meanwhile, the audience booed. A lot.

The thing that blew the most, though, is that EliteXC was so horrible that the one gem of the night, Gina Carano showing that girls can be hot and still kick ass, was completely overshadowed by poor officiating, piss poor decision making, a Kimbo Slice fight that seemed very close to fixed, and the worst self-fellating announcing this side of WWE.

[Edited on 6-1-2008 by nOOb]

The thing I'm going to say is that FULL MINUTE of Kimbo getting pounded may have been the weakest combination of punches a MMA fighter has thrown. Not one of those punches did any damage whatsoever to Kimbo. That's not to say Kimbo looked good at all because he looked like crap, but for everyone thinking the fight should have been stopped during the end of the second round, they're quite wrong. If anything there were a few times before that where Thompson completely looked out on his fight and the ref could have been totally justified in stopping the fight.

And no matter what anyone says, a popped eardrum might be one of the most legitimate reasons to stop a fight. The fight as a whole was a joke, it completely exposed Kimbo, but I have no issue with the decision-making by the refs. I have an issue with Elite XC making their debut and having it focused on a very bad MMA fighter. Kimbo isn't Tank Abbott and if you want to spotlight him, put him in the undercard and then focus on what was sure to be the fight of the night, Lawler/Smith.

I'm pretty sure CBS signed a deal for 3 or 4 shows, and if the 2nd one isn't main-evented by Lawler/Smith someone should be shot in their PR department.

In other MMA news, Heath Herring isn't a cupcake and Lesnar's going to have problems with him. UFC needs him to win, but it isn't a guarantee. They really need a boost to their heavyweight division at this point and Lesnar has to be the key to that. The LHW division does not have that issue as their are a ton of matchups I really am exicted to see if they can happen...Jackson/Griffin, Liddell/Silva 2, Liddell/Jackson 3, Liddell/Jardine 2, anyone/Machido just to end the fucking boringness of Machido, Jackson/Silva, just an awesome division right now and it may just get better.

Tonight should be an awesome fight in the WEC though as Faber takes on Pulver. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm not MMA expert, so what I'm gonna say is probably ridiculous, but I enjoyed what I saw of the production last night. I saw the title fight and the main event, and I enjoyed it. If EliteXC is as bad as you guys say it is, then it should only get better for me. I'm checking out the fight on Versus tonight and hopefully, after I get my living arrangement situated, maybe I'll start purchasing UFC PPVs.

The MMA on the Versus network is pretty much UFC-lite, with the plus of a 145-lbs division that makes it very watchable. I highly recommend it.

Also:

quote:

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The thing I'm going to say is that FULL MINUTE of Kimbo getting pounded may have been the weakest combination of punches a MMA fighter has thrown. Not one of those punches did any damage whatsoever to Kimbo. That's not to say Kimbo looked good at all because he looked like crap, but for everyone thinking the fight should have been stopped during the end of the second round, they're quite wrong. If anything there were a few times before that where Thompson completely looked out on his fight and the ref could have been totally justified in stopping the fight.

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It's very unfortunate that the WEC card wasn't the one being spotlighted to the masses as an example of MMA.

I missed the first hour, but the last three fights were excellent, and the bantamweight match was beyond excellent. The main event may have been slightly overshadowed by the sheer awesomeness of Torres/Maeda, but Faber/Pulver was still 5 very entertaining rounds.

The little guys really put on a show.

Yea, I was hoping for even more from Faber/Pulver but the fight was exceptional. I still need to watch the fight before it since I heard it may be the fight of the year. I'll get to that soon. I just hope Pulver can win his next fight against whoever it may be and we can get Faber/Pulver 2. That will be great.

For the bigger followers of MMA, what are the chances of Faber going up a weight class or Penn/Sherk going down a weight class and giving us that fight. I know Penn is currently itching to actually move up and face GSP again, but is it plausible for him and Faber to ever face off?

I would think it'd be a bit better for BJ to move up than Faber. Penn going up to welterweight will give him a lesser number of challenges, so the road to GSP won't be too long, but he'll have to go through Serra (which he would) and Hughes (which would be fun). But Faber moving up to 155...I mean, he'd be a big fish coming into the weight class, but the idea of a small pond does not exist at 155. That weight is stacked top to bottom with plenty of top guys who both deserve to be there and don't.

I would think Faber would be smart to stay at 145 for a while, see who fades out of the 155 weight class to move either up or down a class, and then time it so he could go up, get noticed, and not have to wait two-three years for a title shot. Also, I'm hearing Chase Beebee might be moving up to 145 and, as someone who had both friends and family members wrestle with him from grade school on up, I'd be excited to see where the 145 weight class goes from there.

Faber has no business at 155 for now.

I love Faber and will follow him to whatever weight class he goes to, though, I do hope someone drops down to fight him.

The Bantam weight match was off the charts good. That dueling heel hook spot was incredible and the beating they gave each other was tremendous. Maeda's eye was fucked at the end of the fight, so you can't complain about it like the EliteXC middleweight fight.

So... Rampage wasn't fucking kidding about his name, huh!

I just heard the news secondhand and don't know where to post it from. This should NOT make me like this man more... but it does, just a little bit, and only cause no one was hurt.

Oh fine, here:

http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/8351166

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Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Newport Beach, Calif., and charged with felony evading, reckless driving and hit and run, according to the Costa Mesa Police department.

According to a press release from Costa Mesa Police, the prolonged incident began in the city of Costa Mesa at the intersection of Newport Boulevard and Broadway, when a motor officer monitoring traffic saw Jackson driving south bound, weaving in and out of traffic with a flat front left tire and speaking on his mobile phone.

The officer then turned his lights and siren on and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Jackson allegedly ignored the officer and kept on driving south on 17th street, weaving in and out of traffic to avoid the traffic stop. Jackson then drove over the raised center portion of the roadway at Cabrillo Avenue and subsequently lost control of the Ford F250 pick-up truck he was driving and drove onto the sidewalk, causing pedestrians to "flee for their lives," according to the document.

After regaining control of his vehicle, police say Jackson continued driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Newport Blvd. and as he crossed through the intersection with 17th St., he collided with a vehicle driving legally in the intersection.

Jackson continued southbound on Newport Blvd., running multiple red lights as the rubber from his left tire began to disintegrate, according to the release. Continuing southbound onto the Balboa Peninsula, a narrow roadway near the Newport Beach piers, Jackson ran more red lights, causing additional pedestrians to "flee in terror," according to the official police statement.

Jackson eventually stopped at 18th St. and Newport Blvd. in the city of Newport Beach, where he left his vehicle, surrendered to police and was taken into custody "without incident," according to the document.

Police say that prior to the original motor officer's actions, Jackson had been involved in two separate collisions on the southbound 55 freeway. After his arrest, Jackson was transported to the Costa Mesa City Jail, where he was booked on the three charges and then transported to the Orange County Jail, where he was held in lieu of a $25,000 bail.

The police document lists Jackson as having no injuries and not being hospitalized immediately after his arrest.

A public access inmate search by InsideFighting through the Orange County website Wednesday did not list Jackson as an inmate, so it appears that he has posted bail. Jackson's felony evading charge may be the most serious he faces, as we've been told by local police that the particular nature of the charge is meant to describe someone not only attempting to evade police but also doing so in a matter that endangers the lives of others.

Jackson's hit-and-run charge is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in county jail, a $1,000 fine or both, should he be found guilty.

The best news for all involved, and for Jackson personally at the moment, seems to be that, at the present time, no pedestrians are being reported as struck, hurt or killed by the vehicle.

Jackson was not immediately available over the phone.

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Looks like losing the title and the police chase has Rampage all messed up. I wonder how the UFC will deal with all this. I have a feeling there will be no rematch with Forrest Griffin until all this is taken care of. So who is going to get the first shot at Forrest now?

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-sp-rampage18-2008jul18,0,7145840.story

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By Dan Arritt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 18, 2008
Popular mixed martial artist Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was hospitalized Wednesday for a mental health evaluation after acquaintances flagged down a patrol car outside his Irvine home, telling police they were concerned for his well-being.

It was the second brush with the law in two days for Jackson, who lost his Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight title July 5 by unanimous decision against underdog Forrest Griffin.

In the latest incident, Irvine police were alerted to Jackson's home while on routine patrol in his Woodbridge neighborhood around 4:30 p.m. Acquaintances in the home told officers they were "concerned about his behavior and some remarks he was making," said Lt. Rick Handfield.

Jackson, 30, was cooperative when contacted by the police, who took him to an undisclosed hospital for evaluation.

Jackson's trainer, Juanito Ibarra, who lives in Lake Forest, did not return a message seeking comment.

Jackson was arrested Tuesday in Newport Beach after a three-mile chase that began with a hit-and-run in neighboring Costa Mesa. Authorities said Jackson was traveling south on the Costa Mesa Freeway about 1:30 p.m. when he sideswiped two cars in his new pickup truck, slightly injuring a pregnant woman in one of the cars.

Costa Mesa police officers later spotted Jackson behind the wheel while talking on his cellphone. They attempted to pull him over, but Jackson began driving even more erratically.

During the pursuit, he drove over the raised median separating traffic on busy Newport Boulevard, then drove on the sidewalk, causing several pedestrians to flee.

Jackson was driving on one tire rim when he finally pulled over on Balboa Peninsula. He was arrested for investigation of felony evading, reckless driving, and hit and run, and was released on $25,000 bail.

After the first incident, authorities said they did not believe Jackson was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

A UFC spokesperson referred inquiries to law enforcement.

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Is there an echo in here?

No, Rampage is having numerous incidents that are only related inasmuch as they're caused by some apparent mental illness.

UFC 89 with Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring and GSP vs. Fitch...come chat.

http://natecorbitt.proboards81.com/index.cgi?action=chat

Jesus...Brock Lesnar knocked Heath Herring across the Octagon with his first punch, and then completely dominated him. That was a big evolution between his fight with Mir and this, and it is almost scary to think where he'll be by the time his next fight comes along, what with the BJJ instructors and what not.

Also, GSP/Fitch was as one-sided as I thought it would be, but damn was Fitch unbreakable. And Florian/Huerta was a bit more one sided than I thought it would be...and in the wrong side too. I'm just curious to see how long Florian waits to get a shot at Penn.

Best part of the night was Heath's taped interview where he mentioned how Brock was probably going to try to "Donkey Kong" him.

The whole fight was so brutal. That opening punch made me wince then laugh. And then following it up with the whole charging like a bull was truly awesome looking. What a fucking beast. Three fights and nobody has even landed a good shot on Brock. Unreal. I'm hoping he fights Congo soon. That could be nasty.

Rest of the card was really good to. This show made up for the abomination that was the Rampage/Forrest ppv. Speaking of, it was nice to see Rampage in attendance and not locked up in a mental ward. I hope to see him fight soon.

So I didn't see the fight, but on the radio yesterday they were talking about it... and quite a few callers, and the host, were upset about Brock's post-fight actions... calling him disrespectful and carrying on like a douchebag. What exactly did he do?

Remember when Tito would beat Ken Shamrock and then mimick shoveling out a plot for his grave? Well, Brock, after the third round, whoo'd, and then pretended he was a cowboy lassoing up Heath and the win. Then he went over and gave him a pat on the shoulder...not to mention he gave him the sign of respect for making it to the third round previous to that. And the fact Herring was a lot cockier in prefight interviews than Brock was.

So yeah, nothing to bitch about is the short answer.

Brock was kind of a dick, but then again Brock is kind of a dick.

I imagine he would've been less cocky if he hadn't spent the last 6 months hearing how he wasn't going to cut it after losing to Mir... even though he destroyed Mir. I think he's a very competitive guy and was letting off some steam towards all the doubters. Either way, I don't expect or want a class act from Lesnar. Remember now, he does have meat hooks tattooed on his back, along with a huge demon face. Not classy. Kinda fucking crazy.

Also, supposedly Herring was whining to Dana White, pre-match, about having to face someone as inexperienced as Lesnar. And word got back to Lesnar's camp. So, sure, I can see rubbing it in a little. Also, I'm willing to at least consider that perhaps Lesnar was excited and maybe just over-exuberant at getting his first "BIG" win.

I'll find the link shortly...

EDIT: Here's the link and story...

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MINNEAPOLIS � Brock Lesnar is about the size of a small SUV and as powerful as a large one.

But what will one day make Lesnar the best heavyweight mixed martial artist in the world isn't going to be his size or his strength. It's going to be the quickness and the athleticism he shares with a guy who was sitting at ringside at the Target Center Saturday, watching him annihilate Heath Herring at UFC 87, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

Lesnar won a unanimous decision over the PRIDE and UFC veteran, taking the bout 30-26 on all three cards.

He's only won one fight in the UFC and only two of his three career mixed martial arts bouts. A title isn't imminent, but have no doubt, Lesnar will one day have a championship belt strapped around that massive body of his before he's through.

"I was blown away by how good he looked tonight," UFC president Dana White said of Lesnar, the former NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion at the University of Minnesota and the one-time WWE pro wrestling champ.

If Lesnar's weight doesn't spiral out of control � and if he can continue to make the heavyweight division's 265-pound limit � he's going to be just as good in MMA as he was in amateur wrestling.

The fight with Herring � who had been in with greats of the game such as Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic � ended essentially after the first punch.

Lesnar stormed from his corner, as he did in his UFC debut in February when he fought ex-UFC champion Frank Mir. But instead of shooting on Herring, Lesnar faked the shot, flicked a jab and then landed a crunching right flush on Herring's eye.

Herring went down and somersaulted backward, with the massive Lesnar in hot pursuit.

Lesnar spent much of the rest of the bout pummeling Herring, making his eye a mess.

"That punch definitely set the tone for the fight," said Erik Paulson, one of Lesnar's many coaches.

Lesnar said he had an advantage because Herring had little tape of him to dissect, while he had many fights of Herring's he could break down. Because of his wrestling background, Lesnar suspected Herring would expect him to shoot for a takedown.

Instead, though, he used the threat of the takedown to set up his powerful right.

"I came with the right hand and I put it where I needed to put it," Lesnar said. "It's one of those things. I was stunned for a second."

He wasn't nearly as stunned as Herring, who offered little offense for the rest of the fight. Herring had expressed his displeasure with having to fight the inexperienced Lesnar to White privately before the fight, but word had gotten back to Lesnar's camp.

Herring, who came into the bout with a 29-13 record and was fresh from an impressive win over Cheick Kongo, didn't land a punch of consequence.

Three fights into his MMA career and Lesnar really hasn't tasted a solid shot from an opponent.

He's not ready for the elite guys in the class like Emelianenko, Nogueira and Randy Couture yet, but he's got the size, the strength and the athleticism to get there once he gets the cage time.

There are few MMA fighters who can outwrestle him now and few who are anywhere near as strong or as athletic. He's susceptible now, as Mir proved, to good jiu-jitsu fighters and probably would struggle with a heavyweight who had a quality standup game.

Lesnar did show some good combinations on Saturday and there were few prettier or more perfectly executed punches thrown on the card than the right Lesnar opened his bout with against Herring.

Even given that, a quality striker who had the ability to fend off his takedowns would cause him problems now.

Give Lesnar another seven or eight fights, though, and there are going to be few guys who want to get into the cage with him, let alone who will be able to beat him.

He's a neophyte in the sport, but will be a significant part of its future. On Saturday, he was simply relieved to have finally won in the UFC.

He was describing the significance of his first UFC win when he noted that his background is as an amateur wrestler and said he considers himself an amateur wrestler. He spoke disdainfully of his WWE stint as a time when he was a "professional entertainer."

White heard where Lesnar was going and quickly interrupted with one of the most salient points of the postfight news conference.

"Let me tell you, Brock Lesnar is a mixed martial artist," White said admiringly. "Heath Herring was 29-13 and he's fought all over the world: Holland, PRIDE. He's been here for two years and he's fought the best fighters in the world. He got dominated tonight. Dominated, by Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar is a mixed martial artist, no doubt about it."

He's likely to fight Kongo next, though White would not commit to that so soon after the card.

Whoever is next is going to have a heap of trouble on their hands.

Two years from now, he may be close to unstoppable.

Unquestionably, he's the sport's next big thing.

---

Well, might as well keep the thread going as the "Brock Thread..."

The rumors are Brock Lesnar v. Randy Couture in November. I watched the last one for Brock, and chances are I'll see the November one for the same reason - what do I have to look forward to from Couture? I'm familiar with his name, and I know he has a reputation, but nothing else.

You get to look forward to him getting killed - I think White has a bit of blind (?) faith in Lesnar here - if Lesnar beats Couture, and beats him badly, the Couture vs Fedor fight becomes a bit worthless, and will be overshadowed by Lesnar vs someone for the Undisputed HW title early next year (couture is champ, so any fight in November could potentially go to five rounds - I REALLY think he'd beat couture, who hasnt fought in ages).

Although, the uproar of basically making Brock HW champ in his 3rd fight, even if he is "disputed" might be a bit much for White to talk his way out of...

I admire Randy's ability and I hope he doesn't fight Lesnar. I want Lesnar to keep winning. No reason for him to fight the champ so early. I can't see an outcome that will be good for the UFC.

And what to expect out of Randy? He's a very deliberate and slow paced fighter. He's a thinking fighter that knows how to keep it as his pace and work the clinch. He isn't a striker and his best matches seem to be him just wearing down and out classing his opponent. Much like Lesnar did to Heath. I think that Lesnar could crush him if given an opening, but he could just as easily get made to look foolish.

I hope this fight doesn't happen for at least another fight or two for each man. Lesnar ought to fight Congo, and Fedor needs to fight Randy like yesteryear.

Try UFC 91 November 15th 2008

quote:

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Las Vegas, NV (USA) � On November 15th, the champ is back.

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White today announced that after a year away from the game, UFC� heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural" Couture will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon to defend his title against rising star Brock Lesnar in a clash of titans destined to shake the foundations of the sport. This championship bout, the biggest heavyweight title fight in years, will headline UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008.

"I am happy to announce that UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture will be returning to action in the Octagon," said Dana White, UFC President. "He's a legend in the UFC, and one of the fighters that helped build this sport. I have always said that wrestling is one of the best bases you can have in MMA and not only is Randy a top level wrestler but his opponent is as well. Brock Lesnar showed the MMA world that he is for real in his last fight, dismantling the far more experienced Heath Herring. His combination of speed and power was absolutely devastating. It is a fascinating matchup: the crafty, multiple-time heavyweight champion versus the younger, bigger, and stronger challenger. This is one that will go down in the history books."

Ticket information for UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be announced shortly.

UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer�s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A UFC Hall of Famer whose name is synonymous with mixed martial arts, Randy �The Natural� Couture (16-8) is the only fighter in history to win the UFC world heavyweight title three times, and that�s not even mentioning his two UFC light heavyweight titles. Owner of heavyweight wins over the likes of Maurice Smith, Vitor Belfort, Kevin Randleman, and Pedro Rizzo (twice), the 45-year old Las Vegas resident turned back the clock in 2007 with a stirring win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 that netted him his third heavyweight crown. Couture defended his title for the first time at UFC 74 with a third round TKO of number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga, and now the man often referred to as �Captain America� will look to prove once again that he should never be counted out in a fight when he takes on Brock Lesnar.

�I have a lot of respect for Brock as an athlete and a collegiate wrestler, but I know exactly where he�s at, he�s trying to make the transition from a wrestler to mixed martial arts,� said Couture. �I�ve been there, done that, and I know what the pitfalls are. This will be an interesting matchup, and it will be very nice to be home in the Octagon for this fight.�

A physically gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will on any opponent, Brock Lesnar (2-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he debuted here in February of 2008, and he has his sights set on shocking the world on November 15th. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon found his true love in mixed martial arts
in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar entered the UFC and made a positive impression in a loss to former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81, but at UFC 87 in August, the Minneapolis-St. Paul resident showed why he is rapidly becoming one of the most feared fighters in the sport today and an immediate threat to the heavyweight throne.

"It's an honor to fight Randy Couture, he's a legend in this sport, and to get the chance to test myself against him is a gift," said Lesnar. "A lot guys would love to have this opportunity, Randy is the UFC heavyweight champion. There is one goal that I've had since I started training in MMA and that is to capture the title. Now that I'm getting the chance, nothing is going to stop me. I'm walking out of the Octagon with the belt around my waist."

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world�s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Bell ExpressVU, Viewers Choice, SaskTel Max� and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighting, UFC, The Ultimate Fighter�, Submission�, As Real As It Gets�, Zuffa�, The Octagon� and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.

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It's a month before Mir/Nog, and makes for an easy setup for the undisputed title match months later.

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I might be only person not happy with this turn of events. I'm annoyed that Randy left and forced the UFC to have an interim champion. Now we have Randy as a champ, and Nog, and somehow Mir is in contention as is Lesnar. Randy and Nog should fight to get the title sorted out. The winner should get Mir. And Lesnar shouldn't be near Randy at this point. Maybe if he had at least one more fight for experience. Randy has a way of being the underdog and coming out on top after making people look stupid. I don't want to see Lesnar get that treatment.

Seems like a forced cluster fuck of a scene... kinda like the old WWF Invasion angle


edit; I said Randy was not a great striker. I lied. I just re-watched his match against Tim Silvia and he used the guy's face as punching bag, despite Tim having a massive height and reach advantage. Yea, Randy's awesome.

[Edited on 9-3-2008 by BBMN]

Randy is awesome.

Randy's also going to get killed in this fight.

Never doubt Captain America. I did that twice and got burned. That said, Brock VS Couture is a really tough match to call, what with the wrestling background of both men, Brock's obvious power advantage, and Randy's experience and in-ring smarts and adaptability (as shown in his matches with Sylvia and Gonzaga).

Obviously, given his amateur wrestling background, Brock is more technically-sound and mobile than Sylvia, so he should fare better on the ground than Tim if/when Randy is able to take him down. Still, it's Randy F'N Couture.

I'll go with Randy as my initial pick to win, just because I didn't give him a chance against Sylvia and Gonzaga (or even Tito), and I was made to look like a fool. Either way, I'm stoked for this.

And also, Liddell VS Evans. Can you say "huge upset"?

I can't imagine Liddel has anything left now. Yeah, he's only lost three of his last four, but between Jardine and Evans, neither one of them had too much of a problem figuring him out. Maybe he has a few fights left, but if he does, he's probably best off spending them against some middle-of-the-road guys at Light Heavyweight. Or he could try jumping up to Heavy...

That KO on Chuck was insane. I can't recall the last time someone was out for that long. And was it me, or was Evans doing the 'Red Fox' afterwards?

Overall 88 was a good show I thought. And you guys might want to check out their website right now. The 'fight of the night' was un-aired and they're showing it for free. It's pretty crazy.

Wow. I don't think Evan Tanner even crossed anyone's mind for the deadpool...

UFC Story


I was never a big fan of Tanner's, but I always respected him as a dangerous fighter, and seemingly a good guy, from what I've read. This sucks.

Just watched the Lidell/Evans fight yesterday.

Wow. KTFO.

What was up with Evans rubbing his nipples before the beginning of the match?

I always rub my nipples before fighting. Or when in line at the grocery store.

Apparently, its an inside joke between Team Jackson fighters...

So tonight is the fight/execution between Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice on CBS. It looks like EliteXC has done a little bit to get this to be interesting other than that fight by bringing in Arlovski for a fight, but really, this'll live and die on Kimbo/Shamrock. The big question: if Kimbo loses this fight, how badly does the kill his credebility as a fighter? Shamrock isn't near the same fighter he was before, and, really, I don't think he's had too much success in any sort of modern MMA fighting to begin with, so he's a very big long shot. But if he catches Kimbo and makes him tap, I imagine that'll end EliteXC right there.

Also, Gina Carrano had to dress down a bit more to make weight...and I wish there were some videos for that, or someone higher up in the building with a camera. Damn, I miss all the good stuff.