Back when Pride had it's Bushido series, it was the place for Lightweights. It was the promotion to make a name for yourself and although it didn't have the true LW kingpin, BJ Penn, it did crown another top LW - Takanori Gomi.
For Middleweights, their Pride Bushido may now be the Strikeforce MW division, and the next great MW may be waiting in the wings.
Here's a quick preview and pseudo-rankings of the more well known movers and shakers.
Dan Henderson - King of the Hill
Not only does Hendo bring elite MMA status and recognition to Strikeforce, he was recently seen by millions on cable TV, coaching Team USA on the UK vs. USA season of TUF. He then offered up a highlight reel KO of Bisping at UFC 100. With KO power in both hands and a jaw seemingly made of titanium, it's a foregone conclusion that he will dethrone current champ, Jake Shields.
Gegard Mousasi - The Heir Apparent
"The Dreamcatcher" is nearly equal parts striker and submission fighter. He has the skills to keep the fight standing and outbox Dan, or work a slick ground game to force the tapout.
While not even 25 years old, Mousasi is riding a ridiculous 14-fight win streak and is the current Dream MW champion.
Ronaldo Souza and Jake Shields - The (Near) Top Dogs
Both guys have been using their established ground skills to rack up some nice wins.
"Jacare" is the more complete ground specialist, excelling in both MMA and the grappling world, having won numerous ADCC titles.
Shields is the current Strikeforce MW champ and hasn't lost since 2004. What he lacks in the striking area, he usually makes up for in a size and strength advantage, easily overpowering most opponents to a submission or decision victory.
Robbie Lawler and Matt Lindland - Best of the Rest
I see these two as being very similar to Souza and Shields, except that they have both lost recently and haven't shown much improvement in areas of their game that desperately need it.
Lawler is a powerful puncher with a good chin, but lacks the grounds skills to avoid submissions.
Lindland has world class, Greco-Roman wrestling that enables him to grind out victories, but very little in the striking department or ground game to defend against submissions.
Cung Le, Frank Shamrock, Jason Miller, Scott Smith - The Gatekeepers
Each of these fighters has recently been adding to both their win and loss columns, which prevents them from advancing any farther on this list.
Nick Diaz and Melvin Manhoef - The Wildcards
Diaz is riding a 5 fight win streak, including obliterations of Smith and Shamrock, but he bounces from Welterweight to Middleweight. Considering Diaz and Shields are both out of the Cesar Gracie camp, it will be unlikely he will attempt to get to the top as a MW.
Manhoef is another big, power puncher that could do some heavy damage to the division. He's similar to Robbie Lawler, in that he prefers to stand up but shares the same weakness of having no ground game.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Post UFC 107 - The Dilemma of the Prodigy
With the stunning and thorough destruction of Diego Sanchez, the UFC is fast running out of options for quality opponents for "The Prodigy". He's decimated his last 5 lightweight opponents (via TKO or sub) since coming back to the UFC and hasn't lost a bout in that division since 2002 against Jens Pulver. It's quite clear that DW and the brothers Fertitta are going to have some trouble coming up with quality matches with the current LW roster, so here's my recommendations:
1. UFC Light Weight Championship - Eddie Alvarez
Probably the biggest challenge BJ has left in all of the LW division, this ex-HS wrestling champ shot up in the rankings after a ridiculous run in the Dream LW tournament, defeating Andre Dida, Tatsuya Kawarjiri and Joachim Hansen. He's the current Bellator LW champ and has an exciting style that would easily draw fans if he were to fight BJ. His style is a blend of speed and power as a standup slugger. While his biggest weakness is one of BJ's strengths, I think Alvarez's wrestling will be the key. His takedowns aren't GSP explosive, but he'll definitely have the size advantage in the clinch and on the ground.
The fight would probably stay on the feet anyway, as both fighters prefer to stand and test their opponent's chin.
If Eddie can beat him to the punch and avoid the best jab in MMA, it's quite possible that Alvarez could connect and be the first fighter to find BJ's kill switch.
(Credit to Machinemen)
2. UFC/WEC Superfight - Jose Aldo
With Jose Aldo's recent ascension to FW destroyer, I think the timing would be a great for a segue into the first WEC PPV. It could be a clash of champions and a stiff test for both.
Aldo is in a similar position as BJ; having starched his last 3 opponents, with no true #1 contender in sight. Both Faber and Brown are clearly 1-2 fights away and even then, I don't see them fairing well. His mix of speed and laser-like, striking precision are currently without peer in any division. I liken him to a prime version of Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto - with better accuracy.
Were this fight to happen, I wouldn't be surprised if this were the first time in a long time that BJ would clearly want to take the fight to the ground. He may have the best MMA boxing, but it won't help if you're repeatedly beaten to the punch. As with the his second fight with GSP, BJ has no answer when he can't counter against a faster opponent. While Aldo, won't have the clear wrestling threat to impose, his speed is frightening to behold.
BJ's only other option will be taking the fight to the ground, which will be considerably tough given a couple factors:
a. His wrestling is sub-par
b. He doesn't have the clear size or strength advantage
Even if it takes 1-2 years, I think both these competitors haven't reached their apex yet and this potential fight could be big bucks for both the UFC and WEC.
(Credit to Teenskater117)
3. UFC WW Contendership - Thiago Alves, Jon Fitch or Josh Koshcheck
This is the idea that DW and Co. are flirting with the most because it's the simplest and easiest from a company internal structure standpoint. Throwing BJ in as WW is less hassle than trying to sign Alvarez or stealing away Aldo from the WEC, even if it's just for one fight from a sister promotion. If he happens to obliterate Aldo, the balance of the FW division could potentially be upset.
The key to a matchup for BJ here would most definitely require no less than a top 5 contender because it needs to be main event material, and clearly relevant for an eventual title shot with GSP. This means no Daley, Swick or Kampmann because they're either on the outskirts of the top 10 or recently dropped a fight. Fitch and Kos are easy choices because they both should easily deserve a title shot with their next couple wins and simply, they will most likely never fight each other unless its for the belt. Alves is in their as an opponent because he's the most recent notch on the champ's proverbial belt, making him no less than 2 rankings removed from the #1 contender spot.
Sticking BJ in as a WW basically means automatically somewhere from 3-5th, depending on how he finishes his first opponent there.
These are the guys that are close but just somehow don't make the cut.
Shinya Aoki - Recently signed with Strikeforce and would only be a challenge if this were an ADCC match.
JZ Calvacante - Coming off 2 losses and knee surgery, the 2x King of Heroes has seen better days.
GSP - What crack would Dana be smoking if he made this match now?
Edgar/Maynard - Sadly, one of them is probably next in line. Either has the wins or names to their credit to deserve a title shot.
1. UFC Light Weight Championship - Eddie Alvarez
Probably the biggest challenge BJ has left in all of the LW division, this ex-HS wrestling champ shot up in the rankings after a ridiculous run in the Dream LW tournament, defeating Andre Dida, Tatsuya Kawarjiri and Joachim Hansen. He's the current Bellator LW champ and has an exciting style that would easily draw fans if he were to fight BJ. His style is a blend of speed and power as a standup slugger. While his biggest weakness is one of BJ's strengths, I think Alvarez's wrestling will be the key. His takedowns aren't GSP explosive, but he'll definitely have the size advantage in the clinch and on the ground.
The fight would probably stay on the feet anyway, as both fighters prefer to stand and test their opponent's chin.
If Eddie can beat him to the punch and avoid the best jab in MMA, it's quite possible that Alvarez could connect and be the first fighter to find BJ's kill switch.
(Credit to Machinemen)
2. UFC/WEC Superfight - Jose Aldo
With Jose Aldo's recent ascension to FW destroyer, I think the timing would be a great for a segue into the first WEC PPV. It could be a clash of champions and a stiff test for both.
Aldo is in a similar position as BJ; having starched his last 3 opponents, with no true #1 contender in sight. Both Faber and Brown are clearly 1-2 fights away and even then, I don't see them fairing well. His mix of speed and laser-like, striking precision are currently without peer in any division. I liken him to a prime version of Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto - with better accuracy.
Were this fight to happen, I wouldn't be surprised if this were the first time in a long time that BJ would clearly want to take the fight to the ground. He may have the best MMA boxing, but it won't help if you're repeatedly beaten to the punch. As with the his second fight with GSP, BJ has no answer when he can't counter against a faster opponent. While Aldo, won't have the clear wrestling threat to impose, his speed is frightening to behold.
BJ's only other option will be taking the fight to the ground, which will be considerably tough given a couple factors:
a. His wrestling is sub-par
b. He doesn't have the clear size or strength advantage
Even if it takes 1-2 years, I think both these competitors haven't reached their apex yet and this potential fight could be big bucks for both the UFC and WEC.
(Credit to Teenskater117)
3. UFC WW Contendership - Thiago Alves, Jon Fitch or Josh Koshcheck
This is the idea that DW and Co. are flirting with the most because it's the simplest and easiest from a company internal structure standpoint. Throwing BJ in as WW is less hassle than trying to sign Alvarez or stealing away Aldo from the WEC, even if it's just for one fight from a sister promotion. If he happens to obliterate Aldo, the balance of the FW division could potentially be upset.
The key to a matchup for BJ here would most definitely require no less than a top 5 contender because it needs to be main event material, and clearly relevant for an eventual title shot with GSP. This means no Daley, Swick or Kampmann because they're either on the outskirts of the top 10 or recently dropped a fight. Fitch and Kos are easy choices because they both should easily deserve a title shot with their next couple wins and simply, they will most likely never fight each other unless its for the belt. Alves is in their as an opponent because he's the most recent notch on the champ's proverbial belt, making him no less than 2 rankings removed from the #1 contender spot.
Sticking BJ in as a WW basically means automatically somewhere from 3-5th, depending on how he finishes his first opponent there.
These are the guys that are close but just somehow don't make the cut.
Shinya Aoki - Recently signed with Strikeforce and would only be a challenge if this were an ADCC match.
JZ Calvacante - Coming off 2 losses and knee surgery, the 2x King of Heroes has seen better days.
GSP - What crack would Dana be smoking if he made this match now?
Edgar/Maynard - Sadly, one of them is probably next in line. Either has the wins or names to their credit to deserve a title shot.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
TUF 10 Finale Q and A
Ok kiddies, new format time.
No more cookie-cutter, review entries for a while.
I like answering questions so I'll start with a couple I've posed, since I need more people to send some in.
Comments, email, FB posts - bring 'em on!
1. Should the UFC keep Marcus Jones?
I consider "Big Baby" to be one of the next generation of HW's - he's freakishly athletic, powerful and ginormous (even for the HW division). With the previous season of TUF ending, he's also probably got a nicer sized Facebook following as well. That being said, I still think Jones should take a step back from the UFC and work on his striking extensively. He could easily use 1-2 months of just standup training, with the likes of a, Duke Roufus, Dellagrotte or Greg Jackson.
Taking any fights in the UFC right now, he'd risk his MMA career in the long run, with a high probability of losing to random can. He could just as easily fight a similar guy in a regional promotion, and when his confidence and experience have catapulted, he should then step back into the Octagon, hopefully as a HW force to be reckoned with.
2. Should "Bones" have been DQ'ed?
Absolutely not - while Hamill was blocking and deflecting damage well, he was NOT advancing himself positionally enough for the fight to have continued far enough for the DQ. By the time the 12-6 elbows reared their ugly little heads, the match should have been over.
3. What's next for Roy Nelson?
"Big Country" is the first of his kind; A TUF winner with a wealth of relevant experience, having fought some top 10 contenders in recent years. I'd even wager to say he could potentially get a title shot before his 3 year contract is up, and I think Dana is going to throw him right into the fire to test my theory. Someone with considerable experience and standup ability would be my first inclination: Gabriel Gonzaga, Heath Herring or a rematch with Ben Rothwell.
4. Who should Kimbo fight next?
The enigma known as Kimbo should be thrown another softball in hopes that he may eventually build up some reasonable skills to transition him from "Street Certified" to "Octagon Certified".
He already has the star power (his fight against Alexander drew the highest ratings of the night) and to be the headliner everyone wants him to be, he still needs considerable training. He should also consider moving down to LHW, or do another catchweight bout. Staying at heavyweight will mean having to deal with constant size issues against larger, stronger opponents.
Another variable that needs to be considered is that giving him a no name would probably not help his career, or draw new UFC fans, as much as giving him a slightly tougher, more well known opponent to move him higher up on the card. An Andre Gusmao or Brian Stann would be a reasonable next opponents as both like to stand and would not be too itchy to take Kimbo to the ground.
5. Is Frankie Edgar ready for a title shot?
The "Answer" is neither ready, nor deserving based on his record, or who he has beaten. Aside from Sean Sherk, who had a horrible gameplan going into that fight, he doesn't have the names to his credit. His loan loss to a still in his young career, Gray Maynard should be more than enough to halt any rumblings of #1 contendership.
I tried to keep this short and sweet, but also give logical explanations for my thoughts. If you come across something that doesn't make sense or requires more clarification, I'm all ears.
Hopefully UFC 107 will bring about some new questions that are interesting and thought provoking.
~S
No more cookie-cutter, review entries for a while.
I like answering questions so I'll start with a couple I've posed, since I need more people to send some in.
Comments, email, FB posts - bring 'em on!
1. Should the UFC keep Marcus Jones?
I consider "Big Baby" to be one of the next generation of HW's - he's freakishly athletic, powerful and ginormous (even for the HW division). With the previous season of TUF ending, he's also probably got a nicer sized Facebook following as well. That being said, I still think Jones should take a step back from the UFC and work on his striking extensively. He could easily use 1-2 months of just standup training, with the likes of a, Duke Roufus, Dellagrotte or Greg Jackson.
Taking any fights in the UFC right now, he'd risk his MMA career in the long run, with a high probability of losing to random can. He could just as easily fight a similar guy in a regional promotion, and when his confidence and experience have catapulted, he should then step back into the Octagon, hopefully as a HW force to be reckoned with.
2. Should "Bones" have been DQ'ed?
Absolutely not - while Hamill was blocking and deflecting damage well, he was NOT advancing himself positionally enough for the fight to have continued far enough for the DQ. By the time the 12-6 elbows reared their ugly little heads, the match should have been over.
3. What's next for Roy Nelson?
"Big Country" is the first of his kind; A TUF winner with a wealth of relevant experience, having fought some top 10 contenders in recent years. I'd even wager to say he could potentially get a title shot before his 3 year contract is up, and I think Dana is going to throw him right into the fire to test my theory. Someone with considerable experience and standup ability would be my first inclination: Gabriel Gonzaga, Heath Herring or a rematch with Ben Rothwell.
4. Who should Kimbo fight next?
The enigma known as Kimbo should be thrown another softball in hopes that he may eventually build up some reasonable skills to transition him from "Street Certified" to "Octagon Certified".
He already has the star power (his fight against Alexander drew the highest ratings of the night) and to be the headliner everyone wants him to be, he still needs considerable training. He should also consider moving down to LHW, or do another catchweight bout. Staying at heavyweight will mean having to deal with constant size issues against larger, stronger opponents.
Another variable that needs to be considered is that giving him a no name would probably not help his career, or draw new UFC fans, as much as giving him a slightly tougher, more well known opponent to move him higher up on the card. An Andre Gusmao or Brian Stann would be a reasonable next opponents as both like to stand and would not be too itchy to take Kimbo to the ground.
5. Is Frankie Edgar ready for a title shot?
The "Answer" is neither ready, nor deserving based on his record, or who he has beaten. Aside from Sean Sherk, who had a horrible gameplan going into that fight, he doesn't have the names to his credit. His loan loss to a still in his young career, Gray Maynard should be more than enough to halt any rumblings of #1 contendership.
I tried to keep this short and sweet, but also give logical explanations for my thoughts. If you come across something that doesn't make sense or requires more clarification, I'm all ears.
Hopefully UFC 107 will bring about some new questions that are interesting and thought provoking.
~S
Sunday, November 22, 2009
UFC 106 - What's Old is New Again
As the title suggests, the UFC basically just reintroduced us to fighters we should already know about, but just seemingly got lost in the shuffle or have been elsewhere as of late.
Forrest Griffin defeats Tito Ortiz via Decision
A righteous decision, if you ask me.
Forrest put on a vintage Forrest display but again showed that weakness when getting taken down and fighting from bottom - no real viable sub attempts or positional defense. He'd have been in real trouble if Ortiz had more gas to unleash his brutal, trademark elbows.
Now that Forrest is back on the wagon, he deserves a step up in competition and someone closer to the title shot. I like Thiago Silva, if he can get through "Sugar".
Tito just makes himself look worse if all he does is make excuses on why he lost. I enjoy hype and trash talk when its reasonable, but claiming a "cracked" skull and 1 sparring session in your fight camp?
"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" did catch him with a couple takedowns and elbows but nothing that really damaged him to the point where it affected his performance. People are going to point out how bloody Forrest got during the match but have you ever seen his face in high def? Dude has some HEAVY scar tissue.
Tito looked less worse for wear, but easily absorbed more damage. He was catching leg kicks and straight punches like he was on Deadliest Catch. He also really couldn't get a hold of Forrest very well and use some of that body strength he's got going for him. His takedown attempts lacked any real speed or explosion and were quite poor overall.
I'm not sure where Tito goes from here but maybe a mid level, but known LHW, like Keith Jardine.
Josh Koscheck defeats Anthony Johnson via Submission
This was a battle between two very dangerous and skilled opponents that made some stupid mistakes that could have easily cost each other the match. We'll find out in a couple days if the eyepokes on either side really affected the outcome of the match, based on the injuries each man reports. Nevertheless, Koscheck scored a well deserved win and proved he's probably next after Hardy for the WW title. He hung with "Rumble" standing and his wrestling put the nails in Johnson's coffin.
Johnson just looked like a fish out of water on his back. The best he could really do was hold full and half guard which obviously isn't enough against a D-1 wrestler AND a top 10 UFC WW. Johnson's strikes always come with power but were just slightly off the mark that night; Nothing landed flush or cleanly enough to affect Koscheck. I have a suspicion that Johnson didn't really work on takedown defense, which was probably the most important thing to utilize against a standout wrestler like "Kos". Maybe he'll adapt to a better gameplan the next time he's up against someone that can easily put him on his back.
Paulo Thiago defeats Jacob Volkmann
Well fought victory by Thiago and should definitely move him up on the next card he fights. He mixed it up well with standup and grappling and kept Volkmann guessing. His standup combination's were right on the money and definitely took "Christmas" out of his game. He had a couple missteps working his ground game and surprisingly showed a lack of positional defense for a BJJ black belt.
And for a guy with less submission accolades, Volkmann displayed some well put-together ground offense. We also now know that Volkmann's like a Timex and has a hard noggin.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Luis Cane via TKO
Excellent debut for "Minotauro" and a fairly embarrassing loss for "Banha". We'd never really seen Cane that exposed, especially on the feet. He's excelled in that area since he came into the UFC.
Rogerio's performance should be a warning to all future opponents - don't box with a world class southpaw unless you enjoy kissing canvas.
Amir Sadollah defeats Phil Baroni via Decision
A very good rebound win for Sadollah, after the embarrassingly, quick loss to Johnny Hendricks. Who knew he had extensive Muy Thai experience?
It's like they added that stat and all of a sudden, BOOM. He can throw devastating knees in the Thai Plum.
Getting Baroni back in the UFC was an excellent defensive play by DW and the Fertittas. Him in the UFC means not in Strikeforce or Dream. Plus, how can you hate on the NYBA's sparkly, red robe?
He seriously needs to change up his training routine if he wants to be a UFC regular for any sort of duration. All that muscle is not doing him any good, other than winning toughest fighter at the local Crunch award. His current gas tank allows him about 1.5 rounds of reasonable offense (on a good day). Even in a lighter division, I'm surprised he's still packing on that much bulk.
Next up TUF Finale in 2 weeks and hopefully quick analysis of ADCC '09.
~S
Forrest Griffin defeats Tito Ortiz via Decision
A righteous decision, if you ask me.
Forrest put on a vintage Forrest display but again showed that weakness when getting taken down and fighting from bottom - no real viable sub attempts or positional defense. He'd have been in real trouble if Ortiz had more gas to unleash his brutal, trademark elbows.
Now that Forrest is back on the wagon, he deserves a step up in competition and someone closer to the title shot. I like Thiago Silva, if he can get through "Sugar".
Tito just makes himself look worse if all he does is make excuses on why he lost. I enjoy hype and trash talk when its reasonable, but claiming a "cracked" skull and 1 sparring session in your fight camp?
"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" did catch him with a couple takedowns and elbows but nothing that really damaged him to the point where it affected his performance. People are going to point out how bloody Forrest got during the match but have you ever seen his face in high def? Dude has some HEAVY scar tissue.
Tito looked less worse for wear, but easily absorbed more damage. He was catching leg kicks and straight punches like he was on Deadliest Catch. He also really couldn't get a hold of Forrest very well and use some of that body strength he's got going for him. His takedown attempts lacked any real speed or explosion and were quite poor overall.
I'm not sure where Tito goes from here but maybe a mid level, but known LHW, like Keith Jardine.
Josh Koscheck defeats Anthony Johnson via Submission
This was a battle between two very dangerous and skilled opponents that made some stupid mistakes that could have easily cost each other the match. We'll find out in a couple days if the eyepokes on either side really affected the outcome of the match, based on the injuries each man reports. Nevertheless, Koscheck scored a well deserved win and proved he's probably next after Hardy for the WW title. He hung with "Rumble" standing and his wrestling put the nails in Johnson's coffin.
Johnson just looked like a fish out of water on his back. The best he could really do was hold full and half guard which obviously isn't enough against a D-1 wrestler AND a top 10 UFC WW. Johnson's strikes always come with power but were just slightly off the mark that night; Nothing landed flush or cleanly enough to affect Koscheck. I have a suspicion that Johnson didn't really work on takedown defense, which was probably the most important thing to utilize against a standout wrestler like "Kos". Maybe he'll adapt to a better gameplan the next time he's up against someone that can easily put him on his back.
Paulo Thiago defeats Jacob Volkmann
Well fought victory by Thiago and should definitely move him up on the next card he fights. He mixed it up well with standup and grappling and kept Volkmann guessing. His standup combination's were right on the money and definitely took "Christmas" out of his game. He had a couple missteps working his ground game and surprisingly showed a lack of positional defense for a BJJ black belt.
And for a guy with less submission accolades, Volkmann displayed some well put-together ground offense. We also now know that Volkmann's like a Timex and has a hard noggin.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Luis Cane via TKO
Excellent debut for "Minotauro" and a fairly embarrassing loss for "Banha". We'd never really seen Cane that exposed, especially on the feet. He's excelled in that area since he came into the UFC.
Rogerio's performance should be a warning to all future opponents - don't box with a world class southpaw unless you enjoy kissing canvas.
Amir Sadollah defeats Phil Baroni via Decision
A very good rebound win for Sadollah, after the embarrassingly, quick loss to Johnny Hendricks. Who knew he had extensive Muy Thai experience?
It's like they added that stat and all of a sudden, BOOM. He can throw devastating knees in the Thai Plum.
Getting Baroni back in the UFC was an excellent defensive play by DW and the Fertittas. Him in the UFC means not in Strikeforce or Dream. Plus, how can you hate on the NYBA's sparkly, red robe?
He seriously needs to change up his training routine if he wants to be a UFC regular for any sort of duration. All that muscle is not doing him any good, other than winning toughest fighter at the local Crunch award. His current gas tank allows him about 1.5 rounds of reasonable offense (on a good day). Even in a lighter division, I'm surprised he's still packing on that much bulk.
Next up TUF Finale in 2 weeks and hopefully quick analysis of ADCC '09.
~S
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
WEC 45 - Aldo vs. Brown
Gonna switch up the format a bit and try and keep these shorter and start from the top down.
Easier for you guys to move on if you get bored and to get to the good stuff sooner.
Nothing ground breaking in this card except a new FW champ is crowned.
Jose Aldo defeats Mike Brown via TKO
What should have been a spirited competition between 2 top level FW's was in reality, a spectacular beatdown by the new champ, Jose Aldo. This kid is so good that he hasn't really had the match go anywhere he hasn't wanted it to be taken. His speed and reflexes have been overwhelming all his opponents. He's got the unique ability to throw strikes with such speed and accuracy that's frankly unheard of, in a cage fight. He's doing stuff straight out of a gym training session.
MTB didn't really have anything in his arsenal to neutralize Aldo, and I really think his strength and wrestling are good enough to take on most of the FW division. His pitter-patter jab wasn't really useful and I was looking for the 1-2 into a double leg to get some offense going.
At least something to distract Aldo long enough to get him down and work his top game.
It's a forgone conclusion that they need to do Aldo and Faber, just a matter of when.
Manvel Gamburyan defeats Leonard Garcia via Decision
I was expecting a KO from Garcia because he certainly had the timing and power to overwhelm Manny. "The Anvil" executed his standard gameplan: strike to clinch, and go for the throw and GNP. His strength in the clinch definitely proved the tide turner. He didn't really connect and hurt Garcia standing (even when "Bad Boy" dropped his hands) but he did enough to control him standing and on the ground.
Karen Darabedyan defeats Rob McCullough via Decision
Strictly a kickboxing affair, with not much else thrown in for flavor.
"Razor" Rob looked a bit flabby here and it showed in the later rounds when he slowed down. As usual, he comes out with some crisp, technical, strikes. But it wasn't enough once Karen got his timing down with Rob's kicks. Neither man really showed any killer instinct that a standup guy should really have, especially against another striker.
Sorry, cutting it short here.
Eager to move on to UFC 105.
Easier for you guys to move on if you get bored and to get to the good stuff sooner.
Nothing ground breaking in this card except a new FW champ is crowned.
Jose Aldo defeats Mike Brown via TKO
What should have been a spirited competition between 2 top level FW's was in reality, a spectacular beatdown by the new champ, Jose Aldo. This kid is so good that he hasn't really had the match go anywhere he hasn't wanted it to be taken. His speed and reflexes have been overwhelming all his opponents. He's got the unique ability to throw strikes with such speed and accuracy that's frankly unheard of, in a cage fight. He's doing stuff straight out of a gym training session.
MTB didn't really have anything in his arsenal to neutralize Aldo, and I really think his strength and wrestling are good enough to take on most of the FW division. His pitter-patter jab wasn't really useful and I was looking for the 1-2 into a double leg to get some offense going.
At least something to distract Aldo long enough to get him down and work his top game.
It's a forgone conclusion that they need to do Aldo and Faber, just a matter of when.
Manvel Gamburyan defeats Leonard Garcia via Decision
I was expecting a KO from Garcia because he certainly had the timing and power to overwhelm Manny. "The Anvil" executed his standard gameplan: strike to clinch, and go for the throw and GNP. His strength in the clinch definitely proved the tide turner. He didn't really connect and hurt Garcia standing (even when "Bad Boy" dropped his hands) but he did enough to control him standing and on the ground.
Karen Darabedyan defeats Rob McCullough via Decision
Strictly a kickboxing affair, with not much else thrown in for flavor.
"Razor" Rob looked a bit flabby here and it showed in the later rounds when he slowed down. As usual, he comes out with some crisp, technical, strikes. But it wasn't enough once Karen got his timing down with Rob's kicks. Neither man really showed any killer instinct that a standup guy should really have, especially against another striker.
Sorry, cutting it short here.
Eager to move on to UFC 105.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
UFC 105 - The Brits and Captain America
It was definitely a night for the British to celebrate.
Of the 8 matches with Brits in them (excluding Taylor and Hathaway who are both from the UK), 6 of them beat their opponents.
It feels like TUF 9 all over again.
Too bad Hendo wasn't there...
Ross Pearson defeats Aaron Riley via TKO
I think the ref saw what I saw and mercifully stopped this fight early.
Pearson was using Riley as his own personal punching bag. Everything he threw connected with relative ease: knees, punches, kicks, rinse and repeat. He also exhibited some nice moves in his Thai plum and can add the flying knee onto his highlight reel.
On the other hand, Riley played his part as the human punching bag. All he did was back up and throw a couple one's and two's, when he wasn't getting tagged or bullied in the clinch. These things and him being super tentative cost him the match and probably some of his dignity.
Matt Brown defeats James Wilks via TKO
I think Wilks had "Fight of the Night" bonus on the brain. Based on his performance, I don't see why he didn't just immediately take it to the ground and constantly go for various sub attempts. It's blatantly obvious by his previous losses and his TUF matches that the key to beating Brown is submissions. Instead, Wilks preferred to grit it out with "The Immortal", get beat down, lose the match and a few brain cells in the process. The last sub attempt, before the match was called, probably would have been successful executed if he could have held onto his focus and technique.
I gotta hand it to Brown - What the man lacks in a ground game, he makes up for it with a decent chin and resilience. It also helps that he doesn't give a crap about getting tagged so he can dish out some punishment.
Michael Bisping defeats Denis Kang via TKO
The only Brit that I didn't want to win, of course, HAD to win. With his shoddy standup and meh takedowns, he beat Kang to a helpless pulp. He does get props for his active ground game, even though he sorta looked like a white belt flailing on the mat against a brown belt at certain points. I still think he's highly overrated and should be nowhere near a title defense. Isn't Cote returning soon?
I'm sad to see another Pride import implode in the Octagon.
Other than the right hook he threw, Kang has nothing else to be proud of. He couldn't make use of his superior ground game, other than some fleeting moments in the mount and in side control. The combination of his impetuous ground game, weak will under pressure, and disappointing losses probably means this was a short lived trip to the UFC.
Dan Hardy defeats Mike Swick via Decision
I see this match as a parallel to the Kampmann/Daley and Okami/Sonnen matches. Each loser was incredibly close to title shots and blew it against a relative UFC noob.
Swick probably had the roughest challenge of the three incumbents, given Hardy was riding a decent win streak against some exceptionally game opponents. The last time "Quick" was roughed up this badly was against Okami, who coincidentally, was recently roughed up by Chael Sonnen. Swick also looked very lost in the Octagon after getting rocked in the 1st round. If recent history is any indicator for this type of fighter, Swick may not see a title opportunity in a while.
Let's just call Hardy the new King of Thieves because he straight stole the next WW title shot. His strong punches should give GSP fans a cause for concern but I'm not so sure his hooligan, brawlin' style will make the difference. He should also re-evaluate his gameplan for his next match, since his clinch is a bit suspect for his size and strength as a WW.
Randy Couture defeats Brandon Vera via Decision
This was definitely a Couture crowd and I wouldn't be surprised if the judges fell into that category as well. The match was Octagon control vs. damage to your opponent. Aggression would have to be my toss up category given the styles of each fighter and how they affected their opponent. Randy dominated the entirety of the match, just bullying Vera up against the cage fence for minutes at a time.
Vera spent little time engaging with his patented Muy Thai striking but when he did, he maximized every bit of output he could. The key shots were the ones that dropped and nearly put Couture down. It also helped that the "The Natural" looked slower and less agile than "The Truth". It also wasn't clear to me if he was trying to take Vera down, or just pin him against the fence.
People can argue that Couture unfairly won the match, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that if you don't beat the man standing directly across from you, you might now have 3 extra opponents to deal with when the bell sounds.
Next up, WEC 45.
Love the mid-week cards!
~S
Of the 8 matches with Brits in them (excluding Taylor and Hathaway who are both from the UK), 6 of them beat their opponents.
It feels like TUF 9 all over again.
Too bad Hendo wasn't there...
Ross Pearson defeats Aaron Riley via TKO
I think the ref saw what I saw and mercifully stopped this fight early.
Pearson was using Riley as his own personal punching bag. Everything he threw connected with relative ease: knees, punches, kicks, rinse and repeat. He also exhibited some nice moves in his Thai plum and can add the flying knee onto his highlight reel.
On the other hand, Riley played his part as the human punching bag. All he did was back up and throw a couple one's and two's, when he wasn't getting tagged or bullied in the clinch. These things and him being super tentative cost him the match and probably some of his dignity.
Matt Brown defeats James Wilks via TKO
I think Wilks had "Fight of the Night" bonus on the brain. Based on his performance, I don't see why he didn't just immediately take it to the ground and constantly go for various sub attempts. It's blatantly obvious by his previous losses and his TUF matches that the key to beating Brown is submissions. Instead, Wilks preferred to grit it out with "The Immortal", get beat down, lose the match and a few brain cells in the process. The last sub attempt, before the match was called, probably would have been successful executed if he could have held onto his focus and technique.
I gotta hand it to Brown - What the man lacks in a ground game, he makes up for it with a decent chin and resilience. It also helps that he doesn't give a crap about getting tagged so he can dish out some punishment.
Michael Bisping defeats Denis Kang via TKO
The only Brit that I didn't want to win, of course, HAD to win. With his shoddy standup and meh takedowns, he beat Kang to a helpless pulp. He does get props for his active ground game, even though he sorta looked like a white belt flailing on the mat against a brown belt at certain points. I still think he's highly overrated and should be nowhere near a title defense. Isn't Cote returning soon?
I'm sad to see another Pride import implode in the Octagon.
Other than the right hook he threw, Kang has nothing else to be proud of. He couldn't make use of his superior ground game, other than some fleeting moments in the mount and in side control. The combination of his impetuous ground game, weak will under pressure, and disappointing losses probably means this was a short lived trip to the UFC.
Dan Hardy defeats Mike Swick via Decision
I see this match as a parallel to the Kampmann/Daley and Okami/Sonnen matches. Each loser was incredibly close to title shots and blew it against a relative UFC noob.
Swick probably had the roughest challenge of the three incumbents, given Hardy was riding a decent win streak against some exceptionally game opponents. The last time "Quick" was roughed up this badly was against Okami, who coincidentally, was recently roughed up by Chael Sonnen. Swick also looked very lost in the Octagon after getting rocked in the 1st round. If recent history is any indicator for this type of fighter, Swick may not see a title opportunity in a while.
Let's just call Hardy the new King of Thieves because he straight stole the next WW title shot. His strong punches should give GSP fans a cause for concern but I'm not so sure his hooligan, brawlin' style will make the difference. He should also re-evaluate his gameplan for his next match, since his clinch is a bit suspect for his size and strength as a WW.
Randy Couture defeats Brandon Vera via Decision
This was definitely a Couture crowd and I wouldn't be surprised if the judges fell into that category as well. The match was Octagon control vs. damage to your opponent. Aggression would have to be my toss up category given the styles of each fighter and how they affected their opponent. Randy dominated the entirety of the match, just bullying Vera up against the cage fence for minutes at a time.
Vera spent little time engaging with his patented Muy Thai striking but when he did, he maximized every bit of output he could. The key shots were the ones that dropped and nearly put Couture down. It also helped that the "The Natural" looked slower and less agile than "The Truth". It also wasn't clear to me if he was trying to take Vera down, or just pin him against the fence.
People can argue that Couture unfairly won the match, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that if you don't beat the man standing directly across from you, you might now have 3 extra opponents to deal with when the bell sounds.
Next up, WEC 45.
Love the mid-week cards!
~S
Sengoku 11 - Brief Review of Sorts
Wasn't too interested in seeing this card, but Sengoku still translates to "Japanese MMA", so how can I pass it up?
Jorge Masvidal defeats Satoru Kitaoka via TKO
This was the most entertaining match on the card for me. Both fighters went at it and stuck to their guns, when it came to strategy. Each guy took some punishment - Masvidal through joint locks and Kitaoka with punches to his face. The advantage that "Gamebred" had in striking reach made all the difference, when he was abusing his shorter, stockier opponent.
If you've seen Satoru fight before, you probably weren't surprised by the outcome. If he can't get it done in the opening round, his chances of winning decrease dramatically. This is because he relies on the early takedown and submission, when his opponent is neither slippery or ready to defend. As rounds go by, either his cardio or the beatings he take causes him to gas rapidly. Either way, I admire his tenacity to go for the sub and latch on until he gets it.
Or gets lit up like a Christmas tree.
Mamed Khalidov defeats Jorge Santiago via TKO
It looks like Mamed was following Dave Herman's gameplan and go for the KO from bottom. And WOW, did his plan work to perfection. He pulled off the upset against a good opponent, and he did it well.
Not much else to say other than Santiago got caught trying to execute a hasty guard pass and left his chin out there, for a nice ole hammerfistin'.
At least the man's still got his belt, right?
Michihiro Omigawa defeats Hatsu Hiko via Decision
This was a very dull fight for me. Although there was a lot of back and forth between fighters, nothing of substance or consequence really happened. Omigawa did a lot of ducking and bobbing, with some haymakers thrown in and Hioki used his range to jab well and threw in some decent, successful double legs attempts.
Maybe I was watching another match, but it looked like Hioki won. He was backpedaling and not moving forward for most of the match, but I thought Hioki did more damage and implemented a better offense as a whole. Omigawa tagged him good a couple times, but there were other points where he could barely reach Hioki's face with his fists.
So it looks like that was the last Sengoku event of the year, but with the quality of matches they've been recently putting on, I'm not going to be broken up about it.
Next up, UFC 105, WEC 45 and ADCC 2009.
Well, maybeeeeeeeeee ADCC.
~S
Jorge Masvidal defeats Satoru Kitaoka via TKO
This was the most entertaining match on the card for me. Both fighters went at it and stuck to their guns, when it came to strategy. Each guy took some punishment - Masvidal through joint locks and Kitaoka with punches to his face. The advantage that "Gamebred" had in striking reach made all the difference, when he was abusing his shorter, stockier opponent.
If you've seen Satoru fight before, you probably weren't surprised by the outcome. If he can't get it done in the opening round, his chances of winning decrease dramatically. This is because he relies on the early takedown and submission, when his opponent is neither slippery or ready to defend. As rounds go by, either his cardio or the beatings he take causes him to gas rapidly. Either way, I admire his tenacity to go for the sub and latch on until he gets it.
Or gets lit up like a Christmas tree.
Mamed Khalidov defeats Jorge Santiago via TKO
It looks like Mamed was following Dave Herman's gameplan and go for the KO from bottom. And WOW, did his plan work to perfection. He pulled off the upset against a good opponent, and he did it well.
Not much else to say other than Santiago got caught trying to execute a hasty guard pass and left his chin out there, for a nice ole hammerfistin'.
At least the man's still got his belt, right?
Michihiro Omigawa defeats Hatsu Hiko via Decision
This was a very dull fight for me. Although there was a lot of back and forth between fighters, nothing of substance or consequence really happened. Omigawa did a lot of ducking and bobbing, with some haymakers thrown in and Hioki used his range to jab well and threw in some decent, successful double legs attempts.
Maybe I was watching another match, but it looked like Hioki won. He was backpedaling and not moving forward for most of the match, but I thought Hioki did more damage and implemented a better offense as a whole. Omigawa tagged him good a couple times, but there were other points where he could barely reach Hioki's face with his fists.
So it looks like that was the last Sengoku event of the year, but with the quality of matches they've been recently putting on, I'm not going to be broken up about it.
Next up, UFC 105, WEC 45 and ADCC 2009.
Well, maybeeeeeeeeee ADCC.
~S
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Strikeforce - The Emperor and his peasants
I have a confession to make.
Although I had some interest in all the televised cards, I would have paid just to see the last match.
When the "Last Emperor" fights, his followers shall watch.
Otherwise, somewhat of a lackluster card, if you ask me.
And you are, if you're reading my blog.
Fabricio Werdum defeats Antonio Silva via Decision
I was really favoring Silva in this match, because he's got a lot of potential in a division where hype seems to be all that matters. He's got good endurance and standup for a HW and dangerous on the ground with his BJJ. He was smart to make Werdum get up when he wanted to tangle on the ground and the only things he really had to fear standing were Werdum's knees and leg kicks, which were somewhat sparse.
In contrast, not only did I NOT want Fabricio to win, I think he's very overrated and should have lost this match. I thought round 2 could have gone either way, but that could be my bias towards "Bigfoot". His accolades in ADCC are definitely nothing to scoff at, but I think he's got a lot of unused potential and he hasn't really shown anything new or even try to develop any other skills that could make him a formidable HW. If he wants to get owned by Fedor in his next match, so be it. Overeem's probably going to come up with some health related excuse and end up vacating the title anyway.
Gegard Mousasi defeats Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO
For those of you that haven't been watching Dream, you just saw the finals of the Super Hulk tournament.
"Judo Terry" really needs to change up his training regiment. He's sooooooooooo talented and athletic, but he's come up short recently against anyone not under 285 lbs. I think he's packing on way too much muscle and needs to up his cardio and technical acumen. He was definitely holding his own in the 1st and even beat Mousasi to the punch a couple times. I believe his quickness won't diminish if he loses some muscle.
Mousasi looked a little less sharp than usual and it showed in his standup and on the ground. His GNP and his guard were both quite loose and had he been up against an opponent with a better ground game, he'd have been in trouble. Nonetheless, he still had that ability to turn it on when he needed to and he'll probably face a really tough opponent for his first title defense.
You sign that contract yet, Hendo?
Jake Shields defeats Jason Miller via Decision
If you talked to my friends, they'd tell you that I have this illogical reverence for Matt Lindland. The man has no standup and just looks plain goofy. BUT, he's an elite wrestler, specifically Greco-Roman and uses it very well in his MMA career. He's easily in the top 15 of the MW division. How does this relate to this match?
I'd think it's quite obvious - Jake Shields is Matt Lindland, 2.0!
Both guys can't strike for squat, use their wrestling skills to dominate and outpoint their opponents to decision victories.
Shields has some added bonuses, with his BJJ skills and upper body strength. I don't think we'll ever see him change up his gameplan for the simple fact that he can't advance his striking skills and he's already too heavily reliant on his wrestling to win him matches. Regardless of those facts and opinion, I still give him props for going the distance against the wily Jason Miller.
Miller showed some flashes of brilliance and skill in the match, especially in round 3 where he almost put Jake to sleep. I was somewhat disappointed by his performance and granted, he was expected to lose, I really felt like Shields didn't really have much over "Mayhem" that he couldn't overcome. It was clear that Miller's standup was better and he had some pretty flashy suplex takedowns. I didn't really think he was that patient standing because he got taken down way too easily and he could have controlled a standup battle for all 5 rounds if he wanted. I hope his cockiness didn't convince him to try and beat Jake at his own game by trying to match him on the ground. Does he remember anything from his first match with Jacare?
Fedor Emelianenko defeats Brett Rogers via TKO
It makes me sad when you meet someone that likes to watch MMA, but has never heard of Fedor.
"He's the best HW in the world?!"
"But he's so pudgy and looks out of shape."
Then you realize these guys have been limited to watching TUF and owning clothing from Affliction or Ed Hardy.
But anywho, to really understand the awesomeness that is the best HW to ever set foot in a cage or ring, you must go through his Pride run and watch his matches in the context that he was going up against the top rated guys of the time. AND he demolished EVERYONE one of them.
He rarely lost rounds, gave up position or got caught.
This fight went a little different.
Right at the opening bell, Fedor's nose was busted open and Rogers proved he wasn't a flash in the pan, with his bear strength, composure and ground defense. He definitely was not afraid to stand and trade, while utilizing some patience to throw more feints than sloppy, wild punches. His upper body strength clearly helped him on the ground and his GNP on Fedor in the 1st round nearly made my heart stop.
THIS man-beast was going to defeat the #1 HW in the world?!
Luckily, Fedor's jaw is a composite of bone, vodka and adamantium, so he was barely fazed by the punches. The second round was appearing to go the same as the first, until Fedor realized the ice cream truck outside was waiting for him, thus spoiling the night for "The Grim".
As usual, Fedor showed no emotion upon using his Right Hand of Doom to knock Brett into last week. I think he was a little surprised by Brett's strength and defense on the ground. This was one of the rare matches where Fedor proved somewhat ineffective on the ground. First he got caught in that GNP sequence when he was on bottom and then he was unable to keep Brett on the ground, which would have been his biggest advantage. I actually thought if Rogers were to win, it would be via KO or TKO.
Did I ever doubt Fedor's standup against "The Grim"?
Course not.
My main concern for him standing is that he puts so much of his body into his punches, that he may eventually get caught, or lose his quickness at that exact wrong moment.
I give both men respect in this war: Rogers for having the heart and composure to last longer than any of Fedor's opponents in the last 3 years and Fedor for overcoming an early broken nose and the brutal, heavy hands of Brett Rogers.
Next up, I'll do some quick Sengoku analysis and then another rewind to ADCC 2009.
Yay for the grappling junkies!
~S
Although I had some interest in all the televised cards, I would have paid just to see the last match.
When the "Last Emperor" fights, his followers shall watch.
Otherwise, somewhat of a lackluster card, if you ask me.
And you are, if you're reading my blog.
Fabricio Werdum defeats Antonio Silva via Decision
I was really favoring Silva in this match, because he's got a lot of potential in a division where hype seems to be all that matters. He's got good endurance and standup for a HW and dangerous on the ground with his BJJ. He was smart to make Werdum get up when he wanted to tangle on the ground and the only things he really had to fear standing were Werdum's knees and leg kicks, which were somewhat sparse.
In contrast, not only did I NOT want Fabricio to win, I think he's very overrated and should have lost this match. I thought round 2 could have gone either way, but that could be my bias towards "Bigfoot". His accolades in ADCC are definitely nothing to scoff at, but I think he's got a lot of unused potential and he hasn't really shown anything new or even try to develop any other skills that could make him a formidable HW. If he wants to get owned by Fedor in his next match, so be it. Overeem's probably going to come up with some health related excuse and end up vacating the title anyway.
Gegard Mousasi defeats Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO
For those of you that haven't been watching Dream, you just saw the finals of the Super Hulk tournament.
"Judo Terry" really needs to change up his training regiment. He's sooooooooooo talented and athletic, but he's come up short recently against anyone not under 285 lbs. I think he's packing on way too much muscle and needs to up his cardio and technical acumen. He was definitely holding his own in the 1st and even beat Mousasi to the punch a couple times. I believe his quickness won't diminish if he loses some muscle.
Mousasi looked a little less sharp than usual and it showed in his standup and on the ground. His GNP and his guard were both quite loose and had he been up against an opponent with a better ground game, he'd have been in trouble. Nonetheless, he still had that ability to turn it on when he needed to and he'll probably face a really tough opponent for his first title defense.
You sign that contract yet, Hendo?
Jake Shields defeats Jason Miller via Decision
If you talked to my friends, they'd tell you that I have this illogical reverence for Matt Lindland. The man has no standup and just looks plain goofy. BUT, he's an elite wrestler, specifically Greco-Roman and uses it very well in his MMA career. He's easily in the top 15 of the MW division. How does this relate to this match?
I'd think it's quite obvious - Jake Shields is Matt Lindland, 2.0!
Both guys can't strike for squat, use their wrestling skills to dominate and outpoint their opponents to decision victories.
Shields has some added bonuses, with his BJJ skills and upper body strength. I don't think we'll ever see him change up his gameplan for the simple fact that he can't advance his striking skills and he's already too heavily reliant on his wrestling to win him matches. Regardless of those facts and opinion, I still give him props for going the distance against the wily Jason Miller.
Miller showed some flashes of brilliance and skill in the match, especially in round 3 where he almost put Jake to sleep. I was somewhat disappointed by his performance and granted, he was expected to lose, I really felt like Shields didn't really have much over "Mayhem" that he couldn't overcome. It was clear that Miller's standup was better and he had some pretty flashy suplex takedowns. I didn't really think he was that patient standing because he got taken down way too easily and he could have controlled a standup battle for all 5 rounds if he wanted. I hope his cockiness didn't convince him to try and beat Jake at his own game by trying to match him on the ground. Does he remember anything from his first match with Jacare?
Fedor Emelianenko defeats Brett Rogers via TKO
It makes me sad when you meet someone that likes to watch MMA, but has never heard of Fedor.
"He's the best HW in the world?!"
"But he's so pudgy and looks out of shape."
Then you realize these guys have been limited to watching TUF and owning clothing from Affliction or Ed Hardy.
But anywho, to really understand the awesomeness that is the best HW to ever set foot in a cage or ring, you must go through his Pride run and watch his matches in the context that he was going up against the top rated guys of the time. AND he demolished EVERYONE one of them.
He rarely lost rounds, gave up position or got caught.
This fight went a little different.
Right at the opening bell, Fedor's nose was busted open and Rogers proved he wasn't a flash in the pan, with his bear strength, composure and ground defense. He definitely was not afraid to stand and trade, while utilizing some patience to throw more feints than sloppy, wild punches. His upper body strength clearly helped him on the ground and his GNP on Fedor in the 1st round nearly made my heart stop.
THIS man-beast was going to defeat the #1 HW in the world?!
Luckily, Fedor's jaw is a composite of bone, vodka and adamantium, so he was barely fazed by the punches. The second round was appearing to go the same as the first, until Fedor realized the ice cream truck outside was waiting for him, thus spoiling the night for "The Grim".
As usual, Fedor showed no emotion upon using his Right Hand of Doom to knock Brett into last week. I think he was a little surprised by Brett's strength and defense on the ground. This was one of the rare matches where Fedor proved somewhat ineffective on the ground. First he got caught in that GNP sequence when he was on bottom and then he was unable to keep Brett on the ground, which would have been his biggest advantage. I actually thought if Rogers were to win, it would be via KO or TKO.
Did I ever doubt Fedor's standup against "The Grim"?
Course not.
My main concern for him standing is that he puts so much of his body into his punches, that he may eventually get caught, or lose his quickness at that exact wrong moment.
I give both men respect in this war: Rogers for having the heart and composure to last longer than any of Fedor's opponents in the last 3 years and Fedor for overcoming an early broken nose and the brutal, heavy hands of Brett Rogers.
Next up, I'll do some quick Sengoku analysis and then another rewind to ADCC 2009.
Yay for the grappling junkies!
~S
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
MFC 22 - Would like my money back
Sorry for slacking on this entry.
I know the card was back last month, but I just started a new job so I'm behind on a lot of things.
I chose this card because most of the main card fighters were previously in the UFC, so there was some names that I was familiar with, so I felt it would make for a pretty decent and competitive regional
card.
So let's see what happened...
Ryan Jimmo defeats Marvin Eastman via Decision
What a snooze fest.
I know both guys came in with a game plan but I have no clue what either of them had in mind. Between both fighters' poor standup, wrestling and ground game, I would have liked to see this a draw to teach
both guys a lesson.
I always expect Eastman to perform better than he does, but that's probably due to the fact his physique makes him look like a video game character.
Mike Nickels defeats David Heath via Submission
This was a standup war, with one side trying to shoot itself.
Nickels was clearly getting the better in the standup arena, while Heath felt his machismo was more important than defending himself. There was also a clear difference between Nickels' concentration in
throwing strikes while Heath couldn't even keep his mouthpiece in.
Nickels could work on his power or put more follow through in his strikes to land more KO strikes next time.
John Alessio defeats Luigi Fioravanti via TKO
I thought this match was pretty even throughout the first 2 rounds.
I was looking for combos and a little more risking taking to try and steal rounds.
Nice hook to put Fioravanti down but nothing else really impressive.
Antonio McKee defeats Carlo Prater via Decision
Any chance of Prater winning was thoroughly diminished when he couldn't make weight, but it did cut the match an extra 10 minutes.
Between McKee's superior takedowns and creative GNP, Prater had nothing to offer. Somebody should have told Prater that he should have tried more to stand after getting taken down, rather than get pummeled
like raw meat at a butcher shop.
Travis Lutter defeats Jason McDonald via Decision
This match went the exact opposite of how I expected.
I felt Lutter's ground game was overrated, he gassed fairly easily and had no real standup to speak of.
McDonald, on the other hand, is usually in decent shape, and has a ton of experience trading strikes and sub attempts with some decent fighters. I really hated his rally in the 3rd round because it was more
than too late at that point for "The Athlete."
Or maybe Lutter just gassed out by then and was just clearly better than McDonald in the first 2 rounds.
Nonetheless, I'd have still put this as a main event on an UFN card.
My hope for a decent card were met but nothing to write home or really an entry about.
Learned my lesson for next time.
~S
I know the card was back last month, but I just started a new job so I'm behind on a lot of things.
I chose this card because most of the main card fighters were previously in the UFC, so there was some names that I was familiar with, so I felt it would make for a pretty decent and competitive regional
card.
So let's see what happened...
Ryan Jimmo defeats Marvin Eastman via Decision
What a snooze fest.
I know both guys came in with a game plan but I have no clue what either of them had in mind. Between both fighters' poor standup, wrestling and ground game, I would have liked to see this a draw to teach
both guys a lesson.
I always expect Eastman to perform better than he does, but that's probably due to the fact his physique makes him look like a video game character.
Mike Nickels defeats David Heath via Submission
This was a standup war, with one side trying to shoot itself.
Nickels was clearly getting the better in the standup arena, while Heath felt his machismo was more important than defending himself. There was also a clear difference between Nickels' concentration in
throwing strikes while Heath couldn't even keep his mouthpiece in.
Nickels could work on his power or put more follow through in his strikes to land more KO strikes next time.
John Alessio defeats Luigi Fioravanti via TKO
I thought this match was pretty even throughout the first 2 rounds.
I was looking for combos and a little more risking taking to try and steal rounds.
Nice hook to put Fioravanti down but nothing else really impressive.
Antonio McKee defeats Carlo Prater via Decision
Any chance of Prater winning was thoroughly diminished when he couldn't make weight, but it did cut the match an extra 10 minutes.
Between McKee's superior takedowns and creative GNP, Prater had nothing to offer. Somebody should have told Prater that he should have tried more to stand after getting taken down, rather than get pummeled
like raw meat at a butcher shop.
Travis Lutter defeats Jason McDonald via Decision
This match went the exact opposite of how I expected.
I felt Lutter's ground game was overrated, he gassed fairly easily and had no real standup to speak of.
McDonald, on the other hand, is usually in decent shape, and has a ton of experience trading strikes and sub attempts with some decent fighters. I really hated his rally in the 3rd round because it was more
than too late at that point for "The Athlete."
Or maybe Lutter just gassed out by then and was just clearly better than McDonald in the first 2 rounds.
Nonetheless, I'd have still put this as a main event on an UFN card.
My hope for a decent card were met but nothing to write home or really an entry about.
Learned my lesson for next time.
~S
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dream 12 - Birth of the White Cage
This event almost immediately followed UFC 104 and was a refreshing change of pace, comparatively. There were very few big names on the card, but all the competitions were very spirited.There was also excitement brought on by the anticipation of the "White Cage", along with a round system more familiar to US fans. As with the previous Dream event, I've limited my thoughts to the last "main" card.
1. Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Zelg Galesic via Submission
I'm beginning to see a current trend for how Sakuraba's matches play out. First, there are takedown attempts until he gets his takedown. Then he absorbs a ridiculous amount of punishment (while the ref barely flinches) and gets the submission win, against his 0-1, ex-pro Soccer player opponent. I kid about "The Gracie Hunter", but I still give him all the respect for trying to entertain the crowd as best he can, with what little he has left. His transitions to each submission were quite smooth and he really was going for broke, as exemplified by the look on Galesic's face when he tapped.
Zelg really couldn't have fought much better once he had Sakuraba turtled up, short of moving into a position less prone for submissions. But then that would have meant given up the positional advantage, offensively.
2. Marius Zaromskis defeats Myeon Ho Bae via KO
"The Whitemare" started off the bout channeling Caol Uno and quickly transitioned pre-UFC, CroCop.
Ho Bae even had his arm up when Marius threw his high kick so you can image the impact if he took it full on. I think Zaromskis is ready for a stiffer test like Nick Diaz or "Mayhem" Miller. Heck, put that silly Dream WW belt on the line too!
3. Eddie Alvarez defeats Katsunori Kikuno via Submission
By far, this was the best match on the card, pairing and action wise.
Alvarez is universally ranked in the top 10 of LW's and Kikuno is a tough Kyokushin product, with a good record and currently holds the DEEP LW belt. I liked the pairing stylistically, in terms of the fighters standup skills. Both guys like to trade but with very different styles. Kikuno prefers traditional Karate stances and strikes while Alvarez stands and trades more like a MMA boxer. In the end, it was Alvarez's ground skills that made the difference. Standing, I felt Alvarez only had a small advantage throughout the match and he hit a major setback when he got caught in that standing neck crank/crucifix. He rebounded in Round 2 when Kikuno's ground weaknesses were exploited.
Even though he could use a ton of improvement on the ground, I'd still like to see Kikuno go up against so strong contenders. His unique stance and patented Crescent kick make for an exciting and interesting match with any opponent willing to trade hands with him.
4. Alistair Overeem defeats James Thompson via Submission
Easy payday for both fighters - I just have a question of whether Overeem's guillotine is that good or is James Thompson that bad?
For an MMA event that reminds me of a Cirque de Solei event, I was quite impressed by the energy and excitement I felt by watching it. Dream is getting a little bit closer to being credible as a sport, at least for US fans with the use of the cage and similar match structures.
I just hope they never get rid of the fantastic introductions and the Screaming Lady.
Next up, winding back the clock for MFC 22.
~S
1. Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Zelg Galesic via Submission
I'm beginning to see a current trend for how Sakuraba's matches play out. First, there are takedown attempts until he gets his takedown. Then he absorbs a ridiculous amount of punishment (while the ref barely flinches) and gets the submission win, against his 0-1, ex-pro Soccer player opponent. I kid about "The Gracie Hunter", but I still give him all the respect for trying to entertain the crowd as best he can, with what little he has left. His transitions to each submission were quite smooth and he really was going for broke, as exemplified by the look on Galesic's face when he tapped.
Zelg really couldn't have fought much better once he had Sakuraba turtled up, short of moving into a position less prone for submissions. But then that would have meant given up the positional advantage, offensively.
2. Marius Zaromskis defeats Myeon Ho Bae via KO
"The Whitemare" started off the bout channeling Caol Uno and quickly transitioned pre-UFC, CroCop.
Ho Bae even had his arm up when Marius threw his high kick so you can image the impact if he took it full on. I think Zaromskis is ready for a stiffer test like Nick Diaz or "Mayhem" Miller. Heck, put that silly Dream WW belt on the line too!
3. Eddie Alvarez defeats Katsunori Kikuno via Submission
By far, this was the best match on the card, pairing and action wise.
Alvarez is universally ranked in the top 10 of LW's and Kikuno is a tough Kyokushin product, with a good record and currently holds the DEEP LW belt. I liked the pairing stylistically, in terms of the fighters standup skills. Both guys like to trade but with very different styles. Kikuno prefers traditional Karate stances and strikes while Alvarez stands and trades more like a MMA boxer. In the end, it was Alvarez's ground skills that made the difference. Standing, I felt Alvarez only had a small advantage throughout the match and he hit a major setback when he got caught in that standing neck crank/crucifix. He rebounded in Round 2 when Kikuno's ground weaknesses were exploited.
Even though he could use a ton of improvement on the ground, I'd still like to see Kikuno go up against so strong contenders. His unique stance and patented Crescent kick make for an exciting and interesting match with any opponent willing to trade hands with him.
4. Alistair Overeem defeats James Thompson via Submission
Easy payday for both fighters - I just have a question of whether Overeem's guillotine is that good or is James Thompson that bad?
For an MMA event that reminds me of a Cirque de Solei event, I was quite impressed by the energy and excitement I felt by watching it. Dream is getting a little bit closer to being credible as a sport, at least for US fans with the use of the cage and similar match structures.
I just hope they never get rid of the fantastic introductions and the Screaming Lady.
Next up, winding back the clock for MFC 22.
~S
Sunday, October 25, 2009
UFC 104 - Disappointment
I'm being harsh with my critique of this event but it's the first word that came to my mind when trying to summarize it for the title. Lots of one sided affairs and just not as all round entertaining as usual.
1. Anthony Johnson defeats Yoshiyuki Yoshida via TKO
This was exactly the outcome that most people expected. I thought "Rumble" might be slightly more affected by the massive weight cut, but it didn't stop him from blasting "Zenko" into another dimension.
Yoshida had some extremely poor excuses for clinch attempts either for takedowns, throws or Thai plums. And of course, one of the worst standup sins you can do - circling into your opponents power side. Especially when that person is 6 foot something, has 0% bodyfat and ALL ATHLETIC.
I think Johnson's ready for a stiffer test - someone with a stronger ground game.
2. Joe Stevenson defeats Spencer Fisher via Submission
Joe took this one in a respectable, but not one sided affair. He mixed up standup with takedown attempts and eventually used some nice bjj skills to establish great position and unleash some brutal, rapid fire elbows on the helpless Fisher. Jeff said it best, "Now that's how Roy Nelson should have finished Kimbo".
Fisher looked pretty good at the start of round 2, showing a little more variance in his standup with more kicks in his combos but he wasn't active enough on bottom when he was taken down, and pushed up against the fence. He put up a valiant effort, trying to prevent Joe from getting side control, and I think his best chance of escaping was when Joe went for the leglock; He should have attempted to push off and force a stand up.
I know he's booked against Nate Diaz, but I think I'd rather see Joe vs. Gray Maynard at this point.
3. Chael Sonnen defeats Yushin Okami via Decision
I'm very surprised here that Sonnen completely dominated Okami. I knew his wrestling was good, but Sonnen took the match where ever he wanted and Okami had no anser. Chael pushed the pace with everything he threw and all Okami could do was move backwards. Sonnen's leg kicks accumulated him so good points, but his wrestling put the nails in the coffin. You could have called this Sonnen vs. Filho, part 3 - Sonnen is clear underdog but his opponent just gives up before the match even starts.
While "Thunder" had good jabs to keep Sonnen at a distance, he did not show any of his usually MW gorilla strength and attempted ZERO takedowns. He looked completely off his game. It's always a bad sign for you when Chael Sonnen decides to throw a spinning back kick.
I think Sonnen needs to try his hand at another BJJ guy, like Rousimar Palhares. Should give him some more credibility and a nice bump up in the division.
4. Gleison Tibau defeats Josh Neer via Decision
My first bad pick on my part, as Tibau straight OWNED Neer.
Tibau is the Brazilian Sherk and played the role to a "T" in this match.
Neer was getting overwhelmed with takedowns throughout and really looked like he didn't care it was happening. He got up quickly, multiple times after getting taken down but he had to have known it was slowly losing him the match. "The Dentist" had that killer instinct in his eyes but just couldn't pull anything off. His best offensive technique were his low and mid range leg kicks that seemed to connect every time. I would have liked to see him try to cut off Tibau at angles and corners, rather than continually plod forward.
Although Tibau had some fantastic takedowns reminiscent of Zangief's throw arsenal, I really despised his style and strategy here. He mounted no relevant standup or ground attacks. Was he afraid of Neer's two submission attempts or punches that barely connected with his face?
Neither man's strikes really seemed to connect or was there even an effort to throw with bad intentions. I'd relegate both men back to the prelims after these performances.
5. Cain Velasquez defeats Ben Rothwell via TKO
Another disappointing pick and loss.
It's not that I don't like Cain, but he's just got too much hype for a guy who was only 6-0 before this match. But he really impressed the hell out of me with his performance, with his tremendous takedowns and constant pressure. He definitely knows where his bread and butter lies. I think guys are underestimating his vicious GNP and how easily he can take you down, given his size in relation to most other UFC HW's. It seems like Dana is really trying to push Cain quickly so I'd expect another top 15 fighter in his upcoming match.
"Big Ben" was anything but the prospect I thought'd he be debuting here. He didn't display anything that made him the top dog in the IFL or anything remotely resembling an offense or defense in this match. He looked completely clueless and frankly, the stoppage probably just saved him a couple brain cells.
For once Mazzagati, I don't boo.
6. Lyoto Machida defeats Mauricio Rua via Decision
Who would have ever thought you'd see "Shogun" Rua implement a game plan that relied heavily on patience, with crisp and accurate striking?
Not only was this strategy perfect against Machida, I believe he won the match and should appeal to CSAC. He beat Lyoto to the proverbial punch in nearly every exchange they had. His high guard blocking was perfect against Lyoto's straight counter punches. He also kept catching Lyoto every time he back peddled, circling into Rua's power side, to meet kicks to the inner thigh. This was THE elite "Shogun" that everyone used to talk about. While not the flashiest or most exciting performance, you cannot argue the absolute brilliance and execution of Rua's strategy in this match.
Conversely, this was Lyoto poorest performance to date. He appeared very lackadaisical in this match, in every round. He didn't appear to adapt to Shogun's considerably better offense and I'd be very surprised if he thought he'd won more than 2 rounds. Every punch or kick was countered or intercepted, and every feint ignored by Shogun. I'm not even sure if "The Dragon" cleanly landed more than 10% of his strikes. Why was there no ground game implemented after he was getting bruised and battered?
It's a real shame that he took the undeserving decision victory. Let's hope he's more prepared in the rematch.
I was pretty bummed given how the card ended but luckily, Dream picked me up.
Hopefully, the next entry will sound a little less like ranting.
Peace,
~S
1. Anthony Johnson defeats Yoshiyuki Yoshida via TKO
This was exactly the outcome that most people expected. I thought "Rumble" might be slightly more affected by the massive weight cut, but it didn't stop him from blasting "Zenko" into another dimension.
Yoshida had some extremely poor excuses for clinch attempts either for takedowns, throws or Thai plums. And of course, one of the worst standup sins you can do - circling into your opponents power side. Especially when that person is 6 foot something, has 0% bodyfat and ALL ATHLETIC.
I think Johnson's ready for a stiffer test - someone with a stronger ground game.
2. Joe Stevenson defeats Spencer Fisher via Submission
Joe took this one in a respectable, but not one sided affair. He mixed up standup with takedown attempts and eventually used some nice bjj skills to establish great position and unleash some brutal, rapid fire elbows on the helpless Fisher. Jeff said it best, "Now that's how Roy Nelson should have finished Kimbo".
Fisher looked pretty good at the start of round 2, showing a little more variance in his standup with more kicks in his combos but he wasn't active enough on bottom when he was taken down, and pushed up against the fence. He put up a valiant effort, trying to prevent Joe from getting side control, and I think his best chance of escaping was when Joe went for the leglock; He should have attempted to push off and force a stand up.
I know he's booked against Nate Diaz, but I think I'd rather see Joe vs. Gray Maynard at this point.
3. Chael Sonnen defeats Yushin Okami via Decision
I'm very surprised here that Sonnen completely dominated Okami. I knew his wrestling was good, but Sonnen took the match where ever he wanted and Okami had no anser. Chael pushed the pace with everything he threw and all Okami could do was move backwards. Sonnen's leg kicks accumulated him so good points, but his wrestling put the nails in the coffin. You could have called this Sonnen vs. Filho, part 3 - Sonnen is clear underdog but his opponent just gives up before the match even starts.
While "Thunder" had good jabs to keep Sonnen at a distance, he did not show any of his usually MW gorilla strength and attempted ZERO takedowns. He looked completely off his game. It's always a bad sign for you when Chael Sonnen decides to throw a spinning back kick.
I think Sonnen needs to try his hand at another BJJ guy, like Rousimar Palhares. Should give him some more credibility and a nice bump up in the division.
4. Gleison Tibau defeats Josh Neer via Decision
My first bad pick on my part, as Tibau straight OWNED Neer.
Tibau is the Brazilian Sherk and played the role to a "T" in this match.
Neer was getting overwhelmed with takedowns throughout and really looked like he didn't care it was happening. He got up quickly, multiple times after getting taken down but he had to have known it was slowly losing him the match. "The Dentist" had that killer instinct in his eyes but just couldn't pull anything off. His best offensive technique were his low and mid range leg kicks that seemed to connect every time. I would have liked to see him try to cut off Tibau at angles and corners, rather than continually plod forward.
Although Tibau had some fantastic takedowns reminiscent of Zangief's throw arsenal, I really despised his style and strategy here. He mounted no relevant standup or ground attacks. Was he afraid of Neer's two submission attempts or punches that barely connected with his face?
Neither man's strikes really seemed to connect or was there even an effort to throw with bad intentions. I'd relegate both men back to the prelims after these performances.
5. Cain Velasquez defeats Ben Rothwell via TKO
Another disappointing pick and loss.
It's not that I don't like Cain, but he's just got too much hype for a guy who was only 6-0 before this match. But he really impressed the hell out of me with his performance, with his tremendous takedowns and constant pressure. He definitely knows where his bread and butter lies. I think guys are underestimating his vicious GNP and how easily he can take you down, given his size in relation to most other UFC HW's. It seems like Dana is really trying to push Cain quickly so I'd expect another top 15 fighter in his upcoming match.
"Big Ben" was anything but the prospect I thought'd he be debuting here. He didn't display anything that made him the top dog in the IFL or anything remotely resembling an offense or defense in this match. He looked completely clueless and frankly, the stoppage probably just saved him a couple brain cells.
For once Mazzagati, I don't boo.
6. Lyoto Machida defeats Mauricio Rua via Decision
Who would have ever thought you'd see "Shogun" Rua implement a game plan that relied heavily on patience, with crisp and accurate striking?
Not only was this strategy perfect against Machida, I believe he won the match and should appeal to CSAC. He beat Lyoto to the proverbial punch in nearly every exchange they had. His high guard blocking was perfect against Lyoto's straight counter punches. He also kept catching Lyoto every time he back peddled, circling into Rua's power side, to meet kicks to the inner thigh. This was THE elite "Shogun" that everyone used to talk about. While not the flashiest or most exciting performance, you cannot argue the absolute brilliance and execution of Rua's strategy in this match.
Conversely, this was Lyoto poorest performance to date. He appeared very lackadaisical in this match, in every round. He didn't appear to adapt to Shogun's considerably better offense and I'd be very surprised if he thought he'd won more than 2 rounds. Every punch or kick was countered or intercepted, and every feint ignored by Shogun. I'm not even sure if "The Dragon" cleanly landed more than 10% of his strikes. Why was there no ground game implemented after he was getting bruised and battered?
It's a real shame that he took the undeserving decision victory. Let's hope he's more prepared in the rematch.
I was pretty bummed given how the card ended but luckily, Dream picked me up.
Hopefully, the next entry will sound a little less like ranting.
Peace,
~S
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The MMA Diagnosis - ACL Injuries in MMA
Author Jeff Tsai
This is the first entry in an ongoing series for ‘MMA Strategy’ that will focus on sports medicine. The objective of this series is to combine medical research with combat sports to provide insight into MMA strategy. This series will look at hot topics in the MMA world like training techniques, injuries, and nutrition, and analyze how they give fighters an added edge or put them at a disadvantage.
UFC 104 – Machida vs. Shogun October 24, 2009
In his last two bouts leading up to this championship match, Shogun has looked alternately sloppy and then sharp. Is he still feeling the effects of his knee injuries or is he back to being the dominant powerhouse of his Pride days?
We’re going to investigate the nature of a torn ACL, the time course for healing, and the implications the injury has for each fighter in their upcoming fight.
On to the diagnosis!
The Patient: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Injury: Torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in left knee
Patient History:
2005 - Shogun was at the top of his game, winning Pride’s middleweight Grand Prix and arguably the top ranked 205-pound fighter in the world.
2006 - Even a freak injury in a bout against Mark Coleman couldn’t derail his train of destruction. Shogun went on to win four straight matches after that anomalous loss. His subsequent signing into the UFC brought expectations that his crowning as light-heavyweight champion would be a mere formality.
September 2007 - At UFC 76, Forrest Griffin shocked many by submitting a sluggish Shogun. His poor performance was discovered to be the result of a knee-ligament injury sustained during training that was re-injured during the fight.
October 2007 – Shogun successfully underwent surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee
March 2008 – While training for a June bout against Chuck Liddell, Shogun ruptured the ACL in his left knee again. He successfully underwent knee reconstruction surgery to repair the ACL.
January 2009 – Shogun returned to the Octagon and defeated 44-year old Mark Coleman in a mediocre performance.
April 2009 – Shogun KO’d Chuck Liddell with a lunging left hook.
October 2009 – Shogun vs. Lyoto Machida for the LHW belt.
Medical Background: The ACL is one of four ligaments whose primary function is to stabilize the knee joint. Ligaments connect bones to other bones and are composed of fibrous tissue, which doesn’t have its own blood supply, thus limiting its ability to heal and self-repair. Untreated, the two ends of the torn ligaments never reconnect. Torn ACLs cause damage to knee cartilage, which are soft pads that act as shock absorbers to prevent bone-to-bone contact. Degradation of knee cartilage can result in pain and arthritis, especially when weight is applied to the injured leg.
Current ACL reconstruction surgery techniques can preserve the cartilage and restore the attachment sites of the ligaments, retaining much of the original biomechanical function and neuromotor control. With physical therapy and rehabilitation, a patient can return to previous levels of activity in 6-9 months. Despite these medical advances, some athletes in high intensity sports don’t regain their previous form and approximately 20% of those that underwent reconstructive surgery report knee instability. The ACL is at greatest risk of re-injury during hyperextension of the knee, as well as quick, cutting motions that involve acceleration and deceleration.
MMA Diagnosis: Shogun’s lackluster performance against Coleman came 10 months after knee surgery, which is just over the standard duration of healing for an ACL injury. This certainly affected his training camp and his diminished cardio. This was reflected in his clear imitation of Fat Albert after running up a flight of stairs.
Shogun’s showdown with Machida will come 19 months after his 2nd operation, which is plenty of time for rehabilitation and conditioning. His cardio, or previous lack thereof, won’t likely be as big a factor until the later championship rounds. The stability of his knee is the big question mark. Shogun should avoid performing any kicks with his left leg, because extension at the knee joint puts a high amount of strain on the ACL. He’ll have to be cautious with the level of his right roundhouse kicks because extension and locking of his left planted leg increases with the height of his kick. From the standpoint of reducing his injury probability and controlling the speed and tempo of the fight, Shogun’s best strategy would be to close the distance with Machida and unleash a barrage of Muay Thai strikes in the clinch.
Machida can best exploit Shogun’s injury by utilizing kicks to Shogun’s lead leg to test the stability of his left knee. Throwing feints in both directions is another good strategy because lateral movements that force Shogun to quickly start and stop will put undue stress on the joint. Circling to his left (Shogun’s right) will help Machida avoid the left hook that iced Liddell while additionally increasing Shogun’s inward knee torque, another high stress action.
It’s certainly possible that Shogun has completely healed from his knee injury and no longer suffers any lingering effects. However, it’s also feasible that he’ll never fully regain the form and function of his glorious soccer-kicks-to-the-head days. In a sport where one misstep is the difference between becoming a champion and being removed on a stretcher, a little knowledge may just be the prescription for victory.
About the Author:
Jeff is not a doctor or King of Pancrase, but his educational background and physical training have made him uniquely positioned to intelligently discuss the subject matter. Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry from UC San Diego and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology. Jeff has also earned a black belt in Shorin-Ryu Karate and dabbled in BJJ and boxing training. One of his real passions is discussing and analyzing the real fighters.
References:
Frank CB, Jackson DW. Current Concepts Review - The Science of Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 1997, 79:1556-76
Jung HJ, Fisher MB, Woo SL. Role of biomechanics in the understanding of normal, injured, and healing ligaments and tendons. Sports Med Arthrosc Rehabil Ther Technol. 2009, May 20;1(1):9.
Killian ML, Isaac DI, Haut RC, Déjardin LM, Leetun D, Haut Donahue TL. Traumatic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear and its Implications on Meniscal Degradation: A Preliminary Novel Lapine Osteoarthritis Model. J Surg Res. 2009, Apr 5. [Epub ahead of print]
Murray MM. Current status and potential of primary ACL repair. Clin Sports Med. 2009, Jan;28(1):51-61.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
http://mmafrenzy.com/1273/
http://mmafrenzy.com/1315/
http://mmafrenzy.com/2070/rua-
http://mmafrenzy.com/2205/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/
http://www.sherdog.com/
http://www.sherdog.com/videos/
Thursday, October 22, 2009
UFC 104 Strategy and Predictions
I finally get to do PRE-event thoughts!
My excitement is limited to the main card only though.
WW: Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
The heir apparent to GSP somewhere around 2013 will face his stiffest test since Rich Clementi. I like his chances in this match mainly because of his striking talents. Its still very raw but extremely fast and powerful. This would be the main skill that reminds people of "Rush". He's also going to have the reach and size advantage, due to his frame and weight cutting, which should help in the clinch.
Yoshida is a very experienced judoka with average standup and an above average jujitsu game. He'll definitely be the smaller of the two so I'd also expect him to be faster and lighter on his feet.Everyone remembers his horrendous KO at the hands of Koscheck but it was clearly a strategy issue and not based around his skills or talents. I don't think he'll be making that mistake twice.
"Rumble" should try to keep it standing and unload his vicious punches and kicks to try and outdo Koscheck's brutal KO of "Zenko". He should avoid any sort of clinch or close quarters striking that would give Yoshida the opportunity to pull off any judo throws or takedowns.
Yoshida should avoid any standup confrontations at all cost and work takedowns into his combos. Once on the ground, a submission should be academic.
The variables will be Johnson's strength, "athleticism" and Yoshida's overall strategy.
Anthony Johnson via KO in Round 2
LW: Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher
I feel this is the battle for gatekeeper status. Both men have fairly long MMA careers with wins and losses to some decent fighters but most were not top tier (excluding BJ and Florian). I also don't think either could make a run at whomever the champ may be when they get there - especially not against "The Prodigy".
Joe "Daddy" has a good guillotine but nothing else to really support a strong bjj game that would prove a threat to Fisher. His takedowns will be the key point for him to focus on in this match.
"The King" is a brawler wearing gloves and he's going to make the Octagon his alleyway. With an improved takedown defense, he should have no problem keeping it standing and get the decision victory. If it goes to the ground, he'll have no problem looking for subs on bottom or GNP from the top.
Joe Stevenson via Decision
LW: Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer
I wonder if Sherk pulled out of this match on purpose? Not really sure what purpose it serves in beating Tibau. I do know that Neer is a trooper and would probably take a fight with a stingray if they paid him enough. He's tough and has a never-say-die attitude. It should serve him well against Tibau, who hasn't really shown much as of late. This match will be decided on Neer's willingness to push the pace and prevent the constant, bad takedown attempts that Gleison will attempt.
Josh Neer via Decision
HW: Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell
I see this as a win-win for both guys. The upcomer against the veteran, with both having a lot to gain from a victory here. Cain gains status, builds more momentum in the HW landscape and establishes himself as being very formidable if he can beat the seasoned, uncrowned, IFL vet. A win for "Big Ben" against a highly touted UFC fighter in his first outing should establish himself as a main carder for at least the duration of his first UFC contract.
Everyone will expect Cain to take it to the ground given his collegiate wrestling background, but I would recommend he mix it up more and keep Rothwell confused. He's probably not going to worry about Ben's hands, after receiving that beating by Kongo's but still pulling through and getting the "W". Ben just might be too concerned with getting taken down, and get caught right on the chin.
Being in the game for a while now, Ben should not come in with any Ocatagon "jitters", but hit the ground running and push the pace against Cain. He's well rounded in all aspects of the game and is on the heavier level in the division, in terms of weight. His cardio may not be as great as Cain's, but I don't think Ben will have too much trouble keeping up. There's no doubt in my mind that Rothwell will get taken down, so he should be very active on the ground, looking for openings to bring it back to the feet so Cain has to expend more energy getting up and defending himself in the process. I don't think submissions are the way to go, given Cain's wrestling background and excellent cardio, which helps in maneuvering and ground defense.
Ben Rothwell via Decision
LHW Championship: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua
I'd like to take a vote and see how many people will buy this card specifically for this match only. Looking over the entire card, there's not much even a die hard fan would really be interested in here. The key question is, are people more interested in seeing Lyoto retain the belt or Rua fulfilling his 2005 prophecy as the best LHW?
I'm hoping for the former.
I don't think we've seen enough out of "Shogun" in his UFC career to warrant that this is his second coming. I'm not sold on him returning to his old form, especially after having two major surgeries in two years. He clearly showed in his last fight that he's got a little more patience now and is willing to gameplan more than just rush his opponents and attack Ong Bak style. He has retained his bodylock takedowns and bjj rolling defense. Otherwise, I need to see more matches with him utilizing his dynamic striking, crazy athletic strikes and constant pace pushing on the ground and standing.
Lyoto's UFC career has been quite the opposite. After beating 4 jobbers, they finally realized he could make a major impact in the LHW division. Way back after Rampage became champ, I predicted there would be no LHW champ that could successfully reign, with the exception of Lyoto, if he could take the title. He's never lost a round in the UFC and probably won't for at least a couple more matches until someone finally solves the riddle of "The Dragon" and Machida Karate. I'm sure Machida, his dad and brothers have all pinpointed weaknesses in Shogun's standup game but frankly, I don't think it even matters.
Conversely, Rua's team has their work cut out for them in terms of putting together a reasonable strategy to implement. With his comfortability in going for those bodylock takedowns, he should try to use those and stay on the ground. He's shown to have a legitimate bjj offense, that may prove formidable enough to snatch away the belt. As of late, Shogun's standup hasn't proven formidable enough that he should try it on the Champ.
Lyoto Machida via TKO in Round 2
It should be an exciting night and I'm sure there will be surprises. If any of you are crazy enough to think I know what I'm talking about, please do NOT use my analysis to bet on any of the matches.
Well, unless you plan on splitting the profits with me.
As an aside, no Dream 12 pre-fight thoughts just because I don't have enough time.
Let's see those comments roll in!
~S
My excitement is limited to the main card only though.
WW: Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
The heir apparent to GSP somewhere around 2013 will face his stiffest test since Rich Clementi. I like his chances in this match mainly because of his striking talents. Its still very raw but extremely fast and powerful. This would be the main skill that reminds people of "Rush". He's also going to have the reach and size advantage, due to his frame and weight cutting, which should help in the clinch.
Yoshida is a very experienced judoka with average standup and an above average jujitsu game. He'll definitely be the smaller of the two so I'd also expect him to be faster and lighter on his feet.Everyone remembers his horrendous KO at the hands of Koscheck but it was clearly a strategy issue and not based around his skills or talents. I don't think he'll be making that mistake twice.
"Rumble" should try to keep it standing and unload his vicious punches and kicks to try and outdo Koscheck's brutal KO of "Zenko". He should avoid any sort of clinch or close quarters striking that would give Yoshida the opportunity to pull off any judo throws or takedowns.
Yoshida should avoid any standup confrontations at all cost and work takedowns into his combos. Once on the ground, a submission should be academic.
The variables will be Johnson's strength, "athleticism" and Yoshida's overall strategy.
Anthony Johnson via KO in Round 2
LW: Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher
I feel this is the battle for gatekeeper status. Both men have fairly long MMA careers with wins and losses to some decent fighters but most were not top tier (excluding BJ and Florian). I also don't think either could make a run at whomever the champ may be when they get there - especially not against "The Prodigy".
Joe "Daddy" has a good guillotine but nothing else to really support a strong bjj game that would prove a threat to Fisher. His takedowns will be the key point for him to focus on in this match.
"The King" is a brawler wearing gloves and he's going to make the Octagon his alleyway. With an improved takedown defense, he should have no problem keeping it standing and get the decision victory. If it goes to the ground, he'll have no problem looking for subs on bottom or GNP from the top.
Joe Stevenson via Decision
LW: Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer
I wonder if Sherk pulled out of this match on purpose? Not really sure what purpose it serves in beating Tibau. I do know that Neer is a trooper and would probably take a fight with a stingray if they paid him enough. He's tough and has a never-say-die attitude. It should serve him well against Tibau, who hasn't really shown much as of late. This match will be decided on Neer's willingness to push the pace and prevent the constant, bad takedown attempts that Gleison will attempt.
Josh Neer via Decision
HW: Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell
I see this as a win-win for both guys. The upcomer against the veteran, with both having a lot to gain from a victory here. Cain gains status, builds more momentum in the HW landscape and establishes himself as being very formidable if he can beat the seasoned, uncrowned, IFL vet. A win for "Big Ben" against a highly touted UFC fighter in his first outing should establish himself as a main carder for at least the duration of his first UFC contract.
Everyone will expect Cain to take it to the ground given his collegiate wrestling background, but I would recommend he mix it up more and keep Rothwell confused. He's probably not going to worry about Ben's hands, after receiving that beating by Kongo's but still pulling through and getting the "W". Ben just might be too concerned with getting taken down, and get caught right on the chin.
Being in the game for a while now, Ben should not come in with any Ocatagon "jitters", but hit the ground running and push the pace against Cain. He's well rounded in all aspects of the game and is on the heavier level in the division, in terms of weight. His cardio may not be as great as Cain's, but I don't think Ben will have too much trouble keeping up. There's no doubt in my mind that Rothwell will get taken down, so he should be very active on the ground, looking for openings to bring it back to the feet so Cain has to expend more energy getting up and defending himself in the process. I don't think submissions are the way to go, given Cain's wrestling background and excellent cardio, which helps in maneuvering and ground defense.
Ben Rothwell via Decision
LHW Championship: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua
I'd like to take a vote and see how many people will buy this card specifically for this match only. Looking over the entire card, there's not much even a die hard fan would really be interested in here. The key question is, are people more interested in seeing Lyoto retain the belt or Rua fulfilling his 2005 prophecy as the best LHW?
I'm hoping for the former.
I don't think we've seen enough out of "Shogun" in his UFC career to warrant that this is his second coming. I'm not sold on him returning to his old form, especially after having two major surgeries in two years. He clearly showed in his last fight that he's got a little more patience now and is willing to gameplan more than just rush his opponents and attack Ong Bak style. He has retained his bodylock takedowns and bjj rolling defense. Otherwise, I need to see more matches with him utilizing his dynamic striking, crazy athletic strikes and constant pace pushing on the ground and standing.
Lyoto's UFC career has been quite the opposite. After beating 4 jobbers, they finally realized he could make a major impact in the LHW division. Way back after Rampage became champ, I predicted there would be no LHW champ that could successfully reign, with the exception of Lyoto, if he could take the title. He's never lost a round in the UFC and probably won't for at least a couple more matches until someone finally solves the riddle of "The Dragon" and Machida Karate. I'm sure Machida, his dad and brothers have all pinpointed weaknesses in Shogun's standup game but frankly, I don't think it even matters.
Conversely, Rua's team has their work cut out for them in terms of putting together a reasonable strategy to implement. With his comfortability in going for those bodylock takedowns, he should try to use those and stay on the ground. He's shown to have a legitimate bjj offense, that may prove formidable enough to snatch away the belt. As of late, Shogun's standup hasn't proven formidable enough that he should try it on the Champ.
Lyoto Machida via TKO in Round 2
It should be an exciting night and I'm sure there will be surprises. If any of you are crazy enough to think I know what I'm talking about, please do NOT use my analysis to bet on any of the matches.
Well, unless you plan on splitting the profits with me.
As an aside, no Dream 12 pre-fight thoughts just because I don't have enough time.
Let's see those comments roll in!
~S
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Dream 11 - Tourneys,Tune-Ups and Triumphs
Note: This event took place 10/6/09.
For the sake of my sanity and your eyesight, I'm going to go through just the last 4 matches of the card. I will however, give the results of the two tournament brackets matches that had occurred first.
Featherweight
Kazuyuki Miyata defeats Daika Hata via Decision (Reserve bout)
Bibiano Fernanddes defeats Joe Warren via Submission
Hiroyuki Takaya defeats Hideo Tokoro via TKO
Super Hulk
Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Hong Man Choi via Submission
Rameau Sokoudjou defeats Bob Sapp via TKO
Ok, down to the final four.
1. Tatsuya Kawajiri defeats Melchor Manibusan
Clearly, this was a gimme match for Kawajiri. He will most likely get the winner of Aoki/Hansen match going on later on this card.
Melchor posed no threat to "Crusher" whatsoever and frankly, this match made no sense for either fighter. The man's record was 2-3 before this match.
I love the Japanese and their "warm up" matches.
2. Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Rubin Williams via Submission
Speaking of matches that make no sense, the most beloved Japanese MMA fighter of all time beats an ex-boxer in his debut MMA match. I got the sense that both guys thought this was more a sparring match. We didn't really see any techniques besides the Kimura that ended everything. Both the strikes and takedowns were sloppy and I don't think Williams even threw any strikes.
Although, there's not many more veterans or experienced fighters that Sakuraba can face and beat, I'd rather not see him in these ridiculous lopsided matches with non-MMA fighters that are trying to transition over or just looking for a paycheck.
"The Gracie Hunter" deserves better, even in the twilight of his career.
3. Shinya Aoki defeats Joachim Hansen via Submission
Wow.
What a complete 180 from the last two matches.
This could have been a fantastical match in ADCC because of the little, inconsequential striking that took place. It had shades of Maia/McDonald and Sakuraba/Newton in terms of the levels of grappling we saw from both guys.
Although we could have went without Aoki hollywooding it for about 20 minutes when he took that nut shot, he definitely redeemed himself with the last second armbar to finish the match. He very much stuck to his game plan the whole time and didn't miss a beat. Sloppy takedowns or not, he went for them and got them. He shrewdly went for dominant positions first, before attempting any submissions and took his time doing it.
Hansen was trying to match Aoki on the ground and he was holding his own. He's as much an offensive grappler as Aoki. While a little less talented in that area, he makes up for this with having superior striking, which he did not get to utilize due to Aoki's effective game plan or Hansen's ineffectiveness in getting taken down.
Finally, that one mistake of going for the knee strike cost "Hellboy" the championship belt, but I commend him on his efforts regardless. Who's up for a 4th match between them?
4. Bibiano Fernandes defeats Hiroyuki Takaya via Decision
This was a close one and I saw it going either way.
I couldn't place my finger on it until about midway through the match, but Bibiano's fighting style is very similar to Hermes Franca's. It's a combination of the crazy, monkey-haymaker style punches and sloppy takedown and submission attempts. Another thing that reminded me of Hermes was his size. I know he doesn't train down at ATT but he must be getting pointers from someone down there because his weight cutting skills are either spectacular or he never plans on fighting in the US.
Takaya fought a good fight and connected to Fernandes' face with some rather good, hard shots. Too bad they proved ineffective and his lack of ground skills cost him the decision victory.
I'm now waiting for a rematch of champions, "KID" vs. "The Flash".
I'll try not to skip bouts that are televised next time. I'm just worried that if I try to come up with relevant and comical analogies about what strategies that Minowaman and Judo Thierry implemented in the Super Hulk tournament, it would just drain me of brain power that I plan on using for my bicep workout later today.
Later
~S
For the sake of my sanity and your eyesight, I'm going to go through just the last 4 matches of the card. I will however, give the results of the two tournament brackets matches that had occurred first.
Featherweight
Kazuyuki Miyata defeats Daika Hata via Decision (Reserve bout)
Bibiano Fernanddes defeats Joe Warren via Submission
Hiroyuki Takaya defeats Hideo Tokoro via TKO
Super Hulk
Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Hong Man Choi via Submission
Rameau Sokoudjou defeats Bob Sapp via TKO
Ok, down to the final four.
1. Tatsuya Kawajiri defeats Melchor Manibusan
Clearly, this was a gimme match for Kawajiri. He will most likely get the winner of Aoki/Hansen match going on later on this card.
Melchor posed no threat to "Crusher" whatsoever and frankly, this match made no sense for either fighter. The man's record was 2-3 before this match.
I love the Japanese and their "warm up" matches.
2. Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Rubin Williams via Submission
Speaking of matches that make no sense, the most beloved Japanese MMA fighter of all time beats an ex-boxer in his debut MMA match. I got the sense that both guys thought this was more a sparring match. We didn't really see any techniques besides the Kimura that ended everything. Both the strikes and takedowns were sloppy and I don't think Williams even threw any strikes.
Although, there's not many more veterans or experienced fighters that Sakuraba can face and beat, I'd rather not see him in these ridiculous lopsided matches with non-MMA fighters that are trying to transition over or just looking for a paycheck.
"The Gracie Hunter" deserves better, even in the twilight of his career.
3. Shinya Aoki defeats Joachim Hansen via Submission
Wow.
What a complete 180 from the last two matches.
This could have been a fantastical match in ADCC because of the little, inconsequential striking that took place. It had shades of Maia/McDonald and Sakuraba/Newton in terms of the levels of grappling we saw from both guys.
Although we could have went without Aoki hollywooding it for about 20 minutes when he took that nut shot, he definitely redeemed himself with the last second armbar to finish the match. He very much stuck to his game plan the whole time and didn't miss a beat. Sloppy takedowns or not, he went for them and got them. He shrewdly went for dominant positions first, before attempting any submissions and took his time doing it.
Hansen was trying to match Aoki on the ground and he was holding his own. He's as much an offensive grappler as Aoki. While a little less talented in that area, he makes up for this with having superior striking, which he did not get to utilize due to Aoki's effective game plan or Hansen's ineffectiveness in getting taken down.
Finally, that one mistake of going for the knee strike cost "Hellboy" the championship belt, but I commend him on his efforts regardless. Who's up for a 4th match between them?
4. Bibiano Fernandes defeats Hiroyuki Takaya via Decision
This was a close one and I saw it going either way.
I couldn't place my finger on it until about midway through the match, but Bibiano's fighting style is very similar to Hermes Franca's. It's a combination of the crazy, monkey-haymaker style punches and sloppy takedown and submission attempts. Another thing that reminded me of Hermes was his size. I know he doesn't train down at ATT but he must be getting pointers from someone down there because his weight cutting skills are either spectacular or he never plans on fighting in the US.
Takaya fought a good fight and connected to Fernandes' face with some rather good, hard shots. Too bad they proved ineffective and his lack of ground skills cost him the decision victory.
I'm now waiting for a rematch of champions, "KID" vs. "The Flash".
I'll try not to skip bouts that are televised next time. I'm just worried that if I try to come up with relevant and comical analogies about what strategies that Minowaman and Judo Thierry implemented in the Super Hulk tournament, it would just drain me of brain power that I plan on using for my bicep workout later today.
Later
~S
Monday, October 19, 2009
WEC 43 Cerrone vs. Henderson
I feel bad for people that don't get the Versus channel.
They're forced to search the internet for cards like this after people like me tell them they NEED to watch this card. Or they miss a fantastic card with fighters under 155 lbs., that would get anyone hooked on the little guys.
Note that the matches reviewed are from the replay of the event.
1. Damacio Page defeats Will Campuzano via Submission
If the Tasmanian Devil were a fighter, he would fight like Damacio.
Except I think Damacio drinks more Red Bulls before his matches. He also has less fur and better back control.
Speaking of back control, I'd like to hear what the heck Campuzano was thinking giving his back up like a tree to a koala?
2. Raphael Assuncao defeats Yves Jabouin via Decision
GSP-lite vs. the "good" Assuncao brother.
And being the best of the brothers was just enough to beat Yves.
They had some good, short bursts of exchanges in the pocket. Yves looked to be the better one on the feet with his fancy spin moves and crisp strikes, but I think both of them landed a pretty even number of clean strikes. Yves was also moving around with good angles but he also moved forward a lot when he threw any strikes. What's the point of moving at awkward angles but not using them to your advantage? Raphael threw some pretty awful, wild haymakers but it was more than enough to stifle Yves on the feet. Throw in a dash of bjj and you've got an easy decision victory for Assuncao.
3. Dave Jansen defeats Rich Crunkilton via Decision
Kudos to WEC newcomer Dave Jansen for beating a veteran in Crunkilton. "Cleat" had no answer for Dave's takedowns and constant pressure and movement.
Both could do with a trip to Thailand to work on their striking to complement their wrestling base.
4. Benson Henderson defeats Donald Cerrone
This was a classic striker vs. wrestler matchup with a twist. Both guys were equally skilled in another area that complimented their base area very well. Cerrone has excellent Muy Thai and an outstanding bottom submission game - 90% of his wins were via submission.
"Smooth" has the mirror opposite, complimentary skillset to Donald's. While only a purple belt in bjj, he's got ridiculous submission defense. So much so that in his next fight when they list his 3 main traits, one of them should be "unsubmittable". I was dumbfounded when Mir mentioned that Ben had submitted black belts in competition matches. This would explain his Mr. Miracle-like escapes and counters to Cerrone's submission attempts.
The other thing that Ben was great at was his standing offense while Cerrone was on his back. "Cowboy" did NOTHING to defend against the punches to his head and abdomen. I wasn't sure why Cerrone wasn't more active with his feet with upkicks or heel kicks and the like.
Too bad this match wasn't in a Dream event because "Cowboy" would have definitely been awarded the match. The Dream judges award the fighter the win based on the match as a whole and less on individual rounds, like boxing.
And lastly...FIND THIS CARD AND WATCH IT.
Later,
~S
They're forced to search the internet for cards like this after people like me tell them they NEED to watch this card. Or they miss a fantastic card with fighters under 155 lbs., that would get anyone hooked on the little guys.
Note that the matches reviewed are from the replay of the event.
1. Damacio Page defeats Will Campuzano via Submission
If the Tasmanian Devil were a fighter, he would fight like Damacio.
Except I think Damacio drinks more Red Bulls before his matches. He also has less fur and better back control.
Speaking of back control, I'd like to hear what the heck Campuzano was thinking giving his back up like a tree to a koala?
2. Raphael Assuncao defeats Yves Jabouin via Decision
GSP-lite vs. the "good" Assuncao brother.
And being the best of the brothers was just enough to beat Yves.
They had some good, short bursts of exchanges in the pocket. Yves looked to be the better one on the feet with his fancy spin moves and crisp strikes, but I think both of them landed a pretty even number of clean strikes. Yves was also moving around with good angles but he also moved forward a lot when he threw any strikes. What's the point of moving at awkward angles but not using them to your advantage? Raphael threw some pretty awful, wild haymakers but it was more than enough to stifle Yves on the feet. Throw in a dash of bjj and you've got an easy decision victory for Assuncao.
3. Dave Jansen defeats Rich Crunkilton via Decision
Kudos to WEC newcomer Dave Jansen for beating a veteran in Crunkilton. "Cleat" had no answer for Dave's takedowns and constant pressure and movement.
Both could do with a trip to Thailand to work on their striking to complement their wrestling base.
4. Benson Henderson defeats Donald Cerrone
This was a classic striker vs. wrestler matchup with a twist. Both guys were equally skilled in another area that complimented their base area very well. Cerrone has excellent Muy Thai and an outstanding bottom submission game - 90% of his wins were via submission.
"Smooth" has the mirror opposite, complimentary skillset to Donald's. While only a purple belt in bjj, he's got ridiculous submission defense. So much so that in his next fight when they list his 3 main traits, one of them should be "unsubmittable". I was dumbfounded when Mir mentioned that Ben had submitted black belts in competition matches. This would explain his Mr. Miracle-like escapes and counters to Cerrone's submission attempts.
The other thing that Ben was great at was his standing offense while Cerrone was on his back. "Cowboy" did NOTHING to defend against the punches to his head and abdomen. I wasn't sure why Cerrone wasn't more active with his feet with upkicks or heel kicks and the like.
Too bad this match wasn't in a Dream event because "Cowboy" would have definitely been awarded the match. The Dream judges award the fighter the win based on the match as a whole and less on individual rounds, like boxing.
And lastly...FIND THIS CARD AND WATCH IT.
Later,
~S
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Sengoku 10 - Sengoku Fight Night #39
Again with the card lacking in star power but excellent finishes.
1. Maximo Blanco defeats Tetsuya Yamada via Submission (verbal)
When was the last time you saw someone submit verbally in a match?
It was bound to happen again and who better than "Maxi" Blanco to have the first verbal sub in Sengoku. It's also not surprising given the world class, wrestler is a BEAST on the feet. This wasn't his best performance but he still got the job done in Silverback stomping fashion.
Yamada had some reasonable submission attempts but nothing Cerrone-esque (see next post). I do however, want to see more spinning leglock attempts.
2. Joe Doerkson defeats Takenori Sato via TKO
Not sure how these fellas got matched up, but this was just easy money for "El Dirte".
Sato did what he could to take this fight to the ground but he still got dropped a few times by Joe and finally made the mistake of trying to stay in the pocket and get blasted.
3. Dan Hornbuckle defeats Nick Thompson via TKO
I really want to see "The Handler" in the UFC. He really knows how to use his long limbs standing and good bjj defense to stop world class ground guys. He also had Thompson's number with his southpaw stance. "The Goat" made the mistake of circling into Dan's power side once too many times and ate some hard shots to end the match early.
4. Fabio Silva defeats Ryo Kawamura via KO
I liken Fabio to an overweight version of Wanderlei, and stuck Japan as if Pride never went down.
Kawamura just looked like canon fodder for Silva as he took a barrage of punches and knees, including a DIVING punch to the face right about when the ref had to stop the mugging. That should be on mix video somewhere.
5. Kazunori Yokota defeats Ryan Schultz via KO
Schultz is becoming the new Sean Salmon in my book with three, disturbingly bad losses since leaving IFL for Sengoku. Previously,"The Lion" was doing very well in the IFL, accruing a 6 fight win streak and defeating young, standup, wunderkind Chris Horodecki to become the first and only IFL LW champ. Currently, Lady Misfortune seems to be peeing all over Schultz's MMA career.
Yokota got the opposite treatment, with a great Hendo-like overhand right to the unlucky Schultz. I figured he'd have taken a TKO or decision give both fighter's histories.
6. Makoto Takimoto defeats Jae Sun Lee via Decision
A very uneventful match between to barely above .500 fighters. Lots of weak sauce ground striking and smothering. The high points were a nice jumping knee and hip toss by Takimoto.
7. Antonio Silva defeats Jim York via Submission
The arm triangle was a great move to pull off by "Bigfoot". It showed more variety to his game than his usual standup strategy. Plus, "Big" Jimmy had the power to shut off Silva's lights at any moment - man has shoulders like bowling balls.
Let's see if Silva's got more tricks in his bag in his next match with Fabricio Werdum.
8. Antz Nansen defeats Hiroshi Izumi via TKO
The "Notorious" one spoils Izumi's inaugural bout with various punches and kicks that left him with no answer standing.
Tried to keep this one short given the amount of matches shown but still ended up being more than I expected.
Stay tuned for a late analysis of WEC 43 tomorrow.
~S
1. Maximo Blanco defeats Tetsuya Yamada via Submission (verbal)
When was the last time you saw someone submit verbally in a match?
It was bound to happen again and who better than "Maxi" Blanco to have the first verbal sub in Sengoku. It's also not surprising given the world class, wrestler is a BEAST on the feet. This wasn't his best performance but he still got the job done in Silverback stomping fashion.
Yamada had some reasonable submission attempts but nothing Cerrone-esque (see next post). I do however, want to see more spinning leglock attempts.
2. Joe Doerkson defeats Takenori Sato via TKO
Not sure how these fellas got matched up, but this was just easy money for "El Dirte".
Sato did what he could to take this fight to the ground but he still got dropped a few times by Joe and finally made the mistake of trying to stay in the pocket and get blasted.
3. Dan Hornbuckle defeats Nick Thompson via TKO
I really want to see "The Handler" in the UFC. He really knows how to use his long limbs standing and good bjj defense to stop world class ground guys. He also had Thompson's number with his southpaw stance. "The Goat" made the mistake of circling into Dan's power side once too many times and ate some hard shots to end the match early.
4. Fabio Silva defeats Ryo Kawamura via KO
I liken Fabio to an overweight version of Wanderlei, and stuck Japan as if Pride never went down.
Kawamura just looked like canon fodder for Silva as he took a barrage of punches and knees, including a DIVING punch to the face right about when the ref had to stop the mugging. That should be on mix video somewhere.
5. Kazunori Yokota defeats Ryan Schultz via KO
Schultz is becoming the new Sean Salmon in my book with three, disturbingly bad losses since leaving IFL for Sengoku. Previously,"The Lion" was doing very well in the IFL, accruing a 6 fight win streak and defeating young, standup, wunderkind Chris Horodecki to become the first and only IFL LW champ. Currently, Lady Misfortune seems to be peeing all over Schultz's MMA career.
Yokota got the opposite treatment, with a great Hendo-like overhand right to the unlucky Schultz. I figured he'd have taken a TKO or decision give both fighter's histories.
6. Makoto Takimoto defeats Jae Sun Lee via Decision
A very uneventful match between to barely above .500 fighters. Lots of weak sauce ground striking and smothering. The high points were a nice jumping knee and hip toss by Takimoto.
7. Antonio Silva defeats Jim York via Submission
The arm triangle was a great move to pull off by "Bigfoot". It showed more variety to his game than his usual standup strategy. Plus, "Big" Jimmy had the power to shut off Silva's lights at any moment - man has shoulders like bowling balls.
Let's see if Silva's got more tricks in his bag in his next match with Fabricio Werdum.
8. Antz Nansen defeats Hiroshi Izumi via TKO
The "Notorious" one spoils Izumi's inaugural bout with various punches and kicks that left him with no answer standing.
Tried to keep this one short given the amount of matches shown but still ended up being more than I expected.
Stay tuned for a late analysis of WEC 43 tomorrow.
~S
List Time - Tito Ortiz should NOT Rematch against Forrest Griffin...
Here's my list of opponents, top to bottom, of who'd I think would be most logical for Tito, in his return to the UFC:
1. Keith Jardine
2. Stephan Bonnar
3. Rich Franklin
4. Dan Henderson
5. James Irvin
6. Vladimir Matyushenko
Criteria for selecting opponents (loosely in order, most to least important):
1. Opponents are currently not scheduled to fight
2. Advancement of either fighter's career
3. Combined drawing power of matchup
4. Potential competitiveness of the match
5. Prior history, connection or continuity of the matchup
Finally, my breakdown and reasoning:
1. "The Dean of Mean"
After yet another quick starching by a powerful striker, the "Mean 1" needs an opponent who isn't going to obliterate him in the 1st round, but also will give him a spirited challenge in the Octagon. I really like this matchup because it has the potential for some entertaining action and great techniques from each fighter, based on their respective skill sets. And, it won't end in the first 3 minutes, potentially creating a disappointing main event.
Jardine is the perennial underdog in his high profile matches. Usually, it's been his opponent recruiting the high attendance numbers, but I'd still consider him a decent draw. He always tries to take it to his opponents and has that chance of pulling off the upset, specifically his wins against Liddell and Forrest. A win against Tito would also catapult him back into the top 5 as a LHW, mainly because Tito is a VERY big draw to UFC fans. He also has the means and resources to make this a good fight, with his fighting style and training partner, who nearly defeated Tito, Rashad Evans.
2. Stephan Bonnar
Another popular TUF contestant on the downswing in his UFC career that could use the boost from beating the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy". He's definitely got some drawing power and proposes a good standup game against Ortiz.
A good match up for Tito because Bonnar's standup is good, but doesn't rival Thiago Silva or Houston Alexander, in terms of power, which I see as a mental and physical roadblock for him. In this match, Tito would have the opportunity to showcase his standup and wrestling skills to remind fans of why he was once the UFC LHW Champ.
The "American Pyscho" had his wrestling defense thoroughly exploited by Mark Coleman in his last match and would need to definitely rethink his current strategy when going into matches.
3. Rich Franklin
This would be the biggest draw of all my picks. Two ultra popular, ex-UFC champs squaring off for the first time, having fought common opponents, and both being coaches on TUF, on different seasons.
Almost a "What If?" style match up, since they were both in the LHW division and could have potentially fought had Franklin not dropped down to MW and capture the title.
Franklin poses some interesting challenges for Tito and vice versa. We haven't really seen how Franklin would fair against a wrestler willing to constantly use his takedown and GNP skills to the fullest or Tito go up against a great game-planing, strong, southpaw striker.
4. Dan Henderson
Hendo would be the stiffest challenge because he's a great Greco wrestler who's also willing to sacrifice his body to take your head off with his berserker rage style standup. Tito has exhibited his reluctance to stand and trade if you have previously shown one punch, Ralph-like power. Another reason this matchup isn't exactly favorable to Tito is because his bullying style and wrestling skills usually only work against non-wrestlers and not dudes that have wrestled in the OLYMPICS.
But, in the slim chance that Tito manages to defeat "Hollywood", I don't see how Dana or Joe Silva not take him to the #1 or 2 contender spot in the LWH division.
5. James Irvin
This is the quick and easy route to "put over" Tito. Irvin has the aforementioned power that Tito is afraid of, but Tito is certainly not dumb enough to bang with a one-hitter, quitter, who clearly has doesn't have the ground game to fend him off. This should be a simple snatch and grab, ground and pound win for Tito.
Game over, round 1.
Sorry, James, but at least you get to fight another big name.
6. Vladimir Matyushenko
Lastly, who the hell is this guy?!
I'm throwing in the "Janitor" because nobody ever gives him any love and he's someone that can spoil the current LHW party in the UFC. Here's a bit of history regarding, Vlady:
- One and only IFL LHW Champ
- Beaten some tough opponents: Pedro Rizzo, 'lil Nog, Yuki Kondo
- Very few losses and to tough opponents: 'lil Nog and Andrei Arlovski
- Previously fought Tito in 2001 and took him to a decision
I'm not a big fan of rematches (one of the reasons for this entry) but I think this one makes the most sense out of any for Tito because, a) it's been 8 years since they fought, b) Vlady could easily put Tito over if he lost and c) this would be a very good test for someone who's straddled the line of top 20 LHW's for a while, but never given a strong opportunity to make a name for himself. Every dog has it's day and if you've given one to a gigantic headed Mexi-American, why not to a dude with a nickname based on someone that cleans up garbage for a living?
I'm sure I missed some guys that no doubt should be on this list but keep in mind, I was also looking for favorable matches for Tito, just as much as someone that would stomp him. I am not a fan of Tito, the next UFC LWH champ, but I AM a fan of Tito, the bring more mainstream attention to the UFC, with his cockiness and shameless promoting antics.
Don't forget, WEC tonight!
~S
1. Keith Jardine
2. Stephan Bonnar
3. Rich Franklin
4. Dan Henderson
5. James Irvin
6. Vladimir Matyushenko
Criteria for selecting opponents (loosely in order, most to least important):
1. Opponents are currently not scheduled to fight
2. Advancement of either fighter's career
3. Combined drawing power of matchup
4. Potential competitiveness of the match
5. Prior history, connection or continuity of the matchup
Finally, my breakdown and reasoning:
1. "The Dean of Mean"
After yet another quick starching by a powerful striker, the "Mean 1" needs an opponent who isn't going to obliterate him in the 1st round, but also will give him a spirited challenge in the Octagon. I really like this matchup because it has the potential for some entertaining action and great techniques from each fighter, based on their respective skill sets. And, it won't end in the first 3 minutes, potentially creating a disappointing main event.
Jardine is the perennial underdog in his high profile matches. Usually, it's been his opponent recruiting the high attendance numbers, but I'd still consider him a decent draw. He always tries to take it to his opponents and has that chance of pulling off the upset, specifically his wins against Liddell and Forrest. A win against Tito would also catapult him back into the top 5 as a LHW, mainly because Tito is a VERY big draw to UFC fans. He also has the means and resources to make this a good fight, with his fighting style and training partner, who nearly defeated Tito, Rashad Evans.
2. Stephan Bonnar
Another popular TUF contestant on the downswing in his UFC career that could use the boost from beating the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy". He's definitely got some drawing power and proposes a good standup game against Ortiz.
A good match up for Tito because Bonnar's standup is good, but doesn't rival Thiago Silva or Houston Alexander, in terms of power, which I see as a mental and physical roadblock for him. In this match, Tito would have the opportunity to showcase his standup and wrestling skills to remind fans of why he was once the UFC LHW Champ.
The "American Pyscho" had his wrestling defense thoroughly exploited by Mark Coleman in his last match and would need to definitely rethink his current strategy when going into matches.
3. Rich Franklin
This would be the biggest draw of all my picks. Two ultra popular, ex-UFC champs squaring off for the first time, having fought common opponents, and both being coaches on TUF, on different seasons.
Almost a "What If?" style match up, since they were both in the LHW division and could have potentially fought had Franklin not dropped down to MW and capture the title.
Franklin poses some interesting challenges for Tito and vice versa. We haven't really seen how Franklin would fair against a wrestler willing to constantly use his takedown and GNP skills to the fullest or Tito go up against a great game-planing, strong, southpaw striker.
4. Dan Henderson
Hendo would be the stiffest challenge because he's a great Greco wrestler who's also willing to sacrifice his body to take your head off with his berserker rage style standup. Tito has exhibited his reluctance to stand and trade if you have previously shown one punch, Ralph-like power. Another reason this matchup isn't exactly favorable to Tito is because his bullying style and wrestling skills usually only work against non-wrestlers and not dudes that have wrestled in the OLYMPICS.
But, in the slim chance that Tito manages to defeat "Hollywood", I don't see how Dana or Joe Silva not take him to the #1 or 2 contender spot in the LWH division.
5. James Irvin
This is the quick and easy route to "put over" Tito. Irvin has the aforementioned power that Tito is afraid of, but Tito is certainly not dumb enough to bang with a one-hitter, quitter, who clearly has doesn't have the ground game to fend him off. This should be a simple snatch and grab, ground and pound win for Tito.
Game over, round 1.
Sorry, James, but at least you get to fight another big name.
6. Vladimir Matyushenko
Lastly, who the hell is this guy?!
I'm throwing in the "Janitor" because nobody ever gives him any love and he's someone that can spoil the current LHW party in the UFC. Here's a bit of history regarding, Vlady:
- One and only IFL LHW Champ
- Beaten some tough opponents: Pedro Rizzo, 'lil Nog, Yuki Kondo
- Very few losses and to tough opponents: 'lil Nog and Andrei Arlovski
- Previously fought Tito in 2001 and took him to a decision
I'm not a big fan of rematches (one of the reasons for this entry) but I think this one makes the most sense out of any for Tito because, a) it's been 8 years since they fought, b) Vlady could easily put Tito over if he lost and c) this would be a very good test for someone who's straddled the line of top 20 LHW's for a while, but never given a strong opportunity to make a name for himself. Every dog has it's day and if you've given one to a gigantic headed Mexi-American, why not to a dude with a nickname based on someone that cleans up garbage for a living?
I'm sure I missed some guys that no doubt should be on this list but keep in mind, I was also looking for favorable matches for Tito, just as much as someone that would stomp him. I am not a fan of Tito, the next UFC LWH champ, but I AM a fan of Tito, the bring more mainstream attention to the UFC, with his cockiness and shameless promoting antics.
Don't forget, WEC tonight!
~S
Thursday, October 8, 2009
San Francisco Fights 1 - Mayhem on Muni
This will be my first entry on female MMA.
Probably not what you would expect, but with no recent Jewel, Hook 'N Shoot or Shooto female matches, this seemed like a good place to start. Let's name the competitors first - Purple and Glasses.
Match starts off with a lot of feeling out, unusually in the pocket. After about a minute or so, they start exchanging blows but Purple is definitely more accurate, landing some clean back-of-the-head shots. She also pulls off a spectacular jumping front kick, keeping her balance with the upright vertical rails. This was a smart maneuver to pull off as it keeps your opponent at a distance and correctly uses your surroundings to your advantage.
Finally the ref steps in and calls it, forcing the loser, Glasses, to vacate the arena.
Next time, Glasses should pick her opponents more wisely. Chinese women have great reaction time and advanced-level tactics and strategy when in a confrontational situations.
(If you couldn't tell, I'm American born Chinese)
Female aggression at its best!
~S
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
UFC 103 - Franklin vs. Belfort
This card feels like a continuation of UFN 19.
I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. On the one hand, Fight Night was really exciting and competitive. On the other, there weren't any big draws to entice fans into actually purchasing the event.
If you didn't watch it, you missed out on some surprises.
1. Tyson Griffin defeats Hermes Franca via TKO
Why did Hermes even show up? He hasn't looked great in previous showings, but I'm trying to figure out if he even tried to make weight this time around. I'm not surprised the UFC cut him recently. Besides throwing Mortal Kombat-esque uppercuts and hooks that did nothing to really slow down Tyson, he might as well have stayed back in Florida.
Griffin looked sharp as usual with a plethora of crisp, offensive strikes, quick counter strikes and good smothering, top pressure to end the match in the 2nd. I wouldn't be surprised if his next fight was the winner of Guida vs. Florian and then a title shot if he can keep a decent win streak alive.
2. Josh Koscheck defeats Frank Trigg via TKO
Boy, could this have been a really technical fight. You've got two guys with excellent wrestling pedigrees and what do they do? They stand like it's the K-1 WGP. And of course, the first guy to slip up gets the short end of the stick. Frankly, I'm glad the rumors of "Twinkle Toes" getting cut after this match weren't true because he could really make an impact in the WW division. He's got the skills and experience to beat most prelim guys but he'll struggle with the mid to top 15'ers, mainly because of a decline in athleticism and lack of speed.
Koscheck could just as easily fall in this same trap for different reasons. He clearly outmatched Trigg in both those areas above, but he clearly prefers to stand and strike rather than GNP. This got him in trouble in his last outting against Paulo Thaigo and coincidentally, a similar situation arose with this fight. Trigg was caught by a wrist/forearm shot to the back of head and was taken to the cleaners. While I understood that Trigg's plan was to stay in the pocket and trade, knowing that Koscheck's standup is quite suspect for a top 5 WW, he looked a little too anxious when he thought Koscheck was in danger. But that's also the mark of a good fighter: to be able to smell blood and go in for the kill. Luckily for Trigg, he'll get one more shot before he gets the boot and then its back to Trigonomics.
3. Paul Daley defeats Martin Kampmann via TKO
What could have been an opportunity of a lifetime for "The Hitman" became a coming out party for "Semtex".
Man that's a cool nickname - he literally blew up any chance of Kampmann getting a title shot for at least the next year or so.
We also found out Daley has a mean left hook or that Kampmann never learned to properly set up a good takedown attempt. Kampmann did land some nice knees in a thai clinch but it was too little, too late.
4. Rafael Dos Anjos defeats Rob Emerson via Decision
This match was all about adapting to the circumstances and improving upon his gameplan before the other guy. Clearly Dos Anjos is a faster thinker on his feet because he wasn't limping as he left the Octagon with a ridiculous bruise on his inner thigh.
Emerson started off well, correctly avoiding takedowns and staying in the pocket to trade with the bjj specialist. What he probably didn't factor in was that Dos Anjos had more power and speed in his left leg kicks because he was a southpaw. This gave him the obvious advantage in keeping Emerson at bay when he tried to throw any type of straight punches. After he noticed he couldn't take Rob down, he just went straight for the same spot on his inner thigh every time. The craziest part was that Emerson did NOTHING to prevent his leg from being blasted. It was almost as if he forgot that he had been hit in that same spot 10 seconds ago and proceeded to throw weak punches because he could no longer use his lead leg.
Let's keep them both on the prelims and see if either of them makes any more progress winning or losing via leg kicks.
5. Junior Dos Santos defeats Mirko CroCop via Submission
This match was the most irrelevant, relevant fight on the card. Longtime CroCop fans were hoping he'd be back in form against a young, hungry up-and-comer. Instead, it was a battered and tired CroCop against a sloppy Cigano. Mirko actually landed some nice, clean left straights but he was taking way too long to set them up and attack. Conversely, Junior was constantly moving forward and not setting up anything cleanly. This could have been his entire strategy all along, but had he taken more time to pull off some nicer and cleaner combinations, he'd have looked much more impressive to the fans and UFC management. He'll still probably get a top 15 guy in his next outting.
It was very clear Mirko didn't want to be there and his loss was inevitable. There was too much clinching and hesitation on his part for him to really put up any strong offense. And when you boil him down, that's what he's all about. Yes, his counter punches have accuracy, but he's the scariest when his head or body kicks are launched out of nowhere. He's always been most comfortable fighting in Japan and I think that's where he should end his career - maybe a rematch with "The Beast" on the next Dynamite card?
You'll always have your anti-terrorism task force day job, Mr. CroCop.
6. Vitor Belfort defeats Rich Franklin via TKO
We have a new champ of the imaginary UFC 195 lb. title.
"Ace" recently defeating "The Axe Murderer" and "The Phenom" obliterating "The Law" (dang, those just sound like they came out of a cartoon or comic book).
This fight was the least entertaining of the 3 mentioned above. There was a good deal of feeling out for nearly half the round, until they both started inching closer into the "Pocket o' TKO's". Franklin just got a little too close and got Trigg'd and it was all over.
Yes, I just made up Trigg'd right now. And yes, I purposely left out an "e".
This was just the type of win Belfort needed to skyrocket him to a title fight. It's too bad the odds aren't in his favor and he'll probably lose via highlight reel KO.
I'm not sure what tools he's going to use against the most dominant MW champ ever, given he hasn't shown many in his last 3 fights.
7. Nik Lentz defeats Rafaello Oliveira via Decision
Now this was a battle.
The first round was very competitive and a good mixture of standing and ground attacks. Both weren't afraid to stand and trade or take it to the ground. Both applied takedowns and good aggression to make it a pretty close 1st round.
2nd and 3rd rounds were all Lentz, as he stayed REAL busy the whole time. His guard was very active and he pressed the action in almost every position. Notice the body shots he was unloading on Rafaello as he was standing over him. Those can suck the gas out of you if you don't defend against them. I also like his guillotines because he wasn't just using them to finish the match. You'll notice he'd apply some good technique but let go after he was able to get his bearings and advance his position. He knew that in most of those spots he wasn't going to sub him but he could at least get out of a bad position while Oliveira was distracted by the guillotine.
For his fantastic performance, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave Nik a big step up in competition, preferably, a Jim Miller or Melvin Guillard.
8 . Rick Story defeats Brian Foster via Submission
Speaking of good performances, I wouldn't be surprised if Story jumped up to the main card against a decent opponent in his next match. He got caught with a couple good uppercuts but rallied back in the 2nd to pull off a Submission of the year contender arm triangle from top position, in GUARD. That was just straight brute strength that caused Foster to tap. Foster had the correct defense going but Story was like a pitbull that had its jaw set. I hope both of them come back against some really game opponents, that are on an upswing.
Definitely a good card all the way around, minus high profile fighters. I recommend newcomers just starting to gain interest in the sport to check it out. It's perfect since you won't neccessarily care who anyone is or what they are known for. Just really great matches with back-and-forth, awesome finishes and solid techniques.
~S
I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. On the one hand, Fight Night was really exciting and competitive. On the other, there weren't any big draws to entice fans into actually purchasing the event.
If you didn't watch it, you missed out on some surprises.
1. Tyson Griffin defeats Hermes Franca via TKO
Why did Hermes even show up? He hasn't looked great in previous showings, but I'm trying to figure out if he even tried to make weight this time around. I'm not surprised the UFC cut him recently. Besides throwing Mortal Kombat-esque uppercuts and hooks that did nothing to really slow down Tyson, he might as well have stayed back in Florida.
Griffin looked sharp as usual with a plethora of crisp, offensive strikes, quick counter strikes and good smothering, top pressure to end the match in the 2nd. I wouldn't be surprised if his next fight was the winner of Guida vs. Florian and then a title shot if he can keep a decent win streak alive.
2. Josh Koscheck defeats Frank Trigg via TKO
Boy, could this have been a really technical fight. You've got two guys with excellent wrestling pedigrees and what do they do? They stand like it's the K-1 WGP. And of course, the first guy to slip up gets the short end of the stick. Frankly, I'm glad the rumors of "Twinkle Toes" getting cut after this match weren't true because he could really make an impact in the WW division. He's got the skills and experience to beat most prelim guys but he'll struggle with the mid to top 15'ers, mainly because of a decline in athleticism and lack of speed.
Koscheck could just as easily fall in this same trap for different reasons. He clearly outmatched Trigg in both those areas above, but he clearly prefers to stand and strike rather than GNP. This got him in trouble in his last outting against Paulo Thaigo and coincidentally, a similar situation arose with this fight. Trigg was caught by a wrist/forearm shot to the back of head and was taken to the cleaners. While I understood that Trigg's plan was to stay in the pocket and trade, knowing that Koscheck's standup is quite suspect for a top 5 WW, he looked a little too anxious when he thought Koscheck was in danger. But that's also the mark of a good fighter: to be able to smell blood and go in for the kill. Luckily for Trigg, he'll get one more shot before he gets the boot and then its back to Trigonomics.
3. Paul Daley defeats Martin Kampmann via TKO
What could have been an opportunity of a lifetime for "The Hitman" became a coming out party for "Semtex".
Man that's a cool nickname - he literally blew up any chance of Kampmann getting a title shot for at least the next year or so.
We also found out Daley has a mean left hook or that Kampmann never learned to properly set up a good takedown attempt. Kampmann did land some nice knees in a thai clinch but it was too little, too late.
4. Rafael Dos Anjos defeats Rob Emerson via Decision
This match was all about adapting to the circumstances and improving upon his gameplan before the other guy. Clearly Dos Anjos is a faster thinker on his feet because he wasn't limping as he left the Octagon with a ridiculous bruise on his inner thigh.
Emerson started off well, correctly avoiding takedowns and staying in the pocket to trade with the bjj specialist. What he probably didn't factor in was that Dos Anjos had more power and speed in his left leg kicks because he was a southpaw. This gave him the obvious advantage in keeping Emerson at bay when he tried to throw any type of straight punches. After he noticed he couldn't take Rob down, he just went straight for the same spot on his inner thigh every time. The craziest part was that Emerson did NOTHING to prevent his leg from being blasted. It was almost as if he forgot that he had been hit in that same spot 10 seconds ago and proceeded to throw weak punches because he could no longer use his lead leg.
Let's keep them both on the prelims and see if either of them makes any more progress winning or losing via leg kicks.
5. Junior Dos Santos defeats Mirko CroCop via Submission
This match was the most irrelevant, relevant fight on the card. Longtime CroCop fans were hoping he'd be back in form against a young, hungry up-and-comer. Instead, it was a battered and tired CroCop against a sloppy Cigano. Mirko actually landed some nice, clean left straights but he was taking way too long to set them up and attack. Conversely, Junior was constantly moving forward and not setting up anything cleanly. This could have been his entire strategy all along, but had he taken more time to pull off some nicer and cleaner combinations, he'd have looked much more impressive to the fans and UFC management. He'll still probably get a top 15 guy in his next outting.
It was very clear Mirko didn't want to be there and his loss was inevitable. There was too much clinching and hesitation on his part for him to really put up any strong offense. And when you boil him down, that's what he's all about. Yes, his counter punches have accuracy, but he's the scariest when his head or body kicks are launched out of nowhere. He's always been most comfortable fighting in Japan and I think that's where he should end his career - maybe a rematch with "The Beast" on the next Dynamite card?
You'll always have your anti-terrorism task force day job, Mr. CroCop.
6. Vitor Belfort defeats Rich Franklin via TKO
We have a new champ of the imaginary UFC 195 lb. title.
"Ace" recently defeating "The Axe Murderer" and "The Phenom" obliterating "The Law" (dang, those just sound like they came out of a cartoon or comic book).
This fight was the least entertaining of the 3 mentioned above. There was a good deal of feeling out for nearly half the round, until they both started inching closer into the "Pocket o' TKO's". Franklin just got a little too close and got Trigg'd and it was all over.
Yes, I just made up Trigg'd right now. And yes, I purposely left out an "e".
This was just the type of win Belfort needed to skyrocket him to a title fight. It's too bad the odds aren't in his favor and he'll probably lose via highlight reel KO.
I'm not sure what tools he's going to use against the most dominant MW champ ever, given he hasn't shown many in his last 3 fights.
7. Nik Lentz defeats Rafaello Oliveira via Decision
Now this was a battle.
The first round was very competitive and a good mixture of standing and ground attacks. Both weren't afraid to stand and trade or take it to the ground. Both applied takedowns and good aggression to make it a pretty close 1st round.
2nd and 3rd rounds were all Lentz, as he stayed REAL busy the whole time. His guard was very active and he pressed the action in almost every position. Notice the body shots he was unloading on Rafaello as he was standing over him. Those can suck the gas out of you if you don't defend against them. I also like his guillotines because he wasn't just using them to finish the match. You'll notice he'd apply some good technique but let go after he was able to get his bearings and advance his position. He knew that in most of those spots he wasn't going to sub him but he could at least get out of a bad position while Oliveira was distracted by the guillotine.
For his fantastic performance, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave Nik a big step up in competition, preferably, a Jim Miller or Melvin Guillard.
8 . Rick Story defeats Brian Foster via Submission
Speaking of good performances, I wouldn't be surprised if Story jumped up to the main card against a decent opponent in his next match. He got caught with a couple good uppercuts but rallied back in the 2nd to pull off a Submission of the year contender arm triangle from top position, in GUARD. That was just straight brute strength that caused Foster to tap. Foster had the correct defense going but Story was like a pitbull that had its jaw set. I hope both of them come back against some really game opponents, that are on an upswing.
Definitely a good card all the way around, minus high profile fighters. I recommend newcomers just starting to gain interest in the sport to check it out. It's perfect since you won't neccessarily care who anyone is or what they are known for. Just really great matches with back-and-forth, awesome finishes and solid techniques.
~S
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Kimbo vs. Big Country - My Top Questions and Answers
I know I said this entry would be about UFC 103 but since I'm behind on events anyway, I thought I'd do a quick analysis on the fight of the last TUF episode, Q & A style.
Q. How did Nelson not win in the 1st round? He landed over 20 unanswered, punches to Kimbo's head.
Simply put, he didn't finish Kimbo.
His strikes were weak and the only thing that Kimbo was in danger of was getting mat burn on his forehead. Dana was spot on with his post-fight comments. Roy should have showed a tad bit more "enthusiasm" after he had the crucifix in place.
Q. OK fine, then why did Herb Dean stop it in the 2nd when it was the same scenario?
It was a similar scenario, but not the exact same. The round wasn't even half over when Kimbo was again helpless and could not defend himself.
Q. Why didn't Roy try "harder" to finish the fight?
Big Country is not the typical TUF noob entrant. He may have the most well-rounded accolades in the history of TUF. He's the ex-IFL champ, fought top 10 contenders and has all the skills to back up his big mouth and belly. He's the front runner to win this season - and I'm sure he's thinking the same thing. The only thing that can legitimately beat him is an injury. By not turning up the speed, flair or intensity in his matches, he leaves less chance of misfortune rearing its ugly head.
Q. Did Kimbo ever stand a chance against the ex-IFL champ?
I 100% believe Kimbo could have won.
No doubt in my mind.
Q. Explain how he would have overcome Roy's bjj skillz.
The opposite of the ground game is standup. Forget bjj defense or even the clinch game.
KEEP IT STANDING
Do NOT attempt knees, kicks, spinning backfists, jumping windmill kicks, spinning hook kicks, or the legendary “Triple Lindy".
Just do what you do best:
Pretend you're in a boatyard, light him up like a Christmas tree and introduce Roy to your Certification of the Streets.
Done and done.
Q. How did Nelson not win in the 1st round? He landed over 20 unanswered, punches to Kimbo's head.
Simply put, he didn't finish Kimbo.
His strikes were weak and the only thing that Kimbo was in danger of was getting mat burn on his forehead. Dana was spot on with his post-fight comments. Roy should have showed a tad bit more "enthusiasm" after he had the crucifix in place.
Q. OK fine, then why did Herb Dean stop it in the 2nd when it was the same scenario?
It was a similar scenario, but not the exact same. The round wasn't even half over when Kimbo was again helpless and could not defend himself.
Q. Why didn't Roy try "harder" to finish the fight?
Big Country is not the typical TUF noob entrant. He may have the most well-rounded accolades in the history of TUF. He's the ex-IFL champ, fought top 10 contenders and has all the skills to back up his big mouth and belly. He's the front runner to win this season - and I'm sure he's thinking the same thing. The only thing that can legitimately beat him is an injury. By not turning up the speed, flair or intensity in his matches, he leaves less chance of misfortune rearing its ugly head.
Q. Did Kimbo ever stand a chance against the ex-IFL champ?
I 100% believe Kimbo could have won.
No doubt in my mind.
Q. Explain how he would have overcome Roy's bjj skillz.
The opposite of the ground game is standup. Forget bjj defense or even the clinch game.
KEEP IT STANDING
Do NOT attempt knees, kicks, spinning backfists, jumping windmill kicks, spinning hook kicks, or the legendary “Triple Lindy".
Just do what you do best:
Pretend you're in a boatyard, light him up like a Christmas tree and introduce Roy to your Certification of the Streets.
Done and done.
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