Official UFC Thread

[B]

Hmmm.. just watched Diaz/Daley & I didn't like the stoppage at all, it felt like it was at least 3 or 4 seconds too soon as Daley looked like he was in the process of trying to kick Diaz off him.

Even moreso when you think Daley caught Diaz with a left earlier in the fight & Diaz dropped like a ****ing stone & he allowed Diaz to recover even though it looked like he was as badly hurt as Daley seemed to be at the end.

Good little slugfest between the 2, however the stoppage kinda spoiled it.. this was a Championship fight, stoppages need to be definitive & in my opinion Daley should have been given a few more seconds at least.

Gilbert Melendez was on fire as well, he completely destroyed Kawajiri with ease. It would be nice to see him move to the UFC to fight in the already stacked lightweight division there to see what hes really made off.

 

[CrypticOne]

Hmmm.. just watched Diaz/Daley & I didn't like the stoppage at all, it felt like it was at least 3 or 4 seconds too soon as Daley looked like he was in the process of trying to kick Diaz off him.

Even moreso when you think Daley caught Diaz with a left earlier in the fight & Diaz dropped like a ****ing stone & he allowed Diaz to recover even though it looked like he was as badly hurt as Daley seemed to be at the end.

Good little slugfest between the 2, however the stoppage kinda spoiled it.. this was a Championship fight, stoppages need to be definitive & in my opinion Daley should have been given a few more seconds at least.

Gilbert Melendez was on fire as well, he completely destroyed Kawajiri with ease. It would be nice to see him move to the UFC to fight in the already stacked lightweight division there to see what hes really made off.

Yeah, Diaz/Daley was a early stoppage, in my opinion. And I think there was like a second left in the round.

 

[B]

Yeah, Diaz/Daley was a early stoppage, in my opinion. And I think there was like a second left in the round.

McCarthy probably wasn't concerned or aware of how long was left, but in my opinion he should have been aware & unless Daley had looked completely out of it he should have let it run to the bell. If Daley wasn't fit to continue the doctor would have stopped the fight in the corner.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Good season of TUF so far. JDS might be the nicest guy on the planet...next to GSP

 

[Paroxysm]

Good season of TUF so far. JDS might be the nicest guy on the planet...next to GSP

Humble warriors. t:

 

[Mace Bloodstone]

For some reason I noticed Brock's scar more on this passed episode.

 

[Kane52630]

Best-paid fighter in mixed martial arts: Brock Lesnar

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/ca...-tabs-Lesnar-at-highest-paid-f?urn=mma-wp1366

In the major sports, stories about athletes' salaries generally draw derision and jealous reactions. In the case of mixed martial arts, fans probably have a more supportive stance for the fighters. The combatants aren't making a killing relative to athletes from the NFL, NBA and MLB yet they're putting the safety on the line.

According to ESPN the Magazine, the highest paid MMA fighter in 2010 was Lesnar at ONLY $5.3 million. Boxer Manny Pacquiao led the way in the other major combat sport at $32 million.

On the surface, that makes MMA look pathetic. Should MMA stars like Lesnar, Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva be making $15 million-plus a year? Maybe, but the argument from MMA promoters is that the gap between boxing's haves and have-nots is massive while MMA can boast of dozens of fighters making in excess of $500,000 per year.

The Star Phoenix's Dave Deibert points out that Lesnar is actually a bigger draw than 99.9 percent of the fighters in the modern history of combat sports:

"Lesnar has recently become the biggest pay-per-view draw in the world. In 2010, he joined Mike Tyson as the only athletes to twice draw more than one million buys on pay-per-view in a single year — Tyson did it three times in 1996."

 

[E-Man]

That number isn't counting Brock's sponsors. It's been stated many times, sometimes by agents themselves, that sponsor money usually matches what the fighter makes for that night. Brock's probably making a killing in sponsors because his pay per views are always guaranteed to be some of the most watched. The dude is making some big time money.

I know some people always look at what boxers make and think MMA fighters are getting robbed, but it's a different scale. Boxing is so split up that it's top heavy with the money. With MMA you have basically one company in charge of everyone's contracts. Without those sponsors I doubt that the UFC could just pay guys $20 million a fight until pay per views or tv sponsors get so high that they can afford to do that.

 

[Mace Bloodstone]

Wait, you can make almost a million fishing?

 

[B]

Brock rightly should be the top paid MMA fighter, while he isn't the best pound for pound fighter in the sport, he is undoubtably the most famous & his involvement in the UFC has not only made them more money, it has drawn in a whole new market of fans that probably were not aware or cared for MMA.

I just saw last nights TUF & that guy who was fighting from Brock's team was an embarassment, he couldn't tap quick enough when he was caught in the rear naked choke.. the guy had barely even applied it & I doubt he had even put any proper pressure on & he was already tapping, he quit half way through that fight after an onslaught of pressure/grinding from the Team Dos Santos guy.. whatever their names are.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Wait, you can make almost a million fishing?

lol

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Not to mention that in boxing, the majority of boxers are being robbed blind. Don King is reported to have stolen over $200 million from Tyson?

UFC seems to overall take much better care of it's fighters and no I don't feel sorry for anyone pulling in $500k a year.

 

[SuperSoldier985]

I cannot wait for this weekend.

I got a little bummed out because for a while there, I almost thought UFC129 was this last weekend...

 

[Norman Osborn]

Ellenberg Vs Pierson TKO Rd 3, impressive beatdown
Diaz vs Macdonald U/D (Potential FOTN)
Bocek vs Henderson Submission Rd 3 (FOTN)
Mayushenko Vs Brilz U/D
Machida Vs Couture U/D
Aldo Vs Hominick TKO Strikes Severe Beatdown
GSP Vs Shields TKO Rd 5 Shields gasses

 

[E-Man]

Phil Davis is stepping up to face Rashad at UFC 133 since Jon Jones is hurt. Here's the source.
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Mr-Wonderful-Tapped-to-Replace-Injured-Jones-Against-Evans-31854

After much hullabaloo over Jon Jones and Rashad Evans’ impending showdown, it appears the former Jackson’s MMA teammates won’t square off inside the Octagon anytime soon after all.

The UFC announced via Twitter on Monday that unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Phil Davis has been tapped to replace Jones against Evans at UFC 133 on Aug. 6. According to multiple reports, newly crowned UFC 205-pound champ Jones suffered a torn ligament in his right hand during his March 19 title win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128 and is now set to undergo surgery.

The Canadian Press first reported news of Jones’ injury on Monday.

Evans, 31, is himself a former UFC light heavyweight titlist, having won the belt with a December 2008 stoppage of fellow “Ultimate Fighter” alum Forrest Griffin. The former Michigan State Spartan would lose the belt in his next outing, a vicious May 2009 knockout at the hands of Lyoto Machida which also marked the first defeat of Evans’ career.

Since that time, “Suga” has recorded unanimous decisions against American Top Team standout Thiago Silva and, most recently, fellow ex-champ Quinton Jackson. Following his May 2010 win over “Rampage,” Evans was once again declared No. 1 contender to the light heavyweight throne, but a knee injury to then-champion Rua postponed the bout until this past March. One month out from the match, Evans himself injured a knee, making way for Jones to step in and claim gold.

Davis, a four-time NCAA Div. I All-American wrestler at Penn State, comes off the most substantial win of his career. At March’s UFC Fight Night 24, Davis took another short-notice assignment, replacing the injured Tito Ortiz against Pride Fighting Championships veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Davis ground out the highly regarded 205-pound stalwart over three rounds to take a unanimous decision and run his unblemished record to 9-0.

Since joining the UFC in February 2010, Davis has competed and won five times, submitting Alexander Gustafsson and Tim Boetsch, while notching decisions against Nogueira, Rodney Wallace and onetime WEC light heavyweight titleholder Brian Stann.

UFC 133 is expected to take place at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and will also feature a light heavyweight tilt between Nogueira and former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, as well as a 185-pound affair pitting Vitor Belfort against Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Very interesting matchup. Phil's striking is coming along nicely, and Rashad's defense is going to give him a good test. Can he keep Rashad on the ground? How does he react to being taken down for a change? This fight will be decided by whichever guy best mixes up his strikes and takedowns. I doubt either guy can keep the other down long, so it's going to be about winning the standup and takedowns. Both guys move pretty quick on their feet too. Too bad Jones is hurt. The lightweight title picture is filled with injuries and one and done champs. Chuck must've put a curse on it or something. lol

 

[B]

Dear o dear, further evidence that proves that the Rampage/Hamill fight should never have been made. Now that fight means next to nothing because the winner of Evans/Davis will more than likely get the next shot at the title.

Personally, I feel one way or another Davis should be taking on Hamill & Rampage/Evans 2 should happen to find a number 1 contender. Whether that means Evans replaces Hamill at UFC 130 (probably not) or Rampage & Davis trade places so Davis fights Hamill at 130 & Rampage/Evans 2 is at 133.

I think these are 2 risky fights both Rampage/Evans have taken, both of these guys are in a title picture & are both fighting good wrestlers who are more than capable of grinding out a win. Not thrilled about the LHW division at the moment..

 

[Paroxysm]

So stoked for tomorrow!!!! GSP!

 

[E-Man]

I think that Claude Patrick and "Ninja" Roberts are going to steal the show. It's a matchup between two guys who have good BJJ, but their styles could create some great scrambles like in the G-Sot and Stevenson match in Australia last year.

 

[El Bastardo]

So stoked for tomorrow!!!! GSP!

 

[B]

Tomorrow nights card is gonna be awesome!

Can't wait to see Jose Aldo in a UFC cage, hope he puts on a beast of a show.

Also looking forward to Couture/Machida, surprisingly. I'd love to see Randy somewhat shock the MMA world again with a win, it seems like alot of pundits & fans have seemingly wrote him off. Hes got a shot at beating Machida if he can close the distance & get hold of him. If Rampage can smother Machida & take him down.. so can Couture. Might stick a few bob on him to win considering hes a heavy underdog from what I've seen.

Then of course Shields/GSP. Alot of people think this is gonna be 5 rounds of spooning, I think this is a fight that will be finished before the 5th round. I don't think Shields will do what Koscheck did & seemingly wait to try & land 1 big punch, I think he'll be relentless, I think he'll try to put pressure on GSP in the standup & try to force GSP to take him down. I think Shields wants this fight on the ground regardless of who takes it there. I think this is gonna be an excellent fight. Please don't disappoint.

 

[E-Man]

People who think that the Shields and GSP fight will be full of lay and pray don't pay attention to fights. GSP always fights to his opponent's weaknesses, and for Shields that is obviously on the feet. I highly doubt that Shields could keep GSP down. If he could I wouldn't even spend my time complaining about it. I'd just praise the hell out of Shields for doing something that no one has even come close to doing, and that it's hard to submit GSP so outgrappling him would be an amazing feat.

Of course there are many MMA fans who post on message boards that don't understand sports. They think fighters should do ******ed stuff instead of admiring skill. Oh well, they're only the vocal minority anyway. PPV numbers show that the ones complaining after every takedown don't matter much to the bottom line. /rant

 

[Paroxysm]

 

[CrypticOne]

^ That's awesome.

 

[Paroxysm]

For Trevor Fitzgerald, the chance of a lifetime all started with a little luck and a ballsy request.

On Friday afternoon, the 35-year-old waited in line at a fan expo in Toronto's Direct Energy Centre with an unlikely question for UFC president, Dana White.
For 45 minutes, Fitzgerald listened as the folks in front of him graciously thanked White for bringing the UFC to Ontario - then promptly treated him like Santa Claus.

Some asked for better seats. Some begged for tickets. One pleaded for the shirt off Georges St-Pierre's back. Yet, most settled for a funny photo next to the top boss, who cleverly sported a Toronto Maple Leafs T-shirt.
But when Fitzgerald finally got his shot at the microphone, he offered up an idea that was perhaps the most outrageous.

He started with a playful jab, telling White that it always seems as though he has trouble putting championship belts on his fighters after events.
It's the belts, White explained. They just don't snap. So, they've switched to Velcro to make it easier on him.

Then, Fitzgerald went for all the marbles.

"When Georges St-Pierre takes down Jake Shields," Fitzgerald started, to immediate cheers. "Can I have the honour of putting the belt on GSP?"
The question seemed to daze White for a moment.

"That's a tough one," the president said quietly. "But ***** it, let's do it."
The place erupted. Disbelieving fans could be heard shouting, "Are you kidding me?" And moments later, Fitzgerald was near the stage sharing his cell number with White's bodyguard so that they can set this whole thing up.

For Fitzgerald, it's an absolute dream come true.

The father of two from Fort Frances, Ont. (population: 9,000 or so) had told his buddy, Jeff Wright, that this was his plan all along. He'd heard that the UFC president was prone to moments of bold generosity and always puts fans first.

"I just thought ‘what the hell?,'" said Fitzgerald. "He may just say yes."
The fact that Fitzgerald is even going to one of the biggest sporting events in North America is a testament to his good fortune.

When he considered buying tickets months ago, his wife, Corrina, reminded him that his five-year-old daughter Emily has a dance recital on Sunday. In short, she said he couldn't go.

But when his name was drawn in a raffle at his local Boston Pizza - two tickets, a hotel room and airfare - his better half was singing a different tune.
"My wife just said that I was obviously destined to go," he said.

And if GSP pulls off a victory, that destiny will include being the guy behind the guy, strapping that gold across his waist.

"It'll be the experience of a lifetime," he said.

But what happens if GSP doesn't win?

"I'm not doing it if it's Jake Shields," said Fitzgerald, adding that he'll just hand the belt back to White, stand back and hope he doesn't fumble.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/top/blog...akes-UFC-fan-s-dream-come-true?urn=top-349319

 

[CrypticOne]

Picks for tonight?

GSP via TKO
Aldo via TKO
Machida via TKO
Brilz via decision
Bendo via decision