The MMA Thread

[Johnny Blaze]

Didn't see one in my search, so I figured I'd find out how many fans of Mixed Martial Arts fighting are on the Hype.
Consider this thread a place to discuss the entire MMA sport in general, not just for UFC. :up:


To start things off...who caught UFC 71 last night?

There were some pretty good matches, the Parisyan/Burkman fight probably being my favorite.

Hearing Houston Alexander's interview after he beat the **** out of Keith Jardine was funny. Telling all the boxers who were running their mouths to step up and fight him was great. :up:

The big rematch between Lidell and Jackson was shorter than I expected it'd be. I did think Jackson would beat him, but I thought it'd go into the second round at least. But that hook just knocked Chuck for enough of a loop to give Rampage the chance to get on him and finish it.

I was pretty much in a pro-Lidell room during the event and was the only one who predicted Rampage's victory.
Even though I do like Lidell, it was pretty fun talking smack afterwards. :D

So, to those who saw the PPV, what are your thoughts on it?
What was your favorite fight of the evening?
What did you think about the main event?
What are your thoughts about the new Champ's next opponent, Dan Henderson?

[CyberFaust]

http://wongkk.com/images/answers/ans00b/bruce01c.jpg

[Dodger]

My favortie fight was the Parisyan/Burkman fight. Berkman showed alot of heart in that fight but in the end Karo was just too much. I thought he had the fight after the first round.

The Houston Alexander was the best beat down. After he got knocked down he just unleashed on that guy. It was awesome and his smack talk was great.

Chuck, after he threw that jab didnt put his arm up and that really did cost him. :( From the sound of it, it look like he knew the mistake he made.

Din's dance after he beat the 21 yr old was the best moment of the night. :D his interview after the fight was funny too.

[Johnny Blaze]

Heh, I thought it was great that Din came out dancing to Michael Jackson. That was freakin' hilarious. :D

As for Chuck, it just seemed like he was a bit too cautious in his game plan. Almost as if he wanted to wait for Rampage to strike and then try and counter instead of taking the initiative himself.
Least that's what it seemed like to me.

Either way I expect Chuck to go balls to the wall if there's ever a Jackson/Lidell III.

But, that's if he doesn't try and jump up a weight class. I know he's said before that he wants to fight Mirko Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko before he's finished.

[CrypticOne]

I did not expect that Liddell/Rampage match to be so quick. What the hell was Chuck thinking with a body punch? He had the reach advantage, I'd be dropping bombs in Rampages face and then backing off. Chuck, your the counter-puncher, what the hell happened?

But yeah, the highlight fight was Pariysan and Burkman. You guys see that beautiful Jiu-Jitsu throw? That was awesome.

The Alexander/Jardine fight was also awesome. Everybody thought Jardine was going to get the KO in the beginning but the little guy just bounced back and laid him out.

What you guys think about that Henderson/Rampage fight? I'm putting my money on Henderson. But that sure is going to be a good match.

[primemover]

What you guys think about that Henderson/Rampage fight? I'm putting my money on Henderson. But that sure is going to be a good match.

Not sure, I am taking Jackson with this one. Rampage is incredibly strong, seen in him literally picking up and slamming a 205+ man in Ricardo Arona with nothing more than his back. His only weakness has been against people who are good in the clinch, ie guys with Muay Thai backgrounds like Silva and Rua. He has also shown to have an incredible chin in the amount of knees he took to the noggin' when he fought Silva those two times. That and his demolishing of Randleman, a powerful wrestler, tells me he will weather Dan's punches and eventually power through and get his in and maybe even slam Dan into oblivion. Dan is a light Light Heavyweight too, more of a natural Middleweight.

[Johnny Blaze]

I haven't really seen any fights featuring Henderson, so I have to watch some fights before I can really comment on it.

But, I do know that Rampage is a beast. From what I've seen, pound for pound, he's one of the best slammers in MMA. Not to mention his great hands and a solid takedown defense. Couple that with Jackson's tenacity and he's definitely a force to be reckoned with.

[jaguarr]

But, that's if he doesn't try and jump up a weight class. I know he's said before that he wants to fight Mirko Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko before he's finished.

Fedor would murder Chuck. And by murder I mean kill. And by kill I mean Chuck would be dead. And by dead I mean no longer living.

jag

[Whirlysplat]

It was just more proof that the boxing skills of the MMA exponents would really not be effective against a top pro boxer. It's that simple. If you gave a top pro boxer sufficient training in stand up defence etc. He would own MMA fighters.

I also loved seeing Judo used by Parisean, it's fascinating how top exponents of a particular discipline make it work. His boxing is great as well.

[Johnny Blaze]

Fedor would murder Chuck. And by murder I mean kill. And by kill I mean Chuck would be dead. And by dead I mean no longer living.

jag

I whole-heartedly agree. Fedor's an engine of destruction that would demolish Lidell. Pretty much every opponent I've seen Fedor fight has been murdered. Whether it's standup (Zulu), the ground and pound (Goodridge), or a submission (Randleman), or even going the distance (Sobral) Fedor's beaten down some of the best.

There's only two people I've seen give Fedor a good fight were Mark Hunt and Mirko Cro Cop. Hunt he ended up submitting via a reverse armbar (if I remember right), and the Cro Cop fight was probably one of the best MMA fights ever with Fedor winning by unanimous dicision.
What's funny about it is that both fighters said they weren't 100% either. Cro Cop said his conditioning wasn't up to par, and Fedor was fighting with a busted right handed that needed surgery.

I'd love to see Fedor go take on some of the UFC heavyweights. An Arlovski/Fedor fight would be a dream matchup, and I'd love to see a Cro Cop rematch.

[jaguarr]

I whole-heartedly agree. Fedor's an engine of destruction that would demolish Lidell. Pretty much every opponent I've seen Fedor fight has been murdered. Whether it's standup (Zulu), the ground and pound (Goodridge), or a submission (Randleman), or even going the distance (Sobral) Fedor's beaten down some of the best.

There's only two people I've seen give Fedor a good fight were Mark Hunt and Mirko Cro Cop. Hunt he ended up submitting via a reverse armbar (if I remember right), and the Cro Cop fight was probably one of the best MMA fights ever with Fedor winning by unanimous dicision.
What's funny about it is that both fighters said they weren't 100% either. Cro Cop said his conditioning wasn't up to par, and Fedor was fighting with a busted right handed that needed surgery.

I'd love to see Fedor go take on some of the UFC heavyweights. An Arlovski/Fedor fight would be a dream matchup, and I'd love to see a Cro Cop rematch.

I think Cro-Cop is done after that Coutur match he lost. I don't know if he'll come back to the scene or not after that, especially knowing that he wants to go back to really being a cop in Croatia.

What I would REALLY like to see is Shogun beef up a bit and see him and Fedor really go at it like the animals they are. THAT would be a hell of a fight.

jag

[Whirlysplat]

But yeah, the highlight fight was Pariysan and Burkman. You guys see that beautiful Jiu-Jitsu throw? That was awesome.



No, I saw a beautiful Judo throw though.

[Johnny Blaze]

I think Cro-Cop is done after that Coutur match he lost. I don't know if he'll come back to the scene or not after that, especially knowing that he wants to go back to really being a cop in Croatia.

What I would REALLY like to see is Shogun beef up a bit and see him and Fedor really go at it like the animals they are. THAT would be a hell of a fight.

jag

Well, with Rua recently signing a UFC contract, and with the UFC/Pride deal rumored to be pretty much finalized you may get your wish.

[jaguarr]

Well, with Rua recently signing a UFC contract, and with the UFC/Pride deal rumored to be pretty much finalized you may get your wish.

I know. It makes me all giddy. *squeals like an eight year old girl*

jag

[primemover]

I think Cro-Cop is done after that Coutur match he lost. I don't know if he'll come back to the scene or not after that, especially knowing that he wants to go back to really being a cop in Croatia.

I think you mean Gonzaga.

Mirko is coming back, he still has 4 fights left on his contract, he has stated recently he will come back, win the UFC heavyweight belt then retire. Hopefully that means he'll actually come to fight and not appear menacing and too good for the UFC.

[jaguarr]

I think you mean Gonzaga.

Mirko is coming back, he still has 4 fights left on his contract, he has stated recently he will come back, win the UFC heavyweight belt then retire. Hopefully that means he'll actually come to fight and not appear menacing and too good for the UFC.

Ahh, yes. Gonzaga. I don't know why I had Couture's name stuck in my head. I even watched that Gonzaga/Mirko fight. Must be onset Alzheimer's. I hope Mirko does come back. He's a great fighter when he's on his game. Gonzaga came loaded for bear in that fight and had definitely done his homework. He's another one to watch as I think he's going to do some big things in his career.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

Mirko is currently schedule to fight at UFC 75 on September 8th in England. No opponent has been named as of yet.

[Badger]

Hopefully they'd put him up against Tim Silvia, if they want to get him back on track toward a title shot. Whoever wins that fight, fights the winner of the Gonzaga/Couture fight (when is that scheduled btw).

[primemover]

Hopefully they'd put him up against Tim Silvia, if they want to get him back on track toward a title shot. Whoever wins that fight, fights the winner of the Gonzaga/Couture fight (when is that scheduled btw).

or even Andre Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Brandon Vera, Heath Herring, Rodrigo Noguiera . .

[Golgo-13]

I didn't see the fight last night but am a big MMA fan. I'm glad rampage one. I've always felt Lidell was just a one hit wonder, so to speak. He has no ground game from what i've seen, and displays limited kick-boxing abilitiy. He just relies on his heavy hands. The reason Rampage beat him in Pride, was because he took him down to the ground and pounded him out...like i said, no ground game.

Did Rampage take him to the ground last night?

[Golgo-13]

or even Andre Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Brandon Vera, Heath Herring, Rodrigo Noguiera . .

Btw, Heath Herring did PATHETIC in his last UFC fight...it was embarrassing.

[Johnny Blaze]

Personally, I think Cro Cop should fight Arlovski. But, that's mainly because I'm a fan of The Pit Bull.
Either way I don't think he should get a title shot if he wins his next match. He should at least have to win one more, IMO, to challenge for the right to fight the Champ.

As for the Gonzaga/Couture fight it's scheduled for UFC 74 on August 25.

[Johnny Blaze]

I didn't see the fight last night but am a big MMA fan. I'm glad rampage one. I've always felt Lidell was just a one hit wonder, so to speak. He has no ground game from what i've seen, and displays limited kick-boxing abilitiy. He just relies on his heavy hands. The reason Rampage beat him in Pride, was because he took him down to the ground and pounded him out...like i said, no ground game.

Did Rampage take him to the ground last night?

He didn't slam him, but he dropped him with a solid punch. Lidell was dazed and Rampage jumped on him and landed a few more blows. Lidell went out and then the ref stopped the fight.

[jaguarr]

Personally, I think Cro Cop should fight Arlovski. But, that's mainly because I'm a fan of The Pit Bull.
Either way I don't think he should get a title shot if he wins his next match. He should at least have to win one more, IMO, to challenge for the right to fight the Champ.

As for the Gonzaga/Couture fight it's scheduled for UFC 74 on August 25.

That last Arlovski fight where he fought the Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy was a giant yawn fest. I was expecting Arlovski to just rip that guy's face off but he fought a really tame fight.

jag

[primemover]

Btw, Heath Herring did PATHETIC in his last UFC fight...it was embarrassing.

So far the three Pride heavies brought over have been dissapointments, First Herring, then Werdum, then CroCop. Minotauro will change that, now they just need to concentrate and get Hunt, Barnett and maybe even Fedor! :D

[primemover]

That last Arlovski fight where he fought the Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy was a giant yawn fest. I was expecting Arlovski to just rip that guy's face off but he fought a really tame fight.

jag

That was a bummer, but to Arlovski's credit, even though Werdum isn't a big name in the states, he's plain and simple a badass, getting through him is no simple feat. Like Koscheck over Sanches, Arlovski fought a smart, but in the end, a boring fight.

[jaguarr]

That was a bummer, but to Arlovski's credit, even though Werdum isn't a big name in the states, he's plain and simple a badass, getting through him is no simple feat. Like Koscheck over Sanches, Arlovski fought a smart, but in the end, a boring fight.

Oh, I don't disagree. He fought a very smart fight and wouldn't fight Werdum on his own terms (the mat), but he didn't just wail the crap out of him like I'm sort of used to seeing him do to his opponents, either.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

So far the three Pride heavies brought over have been dissapointments, First Herring, then Werdum, then CroCop. Minotauro will change that, now they just need to concentrate and get Hunt, Barnett and maybe even Fedor! :D

If the buyout really has been finalized, which is what the word is, then the UFC will own the rights to all the fighters still under contract with Pride.

Course there are some who are supposedly talking about a law suit because they don't want to fight for UFC or some such.
No names of fighters have been given, but I don't see Fedor doing that. He's way too classy of a fighter to ***** and moan like a little girl.

[jaguarr]

If the buyout really has been finalized, which is what the word is, then the UFC will own the rights to all the fighters still under contract with Pride.

Course there are some who are supposedly talking about a law suit because they don't want to fight for UFC or some such.
No names of fighters have been given, but I don't see Fedor doing that. He's way too classy of a fighter to ***** and moan like a little girl.

Fedor's probably just thinking "Mmmm....fresh meat!". :D

jag

[CrypticOne]

No, I saw a beautiful Judo throw though.

Oh, sorry about that, I got confused.

[CrypticOne]

I think Cro Cop will come back in a couple months. There is no way he's ending his career with a loss. Plus, that was only his second match in the UFC.

That Gonzaga/Couture fight is going to be amazing. I still don't know who I'm going for. Even though Ganzaga is a beast, Couture is not to be underestimated.

I'd really like to see Fedor in the UFC. He'd be amazing in there.

[jaguarr]

Couture vs. Gonzaga is going to be interesting because they both have demonstrated a knack for studying their opponents and adapting their style and strategy to secure a victory. Plus, they're both primarily mat technicians who've learned how to bang standing up. I'm having a hard time guessing who will come out on top with that one. Gonzaga's really hungry for it, but Couture is the consummate, experienced pro who's like ice under pressure.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

For those who've never seen a Fedor fight (just in case there are some), here are a few good ones...

First is the Fedor/Cro Cop battle, but from the perspective of the ref cam: Ref Cam: Fedor Vs Cro Cop (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8966651884765261155&q=fedor+emelianenko)

The Randleman/Fedor fight: Fedor Vs Randleman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHdFfsmUq14)

Fedor Vs Fujita (with Rampage as a special guest comentator): Fedor Vs Fujita (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B-ir7BtOTI)


Fedor taking on Mark Hunt: Fedor Vs Hunt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSwxs6nFlDg)

And finally, for the fun of it, Fedor Vs Zuluzinho :D : Fedor Vs Zulu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e08L59-fr7w)

[CrypticOne]

^ Yeah, those are some good matches.

I liked the one against Hunt. That was awesome. Did you see the pain in Hunt's face?

[CrypticOne]

Alright, this Sunday, Royce Gracie goes up against one of my favorite fighters in Kazushi Sakuraba. Who do you guys think is going to win that one?

[Johnny Blaze]

Even though I like Gracie, I think Sakuraba will take him.

[primemover]

Alright, this Sunday, Royce Gracie goes up against one of my favorite fighters in Kazushi Sakuraba. Who do you guys think is going to win that one?

Don't get too excited, rumor is Sakuraba failed some medical clearance and is undergoing further investigation, they say they will know for sure if he's officially off the card some time tomorrow. Rumored replacements are Yoshihiro Akiyama and even Ken Shamrock.

[primemover]

BTW, toss in a vote for the UFC on ESPN.COM (http://espn.go.com/), there is a poll on the right. At the moment the UFC event on saturday is leading :D

[CrypticOne]

Don't get too excited, rumor is Sakuraba failed some medical clearance and is undergoing further investigation, they say they will know for sure if he's officially off the card some time tomorrow. Rumored replacements are Yoshihiro Akiyama and even Ken Shamrock.

Really!? I hope he gets to fight. If Royce fights one of those other guys, Royce gots it.

[CrypticOne]

That last Arlovski fight where he fought the Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy was a giant yawn fest. I was expecting Arlovski to just rip that guy's face off but he fought a really tame fight.

jag

I agree. I also agree that the Pitbull should fight Cro Cop in his next match. It makes sense to me, it would be a very good bout. I just seen that Cro Cop is fighting at UFC 75.

[Golgo-13]

He didn't slam him, but he dropped him with a solid punch. Lidell was dazed and Rampage jumped on him and landed a few more blows. Lidell went out and then the ref stopped the fight.

Thanks. I love Rampage, too bad he couldn't bet Wanderlei Silva. The other Chutetbox fighter, Mauricio "Shogun' Rua - i'd love to see him in the UFC also.

[CrypticOne]

^ Rampage is good, I just never liked him for some reason. His fight with Wanderlei was a very good highlight reel for Wanderlei, I liked when Rampage fell through the ropes.

As for Shogun coming to the UFC, I think he signed on May 22nd. And will be at the next UFC, they'll probably announce he was signed, he probably won't fight. I read that somewhere. But Shogun would be a good addition. He's a amazing fighter.

[Kid Wicked]

I still kind of didn't get how people counted Rampage out of winning.

He surely didn't have a disadvantage.

I would have put the odds against Chuck in the first place.

[Badger]

Most people that watch all MMA, not just UFC, didn't count out Rampage. He's been trending upwards, and Liddell has been level at best during his last couple of fights.

[primemover]

I still kind of didn't get how people counted Rampage out of winning.

He surely didn't have a disadvantage.

I would have put the odds against Chuck in the first place.

I don't think anybody but those ignorant of who Quinton is counted him out, though they might have favored Chuck.

I myself picked Chuck as I didn't see Rampage as the same guy he faced before, after finding Christ and getting whooped by those Chute Boxe guys he seemed to lose his edge. Glad to see that edge is back!

[jaguarr]

^ Rampage is good, I just never liked him for some reason. His fight with Wanderlei was a very good highlight reel for Wanderlei, I liked when Rampage fell through the ropes.

As for Shogun coming to the UFC, I think he signed on May 22nd. And will be at the next UFC, they'll probably announce he was signed, he probably won't fight. I read that somewhere. But Shogun would be a good addition. He's a amazing fighter.

I know everyone's on Fedor's dick and everything, and he's a monster that I love to watch fight no doubt, but Shogun's my favorite of the lot and I am really looking forward to watching him devour everybody in UFC. :up:

jag

[Kid Wicked]

Everyone's "on Fedor's dick" for a reason. Fedor has only lost one fight in his career, and that was because he got cut.

I really wonder who is going to be the first to stop him.

[jaguarr]

Everyone's "on Fedor's dick" for a reason. Fedor has only lost one fight in his career, and that was because he got cut.

I really wonder who is going to be the first to stop him.

I didn't say it wasn't justified. ;) I just enjoy watching Shogun fight more, to be honest.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

Got back from Tool late last night (kick ass show, best I've ever seen) and they had some Maintstream MMA on so I watched it before going to bed.

Decent matches, but they guy who really stood out was an kid named Erik "New Breed" Koch (pronounced Coke). Kid was only 18 and, supposedly, started in martial arts at age four. He was small (5'8 155 LBS), but damn this kid had some major skills. Took his opponent out in a minute and a half with an armbar reminicent of a Gracie.
Koch's only fought three fights, but he's won them in dominant fashion as shown on the highlights.
It may have been helped by the booze, but the kid really looked impressive in the cage. :up:

[jaguarr]

Rampage Jackson Is A Funny Guy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw2G5D7FGdg). Heh! :D

I heard Brock Lesnar's making his MMA debut this weekend, but don't know the specifics. Anyone heard anything about it?

jag

[DBella]

That last Arlovski fight where he fought the Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy was a giant yawn fest. I was expecting Arlovski to just rip that guy's face off but he fought a really tame fight.

jag
I don't think Arlovski has fought as well as he used to since his loss to Tim Sylvia. It seems like Sylvia's yawn fest of a fight has rubbed off on Arlovski. I miss the days of when Arlovski's fights were fun to watch. :csad:

Btw, Chuck made me lost a buck!! :cmad:

[jaguarr]

Oh, God.....Tim Sylvia is contagious. :(

jag

[jaguarr]

Not anymore. I hope. I hope that Couture was the cure to his disease. I would like to see Sylvia retire or get beaten into retirement. Every time he 'fights', I want to see him get hurt REAL bad.

You got yourself a mean streak there, Missy.

jag

[DBella]

Oh, God.....Tim Sylvia is contagious. :(

jag
Not anymore. I hope. I hope that Couture was the cure to his disease. I would like to see Sylvia retire or get beaten into retirement. Every time he 'fights', I want to see him get hurt REAL bad.

[DBella]

You got yourself a mean streak there, Missy.

jag
Can't help it. I hate the guy... as a 'fighter'. If I am not as petite as I am, I'd like to have the opportunity to beat the snoozer myself. :(

[Johnny Blaze]

Rampage Jackson Is A Funny Guy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw2G5D7FGdg). Heh! :D

I heard Brock Lesnar's making his MMA debut this weekend, but don't know the specifics. Anyone heard anything about it?

jag

Hahahaha. That was freakin' great. Especially the part with him ripping on Lindland. :D :up:


As for Brock, he's fighting this weekend at the K-1 Dynamite event in Cali that features the Royce Gracie/Sakuraba match.

It also features the MMA debut of former NFL receiver Johnny Morton. :o

[jaguarr]

Hahahaha. That was freakin' great. Especially the part with him ripping on Lindland. :D :up:


As for Brock, he's fighting this weekend at the K-1 Dynamite event in Cali that features the Royce Gracie/Sakuraba match.

It also features the MMA debut of former NFL receiver Johnny Morton. :o

I liked him asking the reporter if he even watched the fight after he asked that stupid question. Funny stuff. :D

Brock, I'd give good odds to. Didn't Royce train him? As for Morton...errrr...yeah. :dry:

jag

[jaguarr]

Can't help it. I hate the guy... as a 'fighter'. If I am not as petite as I am, I'd like to have the opportunity to beat the snoozer myself. :(

Kill him, Bella! Kill him real good!

jag

[Jack Rabbit]

Anyone else practice MMA?

[Johnny Blaze]

Nope, but a friend of mine is thinking about getting into it. Currently he's training as an ametuer boxer, but he does have past experience in martial arts.

I liked him asking the reporter if he even watched the fight after he asked that stupid question. Funny stuff. :D

Brock, I'd give good odds to. Didn't Royce train him? As for Morton...errrr...yeah. :dry:

jag

Yeah, Royce has helped with Lesner's training. Should be a good one, though they changed opponents on Brock a couple of weeks back. We'll see if that hurts his prep at all as his original opponent had a kick boxing/wrestling background and his new one is a Judo specialist.

[Jack Rabbit]

I was never into any kind of martial arts, but it's kind of a requirement in the Marine Corps. Everyone is required to get your Marine Corps Martial Arts Program tan belt.

I have my grey, but I can't find any green belt classes at the moment.

I guess Ken Shamrock helped put together alot of the syllabus(sp?) for MCMAP, but there's alot of combat oriented stuff in it, too.

[Golgo-13]

^ Rampage is good, I just never liked him for some reason. His fight with Wanderlei was a very good highlight reel for Wanderlei, I liked when Rampage fell through the ropes.

As for Shogun coming to the UFC, I think he signed on May 22nd. And will be at the next UFC, they'll probably announce he was signed, he probably won't fight. I read that somewhere. But Shogun would be a good addition. He's a amazing fighter.

Another PRIDE fav of mine is Sergei Kharitonov, the Russian who wear the red trunks and comes to the ring in his army fatigues. He's a great fighter, and i would love to see him in the UFC. I'm a big fan of the HBO show 'Rome' and he just reminds me of Lucius Vorenus- all you Rome fans will know what i'm saying.:yay:

[Johnny Blaze]

Well, Brock Lesnar apparently was impressive in his debut scoring a first round submission at the Dynamite! USA event.

Also at the event, Gracie won a unanimous dicision over Sakuraba, and former NFL receiver Johnny Morton got KOed thirty-eight seconds into his fight and was carted off in a neck brace.
Morton also got suspended by the NSAC indefinitely after refusing to take a post-fight piss test.

[NewYorkSpider]

Also at the event, Gracie won a unanimous dicision over Sakuraba, and former NFL receiver Johnny Morton got KOed thirty-eight seconds into his fight and was carted off in a neck brace.
Morton also got suspended by the NSAC indefinitely after refusing to take a post-fight piss test.


I just seen that on Sportscenter. 38 seconds.:eek:

[CrypticOne]

I watched the event and I'd have to give the Gracie/Sakuraba fight to Saku. I don't know what the hell the judges were judging on, but that whole thing was Saku. They could've called it a draw but giving the match to Gracie was very disapointing. And the people that were there watching the fight, I don't know if you can even call them fans, were booing them. Those people were making me mad, cause they don't know who these guys are and the respect that should be shown to these legends.

[DBella]

Anyone here watch either Bodog or World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC)? And what do you guys think of women MMA fighters? Be honest now.

[true316]

I watched the event and I'd have to give the Gracie/Sakuraba fight to Saku. I don't know what the hell the judges were judging on, but that whole thing was Saku. They could've called it a draw but giving the match to Gracie was very disapointing. And the people that were there watching the fight, I don't know if you can even call them fans, were booing them. Those people were making me mad, cause they don't know who these guys are and the respect that should be shown to these legends.

Honestly, I didn't really disagree with the judges giving Royce the win. I was actually expecting Sakuraba to win but he just didn't look right throughout the fight. He was so passive by the final round. I was thinking that he might have been hurt earlier in the fight. I think it could have been a draw but I don't really have a problem with Royce winning. I've got a lot of respect for Saku but I actually hope he retires soon. He's taken some massive damage over the years and I just don't want him to get hurt.

I also agree with you on the booing. That annoys me to no end. It's like some fans don't even care about strategy or skill at all. I think some people just want two guys to get in there and throw haymakers for 15 minutes. Not to mention it was Gracie vs. Sakuraba!!! These guys have earned the right to get some respect! :cmad:

[bored]

I know little of MMA. I just know it was funny when Johnnie Morton got the crap kicked out of him.

[Kid Wicked]

From what I've been hearing, Gracie played to the American judges.

Did anyone else watch WEC last night?

I thought it was okay, but I've seen a lot better fights.

[jaguarr]

Anyone here watch either Bodog or World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC)? And what do you guys think of women MMA fighters? Be honest now.

There was a couple of gals I saw go at it awhile back on...Showtime I think it was. Supposedly was the first major MMA fight for women on national broadcast. One gal was a world champion Muy Thai artist and the other was a jiu-jitsu and Muy Thai expert. The world champion Muy Thai fighter won the match, but they went the full three rounds and put on some of the most hard nose fighting I've seen in a very long time. It was very entertaining to watch (probably the most entertaining match on the card that night) and they definitely proved they can hang with the boys. :up:

jag

[jaguarr]

Oh, and Johnny Morton gettin' his ass whooped....yeah, not a big surprise there. :)

jag

[Kid Wicked]

Anyone here watch either Bodog or World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC)? And what do you guys think of women MMA fighters? Be honest now.

If they want to get in the ring, I'm fine with it.

It's a free country, women should be able to kick ass just as much as men.

[bored]

Oh, and Johnny Morton gettin' his ass whooped....yeah, not a big surprise there. :)

jag


Just like DBs whooped his ass when he played football.


*sigh* He was a Chief for a few seasons. There's a reason Tony Gonzalez always caught most of the passes.

[Badger]

Yeah, plus he was a whiney *****.

whiney ***** + mma fight = hospital visit. :up:

[CrypticOne]

Honestly, I didn't really disagree with the judges giving Royce the win. I was actually expecting Sakuraba to win but he just didn't look right throughout the fight. He was so passive by the final round. I was thinking that he might have been hurt earlier in the fight. I think it could have been a draw but I don't really have a problem with Royce winning. I've got a lot of respect for Saku but I actually hope he retires soon. He's taken some massive damage over the years and I just don't want him to get hurt.

I also agree with you on the booing. That annoys me to no end. It's like some fans don't even care about strategy or skill at all. I think some people just want two guys to get in there and throw haymakers for 15 minutes. Not to mention it was Gracie vs. Sakuraba!!! These guys have earned the right to get some respect! :cmad:

I agree, Saku needs to retire soon. He has done alot and fought some really tough battles against the biggest names in MMA. I think it was that knee that Royce was really kicking in, that was hurting Saku.

[Johnny Blaze]

For those who didn't see it...


Johnny Morton gets layed out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7yKBW8hqbc)

Brock Lesnar wins his debut in MMA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k63hOWLBhkY)

Gracie/Sakuraba Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHy5PsXYlPo&mode=related&search=); Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3V3IT9SEPk); Part 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8x7nFhhvhk)

[Mac_Hine]

I'm just glad that Gracie got his revenge over Saku as he is my favorite MMA fighter. I've watched him since the first UFC and was the reason that I got into Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The other real good fight on that card was Yoon Dong Sik VS Melvin Manhoef. Man that was a great one!

[CrypticOne]

^ Yeah, that Yoon Dong Sik match was awesome.

So, anyone have any predictions on the Okami/Franklin match? I see that as a pretty awesome fight. Very tough to call. And I think Griffin is going to have his hands full with Ramirez.

[Johnny Blaze]

So, who all will be watching UFC 72 tomorrow night?
I'm really looking forward to seeing Griffin and Ramirez go at. That one should be a beast of a match. :up:

[CrypticOne]

I hope I will be watching. I want to see that Okami/Franklin fight, which looks like its going to be pretty awesome.

Yeah, that Griffin fight is going to be awesome too. I can't wait to see Griffin in action again.

Who else is fighting?

[Johnny Blaze]

I hope I will be watching. I want to see that Okami/Franklin fight, which looks like its going to be pretty awesome.

Yeah, that Griffin fight is going to be awesome too. I can't wait to see Griffin in action again.

Who else is fighting?

Here's a link to the fight card. :up:

UFC 72 Fight Card (http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=eventDetail.FightCard&eid=592)

[CrypticOne]

^ Thanks man. Do you know when Couture fights Gonzaga?

[Johnny Blaze]

^ Thanks man. Do you know when Couture fights Gonzaga?

Not 100% sure, but I think it's part of UFC 74 in August. :huh:


...Yep, it is.

UFC 74 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_74)

And from further investigation, UFC 75 will be a good'n...Jackson defends his title against Henderson, and Cro Cop going up against Cheick Kongo. :up:

[Johnny Blaze]

Some good fights last night.
The Franklin/Okami bout could've been better as it seemed that Okami was hesitant in the first two rounds. Like he was worried about not making a mistake and fighting defensive instead of being the aggressor.

My pick for fight of the night was easily the Clay Guida vs Tyson Griffin bout. One of the best technical matches I've seen in a while. :up:

The Griffin/Ramirez fight was a good'n, though I did expect it to be a little better. Ramirez just seemed to want to sit back and let Forrest make the first move. Definitely agreed with the judges' decision.

So, anybody else catch the fight? If so, what did you think of the matches? Which one did you think was the fight of the night?

And are you looking forward to seeing Minotauro's UFC debut next month? :D :up:

[CrypticOne]

Nah, I didn't catch last night. But I did get the play by play on the net. I didn't know its started all early, I woke up all late.

But by the sounds of it that Okami/Franklin match was pretty boring. I was expecting more from that one.

I expected Griffin to win, so I'm pretty glad he did that.

Yeah, and that Minotauro debut should be pretty bada**. I can't wait for that one.

[Johnny Blaze]

As some may have heard, the supposed main event for UFC 75 in September, Chuck Lidell Vs Wanderlei Silva, has been canceled. UFC President, Dana White, has been scrambling to find another main event match for the card.

He apparently has found one.

Preview of the UFC 75 Main Event (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kbdhXmJtjQ)

I can't wait to see this fight. It's gonna be awesome. :up:

[CrypticOne]

^ LOL.

Yeah, I'm pretty mad that that Silva/Liddell match isn't happening. I guess Wanderlei backed out, which is surprising. I would've picked Chuck to win though.

Well, on to 74. I can't wait to see that Couture/Gonzaga match. I don't know who's going to win that one. As for that Koscheck/GSP, I'm pulling for Rush to win that one. I also heard that Sobral is fighting David Heath, I'm going to put my money on Babalu in that one.

[Johnny Blaze]

^ LOL.

Yeah, I'm pretty mad that that Silva/Liddell match isn't happening. I guess Wanderlei backed out, which is surprising. I would've picked Chuck to win though.

Well, on to 74. I can't wait to see that Couture/Gonzaga match. I don't know who's going to win that one. As for that Koscheck/GSP, I'm pulling for Rush to win that one. I also heard that Sobral is fighting David Heath, I'm going to put my money on Babalu in that one.

I hope you heard right that Babalu is fighting. He's always been one of my favorites, and I'd love to see him compete again.
As for Gonzaga/Couture, I'm pulling for Randy, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Gonzaga beat him.
I just want to see Fedor show up and challenge the winner after the fight. :o

As for the Silva/Liddell match, it is surprising to me that Wandy backed out. He's never been one to puss out of a fight, so there has to be some behind the scenes reason for it, be it money or what not.
It may be off for UFC 75, but I hope that those two will fight sometime soon. I'm a big fan of Wandy and would love to see him return to the octogon. As for who would win it...I don't know. That's a tough one to pick. If both fighters are on a roll and confident, it could go either way. I'd personally be pulling for Chuck, but I'd think Wandy would take him.

I know there were rumors that Dana White might bump up Rua, who is scheduled to make his UFC debut on that card, to fight Liddell if they can't find a main event fight to replace it. Would love to see the Shogun take on the Iceman. Be one hell of a match up. :up:

[Johnny Blaze]

Wanderlei "This fight is on." (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4324&zoneid=2)

If this is true, then that's awesome news. Also, rumors are now that Liddell will stay in the main event spot in the September card with Keith Jardine taking Silva's spot.

If both of these are true, Liddell should blow past Jardine.
But, will he be ready to fight an opponent like Wandy so soon afterwards? That is the question...

[Johnny Blaze]

UFC 75 to be free on SpikeTV? (http://www.buddytv.com/articles/ufc/ufc-75-not-on-payperview-8131.aspx)

If that happens, that's freakin' sweet. A card that's definitely PPV worthy for free is for me. :up:


Edit: It's true. The event will air on Spike free of charge.

[Johnny Blaze]

Shogun Rua to debut against Forrest Griffin? (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/07/18/mauricio-shogun-rua-likely-to-face-forrest-griffin-at-ufc-76-ufcjunkiecom-update/)

Would be a much better debut match for Shogun then going against Machida. I'd be pulling for Rua as he's one of my favorite fighters (second to Fedor), but I do like Forrest too.
It'll be somewhat painful to see him lose to Shogun (if Jardine can knock him out, Rua's going to kill him). :o :(

[CrypticOne]

^ I really wanted that Machida fight to happen. This is going to be a great way for Griffin to get destoryed. He's trying to come back after his loss to Jardine, and he started that with a win over Ramirez. But putting Forrest against Shogun? Shogun will own him. Get really for complete destruction of Forrest Griffin. I hate to see this happen, cause I like Forrest, but I just can't wait to see Shogun in action again.

You guys hear of that Sherk/Penn fight? That one is sure to be amazing. I'm pulling for The Prodigy to win that one.

[jaguarr]

They'll start calling Shogun "The Lumberjack" because he's going to cut down the entire f**king Forrest. Hehehe!

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

Hahahahahaha. That's a good one. I'll have to steal that line and use it during the match. :D

^ I really wanted that Machida fight to happen. This is going to be a great way for Griffin to get destoryed. He's trying to come back after his loss to Jardine, and he started that with a win over Ramirez. But putting Forrest against Shogun? Shogun will own him. Get really for complete destruction of Forrest Griffin. I hate to see this happen, cause I like Forrest, but I just can't wait to see Shogun in action again.

You guys hear of that Sherk/Penn fight? That one is sure to be amazing. I'm pulling for The Prodigy to win that one. It should indeed be an amazing fight. Penn has really started to come on strong of late, and Sherk is...well, he's the Muscle Shark and one of the most dominant lightweights I've seen in a while.
Should be an outstanding match, and, though I'm pulling for Sherk, I would not be pissed if Penn won.

Now Dana just needs to go out and sign Gomi to a UFC contract. :o




As for the potential Rua/Griffin match up...I do think Forrest has a better chance in UFC then he would in a PRIDE match. Only because soccer kicks and stomps are not allowed in the octogon, and they were a good part of Shogun's game in PRIDE.
Still, with Shogun's absolutely brutal Muay Thai skills, I don't see Forrest surviving past the early part of the second round. :o

[Johnny Blaze]

Some huge news concerning the lightweight division... :wow:

Sean Sherk & Hermes Franca suspended for year (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/07/19/csac-sean-sherk-hermes-franca-both-fail-ufc-73-drug-tests/)

I guess that rematch with BJ won't be happening now. :o

Obviously Sherk won't keep the belt, so I wonder how they'll handle it.

Maybe have Penn take on another top contender for it?

Or perhaps a lightweight tourny is in order?

[CrypticOne]

^ This news sucks. I think they'll have Penn fight another lightweight, either way, Penn takes it. But, this is upsetting news. I wanted to see that Sherk/Penn fight. This sucks.

First, I get hit with Wanderlei not fighting in September against Chuck, then they change Shogun/Machida to Shogun/Griffin. Now this. What else can happen?

[DarthRekal]

Some huge news concerning the lightweight division... :wow:

Sean Sherk & Hermes Franca suspended for year (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/07/19/csac-sean-sherk-hermes-franca-both-fail-ufc-73-drug-tests/)

I guess that rematch with BJ won't be happening now. :o

Obviously Sherk won't keep the belt, so I wonder how they'll handle it.

Maybe have Penn take on another top contender for it?

Or perhaps a lightweight tourny is in order?

suckage:csad: .. that fight was teh AWESOME!

[Johnny Blaze]

^ This news sucks. I think they'll have Penn fight another lightweight, either way, Penn takes it. But, this is upsetting news. I wanted to see that Sherk/Penn fight. This sucks.

First, I get hit with Wanderlei not fighting in September against Chuck, then they change Shogun/Machida to Shogun/Griffin. Now this. What else can happen?

Don't say that. Now something else that sucks will happen. :(

[CrypticOne]

^ Something probably will.

[CrypticOne]

Any news on that Kimbo/Tank fight? When is that going to happen?

[Johnny Blaze]

Any news on that Kimbo/Tank fight? When is that going to happen?

Shazam! (http://sports.bodogbeat.com/mma-news-kimbo-slice-vs-tank-abbot-is-official-94285.html)

[Johnny Blaze]

Fedor's Manager talks about the Champ, UFC, and More (http://www.sherdog.com/news/interviews.asp?n_id=8422)

[jaguarr]

Fedor's Manager talks about the Champ, UFC, and More (http://www.sherdog.com/news/interviews.asp?n_id=8422)

Good interview. Gives some insight into how Dana White and the UFC operate that they seem to put a lot of effort into keeping out of the media ordinarily. I hope White and the UFC can pull their head's out. Fedor could take their organization to the next level and give them a heavyweight who pulls in a lot of viewers. Couture's done a good job of that but I also think people are tired of the old guard in UFC and want to see some new faces.

jag

[Qoèlet]

Wow, I've missed a bit on this Forum.

First of all, you're not the Johnny Blaze off mma.tv or one of the half dozen Johnny Blaze's they have had calling in to the beatdown, are you?

Hey, DBella, how's it going? I've actually had a few conversations about women's MMA lately, and I think it's just swell on the whole. The skill level isn't, and probably never will be, what it is in men's mixed martial arts, but that doesn't mean the fights aren't worthwhile. That said, while the sport itself is good, I can't say I particularly like many of the things surrounding it, the promotion of the fights and the commentary surrounding them. That said, even though I can appreciate why Dana White doesn't plan to have women in the UFC, I'm glad to see that promotions like Bodogfight are pushing the women fighters even if I don't like the way they go about it sometimes.

Two last things. First, I hope everyone's looking forward to August 25. this is the Hype, after all, so all of us should be supporting Captain America (Randy) and Batman (Kurt Pellegrino) when they get in the octagon to fight. Second, I'm curious if any of you guys get away from the computer and train sometimes.

[Johnny Blaze]

Good interview. Gives some insight into how Dana White and the UFC operate that they seem to put a lot of effort into keeping out of the media ordinarily. I hope White and the UFC can pull their head's out. Fedor could take their organization to the next level and give them a heavyweight who pulls in a lot of viewers. Couture's done a good job of that but I also think people are tired of the old guard in UFC and want to see some new faces.

jag
I agree. Fedor would be the one to take the UFC heavyweight division (which has already gotten better with the rise of Gonzaga, Couture's return, and additions like Cro Cop and Big Nog) to another level. If the interview speaks true, I hope White and the UFC bend their "no negotiations" stance a bit and try to reach a middleground with Fedor's camp. Though I can see their side in not wanting him to compete in the Sambo tournaments as they would've made a huge investment in him to see him possibly get injured in a non-Zuffa sponsored event.
In any case, I'd hate to see Fedor take less money and fight for some other org just because White's being a bullheaded bastard. :(

Wow, I've missed a bit on this Forum.

First of all, you're not the Johnny Blaze off mma.tv or one of the half dozen Johnny Blaze's they have had calling in to the beatdown, are you?

Hey, DBella, how's it going? I've actually had a few conversations about women's MMA lately, and I think it's just swell on the whole. The skill level isn't, and probably never will be, what it is in men's mixed martial arts, but that doesn't mean the fights aren't worthwhile. That said, while the sport itself is good, I can't say I particularly like many of the things surrounding it, the promotion of the fights and the commentary surrounding them. That said, even though I can appreciate why Dana White doesn't plan to have women in the UFC, I'm glad to see that promotions like Bodogfight are pushing the women fighters even if I don't like the way they go about it sometimes.

Two last things. First, I hope everyone's looking forward to August 25. this is the Hype, after all, so all of us should be supporting Captain America (Randy) and Batman (Kurt Pellegrino) when they get in the octagon to fight. Second, I'm curious if any of you guys get away from the computer and train sometimes.
No, I'm just Johnny Blaze of the Hype. Don't know of any others save the comic character and Method Man. :huh:
As for the championship match, I am pulling for Couture, but I do think Gonzaga will pull off the upset.

As for training, I don't do any MMA training.

[jaguarr]

I think Gonzaga might pull off the upset as well. The guy's talented, inventive and hungry as all hell for the title. It won't be easy for him, though. Couture is such a seasoned, adaptive fighter.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

I think Gonzaga might pull off the upset as well. The guy's talented, inventive and hungry as all hell for the title. It won't be easy for him, though. Couture is such a seasoned, adaptive fighter.

jag

Yeah, one thing I've learned through the years of watching MMA is that you never count out Couture.

Hell, his last fight against Tim Sylvia is a great example. Most everyone picked the Maine-iac to beat Couture, and those that picked Randy figured it'd be a close fight. But he ends up beating the ever-lovin' **** out of Sylvia for five rounds.

[Qoèlet]

No, I'm just Johnny Blaze of the Hype. Don't know of any others save the comic character and Method Man.
Yeah, I didn’t really think so, it’s just an odd coincidence that you start an MMA thread with that name. A guy using the name Johnny Blaze, or more than one Johnny Blaze, has a certain degree of celebrity on MMA forums. Plenty of posts under that name, emails and phone calls to Sherdog’s Beatdown radio show, I just thought it was kind of funny.


As for the championship match, I am pulling for Couture, but I do think Gonzaga will pull off the upset.

As for training, I don't do any MMA training.
Funny thing, if you take a look at the betting odds online, at bodog or whatever, Gonzaga’s actually listed as the favourite. The similarities in style to Couture’s last big losses at heavyweight, Barnett and Rodriguez, seem to have most picking Gonzaga. Now, while that makes sense and everything, I’d like to keep in mind that, while Couture lost those fights, he was putting a good beating on both of those guys, but they managed to reverse him, get on top, and finish the fight. Not making excuses or anything, but he’s definitely got the ability to beat a bigger grappler if he does a better job maintaining position. I mean, he kicked Ricco’s ass for four rounds and would have won the decision if he could have lasted two more minutes. The other thing is, I’m not just saying this, Couture looks better in the ring at 43 than he did looking back at his time as Heavyweight champion back when he was in his thirties.

Last thing, I am curious about that bit because I sort of think, with a couple years training under my belt, that with a little training I started to get a lot more out of watching. Of course, I started training and watching at about the same time, so maybe you can pick up a lot just watching too. Plus, I like talking about the training, it’s fun and I highly recommend it for everyone.

[Johnny Blaze]

Yeah, I didn’t really think so, it’s just an odd coincidence that you start an MMA thread with that name. A guy using the name Johnny Blaze, or more than one Johnny Blaze, has a certain degree of celebrity on MMA forums. Plenty of posts under that name, emails and phone calls to Sherdog’s Beatdown radio show, I just thought it was kind of funny.


Funny thing, if you take a look at the betting odds online, at bodog or whatever, Gonzaga’s actually listed as the favourite. The similarities in style to Couture’s last big losses at heavyweight, Barnett and Rodriguez, seem to have most picking Gonzaga. Now, while that makes sense and everything, I’d like to keep in mind that, while Couture lost those fights, he was putting a good beating on both of those guys, but they managed to reverse him, get on top, and finish the fight. Not making excuses or anything, but he’s definitely got the ability to beat a bigger grappler if he does a better job maintaining position. I mean, he kicked Ricco’s ass for four rounds and would have won the decision if he could have lasted two more minutes. The other thing is, I’m not just saying this, Couture looks better in the ring at 43 than he did looking back at his time as Heavyweight champion back when he was in his thirties.

Last thing, I am curious about that bit because I sort of think, with a couple years training under my belt, that with a little training I started to get a lot more out of watching. Of course, I started training and watching at about the same time, so maybe you can pick up a lot just watching too. Plus, I like talking about the training, it’s fun and I highly recommend it for everyone.
One thing I've learned from watching Randy fight is that you never count him out, so it should be interesting. I do agree with him looking better in the cage. I'd say he looks a lot more calm and collected in there then he did before. That and I think that he's one of the more cerebral fighters, and his mind has been as sharp as ever of late.

I really do hope Randy wins, as it's an awesome story of a Hall of Famer coming out of retirement in his 40's to take out a fighter like Sylvia for the belt. I'm not really a big fan of the Maine-iac, but I do give him credit. He's a good fighter. And for Randy to beat him in the way he did shows just how talented and intelligent he is.

Plus I want to see one of my dream matchups of Couture/Fedor come true. :o

[jaguarr]

Fedor would murder Couture. :(

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

Fedor would murder Couture. :(

jag

I agree, but I still think Randy is one of the fighters with the best shots at pulling off an upset against Fedor. Even though I don't think it would happen.
I really just want Fedor in the UFC though. :csad:
See him take on Cro Cop and Big Nog again, go up against Kongo, Arlovski, Gonzaga, and Vera. Some awesome possibilities.

[jaguarr]

I'd really like to see a Gonzaga vs. Fedor fight. That's probably the strongest fight UFC could give Fedor. If Gonzaga takes Couture (and I think that's a strong possibility) that could happen as I think White really wants to put Fedor up against his champion almost immediately. I know Fedor and his manager are trying to come to terms with the UFC and one of the things they're asking for are some tune-up fights to let Fedor get used to the cage a bit. UFC doesn't seem to be budging much with Fedor, though, which I think is a mistake. He could really help them establish their lagging heavyweight division to the same notoriety that their light-heavyweight and middleweight divisions have.

jag

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

I'd really like to see a Gonzaga vs. Fedor fight. That's probably the strongest fight UFC could give Fedor. If Gonzaga takes Couture (and I think that's a strong possibility) that could happen as I think White really wants to put Fedor up against his champion almost immediately. I know Fedor and his manager are trying to come to terms with the UFC and one of the things they're asking for are some tune-up fights to let Fedor get used to the cage a bit. UFC doesn't seem to be budging much with Fedor, though, which I think is a mistake. He could really help them establish their lagging heavyweight division to the same notoriety that their light-heavyweight and middleweight divisions have.

jag

jag

Hopefully they'll be able to come to some middleground, but it's not looking too good right now. :(
Still, Fedor's camp has always said that the main thing he wants is to go up against the top Heavies in the world. And right now the UFC's got that, hands down. As for a tune up fight, I don't know if that'll happen. White and the UFC would more than likely market his coming as they're doing with Dan Henderson, i.e. throwing him against the UFC champ in a unification match.

Personally, I'd want Fedor to get a tune up match, maybe against Herring or Sylvia. Then give him a shot at the title. As for who should get a title shot after the Couture/Gonzaga fight...that's a tough one.
I think if Cro Cop beats Kongo convincingly he deserves a shot (possible rematch against Gonzaga?), and if Nog dominates his next fight, he should definitely get a shot at the belt.
Arlovski's could be a wild card. If he wins this rumored match at UFC 78 against Brandon Vera, I think he deserves a shot. Same goes for Vera if he wins, which I think he will.

The UFC's heavyweight division is really starting to get interesting. And if Fedor does indeed arrive, it'll blow up even more.

[Qoèlet]

As for who should get a title shot after the Couture/Gonzaga fight...that's a tough one.
I think if Cro Cop beats Kongo convincingly he deserves a shot (possible rematch against Gonzaga?), and if Nog dominates his next fight, he should definitely get a shot at the belt.

Way I've heard, if Crocop wins his next fight he and Nogueira are set for a rematch. That seems like a good contender matchup.

As for the Fedor enigma, I'm convinced the person to beat him, if not Crocop in a rematch, will be a fighter who takes the fight to him, beats him in the clinch or scores some other sort of takedown, and is able to maintain good position and defend submission attempts on top. Coleman and Randleman could manage the takedown bit, but went to pieces from there. The only time he's really fought an athletic takedown artist with a strong top game was against Arona, and while he won that decision it was pretty damn questionable and contested under Rings rules, prohibiting all strikes to the head on the ground... considering the fact that Arona spent about half the first round with full mount on top of Fedor, I think that the fight goes a bit differently in the cage with elbows. Granted, that fight was over six years ago, but it's not like Fedor's game has totally transformed since then. His strikes are very good, and he's shown some good submissions off his back, but at the end of the day Fedor's a ground and pounder with the best top game in the sport, and if he's not able to dictate the action and be the big dog, he's not nearly so unbeatable. Of course, that's much easier said than done, but he's not the best wrestler in the sport and he can definitely be taken down. In any case, unless Arona makes a move back up to heavyweight the best guys to pull off that gameplan just happen to be the two men fighting for the UFC heavyweight championship.

That, or he gets cut with a fluke elbow. Again.

[CrypticOne]

Part of me is wanting Couture to win and beat the hell out of Gonzaga, but then part of me is saying that Gonzaga will destory Captain America. This fight is going to be a hell of a one. Can't wait to see how it turns out. As for GSP and Koscheck, I'm pulling for Rush in that one.

[Johnny Blaze]

I've never really been a fan of Georges, and Koscheck has started to grow on me. It will be difficult for him to win I think because we'll see a hungry St. Pierre in the octogon come the 25th. But, I'm hoping Koscheck can keep his momentum going with a win over Rush.



Way I've heard, if Crocop wins his next fight he and Nogueira are set for a rematch. That seems like a good contender matchup.


Now that would be a rematch I'd love to see. I'd hope Big Nog could pull off the win again, and get that shot at the belt. :up:

As for the Fedor enigma, I'm convinced the person to beat him, if not Crocop in a rematch, will be a fighter who takes the fight to him, beats him in the clinch or scores some other sort of takedown, and is able to maintain good position and defend submission attempts on top. Coleman and Randleman could manage the takedown bit, but went to pieces from there. The only time he's really fought an athletic takedown artist with a strong top game was against Arona, and while he won that decision it was pretty damn questionable and contested under Rings rules, prohibiting all strikes to the head on the ground... considering the fact that Arona spent about half the first round with full mount on top of Fedor, I think that the fight goes a bit differently in the cage with elbows. Granted, that fight was over six years ago, but it's not like Fedor's game has totally transformed since then. His strikes are very good, and he's shown some good submissions off his back, but at the end of the day Fedor's a ground and pounder with the best top game in the sport, and if he's not able to dictate the action and be the big dog, he's not nearly so unbeatable. Of course, that's much easier said than done, but he's not the best wrestler in the sport and he can definitely be taken down. In any case, unless Arona makes a move back up to heavyweight the best guys to pull off that gameplan just happen to be the two men fighting for the UFC heavyweight championship.

That, or he gets cut with a fluke elbow. Again. Very good points on the champ, and I do agree. :up:
But, as you say, it'd be easier said than done. Fedor is such a smart fighter, definitely one of the best game planners in the sport, and I don't think anyone listens to their corner as well as he does throughout an entire fight.
And even when he's taken down and the opponent has him in good position, Fedor is so strong that one slip up and he can reverse it with a quickness, as he did with Minotauro.

As for who could beat him, I think Nogueira, though he's lost to Fedor before, should definitely be added to the list. Big Nog is just too damn good on the ground and is one of the toughest bastards I've seen to count him out of a fight.

[Johnny Blaze]

Axe Murderer to the UFC (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/03/dana-white-weve-got-wanderlei-silva/)

Looks like the much anticipated fight between him and Chuck will happen after all. :D :up:

[CrypticOne]

^ Awesome! Thanks for that. It just made my day.

[Johnny Blaze]

You and me both. :D
After all the mess of Wanderlei supposedly ducking the fight, and Jardine picked to replace him for UFC 76, I'm happy as hell to hear that the superfight between Liddell and Silva can now finally happen.
Especially as early as the end of the year card in Vegas. :up:

[CrypticOne]

^ Yeah. I hope its this year. It'd be a nice Christmas gift.

[Johnny Blaze]

^ Yeah. I hope its this year. It'd be a nice Christmas gift.
Damn right. UFC's end of the year events are usually pretty good, and with a Liddell/Silva headliner you can't go wrong. :up:

[Qoèlet]

I've never really been a fan of Georges, and Koscheck has started to grow on me. It will be difficult for him to win I think because we'll see a hungry St. Pierre in the octogon come the 25th. But, I'm hoping Koscheck can keep his momentum going with a win over Rush.

I'd always been sort of fond of Koscheck, perhaps largely due to the fact that he has so many critics online that want to give him a hard time because he fights to win instead of to please the crowd (plus his wrestling's just sick, and that always appeals to me, coming from a wrestling background myself). But then came the fight with Diego, and that just raised his stock tremendously with me. He comes out and implements the perfect strategy against Diego, dictates the pace of the fight on the feet, drawing Sanchez into the type if fight he was totally unprepared for, tests the waters with a takedown at the end of the first round, and then goes right back to scoring right hands at will and wins a unanimous decision. Great job. But then, when the crowd doesn't like it and boos him, he pretty much laughs at them. "BOOOOO!!" and "Love me or hate me, I don't care. He's nineteen and ooone!". Honestly, that's how I wish every fighter that got jeered acted, instead of apologizing and "oh, I was trying to fight an exciting fight". Whatever, it's a sport, priority number one is to win, and sometimes the "fans" watching live aren't going to enjoy that. Oh well, when these mouth-breathers are booing Sean Sherk and Anderson Silva, frankly, there is no shame in being on their bad side.

[Johnny Blaze]

Anybody catch Filho's debut tonight for the WEC?
The BJJ master beat Doerkson via TKO in the first round. All in all, it was an awesome debut for Paulo, who won the vacant Middleweight belt. :up:

[Johnny Blaze]

Sherk Hearing to be Delayed (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/06/report-sean-sherk-files-for-extension/)

Looks like we won't find out if the Penn/Sherk match will actually happen until October now. :(

[Johnny Blaze]

A few tidbits of info...

Dana White on Liddell's Next Shot at the LHW Title (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/08/dana-white-chuck-liddell-needs-two-wins-for-title-shot/)

Fedor Weighing Options (http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=8530)

BoDog Responds to Finkelstein (Fedor's Manager) (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=8542)

[Qoèlet]

Very surprised how Filho's fight with Doerksen went (just saw it last night: needed to wait for tape delay on TSN). I didn't expect that Doerksen would be able to defend the takedown as well as he did, or that he would be able to reverse Filho from the bottom and stand up. And Filho knocking him out on the feet, now I really didn't see that coming. Good showing by Filho, though, out of all the top fighters Doerksen's fought few have been able to get through him so quickly or convincingly. Interestingly, Joe Riggs is one of them: that guy really ought to have stuck around at 185, I think he's better there.

I just hope Filho makes the transition to UFC instead of staying in the WEC. I mean, who else is he going to fight there?

[Johnny Blaze]

I figured he could defend the takedown since he is a good BJJ fighter, but definitely not as good as he did against a guy as skilled as Filho.

Still, I figured Filho would win via a submission. I mean, he's got some heavy hands, but I didn't think he'd KO Doerkson like that.

As for the UFC, don't expect him there anytime soon. When Zuffa offered him a contract it was strictly for WEC. Dana's said before that they want to make WEC more then a "feeder" promotion for the UFC and into the second best in the world, behind the UFC.
With Filho and Faber as the current star of the WEC, and other good talent could/should soon follow. I know there's been rumors that Sokoudjou and Lindland could be brought into the WEC fold. Course, those are just rumors, so...

[Qoèlet]

I've heard that kind of talk about the WEC before, but I just don't see the point of buying out PRIDE, getting top talent like Filho, all obstensibly for the purpose of having all the top talent under the same roof, then seperating them by shoving guys like Filho into WEC. Unless of course they intend to eventually have title-unifications... of course that just makes the whole project of making a bigger better WEC seem pointless.

[Johnny Blaze]

I do like the idea of the WEC being built up as it's own organization with a good selection of talent. Way things are now with the UFC being the biggest game in town, alot of fighters won't get the kudos they deserve to get. Especially in the LHW division. With the WEC they'll get a chance to shine without having to wait behind half a dozen fighters just to start getting recognition.
Least that's how I try to rationalize it. :o

Course, it still doesn't explain why Filho, who's one of the best 185 pounders in the world of MMA, is not in the UFC's slim middleweight division. :huh:

Personally, I'd rather see them bring back PRIDE if they wanted to make another "rival" organization. At least PRIDE has better name recognition than the WEC.

[Johnny Blaze]

Interesting Liddell Interview (http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content657.html)

[Johnny Blaze]

Wanderlei to Return in Dec (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/15/wanderlei-silva-im-making-ufc-return-dec-29/)

[Qoèlet]

Good about Wanderlei. Now, for some reason I've heard the UFC hasn't offered any contract to Ricardo Arona, and I have to think that's a mistake. Do they necessarily "need" him? No, they do already have three fighters on contract that have beaten him (albeit one of whom won in questionable fashion). But this is a top fighter we're talking about and I'd think he's well entitled to a shot in the UFC.

[Johnny Blaze]

Personally, I'd like to see the Brazillian Tiger get signed to the WEC. He is a skilled fighter and I think his game would help start a good 205 division in the WEC. Either way I'd love to see Arona fighting in the states.

Hell, another fighter I want to see come back to fighting in the states is Josh Barnett. He's probably the best Heavyweight still out there, after Fedor. His sick ground game (the match he had with Nog was freakin' amazing) would be a nice addition to the UFC, or even the WEC if they wanted to start working on their HW division.



Also...

UFC Officially Announces the Axe Murderer's Return (http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=7253)

[CrypticOne]

^ All I have to say is finally!

[Johnny Blaze]

Fedor to Spurn UFC? (http://www.epiccarnival.com/2007/08/fedor-emelianenko-to-spurn-ufc-will.html)

If this is true, then it's a sad day for North American MMA fans. :csad:

[Johnny Blaze]

I have to say, I was incredibly impressed with Couture's utter domination of Gonzaga last night. Randy just took the battle to him from the opening bell and pushed the action until Herb Dean called it in the third round.

In the other main fight of the evening, GSP showed that he's back in a big way by totally dominating Koscheck in every facet of the game, including the ground where Koschek is so good at. The only round that was close was the first, the final two were all St. Pierre. I'm not a big fan of GSP, but when he's on his game he's damn near impossible to bear.
I am looking forward to seeing him take on the winner of the Hughes/Serra fight.

One fight I wish they showed but didn't was the David Heath versus Ranato "Babalu" Sobral match. Babalu was pissed at Heath for cussing at him during the weigh-ins, and was out to hurt Heath as much as he could. Sobral got the mount in the second and started raining down elbows and punches and opened up a deep gash in Heath's forehead that started pouring out blood (which was the cause of the big red stain seen on the canvas for the entire PPV card).
He then finished it by applying a front choke, and Heath has no choice but to tap. But Babalu won't let the choke go, and not even the ref can seperate it. Sobral doesn't let go until Heath is out cold, and when he told the fans why he did that (the cussing) they booed him big time.
Babalu threw a souvenir hat into the stands it was picked up by TUF 5 runner up Manny Ganburyan who said some choice words and hurled it back into the octagon.

[jaguarr]

Sounds like I missed a good card last night. We were busy with other things, so we didn't order it. I expected Gonzaga to at least put up a little bit of a fight. Gotta love Couture, though. The guy is like the Batman of MMA. Give him enough prep time and he can beat anyone.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

I was expecting Gonzaga to definitely put up a good fight, but it didn't happen. During a take down by Randy they butted heads and Gonzaga broke his nose. It was pretty much done after that, just took a bit for Couture to finish him.

Now comes the big question...what's next for The Natural? I have a feeling he'll probably face the winner of the upcoming Brandon Vera/Tim Sylvia fight (which Vera should win). Personally I'd like to see the winner of the Vera/Sylvia bout take on Big Nog and then whoever wins that one gets a shot at Couture.

Or, if Cro Cop beats Kongo convincingly he might get a shot. If that's the case I'd love to see a Cro Cop/Nogueira rematch to see who gets a shot at the belt.

Of course there's always the Fedor scenario which would be awesome to see. Two of the most intelligent fighters squaring off in a unification match? Fedor being able to use elbows and going up against one of his idols in Couture? Randy looking to prove he's the greatest by knocking off who many consider the best pound for pound fighter in MMA history?

It would be a dream matchup, that's for damn sure. But with Fedor looking like he'll be signing with HERO'S it may not happen. :csad:

[Johnny Blaze]

And The Natural's Next Opponent... (http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/08/26/report-nogueira-may-be-next-opponent-for-couture/)

[Qoèlet]

I can't say enough good about Randy Couture, so I'll just say, http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/captain+america/video/xjalz_captainamerica

Anyway, while I was impressed with what St. Pierre was able to accomplish, what truly boggles my mind is how Koscheck approached that fight. First of all, let's put aside all impressions that GSP is primarily a striker: the vast majority of his wins have come by playing the ground and pound game, the wrestler's game. His striking is good, but that's not his game. These two fighters have the same gameplan in fights... Not to play armchair quarterback but the dynamic of this fight, to me, seemed pretty obvious, the guy who scored takedowns, and put his opponent in the positions he didn't want to be in was going to win. St. Pierre knew that coming in, but for some reason Koscheck didn't. Rewatching the fight, one thing becomes obvious: when these guys were on the feet, Koscheck was making little or no attempt to take the fight to the ground. He never shot in for a double leg takedown, not once. His only takedown attempts were the (successful) single he used to stand up out of half guard and the (unsuccessful) single he finally dropped down for in the last two minutes of the fight.

So what did he do? He stood with St. Pierre, tried to play the Diego Sanchez strategy. He honestly seemed to think that he was going to knock out Georges St. Pierre by throwing those very wild and scripted combinations which invariably ended with a big right hand. Now if you've got two good wrestlers, but one of them's not even thinking about the takedown, that guy's just inviting an opportunity to be put on his back. This is to take nothing away from St. Pierre, as I said the guy's wrestling was incredible and he did a great job, he took the first possible opportunity to take down Koscheck shooting off of the inside leg kick, then again shot in when Koscheck was close to the fence, pushing him back into it and neutralizing Koscheck's ability to sprawl back. And needless to say, the way he defended the takedown attempt in the last round was excellent.

Thing is, I just find it disappointing, seeing how well Koscheck did when he was on top, that he wouldn't just try to get off first with takedown attempts, or really go after them at all. He was 1-1 with takedown attempts, and St. Pierre was 2-0. Because St. Pierre went after those takedowns immediately, scored them early in the rounds, he won the fight. If only Kos had done the same, he could have made it a much more competitive fight.

On another note, I'm completely thrilled that Clay Guida was able to notch himself another win last night. The matchmakers have been cruel to him, but he took it to Aurelio and got himself his biggest win to date. Out of the guys that I was picking to win, Randy and he were the one's that really shined. I also called Thales Leites and Frank Mir's wins, but managed to botch every other fight. I mean, I knew I was out on a limb calling Crane over Huerta, but I thought it might happen for me... sadly, to quote a Sherdog commentator, it was like bringing a knife to a gunfight when Crane took sport BJJ to a fight. And it's too bad, too, because if he had shown any ability go for strikes in the dominant position, or to take a punch himself, he had the skill to really do something. When will I learn?

[CrypticOne]

Yes! The Old Man did it! I was going for him and he did the incredible! I'm glad GSP won too. I can't wait to see Randy's next title defense. He sure is amazing.

[Johnny Blaze]

A few interesting things...

Online Chat With Dan Henderson (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/27/dan-henderson-online-chat-transcript-%e2%80%94-a-ufcjunkiecom-and-mickey%e2%80%99s-event/)

Some interesting comments from Hollywood. From reading this he certainly has confidence (says he'd take Fedor, but of course he'd say that). I know I picked him to beat Rampage back when the fight was originally announced, and I'm not changing that now. Dan's going to take it by TKO in the 3rd. :up:

Josh Barnett Calls Out Couture (http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/08/28/ufc-roundup-ufc-77-nearly-sold-out-barnett-call-out-couture-and-more/)

Josh talks a good game here, but he's definitely a fighter who can back it up. He's probably one of the best submission fighters in MMA, and I'd love to see him have a rematch with Couture (for those who don't know, Barnett beat him years back). Barnett's ground game is sick, and I think he'd be an awesome opponent for The Natural, let alone a great addition to the already impressive UFC HW division.

Cro Cop to Get Couture if Victorious Against Kongo? (http://www.javno.com/en/sports/clanak.php?id=75303)

Personally, I'd rather see the Minotauro/Cro Cop rematch with the winner getting a title shot. But that's just me. Still, I'd love to see Randy beat Mirko's ass. :up:

[Johnny Blaze]

Ryo Chonan Headed to UFC (http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/08/29/report-ryo-chonan-coming-to-the-ufc-in-october/#comments)

Definitely be nice to see the UFC start stocking up the MW division as they are the LHW and HW. They need to get some people in there to challenge Anderson Silva. :up:

[jaguarr]

So, I watched Pro Elite's card last night on Showtime. The main event was Charles "Crazyhorse" Bennett vs. Victor Valenzuela. Let me just state for the record that I cannot stand Bennett. I think he's a jackass and an embarrassment to everyone who's worked so hard to make MMA a legitimate sport. That's why I was truly pleased to watch Valenzuela pummel the holy f**k out of Bennett so badly that he tapped out three minutes and some change into the first round. Other than that, I have to say that Pro Elite's got some big problems with their fighter pool. They're putting guys in televised matches that are green as all hell, out of shape, and are basically amateurs. There were two other fights on the televised undercard that looked like the guys in the ring should have been there.

One was the very first fight of Umar Love vs. Briendan Tierney. Love is a fighter to watch. Definitely the real deal and I was also very impressed with how humble and respectful of absolutely everyone he was. He was also very well spoken. I enjoyed watching him fight quite a bit. Very resourceful fighter for sure. When they kept talking about how Tiernan was a male model and not much else, though, I sort of knew he was going to get thumped. LOL! Sure enough, Love got him in a rear naked choke in the first round and ended it.

The other fight on the undercard I enjoyed was the one just before the main event, Seth Kleinbeck def. Jaime Jara. Let me just say now that Jara is another jackass that shouldn't be in the sport. At least he's actually a trained fighter and wrestler, unlike Crazyhorse, but he's obviously in it to hurt people if he can and is really a chicken-**** fighter from what I observed. He spent the entire first round avoiding Kleinbeck, refusing to really engage him. It was very boring to watch. He did the same thing the second round, but Kleinbeck got a little more aggressive and it paid off because he knocked Jara out with a nice two-punch combo 2 seconds before the bell sounded to end the round. Considering all the smack he'd talked about Kleinbeck going into it, it was a nice thing to see.

The rest of the undercard was trash. Inexperienced fighters and brawlers who blew up after the first round and couldn't keep the action going. There was a heavyweight bout that ended with a complete knockout that lasted a good 45 seconds, but other than that it wasn't horribly remarkable and the fighters were pretty well forgettable.

Pro Elite and Showtime really need to get some higher caliber fighters in their stable. This was like watching a local MMA competition rather than a national level promotion. Like I said; embarrassing.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

I saw the first match between Love and Tierney, but switched over to watch WEC after it was over. Love definitely has a good mindset, and after another year or two of honing his craft could very well be in the WEC or even get a shot at the UFC.

All in all, the whole set up of the program didn't really pull me in, and, as you said, most of the fighters they were previewing just...didn't have that look, or what not. :o :(

[Johnny Blaze]

Babalu Cut From UFC (http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/08/30/renato-babalu-sobral-cut-from-ufc-contract/)

[Qoèlet]

I think cutting Babalu was a little extreme, all things considered. Certainly what he did was inappropriate and a punishment was in order, but a fine and suspension would have been sufficient.

[Johnny Blaze]

I'm sorry to see that they cut him. Course I'm bias as I do like Sobral, though he has been fighting like **** of late (before the Heath beat down).
Personally I would've went with a year suspension if I were White.
But, of course, that's me. Dana obviously wanted to make an example out of Babalu to any other fighter that might ever entertain thoughts of going too far in a match.

[Badger]

It's a Catch22, Dana was probably forced to cut him and make an example.

There is still a stigma attached to MMA by many, no matter how incorrect it is, and he has to show big consequences to keep the "Pillow Fighting" people off MMA. The flip side is he cut a popular fighter and the people that truly follow MMA think he overreacted and the punishment is too extreme.

People that love MMA, will always love MMA. So Dana's looking for new fans, and I think this decision was made to show that the UFC has control of it's fighters and the "Rogue" fighters will not last. To make it more appealing to the non-MMA fans.

[Johnny Blaze]

Yeah, there's no doubt about it that image was the main reason behind the move. MMA is finally getting recognition as the sport it is, and the Babalu incedent could start bringing back the organized bar fight/human cock fighting stigma that it used to have. It would definitely have been a step back.

And on the subject...

Sobral Issues Statement (http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/09/01/renato-sobral-issues-statement/)



Also, the dream of having Fedor in the UFC looks dimmer and dimmer...

Emelianenko Meeting "Didn't Go So Well" (http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/09/02/dana-white-emelianenko-meeting-didnt-go-well/)

[Johnny Blaze]

Fedor Being Persued by...Mark Cuban? (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=8834)

WTF? :huh:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Hmmmmm, well he certainly knows what's up. He is going after the baddest man on the planet. :up:

[Johnny Blaze]

An interesting little internet exchange...

Sokoudjou On UFC Protecting Certain Fighters (http://ufcmania.com/2007/08/18/ufc-quick-quote-soku-wanted-bisping/)

Michael Bisping Reponds... (http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/09/04/ufc-chatter-bisping-speaks-out-on-sokodjou-comments/)



Personally, I kind of agree with Soku. The UFC does seem to take better care of and "protect" certain fighters. Case in point the upcoming Jardine/Liddell fight. I do like the Iceman, but Jardine? Seriously? Dana White was *****ing for damn near a month about not having a main event for that card after talks with Wanderlei fell through, yet the whole time he had Shogun staring him in the face.
It would've been easy for him to take Shogun and put him against Liddell as the main event, and what MMA fan in their right mind wouldn't love to see that fight?
But instead he goes and get Liddell a "warm up" fight of sorts in the form of Keith Jardine. :o

[Qoèlet]

1-Matt Hammil was robbed. That's all. I didn't expect him to do that well at all, and he looked like a totally different, much improved fighter. There is no way Mike Bisping deserved that decision.

2-Dan Henderson deserved the decision. By my count he won the fight three rounds to two, which is why I was, needless to say, shocked when the fifth round began with Couture and Rogan talking about how Dan had to score a knock out to have any hope of winnning. On the other hand, I can't be truly disappointed in either very likable fighter taking the decision in such a closely contested bout, and there is a certain sort of poetic justice in Dan Henderson, owner of dubious decisions over Carlos Newton, Ninja Rua, Yuki Kondo, Murilo Bustamante, and the favour of one judge in his loss to Ricardo Arona, becoming the victim of a bad decision himself. That said, he really ought to head down to 185 and get the strap there, thus taking part in probably the first two world title unifications in MMA.

3-Houston Alexander and Cheik Kongo are both the real deal. I don't like Kongo, honestly, probably in large part because the UFC seemed to be making an effort to showcase him when he was clearly just a big kickboxer with ugly, nonexistent takedown defense and ground game... but now he's a big kickboxer with ugly somewhat effective takedown defense and ground game who beat Mirko freaking Crocop.

4-On that note, Mirko Crocop might just be done. I don't say this because I think he doesn't have the ability to fight at the top level anymore, because I certainly believe he does. I say this because I just don't think his heart is in it anymore. With two consecutive losses now, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last we'll see of Crocop in the UFC.

5-On that note, what does Crocop's loss say about the rankings in the heavyweight division? All of this time, the former PRIDE heavyweight division has held a special sort of lustre, especially the man who stood on the top of it, but with Crocop now certainly knocked out of the top five, what can we say about Fedor when he hasn't fought a truly significant opponent aside from Crocop since besting Nogueira three years ago? And if Nogueira should lose in the Octagon, standing across from Randy Couture or any other heavyweight, just how secure is Emelianenko's claim as #1 Heavyweight in the world? Wacky times.

[Badger]

1-Matt Hammil was robbed. That's all. I didn't expect him to do that well at all, and he looked like a totally different, much improved fighter. There is no way Mike Bisping deserved that decision.

Couldn't agree with you more.

2-Dan Henderson deserved the decision. By my count he won the fight three rounds to two, which is why I was, needless to say, shocked when the fifth round began with Couture and Rogan talking about how Dan had to score a knock out to have any hope of winnning. On the other hand, I can't be truly disappointed in either very likable fighter taking the decision in such a closely contested bout, and there is a certain sort of poetic justice in Dan Henderson, owner of dubious decisions over Carlos Newton, Ninja Rua, Yuki Kondo, Murilo Bustamante, and the favour of one judge in his loss to Ricardo Arona, becoming the victim of a bad decision himself. That said, he really ought to head down to 185 and get the strap there, thus taking part in probably the first two world title unifications in MMA.

This fight was a coin flip, neither fighter did much to take the fight. I think Rampage got the decision because he was maybe more aggressive.

3-Houston Alexander and Cheik Kongo are both the real deal. I don't like Kongo, honestly, probably in large part because the UFC seemed to be making an effort to showcase him when he was clearly just a big kickboxer with ugly, nonexistent takedown defense and ground game... but now he's a big kickboxer with ugly somewhat effective takedown defense and ground game who beat Mirko freaking Crocop.

Houston Alexander is a freak, two fights both over before the first minute of the first round. However he's yet to be tested by a top light heavyweight.

Kongo, don't even get me started. I don't understand why he's deemed such a great fighter, he's one-dimensional and a boring fighter, who hasn't beaten anyone. The old Cro-cop was dead and burried when he left Pride.

4-On that note, Mirko Crocop might just be done. I don't say this because I think he doesn't have the ability to fight at the top level anymore, because I certainly believe he does. I say this because I just don't think his heart is in it anymore. With two consecutive losses now, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last we'll see of Crocop in the UFC.

Exactly, if it wasn't for the money he'd be long gone.

5-On that note, what does Crocop's loss say about the rankings in the heavyweight division? All of this time, the former PRIDE heavyweight division has held a special sort of lustre, especially the man who stood on the top of it, but with Crocop now certainly knocked out of the top five, what can we say about Fedor when he hasn't fought a truly significant opponent aside from Crocop since besting Nogueira three years ago? And if Nogueira should lose in the Octagon, standing across from Randy Couture or any other heavyweight, just how secure is Emelianenko's claim as #1 Heavyweight in the world? Wacky times.

And, we'll probably never find out since Emelianenko isn't going anywhere near UFC now and Cuban is chasing him for his new MMA promotion.

Also, the Marcus Davis fight was great, short, but great. The Irish Hand Grenade showed great heart and he continues to improve every fight. Best fight of the night IMO.

[kane9321]

Matt Hammil bispings ass lastnite ...talk about homecooking

henderson vs rampage..was a draw..period

[Johnny Blaze]

I must say, that Bisping/Hamill decision was utter bull****. I don't know what fight those two judges were watching, but Hamill pushed the action and controlled that fight from pretty much the opening bell. I could see them possibly giving Bisping a round, but giving him the split? Horse ****.
Definitely adds fuel to the accusations that Bisping is a protected fighter for the UFC. Like to see them put him up against some tougher competition (nothing against Hamill), such as Shogun, Wand, or Hendo and see how he does.
Hell, even the London fans booed him after the verdict was announced.

The Rampage/Hendo fight was awesome, and definitely was my second favorite fight of the night (get to the first one later). Personally, I think it was the right choice for the winner. Rampage pushed the action and showed more aggression most of the match. I had him winning a split 3 rounds to 2 personally.
I'm a fan of both fighters though, so either way I was going to be happy come the end of the night. It was definitely the war everyone thought it would be. And Rampage definitely looks vastely improved from the Rampage of old. I'd love to see him get another fight with Wand or a rematch with Shogun. Definitely think both would be much closer fights. Juanito definitely has turned him into a force to be feared in the LHW devision. :up:

Cro Cop versus Kongo...wow, what's there to say? Ever since that loss to Fedor, Cro Cop's seemed to slowly dwindle. I guess ever since Fedor's camp came up with the game plan to beat Mirko, now everyone's using it. Kongo pushed the action and kept Cro Cop on his heels for most of the fight. It looked like Mirko was getting frustrated not being able to set up anything as he's really only on his game when he's pushing the action and stalking his opponent.
Learning to be an much better counter-puncher would be advisible for him.

What's next for Cro Cop? Who knows. It'll be hard to sell him as a top HW with these two losses to fighters not considered top contenders, that's for sure. Even though I know he'd never do it, I think a jump down to LHW would be best for him. He'd be the bigger fighter in the division, and it just might give him a fresh start that he really needs.
You definitely can't bump him down off the PPV card and give him nobodies to fight to get his confidence back. Not when he's making more than a quarter mil with each fight.
Maybe a trip to the sports shrink that GSP went to would help him? It certainly worked for Rush.

As it stands now, I wouldn't be surprised if the UFC either tries to rework Mirko's deal, or even cut him outright from his huge contract.

Houston Alexander really silenced the doubters tonight. Two matches in the UFC and both done in less than a minute. Wow.
His knees in the clinch are just awesome. I seriously hope the UFC puts him up against some better competition for his next fight so we can see how he stands against some of the higher ranked fighters.

Match of the night for me goes to the Marcus Davis/Paul Taylor fight. Everyone thought the fight was done when he got rocked with that head kick and pounced on, but Davis pulled through it and reversed the tables on Taylor and eventually ended it with the submission of the night.
Awesome fight and Davis just won another fan in me. :up:

All in all, an excellent card. Now I can't wait to see Shogun's debut in a couple weeks. I can't help but feel sorry for Forrest though. :csad:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

1-Matt Hammil was robbed. That's all. I didn't expect him to do that well at all, and he looked like a totally different, much improved fighter. There is no way Mike Bisping deserved that decision.

2-Dan Henderson deserved the decision. By my count he won the fight three rounds to two, which is why I was, needless to say, shocked when the fifth round began with Couture and Rogan talking about how Dan had to score a knock out to have any hope of winnning. On the other hand, I can't be truly disappointed in either very likable fighter taking the decision in such a closely contested bout, and there is a certain sort of poetic justice in Dan Henderson, owner of dubious decisions over Carlos Newton, Ninja Rua, Yuki Kondo, Murilo Bustamante, and the favour of one judge in his loss to Ricardo Arona, becoming the victim of a bad decision himself. That said, he really ought to head down to 185 and get the strap there, thus taking part in probably the first two world title unifications in MMA.

3-Houston Alexander and Cheik Kongo are both the real deal. I don't like Kongo, honestly, probably in large part because the UFC seemed to be making an effort to showcase him when he was clearly just a big kickboxer with ugly, nonexistent takedown defense and ground game... but now he's a big kickboxer with ugly somewhat effective takedown defense and ground game who beat Mirko freaking Crocop.

4-On that note, Mirko Crocop might just be done. I don't say this because I think he doesn't have the ability to fight at the top level anymore, because I certainly believe he does. I say this because I just don't think his heart is in it anymore. With two consecutive losses now, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last we'll see of Crocop in the UFC.

5-On that note, what does Crocop's loss say about the rankings in the heavyweight division? All of this time, the former PRIDE heavyweight division has held a special sort of lustre, especially the man who stood on the top of it, but with Crocop now certainly knocked out of the top five, what can we say about Fedor when he hasn't fought a truly significant opponent aside from Crocop since besting Nogueira three years ago? And if Nogueira should lose in the Octagon, standing across from Randy Couture or any other heavyweight, just how secure is Emelianenko's claim as #1 Heavyweight in the world? Wacky times.


2. What? Get the hell out of here. Dan Henderson did not deserve the decision. UFC judging isn't the same as boxing, you also have to cause damage at she same time while contorling the pace of the fight, the ring etc.

Henderson was not beaten and bloodied all over, but it was evident by looking at his face that he had taken a beating. Plus he was fighting the champ, anytime you fight a champ when it goes to decision you have to prove beyond a doubt that you won the fight. That means you dominated or close to the champ the whole fight. Henderson did not do so, he knew that he didn't deserve the win you can tell from his reaction when the winnder was announced.

Any fighter that knows he wont the fight displays a look of shock, disgust, anger or some sort of emotion or reaction to indicate that they felt they won the fight and the wrong dicecsion was announced.

No rampage did not clearly dominate Henderson, but when you're the champ the belt has to be taken from you either by knock out, submission or being completely dominated. Henderson did not do this to Rampage.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Couldn't agree with you more.



This fight was a coin flip, neither fighter did much to take the fight. I think Rampage got the decision because he was maybe more aggressive.



Houston Alexander is a freak, two fights both over before the first minute of the first round. However he's yet to be tested by a top light heavyweight.

Kongo, don't even get me started. I don't understand why he's deemed such a great fighter, he's one-dimensional and a boring fighter, who hasn't beaten anyone. The old Cro-cop was dead and burried when he left Pride.



Exactly, if it wasn't for the money he'd be long gone.



And, we'll probably never find out since Emelianenko isn't going anywhere near UFC now and Cuban is chasing him for his new MMA promotion.

Also, the Marcus Davis fight was great, short, but great. The Irish Hand Grenade showed great heart and he continues to improve every fight. Best fight of the night IMO.


Houston is raw, but as you said he hasn't faced any top teir fighter.

Kongo would get his ass handed to him by Randy Couture (sp)

[Johnny Blaze]

2. What? Get the hell out of here. Dan Henderson did not deserve the decision. UFC judging isn't the same as boxing, you also have to cause damage at she same time while contorling the pace of the fight, the ring etc.

Henderson was not beaten and bloodied all over, but it was evident by looking at his face that he had taken a beating. Plus he was fighting the champ, anytime you fight a champ when it goes to decision you have to prove beyond a doubt that you won the fight. That means you dominated or close to the champ the whole fight. Henderson did not do so, he knew that he didn't deserve the win you can tell from his reaction when the winnder was announced.

Any fighter that knows he wont the fight displays a look of shock, disgust, anger or some sort of emotion or reaction to indicate that they felt they won the fight and the wrong dicecsion was announced.

No rampage did not clearly dominate Henderson, but when you're the champ the belt has to be taken from you either by knock out, submission or being completely dominated. Henderson did not do this to Rampage.

I agree with you that Rampage was right choice for the winner.
I just have to mention that Hendo was also a champ coming into the fight, which is why it was billed as Champion Vs Champion. So any special treatment to Jackson for being the "defending champ" during scoring is unfounded.
Rampage took it to Hendo and pushed the action most of the fight, which is why he retained his UFC belt and won the PRIDE belt, which is being absorbed, so-to-speak into the UFC LHW title.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I agree with you that Rampage was right choice for the winner.
I just have to mention that Hendo was also a champ coming into the fight, which is why it was billed as Champion Vs Champion. So any special treatment to Jackson for being the "defending champ" during scoring is unfounded.
Rampage took it to Hendo and pushed the action most of the fight, which is why he retained his UFC belt and won the PRIDE belt, which is being absorbed, so-to-speak into the UFC LHW title.


Yes, but...that is usually how judges look at fights with champs. I am not saying that Rampage did not earn the victory, because I clearly think he did. But if it goes to decision like it did, the Champ usually wins.

Hendo was a champ, but not the UFC champ.

[Qoèlet]

2. What? Get the hell out of here. Dan Henderson did not deserve the decision. UFC judging isn't the same as boxing, you also have to cause damage at she same time while contorling the pace of the fight, the ring etc.

Henderson was not beaten and bloodied all over, but it was evident by looking at his face that he had taken a beating. Plus he was fighting the champ, anytime you fight a champ when it goes to decision you have to prove beyond a doubt that you won the fight. That means you dominated or close to the champ the whole fight. Henderson did not do so, he knew that he didn't deserve the win you can tell from his reaction when the winnder was announced.

Any fighter that knows he wont the fight displays a look of shock, disgust, anger or some sort of emotion or reaction to indicate that they felt they won the fight and the wrong dicecsion was announced.

No rampage did not clearly dominate Henderson, but when you're the champ the belt has to be taken from you either by knock out, submission or being completely dominated. Henderson did not do this to Rampage.

First off, your condescending attitude is not appreciated. Champion vs. Champion. Unification bout. Any preference for the UFC champion is unfounded, and even if Henderson was merely a challenger, which he was not, there is no requirement to err on the side of the champion in a close contest. Like you said, this isn't boxing.

Damage is not the most important criteria, especially as neither fighter was horribly damaged. Face reading definately has no place in the judges scorecards, but if anything the look on Henderson's face was exhaustion, which is irrelevant because him being tired doesn't mean anything unless it effects his fighting, which it did not. I saw Henderson winning round one clearly, as well as round two via control and the more effective grappling, even though Rampage got on top to close the round out, and I don't see either man with a particular advantage in the striking exchanges. Round three was a wash, but I thought Rampage won it by virtue of controlling position for the longer duration, even though it was Henderson reversing and coming out on top to close the round, in so doing coming pretty close with a submission attempt. Round four was definately in Rampage's favour because he knocked Henderson off balance and took the top position.

So going into the fifth round it was two rounds a piece, and I saw Henderson being more effective in that round. Striking exchanges didn't particularly favour either man, and with Henderson landing the early takedown and by my judgement doing the more effective work for the first three and a half minutes, won the round. Yes, Rampage got on top in the last minute or so of the round, and finished strong in the last ten seconds, but while I can appreciate why someone would score the fight in his favour, I don't believe in scoring a round for someone simply because the portion of it which he was in control of took place at the end of it rather than the beginning.

And as for your decision announcement face-reading, not only do Dan Henderson's feelings on the matter have nothing to do with who deserved the decision (see Spencer Fisher's "that should have been a draw" comment after clearly besting Sam Stout), the look on his face was for my money surprise and disappointment. I have to figure that there is a reason that Joe Rogan didn't interview Henderson in the octagon, and I doubt that it's because he was too busy graciously accepting that he deserved to lose the decision.

[Johnny Blaze]

Fedor Signs Deal... (http://www.mmanews.com/ufc/Fedor-Emelianenko-Signs-Deal-With-Affliction-More.html)

Cro Cop Comments On Loss (http://www.mmanews.com/ufc/Mirko-Cro-Cop-Breaks-Rib-In-UFC-75-Fight.html)

[jaguarr]

Hmmm...interesting story about Fedor. I wonder if it is really a smoke screen as suspected and they're going to spring the surprise on everyone at the event that he's actually signed with UFC? I know he wants the competition (and the money) that UFC can offer, so maybe they came to terms with White after all. I'd love to see Couture and Fedor go at it. If anyone can take Fedor down it's Couture at this point. He's like the Batman of UFC; give him enough prep time and he can beat anyone. Fedor is an animal, though. It would be one hell of a fight, no matter who won.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

Well, he wasn't shown at all during the event, so who knows?
Maybe they're ironing out some of the finer points and saving it for UFC 76 in two weeks instead?

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

First off, your condescending attitude is not appreciated. Champion vs. Champion. Unification bout. Any preference for the UFC champion is unfounded, and even if Henderson was merely a challenger, which he was not, there is no requirement to err on the side of the champion in a close contest. Like you said, this isn't boxing.

Damage is not the most important criteria, especially as neither fighter was horribly damaged. Face reading definately has no place in the judges scorecards, but if anything the look on Henderson's face was exhaustion, which is irrelevant because him being tired doesn't mean anything unless it effects his fighting, which it did not. I saw Henderson winning round one clearly, as well as round two via control and the more effective grappling, even though Rampage got on top to close the round out, and I don't see either man with a particular advantage in the striking exchanges. Round three was a wash, but I thought Rampage won it by virtue of controlling position for the longer duration, even though it was Henderson reversing and coming out on top to close the round, in so doing coming pretty close with a submission attempt. Round four was definately in Rampage's favour because he knocked Henderson off balance and took the top position.

So going into the fifth round it was two rounds a piece, and I saw Henderson being more effective in that round. Striking exchanges didn't particularly favour either man, and with Henderson landing the early takedown and by my judgement doing the more effective work for the first three and a half minutes, won the round. Yes, Rampage got on top in the last minute or so of the round, and finished strong in the last ten seconds, but while I can appreciate why someone would score the fight in his favour, I don't believe in scoring a round for someone simply because the portion of it which he was in control of took place at the end of it rather than the beginning.

And as for your decision announcement face-reading, not only do Dan Henderson's feelings on the matter have nothing to do with who deserved the decision (see Spencer Fisher's "that should have been a draw" comment after clearly besting Sam Stout), the look on his face was for my money surprise and disappointment. I have to figure that there is a reason that Joe Rogan didn't interview Henderson in the octagon, and I doubt that it's because he was too busy graciously accepting that he deserved to lose the decision.

Well let me say I didn't mean to come off as condescending. But I still do not think that Henderson won the fight in anyway shape or form. Maybe it was a draw and I could accept an argument for that. But I did not see Henderson do anything to prove that he won.

[Qoèlet]

Good enough. I might feel differently once I rewatch the fight, but watching it for the first time I definately favoured Henderson. Not that I'm mad that Jackson got the decision or I think it's a really bad judgement, just I disagreed with it.

Anyway, after a busy month, Sherdog's new rankings for September are out. I view them as the best rankings available, although I can't appreciate the logic behind putting Liddell ahead of Henderson now that Rampage won the decision. After all, Liddell lost his last fight to Jackson too, by knock out, and he hasn't beaten anyone since, so what justifies his move from #4 to #3?
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=8942&my_page=1

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Good enough. I might feel differently once I rewatch the fight, but watching it for the first time I definately favoured Henderson. Not that I'm mad that Jackson got the decision or I think it's a really bad judgement, just I disagreed with it.

Anyway, after a busy month, Sherdog's new rankings for September are out. I view them as the best rankings available, although I can't appreciate the logic behind putting Liddell ahead of Henderson now that Rampage won the decision. After all, Liddell lost his last fight to Jackson too, by knock out, and he hasn't beaten anyone since, so what justifies his move from #4 to #3?
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=8942&my_page=1

Same goes for me. I do want to watch the fight again and maybe my mind will change once I see it.

As for the Lidell move, you got me. Doesn't make any sense.

[DeaDheaD]

Hamill pulled a De La Hoya and probably got docked for it.

[The FallenAngel]

Man, I can't believe I didn't find this thread sooner.

Anyway, I hope Fedor has signed with UFC. Him vs. Couture is a dream fight of mine. Also, I'd so buy his Affliction stuff. :o

[Johnny Blaze]

Man, I can't believe I didn't find this thread sooner.

Anyway, I hope Fedor has signed with UFC. Him vs. Couture is a dream fight of mine. Also, I'd so buy his Affliction stuff. :o

According to Fedor's camp, a deal had been agreed upon by both parties a couple weeks back.
But, when the UFC faxed the contract over to Russia so Fedor could sign it, the contract was a different one than the one they originally agreed upon.

Whether this is BS or not, who knows. But Zuffa has done nothing to respond to it if it was a BS rumor meant to discredit them.
If it's true, I can't see why Zuffa would agree on something and then go back on it at the last second. Not good business.








Anyway, did anyone catch the EliteXC event this past Saturday?
Nick Diaz made his return from his suspension after the Gomi fight and beat BJ Penn protoge Mike Aina. Was another controversial MMA decision, but not as bad as the Hamill/Bisping fight. Personally, I thought Aina took the match 29-28.

Main event was a good'n between "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler and Murilo "Ninja" Rua. Was going back and forth there for the first round and a half, then Lawler started to take control. The Ruthless One ended up putting Ninja down via TKO in the third to become the new EliteXC 185 Pound Champ.
Lawler looked damn good in this fight. While Ninja was seemingly getting winded, Robbie looked like he was just getting started.

I wish he'd come back to the UFC. I'd love to see a Robbie Lawler Vs Anderson Silva match for the title. :csad:

[Badger]

Can't believe nobody's mentioned the split decision lose for Liddell to Jardine. Or, more importantly Forrest Griffin upsetting Mauricio "Shogun" Rua by submitting him in the third round. I didn't get to see the fights; so if anyone saw the fights, I'd like to hear about them.

[DBella]

What is the difference between this thread and the UFC thread? It seems like the things discussed in both threads seem the same (or very similar) to me. :huh:

[Badger]

We've been talking about those fights in the UFC thread, Phil. Apparently Rua came into the fight completely out of shape and gassed out in the third round and that's pretty much what lost him the fight; he just had no conditioning and couldn't hang, so Forrest pretty much just wore him down til he was too tired to fight back. Even then, I guess Rua almost got him. (I didn't watch the fights, either). As for Liddell, I've been saying he's overrated for years. Looks like Jardine finally showed the world.

jag

Yeah, I forgot about the other thread. :o

[DBella]

They're pretty well the same thread, really. The UFC thread is pretty limited to UFC stuff only, though, rather than ALL of the MMA world like this one does. That's the only difference I can gather.

jag
We can talk about the UFC here then, right?

[Badger]

UFC: Shogun Rua Next for Chuck Liddell? (http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/09/24/ufc-shogun-rua-next-for-chuck-liddell/)

It would be a interesting fight, a loss for either would be the nail in the coffin for their UFC careers.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Here are my opinions on a coupleof the fights.

A. I don't think Chuck Lidell's career is over because he is done. If his career is over, it's because he is over it. He looked scared and timid in his fight vs. Rampage, he didn't look like he knew he could knock Rampage out, he looked like he knew that Rampage could and would knock him out.

Entering this fight in the first round he was picking jardeen (sp) apart, nothing devstating but he was clearly in control. In the next two rounds he didn't look like he wanted it, especially after he was caught and went to the floor. Maybe he was just out of it from that punch, or he didn't want to get caught again. He is 37 and may just be over it and doesn't want it like he used to.

B. Could someone kick the crap out of Forrest Griffen, please? Don't get me wrong, I am not a Forrest hater. I liked the guy when he and Stephon Bonner (sp) went toe to toe and had one of the best ever in the season end of Ultimate Fighter 1. Now, I can't stand the guy. He should have destroyed shogun IMHO, once he saw how winded and tired he was. I mean the guy was 100% gased, and there were at least two occassions where they were on the ground Griffen got up turned and shogun was still trying to get up.

One where he easily could have just decked him right in the head or mounted him and put him in a rear naked and it was all over. BUT Griffen was so gased himself he either couldn't or wanted to finish him on his feet. IMHO he looked like he was to gased, which is pathetic, if the guy trains so hard and is in such great shape AND he trains with Randy Cotoure (sp) why the hell isn't his conditioning better?

Shogun was done, completely done, and he was still landing shots on his feet and Griffen wasn't landing anything. Then when he wins he acts like he is Rocky Balboa and just beat Ivan Drago. Give me a ****ing break, you beat shogun, who obviously is/was overhyped. Beat Lidell, or Rampage or Henderson or someone of quality then break down crying like you won the gold medal. I can't stand how this guy carries himself anymore and want someone to give him another beat down.

Overall I liked the fights and want to see the next couple of UFCs to see how these fights will affect future ones.

[Norman Osborn]

We've been talking about those fights in the UFC thread, Phil. Apparently Rua came into the fight completely out of shape and gassed out in the third round and that's pretty much what lost him the fight; he just had no conditioning and couldn't hang, so Forrest pretty much just wore him down til he was too tired to fight back. Even then, I guess Rua almost got him. (I didn't watch the fights, either). As for Liddell, I've been saying he's overrated for years. Looks like Jardine finally showed the world.

jag

Could you throw me up a link to the UFC thread.....I've tried search with no luck

[jaguarr]

Could you throw me up a link to the UFC thread.....I've tried search with no luck

Here ya go (http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=252799).

jag

[Norman Osborn]

Here ya go (http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=252799).

jag

much obliged :up:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Randy Cotoure to retire again?

[Johnny Blaze]

Randy Cotoure to retire again?

Dude, you've got to post links when you break news. Everybody knows that. :cmad:

[Johnny Blaze]

Okay, let's get them all in at once...

Fedor to Spurn UFC, Sign with K-1 (http://mmajunkie.com/2007/10/10/reports-fedor-emelianenko-chooses-m-1-over-ufc/)

Randy Couture to Retire (http://mmajunkie.com/2007/10/11/report-after-ufcs-failure-to-sign-fedor-emelianenko-randy-couture-leaves-ufc/)

Dana White Issues Statement on Couture's "Retirement" (http://mmajunkie.com/2007/10/11/dana-white-not-surprised-by-randy-coutures-retirement/)

[zanos]

Shouldn't Rua prove himself on Ultimate Fighter first before they start giving him all these fights in the UFC?

[Johnny Blaze]

Shouldn't Rua prove himself on Ultimate Fighter first before they start giving him all these fights in the UFC?

No. He's already proven himself against major competition. :huh:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Dude, you've got to post links when you break news. Everybody knows that. :cmad:

No I don't, I didn't know that. That's why I was asking. I only heard it.

[CrypticOne]

That sucks. I wanted to see more of Couture, he was in top form in his last two fights and it sucks to see him go. But I agree with him when he says the only thing left to do was fight Fedor. I hope to see him again, but I doubt we will.

[zanos]

No. He's already proven himself against major competition. :huh:

A major opponent in Pride would at best be a washout in the UFC.

[Johnny Blaze]

A major opponent in Pride would at best be a washout in the UFC.
Ok, that's a pretty ignorant comment. Nicely done. :up:

[Johnny Blaze]

That sucks. I wanted to see more of Couture, he was in top form in his last two fights and it sucks to see him go. But I agree with him when he says the only thing left to do was fight Fedor. I hope to see him again, but I doubt we will.

The Fedor thing only seems to be the half of it, and the smaller half at that. Seems it was the money situation that got Randy angry. And who can blame him? He's their biggest draw since Liddell got knocked down a peg, and he's seeing other fighters supposedly make more then he does.
Him being the champ, I can see why he'd be upset at White and Zuffa.

Still, by mid year 08 we could finally see that dream match between Couture and Emelianenko. From what I've read he'd have to wait nine months before being able to sign with another org, such as K-1.

Just sucks he won't be fighting in the UFC. Now the only HW I'll be cheering for is Big Nog. :(

[jaguarr]

Can't say I blame Couture. He's in it for the pure sport of pitting himself against worthy challengers and the only one left for him to go after is Fedor. If White isn't going to bring Fedor into UFC, then Randy will have to go hunting for him on his own. And getting screwed on the pay scale didn't help matters, either. I wish him all the luck in the world and, personally, I'd love to see him take down Fedor. If anyone can it's him. Couture is like the Batman of MMA; with enough prep time he can beat anyone. And I bet he'll be doing nothing for the next nine months but training his ass off and reviewing every bit of Fedor footage he can get his hands on over and over and over again, putting together his strategy.

jag

[jaguarr]

A major opponent in Pride would at best be a washout in the UFC.

Do you even WATCH any MMA outside of UFC? :huh:

jag

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Can't say I blame Couture. He's in it for the pure sport of pitting himself against worthy challengers and the only one left for him to go after is Fedor. If White isn't going to bring Fedor into UFC, then Randy will have to go hunting for him on his own. And getting screwed on the pay scale didn't help matters, either. I wish him all the luck in the world and, personally, I'd love to see him take down Fedor. If anyone can it's him. Couture is like the Batman of MMA; with enough prep time he can beat anyone. And I bet he'll be doing nothing for the next nine months but training his ass off and reviewing every bit of Fedor footage he can get his hands on over and over and over again, putting together his strategy.

jag

Well looks like I have a new signature. :up:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Do you even WATCH any MMA outside of UFC? :huh:

jag
Seriously.

[Johnny Blaze]

Can't say I blame Couture. He's in it for the pure sport of pitting himself against worthy challengers and the only one left for him to go after is Fedor. If White isn't going to bring Fedor into UFC, then Randy will have to go hunting for him on his own. And getting screwed on the pay scale didn't help matters, either. I wish him all the luck in the world and, personally, I'd love to see him take down Fedor. If anyone can it's him. Couture is like the Batman of MMA; with enough prep time he can beat anyone. And I bet he'll be doing nothing for the next nine months but training his ass off and reviewing every bit of Fedor footage he can get his hands on over and over and over again, putting together his strategy.

jag

I definitely agree with the bolded statement. If anyone can beat the Russian Machine, it's Randy. He's just so smart in the cage, is able to change his in ring strategy on the fly, and, as you say, is like MMA's Batman with his prepwork.

Still, Fedor's just as good at gameplanning and making quick changes in the middle of a fight. Look at his fight with Cro Cop. Coming into it, Fedor was a slight underdog, even though he was the champ. Mirko was on a high streak and nobody could seem to stop him. Then Fedor and his camp came up with the perfect gameplan to beat him and he shocked the MMA world with that fight.
Since then others like Gonzaga and Kongo have copied that same Fedor strategy to successful victories against Mirko.

I'd really hope this match happens next year in K-1. It'd be such a freakin' chess match in the ring as both men really listen to the corner during a fight.
I really hope, if it does happen, that there is no KO, submission, or stoppage. I want this fight to go the distance and be the ultimate war it should be.

[jaguarr]

Well looks like I have a new signature. :up:

The beauty of saying that is if he ever DOES lose I can just say that he didn't have enough prep time. :D

I definitely agree with the bolded statement. If anyone can beat the Russian Machine, it's Randy. He's just so smart in the cage, is able to change his in ring strategy on the fly, and, as you say, is like MMA's Batman with his prepwork.

Still, Fedor's just as good at gameplanning and making quick changes in the middle of a fight. Look at his fight with Cro Cop. Coming into it, Fedor was a slight underdog, even though he was the champ. Mirko was on a high streak and nobody could seem to stop him. Then Fedor and his camp came up with the perfect gameplan to beat him and he shocked the MMA world with that fight.
Since then others like Gonzaga and Kongo have copied that same Fedor strategy to successful victories against Mirko.

I'd really hope this match happens next year in K-1. It'd be such a freakin' chess match in the ring as both men really listen to the corner during a fight.
I really hope, if it does happen, that there is no KO, submission, or stoppage. I want this fight to go the distance and be the ultimate war it should be.

Yes, both Fedor and Couture are great at adapting their game and trying to figure out the best way to work with and against their opponent's styles. They're both incredibly smart fighters. I think Randy knows this, no doubt, and wants the challenge of trying to take down an adaptive fighter who changes things on the fly just like he does. It's more of a challenge for him, which is what he's really after.

jag

[Johnny Blaze]

The beauty of saying that is if he ever DOES lose I can just say that he didn't have enough prep time. :D



Yes, both Fedor and Couture are great at adapting their game and trying to figure out the best way to work with and against their opponent's styles. They're both incredibly smart fighters. I think Randy knows this, no doubt, and wants the challenge of trying to take down an adaptive fighter who changes things on the fly just like he does. It's more of a challenge for him, which is what he's really after.

jag
The more it gets talked about, the more I want to see this fight. :o :csad:

Damn you, Dana White! You had it right there in front of you, but you're stupid stubborn ass had to let it slip away. :cmad:

[zanos]

Do you even WATCH any MMA outside of UFC? :huh:

jag

Yes I watched 3 UFC washouts dominate top contenders in pride. Now pride fighters are coming to the UFC and getting their asses kicked here by lower competition!

[Badger]

There's two champions in the UFC that were from Pride. :huh:

Both of them beat the **** out of the UFC poster boys, 1st Round TKO's. :o

[Johnny Blaze]

There's two champions in the UFC that were from Pride. :huh:

Both of them beat the **** out of the UFC poster boys, 1st Round TKO's. :o

And unless Franklin changes his gameplan completely from last time, he'll be tasting the canvas again next weekend. :o

[CrypticOne]

Any guesses on the next UFC Heavyweight Champion?

[Johnny Blaze]

Any guesses on the next UFC Heavyweight Champion?

Big Nog is who I'm pulling for, and I think he's got the best chances. He's got a tough test with Kongo, but if he gets it to the ground it's over.
He'll also, more than likely, have to face the winner of the Sylvia/Vera bout after that for the belt.

Personally, I think Sylvia will bounce back and win, but I'm pulling for The Truth as I'm not a Maine-Iac fan. :o

[The FallenAngel]

I'm thinking Big Nog wins the title. Kongo will get destroyed on the ground against him.

I'm also hoping Vera beats the crap out of Sylvia. I can't stand that guy.

[Johnny Blaze]

I'm thinking Big Nog wins the title. Kongo will get destroyed on the ground against him.

I'm also hoping Vera beats the crap out of Sylvia. I can't stand that guy.
I'm not a fan of his either, though he is a good fighter.

My buddy's wife is a hardcore Sylvia fan. I really hope Vera wins just so I can run my mouth. Plus I'd love to see a Nog/Vera match for the belt. Would probably be a nice technical match like Nog's battles with Barnett. :up:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Damn, Anderson Silve is a killer. Respect for Franklin for giving it his all, but Silva is just too much for him. Franklin isn't fast enough and Silva appears to be deceivingly strong.

Who is going to challenge him? I mean seriously? He nearly killed Franklin in their first fight. He destroyed Lebon like he was practice and although the fight was better the second time around with Franklin, the outcome was never in question.

Great Silvia won, I hope he isn't Heavyweight champ. Someone needs to come up in the heavyweight division and kick some ass. Too bad the natrual is gone.

[Johnny Blaze]

It was good to have the right picks for this one since I was screwed last time with picking Shogun and Liddell.
Didn't get to actually see the event, but from what I've read Silva demolished Ace once again. I think it's funny that my friend tries to tell me that Silva is not a great striker. :whatever:
Heh, I guess Franklin would have something to say to that. :D

As for Sylvia, I figured he'd win it. Though I didn't want him to. :csad:
I guess now he'll sit back and await the winner of the Nog/Kongo match. Probably put him and the winner on the SB card in February for the title.

As for who can challenge Silva, I think the only person who can take him that's in the UFC is Dan Henderson (though he's still working out a new contract). Only problem is that Dan has said he plans to stick at 205 and not drop down, though he's a natural 185 fighter.

I'd have liked to see the UFC go out and sign somebody like Denis Kang, Robbie Lawler, or Matt Lindland. But they let Kang sign elsewhere, Lawler is under contract elsewhere, and I don't see Lindland coming back while Dana's still being Dana. :csad:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

It was good to have the right picks for this one since I was screwed last time with picking Shogun and Liddell.
Didn't get to actually see the event, but from what I've read Silva demolished Ace once again. I think it's funny that my friend tries to tell me that Silva is not a great striker. :whatever:
Heh, I guess Franklin would have something to say to that. :D

As for Sylvia, I figured he'd win it. Though I didn't want him to. :csad:
I guess now he'll sit back and await the winner of the Nog/Kongo match. Probably put him and the winner on the SB card in February for the title.

As for who can challenge Silva, I think the only person who can take him that's in the UFC is Dan Henderson (though he's still working out a new contract). Only problem is that Dan has said he plans to stick at 205 and not drop down, though he's a natural 185 fighter.

I'd have liked to see the UFC go out and sign somebody like Denis Kang, Robbie Lawler, or Matt Lindland. But they let Kang sign elsewhere, Lawler is under contract elsewhere, and I don't see Lindland coming back while Dana's still being Dana. :csad:

HA! Your friend is on crack. Has he actually watched Silva's fights? You should show him the fight vs. Chris Lebon where he pretty much was just taking target practice with his head.

As for Dan Henderson fighting Silva I think that would be a great match up. But I still would favor Silva.

[Johnny Blaze]

Yeah, he's seen his fights and I've told him he needs to lay off the stem plenty of times when we're talking about Silva. He just has some hatred for The Spider is all and is letting that make him ignorant.
I've told him plenty of times that Silva is one of the top strikers in the sport, and he calls me crazy. :wow: :whatever:

He's a Franklin fan too, and was telling me at the bar a few weeks back how Ace was going to take back his belt come the 20th.
Heh, now I can't wait to see him again so I can let him have it. I love talking smack to ignorant bastards. :D

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Yeah, he's seen his fights and I've told him he needs to lay off the stem plenty of times when we're talking about Silva. He just has some hatred for The Spider is all and is letting that make him ignorant.
I've told him plenty of times that Silva is one of the top strikers in the sport, and he calls me crazy. :wow: :whatever:

He's a Franklin fan too, and was telling me at the bar a few weeks back how Ace was going to take back his belt come the 20th.
Heh, now I can't wait to see him again so I can let him have it. I love talking smack to ignorant bastards. :D


Ha, that's great. Silva is a beast. My friends go back and forth a little about MMA and what not, nothing too serious, but I told them that fighters from not just Brazil but other regions of the world that grow up fighting have it all over most U.S. born figters.

We just don't train the same here in the states as other fighters around the world. Not to mention places like Brazil are much more violent and a lot of kids growing up fighting in general.

[Johnny Blaze]

IDK, the US has some good fighters.

Severn, Shamrock, Frye, and Coleman for old school fighters. Couture for both old school and current. As for current...Henderson, Rampage, Lawler, Penn, and Hughes are good MMA fighters. Toss GSP into the mix if you bring in North American fighters, and that's a good list.

So the US does have some talent. Though most of my favorite fighters are from other countries. :csad:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

IDK, the US has some good fighters.

Severn, Shamrock, Frye, and Coleman for old school fighters. Couture for both old school and current. As for current...Henderson, Rampage, Lawler, Penn, and Hughes are good MMA fighters. Toss GSP into the mix if you bring in North American fighters, and that's a good list.

So the US does have some talent. Though most of my favorite fighters are from other countries. :csad:

I'm not saying they US doesn't have talented fighters. Just saying in general, fighters in other countries train much differently than we do here in the us. I mean take a look at all of the commercialized dojos out there.

Of course this is only a certain percentage, but I mean cardio kick boxing?

Compare that to Mui Tai Kickboxers in Thailand that train for eight hours or more a day and use sticks to deaden their nerves in their shins and kick trees to develop more power in their kicks.

Or in Japan where many Masters can date their masters back for decades or centuries.

Overall in the big picture is what I am talking about. The US does have some great fighters no doubt. But just not as good as other fighters from other countries. Not to mention that we don't even see many of them since a lot of them do not fight for sport.

[Johnny Blaze]

I do agree. Some other countries take fighting much more seriously as a way of life than over here. I just had to stick up for my hometown hommies is all. :o :csad:

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I feel ya. There are some badass American born fighters, but they are a dime a dozen in other countries.


So is Courtoure really trying to get Fedor in the other MMA association?

[Johnny Blaze]

I have no idea. He's already said he's not retiring, despite how Dana White wants to spin it. If he figures he can't take it to court, then he'll have to wait for his contract to be up around mid 08 so he can fight in M-1 and take on Fedor.
Fedor himself stated in his press conference to announce his signing that he wants to take on Couture as well.
Also should see Fedor in action in the US as early as February. :up:


Probably won't be Couture though. Find out what's going on with Randy tomorrow when he holds his press conference in Vegas.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

That's lame. So what is the general consensus about Dana White? Is he a douche or what?

[Norman Osborn]

That's lame. So what is the general consensus about Dana White? Is he a douche or what?

I don't know about douche but whatever happened to the Dana vs Tito crap fight they were talking about a year ago??...Dana come to his senses?

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I don't know about douche but whatever happened to the Dana vs Tito crap fight they were talking about a year ago??...Dana come to his senses?

Probably realized that he would die if he tried to fight Tito.

[The FallenAngel]

He actually trained really hard for it, and got in good shape and everything. Tito ended up dropping out at the last minute. At least, that's what I learned of it from that Bad Blood show.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Really? Hmmm that's interesting.

[zanos]

That would have been a dumb fight for Dana. I want him to take on either Dan Henderson or Cro Cop.

[Johnny Blaze]

That would have been a dumb fight for Dana. I want him to take on either Dan Henderson or Cro Cop.

He'd get alot worse from them then he would from washed up Tito. Henderson would utterly annihilate him, and Mirko would kick his head off of his shoulders in under 30 seconds. :o









Bottom line about Dana, he's a decent president, but he let's his emotions get the better of him waaaay too much. He needs to cut the crap talking **** about other fighters and their managers just because he's having problems dealing with them.
Look at his comments about Couture and Fedor, and what he said about Wanderlei when he wasn't able to secure the Liddell/Silva fight for November.
He's supposed to be a professional, yet he continually acts like an assclown. :o

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

He'd get alot worse from them then he would from washed up Tito. Henderson would utterly annihilate him, and Mirko would kick his head off of his shoulders in under 30 seconds. :o









Bottom line about Dana, he's a decent president, but he let's his emotions get the better of him waaaay too much. He needs to cut the crap talking **** about other fighters and their managers just because he's having problems dealing with them.
Look at his comments about Couture and Fedor, and what he said about Wanderlei when he wasn't able to secure the Liddell/Silva fight for November.
He's supposed to be a professional, yet he continually acts like an assclown. :o


Word :up: I could picture Fedor actually kicking his head off into the first row into David Spade's lap :up: :D

THat sucks, he seems like a decent guy, I haven't read any of the articles where he's talking smack.

[Johnny Blaze]

A few things to watch today...

At 7PM EST on ESPN's Pat Miletich will be featured. Miletich is a former UFC Champ and one of the world's most respected and legendary trainers. They're going to be showing what it's like at his training camp in Iowa and why it's considered one of the toughest in the world (supposedly only one out of one hundred students actually make it through the first few weeks).


Also, Dana White and one of the Fertittas are hosting a press conference today at 4PM EST on UFC.com. They will be answering questions about Couture's comments, supposedly.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

A few things to watch today...

At 7PM EST on ESPN's Pat Miletich will be featured. Miletich is a former UFC Champ and one of the world's most respected and legendary trainers. They're going to be showing what it's like at his training camp in Iowa and why it's considered one of the toughest in the world (supposedly only one out of one hundred students actually make it through the first few weeks).


Also, Dana White and one of the Fertittas are hosting a press conference today at 4PM EST on UFC.com. They will be answering questions about Couture's comments, supposedly.

Yeah I always hear announcers talking about the Militech camp when a fighter is from there and how deadly they are.

But the last few fights I can remember watching with one of them in there, they got handled.

[3dman27]

i recently became interested in the real fighting championships shows any fans of that around

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I like this BJ Penn, the fights weekend before last were awesome. :up:

[CrypticOne]

I like this BJ Penn, the fights weekend before last were awesome. :up:

Yeah, they were pretty quick.

And BJ is a beast. Can't wait 'til he takes out Sherk.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Yeah, they were pretty quick.

And BJ is a beast. Can't wait 'til he takes out Sherk.

Word he is going to destroy him. I didn't really care for penn before because of his lack of work ethic, mostly on cardio. Lazy guys with tons of talent bug me.

But after his last fight against against Pulver I started to be swayed a little and after his most recent fight against Stevenson. I like this Penn now, he seems like he gets it and is ready to take care of business.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

This past weekend's UFC card wasn't a disappointment at all. The Tyson Griffen fight was ok. Not boring but not good really, I don't like Griffen and wanted him to lose.

The David Heath vs. Tim Boetsch was an amazing surprise. Boetsch

[0neDisturbedSOB]

So far the UFC PPV's this year (all two of them) have been great. If they can all continue like this then we're in for a good year of MMA.

Anyone else wanting to see Pulver vs. Faber? I think Pulver's finally at a weight that really suits him, and where his power is once again a factor. It'd be interesting to see who'd come out on top in that one.

[CrypticOne]

So far the UFC PPV's this year (all two of them) have been great. If they can all continue like this then we're in for a good year of MMA.

Anyone else wanting to see Pulver vs. Faber? I think Pulver's finally at a weight that really suits him, and where his power is once again a factor. It'd be interesting to see who'd come out on top in that one.

Pulver/Faber is confirmed?

Yeah, the UFC PPV's have been pretty eventful, I've enjoyed both, so far. They just need to add some electricity to their Fight Nights. The next one looks pretty good though. Can't for it, as it's here in Colorado.

[0neDisturbedSOB]

No it's not confirmed, but with Pulver's last performance, I wouldn't be surprised if they fast tracked that fight for Faber's next fight.

UFC 83 is in Ohio, the next fight night (Florian vs. Lauzon) is in Colorado. That has some good fights on it too. Bonnar vs. Hammil should be a good one, especially if Hammil fights like he did when he BEAT Bisping.

[3dman27]

i wish sun sports here in fla would air more MMA

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I am assuming that should say sun sports here in fla

[3dman27]

yeah i hadn't noticed the typeos thanks

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I wasn't trying to correct you or anything I just read it and was trying to figure it out.

[bell110]

So, how about that Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott fight on the 16th?

[0neDisturbedSOB]

Honestly, that isn't even a real main event. They're building an entire show around a main event that features a fight between a guy that should have called it quits about 5 years ago, and a guy that has 16 sec of MMA experience and already thinks he's ready to be champ. I'll go ahead and say Kimbo takes this one because he's younger, stronger, and faster, but in all honesty it doesn't really matter. The Ricco Rodriguez vs. Antonio Silva match is more interesting than this one.

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Honestly, that isn't even a real main event. They're building an entire show around a main event that features a fight between a guy that should have called it quits about 5 years ago, and a guy that has 16 sec of MMA experience and already thinks he's ready to be champ. I'll go ahead and say Kimbo takes this one because he's younger, stronger, and faster, but in all honesty it doesn't really matter. The Ricco Rodriguez vs. Antonio Silva match is more interesting than this one.

He's back? :eek:

[0neDisturbedSOB]

Yeah. Celebrity Rehab was filmed months ago, and I guess he's been cleared to return. They asked him to fight Kimbo Slice and I guess all he said was "that guy is a complete joke, and I wouldn't even step in the same cage as him."

Looks like Cro Cop and UFC have officially parted ways. I think he just wants to get in some "easier" fights to get his confidence back up, and then in about a year or so he'll look to make a UFC return. He's also said he doesn't like fighting in the cage.

[Johnny Blaze]

Yeah. Celebrity Rehab was filmed months ago, and I guess he's been cleared to return. They asked him to fight Kimbo Slice and I guess all he said was "that guy is a complete joke, and I wouldn't even step in the same cage as him."

Looks like Cro Cop and UFC have officially parted ways. I think he just wants to get in some "easier" fights to get his confidence back up, and then in about a year or so he'll look to make a UFC return. He's also said he doesn't like fighting in the cage.

Can't say the Cro Cop news surprised me. When the deadline Dana White imposed passed and Mirko still hadn't responded I figured that was the end of him in the UFC.

I know it's being hinted that a Fedor Vs Cro Cop II could take place later this year. And with Arlovski and Sylvia on their way out the door, as well as Barnett being out there, there are a few fighters that Mirko could regain some status with a victory over them.
Course that's if he decides to fight some real competition or do what Fedor is doing now and kick some cans around for a year or two. :o

[0neDisturbedSOB]

I don't think Tim Sylvia is going anywhere. I think the media outlets misconstrued what he said in an attempt to make him look like the next in line to follow Couture's footsteps in leaving the UFC.

[Badger]

Honestly, that isn't even a real main event. They're building an entire show around a main event that features a fight between a guy that should have called it quits about 5 years ago, and a guy that has 16 sec of MMA experience and already thinks he's ready to be champ. I'll go ahead and say Kimbo takes this one because he's younger, stronger, and faster, but in all honesty it doesn't really matter. The Ricco Rodriguez vs. Antonio Silva match is more interesting than this one.

Well, I know this will be shocking, Kimbo Slice destroyed Tank. Obviously Kimbo hasn't been matched against a true MMA heavyweight that is at the top or close to the top of the hill, but the dude is fun to watch. They are talking about having him face Ken Shamrock next, depending on if he wins his first fight in EliteXC. The Rodriguez/Silva fight was a borefest. The earlier fights were the best fights of the night.

[jaguarr]

Well, I know this will be shocking, Kimbo Slice destroyed Tank. Obviously Kimbo hasn't been matched against a true MMA heavyweight that is at the top or close to the top of the hill, but the dude is fun to watch. They are talking about having him face Ken Shamrock next, depending on if he wins his first fight in EliteXC. The Rodriguez/Silva fight was a borefest. The earlier fights were the best fights of the night.


I watched EliteXC tonight, too. Wasn't expecting much from the "main event". It was about what I expected. The Silva/Rodriguez fight was also pretty uneventful. All in all, not a very good card, really. The earlier fights were "okay". Showtime's production values on this thing are also ****. I just feels so amateurish, to be honest. And WTF was up with that terrible rapper they had on before the Kimbo/Tank fight? Lame. I had hopes that EliteXC would grow into something worthwhile when they first started up, but I'm really not seeing it happen.

jag

[Bubonic]

I think they just want to build up Kimbo's record, and develop his fighting skills as much as they can before they set him up against someone way too advanced.
He's a nice guy from what I can see in the interviews, hopefully he won't get slaughtered when the time comes to tussle with a pro.
It'll have to be soon, he's already sort of old.
And if they keep putting him up against pussies, losers and old guys people will lose interest.
Tank was pretty pathetic, did he even hit Kimbo?
Guy was on the floor many times, Kimbo should have wacked the ref for being annoying.

[Badger]

I watched EliteXC tonight, too. Wasn't expecting much from the "main event". It was about what I expected. The Silva/Rodriguez fight was also pretty uneventful. All in all, not a very good card, really. The earlier fights were "okay". Showtime's production values on this thing are also ****. I just feels so amateurish, to be honest. And WTF was up with that terrible rapper they had on before the Kimbo/Tank fight? Lame. I had hopes that EliteXC would grow into something worthwhile when they first started up, but I'm really not seeing it happen.

jag

Yeah, this was the first EliteXC I've watched all the way through and I agree. It wasn't as near as sharp as the UFC, Pride, or even WEC. Hell there's a local MMA Production here in KC that does a better job.

The two fight before the Silva/Rodriguez fight were good, simply because of the knockouts. Though, that is another sign of the lack of MMA talent in EliteXC. The Smith kid that won (I think it's Smith) was average at best in the UFC and on TUF, but in Elite they act as if he was the second coming.

They definitely have a ways to go, I hope they get there. Simply because it will keep the UFC from getting complacent or anymore complacent.

[jaguarr]

I think they just want to build up Kimbo's record, and develop his fighting skills as much as they can before they set him up against someone way too advanced.
He's a nice guy from what I can see in the interviews, hopefully he won't get slaughtered when the time comes to tussle with a pro.
It'll have to be soon, he's already sort of old.
And if they keep putting him up against pussies, losers and old guys people will lose interest.
Tank was pretty pathetic, did he even hit Kimbo?
Guy was on the floor many times, Kimbo should have wacked the ref for being annoying.

He's a tough guy, but he's just a brawler with no real discipline behind him. Those types of guys tend to get picked apart when they start fighting guys with some serious training and formal discipline of some variety, be it ground or striking. He's been beating up jobbers, burnouts and older guys. Put him in the ring with someone like Cro-Cop or Shogun and he'll get picked apart. And Tank has ALWAYS been pretty pathetic. So many people talk him up but the dude's got a 9-14 record now. He's just another brawler. Take a good look, Kimbo. Tank is you in 10 years.

Yeah, this was the first EliteXC I've watched all the way through and I agree. It wasn't as near as sharp as the UFC, Pride, or even WEC. Hell there's a local MMA Production here in KC that does a better job.

The two fight before the Silva/Rodriguez fight were good, simply because of the knockouts. Though, that is another sign of the lack of MMA talent in EliteXC. The Smith kid that won (I think it's Smith) was average at best in the UFC and on TUF, but in Elite they act as if he was the second coming.

They definitely have a ways to go, I hope they get there. Simply because it will keep the UFC from getting complacent or anymore complacent.

The kid that got pummeled for the entire first round and then came out and knocked the other guy out 7 seconds into the second round? Yeah, that was Smith. They seriously need to up their talent pool and their production values. I'd like to see them be able to compete for the same reasons as you; the UFC has too much of a stranglehold on the market and needs more competition.

What was funny to me is they were pimping Silva as the guy who could take down Fedor. I did NOT see that in his fight. He was sloppy and his inexperience showed. If Rodriguez hadn't had the physical conditioning of a bloated pig he would have torn Silva apart. He almost did as it was.

jag

[Badger]

What was funny to me is they were pimping Silva as the guy who could take down Fedor. I did NOT see that in his fight. He was sloppy and his inexperience showed. If Rodriguez hadn't had the physical conditioning of a bloated pig he would have torn Silva apart. He almost did as it was.

jag

Yeah, I forgot about that. Fedor would absolutely demolish that guy, only place he'd take Fedor is to dinner and he'd have to pay.

[Johnny Blaze]

He's a tough guy, but he's just a brawler with no real discipline behind him. Those types of guys tend to get picked apart when they start fighting guys with some serious training and formal discipline of some variety, be it ground or striking. He's been beating up jobbers, burnouts and older guys. Put him in the ring with someone like Cro-Cop or Shogun and he'll get picked apart. And Tank has ALWAYS been pretty pathetic. So many people talk him up but the dude's got a 9-14 record now. He's just another brawler. Take a good look, Kimbo. Tank is you in 10 years.


Ha! I was thinking that myself while watching it. It was like Tank was fighting a slightly younger version of himself.

And I take it I wasn't the only one who laughed loudly when one of the TV announcer said that Kimbo "silenced all his critics" with the win over Tank? :o


As for his supposed match with Ken...great, another big name MMA star that's past his prime. Granted Shamrock does have a decent ground game still, so he should be a legitiment threat to Kimbo. But Shamrock's still a fighter who's long past his prime.
It wouldn't shock me too much if Kimbo caught Ken with a punch and floored him. :o

[jaguarr]

Ha! I was thinking that myself while watching it. It was like Tank was fighting a slightly younger version of himself.

And I take it I wasn't the only one who laughed loudly when one of the TV announcer said that Kimbo "silenced all his critics" with the win over Tank? :o

No, you weren't the only one. LOL! :D I am not impressed with Kimbo, personally. I know he's popular and he seems like a nice guy from the interviews I've seen with him, and I sure wouldn't want him pissed off at me, but he's got a limited range and I don't see him really working to overcome that. He's not going to go very far in MMA and I wonder if his fan base will dwindle once he starts taking on real fighters and getting his clock cleaned.


As for his supposed match with Ken...great, another big name MMA star that's past his prime. Granted Shamrock does have a decent ground game still, so he should be a legitiment threat to Kimbo. But Shamrock's still a fighter who's long past his prime.
It wouldn't shock me too much if Kimbo caught Ken with a punch and floored him. :o

Yeah, I could see Ken getting clocked with a lucky punch, too. He's definitely past his prime. I think Ken would definitely try to get Kimbo on the ground. I've never cared for Ken much, either. Or his brother Frank. Couple of a-holes. The only time I've ever rooted for them is when they were feuding with Tito and that's only because I hate Tito more. Actually, feed Kimbo to Frank. That could be interesting. :D

jag